#voluntary regression

If it's just the block and that it's a struggle to get into the headspace he'll make the room as quiet and calming as possible, fairy lights, favorite snacks and trying to get you to join him in playing with stuffies. He'll wrap you in blankets and hold you as close as he can to get you to try and relax into it.

Harlequin:

As bad as it sounds, I think at one point of you trying and not succeeding he'll try stressing you into it. Not by him being the cause of stress but just putting you in a situation that will leave you in a state of being scared/stressed/ or anxious about something to the point your brain will immediately grab whatever it can to cope.

If that doesn't work he'll do his best to talk to you like a tiny child for the entire day and as long as it takes. He can be extremely patient when he needs to, he'll distract you and wait for you to space out before he slowly starts offering you things for your headspace and noticing you starting to slip. But he doesn't get excited, he doesn't spook you away from it. He just stays nice and calm.

Jester:

Hypnosis. If he can't be near you he'll send you a playlist he created for you full of YouTube videos. But for the most part he just gets you in that trance and helps you get started, then slowly let you come back to it on your own until by the end of the time he's not even hypnotizing you.

If that's not an option (can't be hypnotized) he'll also somewhat follow Harlequins way but he'll wait for you to get extremely tired and then start all of the quiet voices that make you cling to him like he's the only thing left and just hope that when you wake up you'll still be little. If he catches you waking up he'll continue talking to you and playing with your hair.

Ticket Taker:

He doesn't really know so he just asks Jester, who can't help because he's busy. So he'll take you to a toy store and let you get whatever you think will be helpful. Stuffies, cups, board games you name it he'll get it and make a list of what things you seem to be more attached to.

He also takes time to schedule it so you start falling into a rhythm and your brain knows when to start accepting triggers and cues for going little instead of randomly springing it on you and leaving you not knowing how to react.

Doctor:

He studies you to see if maybe you're trying to regress to the wrong age. Maybe you'd be better off in an older or younger headspace? He may try getting you to an older headspace first and slowly helping you down into your target headspace. Everyone does it differently, maybe you just need to start differently too? But he'll keep you under close observation without judging you, if anything he probably told you about it.

It was something else to talk about with his therapist. He'd told Legend as such before penning a letter to the woman, so the Vet was aware of what he was doing- and had a say in how much he told her. Wars knew how important it was to have control over who knew how much about oneself. He'd had his own privacy invaded enough during and after the War to put that on someone else.

Dr. Richelieu's reply was much of what he expected: concern for this sudden revelation, praise for the Champion's handling of it, and a request for them to come in for an appointment as soon as they were able. Unfortunately, they were nowhere near Warriors' era, and he had no clue when they might be, so that was not an option for the foreseeable future.

Putting that aside for the moment, Wars had noticed a change in Legend. It wasn't large, but he'd seen the younger hero spending more time with the Champion, and even letting Wolfie close when the beast made an appearance, as compared to the wary distance from before. The wolf always made sure to announce his arrival so as not to startle the always-alert Veteran. Wolfie would come over to sniff the Vet before gently headbutting him, and in turn Legend would give dark fur tentative pets or scratch behind his ears before Wolfie trotted off to bother someone else.

Warriors couldn't help but feel proud of lol of them for the clear progress. He'd never admit it aloud, of course, since that would only invite scoffing denial, but he could certainly write about it in his personal journal.

~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, Legend, would you mind walking with me?"

The Vet looked up from where he was stitching one of Wind's shirts by the fire. Wars gestured for him to join him and Legend gave a put-upon sigh, carefully setting down his work with a snapped warning not to touch it before making his way over to the Captain.

"This better not be a waste of time; I was busy," came the snarky reply.

"It isn't," Wars assured. "I simply had a realization and wanted to speak about it with you."

Legend stared at him for a moment before shrugging. "Sure, whatever. 's long as it doesn't take too long; I need to finish the Sailor's shirt before tomorrow."

"I'll try to keep it short." Wars signed a quick 'taking a walk, be back soon' to Time, and the older hero nodded. "Come on, let's go this way."

The two of them left camp and started a slow circuit. It was quiet for a few minutes, Wars trying to figure out what to say and Legend waiting for him to say it. Eventually Wars drew in a breath and spoke.

"I wanted to speak with you about your regression. Nothing bad, I swear to you. I just realized that, what with recent events, it may be a good idea to inform the rest of our party. I have no intention of foisting your care off to any of the others, so please don't worry about that. But- I-" Wars paused, suddenly at a loss for words. Legend stopped as well, expression unreadable. "I just- Something like that could happen again and I think we would both feel better if the rest of had an idea of how to help you."

Legend didn't reply for a while, staring off into the distance and chewing his lip in thought. Warriors didn't push him, aware his brother needed time to think.

Legend opened his mouth- then closed it. His brow furrowed and he when to say something again but nothing came out. He huffed and stomped in a circle then turned and did it again in the opposite direction. He crossed his arms, frowned, then uncrossed them. Finally he threw up his hands with a little growl.

"Y'know what? Yeah, fine. I hate to say it but- it would be a good idea." He deflated, uncertainty crossing his face. "Uh- hhow would we- um. How would we tell them?"

Wars resisted the urge to pull his brother into a hug. "I was thinking of sitting everyone down and just giving them a basic rundown. Do you have a different idea?"

"No, no, that sounds fine." Legend paused. Took a breath. "What i- what if I was... If I-"

"What if you were small?" Legend nodded, biting his lip again and looking anywhere but at Wars. "Do you mean if you regress during the conversation? Or beforehand?"

Legend shrugged.

Wars took a deep breath, held it, then let it out in a whoosh. "I suppose we would just have to figure out, then. Am I correct in assuming now is not a good time to do it?"

Legend shook his head.

