All credit for this chapter goes to my bestie RaurusRightHandMan I copied this one in first because it's definitely my favorite!! I hope you guys love this as much as I do!!!
Time's POV
We have been in my Hyrule for around four months now and we are all weary of when the next portal will show up. I am so happy to be spending time with my wife and getting to be at home but the rest of the chain are getting pretty restless.
Malon never ceases to amaze me. She got Wild to open up to her. We've been traveling with him for almost half a year and he has just started to speak openly to us and it took Malon around two days! The love of my life is incredible.
"Hey boys! Come give me a hand with these!" Twilight and Warriors quickly run over to me and start to lift the hay bales into the wagon.
Champion comes in hot and stares at the back wall of the barn. "Cub, go get the rest of the chain." We have all come to realize that whenever Wild stares down something it means a portal is about to appear.
A few minutes later everyone is in the barn including my wife. I give her a kiss on the forehead. "I love you, dear." The portal opens up behind me.
"I love you too, Fairy Boy."
I smile at the name. "Okay everyone! Partner up into your usual groups!" The groups are: Sky, Wind, and Four in group one, Warriors, Legend, and Hyrule in group two, and Twilight, Wild, and myself are in group three. We base it off of who gets hit the hardest by the portals with someone who doesn't get badly affected.
As I step through the purple, swirling madness that will take us to a new Hyrule I feel my stomach churning and my head is pounding. As fast as it begins, it is over and we're in a new Hyrule.
Wild's POV
I exit the portal and know exactly where I am. The cliff outside the Shrine of Resurrection. Uh oh. I don't want them to learn about that. Excuses! I need an excuse!
Since I don't really get that bad sick from the portals, I am usually one of the first to scout the area of danger. I use this time to attempt to shut the shrines doors. That doesn't work. Maybe I can try to lead them away? No, Wind will ask too many questions. I have an idea.
I hear a collection of groans coming from the chain. I see an unconscious Four and 'Rule, a vomiting Legend, and a wobbly Sky. Poor guys always take it the hardest. "Hey pup! Come'ere!" Twilight motions for me to come over. I trot over to my mentor. "Do you recognize this place?"
I nod gingerly. They can't really see too much destruction from the Great Plateau so that's good, I guess. I really can't have them knowing that I am over one-hundred years old though. "We need to get somewhere safe for the night. Any ideas, Wild?" Time looks at the unfortunate members of our chain.
Immediately I look away from the Shrine of Resurrection and view the plateau. "How about there?" Warriors points DIRECTLY at the shrine.
Be chill. "No! Not there!" Yeah. Way to go, Wild. Very chill. Everyone locks eyes on me. "I- I mean, not there."
Rancher puts a hand on my shoulder and I flinch at the contact but slowly relax. "Is it dangerous, Pup?" I can't lie to him! He is too pure!
"No," I squeak out. "it just brings back some not-so-good memories."
He sighs. "Is there anywhere else that's close and safe?" I can hear the despair in his voice even though he tried to mask it.
I think of everywhere on the plateau and come up with absolutely nothing. "No."
Time slowly shakes his head and looks down. "Wild, I hate to ask this of you, I really do, but if we don't have any safer options could we stay in there- just for the night?"
Turning to the look at the small opening in the mountain, I feel a chill run down my spine. I have grown to hate that place. Forces me back to life and takes my memories. Not a fan. I take a deep, albeit shakey, breath. "Just for the night."
Time thanks me then walks over to pick up Hyrule while Warriors grabs Four. I lead them down the dim hallway and down the drop off. I would have prefered that we just stayed up there rather than going further into the shrine but there just wasn't enough room for all nine of us. We are staying in the middle room and I move the boxes to try to hide the third room.
Notice the try.
Wind almost immediately runs into the room with the revive platform. "Wind! Wait! Don't go in there!" Too late. He admires the me-sized-bed-like-platform that glows a gentle light blue colour. The rest of the conscious chain flood in afterwards.
"Woah! Awesome!"
