Chapter Text
Twilight's boots left green tracks through the frost-silver grass. The sun rose slowly, melting away the night one moment at a time. Twilight breathed deep, smelling the last curling wisps of smoke from their campfire mingling with tea trees and water lilies. His fishing rod flexed with each step, sinker swaying like a pendulum.
Wild walked beside him, gingerly holding Time's rod. Twilight had seen him juggle bombs before, but somehow this polished whip of wood was throwing him. Twilight clapped him on the shoulder and watched him fumble the rod a little.
"Relax. It's just a fishing rod." He smiled.
"I feel like an idiot." Wild muttered. "My methods work just fine. This," he wobbled the rod, holding it out in alarm as the sinker swung for his head; "This is witchcraft."
"This is how you catch a fish without scaring off every living thing in the lake." Twilight smirked.
An old, wooden jetty stretched out before them, reaching deep into the broad, flat lake. A cold breeze whispered through the reeds. Wild clutched the rod a little closer, goosebumps rising on his skin. Twilight shrugged off his bag, dumping it at the foot of the jetty. He strode out, gazing at the lake as it opened up before him.
"It's a beautiful morning to fish." He said, half to himself.
"One bomb would get us dinner." Wild muttered. Twilight ignored him.
"I'll cast for you the first time." He offered, loosening his line. He freed his hook, sliding on the bait before letting it swing free. "Watch what I do."
"Watching." Wild promised. Twilight let the rod drift far over his shoulder. With a hard flick, he sent the line soaring in a long arc over the lake. The sinker hit the water with a gentle plop. Twilight reeled fast, pulling his line taut.
"See what I'm doing here?" Wild craned to look at his hands. "I've got my finger on the line. It's tense. I'll be able to feel if a fish starts tugging. Put Time's rod down, cub." Wild obeyed, eyeing Twilight suspiciously. Twilight pushed his rod into Wild's hands, grinning as the Champion jerked forward a little, the rod resisting his grip. "Finger on the pulse." Twilight reminded him, repositioning Wild's hands.
"What's that?" Wild asked after a moment. "I can feel the line moving. Is that a fish?"
"It's been five seconds, cub." Twilight rolled his eyes. "Relax. Fishing’s as much about patience as it is about technique."
"So not a fish." Wild said stubbornly.
"Trust me, you'll know when it's a fish." Twilight promised. "It'll try and take you with it." He cast out Time's rod, smiling softly. "Just gotta be patient."
"Patient, huh?" Wild's eyes were laser focused on the lake, as though he could compel a bite through sheer willpower. "How long are we talking here?"
"As long as it takes." Twilight replied smoothly.
He breathed deeply, taking in the crisp air, the dapples of sunlight peeking through the trees, the rugged planks beneath his feet. This was peace. This was everything.
"This is boring." Wild fidgeted.
"Shut up." Twilight growled. He settled down onto the jetty. Wild followed suit, cross legged beside him. His shoulders were up around his ears. "Relax." Twilight insisted. Wild breathed deep, shoulders sinking down. Twilight looked back to the water and let his mind wander.
Wild jerked suddenly, face lighting up. "A bite!" He gasped.
"Reel in quickly! It'll fight you." Twilight smiled. Wild grinned back, winding as hard as he could. Twililght's smile faded as the tension on the rod loosened. Wild reeled until the hook flew out of the water. He yelped as it swung near his face and scrambled to catch it.
"Fish stole your bait." Twilight said sympathetically. "At least now you'll have casting practice."
Wild gave it a try, but his first cast landed just a few feet away with a plop. "Oops," he muttered, his cheeks turning faintly pink.
Twilight stifled a laugh. "Not bad for your first try. You’ll get the hang of it. Try again, but this time, flick your wrist a bit more."
Wild’s next cast was better, sending the line farther into the lake. He grinned triumphantly. "There! What do you think?"
"You’re getting there," Twilight said with a smirk. They both sat in companionable silence for a while, water sloshing gently beneath the jetty.
