#twawb

It was supposed to be a completely normal search for wood. Time had stopped them early for the day in a relatively peaceful area and had sent Wind and Wild to blow off some extra steam. Legend tagged along, partly to keep an eye on them and partly to avoid as many Links as possible. As long as he could escape the majority of the group for even a few minutes, he could count that as a win.

Predictably, the younger two were not even pretending to focus on their task. They ran from tree to tree, investigating mushrooms and flowers and ignoring the sticks scattered on the ground. Legend sighed and scanned the area, resigned to being the sole wood-gatherer. He heard Wind shout something excitedly, then a smack as Wild lightly hit the kid’s arm. Wind quieted a little and Legend’s curiosity got the best of him. The sailor wouldn’t get that excited over some forest plant.

Legend turned around and saw the others crouched in front of a bush, concealing whatever it was they were looking at. “What are you two doing?” he asked, daring to hope that they weren’t about to get themselves into trouble.

“Champ found a lil’ bunny!” Wind said, and waved him over.

All rational thought immediately left Legend’s mind and he gasped, “Let me see!” He ran over and pushed past Wind- or rather, shoved Wind to the side via hand to the face. He ignored Wind’s protest, his sights set on the tiny form huddled on the ground a few feet in front of Wild.

It was a gray baby bunny, quivering in terror but not making any attempt to escape. Carefully, gently, Legend scooped it in his hands and lifted it up to get a good look at it. It looked at him with wide eyes full of cautious trust.

“Hello there, little one,” he cooed, continuing to ignore Wind and Wild’s confusion from behind him. The bunny relaxed at the sound of his voice and nuzzled its face into Legend’s scarf. “Well, look how sweet you are!” Supporting the bunny with one hand, Legend raised the other to stroke its ears. Its velvety-soft fur didn’t hide the fact that it was too frail and skinny, and Legend tutted in concern.

“What the hell?” Wind muttered.

Legend turned to speak to them, still cradling the bunny against his chest. Wind stared at him confusedly while Wild clasped his hands, delighted at the sight.

“We need to find his mother,” Legend said. “Wind, you keep looking for firewood. Wild, help me find the little one's den.”

Wind looked a little hesitant to leave the bunny, and Legend knew that he hadn’t forgiven him for shoving him aside, but the kid ran off readily enough. Wild didn’t begin his search right away, instead signing something with a fond expression on his face.

‘I didn’t know you were such a softy,’ Wild teased, and Legend guessed that it was taking some incredible self-restraint for the champion to resist pulling out his slate for a picture.

Legend’s ears flicked back in embarrassment. “He’s alone and hungry, okay? I can’t just leave him to suffer.” The bunny snuffled and he gave him a warm smile.

‘I won’t either. Let’s find his den, then.’

It only took them a few minutes of searching to discover a rabbit den nestled into the crook of a tree trunk. Legend was already worried; he knew that it would have taken dire circumstances for the kit to leave before he was ready. His hopes weren’t high, even as he asked Wild to check the den for the baby’s mother. He pet the kit as they watched Wild kneel in front of the den.

After a minute of investigation, Wild made a sad noise and sat up to sign to Legend. ‘No sign of a mother or other kits. The bedding is old and dry, and-’ he pointed at the ground. ‘Fox tracks. This kit was lucky to escape.’

“No…” Legend breathed, feeling a new surge of protectiveness for the bunny. Had it been too much to hope that the little one wasn’t completely alone? Well… “You’re not alone anymore,” he told him. “We’ll find you something to eat and a safe place to sleep… and we can figure it out from there.”

****

Legend learned very quickly that bringing an orphaned baby bunny to a camp of overprotective heroes was far from the easiest thing he had done. He knew how to handle a challenge, though, and managed to feed the little one with minimal interruptions. The others, for their part, weren’t being outright disruptive so Legend tried to ignore the barrage of staring and cooing.

“Are you sure that this is the best idea?” Warriors asked. “I’ve always been told that it’s best to leave wild animals where they belong.”

Legend glared at him. “If I left him where we found him, he’d be dead by nightfall. He’s too young to take care of himself, Wars. He doesn’t deserve that kind of fate.”