"Alright then. Well, that's all I wanted to speak with you about; shall we head back?" A nod. "Let's go, then."

They returned to camp quietly, Legend splitting off to return to the fire and his mending and Warriors continuing on to Time.

The older man (and that would never stop being strange) waited until he sat beside him before asking, "Everything alright?"

Wars sighed and leaned back. "As well as it could, I suppose. The Vet and I discussed whether or not we should share the details of his regression with everyone."

Time raised a brow. "Ah." When Warriors only nodded, he asked, "And what did you decide?"

"We both agree it would be a good idea. Legend just isn't sure if he would be- or maybe should be- regressed when it happens. I told him we'd figure it out when we came to it."

Time made a noise of understanding. "And that will be somewhere that isn't here, I'm sure. He needs someplace comfortable and familiar."

"Somewhere that isn't the middle of the woods, that's for sure," Wars laughed. He let his gaze wander over the camp, picking out Legend bickering with Wind as he continued mending the younger hero's shirt. Despite his heated tone, his fingers were gentle, precise as he pushed the needle through fabric and pulled. Wind's shirt would be good as new when he was finished.

Once again, Warriors felt admiration wash over him as he watched his brother. Legend was a hero of many talents, and he wielded them all with a grace and surety that spoke of years of practice. He had been through so much, done so much, yet still retained a childlike softness underneath it all. And if, from time to time, that child needed protecting from the world he fought so hard to keep safe, Wars was more than happy to step up.

~~~~~~~~~

Legend fidgeted with the hem of his tunic, throat thick with nerves. He reminded himself that he and Wars had talked about it, agreed to it; it didn't stop the anxiety building in his stomach and climbing up his chest to wrap itself around his throat.

It had seemed the Goddesses were listening to their talk, because not a week later a portal had taken them from the forest to the bustling streets of the Captain's Castletown. Warriors had been quick to get them all moving, those less disoriented by the portal supporting those who were taking it badly. They moved as a unit through the city until they reached Warriors' apartment, where he left them to go make a quick report to the Queen.

Legend had immediately beelined for the washroom, eager to get the feeling of unfamiliar forest off his skin. By the time he emerged, feeling more settled than before, the apartment was filled with the warm scent of cooked meat and vegetables, with an underlying sweet note he suspected was dessert.

Warriors had returned not long after and they dug in, making quick work of the food in their eagerness to make use of the beds they now had access to.

And now it was the next day.

They didn't have anything important to do (Time had sent out a small group to grab anything they needed from the market that morning), so Legend found himself sitting in his room, staring at nothing while his mind ran itself in anxious circles.

He wasn't sure why; there was no need to have the Talk with the other heroes today. He could take the day to himself, go out on the town or simply stay in and read, maybe do some embroidery. But instead he was here, frozen on his bed, freaking out about something that might not even happen.

The creak of floorboards had his ears flicking towards the door a moment before there was a knock, followed by a familiar voice. "Legend? Are you in there?"

Swallowing hard, he managed a shaky, "Y-yeah. Come in."

The door swung open to reveal Wars, dressed casually and with a warm expression. He stepped inside, leaving the door open a crack, and smiled at Legend. "There you are. I was wondering where you'd disappeared to. Everything alright?"

"Mm-" Legend cleared his throat, shrugging halfheartedly when the words didn't come.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Wars gestured to the bed and Legend shrugged again with a nod. The mattress dipped as the older man sat down and Legend let himself tip towards him. Scarred arms automatically came up to catch him and he leaned into the touch, some of the anxiety loosening its hold at the contact.

"Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" Wars asked, his voice a pleasant rumble against his ear. Legend sighed.

"Pr'bly should," he muttered. Wars waited patiently as he psyched himself up to say the words sitting like stones on his tongue. "it's just- we're here, an' we said we'd tell ev'ryone else bu' we didn't say when we'd do it bu' this's as good a time an' place as any, right? S-so, we should do it an' get it over with."

Wars was quiet for a moment. "Is that what you want? Not what you think we should do- is it something you would be comfortable doing today?"

"I-" He hesitated, trying to think past the automatic, instinctual response of 'get it done as soon as possible to get it over with' to figure out how he really felt about it. It was difficult; anxiety was a near-constant presence, prone to overtaking every other emotion in its wake if he didn't keep a tight lid on it. Wars' presence helped push it back, though, helping him fight through it.

After a few minutes of thinking and breathing through it, he found he did want to go through with it. He turned to look up at Wars, tugging at his tunic to get his attention.

"I wanna do it," Legend told him firmly.

Wars looked at him searchingly before nodding. "Proud of you, bun." Legend squeaked. "Do you remember what you were thinking about when we talked about this before? About wether you might be small when we do it?"

Legend nodded. Wars ran a gentle hand along his arm and he leaned into the touch.

"What are you thinking? Do you want to be small or try to stay big for our talk?"

"Umm..." Legend bit his lip, thinking. He was already slipping, but he figured he could stay big for as long as he needed to. But if the option was there...

"I think I wanna be small. I don't hafta talk t' anyone, right?"

"No, honey. I can do all the talking if that's what you're more comfortable with." Legend nodded firmly. "Alright. But if we're going to do this, I need to know what you're okay with me telling them. Do you want me to only tell them the basics? Or can I go into more detail?"

Legend puffed his cheeks out as he considered the questions. It would be good for the other heroes to know as much as possible, but at the same time... This was something private. Sure, the whole chain had seen him small already, after that battle, but only a few had actually spent time with him in that state. Wars, of course, as his Papa, took care of him. Time and Wind were apparently eager to adopt him into their circle, which was something he was trying to wrap his head around. Wild- and Wolfie, he supposed- had stepped up when they all got separated.

That was half the group who had spent time with him when he was regressed. Of them, only Wars truly knew anything about it, about him. Wild and Wolfie had done well for the situation they'd been dropped into with no warning, but he couldn't deny that having even a basic idea would likely have made things far easier.

"Only th' basics for now," he decided.

"Alright. Good job, sweetpea. I'm proud of you." Wars pressed a kiss to his hair and Legend hummed, a warm feeling building in his chest. It helped him feel even smaller and he leaned into it. He grasped at his tunic, wanting to wear something different before they went to talk to the others; this was Big Legend's clothes, not Small Legend's.

Thankfully Papa was quick to catch on, finding a loose tunic in the dresser and helping him get changed when his limbs didn't quite want to work. Turns out buttons were tricky when you were small. Then, when the tunic didn't feel like enough, Papa found some long socks and a biiiig sweater!

The ends of the sleeves hung well past his hands and Legend found himself giggling as he swung his arms to make the sleeves swing back and forth. It made him think of Ravio's robe- the oversized purple robe that the merchant often had to hike up or trip over, which he did often. Legend himself had worn it a handful of times, and had found it to be warm and soft, comfort enough he had trouble returning it to its rightful owner.

A gentle hand on his shoulder had him looking over to see Papa watching him with a smile on his face. "Hey, sweetpea, what do you want to bring with you? Do you want your bunny or something else?"

"Bunny!"

"Alright. I'll bring your pacifier and some of the chew toys, too, just in case. Can you wait here while I go get those and gather everyone for our talk?"

"M'kay, Papa."

Papa pressed a kiss to his brow and ruffled his hair one more time before leaving, and Legend flopped onto the bed to wait.

Without Papa there to soothe the anxieties away, though, they soon came creeping back. Legend curled up with a bit back whine, staring at the door. These thoughts were supposed to go away! Why did they have to come back and make him feel yucky again?

He hardly noticed he'd begun chewing on his fingers until he bit down on a soft spot and yelped at the unexpected pain. His eyes watered and he pressed his palms against them in an effort to keep the tears away.

Why did things have to be so much like this? Normally he wouldn't bat an eye at such a small pain, but now it seemed like the worst thing in the world.

Was it because he was so small? If he was even a little older, would it bother him less?

Before he could get completely overwhelmed, the door opened and Papa reappeared, his bunny in one hand and his paci in the other. Legend immediately pushed himself up and made grabby hands towards him, wanting comfort and for the bad thoughts to go away.

Papa was quick to cross the room and scoop him up, and Legend pressed as close as he could, clinging tight. He tucked his head under his Papa's chin and the man cooed, petting his hair while pressing kisses to his head.

A few minutes of cuddling did wonders to help ease his nerves, and eventually Legend pulled away, though with reluctance. Papa put him down, handing him his bunny before pressing another kiss to his brow.

"Are you ready, sweetpea?"

"...mhm."

"Alright, here we go." Papa gently took his hand and led him out of the room and down the hall. They entered the sitting room to find the other heroes seated in a loose circle, some on the furniture while others sat on the floor. Papa led him over to the couch nearest the door and sat on the floor with his back against it. Legend laid down beside him, putting his head in his Papa's lap and not looking at anyone. He could feel their eyes on him and had to bite back a whine. He curled into a ball, burying his face in the plush yarn of his bunny to hide from their stares.

Papa set a gentle hand on his head and began petting his hair. It took only a few passes for him to melt, any worries fading away with the show of affection.

He dozed for a while, letting the sound of Papa's voice wash over him and for once paying no mind to the words. Occasionally other voices would sound, but he didn't listen, content to lay there and cuddle his bunny and be pet.

Eventually he grew restless; he shifted around, at one point turning over to bury himself against Papa's tummy for a few minutes, before pushing himself up to scootch over towards the fireplace. He laid down on his tummy and began humming quietly to himself as he moved his bunny around the rug. He imagined it exploring a warm field, sniffing at the flowers under its paws and hopping happily when it found an especially pretty one.

