#threatening darkness

Warriors could feel the change in the air as he exited the portal, the way it pressed down on him and made him tense. He looked up to see a sky full of stars, though it brought no comfort. All around him were Keep walls and the smell of dust and decay from a familiar battlefield. He stood near the entrance, watching as his companions exited the portal and curiously looked at the decrepit walls. No one spoke, Warriors only acknowledging each hero as they appeared. Minutes passed, and he almost assumed that the portal would close and leave three of their companions behind, but as soon as the thought entered his mind, Hyrule and Four stepped through with Time close behind them. 

The Smithy didn’t say anything, just kept his eyes fixed on the cracked ground, but that was fine. He had gone through a lot. Warriors cleared his throat, most of the group flinching and then looking his way.

“We’re in my Era. I recognize this area,” he explained, looking over the group, “unfortunately, we aren’t safe here. This Keep is too open.”

“Is there a better place for us to set up camp for the night?”

Warriors looked out at the barren wasteland that made up the valley, mapping the battlefield in his mind. Most of the keeps had three entryways, and it would be difficult to protect the camp adequately and allow the others ample opportunity to rest and recover. Only one was easy to defend from inside, though the chances of the Great Fairy letting them seek refuge inside her fountain was very low. At least, it would have a cost he was unwilling to pay. They were in the now-abandoned allied keep, the next safest one was hours away at most, but it would be safe.

“There’s a Keep to the Northeast that may suit our needs. It has two entrances, easily defensible, but we’ll need to double up on watch shifts,” he explained, fidgeting with the strap of his sheath, “it’s a bit far, though.”

“Wars,” Time spoke up, the Captain snapping to attention, “we’re all exhausted. How long do you think it would take to get there?”

He paused at this, going over the map in his head again.

“It would take maybe two hours to reach. If we hurry, we could cut that time down, but,” Warriors bit his lip, glancing at each hero’s face and how they practically sagged with exhaustion, “I don’t know if we’d be able to make it there fast with everyone dead on their feet.”

“We’ll have to try.”

There was no argument over the long trek; everyone gathered their belongings and made their way out of the abandoned Keep. Warriors stayed behind, counting heads as they passed. Two, then four, then six, then eight, and he followed behind as the ninth. He made his way to the front, leading the way to the safe place he had mentioned. The battlefield was just as he remembered it, dusty and barren fields with weapons strewn about in a mockery of a gravesite. He led the way past the gnarled and decaying trees and over a rickety bridge that spanned a small canyon, purple mist concealing the bottom. A second bridge was across the small expanse of land where a few small patches of grass clung to life. He tried not to pay attention to how the other heroes whispered amongst themselves as they observed the oppressive land around them.

Everything was near-silent, only adding to the uneasiness they all felt in the air. Each step through the dusty red ground echoed, leaving some heroes to pause and listen for foes. It was eerie as Warriors recalled the massive numbers that had once littered this area, and the lack of even a footprint kept him on edge. No monsters ever appeared, not even a grunt or groan of the bokoblins or bulblins that had been here, and it left everyone on edge and tense as they trekked onward. A sudden weight settled on Warriors’ shoulder, the hero flinching as he reached for his sword and faced the threat.

“Whoa, Wars, relax, it’s me,” Time stepped back, holding his hands up in surrender.

It took a minute to register the absence of a foe, and Warriors thanked whatever deity was listening that he hadn’t fully drawn his blade. He glanced at the rest of the group, making sure that all was well, then fell into step beside Time.

“Are you alright? You seem on edge.”

Warriors sighed, fully expecting that question at some point. 

“Later, okay. Not now,” Wars spoke quietly, inclining his head toward the rest of the group.

Time nodded, and they continued in silence. They crossed through a dilapidated tower, inside hollowed out and flattened, and to a Keep near the bottom of the looming valley temple. The heroes all filed into the space, some immediately beginning to set up their bedrolls for the night. Warriors counted heads again, first two, then four, then six, then eight. Everyone was accounted for, and relief filled him. He glanced at the open gated entrances, hinges rusted from a long period of neglect. He wasn’t surprised, but he had hoped there would have been a way to make the camp easier to defend, but this was bound to be the outcome. As he looked toward the tired heroes beginning to set up camp, he came to a decision.

“I know everyone is tired, but we’ll need to set up watch shifts. I’ll take the first one. Who wants to join me?”

No one answered, exhaustion weighing them down as they only spared him a glance. Time approached him then, armor still on and sword drawn in front of him, the end of the blade stuck into the ground. With no one else standing, Warriors nodded.

“Time and I will take the first shift. Who wants to take the next one?”

“I’ll take it,” Twilight spoke up, raising a hand slightly as he set his belongings down near his bedroll with the other.

“I can take it with him,” Wild responded.

Warriors took up position next to the open gate leading out to the open field in front of the stone structure. He listened closely as the heroes’ breathing became heavier as sleep pulled them down. It was relieving knowing that despite the difficulty they had faced back in Termina, they could all still sleep relatively peacefully. As time passed, Warriors could feel Time’s focused gaze on the back of his neck as time passed, making him fight the urge to make himself smaller. 

He knew that the older hero wanted to talk about what was happening, and he usually would be okay talking about what was happening so that there wouldn’t be any surprises when there was information that could help them all. And yet, being here in this place only weighed him down, binding his tongue and unable to speak. Truthfully, Warriors was sure that Time knew more than he let on if he had been there during the war. The hero approached, standing next to Warriors and leaning against the gate’s hinge. It was quiet between them for a moment, only the wind kicking up dust and the soft breaths of their sleeping company.

“Do you think you’d be able to speak about what’s been bothering you, Captain?”

He didn’t reply, watching the field before him as the wind threw red dust into the air. The shapes they made in the air created scenes from the past. He could almost hear screams of soldiers and monsters, weapons clashing, and their foe’s laughter from the highest point in the valley. He shivered, dragged out of his reverie by a hand on his shoulder. Time held a question in his eye, though he seemed concerned as well. Warriors sighed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

“Sorry, got caught up in memories.”

“Nothing happy, I imagine.”

He chuckled humorlessly.

“You’d be correct. This place only holds bad memories for me, unfortunately. Normally I’d have us head for the nearest village or city, but I’ve had a bad feeling since we’ve gotten here like there’s something we need to do or see further in.”

“I see…” Time trailed off, and Wars glanced at the elder to where he was looking toward the sleeping heroes.

They stood silent for a while, watching the other Links sleep. Sky and Legend were further away from the group, almost propped up against the wall, but angled toward them, hands never far from their weapons. Wild and Twilight were similarly faced toward the others on the opposite side, closer to the group and each other with weapons not far away. Wind was near the middle, with Hyrule and Four behind him. Wind was curled up, small, and closed off from the others, far from how he usually slept sprawled near one of the other heroes. Hyrule and Four cling to each other in their sleep, offering comfort to keep the nightmares at bay. Warriors tried not to pay too much attention to the swelling and red-colored skin under the Smithy’s eyes.

“I know I did wrong by him,” Time spoke, almost reading Warriors’ thoughts and breaking the silence between them. Warriors saw how the older hero looked guilty, slumping over slightly as he continued, “But we had very few options. I just chose what I knew would work. And he paid the price.”

It was quiet again as their conversation ended. Time returned to his post by the other entrance, standing stalwart facing the outside of the keep. Warriors stood at attention, keeping his focus on the field. His ears twitched every so often, catching small noises that weren’t the white noise of the wind shifting dead plants and dirt or the quiet breaths of the slumbering heroes. He glanced over his shoulder, a frown making its way onto his face. A soft whimper met his ears, and he abandoned his post, carefully making his way toward the sleeping heroes to find who was having a nightmare. 

“It was a bad situation. I don’t blame you for that. You did what you thought was best.”

A louder cry and the shifting of fabric led him to Wind’s side, the Sailor trembling as he was caught in his nightmare. The Captain kneeled, gently placing a hand on the Sailor’s back to rouse him from the night terror, to no avail. He could hear the mumbling of a name, but he ignored it, trying once more to wake the youngest hero.

“C’mon, Sailor, it’s just a dream. You gotta wake up.”

Warriors could feel helplessness building as he failed to wake the other hero, frantically looking between the heroes for someone to help him, to tell him what to do. Time stayed in his place, seeming to be equally unsure what to do. At that moment, a soft groan met his ears, whipping his head around to see Legend starting to sit up and make his way over to him. He said nothing, but Warriors moved out of the way, watching as Legend leaned over Wind and gently ran his fingers through the sleeping boy’s hair.

“It’s just a nightmare, Bambino; it’s not real,” the Veteran spoke quietly, patiently as he continued his gentle motions, “Come back to us. Everyone is safe, I promise.”

Wind slowly came to, opening his eyes yet not seeing what was in front of him. He reached for Legend’s hand in his hair, holding it for a moment and feeling the rings on his fingers. He breathed in, moving his hand up Legend’s arm as if searching for something, then breathed out when his hand met the other’s shoulder. He sat up, blinking as tears fell from his eyes and looking at Legend’s face. The Veteran looked at him softly. Gone was the usual snark and sass that often appeared on his face; instead, a kind smile took its place.

Wind seemed to regain awareness, rubbing his eyes with one hand and moving the other on Legend’s shoulder back to his hand now at his side.

“Everything’s okay now, I promise,” Legend said.

Wind shook his head, moving toward Legend and wrapping his arms around him as tears trailed down his face. Legend ran his fingers through Wind’s hair again, keeping the young hero close to him. Warriors could only watch as Legend was able to do what he couldn’t. He could feel something building in his chest at the sight, jealousy perhaps or envy at the ease that Legend was able to wake and comfort the youngest of their group. Legend looked up at him briefly, face not betraying whatever he thought before he looked back to the Sailor.

“I’ll take the next shift.”

“What?”

“I have a feeling that I’m not gonna be sleeping anytime soon, and I’m sure the same is true for our Sailor as well,” Legend nodded toward the Sailor, the hero tucked under his chin, “You can tell whoever was supposed to go next that they don’t need to anymore.”

“If you say so…” Warriors trailed off, looking up at Time as the older hero started to approach, “Our watch shift is done. They offered to take over for us.”

Time nodded, starting to take off his armor and putting the Gilded Sword within reach of his bedroll. Warriors sighed, leaving the two heroes where they were and setting up his bedroll in the corner of the Keep. He lay on his back, staring at the red sky, knowing that sleep would not come easy. 

