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jinxedruby · 13 days

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Febuwhump Day Seventeen: Hostage Situation

Featuring Time, Warriors, and Wind. This is the conclusion to Wind getting kidnapped (day four: obedience and day thirteen: you weren't supposed to get hurt).

Well, this sure is long. Fun fact: I wrote this by hand and wrote so hard that my fingers were tingling by the time I finished haha

Heads up for some graphic injury and several minor character deaths (they're all bad guys and none are very graphic).

AO3

First part | <- Previous part | Next part ->

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Time stood beside Warriors, staring out at the river beyond the harbor. Water lapped at the numerous boats and ships moored at the docks, the fresh smell of the river filling Time’s nose. Sky stepped up beside him, peering out toward where the river stretched nearly to the horizon, only the slightest strip of land visible on the other side.

“Wow,” he said quietly. “Are we sure this isn’t an ocean?”

“Doesn’t smell like it,” Legend replied from where everyone else stood behind Time and the others.

“I didn’t know rivers could get this big,” Hyrule murmured.

“Which is why we need to find the sailor as soon as possible,” Warriors stated, turning to address the group. “There are a lot of ships. We should split up so we can cover more ground.”

Everyone paid the captain rapt attention as he split the group into pairs. Normally, that sort of job fell to Time, but his fingertips tingled and the roof of his mouth buzzed, millions of thoughts drumming against the inside of his skull. He could hardly focus on a coherent train of thought aside from save him, save him. He felt immensely grateful that Warriors could focus and strategize. He’d have to thank the captain once all of this was over and Wind was safe.

“Old man, you with me?” A tap on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts. Warriors stood in front of him, gazing at him with a carefully neutral expression. When Time nodded, Warriors continued, “You and I will search the middle few docks here.” He turned to point them out and Time nodded again.

“What about the watchman?” Four asked as the pairs began to split off. “Won’t he notice us poking around the ships?”

“If this is anything like my era, the watchmen are there to make sure no one shoves off in the middle of the night,” Warriors replied. “Just don’t do anything loud and they shouldn’t bother us.”

Four nodded before heading off toward the docks with Twilight. Warriors turned to Time again.

“Ready?”

Time nodded sharply, gaze hardening as he looked out over the ships. He set off toward them, Warriors beside him. Time had to consciously remind himself not to run, despite the angst and impatience prickling under his skin. They passed by one or two errant crew members but weren’t given a second glance. Time had remained out of his armor and Warriors had removed his spaulder and scarf in order to keep a low profile. They’d also left behind their shields as Warriors worried that the moonlight reflecting off of them would draw too much attention. With only their weapons strapped to them, they could pass off as generic guards hired onto ships.

The dock creaked beneath them as they stepped onto the wood, their footsteps joining in with the rhythm of the water flowing and pushing against the ships. Several of the boats were small enough that they could simply peer over the edge and see no one aboard. The other larger ones required boarding and therefore stealth. As Time slipped past a crew member watching the deck, he remembered sneaking through the Gerudo and pirate fortresses. These men were far less observant than the Gerudo, making sneaking onto and off of the ships unseen that much easier. The cover of night certainly helped as well. He and Warriors methodically checked every ship along the dock as quickly as they could while still being thorough. With every ship they checked and no sign of Wind, Time grew more anxious. When they searched the last ship with still nothing after an hour had passed, he felt close to exploding. Warriors squeezed his shoulder reassuringly as they walked back up the dock.

“There are a lot of ships, old man,” he murmured.

That hardly made Time feel better. He clenched and unclenched his hands, trying to control his breathing. When they began down the next dock, he blurted out what had been on his mind since Wind was kidnapped.

“They thought I was his father.”

Warriors half-turned to him, brow pinched.

“In… in the moment, I…” Time pursed his lips, digging his nails into his palms.

Warriors rested a heavy hand on Time’s shoulder. “We’ll find him.”

Time let out a slow breath and nodded. The second dock took just as long to search and proved just as fruitless. Another hour gone, daylight creeping ever closer. Third dock. Nothing. Time pounded his fist against the side of the last boat on the dock. Warriors shot him a concerned glance, but he looked almost as close to snapping as Time felt. When they began the trek to the next dock, Time glanced at the ones further away to try and get a glimpse of the others. He thought he saw a blond head over the edge of one of the ships, but it was hard to tell. In any case, he could see no indication that the others had found anything. He and Warriors started down the fourth dock and Time felt close to simply screaming for Wind and hoping to get a response. He clenched his jaw to prevent himself from doing that and spooking the traffickers into hiding even better. When only three ships remained at the end of the dock, Time’s heart sank. Two ships and a boat. He could see from where he stood that the boat sat empty. That left two ships. Cogs, he thought he remembered the captain calling them.

Warriors pointed to himself then to the ship on the right, just as he’d done at the ends of the last three docks. Steeling himself, Time headed for the cog on the left. A shadowy figure moved about on the deck and Time ducked down, hugging the side of the ship and moving toward the gangway.

“You sure we shouldn’t grab another one while we’re here? We paid that customs officer off.”

Time went still at a voice from the cog, heart thudding in his ears.

“I’m sure.”

Time’s eye widened, blood freezing. That voice. Evenin’, gentlemen, he could hear that voice drawl.

“If the kid’s father survived, he’ll be making a big fuss. ‘Sides, that officer will only look the other way for so much. He hears about kids going missing, he might decide to grow a conscience.”

Time’s hands shook. This was it. This- this- Warriors. He needed to tell Warriors. After several tries and with monumental effort, he stepped away from the cog, slinking across the dock to the ship Warriors had gone to search.

“Oh, shit- Hey! We got a problem!”

Time’s head snapped around at the shout, fearing he’d been caught. But the figures aboard the cog weren’t looking at him, they were running toward the center of the ship, vanishing out of sight behind the sides. Boots pounded on what sounded like stairs. Several exchanges passed back and forth, muffled below deck. Then Time heard the words ‘kid’s gone.’ His chest tightened, eye widening. Quickly, he turned back to the ship Warriors was on.

“Captain!” he hissed as loudly as he dared. Warriors appeared over the side of the ship after a few moments, eyes round. Time pointed to the cog and he heard Warriors suck in a breath. The captain raced toward the gangway with soft steps, hurrying down it and joining Time to head to the cog. The voices from below deck raised, Time catching words like ‘don’t know’ and ‘here somewhere.’ Did Wind escape after all? Time glanced around, noticed the captain doing the same, but he didn’t catch sight of the fluffy blond head or blue tunic. Time reached the gangway first, creeping up it with Warriors just behind him. He stayed low, cautiously poking his head over the side of the ship when he was close enough. Moonlight spilled across an empty deck, warm torchlight emanating from a staircase in the center, leading below. He carefully stepped onto the deck, heard the soft thud of Warriors landing behind him. As they moved toward the stairs, the conversation below deck became clearer.