Minutes passed. Twilight could sense Wild's suppressed energy. The boy was practically vibrating beside him.
This was meant to be relaxing.
Wild couldn't resist. "So, do we just wait?"
"Yep. This is the relaxing part," Twilight said grumpily. He saw Wild grin out of the corner of his eyes and scowled.
"Got it." Wild hummed thoughtfully, his usual energy finally settling into a calm focus.
A twitch, and Wild's line jerked hard.
Twilight perked up. "That's a bite! Keep your grip steady and start reeling it in. Don’t let the line slack."
A fire lit in Wild's eyes. He reeled furiously, pulling back, losing and catching the line. Twilight watched closely, a smile growing on his face.
Finally, finally, a fish burst free, swinging on the line. Wild snatched it, hugging it to his chest. He drew a knife and effortlessly sliced betwen the fish's gills. Blood spattered onto the jetty.
"Nice." Twilight grinned. "That's a decent size, too. Now we just have to do this eight more times."
Wild smiled back. With a tap of his hand, the bled fish disappeared into his slate. "I could do this eight more times." He agreed. "Orrrr I could practice my aim!" He placed the rod down and reached for his bow.
"No bows!" Twilight scolded, cuffing his head. "We're learning to fish the right way!"
"My way is faster!" Wild argued.
"You need to be patient!"
The sound of beating footprints caught their attention. Wind raced down the path, skidding to a halt at the sight of his brothers.
"Hey Wild!" He called, waving. "What's for breakfast?"
Wild whistled. "Welp, guess we're done here!" He handed Twilight his rod, clapping him on the shoulder. "Thanks for the lesson!"
"Get back here!" Twilight barked. "We're not done!"
"They're helpless without me, Twi!" Wild shrugged, already stepping off the jetty. "Besides, I think I've perfected fishing. I'll quit while I'm ahead."
Twilight bristled. "You get back here and sit patiently."
"Can't hear you!" Wild called back with a grin. He took off after Wind, sprinting out of sight.
Twilight turned back to the water with a huff. "Idiot." He muttered.
"I take it your lesson went well?"
Twilight glanced back. Time strode down the path, unhurried and smiling faintly.
"Well, he didn't break any rods." Twilight sighed, handing Time's rod back. "And he sat still for about ten minutes. He just needs to slow down." He handed over a piece of bait.
"He'll get there. Maybe with age." Time smiled. He cast his rod. Twilight watched in wonder as the sinker splashed down even further than his own. "He's young. You all are."
"Being young is one thing. Being an impatient idiot is another." Twilight grumbled. He sighed, softening. "He's not an idiot. I shouldn't have said that. He was actually a good student for a few minutes there."
"You’re a good teacher." Time nudged him.
The two sat in companionable silence, their lines drifting in the water. Twilight breathed in the fast warming air. It was going to be one of those overly hot days that ended in a storm, he could feel it.
But that was later, and this was now. He relaxed, eyes falling out of focus over the glittering water. There was nothing but passing time, and the breeze, and the gentle tug of the line as it was pulled by the current.
Time. Twilight glanced at his ancestor. He looked totally relaxed, eyes distant.
This moment was perfect. Twilight could stay here looking out at the water all day. He and Time reeled in fish after fat fish, their tackle bags slowly filling up. In between battles, there was murmured conversation, stretches of companionable silence, and peace.
The distant sound of shouting and laughter carried from the camp, breaking the serene quiet. Wind returned, rushing down the path, his own fishing rod springing wildly in his arms. His feet thundered on the jetty. "Move over! I need to catch a bigger fish than Wild!" Wind held out a grabby hand to Twilight. "Bait!"
Twilight huffed. "Say 'please'."
"Please let me show Wild who the real fisherman is." Wind's eyes were full of determination.
"You know it's not a competition, right?"
"Everything’s a competition when you're a winner." Wind shot back. Twilight rolled his eyes, handing over the bait. Wind shoved it onto his hook and cast his line with a dramatic flick of his wrist.
