This chapter is brought to you by rule #1 of Guide On How To Be An Idiotic Author 101:

Write at 3 am and regret every single mistake you've made once you wake up.

All Wild could see was water.

The place was empty. Thick fog clung around him, wisping around just above where the water reached his ankles. It was eerily silent, save for the splashing of water as he trudged aimlessly in that wasteland. He kept walking and walking, though where he would go or what he was looking for was something he did not know. His thoughts were sluggish, his movements robotic. He felt like cotton was stuffed in his head, and he did not know why. He just kept moving forward, uncaring of how long he was walking for, what awaits him at the end (if there was even an end to this), and how the hazy world liquidates around him.

Finally, his feet led him to a lone tree. It was bare yet stood firm in the middle of the only piece of land in this no-man's-land. Far back, a building made of carved bricks emerged from the fog. There was a jutting boulder at his left, but Wild paid it no mind.

Underneath the tree, a figure stood with his back turned to him. He is probably around his age, dressed in garments similar to the green attire the Ancient Sheikah monks rewarded him when he completed all one hundred and thirty-six shrines, except that the young man is wearing a deep blue shade. A familiar shield – the Hylian Shield, his mind supplied belatedly – was strapped on his back together with a purple-hilted sword he felt that he should know. He tried to scramble his muddled mind for anything, but all he could come up with was nothing.

Wild approached, the sloshing of water drew the person's attention to him. He turned to face the Champion, and the latter paused.

"Time…?"

The person before him looked like the Hero of Time, except he was younger by two to three decades. There are no markings on his face, and both of his eyes are working. He wore no heavy armor, just his hero attire. A blue fairy fluttered above his shoulder, but he did not seem to mind. However, the exhaustion in his eyes was one thing that had not changed over the years.

Younger Time advanced toward him and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Wild…Link," The deep bass in his voice a tone higher than the Champion is used to. "Listen well. Beware of the Shadow. Beware of the Dark Hero. He is everywhere. Never. Ever. Let him in!" His grip tightened as he shook the young man. "Do you understand? Don't let him in! He'll –!"

A pained gasp parted Younger Time's mouth as his eyes widened in horror. Wild felt something sharp poke his ribs, and he looked down to see the blade of a sword sprouting from the hero's chest and the blood dripping to their boots and staining the clear water. The weapon withdrew with a sickening SQUELCH! and the still-warm corpse tilted listlessly toward him.

The Champion's mind processed what happened too slow to tell him to dodge, and he fell on his back with the lifeless body of Younger Time trapping him underneath it. Water seeped into his ears and nose – is the water level rising? – as he struggled to see who or what killed the hero above him.

A figure fully clad in darkness loomed above them. Its sanguine eyes gleamed as its face shifted and took the form of the dead Hero of Time. He raised a shadowy version of the hero's sword as its lips curled in a maniacal grin. "Rest for eternity…Hero."

Wild gasped, and his eyes snapped open. Different shades of blue filtered in his eyes as he clawed at his neck. He hears nothing, feels nothing, and tastes nothing as water bubbled around him peacefully. He could not breathe, he was drowning, he was dying, and goddesses help him! This is the Shrine of Resurrection all over again, and he cannot do this please help him –

A pair of solid arms slipped beneath his armpits and hauled him up. Not even a second later, harsh light blinded his eyes as he breached the surface. Water splashed frantically around him as a smaller body struggled to keep his head out of the water and swim to safety. They reached land, and he was deposited on the ground and rolled to his side. He immediately started coughing and hacking as he fought to wrench air back to his lungs. His back arched as he vomited water and whatever he had last eaten. A hand kneaded his back, and he tilted his head slightly to see his savior through teary eyes.

"…ild? Li...?"

Wild shook his head weakly and tried to lift his hand to sign, but his arms felt like lead. He coughed a few times more, expelling the last amount of water his body could muster. He groaned soundlessly, his eyes already fluttering shut as his exhausted body demanded to rest.

"Stay…me, kid! Don't…sleep…."

The Champion whined pitifully as he was jostled to a sitting position, and something dry and soft was draped over his trembling form. His arm slung around someone's shoulders as another arm – not his – wrapped around his waist. He was hauled up to his feet, his body entirely supported by the other person pressed to his side. They hobbled to – Wild could not remember where. Everything was a blur of sensations to him. He barely remembered the chill insistently biting his skin, the bitter taste of a red potion on his tongue, a voice coaxing him to change from wet to dry clothes, and the crackling of a warm campfire. When he finally came to, the first thing he saw was a familiar red tunic.