“-tching the deck the whole night, I swear, he couldn’t have gotten past.”

“Which means, like I said, that he must be down here somewhere,” the man that first approached Time and Wind said. “Stop panicking and start searching. It’s a small space, he doesn’t have that many options. Go watch the stairs to make sure he doesn’t slip past.”

Hurried footsteps came toward the stairs and Warriors and Time quickly moved around to the back of them so they wouldn’t be easily spotted. A sharp thwack like someone kicked something sounded, followed by a chuckle.

“Resourceful little brat, aren’t you?” the first man called.

Footsteps thudded on the stairs, the head of a different man appearing below Time and Warriors. Time carefully withdrew his gilded sword from its sheath on his lower back, silently stepping around the side of the stairs, remaining just out of the man’s peripherals. The man jogged up the stairs and turned around with a huff, agitatedly scratching the top of his head. His eyes darted toward where Time crouched and he froze, going bug-eyed. He opened his mouth to yell but Time moved faster. He whipped his sword about, slamming the flat of it against the side of the man’s head. Warriors was there before Time could blink, catching the man as he crumpled before he could hit the deck and alert the other traffickers.

None of that mattered though, as the second man that had followed the first up saw everything.

Before Time or Warriors could move, the man put his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp whistle. Warriors cursed and drew his blade as footsteps pounded from below them. The whistler took a step back down the stairs, yanking a knife from within his coat. Three more men appeared behind him. Then they all rushed up the stairs.

Time blocked the first blow with his sword, returning it with a strike of his own. The tip of the blade nicked the man in the arm, who grunted, stumbling back down a step. Another took his place, slashing at Time. Time automatically lifted his right arm to block before remembering he didn’t have his shield. He caught the blade on his forearm, clenching his teeth as it sliced through his brown undershirt and into his skin. He resisted the urge to step back, parrying the next attack.

Warriors yelped and Time glanced at him out of the corner of his eye to see the captain fall to one knee. The man Time knocked out had already woken back up and sunk a dagger into Warriors’ calf. The moment the captain went down, the men on the stairs surged forward. Time jerked forward to block a blow aimed for the captain’s neck while Warriors twisted around to fend off the man behind him. In moving, Time left an opening for the men to slip past him up the stairs. He dodged a swing, stepped so he stood directly beside Warriors, turning to face the traffickers. They circled like sharks, jumping back when Time slashed at them. He tried to find a moment to switch to the biggoron sword, but the attackers gave him no respite. They traded strike after strike, forcing Time to go on the defensive as he tried to remain as a wall between them and Warriors so the captain could recover.

The deck lurched beneath him and he staggered back into Warriors. The other men lost their footing at the unexpected motion as well, the fight halting momentarily as everyone focused on regaining their balance. A loud clatter sounded behind him.

“What are you doing?!” one man shouted.

“They’ve got company!”

Time risked a glance over his shoulder to see a different man, one that must have snuck around the other four, dropping a long pole onto the deck. The gangway lay on the dock, presumably having fallen from the cog when the man shoved away from the dock. The ropes keeping the ship in place were cut clean through. Two figures sprinted down the dock and Time recognized them to be Sky and Hyrule, the two that had been searching docks closest to him and Warriors. By the time they reached the end, the cog had already drifted too far away and Sky had to grab Hyrule to keep him from running right off the dock, the traveler not stopping fast enough.

Time didn’t get a chance to see what they did next, whipping back around to defend against the men. One lunged forward and Time ducked under the swing. He shoved off one foot, driving his shoulder into the man’s gut and knocking him back down the stairs. The man tumbled with a series of thuds and yelps as the others dove at Time. He blocked one attack which left him unable to dodge the other, knife slashing across his shoulder. He forced the first attacker away and stepped backwards. His back hit something warm and solid. He stiffened, turning, only to find Warriors fending off both the man that had stabbed him and the one responsible for undocking the ship. He turned back just in time to intercept an overhead swing with his sword, riposting and leaving a deep gash in the man’s chest. One knife clanged against his sword, another deflected off his arm and leaving another deep cut. He gritted his teeth, trying and failing to find a moment to grab his biggoron sword. Between Warriors at his back, the four men surrounding his front and right, and the stairs to his left, he had very little room to maneuver.

One man made a clumsy swing, overextending. Time knocked the knife aside, throwing the man off balance. Then he followed up by running his sword through the man’s gut. The man’s eyes bulged before Time ripped his sword free and he collapsed. The remaining three hesitated. In a flash, Time swapped the gilded sword for the biggoron sword. He swept the massive blade out in front of him in a half circle. The first man in its path failed to dodge in time, receiving a devastating slash along his middle. The others leapt back with a cry as he fell, his blood pooling beneath him and mingling with the other man’s. Time pushed his advantage, stepping forward and swiping the claymore in front of him again, forcing the men further back. A sharp yell from behind him spoke of Warriors’ success and a thrill of adrenaline rushed through Time as he realized they could win this.

“Let’s everyone calm down!” a bellow carried across the deck. A yelp accompanied it that made Time’s blood run cold. He glanced back toward the stairs he’d moved several feet away from and his heart stopped.

The man that had first approached them stood at the top of the stairs with a smug grin. His fingers twisted into the sun-bleached blond locks of Wind, a knife pressed to the sailor’s throat. Wind writhed in his grip until the blade pressed against his skin hard enough to draw blood, a mixture of anger and fear etched into his face. Blood roared in Time’s ears as he watched, eye stretched wide, hands shaking.

“You two are going to put down your weapons,” the man said casually. He yanked Wind’s head back so more of the sailor’s neck was exposed, tilted the blade more directly against his throat. “Alright?”

“You won’t kill him,” Warriors spat. Time’s gaze darted over to see Warriors staring down the man with utter loathing, knuckles white around the hilt of his sword. “He’s merchandise.”

The man cocked his head to one side and flashed a grin at the captain. “You’re right.” Then in one swift movement, he pulled the knife away from Wind’s neck and plunged it into the sailor’s arm, dragging the blade along toward his elbow. Wind yelped, high-pitched and sharp, as Warriors and Time both shouted. Heat rushed into Time’s face as he watched blood soak into Wind’s sleeve. The man flicked the knife, blood droplets scattering from the blade, before returning it to rest against the cut, drawing a small gasp from the sailor. “Nothing a potion can’t fix.”

Time could barely see straight. Pure rage boiled in his chest and throat, flooding his head. Unconsciously, he took a step toward the man and Wind, but stopped as the man shoved the point of the blade into the gash again. Wind gave a strangled shout, digging his nails into the man’s arm in an attempt to free himself, but to no avail.

