#waaaaaaaah

He talks nonsense about shadows and islands and escape plans, and thinks Twilight is Time, his glassy eyes going wide when he sees him. He begs him to leave him and save himself, but when Twilight sits next to him and says he’s not going anywhere, Legend cries, thick, inconsolable sobs. Twilight gathers him in his arms, and Legend melts into the embrace, clinging to to him and crying until he eventually passes back out.

Four and the others spend more than one sleepless night just fixing the damp cloth on Legend’s face when he throws it off, keeping him still, and trying to calm him down when he shouts desperately for Time, convinced he’s dead.

“He’s not, Link, he’s not, he’s okay,” usually Sky murmurs, but Legend only cries, feverish and hurting.

And the thing is... Time really isn’t okay.

He hasn’t reacted to anything they’ve tried to do for him, remaining in the same comatose state ever since they found him, pale and unmoving. They stabilize his injuries, keep him comfortable, and try to wake him, but Time doesn’t move at all.

Twilight frets about getting him liquids and food, but when Warriors gives him a more intense study, he says it seems like he’s fine, actually. Time is too thin like Legend, but he doesn’t seem like he’s getting any worse, and when Hyrule also takes a look at him, he says it seems like he’s almost in a sort of... stasis. His condition isn’t changing, for good or bad.

Which takes some worries off their minds, and also adds a few.

But with Time uneasily stable, it does give them the ability to focus more on Legend, who needs as much help as he can get.

Days trickle by and his fever gets worse, injuries festering in a bad way. They’re constantly changing bandages and cleaning things, and Legend seems unaware of any of it, cheeks flushed and eyes unnaturally bright. Just feeding him is a struggle, his stomach too weak to keep much down, and Wild finally cooks up a thin broth for him, barely anything to it. It’s little more than flavored water, but it’s only thing that doesn’t immediately come back up when they give it to Legend.

Four gets more and more fearful, watching Legend shift uncomfortably, too weak now to even thrash when the fever grips him. He starts wondering if they’ve saved Legend only for him to die now that he’s out.

Was the whole rescue for nothing?

He isn’t the only one thinking it, and there’s a note of franticness among them all now, similar to before they found Time and Legend, though different what with a more immediate issue. They all start to fall back into what they’d been dealing with before, and it’s worrying.

Wind is trying to put on a brave face, but he keeps huddling up beside Time, holding his hand as he watches Legend. Wild continually cooks up broth, and tries to find other foods that Legend can keep down, though so far he’s been unsuccessful.

Twilight keeps Hyrule back and drags him away so he won’t try anything stupid when he gets that look in his eye (he’s still weakened from saving Legend the first time— he’d been unconscious for almost twelve hours, and magic doesn’t work on infection). Sky stays by Legend and helps comfort him, and Four tries to do the same, but it seems like they don’t get anywhere with anything they try.

And more than once Four sees Warriors sitting at Legend’s bedroll, just holding him with a resigned, grieved look on his face.

But they’re still determined. Having Legend and Time here, alive, bolsters their spirits even in the worst of the fever. None of them are going to let Legend slip through their fingers without a fight, not after so long unsure if he’d even been alive. They push back against the infection with all they have, working round the clock to care for him, and Legend fights too, though weakly.

And after days of helping him weakly sip broth, wiping sweat from his brow, keeping him calm when he wails for Time and his uncle and countless other people they don’t recognize, and listening to his pulse with an increasing desperation... he starts to improve.

Slowly. Barely.

But it’s something.

Legend stays awake a little longer, and his fever starts to go down, the foggy look in his eyes clearing. His bandages and injuries stop needing to be changed and cleaned quite so often, his face regaining some color. He starts to croak some questions and seems to understand their answers, and also keep down more food, and more importantly, potion. Wind even makes a stupid joke one morning as they’re making breakfast, and Legend snorts an exhausted laugh.

He’s getting better.

Four cries when he realizes it, and he’s not the only one.

An invisible weight falls off of everyone— Legend is still nowhere near back to normal, but noticeable (though small) improvement is a huge relief. The break in immediate threats to anyone’s life is good, wonderful actually, and Four feels like he can breathe again for the first time in weeks. Though the improvement has the somewhat unfortunate side effect of hitting them all with a lot of emotions that have been stuffed away.

Wild randomly starts crying into dinner one night, looking bewildered at his own emotions. Twilight has a meltdown after a nightmare, obviously more rattled than he’s letting on, and Four and Wind both end up sleeping next to him afterwards.

Sky is on the clingy side of things (though really, they all are), and would probably spend all his time holding Legend if he could, and Four hears what sounds like Warriors praying one early morning before anyone else is up. Wind is chattery and talks anyone who will listens’ ear off, while Hyrule mostly moves around in something of a daze.

Four himself just feels off-balance, shaky, relieved, and still very, very worried.

After all, Time still hasn’t woken up.

Their attention has been more on Legend, but with him slowly improving, their focus shifts to Time again. They’ve tried multiple things to rouse him since the rescue, songs and magic, sharp smells and gentle prodding, but nothing works. They debate the merits of attempting to find a doctor, or a great fairy, or just somewhere with real beds for him and Legend to rest on, but moving either of them isn’t an option yet. And nobody’s sure if this land even has anything like that to find.

So they wait. And hope.

And since nothing can be done about Time, Four keeps a sharp eye on Legend.

Now that he’s awake more, the effects of what he’d been through start to show, in ways both obvious and not. His injuries alone would leave a normal person with all kinds of lasting effects, and there’s much more to the whole thing then just those. And Four knows Legend is strong, and tough, and experienced in dozens of bad situations, but nobody can come out of being tortured and imprisoned for weeks and be fine just like that. Much as he may try to downplay it.

The veteran is quiet now, though that might just be the pain and fatigue taking its toll. Conversations he’d usually join in on he just listens to, and he’s a lot quicker to go to tears over things, which in turn seems to make him frustrated. His lingering fever and infection make him tired and cranky, and he has odd reactions to things he never used to, looking warily into the woods at night, flinching at certain sounds or turns of phrase. The clink of someone’s chainmail makes him entirely zone out one afternoon, and when he finally snaps out of whatever it was, he’s pale and shaking and loses the contents of his stomach.

Not to mention how as he’s had longer and longer periods of lucidity, Legend refuses to be more than a few inches away from Time at any given moment.

He gets antsy if he has to be moved further away from him for whatever reason, and it makes sense, based on what had happened. But sometimes it’s necessary to pull him away in order to check on Time, and the day they help Legend to the nearby stream to take a bath, he ends up in a solid panic attack until they’re back in camp in view of Time again.

Four’s not sure if it’s guilt, or something specific that had happened while Dark had them, but seeing Legend reduced to tears just after pulling him away from Time for a few minutes is painful.

It’s hard to know how to help.

Rough as it all is though, there’s some good things too. Legend’s a little clingy now, or at least much more willing to snuggle up to one of them, which none of them minds in the slightest. Day or night, someone is almost always sitting with Legend tucked beside them, or with him leaning on their shoulder, or his head settled on a lap. And everyone sleeps within an arm’s length of each other these days, even Warriors, who tends to prefer his space.

It’s easier to remember they’re all okay when they’re so close.

Giving Legend back the handful of items Dark Link has tossed at them is a bright spot in everything too— Legend promptly puts his hat on with a relieved look, and while his hands are too much of a mess to wear his rings currently, he counts them off and sets them back in the box he has with a smile.