“You see some of yourself in him, don’t you?” Sky said softly.

Legend’s ears drooped and he stroked the bunny’s as he spoke. “How could I not?” The kit was young, alone, and scared, forced to navigate a new world that he couldn’t comprehend the dangers of. Legend knew how it felt to be a baby bunny in a big world. It hurt, and Legend would do anything to help soothe that pain.

“Y’know he’s gonna imprint on ya if ya keep touchin’ him,” Twilight pointed out. He was sitting the farthest from them; for some reason, the poor kit almost went into shock every time the rancher got close.

Legend’s ears twitched defensively. “So?” It wasn’t like the kit had a mother he could have imprinted on instead.

“We should name him!” Wind exclaimed. “Ooh, how about-”

“No,” Legend said firmly before Wind could even say whatever horrible idea had popped into his head.

“I’ve got one,” Twilight said with a smirk. “How ‘bout Better Legend?”

“What kind of name is that?!” Legend protested. “I can-”

“We could call him Bitty for short,” Four pointed out, gracing Legend with only a smug look as the vet glared at him.

“Bitty is a good name,” Time said, and Legend decided that he wasn’t in the mood to argue with the old man.

“Fine! His name is Bitty. Happy?”

“I love it! Bitty is such a cute name for the cutest bunny,” Hyrule said. He happily bounced in place as he looked at Bitty snuggled up in Legend’s lap, safely bundled in the vet’s purple scarf. Hyrule was sitting on his own hands and he had been gazing longingly at the bunny ever since Legend had brought him to the camp. Legend couldn’t stand to watch Hyrule’s fidgeting for much longer, and finally granted him mercy.

“Do you want to hold him?”

Hyrule froze. “Wait, really? I- I don’t know, I don’t want to hurt him or anything-”

“You’ll be fine, Rule. I trust you to be careful.”

Hyrule shook the circulation back into his hands as Legend slipped his own hands under the scarf. Keeping Bitty secure in his makeshift nest, Legend transferred the precious bundle to Hyrule’s lap.

Hyrule squealed delightedly and Spirit wandered over like a moth to a flame. The younger heroes gushed over the baby bunny, giving him sweet praises and reverent pets. Legend kept an eye on them, allowing himself a bittersweet smile. Bitty wouldn’t have to go through as much hardship as Legend had. He already had people to take care of him, to make sure that he was fed and safe and happy. It felt good to provide what he wished he had received so long ago. In many ways, it was too late for Legend. Bitty had his whole life ahead of him, and Legend would do anything to keep it that way.

****

A few days later, the group of heroes filed into Legend’s house for some much-needed rest. Ravio looked quizzically at Legend, eyeing the purple fabric that resembled a baby sling more than a scarf. Legend simply smiled at the merchant and pulled a half-asleep Bitty out of the sling.

“Is- is that what I think it is?” Ravio approached cautiously, staring at Bitty as if to assure himself that yes, Legend was holding a baby bunny in his hands.

Legend angled his hands so Ravio could see the bunny. “Come say hi, Ravi. He doesn’t bite.”

Ravio giggled and stepped closer, reaching out to give Bitty a hesitant pet. “I can’t believe you found a baby bunny and brought him home, Mr. Hero! What do you even expect to do with him while you’re out and about fighting evil? The battlefield isn’t safe for him, you know.”

“That’s why I brought him here. You can watch after him while I’m gone, right?”

Ravio squeaked, quickly pulling his hands away from the baby bunny. “M-me? Watch after this fragile little thing? I couldn’t possibly- far too much responsibility- why you would trust me is far beyond me-”

“Ravi, slow down.” Legend shifted Bitty to one hand so he could hold one of Ravio’s flapping, flustered hands with the other. “I hate to say it, but… you take better care of my items than even I do. And you love bunnies, almost as much as I do. I trust you to take care of Bitty. In fact, I wouldn’t trust anyone else with him.”

Ravio finally calmed down and held his hands out in a silent request to hold Bitty. Legend placed the bunny in Ravio’s hands, smiling as the merchant cradled him like it was second nature.