“I’ll repeat myself as many times as it takes,” the man said, smile dark. “Drop your weapons.”

Half a beat passed and the man stabbed the knife deep into Wind’s arm. He twisted the weapon and Wind screamed, the sound piercing Time’s very soul. Time tore his hands away from the hilt of his sword, the blade clattering to the ground at the same time as Warriors’. The man’s grin widened and Time’s blood screeched through his veins with a hatred stronger than any he’d ever felt before. His skin burned despite the cool air pulling past him as the cog drifted farther and farther down the river. He was so focused on watching the tears roll from Wind’s eyes that he didn’t see the shadow racing toward them across the water until the last moment.

The oncoming boat rammed directly into the cog. The impact sent everyone flying with shouts. A couple men unlucky enough to be near the edge sailed right over it, plunging into the river with distant splashes. Time tumbled across the deck, colliding with another body. He ripped himself away as pandemonium erupted around him. More men came from below deck, shouting about a breach in the hull. The man he’d crashed into attacked, launching himself into Time. They toppled back, Time sent a punch into the man’s jaw. His shoulders hit something hard. He recognized it as the side of the ship. The man wrestled his way on top of Time, aiming a blow at his face. Time let it hit, instead reaching to plant his hands on the man’s middle. Then he shoved, curling and kicking the man up and over his head. The man fell over the side of the ship with a yell. Time sprang to his feet before even hearing the splash, head reeling slightly from the hit. He glanced around for his sword, discovered Legend and Wild on the deck, coming from the boat they’d crashed into the cog with.

A holler from his right alerted him to a man running up in his blind spot. The man slashed, Time ducked under the swing. He dove forward, catching the man off guard, and shoved him over the side and into the river. He turned back, remembered the gilded sword, yanked it from its sheath. He heard a grunt and spun to his left to see two men pinning Warriors to the deck. All three were unarmed and the captain kicked at them as one fisted a hand in his hair and slammed his head back into the deck. Time darted up to them. He stabbed one through the back, the other noticing the fatal blow and leaping aside. Legend appeared behind the man and smashed the hilt of his sword into the man’s temple. Warriors stumbled to his feet, Time reaching out to steady him.

“I’m- I’m good,” Warriors panted as he regained his footing. His injured leg gave beneath him but he managed to catch himself before falling. “Get the sailor!”

Time nodded and darted away, head swiveling as he looked around for Wind. He vaguely became aware of water burbling underfoot, but he couldn’t care about that. Wild fired arrows from across the deck but switched to his sword when a man got too close. Legend leapt back into the fray with a cry, tempered sword gleaming in the moonlight. Then he spotted Wind, the sailor clutching a knife in his good hand and fending off a trafficker. Time took off toward him. He made it two steps before a body collided with him, bringing him to the ground. The impact knocked his sword from his grasp, sending it skittering across the deck. He twisted, managing to knock the pair of hands away before they could wrap around his neck. He punched man in the gut then shoved, pushing him over and sending them rolling so Time was on top. He grabbed the man’s head and slammed it against the deck. Then he did it again, and again, until the man fell still. He scrambled to his feet, gaze darting to where he last saw Wind. He located Wind just as the sailor sank the knife into a man’s gut, sending him down. Wind slumped forward with a gasp, staggering slightly. He didn’t see the first man approach from behind.

A red haze flooded Time’s vision. Before he knew what happened, he sprinted across the deck, careened into the man, and brought him down. The man’s shout cut off with a gag as Time grabbed his throat, pressing all his weight down into his hands. He’d kill him, he’d kill him, for everything he’d done to Wind, to his son. Everything the man would’ve done, everything he would’ve allowed to happen, everything, everything-

Something popped under his hands then all at once someone grabbed his shoulders, trying to pull him back, shouts filling his ears.

“-dead, he’s dead, Link, please!”

Time blinked and his grip loosened. Warriors yanked him back with all his strength and pulled him back off the body. Neither expecting the sudden motion, they fell to the deck in a tangled heap, Warriors ending up half beneath Time. Legend appeared above Time, grabbing his hand, pulling him up. He said something that Time didn’t register, Time glancing back almost numbly to make sure he hadn’t hurt Warriors. Then he caught sight of Wind. The sailor staggered toward him, arm drenched in blood, bits of flesh jutting out of the wound and through the hole in his sleeve. A cry tore itself from Time’s throat and he wrenched his hand out of Legend’s grip, lunging for Wind. Wind’s expression crumpled just before Time collided with him. He gathered the sailor into his arms, shaking as he clutched the back of Wind’s head and held him tight against his chest. Wind’s body hitched with a sob, arms coming up to hug Time in a death grip. Time rocked back and forth, arms shaking as he stroked Wind’s hair, tucking the sailor’s head beneath his chin. Wind was here, he was safe, and Time felt quite certain in that moment that he would never let him go ever again. Then Warriors appeared at their side, squeezing Time’s shoulder saying they had to go, ‘I’m sorry, we have to move, now.’ Time stared at him for a long moment before sound came crashing back properly into his ears. He’d hardly noticed its absence until it returned. Water roared below deck, rushing in through whatever breach the ram caused and filling the cog.

“The ship’s got a raft!” Wild yelled. Time looked up to see the champion standing at the back of the ship, one leg up on the ledge. “We can take it to shore, but we have to go now!”

Warriors shook Time’s shoulder. “Come on, Link, we have to move.”

Time nodded jerkily, unsteadily getting to his feet and keeping his hold on Wind. The sailor made no comment on being carried, hiccupping and burrowing deeper into Time’s shirt. Time, Warriors, and Legend hurried to join Wild. Warriors stooped to grab Time’s gilded sword as they passed it while Legend darted away to grab the biggoron sword where it had slid across the deck. Once they approached, Wild turned and jumped off the back of the ship. Time’s heart fluttered with panic before he reached the side and saw Wild standing on a dinghy lashed to the back of the cog. Time secured his hold on Wind before jumping the short distance down. Wild had already begun attempting to untie the dinghy by the time he landed. The champion cursed, fumbling with the knot as the cog let out a loud groan, tipping slowly to one side. Time stumbled and quickly sat down, taking one hand off of Wind and bracing it against the thwart to steady them.

Just as Wild gave up and reached for his sword, Legend jumped forward, deftly undoing the knot. The dinghy plunged and Time’s stomach fell away. The boat slammed into the water with a splash, water jetting up the sides and raining down on the heroes. Legend snatched oars from beneath the thwarts. He sat at the dinghy’s bow, stuck the oars in the water, and rowed. Two powerful strokes had them gliding across the water away from the cog. Another loud groan reverberated across the water. Time looked back just as it rolled belly-up. The boat Legend and Wild had rammed into it got pushed beneath it, sinking below the surface. The river slowly swallowed the cog, bringing the bodies of the traffickers into its embrace.

