I'll be dividing the original chapter (again) because it is too long. I also want to emphasize the different atmospheres and themes playing out in the two major scenes in the chapter. This chapter is tedious but fun to write, and in my opinion, the second half is perfect to be the ending scene for the second book.

Link woke up to a hand gently ruffling the crown of his head and a blanket slipping off his shoulders as he shifted. He raised his head and yawned, rubbing away the last dredges of sleep from his eyes. Across him, Hyrule has left his chair, and Link heard no one else moving about inside the room. He could hear footsteps shuffling back and forth outside and below them, the clinking of metal and wood, and the abstract chatter of people from different directions. The colored panes of the windows cast the last rays of daylight in parallel rows of green, gold, red, and pink. If he is to estimate, it might be nigh six o'clock in the evening.

"Already up, Cub?"

Link's hand stilled from brushing his annoying fringes off his face. He knows that voice and has heard it last time when it promised that it would certainly escape Death's door. He turned his head and saw him finally awake and smiling at him. Twilight, his asshole of a friend who nearly died, is awake, sitting up, and fucking smiling at him as if he just woke up to a regular day. Goddesses, he wants to punch him right now on the face for confusing him whether to feel relieved or angry at him for finally opening his eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

"…Fuck you." Link decided to settle on the aggressive side. He has shed enough tears for a dimwit who thought informing him late that he was envenomated was a bright idea. "Really, fuck you, man."

Twilight chuckled, ruffling the kid's hair. "Sorry. I don't swing that way, and I already have someone."

Link swatted the Rancher's hand away and unceremoniously pounced at him with a bear hug. Twilight hissed at the sudden pressure and pain jolting through his torso but returned the embrace with the same intensity or more and rested his chin on the top of the shorter man's head.

"I-I thought I lost…I lost you." Link's voice was muffled against the Rancher's bandaged chest. "If the portal didn't appear then…if Hylia didn't call out to me…I…you would have…."

"Sshh! Sshh! That's enough of that." Twilight murmured, ignoring the prickling pain at his side. "I'm here. I'm alive, okay? I told you I'm not gonna die."

Link pulled away and glowered at the man. "You nearly died!"

"But I didn't." Twilight pointed out and wore a shit-eating grin on his battered face. "And I won that deal. I get to call you Cub as much as I want."

Link could do nothing but rub his face with a frustrated hand as he slumped back to his chair. Twilight might be a Hero of Courage, but he is also a stubborn blockhead. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. No need to rub it in, Twi."

Twilight gasped in mock betrayal. "We never agreed you're going to give me a nickname."

"Then, would you rather be called Wolfie all the time?"

The Rancher slapped a hand on the kid's mouth. "Hey now, Cub. Not everyone knows about that."

Link frowned and batted his hand away for the second time. "I noticed." He searched Twilight's face. "Who else knows? Time?"

"Yeah. Just the two of you, though Four seems to be suspecting something for some time now."

"He's quite perceptive." Link noted. "Honestly, if I have to bet who will find about your 'secret' next, it would be him."

Twilight hummed and sized him up and down. "You seemed to be taking this in a stride. I was expecting that you're going to punch me in the face the moment I wake up, or maybe something else in your sleeves that we have yet to see."

Link leaned against the backrest of the chair, arms crossed and glaring at him. "Trust me. I want to, but I don't think I want to go against Hyrule."

Twilight grinned almost teasingly. "Being cautious with the Traveler now, huh? Seems you're finally getting into the team's dynamics."

"If your reactions are anything to go by, I wouldn't hurt to be cautious." A smirk crept up on Link's lips that promised a lifetime of mischief and suffering. "Even if it goes against my base instincts."

The Rancher stared at him, letting those words sink in, before scowling at the memories of the kid going batshit crazy for fun, which is most of the time. "You're insufferable, you know that. Feral even."

"Well…" It is Link's turn to poke fun at the Rancher. "Considering I woke up like an infant and was accompanied by a wolf who was actually you-know-who...yes, I am, and I take that as a compliment."

Twilight ran his hands over his face as if bracing himself for the worst. "Please tell me it wasn't me who taught you the Song of Healing."

"The what now?"

"The one you were humming back then. That's the Song of Healing."

"So, that's what it was." Link pondered for a moment. "Yeah. I learned it from you. Not that you taught me. You being a wolf is ehhhh, you know what I mean." He shrugged. "I just picked it up from you while you were howling it in the middle of the night while I was sick."

"Howling. I was…" Twilight groaned. "I must have done a lot of stupid things back then."

Link grinned wickedly. "With me by your side? Yes."

"Hylia…I feel like I don't want to remember anymore."