"…Vet..eran…?"

"Back to Hyrule now, kid?"

Legend scooted close to where the Champion lay and picked up a wet towel from the latter's forehead. Wild tried to sit up, but his head screamed in pain. The world spun, and he felt like puking. The Veteran pressed a hand on the younger man's chest and carefully pushed him back to a resting position.

"Stay down, kid. You're running a mild fever."

Just mild? Wild wanted to argue that he felt like he got caught in a stampede by a horde of Moblins…or a pack of Wolfies. His head felt like it had cracked open, and someone ruthlessly drove a hot iron into his brain. His skin felt too hot and heavy for comfort, and he was having a slight difficulty breathing as if someone punctured a tiny hole in his lungs. He coughed and wheezed, and he rolled to his side in hopes of ending the fit.

Legend waited before placing the newly wrung towel back on the Champion's forehead and tugging the double layers of blankets over his form when he noticed the younger hero shivered. Wild peered at him through half-lidded eyes and wriggled out a hand to sign. Where?

The Veteran cast him a look of annoyance that took him a moment to decipher, You should be resting, but the man was gracious enough to answer him. "Not sure yet. It isn't my Hyrule." He reached for his pack and pulled out the Sheikah Slate, which he placed next to the Champion's head. "We got transported in the middle of the night and dropped in a goddess-damned lake. If I didn't consider Hylia a wacko before, she is now in my book."

Wild blinked at him, trying to register everything he said in his addled mind. The last thing he remembered was Malon sitting by his bedside after he confessed everything to her. No one woke him up for dinner, which he was grateful for. After his latest outburst, he did not think he could face any of the heroes. At least, not anytime soon. Then, he fell asleep and had dreamed about a place of endless water and fog, a younger Time and his doppelganger, and…they shifted eras? How come he did not sense it? He should have! It is his job! He -!

"Stop that." Legend scolded, flicking the Champion's forehead. "You're out of it when it happened. It's not your fault we didn't see that shitty Shift coming."

But –

The Veteran grasped Wild's wrist to stop him from continuing. "Not another word." He growled. "I'm not having a sick person blame himself for something he didn't have control over."

Wild deflated and burrowed into the blankets. The Veteran kept his eyes on him for a second longer before letting go of the other's wrist and sighing. "Go to sleep so we can start searching for the others. The Rancher will wring my neck if your condition gets worse. So, sleep. I'm not going to repeat myself thrice."

The Champion watched him turn around to tend the fire and glimpsed the shadow of the hero. It was a solid black with no bloodred eyes or vile smile. It was formless and harmless, yet he could not shake the feeling of being watched. The feeling lingered even as his eyelids slid shut and slept visited him for the second time that day.

Wild woke up later with his face buried in a heap of fur. The body next to him shifted away, and something damp pressed against his cheek. He let out a whine and rolled the other side. His body immediately spasmed into a series of weak coughs from the sudden movement. A hand slid at the back of his neck and lifted him at an angle. Something cold was pressed on his lips, and his tongue tasted the familiar pungency of a red potion. That alone was enough to reignite his senses to life, and he lurched forward, retching at the taste. Call his tastebuds delicate, but he absolutely detests it. He turned to the person who administered him the potion and gave them a withering look.

"...Fuck you." That was the first thing that escaped his lips when his eyes landed on Four. Then, he turned to the mastermind who was lounging beside him. "And, fuck you."

The Smith raised an eyebrow at him while Wolfie tilted his head innocently to say, Me wolf. Me no understand. Wild glowered at the transformed hero. Twilight knew about his hatred of red potions since he first tried them when he almost got flattened into a pancake by a Wallmaster in an unknown Hyrule. That was his second encounter with the said monster, and needless to say, it was less pleasant than the first encounter with Hyrule. Unlike the Hearty Elixirs that he could alter to suit his tastebuds, the recipes for potions and elixirs from the eight heroes' eras are secret knowledge and goddesses forbid, most likely fixed. He would rather eat raw Hinox guts than take another sip of that abomination to the tongue.

Four passed him a waterskin which Wild nearly snatched from his hand. He watched the Champion take big gulps and practically empty the container. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah." Wild nodded as he closed the waterskin and handed it to the Smith. He scowled at the wolf, who continued playing coy at his situation. "Though I could do without a red potion shoved down on my throat."