So he listened to the hushed conversation between the two on watch even if he couldn’t make out their words. They created a lull, whispers mixing with the whistling wind outside their small safe space. He could feel himself drifting slightly, and he tried to fight it, to stay at least somewhat awake in case of danger. But he was fighting a losing battle as his eyes closed and his thoughts went quieter.

The darkness was comforting, quiet. He felt safe for the first time in what felt like so long. He wanted this moment to last forever, to simply be . Away from all the responsibilities of a hero, away from the heavy burdens of an army leader, and away from the thoughts that invade his mind and memory. He was safe here, and it was the best feeling in the world. 

Of course, the darkness couldn’t last forever, and a sudden feeling of being watched forced him to his feet. He was in a void, yet he could feel the ground beneath his feet. At first, nothing seemed to be near him, yet he could feel eyes on the back of his head.

“What do you want with me?”

“Feeling nervous? Powerless?” Dark's voice echoed.

Dark appeared before him, smiling.

“You’re in your own era, aren’t you happy about that? Finally home after so long. Don’t you just love how all the memories start rushing back?”

He stiffened, images and memories flashing before him. Feeling claustrophobic as glass walls restrict his movements. Looking over his shoulder every night when traitors started to show their true colors. The smell of fire and brimstone mixed with blood as he fought for his life. The vile taste of dark magic as he watches dark mirrors of himself rise from the ground. The sounds of screaming, yelling, pleading for their lives as he killed those who wanted him dead and countless others who did not.

Warriors bent forward, heaving for breath as the assault on his senses faded. He flinched when a hand met his back, stumbling back and onto his rear as Dark stood over him.

“Aw, I thought you would’ve enjoyed a trip down memory lane. Maybe it wasn’t to your liking? Here, I have something you might enjoy more.”

Dark smirked as he waved a hand in front of Warriors, new images flashing in front of him.

The stage of his greatest downfall was before him, doors opened to a dark void, yet it beckoned toward him. He was drawn to it, though all of his instincts screamed at him to run away. Hands came from within the dark, encircling his wrists like shackles. He tried to pull away, back up, and tear their hold on him, only for them to grow tighter and start dragging him into the darkness. He felt fear pool in his chest, the urge to scream for help building and building. Cries and screams that sounded all too familiar echoed as the hands dragged him inside.

Warriors woke up with a gasp, shooting upright and reaching for his blade next to him. He had fallen asleep, yet he felt the need to go back to bed, pulling at his limbs and beckoning him back down. He shook it off, standing to survey the campsite and see where everyone was. Wild had set up a small fire in the center with wood that he must’ve had previously, cooking fruits over a low flame. Twilight was standing near one of the entrances with Time, though the two didn’t seem to be talking. Wind and Legend sat together, leaning against the wall and looking through their bags. Hyrule and Four were in a corner, not talking but enjoying each other’s company. Sky was approaching him, rubbing at his eyes as though he had just woken up himself, and Warriors stood up from his bedroll to meet him.

“You alright, Captain?”

Warriors grit his teeth, steeling himself and burying the lingering fear and unease that clung to his mind. He tried to seem calm, as though he hadn’t had a nightmare.

“I’m fine. What’s going on?”

“Wild is trying to cook us something to eat before we head out, but there isn’t much left stored in his bag, according to him. We might need to stock up the next time we get to a town or village.”

Warriors nodded, making his way over to the cook.

“How are you holding up?”

Wild glanced up at him, smiling slightly.

“Doing okay so far. Food supplies are a bit lower than I’d like, but we should be fine for a few days.”

“That’s good, at least. Once everyone has had their fill, we should start heading out.”

Wild nodded, pulling bowls out of his bag and spooning portions of the fruit into them, handing Warriors a few to pass out. It was a quiet affair, giving Hyrule and Four one each with quiet thanks from both. The other heroes gathered by the small fire, taking their bowls from Wild and beginning to eat in silence. When everyone had a bowl, Warriors took his meager meal to the gate leading out to the large field, leaning against the post as he ate. 

Truly, he couldn’t feel the slightest bit hungry, thoughts swirling in his mind about the strange nightmare he had the night before. If it even was a nightmare. There was a reason he felt off as soon as they ended up here, and he had a feeling that what he saw while he slept had to have something to do with it beyond just bad memories. He was trapped in a way, with no good options and worse outcomes if his fears of the past were to be realized once more. He snuck glances at the group, and images of what could happen to them all filled his mind. But she was dead. She had to be. So then, why did he feel as though they were all in danger? It was maddening, and yet, it was necessary. Dark was crafty, and he would bet that they would not be able to leave until they made their way there, even if every instinct screamed at him to stay far away. 

As the meager meal finished in silence, Warriors stood and cleared his throat, gaining the attention of everyone present.

“I have a feeling that we’ll need to reach the Temple of Souls that is past this valley. While we haven’t run into any enemies thus far, stay vigilant. I wouldn’t be surprised if we met resistance on our way there.”

“Any idea what we might run into?”

“Bokoblins mainly, but there have been Moblins, Lizalflos, Dinoflos, Darknuts, and Stalfos previously,” Warriors listed off, starting to reequip his sword, shield, and other gear, “Stay on your guard.”

There were nods of understanding, and then Wild started the clean-up process, taking everyone’s bowls and scrubbing them down as best he could. They figured they would wash them properly when they got to a patch of clean water. Everyone quickly gathered their gear, equipping swords and shields as they left the Keep. Warriors led the way through the open field, dust swirling at their feet as they trekked onward. Past tall twisting trees, strange lights settled in their branches, and strange formations of rock resembling hands poised to grab any moment. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Warriors could see the entrance to the fountain, doors ajar with a brazier burning away near the mouth of the small cave. He shuddered as he passed, though no one seemed to notice as they looked all around the barren battlefield and began to climb the first set of stairs that marked the entrance to the Temple. It was still unbearably quiet as they passed through the open gates, only the wind causing a howling noise to echo through the neglected stone sculptures around them. He directed the group left, across the worn brick path, and up another set of stairs that led to another empty Keep. Warriors noted that not even the bomb flowers that had once surrounded the Keep had grown back as he led them out and then up another set of stairs to the right. Then he led the way to the right again up a final set of stairs. He chuckled a bit as a few group members started panting as they climbed.

“What’s with the stonework?” Warriors flinched at the sudden question, looking behind him to Wind, looking up curiously at the arches above the top of the Temple, “Why does it look like an eye?”

“I’m not sure, to be perfectly honest,” Warriors shrugged, falling into step with him, “When the war was happening, and we fought here, it was just sort of like this. It could have something to do with magic and focusing it, but that’s just a guess.”

Wind hummed, glancing at the area around them as they reached the top. It was quiet once again as they all stood in the center of the central room, looking around on edge at the still quiet area. Legend cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably as he observed the site.

“I would’ve thought there’d be something at least.”

“You and me both, Vet.” Warriors sighed.

There wasn’t much at all at the summit, not that Warriors was complaining. He was relieved that it had been easy to get to this point, but he was still on edge despite that fact. He pushed on, gesturing for everyone to follow him as he walked past the center of the eye and toward a series of small mountains. There was not much of a path, but they made do with Wild and Twilight helping others along over the more challenging terrain until they came to a pathway between two rose bushes.

And then they caught sight of the statues.

The statues of a younger Sky, sword raised in a skyward strike, and an even younger Time, posed with an ocarina raised to his mouth, came into view as soon as they crossed through the bushes. He could feel questioning gazes on his back as he led the way through the garden. He knew that the others could tell that something was off about this place, and he was thankful that none approached him to ask about what they saw. But Warriors still braced himself as the statue of Wolfie came into view. When Twilight caught sight of it, he could hear a quiet gasp and a pause in movement. He could hear the whispered words of Wild checking to see if Twilight was okay. He didn’t wait to listen to what the others had to say, instead leading them up the stairs. 

The Temple was just as he remembered it. However, without the presence of corrupted magic, it seemed more like a several-stories-tall mansion than a jumbled mess of buildings. It did little to calm his racing heart as he stood before the doorway, his hand twitching with the instinct to have his sword in hand as he approached danger. He resisted, and as the group joined him at the door, he took a deep breath and opened it.

At first glance, the entryway looked the same, a portrait of himself placed front and center at the base of the staircase leading up with a single light from above illuminating it. Hallways that led to different rooms were on each side and what little Wars could see of the upper level looked the same. Warriors motioned for the group to enter, and as he stood in front of them, he felt a shiver run down his spine. The door slammed shut behind them, and he knew something was wrong.

A figure he hadn’t seen at first moved into view, the light above the portrait catching the silhouette and causing Warriors’ blood to run cold. She looked the same as she had before, dress hanging off her in a way that would have been seductive if not for the slightly unhinged way she stared at him. Warriors acted on instinct then, unsheathing his sword and dropping into a readied stance.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise,” Cia laughed as her eyes moved over each of them, taking in the sight of the group.

“You were dead,” Warriors spoke, fighting the waver in his voice. 

Cia laughed, covering her mouth with a hand.

“Oh, dear hero,” she sighed, smiling as she stepped closer to the group, some of them drawing out weapons, “I hate to disagree with you, but I am very much alive.”

She summoned her staff to her side, twisting it around and opening two portals. Nine dark links stood at her side, and Warriors felt himself move as she extended her staff to point at them. He rushed at Cia, dodging the dark reflections that moved to attack him and bringing his blade down upon Cia. She easily blocked his strike with her staff, the force and weight behind the attack changing nothing. Warriors bared his teeth at her, forcing his weight to move the staff away from him, but Cia only smiled. He could hear the sounds of fighting behind him, but he didn’t turn to help, intent on ending the problem at its source. But when the clashes turned to cries, he knew they had lost, and the sorceress’ smirk only further confirmed his defeat. 

A hit from behind caused him to gasp, and Cia smiled wide as Warriors fell to his knees before her. His sword was knocked away, arms pinned behind him and a hand keeping his head still. She leaned down to tilt his face up toward her, forcing him to face her with a predatory grin on her face.

“Now then, isn’t that better?”

Warriors was stuck looking at her, fear threatening to overwhelm him as he was held in place. She seemed satisfied, and Wars could see her looking over the rest of the group as though she had won the greatest prize. He wouldn’t be surprised if that was exactly what she thought. She stepped past him then, and he craned his neck to look back, fearing for them all, making him watch his mistakes unfold.