The ocarina he accepts silently, rubbing a thumb along the outside, then putting it into his bag with a quiet “thank you”.

He spends the rest of that afternoon letting Sky hold him.

Four still worries though, unable to totally stop. Legend won’t talk about what happened, but his behavior and the plethora of injuries covering him and Time mixed with what they all saw paint a terrible picture. And what Four’s imagination conjures up in turn isn’t much better. His dreams often go to that dark hallway where they found them, Legend and Time’s corpses staring blankly at him in a sea of blood, distant screams and begging in his ears, and he wakes with a start, only calming down when he sees them both breathing.

And Legend’s nightmares are worse. Based on how often Four sees him crying in his sleep, or waking up with a shout, he’s having them near-constantly, and with that and the remains of the fever, his sleep is suffering. Knowing what happened won’t fix that, but it would at least answer some questions, and would hopefully help when they’re trying to comfort him afterwards.

So Warriors prods once, carefully, about what had happened while Legend and Time were imprisoned.

He frames it as something important in case anything happens again, instead of just trying to be nosy or whatever reason Legend might think. Just for him to tell them anything useful, or important they should know.

Legend stays silent a long time.

Then he tells them about the Shadow feeding off suffering, and wanting a steady supply. The portal glitch was planned, and he’d intentionally set things up so the others would think they were dead.

But he explains nothing further, and falls back asleep soon after.

Four isn’t too satisfied, but it’s a start, at least. Warriors seems happy enough with it, even if the brief story is awful.

...Though Four also notices the guilt in Hyrule’s eyes only grows with the bit of information.

That comes to a head one afternoon when Four is changing the bandages on his own arm instead of Legend or Time’s for once, the bite that the Shadow had given Vio an ugly purple-green color. It’s healing, albeit slowly, so Four isn’t too worried, but it’s still rather painful. It’s like he was burned and bitten at the same time, and caring for it is a hassle. Especially since they’re saving as much of their healing supplies as possible for Time and Legend.

He hears footsteps approach, and Four looks up to see Hyrule walking towards Legend with a tight expression. Four had been giving the veteran some space at the moment, but he’s still close enough to where Legend is half sitting-up propped with whatever soft things they’ve got to hear when Hyrule sits beside him and they begin to talk.

Four tries his best not to listen. It’s very likely not his business. But it’s hard to ignore, and when someone sniffles, he can’t help but flick his eyes up, and see Hyrule with a teary face.

“Rule...” Legend is saying, but Hyrule just shakes his head.

“Let me finish. I just want to say I’m sorry,” he whispers, voice choked. “I know I can’t make it up to you, but... I’m so sorry. If I had realized the portal was off before you or Time had gone through then you wouldn’t have... neither of you would’ve...”

Legend shakily tugs him closer and wraps his good arm around him, Hyrule slumping in the embrace.

“It wasn’t your fault, traveler,” he says quietly, voice still holding a hollowness to it. “...Have you been blaming this whole time?”

Hyrule doesn’t answer, and as Legend sighs, Four feels a prick of guilt himself. He’d known Hyrule had been blaming himself, but he didn’t know how intense it had been.

“You couldn’t have kn-known, ‘Rule. I didn’t know. None of us did,” Legend continues.

“I tried to help you,” Hyrule whispers. “When I realized what was wrong. But the portal magic was too much, and I-I couldn’t... I’m sorry.”

“Still not your fault,” Legend huffs tiredly. “‘N I’m too tired to argue, so shut it. Blame Dark.”

“But—”

“No.”

“But—”

“Nope.”

Hyrule looks mildly annoyed, but Legend’s eyes close, and he doesn’t let go of Hyrule. Hyrule looks at him a moment, then sighs, shakily.

“I wish he’d gotten me instead,” Hyrule whispers bitterly.

“I don’t,” Legend mutters, something sharp in his voice. “Don’t say that. I’d go through it as many times as it took if it meant the rest of you didn’t have to.”

Hyrule also closes his eyes, cheeks damp, and neither of them says anything more after that.

Four quietly stands and walks away.

They’re all at least a bit guilty over things, but obviously Hyrule’s been dealing with the worst of it from the start. He’d blamed himself from day one, and Four just hopes that Legend talking to him helps. Time waking up would probably really help, but Hyrule does seem a little lighter when Four sees him afterward, and he stops half-avoiding Legend when he’s awake.

And with that settled, and Legend’s fever fading almost completely, Four starts thinking things are finally calming down.

Until a new problem rears its head.

It’d been there all along apparently, but they just hadn’t noticed at first, busy with injuries and fever, with safety and healing and attempting to ignore all of their disastrous emotions. Legend is the one who actually notices, finally lucid enough to realize something is wrong with himself.

Something that’s not just injuries, or his mental state.

It’s the middle of the night when it happens, Four taking watch and idly stargazing as he listens for anything concerning. He feels calm for once, his ragged emotions still, the night quiet and clear, and he lets his mind wander in ways that aren’t anxious. Though of course his thoughts inevitably turn towards Time and Legend, and he glances at the two.

Legend is asleep, but Time’s still form catches Four’s attention, and he sighs quietly to himself, watching his bandaged chest move almost imperceptibly, now-clean hair brushed neatly out of his face. Warriors sleeps beside him tonight, his shoulder just barely touching Time’s, and Four sees the crease on his brow, even in sleep.

They’ve done all they can for Time, and tried several things more, but he still sleeps on.

Did Legend do something wrong? Four thinks worriedly, a little guilty at the thought, but unable to fully muffle it. Just earlier that day Legend had finally confirmed their guesses at what had happened with Time, explaining briefly about healing by forcing his magic. Legend had then received a sharp lecture from anyone who used magic (most of them), on magic use and things your body isn’t built for, but he hadn’t regretted it a bit, and had said so.

But the fact remains that even though Time is alive thanks to Legend, it’s likely he’s the same reason he hadn’t woken up yet.

Four sighs, then hears a sudden sharp intake of breath, and he looks at Legend, who’s eyes are wide open and frightened.

He lays there a moment, unmoving, unseeing, face terrified and damp with sweat. But then his breath gets let back out in a shaky exhale, a hand rubbing at his eyes, and Four softly stands and walks over to him.

“Hey. You okay?” he whispers, and Legend flinches, then nods as he rubs tears off his face. Four isn’t convinced, but he helps him pull his blanket up and get settled again, even though the veteran’s face is still creased, like there’s something more bothering him.

Four sits down with a little sigh, and carefully sets his hand on Legend’s head. He’s still a bit warm.

“Anything I can do?”

“No,” Legend whispers back, a hand settling around his middle. Then he pauses. “Actually... hand me my bag?”

Four squints in concern, but Legend doesn’t elaborate, so Four finds it and hands it to him. Legend slowly rifles around with his arm that seems to be in a little better shape than the other, and after a bit he pulls out an ice rod of all things. Four tilts his head in confusion.

Legend doesn’t explain, just looks at it carefully, barely able to hold it up as his thumb brushes along the metal. Then he angles his arm, and flicks his wrist towards a tree by the edge of camp.

But instead of the blast of ice that should have come out of the rod, there isn’t so much as a flurry.

And the moment Legend waves the rod, his eyes roll back and he passes out.