"What is this place?"
"Wild? Have you seen this before?"
"Of course he has!"
"We don't know that."
"It looks like a coffin of some sorts."
"Wind!"
"What!?"
A coffin?
I face the place I slept for one-hundred years. It did look like one. It felt like one. Why have I never thought about it like that? It was probably me trying to forget about it. I was trapped in there for a century with no escape. I can hear my heart beating in my ears and I feel my breathing quicken.
Oh no, a memory. My body leaves my control and I am fully enshrouded by the memory.
I lay in the bed with no way out. I have been trying to get out for what feels like forever now. It may have actually been years. It's hard to keep track of time here. I use what little strength I have to kick and punch the surface keeping me under the not-water. I'm trapped. I can't breathe but I also can't drown. It's miserable. It's dark and I can't feel anything.
What is this stuff?
How did I get here?
Where is here?
How long have I been here?
Who am I?
I feel heavier than normal...
The liquid is draining...
...
Link...
Link...
Open your eyes...
I snap back into reality. The group must have noticed because everyone's attention is on me. My breathing is quickening. I can't be back in the shrine I just can't be. I need to focus on how it was just a memory. But it felt- no- feels so real. I don't want to go back.
"Pup? What's wrong?" I hear a muffled voice say. Twilight maybe?
My hand flinches towards my slate. Now that we're in my Hyrule it works way better and I can use more parts of it.
"Wild, talk to us. What's happening?" My vision is going blurry, I need to get out of here.
I fall to my knees. Why do I feel so weak?
"Wild! Are you okay?!" Someone kneels next to me and tries to help me up.
I click my slate -that's still on my hip- multiple times. "Champion! Say something!"
I disappear in a stream of blue tendrils.
<>
I reappear on the Myahm Agana Shrine's travel gate- the one in front of my house. I hope Flora is home she'll know what to do. I run off towards my small house over the bridge and slowly open the creaky door. "Flor- Zelda? Are you home?" I take off my sword and sheath and place it by the door. "Zelda?"
"Link?" A small, gentle voice calls from upstairs. She stands up from her desk and sees me. "Link!" She runs down the stairs so fast she might as well have just jumped off the balcony and engulfs me in a hug. "Oh you're finally home!" She pulls away. "Where have you been! You've been gone for two months! I was worried! I thought you died! Again!" Pulling me back into the hug and buries her face in my tunic.
Only two months? We have been traveling for almost eight months. Maybe time works differently in between timelines. "I'm so, so, so sorry, Zelda. I have been traveling with, this is going to sound very odd, the other eight Heroes of Courage. Hylia sent us on a journey to defeat the shadow and we aren't finished yet but right now we're in our Hyrule and they saw the Shrine of Resurrection and Wind said it looked like a coffin and I had a memory then I went into panic mode and- OH MY HYLIA THEY'RE STILL IN THERE! I need to get ba-" She put her index finger on my lips to stop my million-mile-per-hour-ramble.
"Link. Breathe. Why did you go into the shrine? You know that sends you into an uncomfortable state."
My breath shudders. "We had injured and the closest safe place was in there."
She brushes my bangs out of my face and speaks softly. "Come sit down. You need to take a second." She takes me by my arm and walks over to the small couch in the foyer. I sit down and she leans my body onto her lap. "Now, tell me, how much do they know?"
Twilight's POV:
This cave is not at all what I was expecting. Wild really didn't want to come in here for some reason. There is definitely something he isn't telling us.
"What's in this room!?" Wind jumps over some boxes and runs into a large open space I am just now seeing.
"Wind! Wait! Don't go in there!" Champion visibly sags but follows the sailor into the back room and the rest of us follow in afterwards.
We stare at the large pedestal-thing in the middle of the room. It appears to be around Wild's size. Almost as if it were made for him.
"Whoa! Awesome!" Wind runs around the thing.
"What is this place?" I slowly enter.
"Wild? Have you seen this before?" Warriors leans over the bed-doohickey.
