Chapter 17: The one where they duck up

A magical notebook, huh? While that sounded like a joke, it still seemed to have hit Babble, the mystery, the stranger, hard.

And that was when Legend realized that it had to be true, as weird as it sounded. It might seem paranoid, but this paranoia had kept Legend alive for all of his adventures and even after.

How had the others started to trust that stranger so easily?

Easy, the kid seemed as dangerous as a teddy bear. Cute, unable to properly talk and unknowing about the most basic dangers.

But there were also all those little things that didn't sum up, because they were just too fitting.

Of all people the kid ran into, it was them. Babble got chased by monsters which they purposefully lead to them not once, but twice. And, oh wonder, when the kid actually fought it was in fact decent enough. Why hadn't they then tried to defend themselves sooner and instead guided the Links into trouble?

And why had they been found in Wild's Hyrule when, according to the postman they should be in a completely different universe? If there was another Hyrule which was connected to another dimension shouldn't there be a hero also? A hero they should have met long ago if the usual pattern was to be believed instead of some wannabe damsel in distress Babble? Then why, if there was a complete other Hyrule, hadn't they all been transported there yet?

Oh, and let's not forget why had they come from the place in the timeline where things seemed to have gone even more downwards than even Hyrule's already really sh*tty Hyrule? To get pity, of course, because it was so bad that Babble's people themselves didn't even live there anymore and fled to a whole other dimension.

And how did this other guy from the dimension next over end up here and why was he called of all things Ga(whatever)non? Who also apparently was a friend of little "innocent" Babble?

And how had Babble gotten their hands upon Legend's secret song, the one he had never told anyone about, the one he had never played outside a world made of dreams?

Also, if Babble was really that frightened by their standards strange worlds they were travelling through, shouldn't they have done their best to adapt and learn their language and not the other way around by forcing their mindpower on learning their language and doing everything in their might to stand out?

This all pointed to one thing, which Legend didn't very much like. It showed that there was a high chance of Babble actually being a spy for Dark Link or another bad guy, who was sent to infiltrate them and destroy them from the inside. Their story being nothing than a very detailed farce.

And Legend had miraculously managed as the only one to look right through it.

But this all hung on one concept: the magical notebooks.

Because being a spy would be extremely unuseful without a possibility to report back. Because Babble was always with at least one Link a time there was no way for them to sneak away and secretly report, and at night they always had someone guarding the others so there was no way, too.

But if their notebook, and Legend had for a fact seen Babble possessing and using one, was magical there was a definite possibility of Babble using it to contact the outside and give prize everything they had learned about them. Especially if there was a second notebook connected to theirs, which was now learning about that elusive friend of theirs entirely too likely. Why else would he hunt so desperately after missing pages if they did not contain vital information over the ones he planned to exterminate?

Ganon was Ganon after all, no matter if he had one n or two n and it was sure that he planned together with Dark Link to get rid of the nuisance that was the bearers of the hero's spirit to finally reach his goals, whatever they were this time. And Babble was probably their henchmen.

It all hung on one thing, whether Babble's notebook was magical or not.

And so, while Twilight showed the kid around within the horse stables, the kid had left their bag, which they normally guarded like their life depended on it, which probably was true if Legend's suspicions were correct, unattended.

And so Legend sneaked to the bag and he was about to open it, when suddenly something like guilt seemed to crash into him. What if he was just paranoid? What if all of his suspicions were incorrect? Then he would not only have invaded Babble's privacy wrongly not only once, but twice and would have treated the kid like a spy unnecessarily, which was not only wrong, but cruel. Legend knew how it felt to be wrongly accused and he knew it was horribly.

So goddesses trice damnit, he had to be right, otherwise he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. He had to be right about this and about protecting the other Links in that way because they had become his family, whether he liked it or not and so he had to protect them when they were too unaware of what was really going on to protect themselves.

And so Legend steeled his resolve and dove through the bag that belonged to Babble. And then his fingers only brushed the notebook and he was almost blown over by the power radiating from it. He fished it out, eyes wide.

He had been right! Babble was a spy! There was the proof in form of this magical notebook right there!

Hastily he opened it, ready to read through what secret messages Babble, the spy, the traitor, had sent through magical notebooks to sell them out.

He was never as glad to have listened in with Four's language lessons and also always listening close to whatever Babble was saying, thus effectively learning a lot of their strange language. Because their alphabets were the same it should be fairly easy to decipher what was written there.

Legend didn't hear Babble's shocked shout of alarm or Twilights angered: "Legend, what the heck?"

He only held on tight to the page while the book was tried to be wrestled out of his grip, so he may read it.

And the moment he had finally decoded the headline, there was the loud sound of ripping papers.

Rip went the page.

Rip went Legend's somewhat unburdened consciousness.

And while Legend stared horrified at Babble, who had regained their notebook but had fallen due to the backlash headfirst into a mist dump, the now severed and crumbled page still announced with unmistakenly clarity: "HOW TO SURVIVE".

…

Someone had taken the page from Legend and had dumped it together with Babble's innocently used but still for some strange reason ridiculously powerful magical notebook back in their bag which had been safely stored away to a place unknown to Legend. Babble had been led away dirty and understandably angry by Malon to take a bath and thankfully change into some lended fresh underwear and their newly purchased clean clothes.

And Legend himself was marched to the main house and seated like an accused in front of a judge at the kitchen table.

But none of the silent or loudly spoken accusations were as drowning as Legend's own guilt. He should have known better, shouldn't he? When had his paranoia become so bad that even innocent unknowing persons that were suddenly thrown in into something way over their head turned to possible would be murderers?

All these questions that Legend had, had probably innocent reasons or reasons that Babble themselves didn't know. All these things that were suspicious apparently were just part of a greater game in which Babble was only another play figure that desperately tried to survive, unaware of their true calls or powers they held.

Legend felt, to sum it up, like the lowest scum of earth.

And so he confessed.

While the other's faces were judgmental, Time's was simply impassive. He listened quietly even as the others angrily sneered or disappointedly watched while Legend explained his suspicions and the evidence he had collected – the unanswered questions, only leaving out the hidden additional reason that was the unknown origin of the mystery that was the Ballad of the Wind Fish.

And when he had finished, he fell into silence and while it was still tense there was now also understanding on some of the other's faces.

And so Time finally spoke up after exchanging a quiet glance with Malon: "While your motivations were right, your actions were detestable. You should go and apologize to Babble."

Face Babble after the horrid thing he had done? Legend would rather go through another whole set of quests.

But Time didn't budge: "Go and apologize if you want to save whatever tiny bit of positive relationship you have built until then." "Babble's just gone outside to take a hike on Hyrule field" Malon added. "You should go and fetch them, before night breaks in and the stalchildren come out and threaten them."

Defeated Legend stood up and left, the other's eyes burning into his back. He closed the door quietly behind him before trudging down the slope that lead to Hyrule field.

In the setting sun he could see the small form that belonged to Babble burrowed into the cloak that Wild had gifted them stalking up and down, thus concealing the tunic they wore beneath and thus protecting everyone's eyes. They fidgeted while walking and Legend had to admit that when he had seen the pants they had decided to buy he had first questioned their sanity for they had to itch badly, which was actually one of the reasons why Legend himself had decided to ditch trousers.

Sighing, Legend steeled himself before he jogged down to catch quietly up with them.

And just when he reached out to touch Babble's shoulder to get their attention, it was when a wolf quietly in the distance howled to announce the fact that it was now night, suddenly the ground on which Legend and Babble stood on was no more, and so they fell, to be swallowed by darkness.