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jtl-fics · 1 year

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Fluent Freshman - Part 14

When Andrew came out of his bedroom to grab a second Allen wrench (he’s working on the frame of the dresser while Neil builds the drawers) he finds quite a few things to irritate him.

1st was the sound of his brother and his cousin arguing loudly. Andrew had been pretty clear that they needed to be quiet that morning but following Andrew’s clearly given guidelines was NEVER either of their strong suits.

2nd was the fact that there was a smell in the air that Andrew was unsure of. It wasn’t a bad smell. It didn’t smell like Nicky had left some component of the breakfast FF had bought to burn. Andrew sniffed the air again and…..lavender? It wasn’t really a smell that existed in the house of three college student boys.

3rd and most irritating was the fact that FF was not where Andrew had left him four hours ago on the couch. Again, Andrew had been pretty clear to both Nicky and Aaron that FF was to be left ALONE. FF hadn’t been able to go to sleep until Andrew had promised that nothing would happen to him while he slept.

He moves towards the kitchen table where Nicky and Aaron are eating some of the sour patch kids that FF had brought back as they argued, “He can’t be serious that Kate and I gross him out more than Andrew and Neil! I’ve seen how fast he walks away when they start getting gross.” He hears Aaron say.

“Aaron I have watched Smithy climb out a second story window because you and Katelyn started making out and he’d have to walk closer to you to go out the door.” Nicky returns. “I think you made him mad when you implied he was grossed out by Andrew and Neil. This is why I get spoon privileges and maybe, if Smithy is feeling forgiving, you can swipe your finger around the bowl.” he points at Aaron.

Andrew hangs back just out of sight.

He knows that FF does not like to be subjected to seeing PDA. A part of him feels…better at the confirmation that it really isn’t because him and Neil are both men. FF has seen them hold hands, kiss chastely, and lean on one another and been unbothered by that it was only when it started getting a little heated that they’d realize that FF had left. FF never makes a scene about it, never scoffs in disgust or squeals in delight he just seems to see where it’s going and will leave if he doesn’t want to see it.

It’s nice.

“Well he’s probably mad at you for waking him up. Andrew said to leave him alone.” Aaron returns.

“He needs breakfast! He also has to take his ulcer meds at the same time so he had to wake up and eat something. He can go back to sleep after!” Nicky defends.

Andrew scowls. Ok. Nicky could live if that was the reason he woke FF up. Still, why the hell is FF in the kitchen and more importantly what bowl and spoon are Aaron and Nicky arguing over?

Andrew tunes his family’s argument out and heads to the kitchen to find FF putting a baking dish into their oven while incense burned on the counter (Andrew now realizes that was the thin box that had been in with the rest of the candy)

He sees the bowl and spoon that Nicky had mentioned and more importantly he can see the chocolate brownie batter on them. Andrew walks over to the bowl and picks it up. He wipes his finger along the inside and…

He closes his eyes for a moment to savor the flavor of the batter. He leans against the counter and his hand brushes against….a five hour energy bottle. Andrew knows he had thrown out the two he had found in FF’s bags before (Ulcer + exhaustion + FF = bad he didn’t need to be a math major like Neil to understand that math.)

Andrew shoves the bottle in his sweatshirt pocket as FF turns around and stares at him passively. FF’s eyebrow’s raise slightly but there’s no other reaction. Andrew considers that, perhaps, FF had wanted to lick the bowl.

He offers the spoon instead knowing it is the better prize but FF is the one who bought the ingredients and mixed together this amazing batter, so he gets first dibs.

“That wouldn’t be good for my stomach.” He declines and Andrew wonders if FF had taken his meds yet or, in his tired state, he’s forgotten to.

“When did you wake up?” Andrew asks.

“Hour ago.”

He should go back to sleep after he takes his meds but also knows that FF probably won’t go to sleep until the brownies are done.

“I’ll make the pie tomorrow.” FF says and Andrew blinks out of his thoughts.

Andrew decides to go get FF’s meds for him. He’ll make it clear to FF later that the guy doesn’t HAVE to keep making amazing desserts as a thanks for being invited to Columbia. If FF just so happens to WANT to keep making amazing desserts then Andrew isn’t going to be the person that stops him.

He shoves the spoon in his mouth and heads out to go find Smith’s bag and his meds.

Aaron and Nicky see him and both let out outraged noises as their quarry had been stolen.

Andrew ignores them and gets to the bag by the couch.

Who the fuck just has 14 bottles of five hour energy sitting in their bag??

***

When Andrew handed FF his ulcer meds he could admit to feeling grateful even if Andrew had obviously gone through his bag to grab it. He swallows it dry because Andrew is standing by the sink and he knows that until Andrew eats a brownie he is not in a position to ask for favors big or small.

(He learned his lesson from that one time with Captain Neil. If he wants to do anything related to Russian he has to be in the safety of his lofted bed under the cover of night and the cover of his…covers while he reads via flashlight. He will not be caught so flat footed again! These are all necessary precautions!)

