Chapter Text
They’ve been walking for a good three hours now.
Warriors is sure that if he were to ask Time, he would give him the exact time, down to the second, because he was weird like that. They’ve only taken a break once since marching through Twilight’s Hyrule today, and that was for a moment to eat a quick lunch. And by quick, Warriors meant quick. He had barely taken a bite of the rice balls Wild had handed out before they were up and walking again.
Warriors understood the urgency, but he wished he had a little more time to enjoy his meal. Having to scarf down his food so quickly left him feeling a bit nauseous. The blistering sun beating down from above was not helping the nausea in the slightest.
They were low on supplies after back-to-back battles and back-to-back jumps between Hyrules. The past week, they’ve gone from one Hyrule to the next, barely having any time to go to anyone’s Castle Town, let alone a nearby village, and restock.
It was safe to say that everyone was a little on edge. Warriors himself felt a little dead on his feet. However, he was more concerned about the rest of his fellow heroes. Time may be their unofficial leader, but Warriors was still a captain through and through. It was his job to check on his fellow group mates and make sure they were doing all right.
Wild was just fine — peachy, even — used to nonstop action and long walks, chatting amicably with Twilight up front. The rancher was trying to keep up with Wild, but was also waning, clearly stuck between listening, looking ahead as he led the group, and trying his hardest not to sigh or groan or ask Wild to stop talking.
Time was silently walking a few paces behind Twilight and Wild, his face contorted into a tired glare. It was safe to say that everyone was giving Time a reasonable berth. Nobody was in the mood to raise his hackles.
Sky and Four were doing fine, if lagging behind just a little. Sky’s breathing seemed to be okay, and that’s what mattered to Warriors the most. Four looked exhausted, which made sense given his stature. Having short legs was definitely not the best when everyone else was taking long strides towards their destination.
Legend and Hyrule seemed to be doing okay as well, if looking tired and grumpy, just like everyone else was feeling.
And Wind,
“My feet are killing me!”
“Really? I didn’t know, sailor. It’s not like you haven’t been saying the same thing for the past ten minutes,” Legend grounds out.
“Am I not allowed to express my opinion?” Wind fires back.
“We’re all tired of hearing your opinions, Wind.”
“You’re the only one who’s said anything! I’m sure Hyrule agrees with me. Right, ‘Rule?”
“I’m going to trip you both.”
Wind sighs. “Honestly, that doesn’t sound too bad right now. At least I’d get a second to rest on the ground.”
“If you want to eat dirt, I’d be more than happy to help you out,” Legend replies.
Warriors hears Wind yelp behind him and what sounds like a fist punching an arm. He refrains from pinching the bridge of his nose. The heroes of Hyrule, everyone.
Time turns around and gives Legend and Wind a stern glare. Both of them immediately begin pointing fingers.
“Legend started it!”
“Only because you can’t shut up!”
“Both of you, shut your faces.”
Warriors can’t help but snort, and he knows he’s not alone when he hears Four cough into his fist. Time’s one-eyed glare focuses on him. Warriors can only give Time the most innocent smile he can muster at the moment.
Once Time is facing forward again, he slumps a bit with relief. Sheesh. To think how crazy it was that the roles between the two of them were reversed now. Then again, his glares had never worked on Time when he was younger.
Warriors takes his scarf and wipes a bit of sweat from his face. It’s getting warmer out as the sun makes its way across the sky, ever so slowly ebbing towards the horizon. Being out in the open of Hyrule Field certainly wasn’t helping. And they still have a lot of ground to cover before the sun begins to set. He knows that out of everyone, he should be used to long marches. But by the goddess, he’s exhausted. He’s half-tempted to sidle up to Sky and ask him if he can fake an asthma attack so they all could have a few moments of rest.
Of course, just as Warriors is thinking of doing just that, is when everything goes downhill.
Out of nowhere, an aeralfo swoops down from above and, with its claws, scratches Time’s face, catching the man off guard.
Wild is quick to knock an arrow and send it flying towards the monster. It flies true, landing in the thing’s neck. But other than a screech of pain and a slight waver in its flight, it doesn’t go down. It isn’t until Warriors sees the black blood dripping from the wound that he understands why.
Just as everyone draws their weapons, a cacophony of snarls and screeching hisses comes from behind. Warriors turns around to see a group of what looks like lizalfos, stalfos, and a large iron knuckle making their way towards them.
“What the—” Wind begins before he’s interrupted by Twilight.
“Where did they come from? I didn’t hear or smell their approach!”
