Chapter Text
Sky could only watch as Twilight reached forward, grabbing the limp wrist dangling by the left side of his protégé. Wild glanced at his mentor - not enough for him to see the uncertainty and fear in those blue eyes, but the Rancher had known him longer than the others. Calloused fingers squeezed, maybe a little too tight, but Goddesses knew how much the other hero meant to him. The Hero of Twilight mustered the little courage he could, hoping it would be enough to push down the lump in his throat.
“Come back to us,” Twilight said. His voice was quiet and raspy - too afraid - as the words felt like lead on his tongue. “Safe and sound.” And alive. “You hear, Cub?”
There was a ghost of a smile on the Champion’s lips - the corners never reached his eyes, unlike they always did. “Yeah,” An apology flashed in his eyes - it was not a promise he could easily keep - so he wished they would not wait for him. “I will.”
Too many were left unsaid and actions left untaken, but their time was limited. They had their chance to say their goodbyes, and now it was time to part ways. The blue light of the portal pulsed more urgently this time, and the Rancher’s grip tightened. He had to let go - he knew that - but he was afraid of what awaited Wild on the other side.
“It’s okay,” Wild whispered. “I’ll be okay.”
The Ordonian faltered at the wavering determination in his protégé’s eyes. Do not be the reason for his self-doubt. His hand slackened and slowly fell away from the man’s wrist. Mutual understanding and farewells passed between them in a silent look, and the Champion turned towards the portal. It had not gone unnoticed to them the slight tremble of his shoulders as he pushed his body forward. A single step was all it took to return to his own time…
…And when nine became eight.
That was three months ago…or at least, the time within their shared adventure. It was confusing - how asynchronous the time between eras and this nuisance of a quest. The heroes learned to roll with it and not, primarily because they spent more time in unknown eras than their own. There was the persistent fear of being gone for far too long - things might have changed too much every time they went home. It had not happened - Thank Hylia! - but the fear remained constant and unchanging.
Or maybe, they were the ones who changed.
One portal and another was not without apprehension. Would this one lead to Wild’s era? When would Hylia allow them to see their brother? It was without question that Twilight took the Champion’s departure from the team the hardest. The Rancher spent more time as a wolf around and away from the heroes than his Hylian counterpart, constantly watching and waiting patiently for the return of his most beloved cub. No one dared to call him out of it, but there would be nights that the heroes would be curled up in a tight pile as if reassuring themselves that the others had not disappeared… or taken away. Whispers filtered between slumbering bodies - hushed confrontations and consolations often ended in choked silence.
“I’m fine.” Twilight once told Sky. The soft snores of Wind and Four barely dampened the annoyance in his voice. The two smaller heroes shifted on either side of his bedroll. “I’m fine. I’m just tired, that’s all.”
The Skyloftian opened his mouth only to close it again. The question lingered on the tip of his tongue, but he could not be brave enough to ask it. Did Twilight blame him? It was ironic. He, the first Hero of Courage, was afraid to ask one question - too scared to know the answer. The Chosen Hero should be the one to set an example as the first of them - too many expectations, too many than he could take - but he knew that would not change anything. Wild was taken away from them and thrown again to the den known as Demise’s Curse.
Was one quest not enough?
The Hero of the Skies had wondered that himself. A few of them, including him, had only one adventure. The Champion had suffered and lost so much in his first quest alone. A second one was asking too much at this point. He tried praying and begging Hylia to no avail. The White Goddess had been silent - Sun had never done that before - and so was Fi. Neither was willing to give an answer or hint about their plans for the Hero of the Wild.
It went on like that for three months. There had been too many close calls - too many times that tempers flared quicker than in the months prior. The team was tearing itself apart, and the Chosen Hero had tried, really tried, to keep them together, even if some of them wanted to surrender. He could not give up on them.
For Wild.
“Stop..! Wars, stop!” Sky swallowed the lump in his throat. His muscles protested from trying to restrain Warriors from lunging at Twilight. The Ordonian was putting up a fierce resistance against the other heroes. “Wild - he wouldn’t want to see us fighting like this!”