To Twilight's dismay, the line crossed over his own. "We're going to get stuck!" He complained.
"We're going to be fine." Wind insisted. "Just duck under me."
"I never crossed Twilight's line!" Wild jeered from down the pathway.
"Shut up!" Wind snapped back. "You watch, I'll have a fish on the line in five seconds!"
Just as the words left his mouth, Wind’s line jerked. "I got something!" he shouted triumphantly. He reeled, but the rod only bent. The line pulled taut, pushing Twilight's down into the water. "Wow, big fish." Wind marvelled.
"Or your line is stuck." Twilight sighed. "And now mine is, too." He reeled back in, hoping there was still a chance, before his rod jerked similarly. "We should cut these before they break our rods."
"Wait, give me a second. I have a good instinct for these things." Wind's eyes narrowed at the water. "I bet we've snagged treasure."
"This is an inland lake." Twilight pointed out.
"People drop things in lakes all the time." Wind shrugged. "Just try it. Reel with me."
Twilight sighed. "If my rod breaks, you're paying for a new one."
"Deal." Wind grinned. "I'll pay for it with this treasure!"
Twilight and Wind tugged at their rods simultaneously. To Twilight's surprise, something tugged free. Wind crowed as their lines began to drift. "Reel it in! Let's go!" He laughed.
The line pulled taut again, but this time there was give. They pulled together slowly, Wind's face screwed up in concentration. Wild watched, eyes wide.
"What if it is a fish?" He breathed. "A massive one."
"It's not fighting." Twilight pointed out.
Time’s rod bent sharply. Twilight glanced over to see his face plastered with a childlike grin. "Something good!" He promised, reeling in quickly.
"No way! Pull harder!" Wind shouted at Twilight, reeling in furiously. Twilight felt a spark of competition and matched his pace, grinning over at his mentor.
It was too late. Time 's line finally pulled free, weighed down by a massive fish, glinting silver. He smirked, holding it up for the others to see. "Looks like I win," he said smugly. Twilight couldn't suppress a grin.
"I'll have you know I caught the first fish." Wild interrupted.
"Shut up, Wild! Head in the game, Wolfie." Wind elbowed Twiilght. "We're so close."
With a final tug, their lines tore free of the water. Suspended between the two rods was a small, decorative chest. Their hooks were tangled in the intricate metalwork. "Pretty!" Wind cooed, prying the hooks free. "And locked. Bummer."
"We'll sort it out back at camp." Twilight suggested.
"Shit, breakfast!" Wild cursed, sprinting back. Twilight chuckled.
Breakfast came and went quickly. The chest was handed around. Hyrule gave it a shake, listening. "Something rattling inside." He said excitedly. "Something small."
"A single coin." Warriors suggested.
"A diamond." Wind's eyes were wide.
"Let's find out." Hyrule grinned, pulling a small set of lockpicks from his pouch.
Wind’s eyes widened. "You carry those?"
"You never know when they might come in handy," Hyrule replied with a shrug. He crouched beside the chest and inspected the lock. "This looks new enough." He murmured. "Should take just a couple of minutes."
Minutes passed. The lock refused to give. "I don't get it." Hyrule sighed. "I've unlocked it, but it won't open."
Wild turned the box over, searching for a weak point. "Maybe…" He murmured, summoning his knife from the slate.
"What are you going to do, stab it?" Legend snapped. "Hand it over, idiot."
"Just give me a second." Wild complained. He ran the knife under the lip of the metal, feeling his way around. "This thing's been in the water. Maybe it's rusted shut." The blade twisted in his grip. He winced as it nicked his thumb. A bead of blood grew from the cut. Legend snatched the knife away, scowling. "It’s just a scratch." Wild muttered.
"You've lost chest priveleges." Sky plucked it from his hands. "If it won't open normally, maybe we just smash it open. Do any of you have a hammer?
