Hello my lovelies! Here is a new chapter that acts as my Christmas present to all of you. I'll be gone visiting family for two weeks and will be away from the computer. I'm also sick with what I think is the flu... Yay! Which meant while writing this chapter, I had to constantly leave to vomit... Enjoy! I wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope your new year is full of promise! I love each and every single one of you!

-WingedIceWolf

Thanks to my muses, MoonSamuari, Sombra, and TinyGiggleBox127074!

Without further ado, thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

DISCLAIMER 2: THIS IS NOT A LINK X LINK FANFIC.

Wild shut his eyes, warm tears rolling down his face, glistening in the glow of the twilight. It's fading rays shone upon the two Heroes, a single tear falling from Wild's face and hitting a blade of grass before him, slowly dripping into the already wet earth. This was no different than the countless nights he had stood within the rain as the heaven's bitter tears collided with his body like shards of glass. Some would title him a masochist, but he was thankful for the sting the rain brought.

It was a reminder. A reminder that he was living, breathing, fighting.

The Hero of The Wild had often been on his feet within treacherous storms, nearly motionless, head bowed and jaw clenched in a futile attempt to hide the agony that racked his soul time and time again. For the raging storms could hide his troubles with ease. The rain would mingle with his own tears, the booming thunder drowning out his quiet sobs and pleas to the Gods. It was the only instances he felt he could let out the day's seemingly endless trials without judgment. Without looks of concern or arms wrapping tight around him, attempting to comfort him.

He hated the attention he received when injured. Often, he'd be met with the question from several Hylians alike, "What happened?!" while widespread panic filled the area, yells for help piercing the air and many attempting to aid him. It could be something as simple as a cut to his arm he quickly bandaged up and they'd panic.

However, there were much more severe occasions…

He had once entered Zora's Domain, soaked in crimson, leaving a trail of blood in his wake as drops of red hit the ground beneath him in a rhythmic patter. Every step was incredibly painful, sending wave after wave of agony coursing through him, attacking his nerves repeatedly. But he needed to press on, to get to safety.

Mipha's saving grace had healed him prior to his injury, due to his reckless, unavoidable clumsiness. It would be a while before her powers could be channeled again to heal his injury. Sadly, becoming a spirit had weakened her abilities, though she urged him to reach Zora's domain. Any brief second between breathing and without the stabbing pain, he was grateful for, though he was granted very few of those moments.

He was bleeding heavily from his hip where the curved blade of a Yiga had slit muscle and flesh wide open, blood gushing out rapidly, staining his cerulean tunic. His attempt to keep pressure upon the wound, stupidly believing it could subdue the pain flaring in his side, was in vain. If anything, the pain was only worsening.

Hero of The Wild had simply wished to visit the domain, to speak with Sidon about what had been plaguing his mind, causing him to wake in the dead of night in a cold sweat, shaking uncontrollably. He knew without a doubt he could confide in the Zora prince who greeted him each and every time with open arms. At the Domain, he always felt so safe and welcome, not overwhelmed and the center of everyone's attention.

The Zora guarding the Domain shuffled in the darkness at hearing the dragging feet against smooth stone, raising his spear at the figure that lurched toward him, ready to leap into battle should it attack. When the very Hylian who had saved the Domain staggered into the aqua light with nearly colorless skin and his jaw set tightly, a heavy groan of pain fleeing his lips, the Zora's yellow slit eye grew wide in disbelief and horror. The Hero's body pitched forward at reaching his destination, strength spent, eyes rolling back into his head and going limp. In an instant, the Zora Guard's spear fell from his webbed hands with a loud clatter, abandoning his only means of defense to catch the Hero before he could collapse.

It had all started with the sound of laughter, but just as he had unsheathed his blade and turned, hot breath crept down his neck. Even though it had occurred for what felt like months ago, he could still recall the feeling of the cold steel tearing through his skin, digging deeper and deeper as his own blade was driven through the heart of the former Sheikah in synchronization. That day, it wasn't just the blood of the Yiga that splattered against his clothing, but his own as well.