~~~~~~~~~

Wars couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as Legend curled up with his head in his lap, hiding behind his bunny. It still surprised him how shy the boy was when regressed, but then he recalled how private the Vet was and supposed it made sense. The younger hero preferred to keep things close to his chest, though he was slowly warming up and sharing little bits and pieces of himself with the rest of them as time went on.

With the suddenness of his regression, it was no wonder he was hesitant to share that part of himself with anyone else. Wars was immensely proud of how far he'd come.

Setting a hand in soft pink hair, he looked around at the other heroes, taking in the mix of expressions: the expectancy, the confusion, the wondering. He began to let Legend's hair, partly to help soothe the boy, partly to help calm himself. With only a few strokes Legend went limp and Wars had to hold back a coo.

Anyway. He'd gathered everyone for a reason. He couldn't sit here all day cuddling his boy, though it was certainly a tempting idea.

"Alright. I've asked you to join us today to tell you about Legend's regression. I know many, if not most of you, have been curious, but please hold your questions until I'm finished." He waited until he received confirmation before continuing. "So, regression is when your mind reverts to a younger age. Dr. Richelieu said it can be to any age, from a babe to a teenager or younger adult. It can be done intentionally or as a response to trauma or negative emotions.

"Legend regresses somewhere between babe and toddler, we figure, though he doesn't have a specific age. The first few times he regressed were involuntary, as I'm sure you can guess." He chuckled mirthlessly. "However, we've been working on regressing on purpose in a safe environment and so far I would say he's doing well. He has a few things for his regression; a few toys and things to chew on to make sure he doesn't chew his fingers bloody."