Four yelps and camp goes into a bit of a panic for a few minutes when the sound wakes up their lighter sleepers and they realize something’s wrong, which then wakes up everyone else. Fortunately it doesn’t take too long for Legend to wake back up, though he looks dizzy and winded, and a little scared too. The questions and worried talking go on for a while, but Legend doesn’t say anything through it all, oddly quiet until Hyrule finally asks what’s wrong.

“...My magic is gone,” Legend says.

Four isn’t the only one who startles at that. “It’s what?”

“You mean depleted, right?” Sky asks, and Legend shakes his head.

“No. It’s gone. I can’t feel it. I know where it should be and it’s not there,” he croaks, voice still exhausted from the abuse he’d been put through. “I was dreaming about... well. I woke up and realized it, there’s just... a void.”

“That’s... what? That shouldn’t be possible,” Wind stammers, and Four more than agrees. From what study he’s put into it, all Hylians have at least some magic, even if they can’t use it. It’s part of what makes them Hylian.

“I know. But it’s gone,” Legend whispers.

Hyrule puts a hand on him and Four realizes he’s trying to get a feel for if what he’s saying is right, fingertips glowing just a bit. Legend remains still, Hyrule’s hand tracing lightly over his chest and arm, and finally he pulls back, looking alarmed.

“You’re right, that’s... it’s not there,” he says, voice horrified. “I thought it’d come back after what I did, but— Legend, how on earth..?”

Legend closes his eyes. “I don’t know.”

There’s quiet in camp, then, broken only by some crickets and an owl way off in the distance.

Hyrule hesitates, and leans forward again. “Maybe I could try giving you—”

“No,” Legend says, weakly grabbing Hyrule’s wrist. “Save your magic. You shouldn’t waste it.”

“It’s not wasting it,” Hyrule says in annoyance.

“Yes it is. It wouldn’t work and it would just exhaust you. It didn’t get my magic back the first time, it won’t if you do it again,” Legend mutters, sounding more exhausted. “And I don’t want you worn out if... if Time needs it.”

The quiet this time is much more heavy.

“How are we going to fix it, then?” Four asks softly, and some uncertain looks are exchanged. None of them have dealt with this sort of thing before. Magic exhaustion sure, and normal magic depletion, but not... losing it all together. That really shouldn’t be possible.

Yet here they are.

“...For the record, I think Hyrule should try to help. Or we could try some green potion, maybe. But I also vote we try to unravel this tomorrow,” Wild says finally, glancing at Legend who looks beyond exhausted. “Sleep is nice.”

“Yes it is,” Twilight agrees worriedly. “He’s right. We’re all tired still, we’ll think better with some rest. Let’s head back to bed.”

There’s some looks of worry and unease, but nobody argues as they head back to their bedrolls. Everyone’s exhausted from the sleepless nights watching over Time and Legend, and several of them still have injuries from fighting their way out that they’re getting over.

Four still has another hour of watch though, and so he stays sitting beside Legend as the others settle back down, waiting until it’s truly quiet to say anything.

“It’s really gone?” he whispers, and Legend nods.

“It is. I thought the fever was why I felt like this, but... I guess not.”

He looks paler again, eyes frightened, and Four hesitates. How do you comfort somebody who’s missing a piece of themself?

A familiar noise comes from across the clearing then, and Wolfie quietly pads over and settles himself down beside Legend. Legend looks at him, and sets a hand on his fur, and Twilight lets him pet him in silence.

“...Legend? Are you okay?” Four asks finally, and the veteran closes his eyes.

“What do you think?” he says bitterly.

Four pauses a moment, and thinks on what Legend’s dealing with, weeks of torture and abuse, weakened from infection and sickness, bruises and bandages covering most of his skin, and now this.

“No. I don’t think you are,” Four says honestly. “But I’d be surprised if you were. I don’t think anyone would be after the time you’ve had, and now this.” He makes sure Legend is paying attention, then looks him in the eye. “It’s perfectly reasonable to be upset about it.”

Legend turns his head away.

He doesn’t say anything else, and Four sighs, and sets a hand on a part of his arm that doesn’t have any bandages or visible bruises. He lightly rubs, and Legend closes his eyes, lip trembling just a bit.

“Would you like a hug?” Four whispers, and Legend gives a tiny shrug.

Four takes that as a yes, and meets Twilight’s eyes, the wolf nodding at him, before Four settles down beside Legend and does his best to hug him without hurting him. Legend curls into it with a shaky sigh, and Four just holds him, still rubbing his arm as Twilight’s fur warms them.

“I’m glad you’re home, Legend,” Four whispers, taking his own comfort from the hug. “And we’ll figure this out. We’ll get it back.”

A tear dampens a bandage on Legend’s face, but Four doesn’t say a thing about it. He just holds him, and they both fall asleep to the sound of Legend’s quiet sniffling, Twilight keeping watch with a heavy look.

(...)

Legend’s magic is very much gone.

Green potions don’t do anything, and Hyrule’s magic is unable to help anything along. Legend gets a few of his tamer items out to experiment with, but absolutely none of them work. And he passes out if he pushes it with them, which makes Warriors leery of letting him even have the items at all. But they’re Legend’s things, they can’t very well just take them from him, and so they all just keep a close watch whenever his hand goes in his bag.

Legend’s getting stronger apart from the magic issue at least— he manages to actually hold his weight for a few seconds one day, and some of his bruises are turning colors that hint towards healing. But the loss of his magic is hitting him hard, and he’s more quiet even than before.

Everyone is quick to offer help, even if it’s not all that useful. Wind suggests that maybe his magic is just so empty it’ll take its time coming back, and almost everyone agrees with that. Wild and Warriors both offer Legend some bottles of different kinds of green potion, but they don’t seem to do anything. Sky even tries giving him the Master Sword for a while, wondering if maybe it’s the fault of a curse or something that she can break, but nothing happens.

And Time still won’t wake up.

It’s hard for all of them, but especially Legend. The hopefully temporary loss of his magic is bad enough, but paired with Time’s continued unresponsiveness, he’s getting downright depressed. And it hurts, it hurts to watch and not know how to fix it, to watch Legend go through his items with a desperate hope he’ll be able to use something, to hear him quietly beg Time to wake up in the middle of the night when he thinks nobody can hear him.

He’s falling into something dangerously close to despair, and it frightens them all.

Four finally asks Warriors one night if he thinks there’s any way he thinks they can help, and Warriors looks down at where Legend is asleep beside him, head resting on his leg.

He sighs.

“I don’t know,” he says quietly, running a hand over Legend’s head. “I think all we can do is support him like we have been. If a solution shows itself, then great, but I don’t have any ideas.”

Legend flinches in his sleep for no seeming reason, letting out a whimper, and Warriors stills, pulling his blanket tighter over his shoulders.

“It’s hard to watch,” Four whispers as Legend curls in on himself, face still creased.

“I know. But I think it’s just going to take time,” Warriors whispers in turn, gently rubbing Legend’s back. Legend relaxes a bit. “He’ll get there. And we can carry him in the meantime.”

Four stays silent a long moment, watching Legend sleep.

“Do you think he’s ever going to wake up?” Four asks in an even quieter voice, and they both look at Time, still serene, pale, and unmoving.

“...I don’t know,” Warriors admits, and Four hears a thread of fear past the weariness. “I suppose we’ll find out.”