Andrew seems to very much want for FF to be in prime condition for the hunt. Part of him wonders if he’ll be released amongst other game animals and FF had never felt more jealous of the turkey who got pardoned by the president the day before. Why does that stupid bird get all the luck? Where’s his presidential pardon?

That grateful feeling evaporates into a dust cloud as Andrew lifts a plastic bag, “Stop drinking these.” Andrew hisses, “They’re going to make your ulcer worse.” He points at FF.

“I need them.” He says.

“For what?”

“Five hours of energy at a time.”

“Pull out the brownies and go back to sleep Smith.”

“They still have 10 minutes.”

“Then I’ll pull them out in 10 minutes.”

“There’s a final step that I have to do once they’re fresh out of the oven.”

“What is it.”

“Smith Family Baking secret. I don’t make the rules.” FF gestures towards where the incense continues to burn, “Great Gran’s recipe and methods cannot be shared with non-blood relatives. My mom wasn’t even let in on the secret.”

Thank god

Andrew glowers at him.

Oh God

“It’ll be just 20 more minutes.”

Andrew’s eyes narrow at him.

“They’ll be worth it.” He pleads.

Andrew rolls his eyes.

“Go to sleep when they’re done. Take Nicky’s room.” Andrew commands.

“Take Nicky’s what?” Nicky leans into the kitchen.

“Smith is going to go back to sleep on your bed.”

“Yeah you look like shit Smithy. Don’t worry, unlike Neil and Andrew’s bed mine is all safe.”

Nicky zips out of the kitchen with Andrew hot on his heels. Nicky really is a good friend.

He performs the sacred rites necessary upon the brownies when they come out of the oven and takes a small corner piece to taste test and -

He closes his eyes and clasps his hands together in prayer.

‘Thank you Great Gran.’ He prays earnestly.

‘Remember to wash behind your ears’ he thinks he hears a whisper of grandmotherly advice in return.

That was probably normal.

He extinguishes the incense.

He cuts up the brownies, finds a decently sized plate, and sets the brownies out on the counter before he starts to work on doing the dishes. Yeah Yeah he could have been cleaning while he waited for the brownies to cook! That’s what you always do right? Clean as you go?

Well have you ever been baking brownies that might be the difference between life and death? No? Well then FF is just going to have to stop you right there because he had the oven light on and his eyes GLUED to these fudgey squares.

Who knows what the cousins’ oven would do? He doesn’t know this oven. He and this oven are taking their first whirl together and it could decide to turn on him at any time. They don’t have the brotherhood that he and the oven at his Gran’s house have built over the years! This oven could be one of those ones that maintain their temperature by turning on the broiler! He felt like he could never again recklessly trust an oven after he tried to make crescent rolls in the Viking Oven at his step father’s house and had gotten them back blackened by the broiler.

That oven had been the SINGLE thing he had been excited about during the kitchen remodel which means naturally it was the thing that had betrayed him.

He lets himself think of all the ways he hates the Viking brand as he finishes the dishes and puts everything back to where they belong.

He walks out of the kitchen with the platter of brownies and sets them down on the table where Aaron and Nicky are sat. “Oh my god they smell amazing.” Nicky says and immediately his hand is shooting towards the plate and picking up a corner piece.

FF valiantly resists the urge to slap his and Aaron’s hands away. He needs these to compel Andrew into letting him live.

“Oh wow, those do smell good.” He hears Captain Neil’s voice and when FF turns around Captain Neil and Andrew are both there. It is only in that moment that he realizes that he should have bought some vanilla ice cream to go with these.

Andrew’s love of ice cream was not unknown, probably even infamous. He was the man who, during the summer training, had been so possessive over the soft serve machine in the cafeteria that anyone who wanted any had to ask Captain Neil to get them a bowl or risk being threatened.

He starts towards the door. At this point Target probably isn’t even that bad, probably just some irate people who didn’t come with the rush and are mad they missed out, maybe some officers talking to witnesses on who threw cast the first Wii remote, and workers who will hate him marginally less (unless he gets the same check out person and they remember him (unlikely))

His progress is arrested by a hand grabbing his hoodie.

“Where are you going?”

“I forgot Ice Cream.” And he could get a five hour energy to slam on the way back home.

He then finds himself being pulled down an unfamiliar hallway.

Ah, the anticipation had been killing him more than the fear of his demise. His brownies had not contained the requisite amount of grandmotherly love to save him he had been relying on extract (Great Gran’s spirit guiding his hands) instead of organic (he does not have grandchildren or children for that matter)

Maybe ice cream would have been the deciding factor? He’ll never know.

He closes his eyes and lets himself be dragged. He’s too tired to fight.

A door opens, and he finds himself sat on a bed.

Weird.

“You are falling asleep standing up. Go back to sleep. I’ll leave you at Eden’s if you fall asleep in the booth.” Andrew threatens.

What.

FF knows about Eden’s.

He has heard about it from Nicky trying to get him to agree to go but he’s pretty sure it’d be like introducing an Amazon rainforest frog to the Sahara desert in terms of survivability for him.