She stood over Wind, the Sailor glaring up at her from the floor. He had been knocked on his stomach, his sword just out of reach, and pinned by one of the Dark Links kneeling in his back. She hummed, turning away from Wind to walk toward Legend, the Veteran hero laid out on his back with a blow to his head, rendering him unconscious. Then to Hyrule, who had been forced to his knees and restrained in much the same way as Warriors. And finally, Four was on his back with his sword out of reach, and a Dark kneeling on his chest and holding his arms in place. She huffed, twisting the staff in her hands to point toward a hallway, the dark links responding by moving the four heroes at her command.

“I have no use for damaged goods. Take them away.”

Wind started yelling and cursing immediately as he was hefted up to his feet, his arms pinned behind him in a way that made Wars wince. Hyrule and Four made no sound as they were herded away, though Hyrule kept glancing at Legend, worried now that he had not reacted to being dragged along. 

Warriors saw Wild struggling to tear his arms away from the dark at his back, growling and kicking at the shade as much as he could. The rest of the heroes struggled then, trying to break free and follow after them, but a loud slam of Cia’s staff on the ground stilled their movements. Warriors held his breath, worried she would take out her anger on them. Instead, she walked between the heroes, making her way to Wild and tilting her head at the sight of him. 

“L-let them go!”

“I’ve never seen you before, but you must hold the Hero’s Spirit as well, correct?”

Wild opened his mouth as though to speak, but no noise left him. He looked frustrated for a moment, then tried again.

“W-what’s it t’ you?”

“Hm,” she looked at him consideringly, then waved him away, gesturing toward the same hallway where Four, Legend, Wind, and Hyrule had disappeared. 

Warriors tried not to focus on how the Champion didn’t struggle as he was led away. She then walked between the heroes, humming to herself as she looked them over. Sky cringed under her gaze while Twilight glared harshly. Time’s face betrayed nothing but stoic silence, but Warriors could tell he was masking his true emotions as he was appraised like an object. She nodded to herself, pleased with whatever she found.

“Well, I don’t think I care much. You can go.”

“Very good,” she smiled and gestured with her staff to the other hall, the Dark Links following unspoken orders to lead them off.

Warriors felt the air grow tenser, and he couldn’t help but shiver as Cia turned to look his way.

“And now it’s just us,” Cia chuckled as she sauntered over to Warriors, glee casting her face in an unsettling light, “Did you miss me, my love? I can tell you can’t keep your eyes off me.”

“Not even the Wind Fish would grant you that dream.”

“Hm, pity. I thought we’d be able to spend more time together, but no matter. We have all the time in the world now,” Cia smiled wide at the thought.

“You should go get ready, dearest. I wouldn’t want to be late to our first dinner together after so long apart,” Cia hummed, directing the Dark Link pinning Wars’ arms to his back to lead him away toward where Cia sent Time, Sky, and Twilight to, “But don’t worry, the others will be allowed to join us too.”

Her delighted laughter and humming echoed in his ears as he was led away, a pit in his stomach as he mulled over her words.

All the time in the world.

The darkness was comforting, quiet. He felt safe for the first time in what felt like so long. He wanted this moment to last forever, to simply be. Away from all the responsibilities of a hero, away from the heavy burdens of an army leader, and away from the thoughts that invade his mind and memory. He was safe here and it was the best feeling in the world. Of course, the darkness couldn’t last forever, and a sudden feeling of being watched forced him on his feet. He was in a void, yet he could feel ground beneath his feet. At first, nothing seemed to be near him, yet he could feel eyes on the back of his head.

“Feeling nervous? Powerless?”

“What do you want with me?”

Dark smiles.

“You’re in your own era, aren’t you happy about that? Finally home after so long. Don’t you just love how all the memories start rushing back?”

He stiffened, images and memories flashing before him. The feeling of claustrophobia as his movements are restricted by glass. Looking over his shoulder every night when traitors started to show their true colors. The smell of fire and brimstone mixed with blood as he fought for his life. The vile taste of dark magic as he watches dark mirrors of himself rise from the ground. The sounds of screaming, yelling, pleading for their lives as he killed those who wanted him dead.

Warriors bent forward, heaving for breath as the assault on his senses faded. He flinched when a hand met his back, stumbling back and onto his rear as Dark stood over him feigning concern. Warriors glared up at him, though he shook as he tried to get his breathing under control.

“Aw, I thought you would’ve enjoyed a trip down memory lane. Maybe it wasn’t to your liking? Here, I have something you might enjoy more.”

Dark smirked as he got closer, the hero flinching. Dark waved a hand in front of Warriors, causing a new scene to appear in front of him.

Warriors could feel the change in the air as he exited the portal, the way it pressed down on him and made him tense. He looked up to see a sky full of stars, though it brought no comfort. All around him were Keep walls and the smell of dust and decay, from an all too familiar battlefield. He stood near the entrance, watching as each of his companions exited the portal and looked at the decrepit walls curiously. No one spoke, Warriors only acknowledging each hero as they appeared. Minutes passed, and he almost assumed that the portal would close and leave three of their companions behind, but almost as soon as the thought entered his mind, Hyrule and Four stepped through with Time close behind them. 

The Smithy didn’t say anything, just kept his eyes fixed on the cracked ground, but that was fine. He had gone through a lot. Warriors cleared his throat, most of the group flinching then looking his way.

“We’re in my Era, I recognize this area,” he explained, looking over the group, “unfortunately, we aren’t safe here, this Keep is too open.”

“Is there a better place for us to set up camp for the night?”

Warriors looked out at the barren wasteland that made up the valley, mapping the battlefield in his mind. Most of the keeps had three entryways, it would be difficult to defend it properly and allow the others ample opportunity to rest and recover. Only one was easy to defend from inside, though the chances of the Great Fairy letting them seek refuge inside her fountain was very low. At least, it would have a cost he was unwilling to pay. They were in the now abandoned allied keep, the next safest one was hours away at most, but it would be safe.

"There's a Keep to the Northeast that may suit our needs. It has two entrances, easily defensible but we'll need to double up on watch shifts," he explained, fidgeting with the strap of his sheath, "it's a bit far though. It would take maybe two hours to reach."

"Wars," Time spoke up, the Captain snapping to attention, "we're all exhausted. How long do you think it would take to get there?"

At this, he paused, going over the map in his head once again.

“If we hurry, we could cut that time down but,” Warriors bit his lip, glancing at each hero’s face and how they practically sagged with exhaustion, “I don’t know if we’d be able to make it there fast with everyone dead on their feet.”

“We’ll have to try.”

There was no argument over the long trek, everyone gathering what belongings they had and making their way out of the abandoned Keep. Warriors stayed behind, counting heads as they passed. Two, then four, then six, then eight and he followed behind as the ninth. He made his way to the front, leading the way to the safe place he had mentioned. The battlefield was just as he remembered it, dusty and barren fields with weapons strewn about in a mockery of a grave site. He led the way past the gnarled and decaying trees, and up through the empty trunk of a large, fallen tree that acted as a bridge. He tried not to pay attention to the way the other heroes whispered amongst themselves as they observed the oppressive land around them.

Fear rushed through Time's veins spurring him to run faster than he had in a long time, his old joints aching as he rushed through the front door of the Inn and heading straight for the room he and the boys had rented. The door practically slammed against the wall as he entered, startling the room’s occupants and abruptly getting their attention as he stood, panting heavily as the adrenaline wore off.

"We need to leave. Now."

"Time, what's going on?" Twilight asked, but Time didn't answer, only shaking his head.

“Old Man,” Time turned to see Legend and the rest of the group making their way toward him, out of breath and slightly concerned, “Why did you start running? What’s going on?”

“Just trust me, get your things together, we need to hurry.”

Four and Wild looked to each other, then moved to gather their bags and items. Wind soon joined them from where he had been laying down before Time arrived, rubbing at his eyes with his bag in hand. As they were leaving the room, dropping the key off at the desk, Time found himself looking at Anju, and the words left his lips before he could stop them.

“What day is today?”

“Hm?” she questioned, taking in the appearance of the group, gaze settling on Time, “Link? Oh, you must not remember, though it has been quite a while since your last visit.”

She smiled, slightly leaning over the counter.

“It’s the day of the Carnival. The Carnival of Time.”

And Time felt his stomach drop.

The group left the Inn just in time to witness Legend race through the entrance, a panting Hyrule and Sky at his heels, and Warriors looking concerned as he spotted Time with the rest of the group.

"What the hell is your deal, Time?" Legend yelled, only to stop his tirade when he saw the terrified look on the other's face.

"We need to get out of here." Time could practically feel the words shake as he spoke, pointing at the looming Moon, "That thing is gonna drop in only a couple of hours."

"But all these people..." Wind spoke up, worrying the hem of his tunic, "we need to warn them."

“It won’t work, they never listened-”

“What do you mean won’t work? We have to at least try!”

“You seriously expect us to just leave these people to die?!”

“What the hell Time!”

“Hey, quiet for a second will ya?!” the heroes grew silent, Twilight glaring at all of them before standing at Time’s side.

Time felt a hand slide into his grasp, Twilight standing next to him with a confident and determined expression, "You said you've done this before, right? Just tell us what you did last time. We'll follow your lead."

“There is a way to stop this, right?”

Time smiled slightly, turning to Hyrule and Sky, taking in their nervous expressions.

“Remember when I said I fought the Moon?”

“Oh Hylia, you were serious,” Sky’s genuine astonishment broke the tension, startling laughter out of the group. Time even breathed easier, the constricting anxiousness loosening its hold as a more genuine smile settled on his face.

When the moment passed, Time motioned for the group to follow, crossing under the entryway to the Clock Tower in the center of the town. It was strange though, no matter how much Time looked around, the town’s inhabitants barely paid the Moon any attention, ignoring it, unlike the terror they had before. People were wandering around, stalls with food and trinkets were set up around the square selling their wares. It was such a stark change that Time was almost convinced that nothing was wrong.

“We won’t be able to get up to the top of the tower until the gate lowers at midnight.”

“What do you expect us to do until then?”

Time looked over the group, knowing that they wanted this to be over as much as he did. There was no other way up to the top, and so they were forced to wait.

“Make sure you’re prepared. Stock up on potions and items. If this is anything like my previous quest, we’re going to need everything we can get.”

They nodded, dispersing and heading off to buy the necessary items. Time stood by the Clocktower, leaning against it as he watched the familiar faces of people he had helped save so long ago pass by. They seemed to be happy, carrying out their lives as though nothing was wrong, unaware that history may as well be repeating itself. He could feel the side of his face twinge from the familiar memory of crazed laughter and power that was not his own. The hours seemed to slow to a crawl, the heroes returning one by one as the sky darkened, stars leaving pinpricks of light in the void left behind.