"Of course he has!" Sky smiles and puts an arm around Wild.
"We don't know that." Time kneels down by the centre object.
"It looks like a coffin of some sorts."
"Wind!" Legend smacks the back of Sailor's head.
"What!?"
I look over to Wild. He looks like he is in a memory. What the weirdest part is is that his lips are moving. Almost as if he's trying to say something. I walk over and stand in front of him.
"Pup? What's the matter?"
"I don't want to be in here. Let me out. Please. Someone let me out. Can anyone hear me?" I grab his shoulders and try to shake him out of it. His eyes are glazed over so he is definitely in a memory but how is he talking? "I'm trapped. I can't breathe. It's dark. I don't know where I'm at. How long have I been in here? Who am I?"
By this point everyone is surrounding him. Tears are forming in his eyes. He never cries. Ever. He takes a gasp and is back in the real world.
I pull him closer. "Pup? What's wrong?" He doesn't appear to have heard me. He continues to frantically look around the room.
Time comes in between me and the cook. "Wild, talk to us. What's happening?" Wild falls onto his knees. He looks scared. We all decided there was nothing that scared him. He would take on a whole camp of monsters on his own just for fun.
Sky reaches down to help him up. "Wild! Are you okay?" He grabs under his arms and attempts to lift him up. Wild's hand flinches towards his slate.
Warriors runs into the centre of all of us. "Champion! Say something!" Wild clenches his teeth and slams his fist into his slate. He turns into a light blue stream of light and disappears. "Champion!"
We all stare at the ceiling of this large room. Where did he go?! How did he do that?!
What was wrong with him? What did he see in that memory that caused him to freak out so bad? The Wild I know is fearless so it must've been something awful. Where would he have gone? His house. He went home!
"I know where he went!" Everyone, who is still speechless, looks at me. "His house in Hateno! I bet he went to see Flora! We need to go now!"
The chain starts towards the exit until Time speaks. "We don't know that. He will probably come back here to get us soon. We don't know this Hyrule. We could get lost and he will never find us. This Hyrule is huge and does anyone even know where Hateno is?" We all shake our heads. He has good reasons but I am so worried about Wild. "We also have injured so it would be best that we stay here. If he doesn't return in three days we will go to look for him."
We all look at each other then back at time. "Yes sir."
Flora's POV
I sit on the couch with Link laying on my lap as I brush my fingers through his hair in an effort to calm him. Ever since he's gotten most of his memories back he despises the Shrine of Resurrection. It deprived him of everyone he ever knew and even who he was himself. Now, every time he thinks about the shrine he freaks out.
He told me he got a memory of being in the shrine. I felt my chest tighten up when he said that. He was aware of being trapped in there. I assumed that he would be asleep the whole time and not have to feel the fear of being stuck.
I have yet to ask him about the memory. I don't feel as if now would be a good time to bring it up.
"How much do they know?" I can feel his body tense at the question. "That bad, huh?"
He gently chuckles. "They know that I fought Ganon like the rest of them and that I lost my memories. They don't know how old I am or that I failed or that I died." We both winced when he said died.
"So they know almost nothing about you? How did you explain these?" I ran my finger down the scars on his left cheek.
"I just said I was burned which technically is not a lie." He says matter-of-factly.
I plant a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Well, Link, what are we going to do now? If you want, I can go get them from the shrine so that you don't have to go back."
He appears to be considering my offer but then shakes his head. "I can't ask that of you."
"You don't have to. I offered."
"You're the best, Zelda. Also if they call you Flora don't be alarmed it's just your nickname. Since we are named Link they call me Wild and since we all have a Zelda we call you Flora. Got it?"
I nod and help him get up from my lap. "I'll back in a few minutes."
He hands me the slate and kisses my head. "I love you, be careful."
I click the slate. "I love you too."
Warrior's POV
We sit in the middle room and wait for Wild to come back. Hyrule is cooking dinner. Bleh. I'll be impressed if he doesn't accidentally poison me this time.