Wars glanced around, seeing everyone was paying rapt attention. "He tends to be quieter when he's regressed; he might be up for talking a little, but he seems to prefer signing or not speaking at all. He's also very affectionate when he's small. I'm not sure if it would apply to the rest of you, but he clings to me any chance he gets. He's shy about being out in public while small, so he tends to cling and stick close when we're out somewhere. He definitely seems to prefer being inside when regressed. And... That's about it, I think. Any questions?"

Several hands immediately went up and he laughed. Wars gestured to Wild, and the Champion cleared his throat.

"Not a question, but I figured it would be good for everyone else to know. Legend is scared of the dark, knights, and wolves. He's okay with Wolfie, but we should take care anyway."

Ah, right. The incident where Wild and Wolfie had found out that little fact was still strong in Wars' mind. He nodded gratefully at Wild. "Thank you, Champion. Sky?"

"You said he only has a few things for his re- regresh... regression. Why?"

"Lege said he was unsure if he was comfortable having anything at all for it. Dr. Richelieu suggested I get him a few simple things and see how he felt."

Hyrule, next. "What toys does he have?"

"A crocheted bunny, which he brought with him today; two sensory cubes, which are plush cubes with a different texture on each side; and a few chew and stim toys."

Four: "Why a babe?"

"He didn't choose it, it's just what his brain decided on. If I were to guess, it's the age he felt safest, or perhaps an age where he can rely on others to take responsibility without having to do so himself. I'm really not sure."

Wild again: "Does he have any clothes for when he's small? He should have clothes."

Wars chuckled, pausing as Legend shifted to bury his face against Wars' stomach instead of his bunny. "So far, he's just worn loose tunics, but he did tell me he'd like to get some clothes specifically for when he's small. If he's open to it, I don't see why you couldn't help him with that."

Wild beamed. "I'll find him the best clothes! He'll have all the cutest outfits!"

"He's not a doll," Wars admonished him.

"I know that," Wild pouted. "But he deserves nice things. I've seen the way he looks at clothes when we go shopping; I want to help him feel nice, and if clothes are the way to do it, then that's what I'm going to do."

Wars' chest went warm at the Champion's enthusiasm. He sent the younger hero a smile and Wild blushed, glancing away with a bashful grin.

Any other questions were forgotten by Legend pushing himself up and scootching over to the fire to plop himself down on his tummy. He laid his head on one arm and held his bunny in a other hand, making it hop around the rug and humming softly.

Several of the heroes made adoring sounds, Wars included. Legend was paying them no mind, focused solely on his bunny, which was now doing what seemed to be a little dance, sniffing at the flowers on the rug before bouncing in what seemed to be joy.

Wars watched him for a few moments before he noticed Legend's unoccupied hand drifting towards his mouth. That wouldn't do; he'd heard Legend's sound of pain earlier and seen the red mark on his hand when he'd scooped the boy up. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Good thing Wars had thought to bring the pacifier.

He pushed himself up and walked swiftly to the kitchen to wash it. Upon returning to the sitting room he saw Wind sitting with Legend by the fire and animatedly interacting with him. Kneeling down next to them, Wars gently grasped Legend's hand and pulled it away from his mouth with a soft, 'Use this instead of your hand, bun,' slipping the pacifier in before the boy could complain. Legend took it with a happy hum and continued to play.

"There you go, sweetpea." Wars ruffled Legend's hair, earning a squeak, and returned to his seat against the couch.

"So he really is like a babe," Twilight mused, watching the boys play. Legend babbled something and Wind responded with a bright 'Oh, I see! What about this?'

"Mm. Most of the time he's still the Veteran. He just also sometimes happens to be a babe in a teen body. I don't expect you all to take responsibility for him; he trusts me to care for him and I intend to do my best. But we both agreed if something happens and I can't be there it would be beneficial for everyone to have a basic idea of what's going on so they can help. Otherwise, just treat him like you would any other child his age and don't tease him for it."

"No worries here!" Wind chirped, making more than one of them laugh. Legend cooed.

There were a few more questions before Legend's stomach rumbled loudly, causing Wild to jump up and declare he was going to make dinner. It took the Champion all of fifteen minutes to lay out a delicious meal of rice and eggs with sliced ham on the side. To Wars' pleasant surprise he'd also made a simple, easy-to-eat version for Legend that had the boy chirping happily.

Everyone did their best to engage with him as they ate and Legend beamed all the way up until Wars declared it was time for bed. Then he became clingy and wide-eyed, refusing to let go of Wars' tunic as the older led the two of them down the hall. Wars didn't want to leave him alone or risk nightmares, like that first night, so it was an easy decision to get the boy in pajamas and into his own bed, settling in beside him and pulling the blankets a little higher. Soft pink hair peeked out from beneath the fabric and he couldn't help but run his fingers through it. There was a sleepy mumble in response and he smiled, leaning down to press a kiss to the soft locks.

Legend shifted and sighed, face relaxed with sleep and pacifier held loosely in his mouth. One hand held his bunny while the other gripped Wars' nightshirt with thin fingers. He slept soundly, the only sounds quiet snores interspersed with the occasional snuffle.

He wanted to do it at his apartment, since it was safe and familiar for the both of them. He could send the rest of the Chain out for the day so Legend wouldn't be too stressed, making it a day for just the two of them. He could try to make some of Legend's favourite foods (or perhaps ask the Champion to do it instead) and find some child-appropriate games to play.

Unfortunately his planning was cut short by the appearance of a portal just outside the city. Warriors groaned at the news before penning a quick letter to Dr. Richelieu and the Queen to let them know he would be leaving. Stepping out into the hallway, he found the rest of the heroes getting ready, packs and boots and weapons strewn about the floor.

He stepped around the mess to gather his own things, patting the Sailor on the shoulder as he passed. "Let's try no to forget anything this time, alright? We don't know how long it will be until we come back."