He barely finished the question before Wind drew a comically nightmareish-looking hammer from his bag. "Don't worry. I got this." Wind cracked his knuckles. Sky gingerly placed the box down.
Four's eyes widened in alarm. "You’re going to destroy whatever’s inside if you start smashing it! Let me take a look first." They knelt beside the chest, running blacksmithing tools along every hinge and crack. Wind tapped his foot impatiently. "Weird." Four murmured. "This should pop open."
Legend plucked the box from the ground, frowning. "A box that should open, but doesn't." He murmured. He squinted, turning it over.
"It's in great condition, too." Time pointed out. "Given it was just pulled from the bottom of a lake."
"Unnatural." Legend agreed. He set the box down again. "Hit it with the hammer, see what happens."
"With pleasure!" Wind grinned. The chain cringed away as he swung hard. The chest was pulverised in a spray of sparks, crushed flat onto the ground. The metal was red hot.
"Right by the cooking pot? Really?" Wild complained, shuffling his pan further away. "Could have been anything in there."
"An arcane lock!" Legend poked at the shattered chest with his sword. "Someone really didn't want this opened."
"Doesn't matter now." Wars sighed. "Whatever was in there has to be destroyed."
"Wait, look." Twilight drew his own blade, shifting around the smoking wood. "Something white."
Wind reached out. Sky snatched his hand. "It's red hot, Wind!" He exclaimed. "We need to cool it first."
"Got you covered!" Wild smiled. He raised his slate above the destroyed chest, and a torrent of water flowed out. The chain leapt to their feet, yelping and dancing back from the fast spreading water.
"I'm going to kill you." Warriors growled, wringing out his scarf. Wind reached into the mud and plucked out the bright spot. It was a pearl, white and shimmering, fixed to a delicate gold cup and finished with a hooked wire and clasp.
Legend crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Congratulations. You found one rusted earring," he said dryly. "Not even a pair. Don't wear that thing, it's probably cursed."
"It's mine." Wind claimed instantly. He smeared away at the mud and held it up by the hook. "My treasure." He said proudly. Legend made a noise of disgust before wandering back to his book.
Wild grinned mischievously, waving his knife in the air. "Want me to pierce your ears for you?"
Wind cringed, lowering the earring. "Hell no."
"It's pretty." Wild raised his eyebrows.
"It's mine." Wind emphasised. "But… I guess it could be for sale." He grinned darkly. "Trade it for your paraglider?"
"For a day."
"A week."
"Five days, tops."
"Five days and we go shield surfing."
"Done." Wind tossed the earring to Wild. He snatched it from the air with a grin. He looked around, amusement growing, before popping it into his mouth.
"Wild! That's disgusting!"Sky gasped. "Spit it out!" Wild acquiesced, plopping it into his hand before spitting out the mud.
"Clean now." He shrugged, prying out one of his amber earrings.
"Your slate makes water." Twilight groaned. "Wash your mouth out."
"Okay dad." Wild rolled his eyes. He carefully inserted the pearl earring into his ear, pausing for a moment to admire his handiwork. A small, satisfied grin spread across his face as he turned his head slightly, letting the light catch the pearl. He lifted his chin proudly towards Hyrule.
"How do I look?" Wild asked, fluttering his eyelids.
"Like an idiot." Hyrule said flatly. "I can't believe you put that in your ear."
"I can't believe you put that in your mouth." Warriors groaned. "You're going to get a disease."
Legend tsked, raising his book higher. Wild slipped the amber earring into his slate and touched his ear again. The earring felt warm.
"What's this on the box?" Four picked up a piece of the shattered wood. "It says Arelle."
"Maybe this was her jewellery box." Twilight speculated.
"Why would a jewellery box with a single earring need an arcane lock?" Legend called back, giving up the pretense of reading.
"Maybe she's a witch and was practicing. Maybe it fell from her boat." Wind shrugged.
"Maybe a bird took it and dropped it in the lake." Sky suggested.