A flood of blue tendrils appears next to us.
"Wild!" Wind runs up and hugs the figure.
That's not Wild. I draw my sword. "Wind! Back off that isn't him!"
A lady wearing the same blue as Wild stands in front of us. Her hair was around the same length as his but maybe a bit shorter. Hers was around shoulder-length. I'm getting off topic. I lift my sword up into a defensive position. "Who are you!?"
The woman smiles at me. "Lower your sword. I am Queen Zelda of Hyrule or as you all know me, Flora."
Whoops. I quickly sheath my sword and bow. She looks very flustered by that. "Oh no, no, no! That's not necessary! No formalities please!" She waves her hands around and stiffens. She kind of reminds me of Malon. Expect Flora is much more proper and has a much different accent.
I stand up and give her a smile. Time walks up behind me. "Did you say Queen Zelda?"
"Yes? Is something the matter with that?"
"No! Not at all, Your Highness! All of our Zelda's are princesses so I just thought it was slightly odd that you are a higher rank." Twilight elbows him in the arm.
The queen holds her hands in front of her chest. "Well technically I'm not a queen by ceremony but I am the last of the royal family so my kingdom just decided that makes me queen."
Oh yeahhh that makes sense. Twilight looks very worried. "Your Highness-"
"Call me Zelda."
"Okay- Zelda. Have you seen Wild? We kinda just disappeared on us. He seemed scared of something."
Her smile fades and she lowers her hands. What happened to Wild that he would just freak out like that? Whatever it was I have a feeling she isn't going to tell us. "This place just brings back some awful memories. I can't explain because I want here when it happened but if he's up to it, you all may ask."
Called it!
"Do you know where he's at? We have been very worried about him." Hyrule asks.
Wind jumped up. "Yeah! And Hyrule's cooking is the WORST."
"Hey! It's not that bad..."
She smiles at Wind. "Yes, I know where he is. He came back home to find me. I can take you all there if you would like."
We all nod quickly and pack up our things. "Just a quick warning, you may feel quite queasy after teleporting for the first time..."
"What do you mean by tha-" Before I could finish speaking, she clicked the slate and we all began to disappear in a blue light.
Wild's POV
They should be back soon. That was very kind of Flora to go get them for me. I don't know if I could even walk in there again after what just happened.
I hear nine sets of footsteps from over the bridge. They're here. I fix my hair and put my tunic back on over my undershirt and put my boots back on. The squeaky door slowly opens to reveal Flora and the chain.
"Hey, Wild. You good?" Twilight walks around Flora and approaches me. "You kinda freaked out back at the cave. Really gave me a scare and I know everyone else was pretty nervous too."
I feel guilt sink in. "I am so, so, so sorry guys. I shouldn't have left. I'm sorry."
Time steps closer. "Don't you dare apologize, Wild. We've all had our own share of panic attacks. It happens." The rest of the chain nod in agreement. "Now, if you don't mind my asking- what is it that triggered it?"
I know that he is trying to ease his way into the conversation but still- come on Old Man. "Hey Flora?" I sign.
Zelda looks at me kindly. "Yes?"
"Can you translate? It will be easier to tell them like this." The rest of the chain stare at me in the most confused look ai' ever seen. It's kind of funny.
"Of course, My Love. You all may want to sit down"
"My Love?!?!?" The whole chains jaw drops and shout in sync. Well- all except Time.
That leaves me and Flora laughing for a solid fifteen seconds. After our laughter ends, she turns to me. "You ready?"
I nod and face my group. With a heavy sigh, a secret revealing sigh, I nod and begin to sign. "So as you all know, our Kingdom is in ruins and has been for 100 years. What you don't know is that," I look at the ground then look at Zelda for conformation to continue. With her agreeing nod I continue. "that we were there when it happened."
Legend snickers like I'm joking but the look that the two of us give him ends it quickly. "Wait- you are both over one hundred years old?" Warriors smacks him in the back of the head. "Hey! I'm just saying what everyone is thinking!"