Answering groans and complaints followed him and he held back a chuckle. Collecting his own things took little time, since he had kept his habit of keeping his belongings ready to go at a moment's notice from the army since the War ended.

Once he was ready, he shouldered his pack and returned to the hall. Everyone did one last check to make sure they had everything before Warriors ushered them out of his apartment and locked the door.

The nine of them were quick to leave the city and find the portal. It sat placidly in the center of the road, waiting patiently for them to pass through. One by one they stepped through the swirling purple void and into another era.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

They found the Shadow again, and lost it, and managed to take out a few hordes while they attempted to track it down. The Rancher broke an arm and the Smithy got a bad concussion, while Warriors himself barely managed to avoid getting impaled on a rather nasty-looking sword wielded by one of the Champion's moblins. The Veteran twisted his ankle and was limping badly, both from the injury and his chronic pain making an appearance.

Thankfully everyone else managed only scrapes and bruises, with a few hard knocks here and there that had been difficult to avoid. Thus it was a few weeks and two portals later when they stumbled back into Warriors' Hyrule there were only a few lingering injuries that they resolved to tend once they limped through the city to his apartment. There, they dropped their bags before the older heroes left to report to the Queen about their arrival and progress in chasing their foe while the younger ones staggered off to bed.

It wasn't until two days later, when they were all rested and mostly healed, that Warriors remembered his plan. First, though, he needed to ask Legend if he felt up to it.

Knocking on the door to Legend's room, Wars called, "Vet? You up? I have a question for you."

He heard shuffling and muffled grumbling before the door opened to reveal the Veteran. Pink hair was mussed from sleep and he was rubbing at one eye. "Wha-" He yawned. "Whaddya want?"

Wars smiled warmly at his brother. "Morning, Lege. Did you sleep well?" Legend nodded. "That's good to hear. I was wondering if you were feeling up to having a small day?"

Legend paused for a moment as he registered the question. Then he visibly faltered, taking a step back as his cheeks flushed pink. "I- Wh- uh- wh-why d'you ask?"

"Well, I figured you could use a day to relax, and Dr. Richelieu suggested we try giving you an opportunity to try regressing voluntarily in a safe place. I don't have anything planned today, so I thought I'd see if you would be up to trying it. If not, no worries. I won't push."

Legend hesitated, biting his lip as he thought. "Mm... I wasn't planning on doing anything t'day. I guess... I could try it. What, uh. What do you have in mind?"

"Not much, to be honest. I figured a nice quiet day would be nice, maybe play a few games, take a nap... Nothing too stressful."

"...Okay. Yeah, sure. Okay." Legend murmured. "...Should I, um, get changed?"

"If you want," Wars nodded. "I'll meet you in the sitting room."

It took perhaps ten minutes for Wars to shoo the other heroes out for the day and get things set up, but eventually the apartment was quiet. He sat on the couch as he waited for Legend to appear, fiddling with one of the pillows.

Soft shuffling footsteps had him looking up to see Legend standing awkwardly in the doorway. The boy was wearing a soft loose, long tunic in a soft green colour and long brown socks. He crossed the room in a whisper of fabric, limping slightly, to sit hesitantly on Wars' right. His hands fidgeted nervously in his lap as he took a deep breath.

Wars shifted to face him, smiling warmly. "Hey. You look comfy; you ready to do this?"

A short nod.

"Great. Let's start with breakfast then."

Breakfast was oatmeal, which was one of a very few things Wars could pride himself on making. There was also an assortment of things they could add to customize it if they wished; Legend migrated almost immediately towards the cinnamon and cut apples.

They are quietly, the only sounds besides their chewing soft squeaks from Legend. Wars hid a smile- the boy was beginning to come out of his shell much more quickly than he had thought he would.

Wars rinsed their bowls when they finished before leading Legend back to the sitting room. He gestured for him to sit and turned to get the bag he had placed beside the couch. When he turned back around Legend was sitting crosslegged on the floor in front of the couch, looking unsure.

Kneeling, Wars set the bag between them. "So," he began, "I know we talked about it a while ago and you said you weren't sure, but I got some things for you when you're small. You don't have to use them if you don't want to. I just figured having something would be nice." He reached into the bag and pulled out several toys: two plush cubes, one bee themed and one strawberry; a variety of chew and stim toys of various shapes; and a crocheted purple bunny plush.

He looked up to see Legend staring at the toys with wide eyes. Violet flicked to him and back, filled with disbelief.

"Sorry if it's too much," Wars apologized, worried he had already overwhelmed the boy. "I just wanted you to have something for-"

He was interrupted by Legend snatching the bunny to his chest, turning those wide violet eyes on him as he clutched the toy close. "It's- it's f'r me?" His voice wobbled, sounding as if he was on the verge of tears.

Wars' heart clenched painfully and he shuffled closer to draw the boy into a hug. "Oh, hun. Of course it's for you."

Legend sniffed and buried himself against Wars' chest. Wars felt him begin to tremble and could only hold him closer, tucking Legend under his chin as if to hide him from the world. "It's okay, bunny. Let it out if you need to. Then we can play if you want, okay?"

There was a hiccup, then a nod. Legend sniffed and hiccuped a few more times, trembling something fierce, before he pushed away and wiped at his face.

'Sorry,' he signed shakily.

"There's no need to apologize. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for springing this on you." Legend shook his head, lifting his hands to protest, but Wars gently pushed them back down. "Alright, how about this? Neither of us have to apologize for anything. Let's put this behind us, okay? Do you want to try playing now?"

Legend wiped at his face one more time before nodding hesitantly.

He uncurled a bit, holding his bunny in one hand and reaching for the toys with the other. He ran his fingers over each of them, eyes slowly gaining that now-familiar softness. The plush cubes caught his attention and he became absorbed in exploring the different textures. Wars watched on as he discovered the small bells on one side and the crinkling fabric on another; a smile found its way onto his face, small but happy.