Four breathes out, and looks back at Warriors, the captain still watching Time with a deep tiredness in his eyes.

“It’s not your fault you know,” Four adds after a moment, and Warriors looks over.

Hyrule may have been guilty over what happened, but Warriors often has a haunted look in his eye, his previous decisions weighing on him. None of them are too proud of how they’d acted when Time and Legend were gone, but it’s visibly eating at the captain. Four supposes even Warriors can’t be unaffected by everything.

Warriors sighs. “I know.”

“Captain,” Four says pointedly. “You may have been leading, but everything was a group decision in the end, so there’s no use in being angsty about it.” He softens his voice then, and looks Warriors in the eye. “We needed that time to rest. We might not have made it out if we hadn’t, and then we’d all be in trouble. Or dead. But regardless, we can’t change it now, so there’s no use in dwelling on it.”

They’re words that Four has told himself probably a dozen times since the escape.

Warriors slowly nods, and gives Four a little smile. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Smithy.”

Four returns it, and they go back to quietly watching Legend and Time sleep on.

Four has a lot of conversations like that in those days— admitting worries, debating solutions, trying to ease anxieties and having a few of his own calmed too.

Some of it is questions about how he can split into four people, and Four, willing enough for a distraction, tells at least something of it to anyone who asks. They’ve already all seen him at his worst (he can’t remember the last time he cried so hard, and avoids Sky a little in embarrassment), so it’s not the worst to explain it.

Twilight is asking him about it one sunny afternoon, as Legend and Sky sit close by and also listen. The others are scouting the area a bit more, trying to figure out if there might be civilization anywhere nearby, but Twilight had been leery of leaving Time, and Sky’s injury in his side has been slow to heal. Four himself had spent most of the previous night awake, talking with Wind after he’d had a nightmare, and then unable to sleep even when Wind had dropped off, so the four of them are resting and enjoying the warm day, sun bright as it filters through the leaves of the birch trees above them.

It’s a good thing it’s such a nice day too, because Legend is having one of his bad days, nauseous and hurting and grumpy because of it. It would probably be worse if the weather was bad. His injuries are better, but they’ve been slow to heal as well, and Four knows the pain bothers him. Despite Legend’s mood though, he listens quietly enough to Four as he talks, and seems interested in how the sword works.

At the moment Four is explaining about the Picori blade and how he helped forge it (in a somewhat edited way of course), and he’s getting caught up in the telling, Twilight and Sky leaning in and listening with rapt attention. They’re all distracted enough that they don’t immediately notice when Legend silently pulls an item out of his bag, glaring at it critically.

Sky does finally turn and notice though, and he frowns at the veteran. “Oh Legend, don’t—”

Four looks over just in time to see Legend collapse backwards.

They’re used to it by now, but Four still feels his heart skip a beat as Twilight catches Legend and takes what looks like some kind of magic rod away from him, an exasperated look on his face.

“Why does he just keep trying that?” Twilight grumbles, forehead creased as he gives Legend a small look-over. “It’s not working.”

“Probably the off chance that it does work,” Four says, and Legend twitches awake, a thin line of blood trailing from his nose.

“Legend, please stop doing that. If your magic really is depleted this isn’t going to help it,” Sky says, exasperated, and Legend glares at him, opening his mouth to argue. Instead of words though, his lunch comes up instead.

Sky startles and leans back, and Twilight twists Legend around as quick as he can so he doesn’t get any sick on his blankets. He’s not fast enough to save himself though, and Four tries not to grimace in disgust as Twilight’s tunic gets hit.

“Ah Ledge...” Sky says sadly as Legend throws up, and he finally stops, shivering with his face pale in the sunlight. He looks mortified, and Twilight leans closer and says something quiet to him as Four stands to help with cleaning up the mess. Sky stays where he is, trying not to look grossed-out, but failing, especially when he notices his pants got some sick on them.

“Sorry,” Legend says in a small voice, and Twilight sighs.

“It’s okay, Vet, it happens. I’ve had to clean worse out of this tunic,” he says with a faint smile.

“Maybe so, but you should still go clean yourself up, I can handle this” Four says, shooing Twilight away. He’s going to need to change his whole outfit.

Twilight hesitates, looking at Legend in his hold, and then back at Four, and Four smiles a little grimly.

“I also think Sky is grossed out and might appreciate a cleaning buddy,” he says quietly enough that Sky can’t hear him.

“Ah, yeah,” Twilight says, looking at the knight who’s hovering nearby, looking like he wants to help but can’t quite steel himself to. Twilight looks back at Legend, a kind look on his face. “Okay. And don’t worry about it, Legend. Just warn us if you’re going to try something like that, you really shouldn’t be pushing yourself so hard.”

Legend looks at his lap and gives a silent nod.

Twilight stands, and he and Sky head off for the stream, grabbing their bags before they go. Four moves to help Legend clean up, though ironically he didn’t get much vomit on himself. Twilight seems to have gotten the short end of the stick in that regard.

Four cleans, Legend helping where he can, and neither of them speaks as they make a small pile of things to wash in the stream. Legend still looks awful, embarrassed and still a little sick, and Four offers him water at one point, which Legend silently takes.

“So. What was it like?” Four asks once Legend’s pulled on a clean tunic, and they’ve kicked dirt over the small mess on the ground. Legend looks at him and tilts his head, and Four elaborates. “When you used your magic on Time?”

He’s wanted to ask about it for days now, but getting Legend alone is nearly impossible, and talking to him about anything involving Dark Link is like pulling teeth.

Legend blinks at the question, and sighs, setting down the water he’d been drinking.

“Why do you ask?” he mutters with narrowed eyes.

“If we’re going to figure out how to fix it, we have to know how you lost it,” Four replies. “It’s just logical. So... what was it like?”

Legend hesitates, obviously thinking it through.

Then he closes his eyes.

“Weird. Hard. I had to reach deep,” he says in a low voice, husky and faint. “I don’t think I really thought it would work. I was just... desperate.”

His voice trembles a little, and he slowly shakes his head.

“I don’t have much innate magic, and definitely not the healing kind. It hurt when it came out, it was like.... I don’t know, like ripping out an organ and giving it to somebody else. But Time was bleeding everywhere and then he stopped breathing, and I... y-yeah,” he says, pausing a moment to take a deep breath. It takes him a second to speak again. “Strength in desperation, I guess. But I gave all the magic I had and then some, and I don’t know if...”

He swallows, and Four gently squeezes his arm.

“...I don’t know if it’ll ever come back,” the veteran whispers, resting his head in his hand. “I think it’s gone, Four.”

“It might not be,” Four says, trying to be hopeful.

“I don’t know. But if it doesn’t come back, I...”

Legend shakes his head, and the look on his face is so utterly afraid, entirely unlike Legend, that Four wants to do everything he can to fix it.

“I won’t be able to do anything. I can’t use almost all of my items like this, so many of my rings rely on my magic to work, I’ll... I’ll be a liability, I—“

He chokes off and Four quickly puts an arm up to wrap around his brother.

“Legend, you should know better than anyone that items aren’t everything,” Four says softly. “And besides, you have plenty that don’t need magic. You’ve got your sword and your boots, your clothes and all your skills to rely on, you don’t need magic.”

Legend is silent for a long time.