“We’re going to Eden’s tonight?” He manages to ask.

Andrew raises an eyebrow at him but answers, “Yes.”

“I’m not really interested in clubs. I don’t drink out in public or dance.”

“Neither does Neil. I just drink. We can stay in the booth.”

“I don’t want to interrupt your time with Captain Neil.”

“It’s fine, neither of us hate spending time with you.”

“I don’t have clothes for a place like that.”

“Nicky grabbed some for you. You’re coming tonight. Go to sleep.”

With that Andrew pulls Nicky’s curtains close, shuts off the light, and closes the door.

FF, always very much like a bird when placed into a suddenly dark environment, starts to feel some of the exceptional sleepiness that he’d been pushing off through sheer manic desperation to earn another day of life.

He lays down in Nicky’s bed and is tired enough that he can ignore the sheer amount of body glitter on the sheets (does Nicky excrete it like sweat??) and starts to let himself drift off to sleep.

Eden’s might be something completely out of his wheelhouse but-

A conversation with Nicky from when he’d been trying to get FF to go comes into his mind and he sits straight up in bed as Nicky’s words roll around in his head like stale hotdogs at a gas station.

“Eden’s is cool, even though there’s some sick shit in the basement.”

Eden’s is a Secondary Location with a BASEMENT.

MASTERPOST FOR ALL PARTS OF FLUENT FRESHMAN AU

Per your requests:

@i-have-three-feelings @blep-23 @dreamerking27 @andreilsmyreligion @belodensetdust @rainbowpineapplebottle @yarn-ace @iwouldlikesometea @lily-s-world @obscureshipsandchips @booklover242 @whataboutmyfries @sahturnos @pluto-pepsi @dreamerthinker @passinhosdetartaruga @leftunknownheart @aro-manita-muscaria @hologramsaredead @Chaoticgremlinswishtheycouldbeme @tntwme @tayspots @nick-scar @crazy-fangirl2524 @blue-jos10 @stabbyfoxandrew @splishsplashyouropinionistrash @sammichly @the-broken-pen @bitchesdoweknowu @very-small-flower @ghostlyboiii @its-a-paxycab @bisexual-genderfluid-fan @cheesecookie @theoneandonlylostsock @foxsoulcourt @blueleys @adverbialstarlight @elia-nna @can-i-just-stay-in-the-corner @nikodiangel @foxandcrow-inatrenchcoat @hallucinatedjosten @satanic-foxhole-court @vexingcosmos @chalilodimun @insectsgetcooked @angry-kid-with-no-money @queer-crows @lilyndra @themugglemudperson @readertodeath @apileofpillows @mortalsbowbeforeme @hellomynameismoo @next-level-mess @youreonlylow @interstellarfig @notprocrastinatingatalltoday @percyjacksonfan3 @queenofcrazy27 @bsmr261 @ghostlyscares @spencellio @adinthedarkroom @harpymoth @sufferingjustalilbit

The requests to be added to the tag list got spread out across a few different mediums on this one so if I missed you then just ask in the replies!

As stated before if you’re up here and I spelled it right but you didn’t get a notification there might be something switched around in your settings that won’t let me tag you properly?

#Fluent Freshman AU #Andrew heads back out to try one of those brownies #Aaron and Nicky are both looking to the sky #'what the fuck did he DO to these? I would know if there was drugs in them right?' Aaron asks #'Is it straight that I want to kiss his grandma's hand?' Nicky asks #'It's his great grandma's recipe so it'll have to be her grave' - Aaron #'Fuck it. I'll dig up her grave and kiss her skeleton hand. These are divinely inspired.' - Nicky #Andrew tries one #Neil saved him two corner pieces #This is why Andrew intends to spend his life with this man #It's perfect #It's not like box brownies where it's all sugar and sweetness #it's bitter it's sweet is that a note of....spice? it's complex. It makes Andrew want to get a shovel and help Nicky desecrate a grave #He'll get in on the skeleton hand kiss #Maybe he'll take Neil and FF to the really cool speakeasy in the basement of Edens #It's quieter down there which he thinks FF would like #He doesn't have to watch out for Kevin tonight either #That's a good plan #Nicky and Aaron can dance and Andrew can show his appreciation for good baked goods to his friend #Nicky is not allowed near the Speakeasy nor is he allowed to know about it because it's suppose to be a secret #Nicky's terrible at keeping secrets!#He couldn't keep one if his or someone else's life depended on it #So Nicky thinks it's a straight swingers club down there #Which he has zero interest in #AFTG #AFTG AU #AFTG OC #AFTG shitpost #FF - Pt. 14

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skyloftian-nutcase · 2 years

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Elastic Heart Ch2 (Linked Universe story)

Summary: When Sky goes missing, the Chain scrambles to figure out where he is and what happened before it's too late.

(Click here to read on AO3)

<<Previous chapter // Next chapter>>

Chapter 2: Missing

Time knew something was wrong the moment he woke up.