All he could recall once he had reached the Domain was blurred lights, muffled voices, and agony. A burning, searing agony that ripped through him, sending wave after wave of torment coursing through his body. His eyelids finally fell shut, hearing Sidon's voice in the distance. The rest was unknown to him.

Sidon demanded the Hero of The Wild be taken to the royal chambers where he would receive proper treatment and rest. And without a single fuss, he remained within the care unit, sleeping, quite heavily due to blood loss, upon the heated water beds. If it were anywhere else, he would have been out and about the next morning, walking to his next destination. Occasionally, during the night, he would be woken to drink a pain medicine, then return right back to sleep.

With time and with Mipha's grace, his wounds were sealed. Although they were capable of being torn open again should he make the wrong move, the healing process truly wasn't the issue. The true conflict lied in convincing Sidon to allow him to leave the Domain in his current state. The Prince and the Hero argued back and forth, but the Hero ultimately lost the debate. For the next couple of weeks, he was the honored guest to Zora's Domain.

However, it wasn't always that way in other residencies of Hyrule. At least in Zora's Domain, he was more comfortable with sleeping in their chambers and being watched over by its residents. In Hateno, Lurelin, Rito Village, from time to time Kakariko, anything but Zora's Domain, he grew rather uncomfortable with having to sit around, taking up space and time, and wait for himself to heal under the order of Impa, one of the village elders, or someone else, when he could be thriving in the wilderness and reclaiming his memories, one step closer toward defeating Calamity Ganon.

Instead, he was forced to lay in a bed, bandaged, staring at the ceiling and tracing over the shadows on the wall, quickly growing bored of them. Granted, there were a few occasions where he was grateful for the comfortable bed he laid upon where he could rest his head, willing to relax and take off time for himself. Sometimes, those of Hateno or Kakariko, wherever he was closest to, would draw him a warm bath to bathe in with a mixture of dried herbs to ease his sore muscles.

Wild hated appearing weak to those who praised him as a fearless, powerful being, so he often avoided the villages and towns in fear of disappointing the residents. Slowly, he had drowned himself in the pain of his own memory and frustrations, though he had gradually become numb to it. After all, what had he left to lose?

A home full of smiling faces, warm laughter, and safety? Where he could stretch out his legs next to a warm fire on cold winter nights, wrapped up in a fluffy blanket as snowflakes fell softly outside?

A family that would hold him close when he needed the consolation, encouraging and supporting him every step of the way? Rubbing his back and holding him close to them until his sobbing had ceased?

No. He had none of those things to cherish. Perhaps he did once, but regardless, they were forever lost to him. It felt so unfair… Everyone else seemed to be living happily, blissfully unaware of the impending doom. He had failed to save them a century ago, failed to defend them. They were outnumbered, granted, and he was told a knight clad in blue, presumably him, had tried his absolute hardest to keep Fort Hateno from falling.

But even then, he had failed everyone. The kingdom, those fleeing for safety, the Champions.

Again, what had he left to lose?

An image flashed through his head. A girl with bright emerald eyes, smooth, beautiful skin, lips as soft as the petals of a rose, a smile warmer than the sun, and a heart of gold. She was everything he had left to lose. Everything he was fighting for, breathing for, smiling for.

Zelda…

He had seen her warm smile within his dreams and in his recovered memories, but he wished to have that beautiful smile of hers fall upon him once again, as if a century had never truly separated them. She was trapped within the crumbled walls of her kingdom, fighting an endless battle day and night against the very thing that destroyed all she loved. And felled her knight.

Did she still believe he would save her? Or by now, had she given up hope? Did she believe one day, she would breathe easy and stand upon her own two feet with her Hero at her side to hold in her arms?

A soft voice snapped him from his thoughts, and seemingly the Hero of Twilight two. The both of them had been mourning over the past. A past that would never again be theirs…

"Link…?"