“My whole fighting style relies on it, Four. I don’t know how many times my items have saved my life. If something else happens now and I can’t use them, I... what do I do? Retire? Then what happens if Ganon somehow comes back again? How can I fight Dark like this?”

His voice gets thicker as he speaks, and his hands curl into fists.

“I’m a dulled sword, Four. Injuries heal eventually but this is different. And Dark... how do we fight him if things like this happen? If he can do stuff like this? If my magic doesn’t come back it’s like— like he wins,” Legend admits in a shaky, angry voice. “And I know he didn’t do this, it’s all my fault, but he still put us there and did everything and I keep letting him get in my head and I hate it but it just won’t go away.”

Legend swipes angrily at his eyes, a tear or two escaping as Four listens in dismay. Now that Legend is talking about it it seems like he can’t stop.

“I hate him. I hate that he did that to us,” Legend chokes out. “I hate him so much Four, he hurt Time and me and we could just watch, I almost died once, and Time was— and now there’s this, and I just— I hate him!”

Legend shouts the last sentence in a raw voice, and then his head falls on Four’s arm, his shoulders shaking.

He takes a minute to speak again.

“I just want Time back,” he chokes out in a whisper. “I want my magic back too but if it’s between them I’d take him a thousand times over. But I don’t think he’s ever going to wake up. And it’s my fault.”

“Legend, you saved him,” Four says, and Legend shakes his head.

“Saved him from what? Is being stuck in a coma the rest of your life better than dying?” he chokes out. “Is missing an entire piece of myself better than dying?”

“Oh Legend,” Four says softly, and holds him tight, not totally sure what to say here as Legend fights back tears in his arms.

He listens to the leaves rustle softly above them, and the distant sounds of the stream, and an occasional snip of distant conversation from Twilight and Sky. Legend stays silent, frustrated, hurting, and grieved, and Four breathes out.

“After my third quest,” Four begins softly, lightly rubbing Legend’s back as he shifts to a more comfortable position, “adjusting was very, very difficult. I’d been four people for months at that point. Going back to being just one again was... hard. And impossible to explain to anyone. Nobody understood what it was like. People tried, but for months I just felt alone.”

He breathes out slowly, and Legend shifts a little in his arms.

“But it got better. Not everything went away, but I learned to live with it. I adjusted. I healed. But it took time,” he finishes gently, setting his head on Legend’s shoulder. “It takes time, Legend, and I know you know that. It’s hurting right now, but it’ll get better. It will. I wish I could fix everything, with you and Time, and I would if I could. And also blast Dark Link into oblivion while I’m at it. But we’ve got to be patient.”

Legend lets out a wet snort. “Time did that. Blasted Dark. Used a fire spell. It’s how we got as far as we did.”

He breathes in a shaky inhale, and pulls back a little, his angry expression drained away to reveal a deep weariness.

“I’m... I’m tired,” he admits quietly. “I’m good at puzzles, Four. I’ve solved more than I can count, but I can’t solve this one. Time won’t wake up. And I’m just... useless.”

“Being without magic doesn’t make you useless. I’m sure you know plenty of people without any who manage just fine— I mean Twilight certainly doesn’t,” Four says, a little sharply, and Legend grimaces.

“I know, I know. I’m just... I rely on it. It’s like losing a limb, Smithy,” he says wearily, brushing some hair from his face. It got a little long in his absence, Four’s noticed.

He blinks several times, and looks at his lap again.

“It just... it feels like there’s a hole in me,” Legend whispers, voice more broken than Four’s ever heard, even in the throes of his fever, even when he was crying in his arms in that awful dungeon. He sounds crushed. Defeated. “My adventures have taken things from me, Four, but nothing quite like this. Hylians are a magical people, it’s a part of us. If I don’t have any, then... what does that make me?”

“Our brother.”

Four and Legend both jump at the whisper, and their gazes snap towards where Time has been lying for over a week.

And see his eye open, and looking at the two of them with a warm, confused, exhausted light.

Legend’s breath all leaves him in a gasp.

“Old man—” Four gasps, and Legend shoves past him, nearly falling over as he stumbles over to Time, clasping at the older hero’s hand.

“You’re awake,” he breathes, “you’re awake you’re alive, you—”

Time gives him a faint smile, and Legend stares at him, breath hitching. Time raises a trembling arm, and then holds him as tight as he can as Legend collapses, crying into his shoulder.

“Time. Time, I thought I’d messed it up!” Legend hiccups, voice muffled. “I thought you were never going to wake up, I-I—”

“Shh,” Time murmurs, his own face damp with tears.

Legend lets out a sob, and Four sinks down beside the two, utterly shocked at Time actually awake. He’d just about resigned himself to never seeing his eyes open again, but that sharp, clear blue is looking at him right now, nearly the exact shade as Legend’s.

Did our conversation wake him? Was it Legend? How—

“Time?” Four asks shakily, and Time smiles weakly at him, exhaustion in his gaze.

“Smithy,” he whispers, and Four’s eyes also well with tears, even when he tries to blink them back.

Legend sobs again, and Four starts to shake, just... overwhelmed. He puts a trembling hand on Time’s arm, and Time softly shushes Legend again, looking beyond exhausted.

But awake.

“What’s... this about m-magic?” Time croaks, voice rough from disuse, and Four’s relief fades a little.

Before he can explain though, he hears a sudden sharp intake of breath, and turns to see Twilight standing on the other side of the clearing, his bag dropping into the grass with a soft thump.

“Time,” Twilight chokes out, and then half-sprints half-stumbles over to kneel beside him, looking at him with a shocked smile that’s rapidly growing. “I— Ancestor. Good Ordona, you’re awake.”

Time smiles again, but seems too tired to do much else.

Twilight tries to say something else, but his voice is too choked, and all he can do is clasp Time’s hand, shaking his head as a tear escapes down his cheek.

Legend is still crying, hitching, relieved sobs, and Time keeps holding him, looking relieved and worried all at the same time. Eventually he croaks a question of what’s happened, and Legend shakily sits up, and explains what he did before Twilight takes over in a barebones telling of the rescue.

Time is looking at Legend in worry the entirety of the story, and when Twilight finishes with the discovery of Legend’s missing magic, his face grows downright alarmed.

“...Why?” Time croaks, and Four’s not sure what he means, but Legend seems to understand, scrubbing a hand over his teary face.

“I couldn’t let you die, old man. I’d saw off my sword arm before letting you leave me like that,” he chokes out, and Four suddenly feels like he’s intruding on something. “You said we’d both get out. I was just making sure you weren’t a liar.”

Time doesn’t speak again, but he manages to raise his hand enough to set it on Legend’s cheek, gently holding his face. Legend leans into it with a shaky sniff, and Time gives him a look that’s filled with gratitude and grief.

And then they’re both just hugging each other again, Legend’s head buried in Time’s neck, Time holding him back as tight as he can.

Four leans against Twilight as they watch, smiling and shaking in relief, and when Sky returns shortly, he’s just as thrilled at the sight, kneeling by Time with a bright, teary smile.

The reunions that follow when the others return later are just as happy and tearful, but most of all, relieved. Wind screams in excitement when he comes back and realizes, and grabs Time into a hug, Hyrule falls to his knees in relief, Warriors rapidly checks Time’s vitals with tears in his eyes, and Wild just sits, staring, then blurts out a stupid pun about it being about time he woke up. Which really isn’t that funny, but they’re all so hyped up on emotion they laugh until they cry.