Wind shivered in Time’s arms. Time looked down at him, suddenly aware of something warm and wet seeping into the front of his shirt. He gently pulled Wind back to see the sailor’s arm curled between them, blood soaking into both of their clothes.

“Potion,” Time said, voice raspy. His head snapped up to look at the others frantically. “Potion, he needs a potion!”

Wild and Warriors both reached into their pouches, withdrawing bottles.

“Drink yours, Captain, you’re hurt,” Wild said, holding his out to Time. Warriors didn’t argue but he didn’t drink either, watching as Time grabbed the bottle. Time pulled the cork out with tingling fingers, holding it to Wind’s lips. Wind lifted his good hand to it and tilted it back, gulping it down. The others all watched, making sure he drank it all. As he did, the flow of blood from his arm stemmed, the wound closing. He finished it with a gasp, sitting up a bit straighter in Time’s lap as he did.

“Alright, Sailor?” Warriors asked softly. Wind nodded a bit unsteadily, sinking sideways into Time and resting his head on the old man’s chest.

“Captain, drink,” Wild gently reminded him. Warriors watched Wind for a moment longer before knocking back the potion and sighing with relief. Since the dinghy moved along at a steady pace, Time wrapped his other arm back around Wind, enveloping the sailor in warmth. Wind wound his arm around Time’s waist, pulling himself closer.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Time’s heart squeezed. The exhaustion of the battle, the pain of the cuts in his arm, the stress, the panic, the rage, everything came crashing down all at once. A wave of dizziness struck him, chest and extremities tingling. He exhaled through his nose and rested his cheek on Wind’s hair. He held Wind close, feeling the sailor’s little torso expanding and contracting with each breath. He closed his eye and held Wind just a little tighter.

#reblogging myself #because I’m quite proud of this one lol

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jinxedruby · 21 days

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Febuwhump Day Twenty-Nine: Not allowed to die

Featuring Warriors. Conclusion of days twenty-seven and twenty-eight (the ones where Hyrule and Warriors get attacked at some ruins)

Starting and ending with Warriors, perfect. And uhh no one look at the date, it's fine, don't worry about it haha. I was not expecting to actually be able to do (almost) all of this! Thanks to everyone who read at least some of this beast, I appreciate the support :)

Heads up for major violence and major injury in this one. Little extra emphasis on the "major" this time around (it's the last day of febuwhump, I had to go all out lol)

AO3

First part | <- Previous part

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“Traveler!”

A stalfos lunged at Warriors before he could even get the full yell of alarm out as the aeralfos dragged Hyrule away. He twisted to block the stalfos’s sword with his own, metal clanging. He shoved against the monster with a grunt, trying to force it back to give himself the opening needed to go help Hyrule. A second stalfos darted in the moment the first one stumbled, replacing it. Warriors parried the blow with his shield, followed up with a slash. The stalfos leapt over his sword. The first one reappeared with no warning, sword streaking toward Warriors’ side. He twisted to block it, the weapon clanging against his shield. He delivered two rapid strikes, both scoring the stalfos’s ribs before it had the chance to dodge. The second one attacked, forcing him to go back on the defensive while the first one recovered. A particularly heavy blow cost him some balance. He took a half-step back to regain it. His heart jumped into his throat as his heel tipped back over empty air. He leaned forward, attacking viciously in an attempt to push the monsters back and give him room to move away from the edge.

Rapid flapping to his left served as his only warning. A blur of green and orange slammed into him before he could even turn his head. The impact knocked him to the side. His boots slipped off the ledge and he yelped. Pain burst in his shoulder and neck as he hit the stairs at an angle. The world flipped and flipped again, the edges of the steps jabbing painfully against him. His shoulders hit the floor hard, head snapping back and banging against the ground. Stars burst into his vision, prickles of pain radiating out from the back of his skull. He groaned, the sound muffled by the faint ringing in his ears. He blinked and dragged himself upwards.

He whipped his head up at a screech from the top of the stairs. The aeralfos dove and Warriors scrambled back, hand darting out, fingers scrabbling as he searched for his sword. His fingers wrapped around the hilt just as the monster reached him. He wrenched the sword up. The aeralfos’s blade crashed against his, shoving down against him. He braced his right hand against the flat of his blade. The monster shoved harder and his arms shook, head throbbing sharply as he struggled. The metal of the aeralfos’s blade crept closer to his throat and Warriors gritted his teeth. He tensed his core, preparing to try and kick the monster off of him. Abruptly, it ducked its head, looking back at the entrance through its legs. It shrieked, planted a foot on Warriors’ chest, and sprang over his head. The action knocked the air from Warriors’ lungs and he wheezed, the frantic skittering of the monster’s claws against stone growing fainter as it ran. He pressed a hand to his chest and managed up onto one elbow, squinting through blurry vision at the stairs.

A bomb sat at the bottom, hissing as its lit fuse burned shorter and shorter. His eyes widened. He scrambled to his feet, twisting around and dashing away from the bomb. A blast of heat and an ear-splitting BOOM collided with him simultaneously. The explosion launched him forward, limbs splayed, eyes screwed shut on reflex. He hit the ground face-first, temple cracking against the stone.

****

Ash dragged into his lungs with each breath. He coughed weakly, something wet spraying from his nose. He peeled his eyelids apart, vision blurry through the soot and concussion. Pain pulsed in his head so sharply he thought he might be sick. He drew in careful breaths, slowly trying to move his limbs. He wiggled his fingers and toes carefully, felt them move against his gloves and boots. His shield weighed down his right arm, thankfully having stayed strapped to it through the explosion. Something burned dully across his back and shoulders, aching along the backs of his legs. He took a deep breath, immediately regretting it as it triggered another wracking cough that dug shards of glass into his brain. Forcibly swallowing the coughs back, he carefully bent his arms, wincing as the movement tugged at abused skin. He placed his palms flat on the ground under his shoulders. With a groan, he pushed himself up to his hands and knees, head pounding the whole way. His vision swam, causing his grayish hands to swim before his eyes. He stayed like that for a long moment, watching as little beads of blood dripped sluggishly from the tip of his nose and splattered onto the stone between his hands. Even that appeared oddly gray.

Once he could almost convince himself that he felt marginally better, he pushed back to sit on his knees. He nearly overshot, throwing out his arms for balance. The world spun around him and he narrowed his eyes further, determined to remain upright. He briefly considered using the fairy he had but ultimately dismissed the notion. He only had one and wanted to save it for when he was truly on the brink of death. This was only a concussion. And explosive damage to his back. He’d survived worse.