Silence as deafening as thunder cut through the shouting and bloodied fists. The Captain’s strength fell away under his and the Traveler’s hold. The Skyloftian could not bring himself to look at the anguish on the Rancher’s face a second time. His tongue tasted bile - the sourness and bitterness inflicting his tongue every time the Champion’s name left his tongue. No one slept by themselves that night. No one except Sky.
The Chosen Hero thought things would not worsen until he woke up with half his body weightless. His eyes landed on the broken edge of a stone floor, and a layer of fluffy clouds nearly blocked the view of the ground below.
“What the fuck?” Sky heard Legend shout somewhere from his right. “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?”
One by one, the heroes roused and scrambled almost immediately toward the center of the floating island. The Hero of the Skies heard Hyrule yelp and bump at Wind, who clung tightly to Warriors’ arm for dear life. He caught sight of Twilight helping Time up - the island was barely large enough to be occupied by eight people. Familiar questioning eyes seeking confirmation turned in the Skyloftian’s direction. Typically, the hero would be up and beyond the clouds whenever he returned to his home era, but not this time.
“I…” Sky hesitated. “I don’t think this is mine.”
Silence. It was only Four who managed to find his voice. “...What?”
“It’s not my era.” The Chosen Hero stood up and brushed his trousers. “It looks like mine, but it’s not.”
“It’s not yours, but maybe somewhere after your time?”
“I don’t think so.” The Skyloftian frowned. “Everyone should be on the Surface if that’s the case. I doubt it’s before because I don’t recognize those structures.” He gestured at the other islands with ruins settled atop them. “Even if they’re familiar, they shouldn’t be that ancient, I think?”
Wind squinted at him. “Uhh…Sky?”
“Yeah?”
The Sailor pointed behind him. “I think the Master Sword is trying to tell us something.”
Sky had not noticed it earlier, probably because he was immersed in his thoughts, but the Master Sword was glowing brighter than usual. He drew her from her scabbard and had to shield his eyes as the divine blade pulsed with power. No, rather, the Spirit that dwelled within was more active than he had ever seen of her since her slumber.
The Chosen Hero balanced the sword on his free palm, pausing at how warm and alive the sword was in his hands right now. “Fi? What is it?”
The Hero of the Skies could almost make the words out of the chime that responded - Another Master Link. Here - and the Master Sword suddenly moved on her own in the Skyloftian’s hold. The former was turned sharply and nearly stumbled as the divine weapon pointed them in the direction she wanted them to go.
“Whoa there!” Legend grabbed him by the shoulders before he fell off the edge. “Are you okay?”
“Y-Yeah. Thank you.” Sky tightened his grip on the hilt. He might think the divine blade would fly out of his hold if he did not know better. “I think she wanted us to go find someone. Another Link.”
There was a collective groan from the group. While another hero was no doubt welcome, they had been secretly praying it would be otherwise. A hero’s life was not all about saving the world, glory, and fame. No, none of them wanted that, and their adventures only proved that. It never got easier.
“Another one?” Hyrule asked. “Isn’t it a bit late for that?”
“Yeah, but…” The Chosen Hero glanced at the Master Sword. “What else can we do?”
The Veteran crossed his arms and huffed. “Maybe not go along with it?”
“And trap us here?” Four exclaimed. He waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah, no.”
Time pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let’s just go. It’s our best option right now. We don’t know this era.” He nodded in the Skyloftian’s direction. “You have the sword, Sky. Lead the way.”
Sky bobbed his head and turned back to the divine blade. “Guide us, Fi.”
The Master Sword flashed and directed the hero’s hand. The Chosen Hero gestured for the others as they grabbed equipment from their packs to get across the floating islands. The place looked like his era, except the platforms were more than just chunks of rock. Some were as big as Skyloft, with ruins and forests atop them. He also glimpsed unfinished buildings resembling houses, but saw no people around.
“Think there are people around here?” Twilight asked as they approached one. He gestured at the piles of bricks in one corner. “Looks new to me. The materials are still here.”
“Might be a ghost town.” Warriors answered him, kicking a pebble out of the way. His eyes studied the exposed framework of the house. “People are supposed to live here, but they left quickly. Something might have happened. It doesn’t seem that long ago, too. Maybe a week or two.”