“We can worry about that later,” Time says, standing back up with blood dripping down his face and into his good eye. Three large cuts span across his forehead. They don’t appear to be deep, easing some of Warriors’s worry.
Nobody needs any more incentive to attack as the horde of monsters charges forward. Warriors finds himself lost in the familiar dance that is battle. He swings his sword with his usual grace and deadly precision, linking up with a few others and standing back-to-back as they take out monster after monster.
However, like most battles with infected monster hordes, it isn’t easy. They’re already tired from endless walking and fighting. They’re getting sloppy quickly, and they’ve only been fighting for a little over five minutes.
Warriors joins Sky, his back to his fellow knight.
He blocks the claws of a lizalfos with his shield before swinging his sword.
“Any plan to help lighten the load?” He asks, ducking before a stalfos can behead him.
“I could do a Skyward Strike if you can provide me with some cover,” Sky replies.
Warriors nods firmly. “I’ve got your back.”
He watches as Sky lifts the Master Sword into the air, the glimmering blade beginning to shimmer a brilliant blue. Warriors defends Sky as he powers up his sword. He can feel the power bleeding from the Master Sword, the air thick with ozone.
With a shout, Sky lets his sword come down in a clean downward strike. A wave of azure cleaves through the horde of monsters in front of him, killing them with one blow.
Warriors can’t help but sidle up to Sky with a smile of approval. Sky is quick to give him one back before they’re both lost in battle again.
They’re making quick work of the lizalfos and stalfos. Nobody has touched the iron knuckle yet. Even though it seems like this one isn’t the Shadow, they were cautious to approach it without clearing the battlefield a bit more.
However, it seems like they won’t have much of a choice.
The iron knuckle is practically on top of Four, but the shortest hero is too busy trying to avoid getting maimed by a stalfos that he doesn’t notice the large hulking thing approaching.
Warriors is the closest. He could push Four out of the way in time. So, he takes off running. The iron knuckle is already heaving its giant axe. The blade must be as big as Four himself.
His lungs burn. He isn’t going to make it in time. Panic seizes him by the ribs.
“FOUR!”
The hero in question looks up as he finishes off the stalfos. His eyes widen as the axe’s blade gleams in the late afternoon sun. He won’t be able to dodge in time. He’s not wearing much armor. There is nothing that can possibly protect him from such a fatal blow.
Warriors doesn’t think. As he finally closes in on Four, he pushes him out of the way.
Four lets out a noise as he goes careening to the ground. Warriors has just enough time to put up his shield. It’s barely sufficient in protecting him. The force of the axe coming down is enough to nearly sever his arm from its socket. His arm goes flying back at the force.
Pain lances up his arm and to his shoulder. But it’s fine. Four got out of the way, and now he just has to put some space between himself and the iron knuckle, keep it busy until the others can help, and they’ll take it down in no time.
“WARS, LOOK OUT—!”
With speed that the monster should not possess, the iron knuckle swings its axe again, making a clean slice down Warriors’ front. Warriors is thrown backward, crashing onto his back. For a split second, he can’t breathe. His ears ring and his vision blurs at the edges, shifting in and out of focus. As he tries to push himself up, every movement sends fresh waves of pain radiating through his torso. His hand fumbles for his sword, slick with sweat. Dizziness twists the world on its axis. He has just a second to sit up and notice the large cut in his tunic. But that isn’t what terrifies him.
The chainmail underneath is damaged. Badly.
He hears the axe swing again before he sees it, the sound of metal whistling as it soars through the air. Warriors looks up in time to stare into the dark sockets where the monster's eyes belong under the iron helmet.
The blade comes down, making a horizontal slice where his damaged chainmail can’t protect him. The force of the swing leaves him airborne for a few good seconds, and he feels as if his lungs have been punched out of his chest a second time. He can’t breathe.
After what feels like an eternity in the air, he lands hard on his side. His tongue feels like a boulder in his mouth, making it hard to suck in any air. He coughs weakly, pain beginning to build in his stomach.
That’s definitely gonna be awful to treat.
Instinctively, he presses a hand to his stomach and moves to stand up. He doesn’t move more than pushing himself up by his elbows when he doubles over. His abdomen feels hollow. Very hollow. He feels the instinctive need to gag because something’s not right. Something’s not right. It’s only then that he feels something other than blood coating his hands.
He looks down. Spilling out of his stomach are pale coils.
Warriors feels blood drain from his face.
His mind goes blank. As he inhales, he’s suddenly aware that he can feel shifting in his abdomen as his small intestine hangs out. Shove it back in. Apply pressure to the wound. Do not pass out. Training kicks in, but it’s useless. He can’t think he can’t think he can’t think because his guts are spilling out of his body.