As midnight drew nearer, the bell began to toll. The platform in front of the gate was low enough that climbing up was much less of a hassle and Time was able to help the rest on top as well.

It was a tense few minutes, waiting for the entryway to open. The sound of nervous fidgeting was almost deafening in the near silence.  Fireworks began to get launched into the air, startling a few of the heroes slightly, earning a few curses. When the gate finally lowered, Time practically ran up the stairway, the rest scrambling up after him.

From their new vantage point, they could see the town and the far-off locations that made up the land of Termina. Time, however, was not looking at the scenery, instead searching for the person who had been torturing the group for the last three days. There was no skull kid in a mask this time, and yet, he wasn't sure how else they could find a way to stop whatever nightmare this was. Finding and killing Dark Link, at least, was a step in the right direction.

Glaring up at the Moon above them, Time could see shadows collecting in the air casting the top of the clocktower into darkness. Time gripped the hilt of his sword, waiting for the moment he could end this once and for all. A distorted child's laugh could be heard, Time flinching at the familiar sound as Dark Link hovered over them all taking the form of a Skull Kid. The mask that he wore was much too real to have been an illusion, and it was that thought that made Time grip his sword more firmly.

"Welcome, heroes," he spoke, voice distorted with that of Skull Kid's, but Dark's much deeper voice overlaid it, "I'd like to welcome you all to the Final Hours."

"What do you want with us, Dark Link?!" Wild shouted, a spear materializing in his hands, the blade pointed straight at the figure looming above them.

"Why, hero of the Wilds, you should know by now," he chuckled, removing the mask from his face to throw it in the air and catch it, "It's just so entertaining. Your desires, your lives, promising you those things only to watch as you suffer the consequences. What could be more entertaining than watching as you all desperately cling to whatever safety you find, only for you to be swept up into my game once again."

He cackled, clutching his sides and holding on tightly to the mask with one hand, his voice distorting more and more the longer it went on. The heroes all began to draw their blades, readying themselves for a fight. However, Dark just seemed to laugh more at the display, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Oh heroes, who said it would be me that you would be fighting?" With a snap, the light returned, the Clock Tower they were standing on once again visible as Dark stood before them.

A pitch-black portal opened up beside him as he smiled gleefully, his form mirroring that of Four. The smith sucked in a shaky breath, taking a step forward as Dark’s smile widened, growing sharper, with red eyes gleaming brighter.

Four's eyes widened as a dark figure emerged from the portal, purple hair familiar-looking with a black tunic, a mirror image of his own. He felt his chest constrict as their blue eyes opened, confused as they took in the sight of eight unfamiliar heroes until they locked eyes with Four, expression turning to shock and then fear.

"V-Vio?" he spoke, and Four lunged forwards, Time gripping his arm tightly before he could get too close.

"Shadow, move away from there!" Four called out, but Dark Link just smiled wider as he stepped in front of the disoriented Shadow, facing the other with an almost deranged grin.

In a split second, the mask was no longer in his hands, now slammed onto Shadow's face. With a scream of pain and surprise, the boy crumpled to his knees, and Four screamed along with him. Time could only look on in horror as the mirror of Four succumbed to Majora.

Dark laughed, and as he did so, Shadow began to stand. The deranged magic of Majora ran through him, his skin pulsing with purple light as he rose into the air. Raising his hands, the Moon opened its mouth, and the heroes were sucked into it.

=

They were in a field, a small hill with a giant tree in the very center, and Time could just make out eight mask-wearing children running around it. Wild pushed on, making his way forward and motioning for the others to join him, but Time stood back, unsure of the change from before.

Wild reached the hill first, watching as a small child stopped following the rest and turned to face him, the Sheikah crest on the mask almost shimmering in the false sun. The child approached him, and as they got closer, a chill ran down his spine leaving goosebumps in its wake, the need to grab at his sword grew until the child was only a few steps away.

“Those memories… are they really that important?” the child spoke, voice a near whisper yet loud in Wild’s ears, “What do you think… the others would say… if they knew what you did?”

Wild took a step back, the words the child spoke ringing in his ears and causing his skin to prickle. The child vanished with a flash of blue light, not unlike the teleportation of the Sheikah Slate. Wild stood there, holding himself as he breathed, trying to ignore the dread that began to settle in his mind.

==

Warriors walked past Wild, sparing a look of concern, yet not stopping to check on him. The tree in the center was his goal if only to satiate his curiosity. The seven children running around made an unconscious smile spread over his face, but he brushed off the feeling long enough to get to the very top of the hill, where another masked child sat huddled near the roots of the tree, wearing the mask that Dark Link had forced upon what looked like a Dark version of the Smithy. He didn’t get far, however, as a tug on his scarf had him halting to see a child wearing a hooded mask grip the bright blue fabric.

“Did you need something, little one?” he asked, facing them and bending down slightly, what he hoped was a kind smile gracing his face.

“Your friends…” they whispered, though Warriors could almost hear them echo in his skull, “I wonder… do you trust them? … do they trust you?”

“What?”

The child never responded, their body changing to a shadowy black, the eyes that were visible on the mask changing to a glowing red for a second before the child simply vanished. Warriors looked confused for a moment until the words began to sink in. His hand unconsciously reached for the small bag around his waist and he let out a shaky breath.

“It’s nothing… You’re overreacting.”

But even as he told himself that, he could feel his hands shaking as he watched the other heroes making their way toward the hill.

===

Sky kept his gaze on the children, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling as he watched them pass by. Something about them felt… unnatural, but he couldn’t place the feeling. His hands still ached somewhat from the burns that still marred them, but he still kept his sword arm ready to draw Fi if necessary. The area was just too calm.

One of the children slowed down as he got near the bottom of the hill, bending over as though winded. The opalescent mask they wore never left their face as they recovered, then turned to walk toward Sky. He flinched as they approached, hand reaching for the hilt of his blade as he expected an attack, but the child never got more than a few feet away.

“Your friends… do they know… the real you?” the child asked, Sky could feel his heart pounding in his ears, “If they knew the truth… would they still be your friends?”

Sky could only stare, the question echoing as the child tilted their head to the side. They stood still until white light began to envelop them, and they vanished as though never there to begin with. Sky looked around, relieved when he realized that no one else had heard or seen the child in front of him. He forced himself to let go of his sword and continue making his way up the hill.

====

Four had to admit he was curious about the area they had appeared in, but he refused to stop and admire it. Shadow was in trouble, and the fear that he was too late to save him kept him moving, ignoring the few questioning glances he saw from the other heroes. There wasn’t time to explain, and frankly, he didn’t want to explain anything. Not when there was something more pressing going on.

He paid no mind to the children running around, focused solely on the small figure he could see huddled under the roots of the tree. That had to be where they were supposed to go, there was nothing else that he could see that was important. A child wearing a leaf mask began walking next to him, and he refused to acknowledge them, at least until they stood in front of him.

“I don’t have time for this,” he mumbled and began to walk past them until a cold hand grabbed onto his hand.

“I wonder…” the child spoke, Four whipping around to face them, “what would they think… f they knew your secrets… are they really worth… that much to keep them hidden?”

The smith tore his hand out of the hold, the child shattering in front of them like glass. He took a moment, closing his eyes to fight the panic that began to set in. It was fine. He was fine. No matter the question they asked or how they departed... He needed to keep going.

=====

Wind had stayed with Time until the older hero started walking towards the center of the field. A few of the heroes had already gotten to the tree, waiting under it for the rest of the group. Wind wanted to run ahead, but the way that Time walked, all tense and focused made him think that there was more here than what he could see. Something dangerous, most likely.

The group of children had stopped running and just watched as the remaining heroes approached. He hesitated, goosebumps running up and down his arms as the children stood still. One of them seemed to spot him and began to come closer. Wind could see Time walking away, not noticing what he had, but the Sailor could admit that he was curious about these children. The fact that one of them was approaching-- even if it was creepy-- made him wait. The child had an odd yellow mask on, almost reminding him of a strange fox, and the quiet and careful way they walked made him think of one as well. They stood at a distance, close but not too close.

“Is it true?” they asked, and Wind tilted his head to the side, confused, “Are you a hero? Or are you lying… to everyone… including yourself?”

“Wh- I am a hero!”

The child laughed, a distorted sickly-sweet sound that sent shivers down his spine as they turned translucent and fell to the ground as a splash of water. Wind flinched, looking to make sure that no one had seen, and breathed a sigh of relief when no one was around. The sailor unconsciously rubbed at the faded mark on his left hand, trying to tune out the echoing of the child’s voice as he approached the rest of the group.

======

The Veteran refused to dwell on what had happened, what he had seen back in that wasteland of a boss room, despite the way his hands itched to move, to do something. He could picture the illusion perfectly because that was all that was, an illusion. A dream. But he knew that wasn’t quite the case. He shook his head, attempting to rid the fog that threatened to cloud his mind with memories and doubts that didn’t belong there right now. There were more important things to worry about.

The hill wasn’t particularly steep, which he was grateful for though not necessarily for himself. Sky was already under the tree, sitting down with his eyes closed, and he was secretly glad that he didn’t struggle to get up the damn thing. He glanced back to see the rancher and traveler keeping pace, the former watching the trio of masked children as they approached them.

He wasn’t planning on stopping, the kids were unsettling for one thing, but of course, he was curious. Time had ignored them completely when he walked past, but maybe it was because this wasn’t new to him. Still, it was new to him, much different than the masked people of the Dark World. Maybe that was why when a child wearing a black metal cage on their face stood in front of him, he stopped walking.

“Do you think… you can protect them?” they asked, Legend flinching at the question, “... Or is this another illusion… yet another dream… will you wake up this time?”

“That’s none of your concern, brat,” he responded, his hands feeling as though they were burning as he spoke.

The child laughed, high and airy as their body dissolved, drifting on a breeze that didn’t exist. The Veteran scowled, rubbing his hands on his tunic as though it would take away the feeling. He looked behind him, seeing the traveler looking back, the child that had been approaching him no longer there, leaving Hyrule looking at the others nervously. Legend looked away, cursing Dark Link under his breath as he fought the guilt threatening to choke him.

=======

Twilight liked to think that he knew the Old Man the best out of everyone, but as he followed him at a distance, he began to realize just how little he knows. This place was strange, a stark contrast to the world outside, and the way that Time simply marched onward was strange as well. He didn’t think he had ever seen him look so tense, though it was true that the rest of the group was in much the same state.