“Yeah, and I can guess what it is.” Hyrule lifted a piece of bone from where he was kneeling. The heroes scowled in recognition. There was no way they would not. “Monsters.”
“So, an attack, huh?” The Captain placed a hand on his chin thoughtfully. “But we didn’t see one on our way -”
“HALT!”
The eight heroes tensed and jumped into battle stances at the booming voice. Shadows fell over them, and they looked up to see that they were surrounded. Eight winged creatures flocked to the island they were on, guarding and blocking any exits. The Skyloftian brandished the Master Sword, only to pause. His eyes widened as he recognized the creatures.
“WHAT THE FUCK?” Wind’s astonished voice cut through the flapping of wings. “Are those…Loftwings?”
Sky could only stare as one landed across them. It looked like a Loftwing, except they had a bigger build and sharper features than the gentle-looking ones he lived with. If Loftwings evolved to survive the harsh environment of the Surface, they would look like this - stronger, speedier, and more intelligent. The bird creature met his eyes, and the Chosen Hero felt like his entire being was being judged. The eye contact lasted for three seconds before it broke away and crooned at its rider.
“Hm.”
The rider, a Hylian woman in her mid-thirties and clad in armor, surveyed them with sharp, calculating eyes. Her gaze lingered longest on the Skyloftian and the divine sword in his hand. She climbed off her ride and signaled to her companions. The rest followed suit and surrounded the eight men but did not leave their birds. The heroes kept their hands on their weapons, watching vigilantly on all sides.
“Identify yourselves.” The woman ordered. She did not seem fazed by their armaments, not even drawing her own. “You’re trespassing on a quarantined site. Tell us the purpose of your presence here. Depending on your answer, we’ll have to arrest you for disobeying a royal order from Her Majesty, Queen Zelda.”
Time studied her suspiciously. She wore an armor emblazoned with the crest of the Royal Hyrulean Family. A knight? It would seem so, but that was not what caught his attention. It was the fact that she had not told them to drop their weapons. Why was that? Was this a test, or…? Still, the Hero of Time decided to play it safe and lowered his greatsword. He raised his empty hands in surrender, and the others reluctantly followed suit.
“We came in peace. We didn’t know that this place was off-limits.” The Old Man was two heads taller than the woman, yet the latter did not seem intimidated at all. “My name is Time, and these are my companions. We’re travelers from foreign lands.”
The woman’s eyes remained fixed on him even as one of her people leaned in to whisper. “Captain, do you think they’re -”
The so-called captain raised her hand to stop him. “Fly ahead and inform the royal chancellor and the king quickly.” She regarded the heroes. “As for all of you, you will come with us. Unless we validate your identities, we’ll have to hold you in custody for the time being.”
“And if we don’t?” Legend challenged.
“Then, consider your lives forfeit. We do not tolerate impostors, especially those who pretend to be them.”
The heroes exchanged confused looks. “What do you mean? Who’s ‘them’?”
The woman, however, did not answer. Instead, she turned her attention back to her remaining companions. “Take one with you. The two kids will ride with me.”
Wind looked ready to throw hands, while Four scowled, glaring daggers at the captain. “Not a kid.”
Time placed a firm hand on the Smith’s shoulder. “Let’s just do as they say. It will be beneficial for us if we’re going to meet the Zelda of this era.”
While the group did not want to, the Old Man was right. It was a convenient way to smooth things with the locals and get information about this new hero. Almost too convenient, was left unsaid. It could very well be a trap, but between getting stuck in these floating islands and travelling blind or receiving possible helpful assistance for their quest, the second one was by far the most ideal.
Stay vigilant. Warriors signed behind him, where only the heroes could see. The others showed no reaction, but the message was clearly received. They had long learned how to keep their expressions cool as a team in front of potential danger.
With the messenger already flown ahead, the knights helped them climb on their Loftwings. The captain led them to a formation as they soared amidst the clouds and sky islands. The heroes took in their changing surroundings, noting ancient ruins, modern buildings, and even people. Bigger areas had different races roaming around - from Zora to Gerudo, and even creatures not often seen by ordinary folks, like the fairies. Loftwings took to the skies, carrying their Hylian counterparts and precious cargo. However, unlike Skyloft, the Surface and the civilizations that flourished across it could be easily seen below.