He struggled to his feet, using the wall to drag himself up. He squeezed his eyes shut against the rush of nausea and spiking pain, leaning heavily against the wall. After several deep breaths that hitched against the ash in his throat, he opened his eyes and looked around. Rubble filled the tunnel behind him where the stairs had been. His eyes widened at just how close he’d been lying to the debris, barely a foot away from being crushed. The rubble completely sealed the entrance, trapping him inside. A glint of metal in his peripherals caught his eye and he turned to see his sword discarded beside him. He stooped to pick it up, head throbbing at the change in pressure. Frowning, he stood back up. No sunlight could possibly get through all the rubble, which begged the question as to how he could see.

Claws skittered against stone. He whipped around, the motion driving a spike of pain through his head. Blinking the blurriness from his vision, he saw a blob of color sprinting toward him, wings flapping. He yanked his shield up. The aeralfos slammed into it, throwing him back against the rubble. He somehow managed to stay on his feet, shoving the monster back and sending a thrust toward it. A wave of dizziness washed over him, bile crawling up his throat. He clenched his jaw, willing his vision to steady as the aeralfos lunged. Its blade smashed against his shield, the impact jolting through his arm and stinging the burns on his back. He struck with his sword, scoring a gash on the aeralfos’s shoulder. It hissed and leapt away. He only had a moment before it swooped in again, lifting off the ground and flying toward him despite the close quarters. He tried to time his attack to cut the aeralfos’s wing but missed, sword stabbing empty air under the limb. He managed to deflect the blade with his shield but couldn’t dodge the claws that sank into his tunic. The aeralfos yanked back on him, lifting him off his feet. It slammed him down onto the ground, perched on his chest. He sent a wild swing toward it. He managed to clip its arm, but not enough to keep it from dragging him up and slamming him down again. He grunted, the pain across his back increasing tenfold at the repeated blows. Blackness pricked at the edges of his vision.

The aeralfos lifted him a third time but he was expecting it. He folded his legs under himself, planting his boots on the ground. He wrenched his torso upright, throwing the monster off-balance. It floundered in the air, trying to keep its hold on him and regain its balance at the same time. He stabbed it through the underarm, the tip of his sword jutting through its collar just beside its neck. It screeched loud enough to make his ears ring, black blood spurting from the wound and coating his sword. It thrashed madly, blade smashing against his shield, glancing over the top and nicking his cheek. He yanked his sword free and prepared to strike again. The aeralfos shrieked and lunged in a blur. Pain burst through his arm as the monster’s blade sliced through his skin, his sword slipping from his grasp. He somehow managed to block the next blow but the aeralfos collided with him all the same. It twisted its hand into his hair, claws digging into his scalp. He didn’t even have time to try and free himself before it wrenched him sideways and slammed his head against the wall with a sickening crack.

His vision blackened, limbs numb. The abyss of unconsciousness grabbed him for only a moment. He awoke immediately to the aeralfos’s sword stabbing through his collar and down into his lungs.

For a moment, the pain didn’t register. His chest grew heavy, ice and fire spreading through his veins and seeping into his skin. Then the sword twitched as the aeralfos adjusted its grip and Warriors screamed. The sound split in his own ears before cutting off into a choke as something bubbled up his throat and over his lips. The monster tore the sword from him and he didn’t have the air to scream a second time. Hot blood rushed from the entry wound in his collar, chest burning. At some point, the aeralfos released his hair and he sank to the floor. He clawed at his chest, trying to suck in a breath. Blood pooled and hitched in his lungs, spraying from his mouth when he coughed reflexively. His vision wavered and dimmed. Distantly, faintly, he remembered the fairy in his pouch. He took a hand off of the wound in his collar, blindly reaching for his pouch somewhere at his side. His fingers touched something cold, stuck strangely to it, slipped off of it, and time suddenly felt like a very distant concept. Moving too slow and too fast and his thoughts unraveled in his head as his hearing muffled to the point of deafness.

This is bad, managed to be the only coherent thought he could maintain a grasp on. The dark shapes making up the remains of his vision shifted abruptly. A shearing agony cleaved through his throat and the thought repeated itself. Instincts screamed at him in garbled syllables that made no sense. Gravity shifted, tugging him onto his side. His body felt leaden and light. Darkness flooded the ground and he sank into it. And he drifted.

And drifted.

Feeling roared through his limbs. Pain screeched along his nerves in the instant before a pink light smothered it. Something fluttered through his chest and neck, tingling, warm. He’d hardly realized he couldn’t breathe until the ability abruptly returned. Air tumbled down his throat, catching and choking on the way to his lungs as the pink light carefully sealed the holes in them. His vision returned, dim and hazy, head throbbing fiercely. Everything before his eyes blurred into a grayish blob, the colors rusty and reddish at the left edge. His fingers twitched. Nausea scrambled up his throat. Just as he felt the need to move, the pink light zipped to hover before his eyes, something tapping frantically against his nose. His brow twitched and he narrowed his eyes slightly, focusing just enough to see the transparent wings fluttering at the back of the pink light. His vision wouldn’t expand past the sea of black dots prickling at the edges, but it was enough. A tiny hand pointed somewhere above his perspective and, with great effort, he lifted his eyes.

Colors separated more properly as he woke more, enough to make out the vague shape of the aeralfos stalking down the hall, tail lashing. A low scraping sound rang through the cave as it dragged its sword along the ground beside it. The blade left behind a trail of blood on the stone. The monster chittered and growled, clutching at its wounded shoulder with its other hand. It turned abruptly and he snapped his eyes back to look straight ahead of him. He halted his breathing, staying as limp as he could, ignoring the throbbing in his head.

The aeralfos growled again and the scraping resumed. He cautioned a slow glance upwards, or left, rather, as he realized he lay on his side, the world turned sideways in his view. The aeralfos continued walking farther away from him, down the hall. He drew in a thin, careful breath, making sure to remain silent. He looked around with his eyes, trying to find his sword. The aeralfos thought he was dead. He could grab his sword, surprise it. How… how wasn’t he dead? Only then did he fully register the pink light. The fairy. As he looked around, he caught sight of glass shards scattered across the floor, a cork strewn among them. He had managed to get the bottle out, then? Then he dropped it and it shattered, releasing the fairy. He could’ve laughed.

Just the slightest tense of his abdominal muscles brought the nausea crashing back. He bit down on his lip, forcing it back, suffocating the involuntary flinch. Sword. He had to get his sword. Right now. He continued looking around, each flick of his eyes sending needles into his brain. He spotted it to his right, lying in the middle of the hall where he’d dropped it earlier. He cast another glance at the aeralfos. Still trudging its way down the hall with its back turned. Slowly, he tested the movement of his limbs. He folded his legs and had to stop due the nausea’s return. He took a steadying breath and moved again, gritting his teeth and rolling silently onto his stomach. His head throbbed fiercely, a shiver fighting to be released from his nerves that he managed to suppress. Something lukewarm soaked in his clothes. He risked a glance down to see a pool of his own blood covering the stone ground. That would explain the nausea and blackness persisting at the perimeter of his vision, then. And the still muffled hearing.

