Hello my lovelies! Here's a little holiday special for you all, Hamilton reference included! I'm so sorry it's shorter than usual... I had my wisdom teeth removed on Wednesday and it's very hard to focus and try to stay awake amidst this pain. And I am so sorry for my absence... My apologies are probably becoming common now, huh? Settling down in our new home has been rather difficult and there's just so much going on. I got so caught up in my school exams and whatnot that I forgot all about my fanfiction!

But on the bright side, I am certified for CPR and am certified for packing wounds! I'm one step closer toward being an EMR!

My birds have been sure to keep me company whilst I have been dying from wisdom teeth removal pain. At least I got to keep my teeth! For those of you wondering, I was sedated, but not fully. I was still very much awake when they removed my teeth. I even felt the needles go in... I drooled blood all over my towel (Thankfully I had a towel on my pillow) during the night. The amount of blood was crazy! So yeah, I'm staying home and recovering...

Have any of y'all played Age of Calamity yet? I played the demo and am hyped! Buuut I accidentally killed Wild via a guardian and had to start all over... The game is beautiful though and though the fighting style is the same as Hyrule Warriors, it is MUCH more complex... Much more difficult to work, many different button mashing combos.

I won't be trick-or-treating this year, obviously (I don't care if I'm almost an adult, just LEMME HAVE SOME CANDY!) due to my teeth... but I'll be passing out candy! I love you all and hope you have a great halloween! Thank you all for being so supportive and for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing! I can't thank you enough!

I was recently told my penname is cringy, yes, but hear me out. Eleven year old me made this penname not long before my grandmother passed away from cancer as a way to honor her. She loved the snow and she loved wolves. Birds too! So I combined the three and voila, my penname. Don't like it? Too bad...

-WingedIceWolf

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A LINK X LINK FANFICTION

DISCLAIMER 2: I DO NOT OWN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

"Story?" the Hero of The Wild chuckled softly in disbelief. "This is no story. There is no beginning, no end, only torn pages and burnt edges. That is not a story. That is everything but a story."

"Call it what you wish, little one," the Hero's Shade sighed softly. "You believe the memories of your past are forever lost to you when in truth, they are only locked deep within your mind. A book can still be read, even with missing text and charred pages. The holes can be filled with one's own interpretation, one's own piecing together. Even if the components are missing, a book remains a book. No matter what you do to it."

Link bit his lip. "And if you tear the spine from that book, scatter the pages, what then? Is it still a book?"

"You need only gather the torn pages and restore it," he replied simply.

"What if you can't restore the pages?" Link retaliated. "What if the pages are nothing but ashes? What if no one cared to read the book?"

"Well, someone had to have written it. That means the tale resides in the mind of the author," the Golden Wolf answered. "Eventually, all things will return to ash. Such is life. Death is the high cost of living, a toll we all must pay in the end."

"What if the author is dead?" Link tested, irritably, folding his arms over his chest.

The Hero's Shade fell quiet at that, subconsciously clutching to the helmet in his hand. His eyes fell, ever looking past Link, gazing into the mist that endlessly stretched on. With sorrow etched deep in his voice, he answered, "That tale exists within someone's memory, even if they played their role ages ago. The deeds of that individual, whether of ill intention or of good intention, the impact they left upon this world… shall forever remain."

Link felt a sharp, sudden stab of guilt overcome him, followed by grief, washing over him like the violent waves within the restless sea, crashing and rolling over one another. He had fallen at the hands of Calamity, only to awaken, forgotten by all. His blood had stained the earth, his body had met the same ground countless others had taken their final breath. Where countless others had slowly deteriorated, once strong bones turning brittle and decaying, becoming one with the ashes.

Unlike them, he was given a second chance at life. A second chance to right the wrongs of the past… A second chance for his heart to beat anew within its shell.

Perhaps that is why he felt so strongly connected to the wild. By the rushing of water, the whisper of wind through the trees, the subtle flapping of a butterfly's wings, the howl of a wolf basking beneath the pale moonlight… Why he lived for the thrill of the hunt. He had abandoned his humanity long ago and become one with the wild.