Twilight adjust how he is sitting. "So how old are you? You never actually even told us a fake age."
Zelda begins to translate for me again.
"Flora is one-hundred-eighteen. I am one-hundred-seventeen. But physically she is only eighteen and I am only seventeen."
Hyrule, with his voice even more gentle than usual, speaks up. "How are y'all still alive then?"
I feel my chest tighten up and my breathing quicken once again. Zelda notices and uses our telepathy to calm me down. Link, you are fine. You are not in there anymore. You needn't worry. I listen to her soft voice and begin to sign again.
"Zelda sealed herself away in Hyrule castle to keep Calamity Ganon at bay so that he doesn't rain even more destruction across Hyrule. Since she was sealed away, she didn't age."
The chain still looks questioning. "Well, what about you, Wild. How are you still alive?" Wind asks in his loud voice but kind tone.
"Wild, they are going to find out eventually. You might as well tell them right now." She places her hand on my cheek. I lean to the touch.
"Fine. To understand that I have to tell you what happened one-hundred years ago. You all know that I was in the group of warriors called the 'Champions' but what you don't know is that all they died. Four of them were assigned to pilot a Divine Beast. A.K.A. those large mechanical beast that are resting on mountain tops. Mipha to Vah Ruta. Daruk to Vah Rudania. Revali to Vah Medoh. Urbosa to Vah Naboris. Each one died at the hand of Calamity Ganon within their Divine Beast the day he returned." The chain leaned forward with anticipation.
Four let his words slip out. "Were you the fifth one? What Divine Beast did you get?"
"The only thing I got was that cursed thing." I point at the Master Sword on Sky's back. He looks kind of offended. "That and a death wish. I got these the day Calamity Ganon arose from beneath Hyrule Castle." I motion to my scars that cover the whole left side of my body. "After the beast woke up, I had to bring Zelda somewhere safe on my way to Hyrule Castle... can you tell them what you remember about that night? I don't think I can."
She sadly smiles and faces the group of heroes. "We were running from Mount Lanayru to Hyrule castle where Wild would meet the beast head-on. Ganon turned- he turned the Divine Beast and Guardians against us. The very thing that was supposed to protect and keep the hero safe." Her face darkness at what she has to say next. By this time the whole group is staring at me with sadness in their eyes. Or pity? I don't really want either but it is what it is. "We had been running to the castle for almost two hours before we made it to Fort Hateno. Wild was going to drop me off there with his father so I didn't have to go to the fight with the Calamity but it was too late. The whole area was swarmed with Guardians and fire and rain. Link had taken four laser-beam shots to the body, using himself as a human shield-"
She takes a breath and I survey the room. The dim flickering light of the candle flame is soothing but not enough to matter in this situation. Wind looks like he is crying as he is snuggled up against Warriors who also looks sad, Four's eyes are glossy as well as Hyrule and Sky, Legend is trying to keep his poker face but is miserably failing, and Time and Twilight just look pitiful. A single tear rolls down Flora's face. I gently wipe it off and give her a reassuring grin.
"He was in pretty rough shape. And he wouldn't just- wait Wild. Can we still watch your memories on the Sheikah Slate?" I nod and hand it to her. "Here. Everyone gather around me. We're gonna watch what happened. Quick Waring: it's scarring."
They all stand up and surround me and Flora. The memory, I have tried to force out of my mind, begins.
The memory fades into a field of mangled Guardians. I had defeated tons of them but to no avail, they just kept coming. Fire spreads throughout Blatchery Plain even in the rain.
The view changes to me as I stand up weakly using my sword as a crutch. I have burn marks and blood covering my whole body but I will not falter in protecting the princess. Even if it will cost me my life.
Everyone gasps at the sight of scarless and younger me breathing strained breaths and hardly keeping myself up.
Zelda is freaking out but trying to remain calm.
"Link, save yourself! Go! I'll be fine! Don't worry about me! Run!"
