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shade-pup-cub · 11 hours

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Febuwhump 2024, Day 22 - Wars, Mask/Time & Chain - ALT Last Words

Fandom: LOZ/Linked Universes

Summary: Through a portal, Time is reduced to his younger self. Things are never simple with the heroes and they all learn how young Time really was when fate forced him into his role of being a hero.

CW: Slight blood and language

“We aren’t gonna last much longer here!” Legend grunted out as he blocked a sword that was aimed at Hyrule.

Four hissed as he got nicked by an arrow. “Any tricks up your sleeve Vet?”

“I’m fresh out of tricks and we are overrun!”

Wild was in a tall tree picking off monsters when he shouted, “Portal! It’s towards the end of the hill.” It was a snow covered hill and a straight shot into the portal. They all kept fighting as WIld thought of a plan. “Shield surf to it, the monsters can’t keep up!”

One by one they all hopped onto shields, pulling off the crazy stunt they all gave Wild a hard time about multiple times. Legend and Sky sat on their shields. Wind and Hyrule dove onto theirs, laying on their stomachs as the others were more experienced with balancing on their feet. It didn’t take long for them to crash through the dark portal and roll across the green grass on the other side. Of course Wild’s shield broke and he went flying into Twilight, bringing them both to the ground.

Shaking off the dizziness from switching worlds, there was someone missing. “Where’s the Old Man?” Wind asked when the eldest couldn’t be seen.

“Uh, you guys, I think I found him.” Sky was crouched down next to what looked to be a child. “I didn’t see him get hit by anything. Did the portal do this?”

Hyrule was the next one to kneel by the child. “He’s so tiny.”

Time groaned and rechead for his head. Two bright blue eyes opened and he took a moment to register that what was in front of him were people. He rolled away and pulled his sword. “Who are you people? Where am I?”

Being the youngest, Wind wiggled his way through everyone who was gathering around. “Back up! Give him some space will ya!” Wind huffed and turned back to the kid. “Hi, you don’t remember us do you?”

“Why should I know any of you?” His blade stayed between him and the others. He glared at them with an all too familiar look, even if he was turned into a kid, baby fat still laid over his muscles.

Twilight stepped closer, then stepped back when the young Link pointed his sword at him and growled.

Wars was the last to be coherent to everything and the voice from the past had him pushing everyone to the side quickly. “Mask?” His little brother was standing right in front of him again. How did he not know that Time was Mask?! He was kicking himself for not putting it together. “Hey little brother, it’s been a long time. You want to put the sword down so we can talk about what’s going on?” Warriors got onto one knee to be more eye level.

It was clear that Mask knew who Warriors was. His face softened, shoulders relaxed and sheathed his weapon on his back. “Cap?"

"Yeah, it's me. You haven't changed a bit. How long has it been since you were in my era?" Wars needed information. He needed to know what they were dealing with. Mask wasn't always the levelheaded one like he was as adult Time.

"Maybe a month or two." His eyebrows pulled together and the boy's features turned from calm to anger. "Did you try to find me after our last battle?"

Warriors didn't have to think back very hard. He knew the battle, the sinking feeling in his gut when he saw his little brother's green tunic grow darker due to a stab wound. He had hollered for Mask to get back up when the kid hit the ground. Wars never got the chance to see if he did.

"I looked for you for days on end. There was no sign of you anywhere."

"You ran away and left me for dead." The words came out coldly, meant to sting.

"That's not wha-" He was stopped by a fist colliding with his cheek.

Mask sat on Warriors chest and kept punching. He gave three more blows to his once big brother's face before the Captain grabbed Mask's wrist and sat up. "I didn't run away! I was kidnapped!"

"Bullshit! You left because we were losing!" Mask slammed his head forward, effectively making Warriors grab his bleeding nose as it broke against the younger's forehead.

Twilight, being the strongest, wrapped his arms around Mask. The boy thrashed against the hold. "Let me go!"

"Not until you calm down so we can talk everything through." Twi moved his face out of striking range when he saw that Mask was going to slam his back.

"Fine, let's talk! Let's talk about how Link left me dying with a gut wound, under a pile of his dead soldiers, bleeding out and I had to use the Fierce Deity Mask just to stay alive!"

Sky looked at Wars, then Mask. "How old are you?"

"Eleven." Mask felt Twi's grip slack some and took his chance to get free. He drew his sword to keep the others from grabbing him again.

Legend surprisingly was at Warriors side first, "The Cap said he was kidnapped, don't you think you should hear him out?"

"So he can tell me lies?"

