Work Text:
Link took a deep breath as he looked at the familiar portal. Three years had passed since the last time he had seen one like it. Right before the battle with Demise. Two days ago, Zelda had spoken of a new mission appointed by Hylia. Link was not ready to see his brothers. How could he look them in the eyes after learning that it was because of him that the cycle had begun? That because of him, all his brothers had suffered so much.
“Link,” Zelda said softly as she approached and took his hand. “Everything will be okay. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Link said, hugging her.
Gently kissing her one last time, Link bravely stepped into the portal.
Landing on the other side, Link groaned in pain.
“The portal is even worse than I remember,” he muttered, rubbing his side.
Recognizing nothing in his surroundings, Link chose a random direction and walked.
Twenty minutes later, he noticed smoke and headed toward it.
Ten minutes after that, he stood before a small house attached to a smithy.
As the Hero of Courage, he fearlessly knocked on the door. A voice came from inside.
“We’re closed today! And next week too! Go away!”
“Um… sorry! I just wanted to ask for directions to the nearest settlement!”
There was a loud crash behind the door, and a minute later it slowly opened.
“Sky?” the boy who opened it asked in shock.
“Mini?” Sky replied in disbelief. “Is it really you?” Mini looked older, though not by much.
Mini grimaced.
“Please don’t call me that.”
“Oh, um. Okay? Then what should I call you?”
“Wait, what are you even doing here? And come in already.”
“Ah, thanks.”
They sat down on the couch in the living room, an uncomfortable silence hanging between them.
“You can call me Four. It suits me better than Mini.”
“Alright, Four,” Sky said with a gentle smile.
“You’ve changed.”
“I suppose so. Three years have passed.”
“Only three? For me it’s been eleven. So tell me—what happened?”
And Sky told him everything.
Two days and one battle with black-blooded monsters later, they stood before the portal together.
“Ready?” Four asked.
“Ready.”
They stepped forward together.
They were thrown straight into a monster camp. Fortunately, they weren’t black-bloods, but it was still unpleasant—especially since Four felt terribly sick after the portal. Sky had to fight the monsters while protecting Four at the same time.
Link was having a good day. In the morning, he helped Uli on the farm, and in the afternoon he went to patrol the forest as a wolf. That was when everything went wrong. Hearing the sounds of a fight, he ran to help. As he approached, Link transformed back into a Hylian and rushed into battle, helping one boy defend another.
The fight didn’t last long.
“Thanks for the help, Twilight?!” the strangely familiar boy shouted, emphasizing the last word.
“Sky? How? And this—Mini? What’s going on?”
“Uh, yeah. I’ll explain once Four wakes up.”
“Four?” Twilight asked in confusion.
“Yeah, he said the name Mini doesn’t fit anymore.”
“Alright. Let’s go to my place.”
They walked quietly. Twilight carried Four, while Sky carried their things.
A week and two battles with black-bloods later, the three Heroes stood before another portal.
“Who do you think is next?” Four asked.
“Maybe Rulie?” Sky suggested.
“Or Legend. I wonder how he’s grown,” Twilight said.
“How many years has it been for you, Twilight?”
“Four,” he answered.
“Three for me,” Sky said.
“Eleven for me.”
“Wow…”
“Let’s go.”
Link spent a quiet morning with Malon. That day he went fishing. He was about to head back when a black-and-purple portal appeared above the river and three bodies fell out of it. The smallest immediately began to drown, and the other two barely stayed afloat. Cursing under his breath, Link dove into the river to help. Hoisting the boy in the four-colored tunic onto his back, he swam toward the other two.
They all lay on the shore, coughing up water.
“I hate these portals,” the boy wearing a wolf pelt muttered irritably as he sat up.
“Thank you for saving us, mister…” another boy said.
“Link. And you guys?” Link introduced himself.
“Wait—are you one of our brats?”
“What?”
“You’re a Hero, right? And you don’t recognize any of us?”
“Leave it, Twilight. It’s obvious too much time has passed,” another boy stopped him.
“Wait… Twilight? And you… Sky!” Link slowly recognized them all. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you,” he laughed.
“And you are?” Sky asked.
“Fae. That was a long time ago—I don’t know if the name still fits.”
“Well, Mini’s here, but he goes by Four now.”
“Hi,” Four said, waking up.
“Then Time will do. Let’s go to my place and dry off. Malon’s probably already made lunch.”
“Malon?” Four teased.
“My wife.”
“You’re married?!” the Heroes shouted in unison.
Time just laughed.
“How I’ve missed you.”
“We missed you too, brat,” Sky replied. “How many years was it for you?”
“Too many.”
Malon welcomed them warmly.
And the next morning, they were already standing before another portal.
The Heroes stepped out onto what looked like a training field, immediately surrounded by soldiers.
“Lay down your weapons, evildoers!”
“Alright, alright,” Time took control. “May we speak with the Hero?”