One thing becomes very clear to Warriors in that moment.
He is going to die.
••●••
Seeing the axe being raised above his head, Four sees his life flash before his eyes.
He thinks about everyone he is about to leave behind. His grandpa. Zelda. The minish back home. His brothers here. He thinks about everything he still has to do. Everything he still has to live for. Things he needs to see through.
Four hasn’t felt this afraid for his own life since his last adventure that split him into his namesake.
He won’t have enough time to move. He screams at his body to move, but it’s like something is holding him down. Four can’t move. Maybe his body knows just as well as his mind does that he won’t make it, so there’s no point in running.
But a hero doesn’t run; a hero fights.
He’d rather go down fighting. So, with a split-second decision, he attempts to lift his shield to hopefully block most of the impact.
He doesn’t get much of a chance as a strong force pushes him out of the way and sends him to the ground a few feet away. A burst of pain flares up in his side and head from the fall. Just as he’s blinking away stars, he hears what sounds like metal against metal.
Frantically, Four sits up. He spots Warriors right where he had been just a second ago, his shield just barely deflecting the blow.
But with impossible speed, the iron knuckle rears its axe back for a second swing.
Air gets caught in Four’s lungs.
“WARS, LOOK OUT—!” He screams, but it’s all for nothing.
In one swift strike, the iron knuckle makes a slice down Warriors’ front, then another in a clean horizontal cut, sending his brother flying back. Blood absolutely gushes from the wound, making Four feel sick.
Get up! Go help him! Four different voices in his head scream, urging his body to move, move, move!
He scrambles for his sword and shield, hoping to provide some defense for Warriors. The others quickly finish off the lizalfos, stalfos, and aeralfos before making their way to take out the infected iron knuckle.
Seeing that everyone else has Four’s back, he drops to his knees.
“Warriors, hey, can you hear me?” He asks, temporarily abandoning his sword to gently slap his hand against Warriors’s cheek a few times.
Warriors sounds like he’s choking slightly. He can see his Adam’s apple bobbing frantically beneath flesh. His skin is an unnatural pale, and he’s…looking at nothing. He’s completely silent.
Four feels fear seize his heart in a vice.
“Wars—”
Blood was steadily pooling from underneath Warriors’s body, staining the grass a dark scarlet. Four carefully leans over Wars’s prone form, trying to get a good view of the injury. As his eyes find the injury, they widen as he notices something else amidst the blood.
“What is THAT?!" Red screeches, horrified, in his mind.
“Are those…?" Green begins.
“Those are his intestines spilling out…” Vio finishes.
“Holy crap— what do we do?!" Blue shouts.
“He’s going to die!" Red wails, making tears burn Four’s eyes.
“If we keep on sitting here, he will!" Blue says, forcing Four back into action.
He swallows down the bile that had begun to rise. Now was not the time to be sick. He could do that once Warriors was not in danger of dying. He needs Hyrule. Anyone who would know what to do. What was the procedure for someone quite literally spilling their guts? They’ve had bad injuries before, but never where someone’s insides were outside their body.
Four quickly crawls to the other side of Warriors’s body. He has one hand pressed against his stomach. He was in shock, no doubt. Four doesn’t think as he takes Wars’s scarf off with careful hands. He hesitates, his body trembling violently.
He knows he needs to apply pressure…but what if he damages his intestines? Will they burst if he applies too much pressure? The thought has him gagging. He swallows. He needs to do something. So, with hesitation, he takes the scarf and presses down on the wound, hoping to staunch some of the bleeding.
It seems to break Wars out of whatever trance he was in as he cries out in agony, his back arching. Four continues to press down, tears streaming down his face.
“I know, I’m sorry, don’t move! You’ll make it worse!”
Apologies continue to tumble out of his mouth as he keeps pressing down. The part of him that is Red and Green wants to blame himself for this. If he were faster. If he were more aware of his surroundings. The part of him that is Vio and Blue tells him to push it all down for the moment and continue to apply pressure.
Four looks up at the battle in front of him just in time to see Wild hitting the frozen iron knuckle nonstop as it glows yellow. As the glow speeds up, blinking rapidly, Wild orders everyone to raise their shields. The iron knuckle explodes, heavy armor falling to the ground.
The battle’s over. Four doesn’t waste any time, gathering as much air into his lungs and screaming.
“HYRULE!”
Everyone turns at the sound of his voice. Seeing Warriors on the ground, they rush over. Hyrule is quick to his knees, immediately taking note of the puddle of blood.
“Lift the scarf for me.”