Hyrule was fixing Warriors nose, saying, "He is your brother. He always talks about you, how great of a kid you are and how he misses you."

"I don't care!!" He huffed as his anger rose and clouded the little bit of a filter he had. His eyes locked with Warriors and venom dripped from words, "You are not my big brother, you are a coward that left me for dead and I hate you. I hate everything about you. I wish you were dead!"

The others gasped and Warriors felt like he had just been stabbed in the heart. 'Is this how Time felt?'

Mask covered his mouth as soon as the words came out, big ocean blue eyes watering. He had seen the Cap close to death before and it terrified him. He would never wish real harm to him. His guilt was clear as his ears drooped and the tears spilled over.

Wars looked hurt and turned his head away from the child he adored and protected.

Mask looked around at the others who were shocked by his words. His bottom lip wobbled and his chest ached. Here he was being a cruel brat to the one person who never lost faith in him and he never thought he would see again. 'What have I done?!' He took a few slow steps back. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, I promise I didn't mean it."

Dread sank into his gut like a stone thrown into a lake. Warriors wouldn't look at him. 'Why do I keep messing everything up?' "M'sorry…" Mask bolted for the forest, ignoring the calls for him to come back.

"Let him go…" the Captain said as Wild went to chase after the boy.

"But he-" Wild began to protest.

"Give him some time, then I will go after him." Wars began washing the blood off his hands and face. He had so many questions, but he needed to ask Time, not Mask.

"He's eleven, but Time said he went on three adventures. We know of the original one, then some adventure where he got the mask collection, but he was in the War?" Wind was trying to wrap his head around it all.

Legend paled. "He had three adventures within three years. No wonder he doesn't talk much about his journeys, his childhood or hardly anything personal outside of Malon."

There was a heavy silence as everyone pondered over their own traumas leading up to Ganon and other evils. To think a child, well they were all children, but a nine year old kid that should still believe in make-believe went through anything remotely similar, if not worse. The Goddesses better have been desperate.

"I'm going to bring him back." Warriors whispered as he finished getting as much crimson off of him as he could. He followed the clear signs of where Mask had gone. Tall grass was split by the boys frantic run.

"Mask?" He started to call out once he was fully in the woodline. "Mask, come out so we can talk. Please?"

He stopped at a downed hollow log, seeing the trail end there. He could hear the faint sniffles from inside it. He sat with his back relaxed on the rough surface, rubbing the edges of his scarf as he gathered his thoughts.

"When I was captured and taken to Cia, I was thankful that it was only me. She would have used you against me. I saw you get hit and not get back up. I could only pray that someone found you in time. I managed to escape that night and I ran right back to where I had been standing before and began the search. There were so many bodies that needed to be sorted through, but I only wanted to find you. I didn't stop until midday that next day. Impa knocked me out so I could get medical attention and promised to continue the search. No one ever found you and I thought I lost you forever."

The sniffles slowed to a few hiccups. Warriors he could hear Mask moving around before he poked his head out just enough to look at the Captain.

Warriors sighed heavily. “I have hung onto your last words to me before we went into that battle. ‘Children are the promise of a future, the assurance of greater things to come’. You sounded too old for those words, but now I know why. You really are an adult trapped in that body, aren’t you?” When Warriors turned to his side and saw Mask looking at him, he smiled gently and reached out a hand. Mask came crashing over into his arms.

A few moments of a tight embrace, Mask gave a wet laugh. “You were trying to keep me and Tune from fighting because we were children. I was glad I changed your mind, but how did you find out about my physical and mental age thing?”

“I got to meet you as an adult, late-ish thirties. You are actually traveling with me and all the other heroes that you saw earlier.”

“And Tune?”

“Tune too, but he hasn’t been to the war yet.”

“I didn’t see myself though.”

Warriors didn’t exactly know how to say this to him easily, but they kid deserved to know. “That is because you are him, but when we all went through the last portal it changed you back to this age and clearly with no memory past this time in your life.”

“Of course it did. I hate time travel.” Mask mumbled before looking up at Warriors. “I really have missed you and I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean it.”

The now older hero pulled his little brother into his arms. “I’ve missed you too Sprite.” Releasing his hold, Wars asked him, “Ready to go back before one of them is sent after us?”

“Probably smart to get you back to safety.”

“You little shit…” Warriors, with as much love as he could, pushed Mask off his lap and got some of the best giggles out of him.

Arriving back to the others, Mask stayed slightly hidden behind Warriors, barely talking as the others were introduced to him, again. Warriors was patient, knowing that Mask was trying to trust the ones in front of him. “I go by Warriors or Captain, this here is Sky, he is the first of us. -”

Mask gave a breathy “wow”.