How far from Sky’s era was this Hyrule?
The woman signaled for them to stop and pressed a hand on one of her earrings. After a few seconds, she glanced at her companions. “His Majesty has sent an order. We’re changing course to the Temple of Time in the Great Sky Island.”
“Yes, Ma’am!”
The heroes glanced questioningly at Time at the mention of a familiar place, but the biologically oldest among them only frowned. The knights redirected their rides, following their captain. It was not long before the biggest sky island they had seen so far appeared on the horizon. Unlike the other islands, this one suffered the most damage. Large swaths of land were burned, and structures, both old and new, were destroyed. More knights and their Loftwings roamed the ground and sky, watching vigilantly as their group descended to the area. Just ahead of them stood a strange inverted pyramid, which was the only undamaged building on the floating island. The Loftwings landed in the courtyard, and the knights assisted them in climbing off the oversized birds. The messenger from earlier greeted them and exchanged hushed words with the captain.
The heroes moved closer together, just enough to be at arm’s length with each other in case it was indeed a trap. Escaping these people would be very difficult - they were at a significant disadvantage being surrounded and watched like this. The best they could do for now was to play along, observe their surroundings, and see how things would pan out.
“Everything okay, Pup?” Time asked when he noticed the other man frowning at their surroundings.
“I…” The Rancher shook his head. He glanced at the “This place smells familiar, but also not? I don’t know. It’s too much - this place’s also filled with so much divine power. Even more than Sky’s era. You can feel it too, right?”
The Old Man did not answer, glancing at the Chosen Hero. The latter reached for the hilt of the Master Sword, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Fi’s not sensing any danger. If anything,” He slightly drew the sacred sword, showing the pulsing divine light from the blade. Somehow, it had gotten brighter as if the sword spirit herself had woken and would jump out at any moment. “I think this is where she wanted us to go.”
The heroes glanced at each other and then at the building, which they supposed to be the Temple of Time the woman had mentioned earlier. If this was where the Master Sword wanted to lead them to, then that meant the hero of this era was here. It might be wishful thinking - they hoped things would proceed peacefully between them and this era’s locals.
“His Majesty and the Lord Chancellor are waiting inside,” The captain told the heroes after talking to her subordinate. “Follow me.”
The knights surrounded the group from all sides as they followed the woman. They stepped past the temple’s entrance and into a large chamber. The interior was expectedly ancient, made of grayish white stone and painted with copper-gold and green. The high walls were etched with ancient writing - too far to be read. Glowing bulbs of lights shaped like flower buds illuminated the entire room. They climbed a short set of stairs leading to an altar, where a tall, bulky figure with fiery red hair was facing away from them and talking to a group of Sheikah.
“...So far, the attributes of these monsters matched His Majesty’s account from more than a decade ago.” One of the Sheikah was saying. “Empowered abilities, heightened aggression, increased intelligence…While these things weren’t so different from the previous war, the source is different. The black blood is evident to this.”
“I see,” The red-haired man nodded. “While I admit I’m quite relieved to hear that, it doesn’t change the fact that monsters coming back is something we can’t ignore. We’ve sacrificed so much to achieve the peace we’re enjoying now. We can’t let any dark entity ruin that.”
“Lord Chancellor,” The captain greeted with a bow. “Pardon the intrusion, but we have brought the outsiders.”
Time was prepared - so prepared to humble himself before another era’s high-ranking official for the sake of peaceful communication. He and the other heroes had done it many times before.
Time was wrong. They were so wrong.
The moment the man turned them to face them, the world seemed to implode into itself. Red hair, golden eyes, and an imposing figure wearing the royal Gerudo garb - only one man could make the heroes feel as if they had returned to the last battles of their adventures.
“I greet you,” The Gerudo man spoke as he stepped forward and lowered himself to a bow reserved only for royalty. “My name is Ganondorf, royal advisor to Their Majesties, the king and queen of the kingdom of Hyrule. It is an honor to finally meet you, heroes of the old - the reincarnations of the Hero’s Spirit.”