I lean further down and use the momentum to thrust myself backwards and into a slightly more defensive position. Zelda startles back and I am, too, stumbling backwards.
A Guardian speeds through the field in search of its next victim. Suddenly, its head faces me and the princess.
Wind shouts and buries his face into Warrior's' tunic. Everyone seems nervous as to what may happen next.
The Guardian quickly approaches me and Zelda as it scales the pile of Guardian corpses. It rears its head back slightly then aims its red target laser at my chest.
"No!" Zelda jumps in between me and the Guardian as she pushes me backwards and out of the Guardians line of fire.
A glowing yellow light appears from her hand. The camera rotates around her and the mark of the Triforce appears on the back. A dome of holy light fills the surrounding field, disabling the Guardians.
"Yes!" I think Twilight accidentally yelled that but who cares. He doesn't know what happens next.
"Way to go, Flora!" Hyrule shouts.
"Boys! Keep watching!" Time is very invested.
The Guardian that was just attempting to shoot me down collapses in front of us as well as every other one in the area. As they turn off, the malice escapes their metal forms.
Zelda studies her hand that just harnessed the power of the Triforce.
"Was...?"
"Was that...?"
"The power-"
Thud
The whole room goes completely silent. They can guess what has happened.
"Huh?"
She turns to around to find me laying unconscious on the ground, clutching the Master Sword close to my chest.
With a gasp, the princess rushes over to my fallen self.
"No, no..."
She gets on her knees and shakes my body in a desperate attempt to wake me up.
"Link! Get up!"
Her voice is frantic and terrified.
Wind, Four, and Hyrule are now crying and the rest have tears in their eyes.
Zelda gently lifts my upper half up. I let out a few strangled coughs as I attempt to get air.
"You're going to be just fine..."
She worriedly looks me over.
Wind switches from Warrior's' tunic over to Wild's and sobs into his chest.
"Zelda, turn it off, please." I can't take any more of Wind's waterworks. It's breaking my heart.
"W-Wild?" He chokes out through sobs.
"Yeah, Sailor?" I gently rub soothing circles on his back and bury my face in his hair.
"Y-you d-d-died?"
My heart sank. I don't know how to tell him or even any of them for that matter. I pick up Wind and take a few steps back. "Yes. I did die as well as the other four Champions." Everyone looks at me with watery eyes. "The only reason that I stand before you all right now is because of that 'cave' we were inside an hour ago. That thing that Wind said looked like a coffin, was what revived me. It was my coffin. I slept in there for one-hundred years as it healed my body and essentially brought me back to life. I woke up with no memories to my name and I actually didn't even know my name." I give a strained chuckle.
No one else finds humor in this. Tough crowd I guess.
I sigh deeply but continue. "That terrible thing forced me back to life and it felt like I was drowning the whole time but couldn't die. It was miserable. I wasn't supposed to wake up at all while I was in there but I did. Each time more insufferable than the last. I didn't get the memory until Wind laid down inside of it. That's when my mind suddenly remem-"
"Wild! I am s-so s-sorry! I-I shouldn't ha-have gotten in-inside of it!"
"No! No! It's not your fault at all! I should have told you all why I didn't want to go in there. If anything it's my fault." I try to comfort the sobbing boy.
Time stands up straight. "Wild. I am so sorry that you had to go through that. I never would have imagined any of that would have happened to someone as strong and protective as you. You are too good to have something that awful to you." Something he thinks about brings a smile to his face. "Well besides the occasional forest fire that you start on purpose."
I chuckle sheepishly at that and rub the back at my head. My girlfriend doesn't look impressed. "Welp. Now you all know my secret. I don't think there is more than that I haven't told you all."
There's a knock on my door. I don't like knocks on my door. It's usually bad news or a yiga trying to kill me. "One second, guys and gal." I open the door to find a messenger. "Oh hello. How can I help you?"
The messenger sighs with relief. "King Link! You're back! I guess I don't have any news then."
I visibly wince at the name and slowly face the chain. "KING LINK!?"
I'm done for.