“- That is Four also known as Smithy. Legend is next to him, he is our veteran.”

“Or Bunny.” Sky added.

“Ha ha.” Legend gave a rude gesture with no heat behind it.

“Hyrule is next to him, he is our Traveler and part fae.” Warriors loved the starry eyed look Mask had at that. “Next is Wild, he is the only one that can cook. The taller one is Twilight and your descendant.”

“So which girl did I marry?” Mask somehow asked innocently.

Twilight choked. “W-which one?”

“Yeah.” Mask gave a chuckle. “I’m technically engaged to Princess Ruta and Malon.”

Wind burst into laughter. “Twi could have been part Zora!” Twilight promptly caught the now second youngest in a headlock, thoroughly messing his hair up.

Warriors rolled his eyes, also messing with Mask’s hair. “Malon.”

“I was hoping for that.” Mask said with pink cheeks.

Wind broke free of Twilight's playful hold, going for a kick to the knee, saying, “She’s great! You two look so happy together.”

Something in Mask’s chest stirred… Happy… He was going to finally be truly happy. He pulled on Warriors scarf, whispering in his ear. “Is that Tune?”

“Sure is.”

Mask flung himself over to the pirate. He was still shorter than him, so he wrapped his arms around the boy’s middle, squeezing tightly. The last time he saw Tune was the last time he had seen the Captain, but the sailor had been forced through a portal created out of nowhere.

Wind was always happy to help someone, but even as he wrapped his arms around their age reduced leader, he asked, “Did I miss something?”

Mask nodded. “Yes, but I can’t tell you what it is or it could ruin what has already happened.”

Those two were tied at the hip the rest of the day. It was terrifying and refreshing. The two played in the trees (easily dragging Wild along in their fun), played more pranks than imaginable and told stories with such animated movements that only children had.

The terrifying part, Legend had asked Mask what his favorite magic was. Instead of just telling the Vet, ‘Din’s Fire’, Mask felt the need to show him. Everyone took cover as the little monster in green rolled on the ground, laughing hysterically as the fire was pushed out around him.

Warriors got up from where he took cover. “Sprite! Really?!”

The other sat up with black soot smeared on his face and into his hair, “What?”

Warriors pointed to the whole woodline behind Mask that was now up in flames and looked to be only growing larger, spreading from tree to tree at an alarming rate. “You are going to burn the whole forest down!”

“I can fix it!” Mask pulled out his blue ocarina and began to play an upbeat song that Mask swayed to. Thunder clapped as lightning streaked across the suddenly darkened sky, then the rain came pouring in. Somehow Mask was laughing even harder at the others expense, falling back over.

Warriors really couldn’t be mad. At least the fire was out.

They set up camp right there, not wanting to travel after the day's events, especially as the night krept closer. There was a buzz of happiness around them all as Wild cooked, Mask curiously looking into the pot.

Warriors had a fond smile as he settled into his spot to eat, just watching Mask. He had missed him and now never wanted him to leave his sight.

Wars looked over when Twilight sat next to him, a fond smile also on his face. “How’s it feel to see him like this again and know that he turned out okay?”

A low laugh slipped out from the Captain, “I imagine it’s the same feeling you had when we found Wild. Seeing the young man he had become during the time apart. Someone to be proud of.”

Warriors paused as he pumped his shoulder into the other man’s. “The same feeling Time has every time he looks at you. Proud.”

Twilight lowered his head, ears dusted pink. The young man always looked up to the eldest hero from day one and Warriors had always been curious over why, but that was a secret Twi kept close and he would never push for him to spill it.

Across camp, Mask stood before placing both hands on his head. He stumbled a bit to his left, knocking into Legend who caught him before he fell.

“Kid, you good?”

“I don’t… I don’t know. Som’tin isn’t right.” Mask slurred.

Warriors was on his feet instantly, headed for the youngest when they all saw Mask fade in and out like a blur or the static that would come up on Wild’s Slate. Not a soul moved when Mask screamed, voice going from his young pre teen voice to a post puberty voice. When he came back into focus, he was no longer the young child, but a tall teen in a green tunic, cap, white collared undershirt and white leggings.

Looking at the closest people to Mask- Time- Link(?), Wars took a mental not for later of how Wind paled, but clearly had excitement in his eyes while Legend paled with a whole different emotion. Anger.

“Y-you-!” Legend started, but Warriors put a hand up for him to stop and took slow steps as if the teen in front of him was a spooked animal. “Mask?”