"Ah, nope!" Link booped the Rancher's nose as the grin on his face never faltered. If anything, it made Twilight more nervous. "I'm going to make sure you remember all. Every. Single. Fucking. Embarrassing. Thing. You. Did. It will be fun!"

"Why was I stuck with you again?"

"Get on the program, Twi." Link intentionally emphasized the Rancher's new nickname. "You're still stuck with me, and apparently, you owe me one. No, lots. You owe me lots aside from being a dumb-dumb and telling me your fucking envenomated at the last minute of all things."

Twilight threw his arms to the air in exasperation. "Oh, goddesses! You're not going to let me live that down, aren't you?"

"And miss making fun of you? NOPE!" Link answered, popping the letter 'O'. "Zip, zilch, nada!"

"Fine." The Rancher relented, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What do you want?"

"First," Link sprawled his upper torso on the bed like a cat and placed his head on his arms. "I'm going to cook your favorite pumpkin stew and you," He jabbed a finger at him. "Are going to eat it. First taste and first serving. I'm not going to hear any complaints from anyone."

The Rancher raised an eyebrow. "Is that your way to get my guard down? Because if it is, you have to do slightly better than that."

Link snorted. "I wish." His ears drooped slightly as his finger began tracing squiggles on the mattress. His eyes flicked nervously to the Rancher before focusing back on the trailing dent on the mattress. "What…what I really want is for you…for you to teach me."

Twilight blinked at him. "What?"

"Teach me." Link tilted his head to look at him straight in the eyes. All mirth from before has disappeared on his expression. "I want you to teach me how to fight."

"But you know how to fight. You can fight."

"That was self-taught." Link did not say that it was pure muscle memory from the start. The skills that the original Link possessed and honed were all etched in his body. Everything else – from analyzing enemies and mapping out strategies on the fly – was something he has to learn the hard, painful, and bloody way during his journey. "I want to learn from someone who actually knows how to fight properly."

"Why me though?" Twilight frowned. "You can ask Warriors. He's the Captain of his Hyrule's knights. Sky was trained as a knight too. Heck, even Legend can teach you. He isn't called the Veteran for nothing. Time…" He paused and shook his head. "My point is that you can ask the others to teach you. I'm not the only one qualified to do so."

"Twilight," Link lifted himself from his languid position and faced the Rancher properly. "I'm not asking for a one-time teacher. I'm asking for a mentor." He explained. "You might not remember it yet, but I am someone who literally has to start from scratch. I might be one hundred and eighteen biologically but in other aspects? I'm a toddler. A baby. A one- and nine-months-old child who was pushed to saving a long-dead kingdom from an ancient evil. Calamity Ganon's might be defeated in my Hyrule, but I still need someone who can guide me. I need someone who can teach me how to fight, amongst other things. The others are not qualified as you think they are."

The Rancher's shoulders slumped. "Why me then?"

"Because I trust you."

"Even though I didn't tell you I'm Wolfie at first?"

Link crossed his arms and scoffed. "Wasn't your fault. You don't even remember."

Twilight's expression darkened. "I should have." Regret and frustration flickered in his sapphire-blue eyes as his fists clenched around the blanket. "I really should have."

"Hey." Link grasped the older man's arm and squeezed it lightly. "It's not your fault for forgetting, and that's that. Stop beating yourself over it and just give me an answer. I'm not asking you for an essay, you know."

Twilight gazed at him, studying him with a look laced with hesitation and worry. Link has seen that look on Wolfie's face too many times than he could count, and it always leaves a bad taste in his mouth. "That's…" The Rancher shook his head and chuckled softly. He reached out to tousle the kid's already unkempt honey-blond hair. "Alright. I accept. As long as you listen to what I say."

Link decided to let him mess his hair freely for once and smirked cheekily. "Not everything you say?"

The Rancher narrowed his eyes at him as if he could sense that the kid is plotting the world's demise from a mile away. That, and they needed to settle on a compromise. "Almost everything I say."

Link weighed the pros and cons of that proposition in his mind before nodding. "Deal! No take-backs, okay?" He grabbed him by the shoulders and pumped his fist into the air. "Woohoo! One mentor acquired! I'll be in your care from now on, Twi."

"Why you!" Twilight pulled him closer and gleefully rubbed his knuckle on the kid's head. "Stop calling me that."

Link laughed, reaching up to protect his head from the noogie. "Don't wanna!"

