The light of the sun shone through the windows of the inn, Time blinked his eye open and stretched his arms above his head. Time sighed and eventually pulled the blankets away from his body, got dressed in his normal attire and headed down stairs. From the smell he can tell Wild is up and making breakfast.
The wall of the inn that separates the cooking pot from the entrance was tall enough to hide himself, who granted was pretty tall out of all the men in the group. Time was grabbing his sword that was placed by the entrance from last night, and heard the princess and Wild's voice.
"Are you sure you're okay, Link? Something seems to be on your mind." Flora spoke softly.
Wild sighed and placed something down next to the pot.
"I don't know why, but I feel like the group is hiding something." Wild spoke sadly. Flora made a small gasp from her place next to the hero. Time's breath hitched.
"I'm unsure if they are or if they aren't, Link. You heroes have a tendency to keep things close and for others to not find out. I learned that the hard way." Flora spoke.
Wild didn't seem to say anything to her but Time heard shuffling of clothes and movement coming from light feet on the stone.
"Link. I can say from experience, that it took you a long time to trust me, and even then you were selective with what you said to me, but you always listened. Like that one time when you taught me how to tame my horse, after I had been struggling with getting him to behave." Flora reminisced while side-hugging him, earning a quiet chuckle from Wild in return. Time had to prevent himself from making a fond noise at the story.
"What I mean is that people will come to you when they need help. You didn't build Terry Town all by yourself, granted you had to find the right people, but they asked you for help! People love you Link, even if you find it hard to return!" Flora hugged Wild, who didn't shy away like he usually did with the others.
"I know Zel, It's just...I don't know. I would have hoped Time and Twilight would trust me enough. It just feels like they don't trust me enough to tell me what's wrong." Wild expressed, followed by a slight sigh.
"They'll come to you when the time is right. Now, where are you guys headed next?" Flora asked.
"Mmm...We're gonna head to Rito Village, which I'm pretty excited about. I haven't seen Teba and Saiki in so long." Wild smiled.
"Those two rito have practically adopted you at this point! Tell them I said hi, and thank you for the early breakfast." Flora got up, and dusted off her pants. " I'll see you next time, Link. I'm just a simple teleport away. May the goddess smile upon you." She bid farewell.
"May the goddess smile upon you." Wild replied back.
Time took a second to think behind the wall. Wild must be feeling so much with everything going on. Time sighed and finally let his presence known. Wild was staring off into space, looking critically down at the cooking pot, cooking some sort of porridge. Time looked at the hero for a moment, he was hunched over the tiniest bit, elbows resting on his knees as he fiddled with his hands.
"Wild, are you okay?" Time asked quietly.
"Hm? Oh. I'm okay just thinking about which route we should take." Wild responded, turning to look at the pseudo leader.
"If you're sure. I'm here if you need anything." Time reassured him, earning a smile and nod from the traveler.
Soon enough the rest of the heroes trickled out of the Inn. It was slow for sure but they gathered for breakfast and soon set out for Rito village. Wild grabbed his slate and took a look at the map, determining where to stop for the day.
"So, Tabantha Frontier is the starting point for it being cold. You guys need to have some sort of cold resistance or something to prevent it." Wild advised.
"I have more than one ring I can give out, just don't lose them or I will hunt you down." Legend offered, causing a couple chuckles from the group.
"I also have a couple ruby circlets for those who don't prefer rings." Wild offered as well, earning a egar nod from Wind and Four.
Handing out the jewelry was pretty simple, easier than some version of a cold resistance gear, like Wild's Snowquill set. The heroes walked, fighting some of the bokoblins in the way, though they weren't that hard to take down and not black blooded like they hoped.
The trek towards Rito village seemed to linger on, Legend thought. He couldn't say he didn't like how vast and open Wild's hyrule is, it still pissed him off a bit when they walked for what seemed like days on end.
Wild was walking in the front, looking down at his slate (that Legend swears is magic, no way it's not) looking at the path ahead. Legend thought back to the memories the group has been seeing were something they should be telling Wild.
Now, Legend understood the need to keep things from people. Hell he was victim to his own many many secrets, but these directly influenced Wild, whether it be intentional or not. Legend sighed and noticed the front coming to a halt, Wild announcing that they'll make lunch real quick and then be back on the road.
Legend already knew that this whole 'secret memory thing' is gonna blow up in their faces.
–
Time looked off towards the castle, noticing the similarities and difference to it in his own time. Wild's was more intricate and detailed. He was proud of the land before him, though caked with ruin and destruction, the rebuilding and expansions being done. A kingdom rebuilding itself from nothing.
Time could tell Wild flourishes in this Hyrule, he just seemed to fit the mysterious and complicated atmosphere that surrounded the land. He could see Wild in different parts of the land, the peacefulness of the plains and forests, the danger of Death Mountain and its monsters, in the kindness and determination of the townsfolk.
Time thumbed his ocarina, fingering the notes to Saria's song, one he often moved his fingers to, but never played. The heroes were surrounding the open plain, Wind and Four were looking around at the different wild flowers in bloom, Legend was clearly taking a nap (pushing the hat down to cover eyes doesn't cover that) as was Sky not too far from the cooking pot where he was helping Wild prepare something for lunch, Warriors sat on a lof cleaning his sword while having conversation with the two cooks. Twilight sat close to Hyrule who was lightly touching a silent princess, one Wild instructed not to pick but can admire.
The Eldest Hero turned to look at a silent princess on the ground. Time could see the appeal of the flower, the blue and white was calming, Time vision started going white, once he gained his vision he was in a similar flower field to the one before, a horse was resting next to him, grazing the grass in the area.