"That was Twilight's idea." Wild did not miss the knowing look the Smith threw to Wolfie. "I'll go get Legend and Sky. I hoped they managed to find the others."

The Champion watched the smallest hero stand up and disappear between rows of trees. Beside him, geometric darkness enveloped the wolf as Twilight returned to his Hylian form. "Does he already know?"

"Unfortunately, yes." The Rancher sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sky and Four were with me when we shifted Hyrules. He witnessed me transform when he followed me after I volunteered to track the rest of the group. You and Legend are the first ones we found. We're still looking for the others."

"Hm." Wild reached for his Sheikah Slate and inspected it. He let out a breath of relief when he saw no damage from his fall to the lake. He opened it to the map section, and only static greeted him. "We're not in my Hyrule. Whose era is this?"

"We're not sure yet. Probably no one's."

Twilight reached near the campfire and passed him a steaming bowl of orange soup. Wild caught the familiar whiff of pumpkin and spices. "Pumpkin stew?"

"Soup." The Rancher corrected. "A recipe from my era. Legend said you've been out cold for about half a day. You haven't eaten anything during our last dinner in Time's era. Consider this payback for that incredible pumpkin stew you made for me."

A small smile quirked on Wild's lips, and he took a spoonful of the soup. Warmth flooded his insides, and his body relaxed after more than twelve eventful hours of his life. While Twilight is not as much of an expert in cooking as Wild, his mentor could still whip out dishes that rival the Champion's. Anything pumpkin-related is one of the Rancher's fields of expertise and a source of friendly cooking competitions between the two.

Wild leaned against his mentor and looked up to the darkening sky. Despite the hues of orange and blue that remained, his eyes could already pick up the brightest stars twinkling above. He would usually find the view mesmerizing and simply sit down and watch as more stars blanketed the heavens. But right now, there was a feeling of dread lurking beneath the surface, and he could not take it to himself to settle down.

"Twilight," The Champion addressed his mentor. "What do you think of dusk?"

If Wild noticed the Rancher stiffened, he did not say anything. Twilight fixed him with an unreadable look as he replied. "...Why?"

"I had a strange dream." Again, Wild wanted to say, but he refrained. "I was in a place filled with water. I saw Time there, but he was a lot younger than now. He told me to be wary of the Shadow, of the Dark Hero. He…" He trailed off; his hands clutched the spoon tightly as he remembered how the hero was murdered in front of him. He cannot bring himself to tell Twilight that. "Has he told you guys anything about that? You know, before you ended up in my Hyrule?"

"That's…" Twilight frowned as he tried to recall anything related to that. "No. I don't think so. Then again, the Old Man's the type not to tell his adventures when the situation doesn't call for it."

"This is just my hunch but," Wild pulled away and looked at Twilight dead in the eyes. "I think that Shadow might be connected to why Hylia gathered us. It might be the reason for this quest."

When his protégé said that, Twilight felt a chill crawl up his spine. A heavy feeling settled on his gut, and he felt like he was pinned on the ground. Shadows danced, and darkness crept around the corners of their temporary camp, just out of reach of the last dying rays of the sun. Against the light of the campfire, Wild's striking blue eyes glowed a near gold. At the back of the Rancher's mind, he wondered if it was just a trick of light and darkness. He opened his mouth to force out a reply, but a rustle sent him rising from his sitting position with his sword drawn and pointed to the intruder.

"Whoa! Whoa! It's us, Rancher!"

Warriors had his arms raised in surrender with the tip of Twilight's sword pressed against the Captain's Adam's apple. Behind him, Time had Hyrule in a piggyback ride. The Traveler's leg was wrapped in a splint and fresh bandages. Wind was dozing off on Sky's back; the Sailor had a few scratches on his face, but he was mostly unharmed. The others flanked them at the rear, presumably to protect the injured in the middle.

Twilight let his eyes wander to each of them before sheathing his sword and stepping aside to let them in the camp. He and some of the Links helped settle Hyrule and Wind on their bedrolls while Four tended to the campfire and explained to Wild that Wind and Hyrule encountered a tiny group of black-blooded monsters before Time and Warriors found them. The Traveler broke his bone when he tried to dodge a Bulblin's club aimed at his side. He reacted a second too late and got hit on the leg instead.