It really proved how little he knew about all of them, and in a way, that scared him. Everyone had secrets, that much was true, and he couldn’t judge them, but he liked to think that he was there for all of them when they needed him. He was almost positive that they’d do the same for him.

He could see a child with a gibdo mask stalking towards him, the image of a wolf settling itself into his mind. The child stood near him, watching him, and he could feel the unease growing the longer the silence lasted.

“What makes them… worth leaping into danger?... Why put your life in danger… for theirs?... Do they know?... Would they appreciate it?”

The voice was unnatural, distorted, and wrong for a child to have, but the words they spoke lingered in his mind. What did this… thing know that he didn’t? Of course, the child didn’t stick around, black particles starting from their feet spreading over them and taking them away in what looked like Twili Magic. It was unsettling but looking up toward the group and the veteran and traveler making their way toward the rest, he figured it wasn’t important. Not now at least.

========

The magic here was nearly stifling, a wave of darkness despite how bright the false sun above was. It felt wrong, but that was why they were here. To put a stop to whatever this was. It was strange though because outside of the heroes, there was another magic signature that wasn’t quite so dark. It had to have been the boy from earlier, that was the only guess he had. He found himself glancing at the veteran hero often, wondering if he could feel the magic as well, but besides that, he couldn’t help but wonder if he remembered what happened earlier…

He almost crashed into another person, pulling himself out of his thoughts long enough to stop just in front of a child, wearing a stone-colored mask and wringing their hands in front of them.

“Was what you gave up… worth the price?... Would it make… your friends happy… if they knew… how selfish you are?”

The traveler felt his breath stop, the child unmoving as their words settled and his thoughts spiraled. What did they know? Did anyone else know? Questions of his own repeated as the child faded away, as though never there to begin with. It did little to quell the guilt and fear of the others finding out, and as he looked up at Legend, he silently hoped that he, at least, understood. That he didn’t judge him.

=========

Time stood before Majora, hearing the rest of the group approach him. The scene was familiar, the child sitting before him with knees drawn up to their chest, Majora’s Mask sitting on their face with eyes staring straight into his soul. It was time to end this.

“So, we meet again…” the child spoke, getting to their feet and gazing up at Time, “We both know how this is supposed to end. But I wonder if you’ll be able to finish this. Good guys against bad guys… do you think you’ll be able to kill me this time?”

“I plan to.”

Majora laughed, the field changing into a room pulsing with colored light. The child was no more and standing before them was the boy Dark Link had forced the mask on, the wooden eyes glowing as it clenched and unclenched its fist. Time unsheathed his blade, watching the being in front of him carefully, waiting for it to make a move.

“Hm, this body seems to be much better than the one before,” it spoke in a voice that sounded much too similar to Four’s despite Majora’s distortion of it, “This second chance may be exactly what I need.”

Majora turned to face them, the mask glowing brighter as the wood fused to the boy’s skin. Its arms became longer, whip-like in appearance as the boy’s skin turned red, veins pulsing with dark magic. Its legs grew longer, muscular and the boy’s torso changed similarly. Time could hear as the other heroes changed into a fighting stance; swords poised to attack at the first opening. Majora’s Wrath stood before them, and the battle began.

“Move!”

Time yelled, pushing the nearest hero out of the way of one of the whip-like appendages. The others scattered to the corners of the room; shields raised in defense as Majora began its onslaught. Sky ran towards them, rolling into a dodge when a whip cracked where his head had been. The boys were pinned, stuck in the corners of the room, unable to move or risk the monster’s flailing limbs striking them down.

“You’ve fought this thing, what do we do?!”

The Chosen Hero blocked one of the whips aiming for Time, slashing out at it with his sword. The attack did little to damage it, Majora laughing at the attempt. Time could see Wild lining up an arrow across the room, Warriors covering him as he let it fly. Majora ignored the attack, the arrow flying through its head, yet leaving no wound behind.

“I think I may have an idea,” Time spoke, reaching into his bag for the accursed mask. A hand on his arm stopped him from withdrawing it, and he turned to look in Four’s direction.

“Please,” he begged, eyes flickering wildly, “Don’t kill him. This—this isn’t his fault.”

“I know it isn’t his fault, smithy, and… I’m sorry but I can’t make a promise I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep.”

Time tore his arm out of the other’s grasp, the Fierce Deity mask in hand. His markings burned as the mask came into view but watching his group—his boys—struggling to avoid blasts of dark magic and lightning-fast strikes decided for him.

“Sky,” he spoke, the hero snapping to attention, “make sure the others stay away from the middle of the room. Let me take care of this.”

Time didn’t wait for a response, letting the power of the mask run through his body. With the Deity’s blade in his grasp, he rushed forward, the demon the only one his vision focused on. He slashed once, Majora screeching in pain as its arm hit the ground. It retaliated, its other whip-like appendage wrapping around his leg, knocking him down and pulling him closer. The Deity slashed upwards, blade cutting through its chest and releasing its hold. The demon fell to its knees, and the Deity smiled. He rushed forward again and stabbed the beast through the heart.

He could barely hear the cry of the smith over the power he felt.

“Any last words, demon?”

Majora laughed, choking on its blood.

"You act as though this is over, old friend. No,” Majora stared into his eyes, "Your suffering, and that of those around you is only just beginning."

He laughed a moment longer, but with a single twist of the blade, he was silenced. Time pulled off the mask and watched as the corrupted magic of Majora left the boy in front of him, watched as he fell forward onto the floor.

He was pushed away, Four crashing to the ground and gathering the body into his arms. The smith pressed at the wound in his chest, as though stopping the blood would save his life. The rest of the heroes gathered near him, some looking at him with distrust while others watched the smallest hero crouched in front of them.

“Hyrule please,” he looked back at them, tears gathered in multi-colored eyes, “heal him. Please save him.”

The traveler made his way over, kneeling next to him with hands outstretched as though to start the Life spell, only to hesitate. He laid a hand on Four’s shoulder, tears gathering in his eyes.

“I’m so sorry.”

Four held the boy closer, tears streaking down his face as he shook his head.

“No, someone has to have a fairy! Anything, please!”

“Smithy…”

Time reached out to him, only for Four to flinch and move away. He held the boy close to him, protecting him from the man who had slain him, fear and anger twisting his face.

“Stay away from us!”

Time took a step back, his companions watching him with uncertainty. He could feel their gazes on him, Majora’s final words echoing in his mind.

This wasn’t the end. Everything was just beginning.

“Hey, there’s a portal,” Warriors broke the silence, drawing the group’s attention away from him. For a moment, no one moved. Warriors looked back at the smithy and traveler with pity, then to Time before leading the way through to the next Era.

Most of the group followed him, leaving Time, Hyrule, and Four behind. The portal stayed standing, the dark magic swirling inside almost mockingly. Time stood near it, watching as Hyrule comforted Four. The sobs tore into him, and his guilt only grew. This was his fault and truly he deserved whatever resentment the young hero held for him now.

Time jolted awake to the sound of screaming. It took only a moment for his gaze to land on the youngest hero, sobbing, and reaching for something that wasn’t there. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sky hesitating, wanting to help yet not knowing how wringing his bandaged hands in worry. Warriors had sat up in bed at the sound, making his way towards the young Sailor only for Four to beat him to it. The Smithy had only just sat next to the Sailor, hand resting gently on his shoulder to allow the youngest hero to lean into him, only for Wind to throw his arms around him, sobbing into his tunic. Four ran his hand up and down his back, rocking back and forth, and murmuring quiet words of comfort.

Time could feel his heart clench seeing the normally bright and cheerful hero so terrified by whatever had caused him to wake up screaming. A small part of him wanted to know just what Dark had done to cause this, but a larger part of his mind was too scared to find out. He slowly got to his feet, joints cracking in protest at his movements, and watched as the other heroes began to get up as well, the cries of the Sailor loud enough to get all of them to their feet.

With everyone up and mostly ready, he cleared his throat, getting the attention of most of the room’s occupants.

"We're going to need to group up," Time spoke, "We need to go into Ikana to find Legend and Hyrule, and I don't want to leave anyone by themselves."

He could see the contemplative looks on Twilight and Wild's faces, and how Four kept glancing over Wind's head at everyone else. Time could tell that Wind would not be joining them, and he had a feeling Four and Twilight would want to stay to take care of him. That left Wild, Sky, and Warriors...

"Do you feel well enough to join?" he turned to the Captain, and the other looked down at himself, then turned and nodded at Time.

"I think-" Wild started, cutting off when everyone started looking at him, he cleared his throat before starting again, "I'm gonna stay here... Just in case."

"You don't need to explain yourself Wild," Sky smiled warmly at the other, "I think I'll go with you Time, if only because I think it would do some good."

Time nodded again and stood up from his place, going to grab his bag and armor while the other two did the same.

The three of them left the Inn shortly thereafter, leaving through the East Gate once again. Time saw the Stone Tower in the distance and felt a chill run down his spine. He could feel the oppressive air that lingered over the Valley of the Dead from here.

He was jolted from his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Warriors looking at him with worry in his gaze as he brought his hands up to begin signing.

’You okay there, Lil shit?’ he asked, and Time slowly nodded, bringing up his own hands to sign, able to feel how Sky was watching them.

‘Don't worry so much, dumbass big bro. I'll be fine.’ he signed back, and forced a smile, made much more real by the Captain's smile working its way onto his face.

"Let's get moving," Time finally spoke, and the others nodded, following behind as they made their way into the Canyon.

The monsters with bombs on their tails seemed to all come after them as soon as they stepped through the entrance. Sky merely batted them away with his shield, allowing them to continue. Time noticed that the figure that had sat on the side of the cliff was no longer there, though he paid little attention to that fact, focusing on the task in front of them.

Getting over the fence that blocked the way.

It was much smaller than he remembered it being, which wasn't a bad thing. They all managed to climb over it without too much difficulty, though he could hear quiet cursing from Warriors as the edge of his scarf got caught for a moment.

Stifling laughter, he led the way past the boulders in the path, all three of them moving out of the way as some fell from the cliffs overhead. Once they entered the canyon proper, Time walked past its stranger fixtures - was that a home or just a large music box? - without a glance, ignoring the questioning gazes of his companions. He instead moved to the north, towards the massive staircase that marked the entrance to the Stone Tower Temple. The other two looked around them at the imposing sight of the tower, mouths agape.

Time eyed the platforms ahead, and with a running start, he jumped to the first one.

"Come on, we need to get moving," he called out and saw Warriors snap to attention, nudging Sky. They both jumped the platforms, following Time as he made it to the other side.