Wars had come to be familiar with the different ways children play, from raising his sisters and then two younger heroes during the War. They tended to be active and loud; even Mask, for all his shyness, could be coaxed into a game of tag or hide-and-seek. With Legend, though, Wars wasn't sure if it was the lingering anxiety or the fact his mental age was so young, but the boy seemed to prefer a quieter sort of play. He was, by all appearances, perfectly content to sit there and investigate the different toys in front of him. He kept his bunny tucked close with one arm, occasionally turning his head to nuzzle the soft yarn.

Since he was currently occupied with the cubes, Wars scooped up the chew toys and moved to the kitchen to wash them. He'd been informed when he bought them that keeping them clean was necessary, unless he wanted his little one to get sick from the germs that would inevitably collect on them. Legend's immune system was already not the best, so mitigating that was of utmost importance.

When he returned Legend was holding one of the plush cubes. Legend looked up at him and held up the cube for him to see with a chirped "St'awberry!"

"Yeah, honeybun? You like strawberries?"

"Mhmm! They're m' fav'rite! Um- af'er apples. An' this one's bee!" Legend put down the strawberry cube to grab the other one to show him.

Putting the chew toys on the coffee table, Wars rejoined him on the floor and gently took the bee cube. Legend chirped and picked up the strawberry cube again to run his hands over it with a happy hum.

A little while passed this way, the two of them on the floor sharing Legend's toys. Wars noticed Legend kept bringing a hand up to his mouth and chewing on his fingers. Quietly, he reached over and grabbed one of the chew toys to replace Legend's fingers in his mouth.

The boy didn't seem to notice; he simply chewed on it with a content sound as he continued to play.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Legend's mind was filled with that soft, cottony feeling again. For once, though, he couldn't bring himself to mind. The anxiety that surrounded his... regression... was mostly in the background. Instead, he was simply content to sit there on the floor with Warriors and play with the toys his Papa had got for him.

The thought made him feel warm inside, and he squeaked happily with a wriggle. His toys given to him by his Papa! It had been a long, long time since he'd had toys of his own and Papa had gotten them just for him.

There was a warm laugh and he tilted his head to see Papa watching him fondly. A large hand ruffled his hair and he purred, leaning into the touch. It was easy, like this, to let himself accept affection and perhaps even easier to return it. In the back of his mind he wondered why he pushed so hard against it before, but the thought was quickly drowned out by overwhelming happiness.

He moved on from exploring the plush cubes to the other toys Papa had pulled out. Each of them moved or clicked or squished and he was instantly enraptured. He wanted to try all of them, and it was only the fact that he could only hold one or two at a time that kept him from grabbing them all up. He quickly found he liked the smooth wooden ones and the squishy ones the best, but the clicky rings were a close second. It was really fun to be able to do so much with his hands and not have to worry about breaking or ruining anything, and Papa was there to scoop up any that he dropped with a reassuring smile.

A few minutes later (he wasn't sure how long, time was a little weird to keep track of in this state) he felt a yawn make its way out of his mouth. He blinked, realizing suddenly that he felt sleepy.

"Tired, bunny?" Papa asked. He nodded, dropping his strawberry cube to rub at his eyes. "I guess it's naptime, then. Come on, up you get."

Legend whined unhappily but allowed Papa to help him up, clutching his bunny to his chest. When Papa tried to lead him away, though, he shook his head and stubbornly planted his feet, ignoring the way his ankle and knee twinged at the action. He didn't want to walk all the way to his room, it was too far!

Papa sighed. "Alright. You want to sleep here? The couch should be comfy enough."

Legend hummed in thought and nodded. The couch was comfy; he'd napped on it before, though he'd always been big then.

He let go of Papa's hand to plop on the couch and curl up, holding his bunny close. A part of him still couldn't believe Papa had gotten it for him, especially after what he'd said about getting it for Wind or Ravio. He was pretty sure Wind didn't even know what bunnies were. But then Papa had gone and bought it for him, even though he'd been so sure it wasn't going to happen.

Papa gently ruffled his hair before draping a soft blanket over him. Legend snuffled and nuzzled into the pillow beneath his head. His eyes were nearly shut when Papa spoke again.

"Hey, honeybun. Look at me for a moment?" Legend blinked up at him, a pout forming on his lips. "Sorry, bun, you can go to sleep after this, okay? I got one more thing for you. Here."

Papa held out his hand. In it was a small, round, pink object, painted with strawberries on one side and a rounded rubber piece on the other.

Legend stared at it uncomprehendingly for a moment before it registered just what he was looking at. His face flushed and he shoved himself up to sitting, fuzziness pushed to the back of his mind in an instant. "Wh- You-! You think I'm gonna use th-at?!"

Papa Wars had the grace to look apologetic. "Sorry, Lege, I just thought it might help, since you regress so young." He paused. "How about this? You can try it this once, and if you don't like it, I'll put it away and you don't ever have to use it again."

Grumbling and grinding his teeth, Legend glared at the offending object, mulling over Wars' words. Then he snatched it out of Wars' hand, glaring at it some more- ignoring the man's worried look- before eventually giving in and shoving it in his mouth.

It was definitely a texture and shape he was unused to. Somehow, though, the longer it was in his mouth the less tense he felt. Unintentionally, his eyes drooped and he relaxed back against the couch as his mind began to go soft again. Rubbing his eyes, Legend laid down again with a sigh, hugging his bunny to his chest from where it had fallen against the cushions. Wars laughed softly, pulling the blanket back over him.

"Sleep well, honey. I'll be here."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The chattering of voice roused Legend from his nap. He gave a sleepy sigh and turned his head further into the pillow at the noise, wanting to go back to sleep. The chatter rounded the couch and then abruptly stopped.