It wasn’t that there was danger, or something obvious was happening. But the eldest Link had a keen sense of awareness and surroundings, and he had learned at a very young age to trust his instincts. His gut was saying something was off, and he needed to figure out what it was.

Scanning the camp, Time took inventory of the group. Wild was slowly gathering ingredients to make breakfast, eyes drooping with sleepiness. Legend was off in a corner ignoring the rest of the world as he tried to go through his quiet morning ritual. Wind gave a yawn so loud and massive he made Hyrule jump from a few paces away. Warriors was smoothing his tunic over his chainmail, already almost prepared for the day. Four was flat on his back overtop his bedroll, staring at the sky blankly as he usually did in the mornings. Twilight wandered over to the champion, stretching and bidding him a quiet good morning. Sky…

Sky. Where was Sky?

Time sat up some more, stiffening. He looked around the camp again, and as he concluded once more that Sky wasn’t there, Warriors approached and confirmed it.

“Do you know where Sky is?” Warriors asked.

“He had third watch,” Time remarked, rising to his feet.

“I know,” Warriors replied, crossing his arms. “Which is another reason why this is concerning.”

“If there was danger, he would have woken us,” Time thought aloud, gathering his armor and weapons.

Twilight came to them next. “Have you guys seen Sky?”

“We don’t know where he is,” Warriors answered.

Wind gasped, having heard them as he walked by. “Sky’s missing?”

The rest of the camp froze, and then everyone started speaking at once.

“When did anyone last see him?”

“Champion, you’re usually up first, was he around when you woke up?”

“Was there an attack? I don’t understand where he could be!”

“Enough,” Warriors said loudly, raising his hands to calm the group. “He could’ve just gone off to relieve himself or something. Champion, did you see Sky when you woke up?”

Wild shook his head worriedly. That eliminated Warriors’ suggestion, then, seeing as the cook had likely been awake for at least half an hour.

“I’ll track him,” Twilight immediately said, reaching into his tunic.

“I’m going with you,” Four piped up, striding towards the rancher with purpose. “It’s dangerous to go alone.”

Although Time trusted Twilight’s tracking abilities, he also wanted to cover more ground quickly. Sky couldn’t have been gone for too long, and the more aggressively they searched for him the more likely they’d find him. Looking at Wind, he said, “Sailor and I will look as well. The rest of you stay at camp in case he returns. If no one finds anything, return to camp by midday.”

Everyone looked uneasy at the possibility that they wouldn’t find Sky, but they all nodded in acquiescence.

Warriors turned to the others, speaking to the remainder of the group to get the camp back in order. Wild slowly made his way to the cooking pot, watching Twilight shift into his wolf form with worry. Legend paced the camp, agitated, all semblance of morning rituals forgotten. Hyrule stood at the edge of camp, wringing his hands and watching Time uncertainly.

Four hopped on top of Twilight’s back and the pair moved around the edge of the forest as Twilight sniffed the ground. Then the wolf turned around, marching straight through camp before stopping dead at the edge of the cliff.

“He went over the cliff?” Legend surmised, his voice pitched in worry.

Wind stomped his foot. “Well standing here panicking about it won’t find Sky! Let’s go!”

With that, the sailor charged ahead, pulling out his Deku leaf and leaping off the cliff. Time automatically flinched, stopping himself from calling out to the sailor, and then he strode after him. Pulling out his hookshot, he aimed for one of the sturdier looking trees down below, hoping his item could reach the branches. Twilight had his clawshot out and ready while Four slipped a ring on each index finger and started to climb down the cliffside.

“Wait for us,” Time called down to the sailor.

Thankfully, Time’s hookshot did indeed reach one of the taller trees, and a few well-placed hits allowed him to vault to the ground below. Four caught up fairly quickly just as Twilight changed back into his wolf form, sniffing intently.

The wolf paced around the area, ears peeled back. His fur ruffled up, and a low growl emitted from him. The other three immediately drew their weapons, recognizing the alerting gesture. Time squinted into the morning mist, but he saw no movement. Birdsong echoed through the air, implying that nothing had scared them off, which could mean there was no danger, but clearly something was setting Twilight off.

“What is it?” Wind asked quietly, scanning the area with his sword and shield at the ready.

Time’s gaze settled on what he could see of the ground. Footprints, dislodged and broken brier, and bent flowers implied a fair amount of movement in the area. But the flowers were already bending in supplication towards what little sunlight was spilling through the foliage and mist, implying that they had been pushed aside a good while ago.

Four pointed to the footprints. “Those are massive – they have to belong to bokoblins and moblins.”

Wind looked at Four, startled. “What? So close to camp? Why wouldn’t Sky say anything?”

“I don’t know,” Four answered, holding his chin thoughtfully, his brow furrowed in worry. “Maybe he just saw the footprints as well… but that wouldn’t make sense, something had to draw him from camp… what if he was captured, what if something went wrong—”

Time put a hand on Four’s shoulder to calm him before he started spiraling. The boy was observant and smart, but he also worried fairly easily. “There’s no sign of struggle here, Smithy. I don’t think Sky engaged.”

“He tracked them?” Wind surmised. “But why?”