Their lighthearted banter was interrupted by the door creaking wide open. Twilight and Link turned to see the other seven members of their ragtag group spilled into the infirmary. Warriors was leading the charge, arms spread into a flourish, as he grinned at the duo who has been bedridden for days. Legend and Hyrule walked in after him, the former lecturing the other about his excessive use of healing magic as of late. Four wore a neutral expression – he already had enough of the predecessor-successor discussion that seems to last forever. Sky and Time are at the rear; the former seemed pale, as if he has seen a ghost hand from inside the toilet and was never going to recover from the horrifying trauma. Time patted the Skyloftian at the back, offering a sympathetic look. Link caught something about 'women', but he is not sure what it is about. Wind popped out from Warriors' side. The end portion of the Captain's scarf draped over his head as his face lighted up at the sight of the two older men.

"Link! Twilight! You guys are up."

"Well, well. The disaster duo finally decided to wake up." Warriors slipped in a teasing grin that had Twilight rolling his eyes. "Did you guys enjoy your beauty sleep?"

The Rancher loosened his hold on Link and let his new protégé settled down comfortably next to him as Wind ran up to them and climbed the bed. "Would have been better if we have a few hours of silence before you come in."

The Captain placed a hand on his chest and gasped in mock hurt. "You wound me, Twilight. Here I am, showing my utmost concern for your well-being." He sat down at the end of the bed and draped himself dramatically by Twilight's feet. "Must you be so cruel to me?"

The Hero of Twilight turned to Link with a look that says, Can you believe this guy?, before unceremoniously kicking Warriors at the side. The Captain gave a yelp and glared at the Rancher, whose lips quirked to a smile of self-satisfaction. Time stood at the side of the bed, peering at his protégé with a critical eye.

"How are you feeling, Pup?"

"Like I was mauled and injected with a deadly venom by a Skulltula." That prompted Link to jab his new mentor by the side. Twilight winced but grinned all the same. He raised his palms up to placate the kid. "I'm not wrong, though!"

"It's the medicine talking." Link told Time. "Don't mind him." Then, to Twilight. "Dumbass."

"Language, Cub." Twilight whispered back, though it is obvious that everyone heard their small repartee.

"We're glad you're both up." Sky said as he sidled next to Warriors, who has not given up taking up space at the end of the bed. "It's almost dinner. I'm going to ask Henya and the kitchen staff to bring your meals here."

Legend folded his arms as he gave the Skyloftian a knowing look. "Trouble in paradise, I assume?"

"Please don't." Sky sighed tiredly. "Zelda came by my room earlier and demanded to hand over the Master Sword. She didn't tell me exactly why, but she wanted to talk to Fi, and she seemed angry." He shuddered at the memory. "Believe me when I say that you don't want to be in the same room as her when she's mad."

"That's ominous." Four climbed on Link's abandoned chair and crossed his legs. "The incarnation of the Goddess being angry? That's no good."

Sky waved his hands frantically. "No, no, I don't think that's it! Zelda must have something to discuss with Fi. I think I might just have overreacted." Then, almost to himself. "I think?"

"See? Ominous."

"What I think is ominous is how these two," Hyrule pointed an accusing finger to Twilight and Link. "Got beaten up like this."

"Uh-oh." Twilight avoided the Traveler's searing look and nudged at Link. "I think it's storytime. You got this."

Link whipped his head to him and gasped in betrayal. "Why me?"

"Because I'm not the one who charged into a lair of Skulltulas and provoked them." Twilight pointed out. "And hello? I'm the person who almost died of monster venom in your stead."

"Is this how you treat your protégé?"

"Oh, yes. I have every right to call you out now. Don't think I won't."

"You're too much." Link folded his arms and pouted. "I'm rescinding our arrangement."

Twilight clicked his tongue and wagged his finger. "No take-backs, remember?"

"Go back to sleep, then!"

The seven Links could only watch in amusement as the two laughed and shoved each other playfully. The new lighthearted dynamic between the two is like a breath of fresh air and relief after the almost tragedy that happened days ago. Link voiced out his complaints aloud as he dodged Twilight's attempts to muss his hair. Twilight chuckled as he blocked and avoided his protégé's efforts to smack his arm away.

"I have a lot of questions." Wind swung his legs at the edge of the bed, scooting a bit away to not get caught in the two older men's ribbing. "Twilight is Link's mentor now? Like Time is Twilight's?"

"You're not the only one." Four said, smiling at the heartwarming scene before them. "Just save it for later."

"Ughhh! Stop messing with my hair, Twi!" Link whined, ducking his head away. "I'm not a kid."

"Act like one, get treated like one, Cub."

"Stop it, you little -?"

Link's arms froze mid-air as his ears perked up to attention. His head swiveled toward the direction of the door, his eyes unblinking as he regarded a new addition to the room. The others followed his gaze and saw Sun standing by the open doorway. She was carrying something that looked suspiciously like a sword bundled in a blue cloth as she smiled fondly at the lively scene before her.

"Forgive my intrusion." She spoke. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything?"