Time took out his Hookshot, the others doing the same, and began to scale the exterior, the pillars having targets for them to aim for. The climb up was rough, Time had forgotten just how difficult it was to make it inside the temple proper. Every so often he’d check on his companions, making sure they were close behind him. While the heights didn’t seem to bother Sky much, the climb itself left him winded once they reached the uppermost platform while the Captain was forcing himself to keep his eyes up and away from the ground. The few enemies that met them on each platform were easily dispatched, though exhausting as they ventured onwards.

At the last platform before the eerie gaping maw of the temple, Time held out a hand, stopping their progress.

“Now for the fun part,” Time smirked, pulling out his bow and nocking an arrow. Sky and Warriors were given no warning when the temple suddenly shifted below their feet, Time laughing as they yelled. As soon as it started, it was over, and Warriors lay flat on his back staring up at the floating platforms they had just been on while Sky stood glaring at Time.

“Warn us next time?”

“Not a chance, the looks on your faces,” Time sighed, smiling as he wiped away a fake tear, “I only wish I had Wild’s Sheikah Slate to capture it.”

Warriors stood, flipping Time off as he jumped the final gap into the entryway. This, of course, only made the Old Man laugh, Sky following him as they entered the derelict temple.

There was no floor to be seen, only the clouds and sun that was supposed to be above them. It was disorienting, but Time looked unfazed, just walking along the narrow pathway and glancing upwards as he pulled out his Longshot. Sky pulled out his Clawshot, aiming at the upside-down chest that Time had been eyeing, releasing the trigger and flying onto the pathway that had been above them. Time held him steady, pulling him further down the path as Warriors found his footing.

There was very little blocking their way, Time leading them forward and through a doorway. A row of spikes greeted them at the next door, Time barely flinching as he used the Hookshot to fly over the top along with the next trap. The Boss Room awaited them below. A large pit of what looked like sand greeted them, and with a warning to hold their breath, Time jumped into the pit, the other two following behind with little hesitation.

They found themselves on a small platform in the middle of a vast desert. At first, they didn't notice that anything was amiss until they heard the sounds of an ocarina and laughter.

Time whipped around, frantically trying to locate the source, and finally seeing two figures a short way into the desert. Sky seemed to have better sight, as he soon began sprinting towards them, calling out to them.

Time and Warriors chased after the Skyloftian, worried and apprehensive as the two figures gradually came into view. Time felt relief at first, seeing Legend and Hyrule sitting together, safe, but that feeling slowly changed as he saw the looks on their faces.

Legend didn't seem to realize the presence of the three newcomers, continuing to play a song on his ocarina as Hyrule watched, a fond look on his face. They were sitting together on a fallen pillar, half-buried in the sand and if not for the area surrounding them, it would’ve almost been peaceful.

"Hey, are you guys okay?" Sky asked, only to be met with no answer, not even an acknowledgment of his words.

Time felt a prickling on the back of his neck, and quickly turned around, sword at the ready. Dark Link was behind them, looking exactly like Hyrule did if not for the piercing red eyes and a wide, sharp smile that was all too pleased.

"I see you've found the rest of your group. Don't they look so happy?" he spoke, Warriors and Sky both stiffening at his voice.

Time raised an eyebrow at him, already suspecting that a deal had been made, and yet, the two found heroes looked unharmed and happy. Dark smiled wider as Warriors reached for the sword at his back, Sky’s eyes narrowed.

“What did you do.”

"I merely gave them what they desire. The hero of Legend wanted to have the power to protect his loved ones, while the hero of Hyrule just wanted to feel safe, and I obliged."

"There's a catch. There has to be a catch." Warriors spoke, anger seeping into his words.

"I'm afraid not, hero of War." Dark sneered, gesturing to the two heroes that were sitting nearby, "They have everything they've ever wanted, and there was no reason for me to do anything more."

Time could see Sky trying to shake Hyrule out of the illusion, the traveler not reacting beyond giggling at Legend. The Veteran hero rolled his eyes at the sound, the song he played never faltering despite his growing smile. Dark Link laughed as Sky’s attempts to shake the hero back to awareness kept failing the longer he tried. Warriors made to slash at him, blade drawn, face twisted in anger, only for Dark to dodge, jumping away from the blade and disappearing into the swirling sands. His laugh echoed a moment longer, fading alongside the Dark.

Sky stood slowly, looking lost as he watched Hyrule and Legend continue on as though no one else was around them. Legend ended his song, smiling fondly as he looked to the side looking as though he was listening to someone where there was only empty space. They both looked happy, relaxed in a way that Time had never seen before now, lost in whatever illusion Dark Link had given them. As much as he wanted to save them, to take them out of whatever they were seeing, would it be right?

Warriors stepped forward, the movement drawing Time out of his thoughts. The Captain stood in front of Legend, watching him. He seemed to come to a decision, raising a hand and smacking the Veteran hero across the face. Sky winced while Time himself was staring, eye wide in shock at the Captain’s actions.

It was still, the swirling sands the only noise as the group looked on expectantly. Legend’s face was turned away from Warriors and a faint red mark spread over his cheek. Hyrule didn’t react and soon it was clear that Legend didn’t seem to notice that he had been hit either, no reaction whatsoever. Warriors walked back to Time’s side, slightly disappointed.

"So, it looks like force didn't work," he stated, and Time sighed shaking his head in exasperation.

"You really are a dumbass, sometimes."

"Hey, don't be rude, ya little shit," Warriors snarked back at the other, a small chuckle coming from Sky, [petering out as the gravity of the situation settled in].

"What should we do? We can't leave with them like this," Sky spoke softly, biting at his lower lip as he glanced at the two lost heroes, “I don’t think taking them with us in this state would be wise either.”

There was a pause, Warriors crossing his arms, brow furrowed,  as Time began clenching and unclenching his fist. He had an idea, but indecision held his tongue, there was no way that it could be that easy. Beyond that, the action of pulling them out of what was causing them to be so carefree and unburdened put a bad taste in his mouth. But he was selfish, he wanted his boys back. He pulled out the blue ocarina and paused, considering.

'Could it really be that easy? No, this has to work. There's no other option... I wonder.'

"Hey, Sky, you brought your harp with you, correct?" Sky looked confused as he confirmed as much, reverently pulling out the instrument from his bag.

"I have an idea." Time said, pulling out his ocarina, "Just follow the notes that I play."

Time began to play softly, a simple melody at first. Three notes, descending low and repeating twice. Calm seemed to settle over the area, Sky closing his eyes as he listened to the simple, melancholy melody. He carefully plucked at the strings on his harp, the same three notes, repeating them twice. Time then continued the song, the notes flowing steadily like a winding river, easily filling the silent room with the sound. The notes climbing and falling, the two instruments harmonizing perfectly.

Warriors watched as the glazed look in Legend and Hyrule’s eyes began to fade, their expressions changing from relaxed to confused. Warriors could feel relief bubbling over at the sight, and despite knowing that he wasn’t particularly musically inclined, he hummed along to the song.

Slowly, Hyrule seemed to become more aware, the confusion changing to surprise as he realized his surroundings, rubbing at his eyes as he turned to face the three heroes. The faraway look was gone. Legend, though no longer having the fond smile on his face and slowly losing the faraway look struggled, holding onto the fading scene as much as he could. Time slowly let the notes fade out, taking the ocarina away from his face and Sky carefully putting the golden harp back in his bag.

Sky approached the two heroes, kneeling down between them. Hyrule smiled uneasily, but Legend still looked off to the side. Sky reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Vet?”

Legend looked back at him, quickly schooling his expression into indifference.

“Are you okay?”

He hesitated, tensing up, Sky gave a concerned look. Legend took a deep breath.

“It’s not important right now,” he brushed Sky off, standing and looking around, “We should go.”

Time nodded, leading the way to the center of the boss room where a warp point would take them back to Ikana Valley. The walk back to the Inn was quiet save for the rustling of fabric and the quiet footfalls of the others. Time would glance back every so often, catching Hyrule looking down at his feet and Legend staring straight ahead, and yet not actually paying attention to his surroundings. Just another thing for him to be concerned about, but Time wouldn’t dwell on it.

Time was concerned for them both, feeling guilty for taking them from their illusions, and yet, he had to keep reminding himself that it was for the best. Warriors kept glancing at Time as well, and he could feel the other's concerned gaze on him. He tried to ignore it, instead looking towards the Clock Tower ahead of them, glaring up at the ominous moon that seemed to loom ever closer.

   It was a quiet night for once, no monsters in sight and not a single nightmare to disturb the group. It was nearing the early morning hours, Wild had taken the second shift and was currently sitting a short distance away from the campfire, reading one of the champions’ diaries.

   Though he’d read them several times, he couldn’t help but to go through them again and again in a near desperate attempt to regain some of his memories. Though he had many from Zelda and the Champions already, it didn’t feel like enough. There had to be more than he was missing. He didn’t just happen to be seventeen and go through life at that age, he had to have had a life before Zelda and the Calamity. And yet, no matter how much he tried to get more memories to appear, even if certain places in his Hyrule hit him with waves of nostalgia, they never seemed to linger and stay as the other memories had.

   He had probably exhausted this journal already, trying to scour it for details about before was useless at this point. He sighed as he closed it and placed it back in his bag, returning to watch the woods around their little group.

   It was quiet.

   Until he heard a rustling in the bushes near him.

   Wild at first suspected it was an animal of some sort until he heard a low chuckle. He reached for his sword that was propped up next to him, unsheathing it as he stood up to face whatever threat had come. A dark figure emerged from the darkened woods, eyes a deep red while their form was entirely cloaked in darkness, such that it was impossible to make out what they looked like. Though Wild could tell immediately who the figure was.

   He opened his mouth to order everyone up to fight off Dark Link, but he soon found a hand covering his mouth, stifling any noise he tried to make.

   “Now now, let’s not disrupt this peaceful night.” Dark chuckled lowly.

   Fear gripped Wild, and it was only a split second, a blink of his eyes, and he was plunged into a dark void. His sword was no longer in his hands, and his Slate was no longer at his hip. He was terrified, and the eerie laughter that surrounded him only caused his heartbeat to ring in his ears.

   He felt pressure behind him, like eyes watching him. He whipped around, standing with his hands clenched into fists as he saw Dark appear from the darkness behind him, form rippling as it gained physicality. The other looked scarily like himself, long hair put in a low hanging tie at his back, wearing the Champion’s tunic over Hylian trousers. The differences were startling, no scars marred the other’s face and his eyes were blood red, made all the more terrifying by the too wide smile.