“I don’t know,” Time answered truthfully. There was far too little information at the moment, and he didn’t like it. “Let’s keep moving. Rancher?”

Twilight moved ahead slowly, methodically lifting each paw as he continued to sniff the area. He paused once, ears elevated and alert, before he started to pick up his pace. Time continued to keep an eye out for their surroundings, picking up more clues and ensuring there were no enemies nearby. Wind stayed on Twilight’s heels, ready and eager to charge ahead and fight whatever monsters might be lying in wait. Four, on the other hand, dragged his feet, eyes glazed over in thought.

Time looked around for physical signs while Twilight traipsed ahead with caution. Most of the clues left behind were obviously from monsters, and it was honestly a little alarming how many there seemed to be. This clearly wasn’t just a small group, which was even more concerning. Usually if they ran into hordes of them, it meant the Shadow was somewhere nearby. Time automatically turned his gaze to Twilight, senses even more alert now. They couldn’t afford another encounter like that one.

But Twilight was in front of him, safe and healed. Sky was not.

Time felt anxiety grip at his chest, and he forced himself to take steady breaths. He focused on tracking once more, trying to find any sign that Sky was here. So far their only hint was that Twilight had apparently picked up his scent, but it was likely being covered by all the others by now.

And then he saw a clue. A small footprint made by a boot, not as deeply indented into the soft grass as much as the others, implying that this person was fairly light in comparison to the monsters around him. A Hylian, and a young one at that.

Sky.

Time walked towards the footprint purposefully, examining it. Wind came up beside him while Four and Twilight investigated elsewhere.

“How old is it?” Wind asked, leaning his hands on his thighs as he bent down to look at the footprint.

“I can’t say for certain,” Time answered as he analyzed it. “But the mud has dried. It’s been a little while.”

Wind straightened, a worried look on his expressive face. “I don’t understand. What was Sky doing? Why would he go out on his own like this?”

Time put a hand on Wind’s shoulder to reassure the youngest member of their group. “Sky is sensible, Sailor. I’m sure it was for a good reason. We’ll find him soon. He might even be heading back to camp right now.”

At least Time hoped that was the case. Sky did seem to be one of the more reasonable of his boys, even if he was a bit, for lack of a better term, air headed. The boy could space out easily enough and would sleep anywhere at any time, but he had knight’s training and was the best swordsman in their entire group, and he was generally quiet and calm. He wasn’t someone Time pegged as a troublemaker, unlike some of his other boys. Which meant that either something was really wrong, or Sky was actually fine and they were all overreacting.

But Time wasn’t an optimistic person. And there was little reason Sky would wander off unless it was serious.

“You’re right,” Wind commented, looking into the mist. “Wherever he is, I’m sure he’s okay.”

The young sailor said it with such certainty, it almost gave Time hope. Almost.

A howl pierced through the morning air, and Time and Wind ran to find Twilight, swords and shields at the ready. When they got to him, they were in a large clearing. The mist had been burned away by the sunlight in this area, leaving glittering dew and a few deer in the far distance grazing in peace.

And a shadowy portal in the center of the field.

The wolf was encased in darkness, and then it dissipated and Twilight was crouching on the ground. “His scent ends here. I… guys, I think he went through.”

“What?!” Wind and Four exclaimed at the same time.

“Why would he do that?” Wind asked.

“What was he thinking?!” Four questioned.

Time stared at the portal, stunned and scrambling to figure out what could have happened. He looked at the ground for signs of a struggle, for some clue of why Sky would do such a thing. There was no debris, no scuffed up earth, no dry blood or broken weapons. If there was a fight, it wasn’t out here in the open. If Sky had been taken, he was already unconscious and being carried by the time they’d gotten to the field.

He needed answers.

Time looked at the youngest Links. “Boys, I need you to get the others. Go back to camp and tell the to pack up. Can you guide them here?”

Wind nodded immediately, face set in determination and body tense with anticipation. Four looked far more hesitant and worried, but he nodded all the same. The pair ran into the woods, leaving Time and Twilight alone to ponder.

“I don’t understand,” Twilight muttered, rising. “Sky was on watch and saw danger, and instead of waking us he went after them?”

“It would seem so,” Time admitted, still scanning the surroundings to try and make sense of this situation.

“But that isn’t like him!” Twilight argued. “Something has to be wrong.”

“Did you smell any blood?”

The ranch hand sighed, looking at the ground. “No. But there were a lot of different scents, few of them friendly.”

“And you’re certain Sky’s scent ends here?”

Twilight met his gaze, eyes hard. “Absolutely.”

Time looked at the magical gate once more, lost in thought. He couldn’t come to any conclusion that was a hopeful one, but the evidence didn’t quite point to Sky being injured or in immediate danger, either. No one had seen any signs of a fight. That would imply that Sky willingly followed the pack through the portal.