Sorrow filled eyes looked up at him. “Link… Cap? What is happening? Where am I?”

“What is the last thing you remember?”

Mask seemed to be searching his memory. “I- Zelda… s-she was sending me back.”

“Back to where?” Warriors didn’t want to pry on a memory Time hadn’t ever told him, but he needed to know.

“We defeated Ganon after I woke from the seven year sleep, but she-” he was starting to struggle to breath with his panic. “She wouldn’t let me stay there, in that time, making me go back to when it all started.”

Mask crumbled to his knees with another scream, body blurring again until he was an even smaller child than he was at the beginning of this chaos. He looked so heartbroken as he cried out in anguish, but it wasn't physical pain as much as it was emotional.

Twilight was the one to step in as Warriors was trying to work through his shock. “Hey, Link right?”

The child- gods… he was a child!- showed no fear as he looked up at the Rancher, removing the tears from his eyes. “Mhm.”

“What’s the matter?”

“She left me.”

“Zelda did?” Twilight did a head tilt, similar to Wolfie.

“Navi, she left me. She was supposed to stay with me forever, but she left!”

Off to the side, Hyrule gasped and placed both hands over his mouth. The name must have meant something to him.

Before the child could collapse into Twilight’s arms, he blurred out again, coming to as a young adult. His hair was long, coming to his mid back while braided. He was in his green tunic, but took up the black fitted undershirt and black leggings.

His head was down, hands holding his face, hands that were covered in blood. The sight of blood pulled Warriors from his pause. He landed next to Twilight, grabbing the changed hero by the wrist.

The other gasped, startled by the contact and jerked his head up. There was so much blood, the wound over his eye fresh. He was trembling like a lead, but Warriors didn’t have time to console him since he seized up again into a blurry translucent mess.

Now his hair was cut short, his body more bulked with muscle like they knew Time to be, but his face was still young, mid twenties.

“C-cap… make it stop. Please, I can’t- ha-AHH!”

Another see through static blur and Time was back with them. He looked beyond exhausted, white as a ghost and older… older than he had been that morning before all this happened.

“Wars, I’m gonna be sick.” Time barely had a moment more before he began to puke. Somehow Four already had a bucket waiting. Then again, Four had a tendency to get sick and probably saw it coming.

Twilight helped keep Time up on his knees as Warriors kept his hair out of the way. The others tried not to gather too close, not wanting Time to get claustrophobic, but they were concerned for their leader.

Mouth rinsed, Time abruptly stood, staggering for a moment. Legend had his hands on the man’s back, Sky and Twi at his sides, Wars at his front. He didn’t listen to anyone telling him to take it easy and that he needed to sit down. Instead of sitting, Time’s good eye rolled back and he collapsed forward into Warriors, bringing them both down to the ground.

With the air officially knocked out of him, Warriors wheezed out, “By the Three Sprite, you are heavy!” Some of the tension bled out with that, bringing a chuckle to the boys.

Once checked for injuries, taken out of his armor and cleaned up a bit, Warriors laid his brother back onto his chest in a non crushing way, allowing him to sleep peacefully for the first time since the last time they were at the ranch.

With the moon high in the sky, the forest child stired, waking Warriors. Time was groaning a bit as he pushed himself up off the Captain and out of the embrace.

“Hey, where are you going?” Warriors asked as he saw Time sigh, ears lowered, running the blue fabric through his fingers like he had two decades before. It was a look of longing, a look of still needing or wanting to be close and maybe even protected.

“Too big. Too big and too old.” The simple words cut like a knife. Time thought he was too old to be held close. It was even more of a sign that he was forced into the role of an adult too early. He should have been held as a child, had someone care for him and codle him before he was thrown into his first adventure, but he wasn’t.

Wars sighed. “You aren’t too big or too old to lean on your big brother. Now get back over here Sprite.”

Time looked like he wanted to flop back down where he had been, but he held himself back, going slowly until his head was resting on Warriors chest again, blue scarf around him like it had been when he was twelve.

Warriors carded his fingers through his brother’s hair. “Children are our future, but that doesn’t mean they should have to step into the roles the future holds for them before they are ready. Be a child for a while longer. I have you.”

He didn’t mention how his tunic started to feel wet under Time’s cheek and how he clung to him a little more.

#ao3 writer #febuwhump 2024 #febuwhump #linked universe #hero of time #hero of warriors #lu mask #hw mask #lu chain #age regression #time needs a break #and a hug #almost done #didn’t really edit #sorry for any misspelling

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