   “You know, I’ve been around quite a while longer than you’d think, since the beginning, even.” Dark started off, his voice sounding eerily similar to Wild’s own, circling him like an animal does to its prey. “I’ve seen all of your little groups' adventures, fought several of them in person. I know every single secret, every desire, every fear.”

   Dark stops in front of Wild for a moment, his smile growing sharper as he sees Wild’s discomfort.

   “Is it really so hard to believe that I know everything about you? Every memory you’ve ever had and every memory you’ve lost.”

   In a split second, Dark Link disappeared again, Wild frantically looked around, despite knowing the futility of it.

   “Yes, I know what you want. You crave your past,” he laughs, the sound seeming to come from everywhere, echoing. “You want to know your family, your life before you pulled the sword from its pedestal. Your poor sister and father.”

   Wild flinches at the hand that now rests on his shoulder, and slowly he looks behind him to see a small girl wearing an off white dress, blonde hair just touching her shoulders. He feels a wave of fear as the smiling figure opens her eyes to show them colored blood red. Wild stumbles back and looks up at her as she tilts her head to the side, a too-wide smile on her face.

   “What’s wrong, big brother? Don’t you recognize me?” she says, her voice distorting with the sound of Dark Link’s voice mixing into hers.

   Wild flinches away, stumbling on nothing, and looks back to where the girl once stood only to see an older man, a white beard on his face with a dirty apron covering a green shirt and red pants. He was muscular, with faint scars on his arms. The blood red eyes and sharp grin were the only give away.

   “What’s the matter, Link?” his voice distorted, overlaid with Dark’s own, “Don’t you recognize your old man?”

   Wild scrambled backwards, away from the man that Dark Link appeared as. His chest felt tight, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he tried to breathe through the panic that had grown during Dark’s torment. He looked away, covering his ears to block out the sounds of laughter from his oppressor.

   “Aw, too much?” he heard the other’s mocking tone, not nearly as muffled as he had wanted it to be.

   He looked up to see Dark once again looking like himself without the scars. Dark’s smile was no longer as wide and sharp as it had been, instead looking almost fond. He looked as if he was contemplating something, and when Wild stood back up, hands no longer covering his ears and panic lessened, Dark seemed to reach a conclusion.

   “I can give them to you, you know. Your memories from before Zelda and the Champions.”

   “There’s a catch, isn’t there.” Wild spoke, and he saw Dark’s smile falter for a moment, returning to his face quickly enough.

   “Ah, if you consider a favor for a favor a catch then so be it.” he chuckled, then held out his right hand, a smirk on his face. “I’ll give you what you want, you just need to do what I say.”

   Wild lifted his own hand, though he hesitated. This was what he wanted… right? But, it’s Dark Link. His idea of a deal will only lead to pain and suffering for the rest of the group… it wouldn’t be worth it… right?

   Dark began to frown, and soon was tapping his foot against the supposed floor of the darkened void, making a steady sound that almost resembled that of a clock counting down.

   “Come on, now. This is a great opportunity I’m giving you, time is slipping away as we speak. I don’t have all night after all, let alone offering these every day.”

   Wild could feel the tension in the air mounting, and Dark’s tapping of his foot only added to the unease. He bit his lip, then looked up at Dark’s smiling face as he made his decision.

===========================================================

   Wild jolted upright, opening his eyes to see the sun beginning to rise over the trees. He was the only one awake.

   He slowly stood up, stretching and looking around for a sign that what had happened last night was more than a dream. There was no sign that the Shadow had ever been here to begin with. He grabbed the Slate, going through options for breakfast when the rest of the group began to stir. He tried not to flinch as Four approached, hands on his hips as he watched Wild begin to pull out ingredients.

   “Why didn’t you wake me up for the last shift?”

   Wild paused for a moment, expression blank, until he shrugged and returned to his task.

   “You needed the rest,” he mumbled, “and besides, I don't think I was gonna get any sleep last night anyways.”

The next morning, Time awoke to the sound of murmuring. It was quiet, coming from across the room where Twilight and Four had slept. He focused, feigning sleep while he tried to listen in

"-thing wrong"

"-world-"

"-memories?"

"-find them-"

Time decided it was enough, opening his eyes and getting up from the bed, halting the conversation in its tracks. He glanced at them, seeing both Twilight and Four looking at him worriedly as he reached to put on his armor and boots. Wild seemed to slowly be stirring, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Glad to see you're all awake." Time said, Wild flinching into alertness, "We should get moving soon. Wild, I'm sure you have something in that Slate of yours for us all to eat, correct?"

Wild nodded, grabbing the Slate and pulling out a few apples, passing a few around to everyone. There was no conversation as there normally would be during breakfast. It was too tense, they were all too nervous, though Time had no doubt that some of that worry was for him rather than their missing companions. Soon enough, they finished the meager meal, gathering their items up to leave. When they approached the Reception Desk, Time noticed Anju standing there, looking older than she had been, yet so much happier now than before. He so badly wanted to talk to her, but there wasn’t time. He needed to move on, needed to find the missing heroes, and quickly.

The clock was ticking…

They left shortly, exiting the building and leaving through the East Entrance to the expanse of plains that made up Termina field. In the distance, Time could see the looming form of the Stone Tower Temple, just as ominous and imposing as before. He shuddered, memories of the Garo and ReDeads that lurk there appearing subconsciously, along with the other horrors that occurred there. He shook his head, ridding the past from his mind if only for the moment, and saw his three companions looking at him.

"You know this place, right? Where should we go first?"

Time thought it over, Ikana was closest, that was true, but he could feel the dread welling up at the thought of stepping foot in there. They would be unprepared, not to mention the enemies that lurked there. It was just too risky. Snowhead was also not far away, yet that too would be dangerous with what little they had. Then there was the Great Bay...

"We're going to circle the town. Check the Great Bay first." he decided, and the others nodded, following Time as he began heading towards the beach.

It was just as he remembered it really, a vast beach of white sand with a flock of seagulls flying overhead. The Temple visible in the distance, and the fishbone guitar marking the grave and serving as a memorial to the departed Zora, Mikau. He must have hesitated upon seeing it, the flowers near it were fresh, as though someone had been there recently to place them on the sand, and Wild seemed to notice it too. The scarred teen walked past Time, moving closer to the memorial.

"Mikau, legendary guitarist of the Zora tribe..." Wild trailed off, a faraway look in his eyes.

Twilight must have caught on to the look the other had, realizing that his protégé could very well go into a memory here, and he pushed past Time to stand near him, a hand placed carefully on the teen’s shoulder. He looked back at Time, an unspoken agreement to stay with Wild until whatever memory he regained passed. With a nod of his own, Time and Four headed closer to the water, looking out at the Bay. Getting to the Temple, as that was the only place Time would think that one of their group would be, was going to be difficult. As it was, he couldn’t get there on his own, much less with a passenger.

Time could see the cave that led to the island where Lulu was, but he knew he would need to find a way to it through the water. And as far as he knew, Four couldn't swim.

"Follow me," he spoke, leading Four through the cave.

There were no monsters to greet them, which was a small mercy. Gazing out across the water, there would be no way for Four to come with him... unless...

"You can hold your breath, correct?"

Four nodded, though he seemed confused at the question. With that confirmation, Time reached into his bag, hand closing around the mask- no- the soul of the Zora musician. He put it on, instantly feeling the pain that comes with transforming his Hylian body to that of a Zora, and yet, it hurt worse than it had when he was on his second adventure.

He could feel his eyes changing to ones that were more suited to seeing through the water. Fins sprouted from his arms and sides of his face as scales grew to cover his body. His hands grew webbed between the fingers and his feet much the same. The armor he wore melted and changed to suit his new form better, the weight growing slighter.

As quickly as the pain came, it left. Time turned to Four, where he was standing open-mouthed in shock, and he chuckled at the sight before bending down slightly for him to climb on his back.

"As soon as I hit the water, hold your breath," his voice, mixed with that of Mikau's, warbling as the other Zora's voices did.

Four confirmed that it was fine again, and with a running start, Time's body hit the water. He tried to navigate through the water quickly, Four moving his hold around Time's neck for a better grip, attempting to not jostle his passenger with his sudden movements. He tried to be mindful of his passenger, moving quickly but trying not to jostle the other with his movements. As they got closer, he surfaced, letting Four take a few breaths while he determined the distance left to travel. He swam the rest of the way with his head above the water, letting Four get off at the beach of the small island.

As he climbed onto the island himself, his gaze landed on the Zora cloaked in purple standing near the center of the island, hands clasped at her waist. She didn't look any different than she had when he first met her, save for how she seemed much more at ease, less sad than she had been. She seemed surprised by the two, but as she looked at Time, she started smiling. There was no way to fool her, she had known that he wasn't her partner shortly after rescuing her children, and yet she hadn't seemed to mind that he had looked so like the departed Zora.

"It's nice to see you again, Link."

Time, still wearing the Zora mask, smiled.

"Likewise, Lulu."

Time got out of the water fully, moving over to her to explain the situation, how they needed to get to the Great Bay Temple. Four stood off to the side, gazing at the island they were on and to the far off island that had to be the temple. Turning around, he looked back towards Clock Town, eyeing the ominous-looking Moon hanging above the clock tower.

'Looks like the old man wasn't lying.' Blue huffed, and Four found himself agreeing.

There was something there though, he couldn't place what exactly was bothering him. As he zoned out, keeping his gaze on the top of the Clock Tower, he thought he saw a figure standing there underneath the moon. Too far away to see, and yet, he felt as though they were familiar though he couldn’t place why.

"Hey, Four, Lulu is gonna help us get to the Temple." Time spoke up, and Four snapped out of his thoughts, paying attention to Time.

The elder hero looked slightly worried as Four made eye contact with him, though it was harder to tell with how he looked now as a Zora.

"You alright?"

"I think so..." Four shrugged, turning his head back to the tower in the distance, "something just... feels familiar. Or at least, it feels off... It doesn't matter though. I'm ready to go whenever."

Time folded his arms, a flash of concern appearing on his face until Lulu began to sing behind him. Soon, rising from the water, a turtle as large as an island approached, palm trees on its back swaying with his movements. Time looked fond as the creature approached, and Four found himself smiling along with him.

"Four, this is the deity that protects the Great Bay."

The great turtle seemed happy as it saw Time, more so when he finally removed the mask. Four could see the relief on Time's face as he returned to his Hylian form. After a brief discussion, one that Four couldn't quite catch, they both were on the back of the turtle, heading for the Temple of the Great Bay.