"Maybe we should set up the tents." Time interrupted. "There is a storm coming."
"Got it." The chain chorused, reaching into their bags.
Twilight stood, stretching. "Anyone want to do some last minute fishing before the rain hits us? Wild?"
"You know, if you wait for lightning to strike the lake, you'll get a bunch of free fish!" Wild grinned. Twilight groaned.
x
The storm was vicious. The lake’s surface churned, choppy and grey beneath the flickering sky. The fire was reduced to coals, then to a dark, slushy puddle. Legend was miserable.
Seasoned adventurers don’t tend to get caught out in storms like this, but the chain hadn’t seen any evidence of civilisation in this Hyrule yet, and there was nothing beyond this lake but thick pine forest in every direction. They had planned to trek up one of the barely distinct hills so that the idiots among them could climb the highest trees and try to get a lay of the land - planned to, before the allure of a calm lake and a safe clearing had blown their motivation. Wind and Wild had been forbidden to indulge in pyromania to do their own scouting, and some of the party had spent the entire afternoon fishing. Legend had spent it barely preventing his successor from disappearing into the forest by dragging him out kicking and screaming and peppered with pine needles.
And now, it was far too late, and they were stuck huddled inside their non-cyclone-rated tent, drenched and miserable.
Seasoned adventurers . More like sleepless, driven, puzzle solving, deeply traumatised children out for monster blood and treasure. Legend fingered his bag and considered again whether there was some tool he’d forgotten that would stop them all from getting soaked. Or at least Hyrule . The healer looked miserable, and not just because he was once again forbidden from wandering (“Just to find shelter!”). He was shivering violently, fingertips waxy with chill.
Wolfie emerged from the forest, eyes reflecting the warm light cast by Legend’s fire rod and the glowing flameblade Wild had forced into Four’s hands (“Take it or I’ll hit you with it. Either way, you’re getting warm.”). The giant wolf collapsed forward onto its paws before seeming to roll back into a stand, fur retreating and form twisting until Twilight stepped forward, stretching and unphased by the torrential rain. Legend raised an eyebrow. The rancher had gone from sneaking off into the bushes to transform to flagrantly shifting in front of everyone, weird gross body contortions displayed for all to see. Good for him.
“I couldn’t smell anything useful, just mud and ozone. The rain’s even washed away animal tracks. I could pick a direction and keep running, see if we get lucky?”
“Lucky.” Legend wheezed, giving up on awkwardly crouching and collapsing onto the wet ground. The enchantments on his tunic should stop his ass from being soaked. If he was lucky . Hyrule shuddered next to him. Legend hooked a drenched arm over his shoulders, pausing to worry whether that would help warm him or just make him soggier.
Wild leapt to his feet. “I’m in. Let’s go.”
“No,” chimed Legend, Warriors and Twilight together. Wild groaned.
“Come on, as if any one of us is getting sleep tonight. We may as well move!”
The air itself seemed to crack open, a blinding-white bolt splitting the sky with a deafening explosion. For an instant, the world turned white - too bright, too fast for his mind to register anything but sheer shock and force. A tree in the clearing exploded, splinters scattering in all directions as fire erupted from its heart. The world held its breath - then the rain crashed down harder, the storm unfazed by the sheer power it had just unleashed. Legend gasped, willing his heart rate to go down. He felt Hyrule’s hand squeeze his own. When did…?
“Fuck no. We’re staying here.” Four said dully. They glanced around at their companions and were horrified to see Time and Sky slumped together in their own tent, continuing to sleep through the chaos. Twilight shrugged and found a wedge of their tent to squeeze into, droplets rolling off his impenetrable pelt.
There was a distant crack as the mutilated tree collapsed. Wild fumed, legs jittering with unplaceable energy. He glanced into the clearing to see a defiant Wind screaming while being whipped in the face with shredded leaves.