Link flinched at the voice, nearly falling from his place high within the apple tree, his heart racing as he clutched to a branch at the last second, gently swinging himself down, landing on the earth with a soft thump. Wild turned to face the source of the voice, finding a boy a little over half his height standing before them. His blue eyes shined with tears, blonde bangs in his eyes, though he didn't dare brush them away. His shoulders shook slightly, looking up at Wild with slight fear in his eyes.

"Who are… you?" He asked, sniffling and wiping his tears away with the back of his hand, taking a step back.

"Colin?" Link whispered, approaching him. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard from my mom that you were going down to the Orchard. So… I came by to see you…" He answered quietly, his gaze having shifted to Link. Wild knelt down before him, and offered a gentle smile, though tears of his own stained his cheeks.

Why are you crying…? Wild signed by touching the tips of his fingers to his head, bringing it down to form the letter Y, then pointing to Colin before setting down the basket of apples, taking both hands and with his index fingers, drawing lines down his eyes to his cheeks.

Colin glanced down at the boots upon his feet, hands behind his back as he shifted nervously. Besides his boots, he really wasn't prepared for the bitter weather. The son to Rusl didn't fully understand sign language, but he could clearly tell what Wild was asking.

"I-I'm not crying," he stammered, though his lip trembled, shivering. Wild undid his cloak and wrapped it around the boy's shoulders, petting his head gently. Colin gasped a little at the gesture, looking up at Wild, their eyes meeting. Just as Link had, he could clearly see the pain hidden in those deep, wild-blue eyes, though the Hero kept smiling faintly at him. The Ordonian returned the smile slightly, snuggling up under the cloak. "Thank you…"

"This is Wild. He's a friend. Colin, tell us what happened…" Link said, kneeling as well beside Wild, placing his hand to Colin's shoulder. Colin nodded gently, blonde bangs bouncing, brushing them behind his head.

"I caught Talo and Malo trying to sneak out… I overheard them earlier, they were going to go into the Faron woods again. Climb some rocks and cause a ruckus. I didn't want them to get hurt… I told their parents… They didn't like that. Pinned me up against a tree and threatened to throw me into the chasm at the bridge…" His lip began to tremble, again staring at the grass. "I'm scared, Link… I want to be strong just like you, but I'm scared…"

Link sighed gently tilting Colin's chin up. "Fear is nothing to be ashamed of, Colin. Someone once told me, 'Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the ability to act in the presence of fear.' You are a strong, loving boy. And your father is very proud of you. I know little Akio looks up to you. But even Heroes feel fear. It's what makes us human. But no amount of regret can change the past and no amount of anxiety will change the future."

He tapped Colin's nose gently, the littler boy wrapping his arms tight around Link, asking shyly, "Can I please stay with you for a bit…? I know they won't hurt me if you're with me…"

Wild growled slightly under his breath, gazing into the distance as he rested his chin upon his fingers, index finger resting against his lip. Then, his ears twitched and a small smirk crept across his face.

Oh Gods, we're doomed.

"Of course you can stay with me for a little bit. I don't think Wild would mind. Right, Wild?" Link asked. The young man turned to him, losing his smirk, and nodding gently. Link looked back to Colin and rose slowly. "It's getting dark and we need a few more apples before we can make some pie. Do you want to help?"

Colin's eyes lit up, smiling and nodding. "I'd like that. I came here to relax and be with you. Because you always make me feel safe, Link… Dad isn't around right now, he's in Castle Town and won't be back until Monday."

The Hero of Twilight nodded. "Should we get you a ladder? Or do you think you can climb?"

"I've got it!" Colin reassured him with another sniffle and a slight giggle. Link ruffled his hair, then helped Wild up. The Ordonian boy stepped up to the tree, reaching his arm up to one of its branches, but he just wasn't tall enough to reach one of the plump, round apples. He carefully set the cloak down as to not get it caught, then jumped a little, hoping to gain height, but his fingers only grazed the bottom of the apple. He sighed slightly in frustration before feeling gentle arms wrap around him, Wild hoisting him onto his shoulders.