Four lifts it, wincing at the horrible sound of damp fabric moving away from damp skin. Warriors makes a horrible retching noise. A series of gasps, curses, and gags rise from the group as they no doubt see the same thing.
“What’s going on? Why can’t I see?” Four hears Wind ask someone as he’s no doubt led away from the gory scene.
Time is by Warriors’s head in an instant, gently cradling the captain’s face in his hands.
“Captain.”
Warriors’ eyes are half-shut, unseeing, and devoid of life. If it weren’t for his chest shuddering with each breath, Four would’ve thought him dead.
Hyrule’s eyes glisten with tears.
“I-I used a lot of magic in that battle. We don’t have any green potions, and I’m not sure if I’ll have enough energy to even fully close the wound,” Hyrule says, his chest beginning to heave as he hyperventilates.
“Does anybody have any red potions or fairies?” Time barks out, the serious face of a leader back on.
“No fairies, but I have a potion,” Sky says, quickly rushing over with a half-empty bottle.
“Can we get him to drink it?” Legend asks, digging in his pouch for something, anything, that can help.
“The small intestine is what absorbs medicine, and that’s what’s currently hanging out of his body!” Hyrule shouts, half-hysterical.
“Could we just pour it onto the wound then?” Four asks instead, back to applying pressure to the wound.
“Not until his guts are back in his body!”
“I could make you a green potion, Hyrule. I might have the ingredients,” Wild suggests, flipping through his slate with shaking hands.
“We don’t have time for you to make anything,” Time cuts in curtly.
“Great! Does anyone else have any fantastic ideas?! Cause in case you all haven’t noticed, Warriors is actively dying right now!” Legend shouts, his eyes glassy, body trembling, and sarcasm rolling off of him in waves.
“He’s not dying!” Four shouts back, Red bleeding through.
“Enough!” Time says. “Everyone, go stand by Twilight and Wind. Hyrule, you stay here. Four, keep on applying pressure.”
Nobody argues. Legend stomps off, vigorously rubbing at his eyes. Wild is hesitant, but is quick to follow. Sky follows after Wild, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Time takes a deep breath before facing both him and Hyrule.
“I know we’re all scared, but I need you two to focus. We have half a potion. We’ll use that. Hyrule, you said you still have enough magic to heal?”
“Just barely. It won’t be enough to fully close the wound.”
Time nods. “That’s okay. We can stitch the rest closed. We’ll apply a potion directly onto the wound after. Sound like a plan?”
Both of them nod.
“Good. Four, do you think you’ll be okay to stitch him up?”
Four nods without a word.
“Alright.” Time looks up, swiping away hair and blood.
“Sky, I need that potion! Legend, we need a needle and thread! Does anyone have bandages?”
At Time’s question, everyone immediately begins looking through packs. Meanwhile, Time carefully maneuvers around Four to reach into Warriors’s pack and pulls out a flask. He shakes it a few times. The sound of liquid against the metal walls has Time nodding to himself.
A few seconds later, Sky is running up to their little group, the potion and rolls of bandages in hand, along with a needle and some thread. As more and more supplies reach their little group, Hyrule’s earlier terror and uncertainty begin to bleed into determination and focus.
Hyrule pulls out his own waterskin and lets out a shaky breath.
“Okay. Um, we need to get the chainmail off and roll his tunic up. The last thing we need is for his intestines to get caught on or cut by the chainmail when I try to put them back in.”
Time nods in understanding and begins rolling up the green tunic, leaving the chainmail and undershirt beneath, working around the guts hanging out of Warriors's abdomen. He makes quick work of pulling the chainmail up and out of the way, unable to take it off without jostling the captain. Time then pulls up the undershirt. Four doesn’t hesitate to place the scarf back over the injury.
“I’ll need to put his…intestines back inside. I’ll need some help with that,” Hyrule says.
Sky turns green and swallows. “I’ll uh…I’ll get Wild.”
Hyrule nods, barely acknowledging him as he rushes away. “Once they’re back in, I’ll begin my spell. There’s a likely chance I’ll pass out from exhaustion, so you guys will have to finish the rest. Clean the wound as best you can with water and alcohol, then begin the stitches. Once he’s all stitched up, we can pour the potion on the bandages and wrap him up. Then…” Hyrule trails off.
Time nods. “Sounds like a plan.”
Wild is quick to rush over. “What do you need me to do?”
“On the count of three, take the scarf off, Four. Wild, you and I are gonna put his insides back inside. Are we ready?”
Their group of four nods.
Hyrule lets out a quick breath. “Alright. One…two…three!”