"You think you can scare me with a little light show, you soggy old bastard?! Please! I’ve fought monsters bigger than you, and they at least had the courtesy to TRY and eat me!" The boy kicked at the sad remains of their campfire, then whipped his hand up and caught a defiant branch moments away from colliding with his face. “Is that all you’ve got?! Blow harder, you wet fuck!”
“Wind! Stop taunting the damn weather and get inside the tent!” Warriors bellowed over the storm.
“I’LL COME INSIDE WHEN IT APOLOGISES!”
Four’s head dropped into their hands with a groan. Wild shot to his feet, impatience winning over whatever good sense had kept him stationary. Time’s eye opened, as if sensing something stupid was about to happen.
“I’m going for a walk.” Wild announced. A series of dull protests drained out of the tents, overpowered by Time’s disappointed sigh. Twilight began to shuffle back to his feet before his ancestor’s hand fell on his shoulder.
“Let him get it out of his system,” he murmured, “or he’s going to drive us all insane.” Twilight grimaced at the unarguable logic.
Wild stepped into the rain just as an exhilarated and dripping Wind blustered in, grinning. “That should do it,” he said proudly. “Old sailor’s trick. Storm’ll give up soon. Gotta show it who’s boss.” He wrung out his shirt. Warriors kicked his shins.
“Can you try to keep some of the storm outside next time?!”
x
Wild hooked his hood over his head, the saturated fabric just heavy enough to prevent it from being blown off in the wind. He wandered away, boots catching in the mud. Lightning illuminated the clearing. It had bloomed with life in the morning. Now it was only flat darkness shot silver every few moments. The ghost of the clearing guided Wild's steps down the path to the lake.
He paused at the foot of the jetty, glimpsing it only in silhouette. He could bomb some fish - he was already wet, jumping in wouldn't make him wetter. Lightning spread across the sky, silent light for only a moment before the crackle and boom of thunder rattled Wild's mind. Better not swim.
Even enchanted, his hood couldn't stop all the water. Wild's bangs were sinking and dripping over his eyes. He brushed them aside, tucking them behind his ears. An odd cold sensation washed over him as his fingertips met the pearl. Probably should have cleaned it better.
A shuffle in the darkness. Not a falling branch, not thunder or pounding rain. Something else. Wild drew his bow, rapidly nocking an arrow, and remained silent.
Any sounds sunk in the rain, any movement blotted out by darkness. Wild watched the treeline. Lightning flashed, and a picture of the forest seared into Wild's mind. He waited.
The next flash. Something was different. Wild lowered himself into a crouch and kept his eyes fixed on the darkness, watching for movement.
Flash.
There.
He let his arrow fly.
The squeal that erupted from the darkness could almost pass for a boar, if it hadn’t been accompanied by a writhing bipedal form. Lightning revealed a flash of metal in its hand.
Bokoblin. Shit.
"Monsters!" Wild shouted, praying his voice would carry through the storm. Another flicker in the trees had him skirting backwards up the slope, firing three more arrows into the darkness. One hit its mark, tearing through the Bokoblin and sending it scattering into malice. The other two thudded into a tree.
Wild's heartbeat thundered in his ears. There had to be another one, there was always more than one. He went still, trying to see beyond the darkness, resisting the urge to itch that stupid earring-
“Guys!” He yelled again. “We're under attack!”
This time he heard the scramble and shouts of his brothers arming themselves - just in time to watch another four Bokoblins lurch from the shadows, their silhouettes barely visible against the dull grey surface of the lake behind them.
Wild fired off one, two, three stunning headshots before the final Boko drew too near. He raised his shield in a parry, sending the monster staggering back. The three downed Bokoblins dragged themselves to their feet, undeterred by the arrows protruding from their skulls. Wild drew his sword and waded backwards, stalling for -
- A wolf, hurtling through the rain and tearing into the throat of the nearest monster. A radiant blue blade carved into another. One more staggered, stunned by a boomerang, only for Wild’s sword to run through its throat. The final one, dauntless, lifted a horn to its lips.