At first, Colin panicked, but quickly relaxed, Wild smiling playfully and laughing. Colin only laughed in return, reaching up and snagging the apple with ease. Link smiled, too letting out a gentle laugh before taking the basket, holding it up to Colin. Wild would step left or right, guided by Colin, so that the Ordonian upon his shoulders could reach the apples, easily reaching them with Wild's added height.

Finally, the last rays of the sun barely shone upon them and their basket was full of apples. With that, the group headed back toward Ordon, laughing and playfully chasing one another around trees, hiding behind long trunks of pine trees and holding their breath, hoping not to be found by one another, gentle laughter filling the forest.

A single red eye watched them from the shadows, body glowing gently and tail swishing, then slipping away with a slight grin.

With the fading light, they left and locked the gate to the orchard, stepping out into the quiet, empty ranch. They neared the locked gate, easily climbing over it, then descending down the torch lit pathway, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Are you planning to stay the night?" Link whispered to Colin as they passed the Mayor's house, creeping along the shadows. He whipped his head this and that, listening carefully for the sound of voices or footsteps. Thankfully, no one seemed to be outside at the moment, with the exception of a few cuccos and Link the Cat.

"Why are we sneaking around…?" Colin whispered back, confused, hiding in the dark corners near the stone walls surrounding the village.

"Wild is new here and I'm sure some won't trust him. With our intruders that have been lurking around lately in the outskirts of Faron, we have to be on high alert. To add to it, Wild looks a lot like me, doesn't he? Don't you think that'd cause a ruckus? Maybe he'd be driven out. And he's injured… So I want him to stay with me for as long as possible before he gets driven off somewhere," Link answered, remembering the banter between Ilia and his guest.

Though the Ordon boy didn't fully understand what Link meant at the time, he nodded anyway. "I told mother I'd be staying at your place tonight. She was alright with it."

"But then she won't have anyone to help her with the baby," Link noted gently, waving for them to continue.

"Yeah, I know…" Colin replied a little guiltily. "But it's only for a night, right?"

"Colin..."

"Maybe she can stay with Sera?" Colin half stated, half asked. "I just really want to stay with you guys… It's hard to sleep with a wailing baby. I love her very much, but I need a bit of a break, you know…?"

"I'll talk to your mother about it. Come on."

They crept in the shadows to the entrance of Ordon, slipping through discreetly, reaching Link's house. Link ushered them inside, making sure they weren't being followed, then entered the house himself, shedding his boots and going to the wash basin to scrub the dirt from his hands.

Wild sighed and undid his cloak, setting it within the crate at the door after neatly folding it, removing his boots as well and setting them next to the entrance of the doorway. Colin too removed his boots, looking around the dark abode.

"This place is pretty clean and tidy," he commented.

"Thought it shouldn't be a big mess when I have a guest over," Link replied with a laugh. "Alright you two, I'll get the lanterns lit and the fire ready. Go to the bathroom and wash those apples off."

Link walked away and took up a match, yet again lighting the lanterns. He then lit the fireplace with ease, stretching. He was going to be in need of some more firewood soon…

Eventually, Wild and Colin returned with the washed apples in a bucket, setting them upon the table. Wild rolled up his sleeves, looking around for the ring that keeps his hair up, quickly finding it upon the nightstand beside the couch.

Colin watched him put up his long hair, curious, then turned to Link. "Hey Link, why is his name Wild?"

"It's a nickname," Link replied, taking up glass jars upon his shelves labeled, Flour, Salt, Cinnamon, and Sugar. "Come help me with the ingredients after you've washed your hands. I gathered some fresh eggs when I was out and about with Epona earlier this week. Some butter too and a few lemons. I've been planning to make an apple pie for Uli for a while now. Just never really got to it."

Colin nodded, then disappeared into the bathroom, turning the water on in the tap and scrubbing his hands. His eyes darted to a lump of clothes in a wash bin, soaking in crimson tinted water. He cocked his head, stepping closer to the clothes, seeing the stained tunic with the Triforce upon its back. Even in the dim light, it was clearly the Triforce.