The logical conclusions, then, were on vastly opposite ends of the spectrum, ranging from worrisome to downright insane. Most likely was that Sky had proven himself to not be as reasonable as Time had assumed and he was tracking the group alone. Least likely was that Sky was actually in league with the Shadow. The options in between varied between Sky being bewitched by the Shadow, the Shadow taking Sky’s form, Sky being kidnapped… Time didn’t know which one to settle on.

Twilight shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking steadily more anxious. “Shouldn’t we go after him?”

“We will,” Time assured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “But not without the others.”

Like hell am I letting you near the Shadow alone.

But Sky was near it alone.

Time squeezed Twilight’s shoulder, pushing the worrisome thought out of his mind. They weren’t splitting up any more than they already had. They were facing this danger together, with Time able to protect them and with Warriors able to strategize an approach.

Twilight crossed his arms in some sort of sense of resolve and assurance, eyes downcast. Then he took a steadying breath and looked at his elder. “Ancestor, I… I assume you know the group we’re tracking, the group Sky’s tracking.”

“Assuming he’s tracking it.”

His descendant watched him warily. “You think they took him?”

Time sighed, pulling away. “I don’t know what’s happening, child. I do know we’ll gather everyone and follow. But—” here Time turned sharply, giving Twilight a stern look, “Do not do anything foolish. I know how aggressive a fighter you are, Rancher. Stay close to my side when we engage. Understood?”

Twilight knew better than to argue, so he bowed his head in acquiescence, looking a little browbeaten.

With that matter settled, Time watched the portal warily, praying that they’d find Sky and get to the bottom of this soon.

XXX

To say the atmosphere at the camp was tense would be an understatement. Hyrule shifted nervously, watching Wild cook while Legend paced the stretch of the clearing with frantic energy. Warriors stood to the periphery, eyes alert and arms crossed.

Hyrule wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but he didn’t like it. It was never a good sign when someone was unaccounted for, and it was downright strange that it was Sky. The knight was quieter than some of the others, but he was fairly comfortable with people and usually stayed to the group. The traveler himself was far more likely to wander off, and if he or the cook had done so it wouldn’t have been seen as out of the ordinary. But for Sky to disappear… and doing so while he was on watch…

Sky was sleepy and silly and soft, but he was not irresponsible. Something was clearly wrong.

Hyrule’s first inclination was to immediately search for him, as Time and the others had done. He wasn’t used to operating with a team, and sitting here made him feel like he was about to burst out of his skin. It didn’t feel right to sit around and wait, even if he knew the others were out there looking. He wished the old man had picked him for part of the search party. He felt far more akin to Legend’s obvious distress than Warriors’ calm and stoic demeanor, or even Wild’s barely contained energy.

Hyrule again marveled at the captain. He didn’t know how he did it.

“Okay, this is ridiculous, he clearly isn’t coming back,” Legend finally said, stopping in the middle of camp and waving his arms. “We should all go searching for him. Champion, can’t you call our sailor with your slate? We need to make a plan, a search grid, a—”

“Our orders were to stay here,” Warriors interrupted firmly. “That’s what we’re going to do. Have a little faith, Veteran; Sky is no fool.”

“Of course he isn’t, which is why this is bad!” Legend fired back, growing more agitated.

Wild finished packing meals and started to break down his cooking area. “He’s right, Captain, we should be out there looking.”

“Do you think the others aren’t?” Warriors said sharply.

Hyrule bit his lip, looking away. Then he heard rustling from the cliff and his hand flew to his sword in a heartbeat. Warriors also grabbed his weapon, though he didn’t draw it yet, catching Legend and Wild off guard before they quickly followed suit.

There was a distinctly Wind-sounding grunt and a small hand appeared at the top, clawing desperately for a perch to latch onto. Wild hurried over and grabbed the boy’s wrist, dragging him upward just as Four pulled himself into view.

“Well?” Legend questioned immediately.

“We found a portal,” Four reported, dusting his hands on his tunic. “The Old Man wanted everyone to meet up there.”

“But what about Sky?” Wild asked.

Four’s face grew stormy, and he looked at his feet. Wind answered for him. “We’re not sure. Rancher says his scent trail ends there, so we think he went through.”

“Alone?!” Legend yelped. “What, is he crazy?”

Hyrule had his belongings ready to go, and he shoved the veteran’s things in his arms before he could continue. They had to get moving. Wild and Warriors were ready and waiting, and the team quickly made their way back down the cliff. Wild and Wind glided to the bottom easily, leading the way as the others caught up. Hyrule’s eyes traced the forest, listening and watching and letting nature tell him the story of what it had witnessed. Monsters had come through, and a good number of them at that. Sky had followed. There was no fight, no discovery, no injury or peril. Just a pursuit.

This was so weird. Sky wasn’t the type to go off at random like this. At least Hyrule thought he wasn’t. Perhaps he didn’t know the knight as well as he’d thought. He wasn’t always the best at reading people, after all.

It still made him worried, though.