"So, we got one type of Twilight's monsters here, but this isn't his era?" Wild asked after Hyrule told them the whole story as they ate their early dinner.

"It's rare, but it happens." Time answered. "We speculated that the purple portals are what brought them here, and that's how the infection spread from one era to another." He tapped his spoon on the rim of his bowl. "Then again, that's just an assumption on our part. The root cause of the infection is still a mystery."

"So...if we find the cause," The Champion side-eyed Twilight. "Then, all we have to do is to destroy it, and that will solve our problem?"

"One way or another, yes." The Hero of Time nodded. "However, it might be more complicated than that. If finishing this quest is as easy as that, there'll be no need to summon these many heroes across time and space."

Wild hummed thoughtfully. Sandwiched between him and Hyrule, the Veteran crossed his arms and grumbled. "Yeah, and we've been jumping around Hyrule after Hyrule for six months now, and we still don't have a rat's tail about why Hylia lumped us together!"

Warriors turned to the Champion. "Anything from the Goddess?"

Wild shook his head and shot them an apologetic look. "No, sorry. The most I could get was hearing her voice whenever the portals popped out. It will have been easier if I have a medium of communication like a Goddess Statue."

"Pity." Warriors nudged Sky playfully with his elbow. "I guess Sun's future self is not a conversationalist."

The Chosen Hero sighed; his fingers brushed the hilt of the Master Sword hidden behind him. He glanced at Wild, who seemed deep in his thoughts to pay proper attention to where the conversation was heading. That, and it appeared Legend has gotten the memo just by looking at the Skyloftian's expression and was now distracting both the Champion and the Traveler. He lowered his voice just enough for the others to hear. "I'll try to talk to Fi and see if she can tell me something."

Four gave him a skeptical look. "Will she even answer?" He asked. "I mean, no offense, but you've been trying since you joined the group. You and Warriors met the spirit inside that sword before and spoke with her, but now…."

"I know, but I have to try." Sky insisted. "I can no longer hear Fi's voice like before, but I could still sense her. At times, she would communicate with me by sharing her thoughts. It's not much, but that's how I got your hero titles. It's been four months since we got Wind's, but perhaps this time, I could get something outside of that."

The five heroes exchange tentative looks. It is their third-best bet after Wild's ability to hear and speak with the Goddess herself; their first is to find their objective by blood, sweat, and tears. As Sky told them a few times, he is the only one who can converse with the Spirit of the Master Sword, albeit one-way.

"Go for it," Twilight encouraged. "Just like what Four said, you've been trying since you joined us. Why stop now? It's not like we got something to lose because of it."

Sky smiled gratefully at the Rancher. "Then, I'll take first watch. You guys can rest."

"Just make sure you don't sleep during your shift." Legend said, finally joining the conversation. His two charges just a second ago did not seem peeved to have missed a part of the discussion earlier. "The last time I succeeded you in the watch, you're already drooling in your sleep."

Sky reddened in embarrassment. "I won't!"

"Good, because I'm taking second."

Wild piped in. "Can I take third?"

The Veteran beat him to it before Twilight could have a say on the matter. "No, kid. You, the Traveler, and the Sailor are resting, and that's about it. If I hear a peep of complaint from any of you, I'm going to throw you to the next era we're going to end up to."

Hyrule leaned to Wild behind the Veteran and whispered. "Worrywart."

"I can hear you!"

Wild chuckled as the predecessor and successor grappled playfully beside him. The feeling of dread from earlier dissipated into nothing but an afterthought. He let his eyes drift from one hero to another as they fell to one of their usual dinner routines. Time, Twilight, and Sky chatted casually while Warriors teased Wind about his height which Four rolled his eyes. Despite the awful Shift from earlier, it was peaceful, and a pleasant smile graced Wild's lips. The people with him are the legendary heroes that saved Hyrule time and time again. Perhaps, his dream is just as it is - a bad dream. Maybe, he is just overthinking things and worrying Twilight unnecessarily.

"Ma...ster…"

Perhaps, even that strange voice that just rang in Wild's head is nothing but another figment of his imagination.

The idea at the last part is actually supposed to go to Chapter 2, but I scrapped it because it doesn't fit well with the flow. I also tried Chapter 3, but ehhhhhh. So, here we are. Chapter 4, and I'm shamelessly starting the countdown to disaster.