Four is careful as he takes the scarf off, revealing the horrible wound underneath. Blood immediately rushes to the surface and out of the wound. Four can barely watch as Hyrule and Wild scoop up the Captain’s insides. The moment their fingers graze the organ, Warriors’s eyes blow wide, his back arching. Time is quick to hold him down by his shoulders.
A horrible wail of agony tears its way out of Wars’s throat.
Four takes the opportunity to step away and vomit.
He doesn’t give himself much time to gain his bearings before he’s crawling back towards Warriors on his hands and knees.
Hyrule has begun his spell, his hands hovering over the injury with a green glow. It isn’t long before he begins to waver. The moment he opens his eyes, they roll back into his skull, and he collapses. Wild is quick to catch him.
Four looks down at the wound. Hyrule was right. The spell was barely enough to close it. The stench of alcohol is strong as Time begins to pour some of the amber liquid onto the needle to sterilize it.
With his hands coated in blood, Four grabs the waterskin and rips the top off with his teeth before pouring some of it around the wound, hoping to clear away some of the blood.
“Wild, I need you to hold Warriors’s legs down.”
A terrified look fills the Champion’s eyes at Time’s words, but he doesn’t say a word as he carefully sets Hyrule down and flutters nervously for a moment before simply laying himself over the Captain’s legs.
Time hands the flask to Four.
“I’m going to hold him down again from up here. You pour.”
Four swallows and nods. As soon as the flask is in his hands, Time changes from being at Warriors’s head to being at his chest, bent over to hold him down.
Four doesn’t hesitate and begins pouring alcohol onto the edge of the wound, using Warriors’ scarf to absorb some of the excess so it doesn’t go inside the injury.
Time was right to hold Warriors down. The moment the alcohol touches his skin, Warriors screams, back from the realm between consciousness and unconsciousness. His legs kick as he tries to flail about.
“Hold him steady, Wild!” Time shouts above Warriors’s screams, which quickly turn into ragged sobs.
Four can barely take it as a sob of his own slips past his lips. He hates this. He hates when his brothers are in pain. Especially when it’s his own fault. But Vio is quick to take control, pushing those thoughts back. Once he’s cleaned and disinfected the wound, Four removes the scarf and flask, setting them aside. He grabs the needle and thread Time had set up for him and begins to close the wound to the best of his ability. His hand shakes the entire way through.
“Please…” Warriors begs, delirious with pain. His skin is as white as snow, stained with tears and sweat.
“Please stop…enough…”
“You’re okay, Link,” Time is quick to soothe, taking a hand and raking it through the Captain’s sweat-soaked hair.
“Hurts…”
“I know. You’re doing great.”
Just as Four finishes the last stitch, he’s quick to secure it before taking a knife from his pack and cutting the thread. He takes some more water and tries to wash away the fresh blood. Wild hands him a rag, which he takes with a small nod of thanks.
Once the wound is as clean as it’s going to get, Four grabs the bandages. Time carefully lifts Warriors, eliciting a moan of pain from the man.
Four pours the potion directly onto the wound before wrapping it up without a second thought. He pours and wraps until the bottle is empty, and he has used nearly a full roll of bandages on Warriors’s abdomen.
Four sits back, looking down at his work. It’s silent for a good while, nobody speaking or moving. He jumps and nearly grabs his sword when Time places a gentle hand on his and Wild’s shoulders.
He gives them both soft smiles.
“Well done. I’m so proud of you two and Hyrule.”
Four sucks in a shaky breath, feeling more tears fall from his eyes. He can only nod, finding it difficult to speak. His ears twitch at the sound of footsteps. The rest of the group cautiously approaches. Time is quick to stand, walking over to Twilight.
“How close are we to Castle Town?”
“We’re still about a day’s journey. Will we even be able to move him in the condition he’s in?” Twilight asks, motioning towards Warriors.
“We’re going to have to move him anyway. We’re not setting up camp here where his wound could potentially get infected by the black blood. Besides, the sooner we can get him to a doctor and get more supplies, the better.”
Four doesn’t bother listening to Twilight and Time debate on where to go from here. He’s more concerned with Warriors, who had passed out just after he had finished wrapping him up. Wind was hovering, tears rolling down his cheeks as he wrung his hands together.
Four doesn’t know what to say to try to comfort the youngest of their group. Everything is just a mess. Warriors is severely injured, everyone else is sporting injuries, they’re now officially out of potions, they have no fairies, and Hyrule is unconscious.
Four looks down at his trembling hands. They were absolutely drenched in blood. He thinks he’s going to be sick again.