Between the initial search and their trek to return to the site, it was nearly midday by the time everyone had gathered at the portal. Wild distributed breakfast to the group wordlessly, clearly trying to find some way to help and feeling at a loss, and Hyrule accepted it with a thankful smile, wolfing down the delicious food in haste as Time tried to coordinate their next steps with the captain. Twilight took the food with a grateful nod but didn’t touch it, clearly agitated as well. No one wanted to stop, and Hyrule noted that some stomachs were growling even as food was hastily stuffed into pouches rather than mouths.

Sky would have told them to eat.

Of course, they wouldn’t be in this situation if Sky were here in the first place.

“Why aren’t we just going through?” Wind asked quietly as the leaders continued to speak.

“If we go through the portal and it turns out Sky isn’t there, we could cut ourselves off from him entirely,” Four explained. “The portal could close behind us.”

“Every clue implies that he went through,” Wild remarked. “It’s almost like they’re doubting our best tracker.”

Twilight, noticing their murmured musings, stepped over. “You guys doing okay?”

Wild shot him a flat look, making the rancher chuckle sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess that was a silly question. Don’t worry; we’ll find him.”

“Would there be any reason he’s still here and not through the portal?” Wind asked. “I mean, that’s what the Hero of Time and Captain are trying to figure out, right?”

Twilight sighed. “There could be a lot of reasons for any of the options. They just want to be sure in case the portal closes behind us. Y’all should eat in the meantime. I’ll make sure Vet eats too.”

Wind and Four reluctantly pulled out the meal Wild had packed for them as Twilight went to Legend. Hyrule continued to watch the entire scene play out, ill at ease. The portal radiated dark magic, making him cold, and the food he’d just consumed started to churn uncomfortably in his stomach. The sooner they figured this out the better.

The traveler was fairly certain Sky actually had gone through the portal, just based on the signs he’d seen. It would also make the most sense, even if he didn’t know why Sky had done it. But Hyrule wasn’t going to question their leader; he was certain Time knew far more than he did and was infinitely wiser.

It honestly was only a few minutes of deliberating, but to Hyrule it felt like hours. Most of the team had eaten by the time Warriors finally shrugged and the eldest Link faced the dark gate.

“Pair up,” he ordered. “We’re heading out.”

Hyrule eagerly jumped in line first alongside the captain. Time immediately went to Twilight just as Wild did, and Wind grabbed Four and Legend excitedly to make up the difference.

Despite his usual anxieties around such dark magic, the traveler hastily made his way through, bracing himself for the wretched feeling. Warriors was at his side the entire time, and the warmth of the captain’s body heat helped stave off the intense chill that tried to sink into Hyrule’s bones. Darkness engulfed them both, rippling swirls fading into black, and for just a moment they walked through nothingness and were surrounded by malice. The traveler felt his skin crawl, his own magic and hidden treasure humming in retaliation, his innate paranoia about such matters making his hand itch for his sword. And then, it began to clear – a bright light, small and distant, started to grow ever present, warming the motionless air. An image of scenery formed, dancing and waving as if Hyrule were looking at it underwater, and before he knew it his steps, silent and seemingly on air, sank into tall grass as he and Warriors were bathed in the golden rays of dusk.

Hyrule blinked a few times to adjust to the change in lighting before he started to scan the area. They were in a vast field sparsely populated by trees and one or two small bodies of water. Cliffs covered a majority of the horizon, but in a few directions were several landmarks.

Including a castle.

But there were other marks and telltale signs, far closer and more pertinent: Grass cut unevenly, monster parts and weapons scattered in different areas, glinting in the fading light.

Black blood stained flowers, and occasionally red mixed in the gruesome paint.

“There was a battle here,” Warriors noted quietly as the others emerged from the dark gate. “But where are we?”

Twilight gasped immediately. “This—this is my Hyrule!”

Everyone turned to him, surprised.

“This is Hyrule Field,” Twilight explained. “Castle Town is to the north, we—we must be in the Faron region. I—”

Twilight cut himself off when he took in the sight of the battle. The others did as well. Hyrule had already frozen in place upon first noticing it, but now he was being driven to action, looking around frantically for any sign of Sky. He marched ahead, careful not to disturb the clues left behind, eyes focused on the ground. He heard a quiet hissing sound and sensed a brief flare of magic before he heard sniffing. Wolfie came up beside him, snout buried in the grass.

The others spread out slowly, swords at the ready. It seemed the majority of the fight took place farther south; the portal was on the periphery. Wolfie started to walk in circles before he whined and turned back into Twilight, a confused look on his face.

“It’s Sky’s scent for sure,” he said, and everyone stiffened. “But it… I can’t really track it; he goes all over the place. He was here a good while, but then he went south… but there’s also a trail leading towards Kakariko. I don’t know how he could have covered so much ground so quickly, unless maybe more time has passed here than for us?”

“How much time?” Legend asked worriedly.

“What’s south of here?” Hyrule questioned. After all, the main battle seemed to be south of here.

“Faron Woods, and… and my home.” Twilight’s tone and expression grew worried.

“We’ll head there first,” Time assured him. “We won’t leave your home defenseless if there is still a threat. Perhaps your people can help us look for Sky as well.”