“Sir Link has no need to speak with the likes of you,” one soldier said disdainfully.
“What’s going on here, Sir Abbott?”
Link was having a terrible day. He woke up too early from a nightmare, stubbed his toe on a table, burned the eggs, and the milk had gone sour. In short, the day was awful—and it wasn’t even noon yet. He was late for training and decided not to rush.
No one was training on the field; all the knights were surrounding some strangers.
Link sighed heavily and walked closer.
“Sir Link has no need to speak with the likes of you,” Abbott said. Link didn’t like Abbott—one of those pompous peacocks who thought everyone was beneath him.
The strangers wanted to talk to him, and Link could use an outlet.
“What’s going on here, Sir Abbott?” Link asked as casually as possible.
“Sir Link!” the soldiers exchanged nervous glances.
They need more training, Link thought.
“Intruders, sir.”
Link looked at the four boys—and froze.
“Sky? Twilight?” he asked in disbelief.
“Captain!”
Greetings came from the group.
“At ease. These are my brothers. Come on,” Link waved them over.
Time stuck his tongue out at the soldiers.
It was quiet in the Captain’s home. They sat around the dining table.
“Tea?”
The Captain poured tea for everyone and sat down as well.
“So. Sky, Twilight, Mini, and…?”
“I’m Four now.”
“Alright.”
“You don’t recognize me, Captain?”
“I…”
“Relax. We didn’t recognize him either—and he didn’t recognize us,” Twilight said.
“Hey. A lot of time has passed.”
“Sure, old man,” Four said.
“Come on, Captain. We fought together in a war, and you don’t recognize me?”
“Mask?” the Captain whispered.
“It’s Time now, but yes.”
“How you’ve grown.”
“He’s married now,” Sky said.
“My little brother is married?!”
Time laughed.
“So what’s going on?”
Sky told the story again.
“Well, at least the portal didn’t split you up.”
“Don’t jinx it,” Four said.
That evening, the Captain spoke with Zelda and learned about a strange concentration of monsters. He also changed his name to Warriors.
Five days later, after four battles, a portal appeared.
They were separated.
Four, Warriors, and Time landed on a beach.
“Warriors?”
“Yes, Four,” the Captain smiled nervously.
“I blame you.”
Time patted his shoulder.
“Good luck.”
Sky landed on someone’s bed.
A small girl stared at him.
“Hi,” Sky whispered, trying not to scare her.
“Hi,” she whispered back. “What are you doing in my brother’s room?”
“Uh. I got here by accident. Can you help me?”
“Will you play with me?”
“Aryll?” an elderly voice called.
“There’s someone on Link’s bed!”
“Wait! I’m not—”
Once everything was settled, Grandma decided Sky needed feeding.
“Look how skinny you are,” the old woman said, shaking her head.
Twilight was luckier. He appeared directly in front of the next Link, whom he immediately recognized as Wind.
“Wind!”
“Twilight?!”
Three days later, they were all sucked into a portal during lunch and thrown into someone’s garden.
“What are you doing in Mr. Hero’s garden?”
“Ravio?”
“Wait. Ravio?”
“You know him?”
“The War of the Eras.”
Eventually, everyone sat down at the table.
That evening—
“Ravio, I’m back! Why is there someone’s footwear here? I told you not to invite guests!”
“They’re not my guests, Mr. Hero!”
“Then whose are they?”
“Yours!”
Link walked into the dining room and froze.
“It can’t be…”
“If I didn’t know Mask was here, I’d think it was you. Since you’re not wearing pants.”
“Hey! Useless Captain!”
“Legend, is that you?”
“And who else would it be, Wind?”
They stayed with Legend for two weeks.
“Rulie or Champion?”
“I miss Champion,” Warriors said.
“Yeah,” Time snorted. “He’s the only one who could keep us in line.”
“Well, I think we’ll get Rulie next,” Legend said.
“You’re a brat,” Warriors hissed.
“A bet! A bet!” Wind began chanting.
“I suppose it is a bet,” Sky joined in.
Twilight nodded in agreement.
They landed in a forest. A very quiet forest.
“So this is Rulie.”
“Yes! Pay up,” Legend said, holding out his hand.
Grumbling quietly, everyone who had voted for Champion handed over rupees.
They settled down for lunch.
The Heroes stared at the burning meat.
“So many years have passed, and none of us learned how to cook?”
“Well, looks like we’re starving today.”
“I have rations.”
Link was exploring the forest when the smell of burnt meat caught his attention. He decided to watch the suicidals—and suddenly realized he knew them.
“Guys? Is it really you?”
Almost all of them jumped.
“Rulie?! Why are you so quiet?”
“You… haven’t changed at all, have you? Idiots.”
“Where’s Champion?”
“We haven’t taken him yet.”
The next portal led them to Twilight’s Hyrule. Then to Sky. Then to Legend.
A month later, they still hadn’t taken Champion.