After another glance at the aeralfos, he ventured pushing himself to his hands and knees. He let out a slow breath as he moved, arms shaking, balance threating to buck at any moment and send him back to the floor. His stomach rolled and he froze. He took shallow breaths through his mouth, ignoring the urge to cough. The scraping sound stopped and he looked up. The aeralfos had halted in place, dropping its sword to apply better pressure to its bleeding shoulder. He needed to move quickly. It could turn around at any moment and see that he was still alive. He turned carefully but quickly, reaching for his sword. His hand closed around the hilt and he lifted it directly off the floor, not allowing the blade to scrape along the stone. He sat back on his knees, hugging the sword to his chest. He cautiously picked himself up, rising to his feet.

The nausea spiked in his throat just as he stood, head spinning, hearing muffling. He stood stiff for a moment. The nausea only got worse. He needed to move now, right now, or he was going to throw up and the aeralfos would kill him. With practiced efficiency, he clenched his jaw against every signal his body sent him to get him to lie down. He hunched low, gripped his sword, and sprinted.

The aeralfos whipped around with a craw at the sound of his boots pounding against the stone. It shrieked, reaching down to grab its sword. He drew close enough to see its eyes bug out of its head. Its clawed fingers closed around the hilt. Warriors leapt with a crackling shout. His blade slammed down on the aeralfos’s crown and embedded deep in its skull. Instantly, it crumpled. Its sword fell from its grip, hitting the ground with a clatter. He lost his grip on his own sword, stumbling forward as it fell back with the aeralfos, lodged in its head. Then he immediately fell to his hands and knees and threw up so hard his abdominal muscles cramped.

He spluttered and gasped, tears stinging his eyes. He let out a hoarse sob between heaves for air. He clawed at his chest, felt at his collar and neck. Slick blood met his fingers and he choked on another cry. The wounds were gone but goddesses, goddesses-

A sorrowful chime rung in his ear, muffled and tinny. He lifted his head, struggling to get his desperate gasping under control. The little pink fairy from earlier bobbed beside his head, speaking in pitched chimes he couldn’t understand.

“You’re st… still h-here?” he croaked, voice cracking with every syllable.

The fairy’s wings slowed and it sank through the air a little before darting upwards again. It zipped from wall to wall, giving distressed sounding rings the whole time. Warriors fell back into a sitting position, just barely keeping himself from tipping over and landing on his back. He looked to the rubble still blocking the entrance.

“Oh,” he rasped. “Yeah, k-kinda forgot we’re… we’re trapped.”

He pushed himself back so he leaned against a wall. He let out a long sigh, popping a knee up and resting an arm on it. His stomach still churned and he let his eyes slide shut, head thudding back against the wall. Soft tinkling filled the cave. He cracked his eyes open to see the fairy settle onto his knee, folding its wings.

“Thank you,” he said. “F-for sav… saving me.”

The fairy’s wings fluttered and it chirped quietly.

“That was…” His voice stuttered to a halt. Pain ripping through his chest, burning, burning- He squeezed his eyes shut until little stars winked behind his eyelids. “…pretty rough.”

The fairy chimed gently. Little hands tapped his cheek and he opened his eyes to see the pink glow hovering in front of his face. It chimed again with a bit more pep, pink sparkles drifting from its fluttering wings. Warriors allowed himself a small smile, lifting a hand for the fairy to land on.

“I can’t… can’t understand you,” he said. “But thank you.”

The fairy gave its wings a flutter before sitting on his finger. He carefully moved his hand to rest on his knee again, tipping his head back against the wall with a sigh. His heart fluttered too quickly in his chest, trying to make up for the lack of blood. He took deep breaths, not letting his eyes fall shut if only to try and keep himself awake. He needed to figure out how to get out of the cave, but the mere thought of moving right then made his stomach churn. In the meantime, he grabbed his water flask with shaking fingers, taking small sips. It felt like more water stuck to his dry throat than actually made it into his stomach, but it felt heavenly all the same.

The fairy lifted off his hand at one point, drifting farther into the cave. It froze abruptly in the air some distance away. It dropped a few inches before buzzing its wings again. It chimed loudly, zipping back to Warriors. It bounced up and down a few times, glow too bright for him to make out its figure at all. It darted down the cave and back again. He understood that, at least.

“Okay, just… give me a-a second.” He put away his flask then leaned forward. He planted his feet on the ground and slowly pushed himself up. His stomach didn’t protest quite as violently as before but his head still spun, vision shrinking slightly. He braced himself on the wall then began to gradually make his way deeper into the cave. The fairy zipped back and forth as he went, seemingly impatient with his slow progress. Or maybe just excited. Hard to tell without a reliable method of communication. The ambient light of the cave seemed to brighten the farther he walked. He was too exhausted to puzzle out how there was light at all. Then the columns finally came into view.

Several stone pillars stood in the center of a depressed section of ground. Small arches connected the tops of the pillars, forming a semicircle on the outskirts of the shallow pit. Statues depicting a head and wings stood in the middle of a few of the arches, looking very similar to the full statue of the fairy above ground.

“Huh,” Warriors said, slowing. The fairy chirped excitedly and fluttered ahead of him, sparkles trailing behind it. “I guess… guess it is a fairy fountain.”

He trudged forward as the fairy darted around between the pillars, chiming loudly. As he drew closer, he saw that the fountain sat empty of water, the stone dry. The pillars had a few cracks zagging up them, the stone old and worn just like the ruins above. He stopped at the corner where the wall turned to open up to the larger, circular room, not trusting his ability to walk without something to lean on. The fairy continued to fly around, chimes turning frantic. Looking for others, he realized with a small pang in his heart. The fountain seemed to have fallen to ruin long ago. Any fairies that had been there were long gone. The fairy, seeming to realize this, slowed its desperate searching. It hovered in the middle of the fountain for a moment, sinking as its wings drooped. Then it drifted back over to Warriors, who held out a hand for it to land on. It settled on his finger with a low chirp, glow dimming.

A drip echoed through the cave. Warriors turned, the fairy standing up on his finger. Some kind of black goop wormed its way through the rubble blocking the entrance. Bits of it wriggled free and fell to the ground with drips, the liquid continuing to writhe on the floor. He stilled, watching as more and more of the viscous fluid squeezed its way out of the rocks and into the cave, forming a dark pool on the ground. The fluid stopped seeping through the cracks after a few seconds. Then the surface of the puddle rippled unnaturally. An arm clawed its way out of the surface, landing heavily on the ground with a slap, scattering droplets of ink.