"Zelda!" Sky beamed as he shot up to his feet, though there was a bit of hesitation in his movement. It seemed he is still wary of his earlier encounter with his Zelda. "Come in. Do you need anything?"

A soft chuckle escaped Sun's lips. "You know me very well, Sky, but I won't be staying long." She then locked gazes with the newest member of their group. The heroes did not seem to mind Sun's use of Sky's hero title even though they are currently in his era. "I wish to speak with Link. Would you mind sparing me some of your time?"

"Ummm…" Link's eyes nervously flicked to Sky, who tilted his head questioningly back to him. "Sure…? Here?"

Sun shook her head, ignoring the looks of askance thrown at both of them. "No, in private." She answered. "Our conversation this afternoon was cut short. I think it would be best to continue it as soon as possible. I know a place where we can speak uninterrupted."

"Ah, okay…" Link nodded slowly. No, it is not okay. His eyes drifted to the wrapped sword in Sun's arms. He did not know why, but he got a bad feeling about this. "Right. Sure."

"Wait." Sky stopped Link from standing up as his eyes locked to the bundle in Sun's arms. There was an air of tension around the usually laidback hero. "Zelda, whatever you're thinking about doing, I'm telling you now that that's not a good idea."

Sun studied her lover fondly. "I admire your concern, Sky." She said. "But this is something that must be done."

"Then, I'll go with –"

"No." Sun denied his unfinished declaration firmly. "This is between me, Link, and…" She trailed off when she glanced at the scarred youth. "My point is…I'll take the fall should it come to that, Sky."

Sky swallowed dryly as he turned to Link. If Sky is defying the literal incarnation of the Goddess Hylia, then he has every reason to refuse Sun. He has an idea of what is covered in that blue fabric, and whether it is just a guess or the truth, he did not like it either way. He should have just said 'no', but some force insisted for him to reconsider. Was it intrigue? Was it impatience? Or was it because he is yearning for answers that might be rewarded to him tonight? No matter what his excuse is, it just proves he has terrible decision-making skills.

The others seemed to finally sense something is amiss. Whether it was Link's imagination or not, Four and Hyrule appeared to be closer to him than he remembered them to be. Warriors has finally seated upward, his legs almost blocking the way to Link's side of the bed, while Legend stood straight just beside him. The Veteran's face was his usual resting bitch face, but the way his jaw clenched made it looked like he is waiting for a fight to break out. Wind's hand clutched Twilight's blanket, his eyes darting apprehensively between Link and Sun. Time placed a firm hand on the Rancher's shoulder as if trying to communicate something, and Link felt his mentor gently tugged him closer to him.

"With all due respect, Your Grace," The Hero of Time started. There was a subtle edge in his voice that conveyed a warning. "I don't think Link is allowed to move freely yet. It wouldn't help his recovery by putting unnecessary stress on him."

Link bit his tongue from blurting out Oh, shit! because it sounded like Time is ready to stand up against the incarnation of the Goddess Hylia right now. He knew he resents the Goddess but getting in a fight with her mortal form was something Link did not expect the physically older Link is prepared to do at some point. He was itching to get out of there and not get involved, but Hylia's - his era's Hylia's - promise rang in his mind's ear.

"…All shall be revealed to you in due time…."

Link pursed his lips. His blue eyes met Sun's, and he immediately knew that she bears no ill will with how the heroes are acting right now. In fact, she seemed to understand to the degree that he or the others could not comprehend.

"I'm going."

For a moment, Link wondered where his confidence in saying that came from. Sun smiled encouragingly at him as he removed himself away from Twilight's side. His mentor grabbed his arm and threw him a worried look that Link understood immediately. He reached out to squeeze the older man's wrist reassuringly before mouthing an I will be fine. He tried to brush aside the probing stares from the others as he slipped away from the Rancher's grasp and snatched his Sheikah Slate from the cabinet beside the bed he occupied for days. Better safe than sorry. He nodded to Sun when he reached the doorway.

"We'll be back later. Tell Henya to keep our meals warm until we return." Sun told Sky, who frowned but nodded all the same. "We won't be away for long. Come along, Link."

Link looked back to the others and tried for a smile. "See you later." He bid them, but he knew he did not have them convinced with his safety (and sanity) when he stepped past the doorway and grabbed the doorknob. He tried not to let his sight drift to Twilight as the door slowly closed behind him.

I will be fine.

That is what Link told him, but he is never sure.

Almost all LU fanfics regard Twilight as Wild's mentor. I want to dwell deeper on that and write how I imagined they established that relationship in this story. I also want to be a bit realistic and put what I think Wild's expectations on Twilight's mentorship and Twilight's on Wild as his protégé. While they mutually agreed on that setting, they are still close friends and found family, which served as the foundation of their trust in each other as a mentor and a protégé.