The sound of the horn cut through rain and thunder, an unmistakable signal to attack, a beacon to any who could hear. Wild cursed and struck, slicing through the Bokoblin's raised hands. The horn slammed into the mud. The Bokoblin reeled back - not far enough. Wild's sword drove through its heart. It dissolved before it hit the ground.
Wild turned to the monster harrying Sky and parried roughly, feeling it stumble back. It recovered quickly - faster than a regular monster could, fast enough to send shivers of alarm through Wild.
Black-blooded. Of course.
He thrust his shield forward, catching the blade. The lightning flickered out, leaving only the glint of steel. The monster slashed towards Wild, and he dodged once, twice-
Everything seemed to slow, from the arc of the monster's sword to the raindrops pelting around them. Wild pushed through time, darting forward to land a flurry of strikes against the monster. Each blow rained upon the last, shredding flesh and cutting through the slowly spilling black blood. His breath grew short. With one last hit, he gasped. Like a rubber band, time snapped back into place. The monster screamed, a fire of malice crawling from its open wounds and swallowing it whole.
Wild's heart was pounding, harder than it should. Wolfie and Sky had already retreated, focusing on the monsters whose growls and screams emerged from all angles surrounding their dimly lit tent. There was just enough light to see their glinting eyes and wet teeth. Wild fell into the rough formation surrounding their only source of light, turning to face the darkness.
The glowing coals of a Stalchild’s eyes advanced too quickly - only the blue light of Sky’s blade gave Wild enough warning to dodge. He swept his blade up, splitting the Stal jaw to nostril. His blade stuck within the skull. He shook it to dislodge the monster part. It didn't budge. Wild swore, kicking the skull off the blade. It tumbled to the ground and immediately tripped an approaching Stal. It fell to Wild's feet, scrabbling stubbornly at his boots. He stabbed down the line of his leg, straight through a glowing eye, and watched them both burn out.
Wild's heart was racing, it was racing. Something dark began to crawl across the corners of his vision. His lips were prickling. His ear was growing hotter, hotter, the new earring standing out as a shocking point of pain. The burning sensation grew wider, crawling across his skin. Wild hissed, snatching at his earring and fumbling to tear it out. Something sparked, zapping his fingers. They went rigid, paralysed.
An arrow tore towards Wild. He ducked out of the way, cursing. Whatever this new pain was, he didn't have time for it right now. He chanced a glance at the rest of the chain, and saw Four silhouetted by the frenetic swings of their borrowed flameblade, the bursts of flames glinting off Time’s pauldron. An enormous burst of fire lit up the tent from behind and rippled into the air, with the howls and shrieks of monsters confirming Legend’s success. Then the darkness swallowed them all once again, worse this time for the flare of light.
A snarl in the dark. Wild spun just in time for his shield to catch the axe of a Dynalfos. The ailing shield began to split, jagged wood uncomfortably close to splintering him. He cursed, throwing it to the ground and summoning a claymore in place of his sword. The Dynalfos seized its opportunity and was disappointed by Wild’s swift backflip.
The Dynalfos roared and turned to flank Wolfie, who growled and backed up towards Wild. He let out his own snarl and rushed the creature, unleashing a heavy blow with his claymore to break its guard. Another hit sent it staggering back. Wild began to spin his weapon, forcing the creature back out of the circle and carving into the encroaching forces. His weapon struck monster flesh again and again until it fractured and burst into sparks. Wild fell forward in a dizzy stagger, expecting to snap back into balance.
He wasn't spinning any more, but the world was. He couldn't push the pain aside any more. It was agonising. He cried out, grabbing his face helplessly.
Everything was starting to fade. Faces, hands - bodies crawled in the corner of his vision. Something in the ground was dragging him down, like sand in an hourglass. He was falling.
“Wild! Get back!” Sky shouted frantically, appearing at his side.