Entering the Temple was the easy part. And that was the only part that was easy. Though the puzzles were all completed, and the way to the Boss Room was clear, the water made it difficult to move through it.

'We really should've learned how to swim' Vio helpfully supplied, Four rolling his eyes in response and accepting his fate of being carried through the Temple on Time's back, holding his breath when the other donned the Zora mask and swam through the maze of passageways.

As they reached the last platform, a spout of water between them and the Boss Door, Four spotted a familiar scrap of fabric on the ground near the door. Quickly jumping over to the platform the door was on, Time bent down and picked up the knitted blue fabric, torn and coming apart, with a single golden triangle still visible.

"Warriors was here."

Four could see the way that Time began to shake, clutching the scrap of Warriors' treasured scarf. It may not have been well-known amongst the group, but Four knew there was some sort of connection between the two. The way that both of them seemed to feel at ease with one another and the few pranks that Time had pulled on the captain... This must have been hard to take.

"He's going to be fine, Time," Four reaffirmed, and Time seemed to come back to himself, carefully pocketing the scrap.

“I know…”

They both stood, facing the door and with a nod, they entered, seeing a gaping hole in front of them. Time donned the Zora mask again, motioning for Four to follow. They both jumped in, landing feet first onto a platform surrounded on all sides by deep water.

There was no indication that Warriors was around, no way of telling where he could be. The room wasn't very big. Then, they heard a laugh. An echoing laugh that seemed to come from all around them, causing the two to whip their heads around, trying to locate the source.

Shadows began to surround them, coming out of the water and gathering into a more Hylian form. Soon, Dark Link stood before them, shadows obscuring his features except for the piercing red eyes.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to join us." he spoke, beginning to approach the two, "I'm surprised that you managed to get this far, Hero of Time. You didn't feel crushed by the weight of your past?"

Time flinched at the words, and Dark's eyes narrowed in glee. The shadows began to lift from Dark's form, showing Warriors, scarf and all, save for the piercing blood-red eyes and the razor-sharp grin on his face.

"And now you're searching for him, isn't that right." Time began to shake as Dark changed forms again, looking just like Time had when he was in the War that had consumed Warriors' world.

"If you want your dumbass big bro so badly," his voice warped, sounding more like Time's had, "then come and get him."

The shadows exploded outwards, cloaking the room around them and blocking out any and all light. Dark's laughter echoed around them, putting the two heroes on edge, Time shaking in barely concealed horror.

'How could he have known that nickname? How did he know about that time in his life?'

"Time, we need to focus. C'mon, you need to help me out here." Four called out, backing into Time to grab at his arm. The other flinched for a moment, relaxing once he recognized Four.

"Just tell me what to do, Time." Four spoke again, letting go of Time's arm and holding out his sword. "We can take this guy."

"So you think, Hero of Minish," Dark spoke again, his voice much closer, almost as if he was next to Four, "And yet, you seem to be missing an important piece."

Four swung his sword in the direction of Dark, anger burning bright and blue in his arms and eyes. Instead of a cry of pain, however, there was a very. Loud. Shattering.

Four fell to his knees, the pieces of mind crying out as one of them spiraled into panic and guilt, the rest following. Time began to move in front of his downed companion, sword raised to strike at an unseen foe and protect the best that he could. There was no way to fight him, not now. There was just no way.

It was hopeless.

A small light began to shine, piercing the darkness. Time looked down at Four, seeing his sword shining with the four colors on his tunic. The other stood, seemingly unaware of what was happening. With a swipe of his sword, the shadows were cut and Dark's laughter ceased. The room was no longer obscured by shadows and sprawled out in the center of the platform at Four's feet was the unconscious form of the Captain.

Time felt distress crawl up into his throat, a strangled noise escaping him as he approached Warriors. He placed a hand on the others' neck, feeling a slow but steady pulse.

'Thank Hylia for this, for keeping him safe'

Time glanced back at Four, who still stood with a faraway look in his eyes. He looked tense, eyes flickering with different colors, enough that Time could tell something was wrong.

"Four?" he tentatively called out, and the other turned to him, still not back in the present, "Warriors is safe now, we need to get back to Twilight and Wild."

Four took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did so. Then releasing it through his mouth. Repeating this motion a few times, Four seemed to regain his senses, opening his eyes to reveal their usual light brown color.

"I'm okay. It's okay," he mumbled to himself, sheathing his sword and then crossing his arms, gripping his hands into his sleeves as though holding himself. "'m sorry you had to see that..."

Time looked worried, reaching out a hand for Four to grab while he held on to Warriors with the other. Four grabbed his hand, the center of the platform erupted with light, and the two were whisked away.

The clashing of swords and growls of monsters seemed to echo over the empty field. Time wasn't sure where he was, or where the rest of the group was. The land around him felt familiar, extremely unnervingly familiar. He moved forwards through the sparse trees, following the slowly growing louder shouts of fighting. He unsheathed his sword once he spotted the first monster ahead of him.

A familiar ugly looking chu-chu, a sickly-looking green color with a creepy grin, and were those teeth?

He ran the monster through, ending it quickly with his claymore. He glanced around, Twilight being the closest fighting off a Wolfos. They weren't anywhere near the woods, and as he looked around, something caught his eye. There, hanging in the sky above the tall walls of a small town, a tall clocktower visible from outside the town, was the moon.

Except, it wasn't just the moon. No, because Hylia forbid he gets that small mercy.

No.

It was that same terrifying grimacing face that had tormented his second and final quest.

He could feel himself start shaking, he could barely hear Twilight start calling out to him. At some point, he felt a hand rest on his arm, startling him out of his downward spiral.

"Time, we need to get out of here."

He could feel himself agree, nodding as Twilight grabbed his hand and started leading him to the town. It was funny in a way, being led around like a child by his decedent. He barely registered when they entered the town, barely noticed that he had been pulled towards a familiar building. The sign on the counter designating it as the "Stock Pot Inn".

He flinched when he heard the door slam behind them, once again being startled out of his thoughts and to take in the room around him. Wild was sitting on the bench in front of the reception desk, holding onto his left arm as if it pained him. Next to him was a dazed-looking Four, his eyes were subtly shifting as if the light from the lamp was altering the color of his eyes.

"What happened?" Time asked, looking between his protege and the two wounded boys.

"I think the portal separated us," Twilight spoke, moving towards Wild, red potion in hand. "I never saw any of the others, not even able to sense them with Wolfie."

'That's not a good sign.' Time thought, grimacing when Wild flinched at the potion that was applied to the large and deep fang-shaped gash on his arm.

"What happened anyway?"

"Four and I were fighting some of those ugly chu-chus, trying to get some distance and get to safety, when a pack of Wolfos came out of the woods behind us," Wild said, gesturing to the still dazed Four. "Intelligent bastards. One of them fucking latched onto my arm and shook me around by its teeth and threw me into Four. The only reason we got out of there without any terrible injuries was cuz Twi found us."

"Language, cub," Twilight mumbled, as he bandaged the others' arm.

Time sighed, shaking his head in vague amusement at the wild child. He looked over to the Reception Desk, expecting to see the lady that normally ran it, but instead, no one seemed to be there. He found himself approaching the desk, lightly hitting the bell on the desk. Then the door opened on the other side of the desk. His eyes widened.

"Sorry about that," the tall, blue-purple haired man spoke as he closed the door behind him, then froze upon seeing Time, "H-How may I help you... Link? Is that... you?"

Time felt his heartbeat loudly in his ears, seeing someone that was just so achingly familiar, despite how the years have slightly altered the man’s appearance. Grey peeked out from vibrant purple-blue hair, and the smallest hint of scruffle and smile lines were clear on the man’s face. He tried to push the emotions beginning to surface down, attempting to school his expression into a neutral one. But he found that he couldn’t fight them, and soon, he found words spilling out against his will.

“Kafei? That’s your name, right?”

The man’s eyes brightened, crinkling at the sides as his smile turned more genuine than the fake, customer-appeasing one he wore before.

“It’s been a long time, huh? You’ve grown up.” Kafei chuckled, and Time found himself smiling as well, “I can’t thank you enough for what you did all those years ago. Anju and I are so happy together, it’s really been the best years of my life.”

Time’s thoughts drifted at his words, thinking just how similarly he thought of his life with Malon. It was contagious, Kafei’s happiness and thankfulness, but he couldn’t bring himself to take all of the credit.

“You cannot thank me for everything, it was your decision to marry her in the first place after all.”

“Still, I want to thank you properly for all that you’ve done for us.”

Time found himself relaxing ever so slightly, shaking his head, not wanting to accept any repayment for something he had chosen to do. Though he wanted to continue to talk, to just have a normal conversation with someone who was so familiar to him, however short a time it was, he knew that the needs of the group came before his own desires, not to mention the quiet questioning glances he could tell Twilight and Wild were giving each other.

“Do you happen to have any rooms available? My companions and I need a place to stay for the night, or a few nights if you’ll allow us.”

"Of course, we have rooms with three beds, but no more than that. If you'd like, you could rent two rooms. It would cost you... maybe 250 rupees, though that’s just for one night." Kafei spoke, rifling through the guest book on the counter, only to pause for a bit before looking back at Time, “I think I could get you a room with three beds for 120 rupees for as long as you’d like. Just don’t tell Anju.”

Time smiled, agreeing to the single room and paying the fee. Kafei handed over the key and Time then turning to help Twilight gather Wild and Four up the stairs and down the hall towards the room they had gotten. Once inside, and Four was carefully situated in a bed, Twilight approached him.

“You spent quite a while talking with that man, I take it you know him?”

“Yes, I do. This is Termina, my second adventure… I had hoped that we would never need to step foot here.”

“Is this place dangerous?” Twilight asked, and Time thought for a moment.

“In a way… but we’ll find the others, of that I’m sure.”

Twilight gave him a look, worry evident on his face, but Time just chuckled, ruffling his protégé’s hair.

“Get some rest, pup. We have much to do in the morning.”

Twilight, though still unsure, nodded and headed towards the bed that Four was occupying. Shifting to Wolf form, he climbed on, settling himself near the smallest hero, keeping an eye on him. Wild was already asleep once he hit the mattress, and Time took the last one, though he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. Thoughts had begun to run rampant, worry gnawing away at the few positive thoughts he still had. The what-ifs and uncertainties kept him restless, tossing and turning as he tried to quiet his mind. It had been too long since he had felt like this… and it was obvious to him why of all times he was feeling this way.