Time moved his head to the right, noticing Wild and Flora, who were both kneeling in the grass. Flora looked like she was in her element, moving around with the Sheikah Slate taking some pictures. Wild was sitting near her moving with the princess as she moved. It was actually kind of a cute scene.
"There's one. Oh! And another!" Zelda exclaimed. "The flowers we have in Hyrule aren't just beautiful, they are also quite useful as ingredients for a variety of things!" Zelda ranted one, snapping pictures of the pink, purple and white flowers surrounding them in the grass.
Time was happy to see the two of them acting their age. They were both too responsible for their own good. He saw Zelda's focus shift to another thing, trying his best to peak at what it was without moving.
"This one here is called the Silent Princess." She started, just as Time made eye contact with the flower.
"It is a rare and endangered species. Despite our efforts we cannot get them to domestically yet, The princess can only thrive out here in the wild." The Knight and Princess proceed to look closer at the flower. A fond look made its way onto Time's.
"All that we can hope, is that the species will be powerful enough to survive on its own." Zelda smiled down, then looked up with a small gasp, making Wild jump back a bit.
"Is that what I think it is?" Zelda happily shuffled forward. "Look at this!" She said as she caught something in her hands.
"I don't believe it but I actually caught one!" She shuffled to Wild who looked at her hands with curiosity. Time readjusted himself to look at what she held as well, "This delicacy is known to have very, very potent effects under the proper circumstances." Zelda ranted as she moved closer to Wild, Time chuckling at her childish excitement.
Zelda made a little Ta-Dah sound and opened her cupped hands, to reveal a frog. Time wasn't sure which kind, but Wild had once explained to him the different types one night when they both couldn't sleep.
"Research in the Castle shows ingesting one of these one of these can actually augment a certain ability. We wouldn't be in a controlled environment here, and with your level of physical fitness.." She trailed off looking up at Wild.
Time looked at the joy on the princess's face, which seemed to be a foriegn look on her, given the small smile that was on Wild's face.
"...You'd be a perfect candidate for the study! Go on! Try it!" Zelda pushed as Wild made a noise of disgust, and backed away from the jumping frog. Time laughed at the circumstance, only Wild would be asked to eat a frog for science.
Time vision faded at that, he was back on the tree stump he was on prior, still thumbing Saria's Song, He heard grass shuffle behind him, and from his right emerged Wild. His face held a little glint of concern to the elder.
"Are you okay, Time?" He asked, "You were zoned out for a while."
Now, Time is a good lier, he wouldn't have half as many secrets if he was a bad one. But there were some instances, like when Malon asked him if he was okay, he didn't want to lie, but he also couldn't tell WIld the truth. Time signed and looked down at his ocarina.
"Just some memories, Wild." He decided on saying, not lying but not telling the truth. The response earned a hum from the hero.
"You know, we were going through the storage in the castle, and we found the same ocarina. I'm pretty sure Flora has it in her study. She gave me another that was made out of wood, that one is in my house at Hateno." Wild reminisced.
"Really?" Time asked, a little shocked that the one from when he was a kid, one made by Saria and it jagged wooden edges, survived this long.
Wild looked at the distance in front of them. He sighed and looked back to his hands, which Time now realized held two plates. Wild gestured one to the elder and the two ate in silence.
"Time?" Wild asked, earning a hum from him.
"I know that You, Twilight and I are somehow related." Wild stated. Time looked over at the younger. "Things like the ocarinas, and Lon Lon Ranch being in my Hyrule. The tune you and Malon hum when you guys are near horses being a similar tune to the stables here."
"I knew you would figure it out soon. Twilight advised not to say anything yet." Time smiled at him.
"Ever the cautious one." Wild grumbled, causing a slight laugh to come from Time. "No more secrets okay? At least not ones that concern me?" Wild asked.
Time froze up, if he agreed to that Wild would surely be pissed when he found out. Time didn't want to deny him that trust in him. Time sighed and looked at Wild, who looked back at him with a sad but determined look.
"I promise, Wild." Time declared.
"Thank you, Time." Wild breathed out the stress he had.
This was definitely going to bite Time in the ass.
–
Lunch ended soon after that, and they were back on the road to Rito Village. As they got closer, the snow came in, meaning it was time to make sure they had their cold resistant items on.
"Now as cold as it is, the Rito tends to make sure guests, especially hylians, have warmth. So we should be good till we get to the village." Wild explained.
"So not that much longer of a walk?" Four asked hopefully.
"Just an hour and a half Smithy." Wild smiled down at him.
The group of heroes made haste to Rito Village. Warriors asking about the history of the town, which led to Wild reminding him that he does not remember things like that, but the elder would be able to help with those questions.
Time walked behind the rest, Twilight next to him. Twilight knew something was different and couldn't pin his nose on it.
"I think I made a mistake." Time started, voice hushed as to not alert the others.
"What does that mean?" Twilight gave a pointed look at the older.
"I made a promise to Wild as to not keep secrets that concern him." Time slowly spoke.
"You did not." Twilight stated, earning an averted gaze from Time. "You did. Why?"
"I don't know. He found out that the three of us are in the same timeline and somehow related. He didn't like that we kept it from him." Time explained.
"The biggest secret right now, Time, concerns him. He'll be upset when he finds out." Twilight reasoned.
"I know but-" Time was cut off, looking forward and seeing the village above them.
Decorated with flags and huts that wrap around the base of the large rock column that rested in the water below. Multiple different Rito were flying about, some similar and different colors. What caught everyone's eye was the Divine Beast at the top, having only seen them from a distance, it was an impressive size. Perched at the top, 'wings' spread and facing Hyrule Castle. A soft tune echoed from the village, giving a sense of peace and tranquility to the otherwise harsh snow surrounding them.
"Welcome to Rito Village everyone!"