The sudden quiet made him whine plaintively and blink open his eyes to see a crowd of people standing around the couch. As his eyes adjusted he bolted upright, tearing the pacifier out of his mouth to shove it under the blanket.

His brothers stared back at him, various expressions of surprise painted across their faces. He felt his face grow warm and his eyes teary at the sudden wave of anxiety and humiliation that crashed over him. A whine forced its way out of his throat as he clutched at the blanket, wanting to hide but with nowhere to go.

A sudden warm hand in his hair alerted him to someone sitting on the arm of the couch to his left. He looked up to see Papa sitting there, not looking at him but keeping a steady hand on his head. Legend whined again and buried his face against his papa's side, clutching at him like a frightened child.

Though, that's exactly what he was right now, wasn't he? Another hot wave of shame swept over him and he hiccuped miserably.

He heard talking above him but tried not to focus on it, flattening his ears against his head in an attempt to block them out. Papa pet his hair soothingly as he spoke; it only helped a little.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wars continued petting Legend's hair as he leveled the heroes before him with a Look.

"First things first, you will not make fun of him for any of this. He's only just started to get comfortable with his regression and I will not have him feel more badly about it than he already does. Second, don't push him on it. If he wants to share anything with you, be it information or toys or whatever, let him do it on his own terms. Am I understood?"

He received a combination of nods and verbal agreement to his proclamation. Several of the heroes looked uncomfortable, and he narrowed his eyes at them. Though they might have been alright with it the first time Legend did this, the reality that this was a reoccurring thing apparently had not occurred to them until now. The rest of them seemed more or less fine with it, thankfully.

After a moment, everyone shuffled off, chatter picking back up as they left the room. None of it seemed to be about Legend, so Wars tuned it out and focused back on the little boy clinging to him.

Legend was trembling badly, clutching tightly at Wars' tunic and doing his best to hide. Wars gently loosened his grip (heart aching at the broken little sound that caused) before sliding down onto the couch. He gathered Legend into his arms and the boy immediately burrowed against his chest.

"Heyy, heyyy, let it out, bunny," he soothed. "It's alright. No one is going to do anything, I promise."

Legend hiccuped. Wars could feel his tunic becoming damp and ran his hand up and down the boy's back, feeling every bump of his spine. Legend mumbled something, sniffed, then said it again, the sound muffled by the fabric of Wars' tunic. Wars frowned.

"I'm sorry, honey, I can't hear you. Can you say it again?"

Another mumble, then a whine. Legend shook his head, clenching his hands in Wars' tunic. Wars held in a sigh; Legend would likely only take it as a sign that he was angry with him. Then an idea occurred and he tapped Legend's shoulder to get his attention.

"Are you having trouble speaking, honeybun?" Legend peeked up at him and nodded hesitantly. Wars had suspected that might be the case. All of them had had trouble with that at one point or another, and he had noticed that Legend tended to get quieter when he regressed. It was a good thing all of them were at least passable in sign thanks to their own experiences. "Do you think you could sign? Would that help?"

Teary violet eyes blinked thoughtfully before turning down to thin hands. After a moment Legend let go of his tunic to sign with clumsy, shaky hands, 'scared.'

"Oh, honey. It's alright to be scared. But I promise you, I'll make sure no one makes fun of you or makes you feel bad. It will be okay." Wars pressed a gentle kiss to Legend's brow, relieved when the action earned a quiet chirp and press up into the affection.

They cuddled quietly for a few minutes before Legend shifted with a sigh. He tugged Wars' sleeve to get his attention and signed 'Try... try paci?'

"You want to try it again?" Legend nodded, still looking shy. "Thanks for telling me. You're very brave, bunny."

Pale cheeks flushed bright at the praise, even as Legend dug under the blanket for his pacifier from where he'd shoved it to hand to him. Wars gently pressed it against his lips and Legend accepted it, eyes fluttering and shoulders slumping as he cuddled up again. Wars ran his hand along his back and within a few passes had a boneless little bunny flopped across him.

Legend's thin chest rumbled with purrs and Wars felt a fond smile cross his face.

Quiet footsteps alerted him to the arrival of two of the others. He glanced up to see the Sailor and the Old Man. Both looked mildly awkward, though the Sailor had a spark of curiosity in his eyes.

"Can I help you?"

Wind seemed to vibrate in place for a moment before blurting, "So is he, like, yer new kid or somethin' or what?"

"Sailor," Time scolded.

Legend shifted with a snuffly whine. Wars soothed him by running a hand down his spine, and the boy quickly settled. Wind had the sense to look admonished, glancing down and shuffling his feet, ears tilting back. Wars signed, not unfondly.

"I suppose you could call it that. He trusts me to take care of him while he feels small, and I try my best to keep that trust. It's not so different from taking care of the two of you during the War, really, if a lot less worrying about keeping him alive and in one piece."

"Though if I recall, neither of us were quite so young as he currently appears to be," Time commented. Though he still looked awkward, there was a glint of fondness in his eye.

Wars huffed a laugh. "Perhaps not. He's certainly been less trouble than either one of you, I can say."

Wind snorted and plopped down, crossing his legs. "Point still stands. He's younger'n you an' yer takin' take o' him. Prolly overthinkin' everything' while ya do it, too. From what I can see yer doin' fine. I mean, lookit him! All cuddled up with a toy an' purrin' up a storm."

Wars... had to admit he was right. He had been worrying about his own role in all of this since the beginning, but Legend hadn't had a word of complaint. The younger boy was a ball of anxiety about his regression, among other things, but if he had a problem with something he would have said as such by now. The closest he came was being unsure about getting things for his regression- such as the pacifier- but with of patience on Wars' end he came to accept it in his own time.