The Triforce…? The Ordon boy thought to himself in confusion. He had never seen these clothes before, nor had he ever seen this person Link claimed to be his friend. Several questions began spinning through his head. Who was this "Wild" truly and why was he here? Was he part of Zelda's army?

He shook his head gently. It wasn't any of his business and Link was perfectly capable of defending himself should danger arise. He finished washing his hands and stepped into the kitchen area of the house, cracking his knuckles.

"Alrighty, I'm ready to help!" Colin declared with a bright smile, though he was still perplexed about Wild. Perhaps Link could tell him more, but he wouldn't press matters any further than he knew he could. He stepped up to the table where the flour, salt, and butter were waiting. He waited patiently for Wild to join them. Sure enough, he did.

Wild was tasked with peeling the apples, carefully doing so with a knife, very skillfully. It was quite fascinating to watch, at least to Colin, at how effortlessly he peeled the apples. He turned back to his ingredients, sifting them together with a fork before placing the butter in, mashing it up.

"So, Link?" Colin began.

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead, kiddo."

"How do you know Wild?"

The young man's ears twitched at hearing his nickname, looking up from peeling the apple in his hand.

"Well… I found him out in Hyrule field, wounded. I was passing through one of my favorite areas, just needing to clear my mind. Everything went quiet… I wasn't sure what was going on, but something felt off. That's when I found Wild. He was barely breathing… Bloodied severely and barely clutching to life… Let me tell you a little secret, Colin. Faron helped heal him."

"You mean the Light Spirit…?" Colin asked, eyes growing wide. "I was sure I'd seen it before… But everyone told me it was just my imagination. So… They're real…?"

"Indeed they are. And they're indebted to me. I saved them. So, Faron sealed Wild's injuries. If not for Faron, I'm sure my guest wouldn't have made it." Link sighed, looking up at Wild. The young man had stopped skinning the apples, listening intently. "He was out for a couple days…"

"It's a good thing you saved him, Link. Dad says a good Hero has a strong heart. Do you know his true name? Or where he's from?"

Link shook his head again. "Actually, no. All I was told is that he's not from our Era. He's from the future."

"Woah! The future? Really?" Colin lit up, mouth agape. He whipped his head toward Wild, grinning brightly. "What's the future like? Is it cool? What's Hyrule Castle look like? I bet it's really pretty! Especially with the banners in the wind and the fountains!"

A look of sorrow overcame Wild, his head drooping. He nodded gently, but didn't say a word, leaning back against the table and closing his eyes. Indeed, it was beautiful. From what he could recall from small memories, the castle was beautiful, but he could not recall how Castle Town had appeared, no matter how much he racked his brain. And that frustrated him more than anything. He wanted to remember.

Colin frowned and went quiet, knowing he caused Wild grief.

"Sorry…" Colin whispered, trying to look smaller by curling up, wanting to disappear. Wild set the apple down on the plate and opened both his hands so all fingers were spread apart, bringing them together, cupping his left hand with his right before both hands formed into fists, breaking them apart.

Destroyed…

Link sighed sadly and turned his head away, returning to measuring out ingredients.

"What does that mean…?" Colin asked fearfully.

Link turned to Colin, repeating the same action Wild had, but slower. "Destroyed. Hyrule Castle was destroyed…"

Wild nodded gently, subconsciously rubbing his arm as he stared at the floor. All of what once was the glorious kingdom of Hyrule… Was nothing but ruins.

"What happened to it? Why is it destroyed…?"

"I think that's enough, Colin," Link stated gently. "I need that pie crust. So hurry to it!"

There was silence between them for several minutes, Colin feeling guilt overwhelm him. Whatever had caused the downfall of Hyrule Castle had to be something very powerful and very large. Whatever it was, it was evident it caused unwanted memories for the Hero of The Wild. There was still so much Colin wanted to learn, but he feared he would only bring more pain to the Hero of the future.

"Can I ask your name…? Your true name…?"

The Hero of The Wild hesitated. If he gave away his name, it would explain everything… Would they see him as a coward. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, raising his hands and signing.

Link.

Voila! You all have to wait until 2020 for the next chapter! MUAHAHAHA!