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“Have Captain Link see to this one,” Impa had instructed, eyes lingering on Legend's hands, and then he was led away and cuffed to the wall by his wrists and ankles, guarded by two soldiers who only left when the Captain himself walked into the room and dismissed them.
Warriors had stressed that they were to avoid his younger self at all costs, and his reasoning why was now abundantly clear to Legend. He subtly pulls at the cuffs binding him to the wall to check for any give, already knowing there was no use in trying. Warriors had always been too smart and cautious to make such an oversight.
The Captain looks to be about the same age as Legend himself, which he’s pretty sure is too young to join the army. There is no recognition in his eyes, and yet Legend finds himself desperately searching for a spark, any kindness, any sign of the Warriors he knows and begrudgingly tolerates.
And also present is the younger version of Time- Mask, he'd overheard. He stands menacingly like the Captain’s shadow, sword drawn, protective. It’s objectively an amusing sight, Mask being tiny as he is, and the Captain certainly doesn't look like he needs protection, but Legend is quite familiar with Time's power and he would rather be trapped in a room with Ganon than with this child.
“What were you doing sneaking around the barracks?” the Captain asks nonchalantly.
Legend stays silent, hoping to buy himself some time so that someone might save him. This turns out to be an unwise move, as the Captain pulls a chain, drawing Legend's restraints further apart, stretching his limbs out beyond their comfort.
“I'll ask you again.”
The Captain's tight lipped smile is sweetly sadistic, perfect and practised and cold. Legend misses Warriors. That was not a feeling he would ever admit to experiencing. He wonders how much time had passed for the Captain, this heartless war machine, to grow into the Warriors he knew.
The door clicks open and someone wanders in, too casually, like this was a common occurrence around these parts. Legend instances recognises the tanned skin and that shock of messy wind-tousled blonde hair, he would recognise those perpetually salty curls anywhere.
“Wind,” he chokes, and the newcomer meets his eyes and freezes.
The Captain pulls the chain again without hesitation. Legend gasps, fighting back a sob.
“Wait,” Wind begs. At least Wind recognises him, Legend realises with relief. The teen is so much taller than the Wind Legend knows, he's almost as tall as the Captain. Well, he had good news for Wind, if he somehow got out of this alive.
The Captain pauses and quirks an eyebrow. “Tune.”
“He's- he's a friend,” this older Wind, or Tune apparently, explains hurriedly. “He's a hero from another timeline.”
“Elaborate,” Mask demands.
“Uh,” Tune starts, and Legend honestly doesn't blame him. He would laugh, in any other circumstance.
“I can explain, but it's a long story. Can you please just trust me?”
“You know I can't trust anyone,” Captain Link says darkly, pulling the chain another notch. Something pops. Legend screams.
That's when Warriors bursts into the room.
Legend looks up at him, blinking through the pain to verify what he was seeing. He could cry. From pain or relief, he doesn't know.
Mask frowns and his stance falters as he stares at the man who looks so much like his Captain. Tune looks simultaneously terrified and overjoyed.
The Captain pivots and turns his sword on Warriors, who holds up both hands in surrender. The tense silence lingers as the two look each other up and down.
“Who are you,” the Captain demands, more an order than a question.
“Link, Hero of Warriors, Captain of the Hyrulean Army.”
A step closer. The sword closer to his throat. Warriors doesn't move, keeps his hands up, posture relaxed. Legend wants to close his eyes.
“Brother of Linkle, who is also a hero of Hyrule,” Warriors continues. The sword pointed at him starts to visibly tremble. “I gave her that old compass I stole from the antique market when I was ten.”
“Who are you?” Captain Link repeats.
“I’m you in seven years time.”
Legend can't see the Captain's face, only Warriors’s calm neutrality, which is unfortunate, because seeing the expression he made at that revelation would've been good progress towards atoning for the pain he's in.
“Prove it.”
Keeping his hands visible, Warriors unclips his scarf to show his younger self the pin.
“This, and I know that you're seventeen, and that Linkle is ten minutes older than you, and you hate that.”
The sword lowers. Mask, ever vigilant, keeps his weapon drawn. There's a long silence.
“Seven years. So the war ends?”
“The war ends,” Warriors confirms.
“I survive this?” the Captain asks in disbelief.
“You survive this. You go on to make friends. You find happiness like you've never known before.”
“Is he a friend?”
Legend winces in pain, and Warriors gives him a quick look of reassurance over the young hero's shoulder. There's a hint of guilt on Link's face when he looks up at Legend.
“This is Link, the Hero of Legend,” Warriors explains gently. “He's like a brother to me. There are more of us out there, and you'll meet them in time.”
The Captain seems to wither the longer he stares at the bound hero. His eyes linger on Legend's knee- that does not look right- and four people watch as he struggles with the weight of the new revelation on top of his paranoia, guilt and loneliness.
Warriors, ever observant, opens his arms as an invitation, weapon undrawn, opening himself up to be stabbed in the back should the Captain choose to do so.
It takes a long moment, but Captain Link gives in and allows himself to be held.
“You'll be okay,” Warriors says softly. “Have faith in yourself, okay? It's okay to trust in your friends.”
“Release him,” the Captain commands, face buried in Warriors’s shoulder, and Tune hurries to free Legend from his shackles. Legend rests his weight on his good leg and rubs his sore wrists, watching as the Captain pulls away from the hug and whispers something inaudible, with the slightest movement of his head towards Mask, who's awkwardly glowering in the corner. Warriors just nods once in response, smiles genuinely, and the young Captain flings himself into his arms again, shoulders shaking.
-
Two amber eyes watch as the two foreign heroes leave the army complex. This opportune lesson in trust had gone according to plan with minimal casualties. Nothing a potion and some rest wouldn't fix. She had snuck a potion into the older Captain's bag to make sure this detour wouldn't be a roadblock for their quest, whatever it was.
Hopefully the young Captain wouldn't forget, lest he learn again the hard way.