It wasn't unlike dealing with Mask and Tune, really. The boys had been wary and hesitant to listen to him in the beginning, Mask especially, but had come around eventually. After he had gained their trust Mask had clung to him like a leech and Tune had chattered his ear off about any- and everything that crossed his mind.

"You alright, Captain?" Time's voice broke him from his musings. Wars blinked up at him.

"Oh- yes, sorry. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"About... you boys, and Legend, and just everything that's happened recently." Wars ran his fingers through Legend's hair and the boy snuffled sleepily. "He's been doing well in coming to terms with it. I don't want you to think I'm forgetting about you two, though. You're still the two rascals I adopted during the War." He reached over to ruffle Wind's hair, to playful protest.

Wind shoved his hand away and tried to fix his hair with a scowl. "So is he, like, our new brother or what? Ye gonna adopt him too?"

Wars started. "You- would you be okay with that? Both of you?" The possibility hadn't occurred to him until Wind said it, but he couldn't deny that he wanted to, now that it was out there.

Wind snorted, waving a hand. "I mean he's already our brother, he'd just be our baby brother too."

Time nodded, sitting on a nearby chair. "From what I've seen our Vet could use the opportunity to relax, and this seems to be helping. Also," he flashed a grin, "it would be nice not to be the youngest."

Wind let out a bark of laughter. Legend twitched at the sound before blinking open bleary violet eyes. Wind froze as the boy turned those eyes in his direction; Legend simply stared at him. After a moment he mumbled something inaudible and flopped a hand out of his blanket towards the Sailor. Wind blinked, surprised, and Legend whined, flapping his hand in his direction.

Wind took it slowly, brightening when Legend gave a pleased little hum. He squeezed their hands and was rewarded with a chirp. Wind drew in a breath as his eyes went wide and shiny.

"Wars. Wars he's so cute. We gotta keep 'im."

Wars chuckled. "Sounds like that's one vote for yes. Sprite, what's going through that head of yours?"

His second son was quiet for a few moments. When he spoke, it was slow and thoughtful. "I think, perhaps, if the Veteran is amenable to it, he could do with a good support system. I would not mind being a part of that system if he would let me. However, I am... not sure if he would... appreciate my being there. Our first impression was... not the best, I am afraid."

"Tha' was when you were wearin' yer armor, though," Wind pointed out. "He was jus' fine sittin' around the fire once you took it off."

Time hummed, uncertain.

"What do you think, honeybun? Would you be okay with that?" Wars asked Legend. His only response was a wide-eyed expression and a soft babbling coo as Legend squeezed Wind's hand. Wars smiled up at his boys. "Seems we won't get an answer until he's big again. In the meantime, I think this is a good opportunity to get to know him when he's small."

Wind beamed. "So is it really like yer therapist said? He's a kid right now? How old is he?"

"Yes, he's a child, mentally. Well- younger, actually. We're not quite sure how old he is, he didn't have an answer, but he seems to be somewhere between babe and toddler."

"That's why he's all like this, then," Wind nodded. "Ye get 'im anything' fer it? 'sides the binky, o' course. Granny says kids deserve stuff ta play with an' call their own."

Wars gestured to the coffee table, where he'd moved Legend's toys after he fell asleep. "Only a few. He wasn't sure if he would be comfortable having anything, so I just got some simple toys to ease him into it. He seems enamoured with the cubes, so I think besides his bunny those are his favourite so far."

Wind's eyes lit up. "Bunny? That's Ravio's whole deal, right? He's got one'a those?"

Before Wars could respond, Legend pulled his hand away from Wind's to clumsily push himself upright. He wobbled for a moment, causing Wars to hurriedly steady him. The boy hummed before holding up his plush for Wind and Time to see, babbling something that could have been 'bunny' behind the pacifier.

"Very nice. Thank you for sharing with us," Time smiled. Legend copied the expression with a little chirring sound. "What's their name?"

Another chirr. Legend seemed to think about it for a moment before shaking his head. He tucked his bunny close again and squirmed off of Wars' lap to shuffle on his knees towards his toys.

He pointed at each one with a bright smile and a babbled explanation. Wind eagerly indulged him, holding what Legend handed him and asking questions that made the little boy light up. Time, his Sprite, looked noticeably more at ease, a smile touching the corners of his eyes even as he watched with what, to anyone else, seemed an uninterested expression.

After a few moments he spoke up, voice quiet. "I don't think I would mind if you decided to bring the Veteran into our family. Perhaps, if I were younger still, I would have issue with it, but I like to think I am no longer that angry, jealous child I was back then. And I would like to have a chance to grow closer with him in general as well; I know our relationship is not the strongest."

"And every day I am proud of you for being able to grow past that," Wars smiled. "No small thanks to Mrs. Malon, I'm sure." Time flushed as Wars chuckled. "When Lege is feeling big again I'll bring it up to him and get started on the paperwork if he's alright with it. Otherwise we'll just keep going as we have been. With the two of you, if you would like."

"Yes, I would. And-"

"Ye bet we would! As if we would give 'im up now!" Wind cut in. He pulled Legend into a hug (gently enough it didn't startle the younger boy) and gave his older brothers a Look.

Wars and Time shared a glance. Legend made a squeaky sound from his place in Wind's arms. The Sailor nodded seriously.

"See? He agrees."

Wars felt a laugh bubble up. "Alright, I've got it. But don't forget it's ultimately up to Legend, alright?"

His boys nodded. Legend copied them a moment later, making them all laugh. Then he held out his arms towards Wars, making grabby hands from the Sailor's grasp. Wars pushed himself up and walked over to carefully pull the boy into his own arms, where Legend gave a satisfied little coo and snuggled into his chest before going boneless.