“I’m not hurt,” hissed Wild. The glow of the master sword illuminated disappointment on his brother’s face - but he wasn't hurt, nothing had touched him - it didn't make sense-
“Cover me!” he gasped, nocking an ice arrow. He aimed for the Dynalfos’s mouth and let loose. It parried. The weak spark of the failing ice arrow drove a spike of pain through his left eye.
Didn't matter. It was breathing in again. Sky shouted as he rushed it.
The moment the breath left its mouth, Wild leapt up, catching the burst of hot air with his paraglider. He felt his boots burning as he drew his bow and slowed the world.
He fired again. Again. Again. Each arrow meeting its mark as the distracted monster unleashed its breath weapon. One final arrow seared its way through the flames and into its throat. The fire cut off with a gurgling choke.
Wild landed hard, driven to his knees by a ceaseless, rising pain - radiating through his skull, even his neck and arm, from what could only be the pearl. He writhed, curling forwards onto his forearms. He felt Wolfie’s presence at his side, growling into the night. Sky was shouting something.
They need help.
Wild staggered to his feet, fighting gravity, and manifested a one-handed blade, gripping it shakily. Sky grabbed at his arms, saying something urgently, which died among the whispers in his ears. “I’m okay.” he insisted numbly. Sky grabbed his shoulders and shook him, snapping something Wild couldn’t understand.
He could barely hear him. Could barely hear the thunder. Just the shrieks and moans of ghosts, something that was both real and wasn't. He blinked. His eyes opened to a pure, warm darkness. Then, like a tidal wave, the pain returned. There was rain drumming into him. He could feel strong arms supporting him and tried his best to help.
Voices faded in and out.
"Set him down here."
"Wild, focus. Where are you hurt?"
Everywhere. Nowhere.
Wild opened his mouth. Nothing but a pained moan came out.
“Maybe if you hadn’t been screaming at the top of your lungs, they wouldn’t have found us!” Warriors snapped somewhere nearby.
“I told you, I’m fucking sorry!” Wind snapped back.
“Wild, listen to me." Twilight's face faded in and out. "Tell me where you're hurt."
"Here, we have plenty." He felt Four's hands pressing a potion into his. He tried to open it, couldn't. Someone cursed, and the bottle was snatched away. He curled his arms in, trying to shift into a less painful position, trying to find an angle that didn't hurt. Hands appeared on his arms, and he realised he was being held still.
“He was grabbing his face,” Sky offered, worried. “I didn’t see anything hit him, though. I didn’t see much at all."
"Anyone else hurt? No? Good." Hyrule was at Wild's side. "You said face? I got this."
The world held its breath as Hyrule held his hands over Wild's face. The soft glow sent a trickle of cold through his veins, not painful but not pleasant.
"No." Wild managed. There was nothing to heal.
“I don't understand." Hyrule's hands flared brighter. The pressure behind Wild's eyes ballooned. "My magic isn't sticking to anything."
"Were there spellcasters out there?" Legend interrupted. "This has to be a spell."
"Maybe it's poison! Did something bite you?" Wild felt Wind pulling his hair aside, searching for a bite. His fingers brushed past the earring unthinkingly.
It stung. Wild gasped. Clarity.
“The pearl,” Wild forced out. “Something's wrong with it.”
“What do you mean, pearl?” Legend was suddenly at his side, turning his head. Wild gasped again as his fingers traced the earring.
“Fucking shit, Wild. God fucking damn it. You fucking idiot, you moron, you - this is cursed! ” Legend spat. “Why did you put this on? Random piece of jewellery you found locked in a - in the middle of - are you insane?”
“Can you just take it out?” Wild pleaded. “I tried to, I can’t.”
“You’re an idiot.” Legend reminded him, before deftly plucking the pearl from his ear.
Wild took one last breath and sank down, drowning in soft, warm sand, breathing in water. It was dark. He was alone, he was surrounded. He tried to reach for another breath, but exhaustion swallowed his efforts.
A light, a spark, drifted in the dark. His eyes fixed on it. It burned.
Then he was gone.