Warriors stiffened and quickly moved around the corner, out of sight. He peered back around to see a second arm emerge and brace against the ground. A head came up, then shoulders, then a whole body as the creature dragged itself out of the pool. The puddle shrank as more and more of the monster emerged until none remained, all of it serving to form the body. It stayed huddled on its hands and knees for a long moment, heaving haggard gasps. The blackness began to fade and grow patchy, leaving behind dull color. The creature stumbled to its feet before it was finished fully forming. Warriors swiftly ducked back behind the corner, holding the fairy to his chest and cupping his other hand around it, partially to protect it, partially to hide its glow. The fairy dimmed its light as if sensing this, going very still on his finger.

The creature coughed wetly, the distorted sound bouncing off the cave walls. Warriors heard a shuffle, a slither, a hiss. It coughed again. Something splattered to the floor. Warriors inched away from the corner as silently as he could, quickly looking around. His sword still sat embedded in the aeralfos’s head leaving him with only his shield. The cave dead-ended at the fountain, giving him absolutely nowhere to hide. He had no idea what this monster was. He was in no state to fight, even if he did have his sword. His heart hammered against his ribs and he let out a slow breath, wracking his brain.

Muffled voices seeped through the ceiling. Hope rose in his chest as he strained his ears. He couldn’t make out words and the voices were too quiet to recognize, but they were human, that much he could tell. A low growling sound left the creature, followed by stumbling footsteps towards him. He sank his teeth into his lip, breaths quickening.

“Captain!”

He sucked in a breath, eyes wide. Traveler. Voices spoke after the shout, too quiet for him to understand. He couldn’t call back without the monster hearing him. He couldn’t risk it finding him too soon before the others had a chance to get to him. The creature’s footsteps had stopped. He heard a very quiet sloshing.

“He…ro,” a deep, otherworldly voice snarled. The steps continued again, faster. His blood. The creature had seen his blood pooling in the hall of the cave. Which would lead it to the body of the aeralfos. And his sword. And it would know he was unarmed. He stuck a hand into his pouch, desperately searching for anything he could use. The voices above grew louder. Then quieter. He bit back a curse, hand darting from item to item. The footsteps grew closer. His fingers closed around his bow. He yanked it out then guided the fairy to sit on his scarf. It nestled into the folds of the fabric, wings folded flat against its back. Silently, he pulled out an arrow. He winced at the soft twang of the string snapping into the nock. The footsteps seemed deafening. He pulled back the arrow.

A shadowed, hunched form with blazing red eyes lurched out of the hall and into the fountain. He loosed the arrow. It slammed into the monster’s face, sinking into its cheek. Black blood flow around the arrow as the creature stumbled back with an ugly screech. Warriors quickly drew another arrow before allowing any time to process exactly what it was he was shooting. The creature ducked under the second projectile, whipping around to face him with a snarl. His heart stuttered, eyes widening briefly at the distorted interpretation of his face. The features grew clearer as he watched but he shoved down the shock. He drew back an arrow, backpedaling as fast as he could without falling. The monster, the shadow, growled and lunged. He clumsily fired the arrow as he darted to the side. The yowl of the shadow told him he must have somehow hit his mark. He twisted to face it but the movement cost him his balance. He staggered as he wildly attempted to regain it, back hitting one of the fountain’s pillars. Black splotches danced in his vision, blending with the dark patches on the shadow’s body and clothing. His body and clothing.

The shadow dove for him before he had the chance to nock another arrow. He scurried to the side. The monster crashed into the pillar and shoved off of it just as quickly, careening toward him. His head spun as his knuckles whitened around the bow. As the shadow approached, he planted a foot and sent his fist into its cheek, just beneath the arrow still lodged in its face. Its head snapped to the side and it staggered. Somewhere through the blood rushing in his ears, he thought he heard Hyrule call his name again.

“Down here!” he screamed as loud as he could, voice cracking. While the shadow recovered from the blow, he traded his bow for the knife on his belt. He slashed in an arc in front of him, forcing the shadow to stay back. It growled, pausing for a moment, watching Warriors as he carefully held his stance and struggled not to waver. He didn’t have to win. He just had to stall long enough for the others to reach him. Assuming they’d heard him.

The shadow darted forward and he darted back, swinging the knife and keeping it at bay. It repeated its attempts to get close to him a few more times, Warriors warding it away each time with the knife. Then it snarled dangerously, hunching down. It lunged. Warriors swung again, the knife slicing along the side of its neck, but it didn’t seem to care. It collided with him and the world flipped as it brought them both crashing to the ground. His head smacked against stone, starkly reminding him of his concussion as pain split his skull in half. He swung blindly, feeling resistance as the knife sank into the shadow’s side. The monster hissed but didn’t move off of him. It snatched his wrist, twisting his hand, trying to get him to drop the knife. He held on until it smashed his hand against the ground. Something cracked and he cried out, the knife jerking from his grasp and skittering away across the floor. Then hands wrapped tightly around his throat, squeezing and cutting off blood and airflow.

He choked, clawing at the shadow’s forearms, fingernails sinking weirdly into the gloves. His already darkening vision darkened even faster, rapidly shrinking. Sharp chiming reached his ears as the fairy darted out of its hiding place in his scarf. He could just make out the pink orb zipping up the shadow and battering itself incessantly against its head. But the monster paid it no mind, only tightening its grip on Warriors’ throat. He kicked as he struggled to breathe. He took a hand off the shadow’s arm to grasp at its face, trying to jab it in the eyes. If he succeeded, the shadow didn’t even flinch. Pressure built in his head, senses growing fuzzy and distant. His heart beat frantically in his chest as his struggles slowed. Something loud jammed into his ears but he could no longer discern any noise aside from the dull roaring. His hands went numb and tingly, fingers slipping off of the shadow’s arms. A manic grin twisted into the murderous rage on the shadow’s face. His vision shrank to a pinprick, eyes lidding.

Something shifted. The pressure released. His vision flooded back and blood rushed into his head once more. The shadow screeched, the sound dampened by the muffling in his ears. Something grabbed his shoulder and he thrashed, or tried to. His fist connected with something before the hand vanished and didn’t return. Air raked through his throat as he sucked in a desperate gasp. It burned in his lungs, a fit of raspy coughs spilling out of him. The shadow screeched again and he struggled to pry his swollen eyelids apart, adrenaline blazing through his veins.