With the decision made, Twilight nodded firmly and took the lead. Hyrule examined the field as they headed for the forest. Still no physical appearance of Sky, which was good – he’d survived the battle. But there was so much debris… how many monsters had he fought? Was he hurt? Not all of the blood was black, after all.

The traveler wrung his hands worriedly and directed his energy outward. Running ahead, he walked alongside Twilight, ready and willing to eliminate any threats in the area. He couldn’t do anything for Sky right now, but he could protect his other brothers.

And protect them he did. Any perceptible threat was eliminated with haste before the others even had a chance to notice it. Hyrule cleared a path as they traveled, only half paying attention to the myriad of questions being thrown around by Wind, or the curious but guarded observations made by Wild, or Four’s complete and utter stone silence, or Warriors and Time’s steadily wearier and pessimistic expressions.

By nightfall Twilight slowed his pace. There were fewer signs of danger here, and by this point the traveler had surmised that the main battle had indeed taken place at the mouth of Faron Woods right where it met the fields.

“We’re here,” Twilight said softly.

"I don't see any signs of a fight," Warriors noted reassuringly to his worried friend. "It looks like your village didn't see any of the action."

Twilight nodded silently, his shoulders relaxing just a hair.

“Is there an inn where we can stay?” Time asked. “It’ll do us no good to continue our search into the night.”

“But we can talk to the villagers, right?” Wind questioned. “We need to find him, we only just got here!”

“We will,” Warriors assured the youngest Link. “But it’s the middle of the night. I doubt they’ll be welcoming of strangers. We have to adjust to this new time setting. We have to wait.”

“Waiting is what let Sky get farther ahead,” Legend snapped.

“You want to march in without a plan or any idea what’s happened?” Warriors shot back.

Legend looked away, crossing his arms. He knew he’d been hit in the right spot – the veteran refused to move ahead without some kind of plan, and they had nothing to go with right now.

It still didn’t make Hyrule feel any better, though.

"There's no inn here, Ordon's not that populated nor that visited," Twilight answered. "We'll have to stay at my place."

Many of the heroes perked up inquisitively at the prospect and followed the rancher eagerly.

Twilight led the group across a bridge and beyond a small spring. The path opened up to a small clearing with a humble abode built in a large tree. Hyrule noted the sign indicating it was Twilight’s home, and he stared at the house in wonder. Wild gasped in delight, temporarily distracted. “You live in a tree? That’s amazing!”

Twilight smiled and headed for the entrance. The group climbed the ladder and Hyrule cast a quick spell to light the fire in the hearth, warming the place immensely.

Everyone’s worry and exhaustion was temporarily forgotten in place of curiosity. Hyrule was still awed at how Twilight had managed to build a house in a tree, Wild was thrilled at the concept, and Time looked strangely distant with a soft, sad smile.

“Why would you live in a tree,” Warriors muttered, looking around a little uneasily. “Are we sure this is stable?”

Wild snickered as he pointed to the wall. “By Hylia, he has pictures of his goats on the wall.”

Legend rolled his eyes. “Unbelievable. He really is obsessed.”

“Ooooh, what’s in the cellar?” Wind asked excitedly, garnering Hyrule and Four’s curiosity as they approached and peered into the darkness over the sailor’s shoulders.

Twilight tried to redirect them, but chaos was already afoot in the small abode by now. Wild had commandeered the hearth for cooking dinner (they’d clearly missed lunch) while Warriors and Legend were snarking at each other as they went through Twilight’s small collection of books. Wind dragged Hyrule into the cellar while Four climbed to the top of the house, looking out the window. Time stood close to the entrance, letting everything unfold before gently guiding Twilight to the center of the room with a soft, “Let them be, you know you can’t stop them anyway.”

The traveler climbed down into the cellar with the sailor and lit a lantern to take a peek. The room was rather bare save for a single treasure chest and a mirror with a green hat sitting innocuously in front of it, covered in a small layer of dust.

“Ha! So he did wear a cap like the rest of us!” Wind shouted triumphantly, picking up the hat. Then he pouted. “You think Sky did too?”

The traveler sighed, looking away. The treasure chest caught his eye, and he grew curious, but he shook his head and went back upstairs, trying to push all his worries out of his mind and failing. The smell of Wild’s cooking relaxed him a little more as everyone slowly started to gather in the center of the house, waiting for dinner.

“Eat up and get some rest,” Time said from the entrance. “We’ll resume our search at dawn.”

#writing #elastic heart #Legend's probably going to develop an aneurysm #Twi's Protect instincts are going haywire and he can't do anything about it #but at least he gets to hang out at home so there's that #the boys trash Twi's place because they can't not touch everything #I was tempted to break Twi's mirror in his basement for Reasons but then I realized he'd be way too depressed to lash out like that #anyway there will be Ordon shenanigans in the next chapter!#I still struggle to write Hyrule but oh well #Time is in Protective Dad Mode now #one of his kids is missing and his baby could be running into the Shadow again after almost getting eviscerated #he's not having a great time right now #oh where oh where can Sky be #linkeduniverse #linked universe

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