Camp that evening is downright joyous, and Legend looks lighter than he has ever since they got him out, even when Time falls asleep in the middle of the dinner Wild tries to give him. It startles them, but Warriors isn’t worried about it, Time’s rest more natural now, and Legend nods off soon after.

Four watches the two of them sleep that night, nestled together, Time’s arm over Legend, Legend’s head set on his chest, and feels warmth straight from his head to his toes.

Somehow, even with Legend’s magic still gone, he has a feeling that everything is going to be okay.

(...)

Time is alive, and he’s not quite sure how to feel about it.

He stares up at the sky, a light mist falling from thin clouds, and doesn’t move, even when his face starts to get damp. There’s a bird trilling somewhere nearby, soft warbles on the wind, and Time listens to it almost blankly.

He’s alive.

He hadn’t expected to live. He’d thought he was going to die. Pretty much accepted it, even.

But somehow he’s out, him and Legend both, and back with the others as well, and the implications of that are... staggering, honestly. It’s a bit much to process. Especially in his state.

His head throbs, and Time fights back a wince, trying not to flinch.

He’s still adjusting. Not well, even he’ll admit that (he’s exhausted and hurting and has a constant headache that refuses to go away), but he feels better than he had when he’d first woken up at least. Apparently he’d been unconscious for nearly two weeks (it doesn’t bother him that he doesn’t know the exact time. It doesn’t), and adjusting to being free and not tortured daily and figuring out what he’s missed is frustratingly difficult.

The last thing he remembered was knowing he was dying in a dark hallway, Legend screaming in desperation as his world faded out. Waking up again to sunshine and trees and seeing Legend and Four had been confusing in multiple ways, even after the brief explanation he’d been given.

Being with the others again is almost unreal. Seeing their faces, feeling their touch, waking up from a nightmare and having someone other than Legend be there to talk to, it’s... overwhelming in some ways.

A part of him still thinks he’s going to suddenly wake up and be back in that dungeon, hurting and sick, fighting desperately to keep himself and Legend alive, and this will all be a dream.

But he hasn’t yet, so maybe it is real.

Maybe.

The rain feels real at least.

Time slowly casts his gaze around camp, not bothering to expend the energy to focus on anyone, though he does shift to look at Legend sleeping beside him. He’s fairly sure the veteran thinks the same about it all being a dream, given how often he sits beside Time and leans on him, just watching the others in silence. He’s had a bit longer to adjust and heal, but he’s not well at all, and Time can’t help worrying over him.

Legend looks awful, no matter what Wind says about him looking better than before. He’s pale and thin (though Time knows he’s the same), and somehow being outside and around plants and trees just makes him look all the more sickly. There’s less injuries marring his skin than before, whatever infection or sickness he’d been fighting seems to have cleared, and Time doesn’t see a single spot of blood on him, but he’s hardly okay.

Time isn’t doing much better, mind. But it feels better not to focus on himself.

He sighs and shifts a little. He just wishes he weren’t so tired. It’s like the energy has been sapped out of him, and while the ache of slowly healing injuries is better than the constant worsening of them under Dark, they wear him out, and he spends more time then he’d like just resting, and sleeping. And shoving away memories when they try to drown him in their grip.

He’s extremely weakened from so long unconscious and everything before, even if he was somehow being kept stable. Dealing with the injuries is worse with so many people witness to them for some reason, and Time doesn’t like the feeling of helplessness.

He’d spent a long time chained up. He still has the marks.

Having the freedom to move now, yet being unable to, is its own kind of torture.

But despite the others’ efforts to get him to rest, he’s managed to convince Warriors and Wild at least to help him stand up, and they reluctantly helped him walk around camp once. His legs barely held his weight, and the movement took all his energy for the day, but it was better than just sitting.

Even if all of him hurts when he so much as breathes, and walking had made it worse.

The wound in his chest reminds him of its presence then, and he grimaces, trying to avoid scratching at it. It’s the worst of his pains, aching and throbbing no matter how he moves. Potions help a bit, but they’re working slower than they should, and aren’t as effective. Twilight thinks it’s somehow because of Dark Link, and Time wouldn’t be surprised. Even Hyrule’s magic isn’t much help, though he’s good at noticing when Time is hurting, and tries to ease it when he can.

Time tells him he should focus his efforts on Legend. Legend then turns around and tells him to focus on Time. Hyrule politely tells them both to shut up, and takes turns using his magic on both of them.

Time and Legend grumble, but they they only half-argue. They’re too tired to.

At least all the resting isn’t entirely boring. Time has plenty of things to hear about what happened while he was unconscious, and while he and Legend were imprisoned. So far he’s only been told lighthearted things, or interesting sights or random stories that have nothing to do with anything at all, but... Time would appreciate some more details of the past couple weeks.

The rain picks up then, and the others who were more in the center of the small clearing retreat under the trees, Twilight frowning when he realizes Time is getting wet. The rancher’s been very attentive to him, which is sweet, even if some of his hovering is a bit much.

It’s good to see him again.

Twilight helps shift him so the rain isn’t hitting his face anymore, and some of the others come and sit by him, talking idly about a number of things. Legend briefly wakes, and Sky sets his head on his lap, Legend drifting back off after glancing at Time with a relieved look.

It’s nice. Casual.

Time listens to the conversation for a while, half-dozing as he twists the wedding band now restored to his finger, but then he turns his head, and asks Four what had happened while he and Legend had been captured.

“...Are you sure you want to hear it?” Four asks quietly, and Time nods.

“Yes. If you’re up to it.”

Four takes a deep breath, looking pained, but he does tell him. He brushes over parts, but he explains more of how they figured out they were alive, and... a little of before that. Time sets a hand on Twilight’s knee when he notices him tense up, and Four hesitates, then explains how they figured out where they were, and more of the rescue.

His voice falters when he reaches the part about finding them, but he powers through, and Warriors takes over the explanation once he can, which Four looks relieved about. There’s some tears in his eyes, but when he notices Time is looking, he surreptitiously wipes them away.

Sky silently rubs his shoulder, and Four leans into it.

Time listens quietly to Warriors finish the story, absorbing the information, though once it’s over and the others move away onto other topics, Warriors lingers, like he knows Time wants to know more.

“How bad was Legend?” Time murmurs as a stray raindrop falls on his head, knowing without a doubt that that part of the story had been glossed over.

Warriors looks down at his lap. “Bad.”

He then explains quietly about how Legend had almost not made it, infection tearing through him and stealing all his strength and clarity. He’d been a disaster, and they’d had to use everything they had at their disposal just to keep him alive. Warriors even admits, in an oddly small voice, that he’s pretty sure Legend had stopped breathing once.

But Warriors draws up a small smile then, and explains how Legend had turned a corner, and was doing much better now, eating and talking, and able to sit up by himself. In fact, the only abnormal thing currently is his magic, but at least that isn’t life-threatening. As far as they know.

“Though... I wonder if that affected his state when we first got him out,” Warriors wonders, staring into the distance. “The magic loss probably weakened him.”

“Probably,” Time murmurs, and the conversation ends, guilt stinging at Time.

Legend had used up every speck of his magic for him. Pushed himself to the brink, if Four and Hyrule were to be believed at that part of the tale. How is he supposed to thank Legend for that? Is there even a way to repay him?