His eyes opened a crack, just enough to see Hyrule straddling the shadow on the ground, sword gripped tightly in both hands, whaling on the shadow’s head. Black blood splattered with each strike, the creature shrieking. Another sound layered over the shadow’s voice and it took Warriors a moment to realize it was Hyrule screaming. Another shout joined the cacophony and Wild sprinted over to them. He deftly dodged Hyrule’s haphazard strikes and grabbed the traveler’s wrists. Hyrule’s head snapped about to face him, eyes alight with rage. Wild’s words drowned under the ringing in Warriors’ ears, but Hyrule’s face froze then collapsed. The shadow went still and melted out from under him, the pool of black blood seeping into the ground and vanishing.

A hand landed on Warriors’ shoulder. He nearly jumped out of his skin, attempting to roll to see what touched him, which only resulted in triggering another coughing fit. Air streaked through his throat and lungs like lava, each cough only making the pain worse. He struggled to get the fit under control, dragging in thin gasps that didn’t carry nearly enough oxygen into him. As he lay on his back, tears stinging in his eyes, struggling to breathe, a low, rumbling voice reached his ears. The words were muffled to the point of incomprehensible, but he recognized the voice as Time’s. The fight drained from him the instant he did.

He forced his eyes open to see Time kneeling over him with a stricken expression. The old man’s face went in and out of focus, the room dimming and brightening at random intervals. Warriors tried to say something, but only a harsh croak left his lips, scraping against the inside of his throat. Time looked away from him with a hardened expression that badly masked his panic. Warriors let his eyes fall shut again, feeling the timbre of Time’s voice in his ears. Someone shook his shoulder and he blinked to see all three heroes suddenly crowding him. Words passed over him that he could almost make out, between Wild and Time, but his gaze drifted to Hyrule. Aside from the black blood splattered across his face and arms, deep red blood also stained the midsection of his tunic. Warriors reached for Hyrule with numb fingers, grasping at the traveler’s hand and trying to convey his worry despite not being able to speak.

Hyrule grimaced and closed his hands over Warriors’, giving them a squeeze. I’m okay. His lips moved before the words disentangled themselves in Warriors’ head.

“-said she already spent her magic healing him before,” Time was saying. Warriors looked over to him, sound still muffled but at least making sense.

“B-before?” Wild replied. “So, then, all that blood-“

“Is- is his, yes.” Time sounded ill.

A pink glow flitted across Warriors’ vision as the fairy landed back down in his scarf with a mournful chime. Warriors gave a brief effort to sit up, if only to reassure the others that he wasn’t dead, but just attempting to lift his head caused the room to careen and tumble nauseatingly. He closed his eyes with a soft hiss, waiting for the pounding to subside.

“Traveler, can you heal him?” Time asked.

“I- n-no, I’m out of magic,” Hyrule stammered. His hands tightened around Warriors’, voice dropping to a whisper. “I’m sorry.”

“You have more potions, Champion?”

“Plenty.”

Warriors winced at just the thought of trying to swallow anything. He pried his eyelids apart, opening his mouth to express that. His voice barely squeaked in response. Shaking his head caused needles to stick into his neck, so he settled for grimacing and weakly pushing the potion away when Wild offered it to him.

“Captain, you gotta drink it, you’re hurt,” Wild insisted. Warriors pressed his lips together and pushed the potion back again.

“Captain-“ Time began.

“Guys, I don’t- I don’t think he can,” Hyrule said hoarsely. “Look at his neck, it- it-“

Time and Wild’s gazes both dropped below Warriors’ chin. Judging by their expressions Hyrule didn’t need to further explain himself. Warriors relaxed slightly, giving Hyrule’s hand a grateful squeeze. The fairy nuzzled against the skin just beneath his ear and he let his eyes slip closed. Snatches of conversation jumped back and forth over him, a heavy blanket over his ears muffling them as exhaustion pulled at the backs of his eyes. Just before he slid under the gentle waves of unconsciousness, hands grabbed at his shoulders and arms. The world tilted and he groaned, or tried to, too-tight throat pinching off the sound. A sturdy arm looped around his back, holding him upright.

“Just lean on me, Captain, we’re going to get you out of here,” Time murmured beside his ear.

A second arm wrapped around Warriors from the other side, Hyrule taking his left arm and draping it over his own shoulders. Then he and Time lifted him up. Warriors’ legs gave out from under him immediately, the world pitching abruptly, gravity pulling at his stomach and the center of his skull. But Time and Hyrule were ready, already supporting all of his weight. They practically carried him between them as they made their way out of the fountain and through the hall. He tried to walk with the movement, but he mistimed nearly every step, boots tripping and dragging the whole way. Light flooded the hall that Warriors hadn’t noticed before. He lifted his head just enough to see the rubble strewn about the cave instead of plugging up the entrance. Wild, he thought with a resigned sort of fondness as he let his head lower again. He had very little doubt the champion would be the one to come up with the idea to blow up the cave-in that had been caused by an explosion in the first place.

A soft splash sounded underfoot as Time and Hyrule stepped into a puddle. Hyrule sucked in a shuddering breath and Time’s arm tightened around Warriors. Warriors blinked, convincing his eyes to focus for long enough to make out the pool of his blood. And the blade driving down through his chest, ripping apart his lungs- He tried and failed to suppress a shudder, turning his face into Time’s shoulder. Time said nothing, only holding him even more securely.

“Time,” Hyrule began in a rough voice, distracting Warriors from his memory. “Captain, I- I’m sorry for insisting we look around. If I hadn’t, then- then you wouldn’t have-“ A shaky inhale interrupted him. “And I’m sorry that I left, I didn’t- had I known, I never would’ve- I- I should’ve realized something was off sooner, but I-“

“It’s not your fault, Traveler,” Time cut into Hyrule’s quickly spiraling apology. “You were tricked. It could’ve happened to any of us. I don’t blame you. I’m sure the captain doesn’t, either.”

Warriors couldn’t nod, so he just squeezed where his hand gripped Hyrule’s shoulder in agreement. He hadn’t seen what happened to Hyrule after the aeralfos dragged him off, but he knew Hyrule wasn’t the type to abandon his brothers.

Hyrule made a choked sort of sound, squeezing Warriors in return. A blur of blue appeared on Hyrule’s other side, Wild falling into step with them and resting a hand on Hyrule’s arm. The light grew brighter as they approached the entrance to the cave. It stung Warriors’ eyes and he blinked, squinting against it. Time and Hyrule picked their way through the rubble, carefully keeping their holds on Warriors as they did. They paused at the bottom of the stairs, readjusting so they were basically fully carrying Warriors. Then they helped him up the ruined steps and out into the light of day.

#holy shit this is long #linked universe #linked universe fanfic #linked universe fic #ruby writes #febuwhump #febuwhump2024 #lu warriors #lu time #lu wild #lu hyrule #every time i use the word pain take a shot #you'll be dead by chapter three #i use pain 150 throughout this whole thing fun fact

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