He doesn’t know. But he looks for an opportunity to at least bring it up, and soon enough he gets a chance.

It’s been a bad day, long and tiring and filled with painful memories. Time jerks awake in the dead of the night with images of Legend choking on blood in his arms whirling through his mind, and he gasps, the motion making his chest ache. After the initial panic and pain of waking up fades a little, he shoots out a hand, knowing Legend is right beside him, but also... needing to be sure.

His hand falls on a blanket, warm, but not wet, and Time tries not to shake as he feels Legend breathe, in and out, at a normal speed for someone asleep.

There’s no wound. He's not bleeding. He’s not dying.

Time exhales shakily, still feeling sick through his relief, and Legend shifts under his hand.

“...Old man?” his voice whispers, and Time swallows, slowly withdrawing his hand.

“Sorry. Go back to sleep,” he whispers back in a thick voice, and Legend goes still. After a moment he slides closer so he can settle himself right up at Time’s side, and steal some of his blanket. They’ve both been cuddly lately, but Time doesn’t mind. Legend would probably sleep half on top of him if it weren’t for their injuries still making that difficult, and they both sleep easier when they stay close.

“Dream?” Legend murmurs once he’s settled.

“Mm.”

“About?”

Time swallows. “You dying.”

“Oh. Yeah. That one stinks,” Legend whispers, sounding both understanding and bitter. He shifts a little, and Time can suddenly feel his heartbeat where he’s leaning against his shoulder. It’s comforting.

A soft sigh comes from the veteran, and he nuzzles up to him.

“I’m alive,” Legend whispers.

“I know,” Time replies, voice weak, and shaky. “And so am I.”

Legend takes hold of his arm, and Time closes his eyes, still feeling unsettled.

“We’re out,” Legend adds, voice small. “He didn’t win.”

“No. He didn’t.”

Despite how he tried, he didn’t win in any ways that mattered. Time and Legend aren’t enemies despite the secrets spilled between them. They’re both hurting, and scarred deeper than just their skins, but they’re alive.

They’re both alive.

It’s silent between them for a long time, and Time glances at the mop of blond and pink tucked at his shoulder.

“Legend?” Time asks.

“...Mm?” comes the sleepy reply.

“Thank you. For healing me,” Time says in a whisper. “That was a sacrifice you shouldn’t have had to make.”

Legend goes still. “I wasn’t going to let you die,” he finally replies. “I’d trade my magic for your life any day.”

“You shouldn’t have had to,” Time murmurs, and Legend hums.

“Yeah, well there was a lot of stuff there we shouldn’t have had to do. It’s just how it was.”

“Indeed,” Time says, his middle aching as he moves his arm to touch Legend’s shoulder. “But thank you just the same. I’m... I’m so sorry about your magic, Link.”

It comes out thickly, and Legend nods silently, a soft sniffle coming from where he’s lying beside Time.

Time turns, ignoring the pain, and holds Legend tight, setting his head on top of his.

“Do you think it’ll ever come back?” Legend whispers, in a small, scared voice.

“I don’t know, Legend. But I hope it does. And if not, I’ll help you look for ways to get it back,” Time reassures into his hair, and Legend shakily exhales. “All is not lost.”

They don’t say anything else after that, Legend quiet and sniffling in his arms, and gradually Time and his successor calm down, then fall asleep, both with tears drying on their faces.

(...)

A few days later, they find a portal.

Warriors had decided that they needed to move camp that morning, he and Wild having run into a small group of monsters while out scouting. They hadn’t been black blooded, but they’d been uneasily close to camp, and Time and Legend weren’t up for any kind of fight. The rest of them still have some injuries of their own as well, and monsters finding them would be disastrous.

So camp had been packed up, and Legend had been helped up, Hyrule supporting him with an arm under his shoulder, and Time had been practically carried by Twilight and Sky, every step painful and tiring. It’s a longer walk then his stubborn attempts to move around camp have been, an exhausting walk, and he’d been about to swallow his pride and ask about a break when Warriors had abruptly stopped, and the thick, shadowed magic had come into view.

Time’s breath leaves him at the sight of the dark, swirling purple, and he thinks he would’ve lost his balance if not for Sky and Twilight supporting him. Legend flinches back, and all of them stare, unmoving.

“Oh,” Wind finally says, quietly, because really, what else is there to say?

Taking his eyes off the portal feels wrong, but Time glances around to see the others’ reactions. Most everyone is simply staring at the swirling magic, faces grim and bodies stiff. Hyrule’s gone pale, Twilight looks angry, and nobody looks pleased at the sight of the thing, ugly and unnatural.

Hyrule slowly hands off Legend to Wild, and steps forward, a hand outstretched. Warriors snags his arm.

“Don’t go through—”

“I’m not,” Hyrule assures. “I’m just checking.”

Warriors lets go, and Hyrule walks slowly around the perimeter of the portal while the rest of them hover nervously a few feet away. Time watches him, feeling tense as a bowstring, and Legend moves a little closer to him.

His face is white, and Time reaches out and takes his hand, trying to reassure. Legend grips back, and Time lets him, even though it hurts his healing fingers, and they watch in silence as Hyrule walks back towards them.

“I think it was already here,” Hyrule announces, hesitantly. “Like, before we got you guys out. It feels older.”

“So what’s that mean?” Wind pipes up.

“It means he made this one a while ago. And it’s probably not a trap,” Four says, squinting at it. “...Probably.”

“Probably,” Warriors agrees with narrowed eyes. “But I don’t know that we should risk it.”

“Are you kidding? We can’t just not go through!” Wild exclaims. “We can’t stay here forever, and I think I’d rather go through a portal while we know the shadow is incapacitated.”

“How do we know it’s safe?” Sky asks quietly.

“I guess we don’t. But Wild’s right... we can’t stay here forever,” Four admits.

They all look at the portal again. It swirls in silence, a void beckoning them forward.

“What if it drops us somewhere dangerous?” Twilight says with a sharp frown. “Or right into a monster camp? The portal itself could be fine, but that would be a moot point if it drops us all in the ocean or something.”

“There’s always that risk though,” Hyrule points out. “Nothing we haven’t dealt with before.”

“Not in such bad shape, though,” Twilight shoots back.

“What if it leads somewhere good, though? Close to somewhere we can rest that isn’t the middle of the woods?” Four says. “Is it worth that risk?”

“I think so,” Wild says, and Twilight growls.

“Well I don’t. I’m not risking this entire thing happening again. It could easily be just as messed up as that other portal.”

“But we have no way of knowing,” Four says.

“True. But maybe this is a good thing,” Warriors says slowly, watching the portal ripple. “Going through would throw off our scent whenever the Shadow comes back—”

“I thought Sky stabbed him,” Wind interrupts, and Time sees Sky swallow.

“Part of him slipped away. I’m sure he’s just gathering his strength for next time.”

They all go quiet.

Time stares at the portal, feeling shaky and a bit sick from being upright so long. It’s definitely that and not because of the magic he can feel, it’s not because the mere sight of it brings to mind screaming and being unable to do anything, and pain upon pain with the smell of blood thick in his nose—

“Time,” Twilight says quietly, squeezing his shoulder. Time flinches, but manages to hold back a worse reaction. “What do you think we should do?”

Time still looks at the portal, unable to tear his gaze away. “I don’t know.”

He really doesn’t.

The even small possibility of being torn from the others and imprisoned again is awful, and only serves to make him feel ill. He’s tired and shaky and a part of him is desperately hopeful that on the other side there will be safety and rest, but the rest of him screams at the idea of even going near the thing.

Just a few weeks ago he would’ve weighed the pros and cons and easily made a decision, but... Dark Link broke him, at least partially. And putting himself back together is a task he’s barely even begun.

He’s... scared.

Of the magic, of the portal. Of the possibility of having to hold someone else in his arms and watch the life bleed out of them without being able to do a thing to stop it.

Admitting it, even just to himself, is painful.

“We should go through.”

Legend’s voice is quiet, but everyone hears it, and turns to look at him. He’s shaky and still pale as a ghost, but he looks determined too.

“You’re sure?” Twilight says, and Legend nods, slowly.

“Yes. Staying here isn’t really a good option. Hyrule says the portal’s older, and probably not a trap. That’s good enough for me,” he says determinedly, and he squeezes Time’s hand again. Time holds it back, trying not to seem desperate for the comfort it brings.

Warriors nods. “All right then. Are we in agreement?”

There’s some frowns, but nobody dissents.

“Okay. Then let’s go,” Warriors says calmly, and turns to the portal. “Go in groups. Nobody alone.”

Hyrule takes back Legend from Wild, and the champion goes to stand beside Warriors, glaring at the portal like he can intimidate it into behaving. There’s a brief discussion, and then Wind stands beside them, and he links arms with the two before they all step through.

Time feels a flicker of darkness, then nothing.

He can’t tear his gaze away from where the three of them disappeared into the void, his heart beating fast. If something happened, they would have no idea. The three of them could already be unconscious, dumped in a cell, and they would have no way of knowing. Who knows if that's what’s waiting for them too?

“Us now?” Sky asks, and Twilight nods, Time still holding Legend’s hand. “...All together?”

“I don’t think all of us will fit at once,” Four observes with a raised brow, and Twilight sighs.

“Yeah. Um... hm.”

“I’ll go with Four, if you can handle carrying Time through,” Sky says. “And if Time’s okay with that.”

“That’s fine,” Time murmurs, aware he doesn’t sound even remotely fine, but unable to draw up the energy to fix it.

“Okay,” Sky says quietly, and pats his arm before letting go to stand beside Four. “Do you all want to go now, or after me and Four?”

“Now,” Legend says, and Time agrees. He’s not superstitious, but the last time he and Legend went through a portal last...

He shakes away the thought. It’ll be fine.

They step up to the portal, Legend leaning heavily on Hyrule, Time leaving heavily on Twilight. Legend’s grip on his hand starts to hurt but Time doesn’t pull away, both of them shaking a little. Twilight holds him a little tighter, and Time takes in a steadying breath.

“We’ll be right behind you,” Four assures as he and Sky step up close by them, and Twilight nods.

Then they look back at the portal, and as one, step into it.

For a moment, all it is is still, and cold.

Then dark magic sweeps over Time like a wave, and he can’t breathe, panic surging up to meet it. It rushes over him, through him, threatening to pull him under. Any moment he expects it to turn on him and become painful, then hook its claws in deep and drag him away just like last time—

Legend’s hand snatches at his, and Time grips back, feeling familiar callouses and bandages.

He sucks in a breath, and in the midst of his panic feels a sudden flicker of warmth where Legend clutches at his hand. It’s barely noticeable in the sea of shadows they’re fighting through, but Time reaches for it anyway. He clutches back at Legend’s hand, meeting his warmth with his own, though Time’s is like the sun compared to Legend’s tiny flicker.

It’s all he can do to keep his feet moving forward, even with the comfort of clutching at Legend, and Time is shaking like a leaf as they continue through the veil of darkness.

They’re probably in the portal for less than thirty seconds, but it feels like hours before they abruptly emerge, solid ground under their feet. Time’s eyes are closed tight, and he realizes he’s scared to open even one.

Legend presses against his side, and Time swallows, then slowly opens his normal one.

Light meets him.

He breathes in shakily, looking around. They’re in a field doused in the first rays of early-morning sunshine, frost sparkling pink and grey, the soft chirping of birds greeting them.

Not a dungeon. Not a prison.

Legend’s hand and arm are still hooked in his. Twilight is still beside him, holding him up. Hyrule is on the other side holding Legend up. Moments later Four and Sky appear as well, Warriors and Wind and Wild standing nearby, and Time quickly counts, just to be sure, and the relief when he reaches nine is unparalleled.

They’re all here.

They all made it through.

Hyrule wraps his arms around himself and shudders in relief, and Legend slumps against Time, tears in his eyes shining bright in the dawn. He looks like he’s about to pass out, and Time feels similarly, his legs shaking beneath him. He feels twice as tired as before they went through, like he used up all his magic just walking through the portal.

Time pauses, and thinks a moment. Then again... maybe he had.

After all, how had he and Legend’s hands been so warm?

“Legend?” he whispers with a dawning realization, and Legend drags in a shaky breath.

“I-I think I... I might’ve... did you feel it too?” he croaks, voice just barely hopeful.

Time nods.

Legend’s breath hitches, his eyes wide and nose bleeding just a bit, and Time turns to better hold him, the veteran burying his face in his shoulder.

It wasn’t much. It might’ve been a fluke, or some strange quirk of the portal, something they might not even be able to replicate, but—

Legend’s magic had done something. Even if it had just reached out to meet Time’s.

It was a start.

Legend smiles, actually, brightly smiles, and then passes out a second later. Hyrule catches him, looking concerned, and Time opens his mouth to try to explain, but then Wind scrambles over in excitement.

“Time! Warriors thinks maybe this is your era!” he exclaims, and Time is broken from his thoughts.

He looks around the field they’re in a bit more closely, long grass and a few sparse trees. His eye widens as he takes it in and recognizes it, and joy leaps in his chest when he sees a familiar hill in the distance.

“It is,” he whispers, and an exhausted tear falls down his cheek.

And two hours, eleven minutes, and six seconds later, they walk into the ranch, and Time only has eyes for his wife, hair like Din’s Fire itself, her voice bright as she sings to herself while she works. She turns at their approach, and her face flickers with happiness and then alarm as she takes in the state of him and Legend and everyone else.

But Time doesn’t want to think about how badly he’s hurting, or how long the road to recovery still is, about the scars that won’t fade. He focuses only on embracing and kissing his wife, something he’d been convinced he’d never get to do again.

And later, when they’re all settled in the house, Malon making dinner with Wild, Time dozing on their couch with Legend sleeping on his shoulder, the others scattered around either resting or helping, it really hits that he’s safe. He’s home. Legend isn’t dead. And neither is he.

Time’s face suddenly feels damp, but he smiles as he closes his eyes. He must make a noise because Malon appears, kissing his forehead and asking him what’s wrong, but Time only shakes his head.

“I’m happy,” he whispers, and he is, even with the aches and pains and weight of everything still pushing him down, worry over everyone, but especially Legend. They made it. It’s over.

He’s happy to be alive.

Malon’s face softens in that wonderful way, and she touches their heads together, holding him a moment. Legend stirs a little, and when Time runs a hand over his head, Legend lets out a small, contented sigh.

It’s been sixteen days, eight hours, twenty-four minutes and thirty-eight seconds since they were rescued.