A beast.

"Even if society does not remember their tale, the earth will forever know…" the Hero's Shade continued, gazing up at the pale orb that hung itself within the sky. "The earth can never forget the blood of the innocent that forever stains its grounds scarlet. The heavens will forever weep, time and time again, shedding their tears upon all. If only you could hear the cries of the forests… Their silent screams unheard by many… And if the world forgets… The beast will forever remember."

"You…" Link whispered softly.

"Aye. Me," the cursed swordsman replied wistfully. "I lead my men straight into a massacre… It's a shame that forever resided within me, a guilt I had forever carried upon my shoulders, even until I departed from this world… With much time, watching people come and people go, wither away... I came to accept I was young, I made mistakes… but such mistakes cost a myriad of lives. You must learn pup, you have no control over who lives, who dies, who goes on to tell your tale. No matter what fate has written for you, write your own tale, pup…"

He ruffled Link's hair softly, forcing a gentle smile from the younger Hero. His lips twitched upwards before Link nodded. "I promise…"

"Not all stories come from books. Some of our greatest tales come from experience, and those are the tales you carry with you for the rest of your days. Just as a book, life is one in the same. There is happiness held within the pages, but happiness cannot be achieved without great loss. There is the saying: Everyone wants happiness, no one wants pain, but you can't have a rainbow without a little rain. Sometimes, we must shed our tears to see the rainbow within the clouds, You must keep flipping the pages, keep moving forward. You may not know what tomorrow will bring, but that is for you to unravel. You shall never know what lies ahead if you close the book then and there, abandoning it."

"That's true," Link sighed inwardly, turning it over and over in his head. After much silence drifted between the two, save the almost lullaby-like howl of the wind, he turned so he was eye to eye with the Hero of Time and spoke up. "I've wasted enough time as is. You said you're here to answer my questions, right? Well, let's start simple, I suppose with the question-" he threw out his arms and gestured to the world around them. "-where are we?"

"Ah, interesting topic," his Ancestor complimented. "Would you sit with me before we begin?"

The Hero of The Wild nodded softly, dropping his hands to his sides. The Shade turned to the east and with one step forward, the mist quickly slithered away like an animal obedient to its master. The silhouettes of slender trunks were briefly visible before the cloak fell, revealing a clearing of evergreens towering overhead. Their branches intertwined, woven intricately to form a canopy, yet their needles never fell. They cast their long shadows upon the pale earth, swaying gently in a breeze that carried the scent of pine.

In the center of the glade sat a large pine log, vines wrapping around it's base. The Shade motioned for Link to sit, and with very little hesitation, he took his seat. The Hero's Shade crouched down beside him before comfortably nestling beneath an evergreen, setting his helmet within the soft grass and closing his one eye.

"Though you are with me now, your physical form remains untouched, slumbering peacefully in the world of light, little one. Due to my spirit residing within you, as it does all who possess the reincarnated spirit of the Hero, we are given the privilege to speak. Each Hero's soul passes onto the next incarnate."

"So… Does that mean I could speak to the previous heroes if I wished?" Link inquired curiously, trying to hide the excitement growing in his voice. "If… I'm the latest Hero of the bloodline, at least to my knowledge… Then I have their spirits too?"

He nodded. "If the heroes of old wished to speak to you, they would be allowed to do so of their own accord. Hylia's Chosen, The Hero of The Sky, myself, the Hero of Twilight- whatever Hero you well please- all reside within you. You're quite the special individual, aren't you pup?"

"I'm nothing special…" Link muttered glumly, wrapping his arms around himself. He hated that term: special. Those who believed in him, believed he were the chosen hero who fell a century ago, claimed he was special as well. He wished not to have that burden of living up to their expectations. "So don't praise me as if I am anything… extraordinary."

"Hmm," the Hero of Time nodded. "So be it. Your spirit remains within the Realm of Moon and Mist until my strength falters. I can contact you in the future, but it requires much concentration and energy for us to commune."

"Then don't let me keep you!" Link stated firmly, jumping up from the log. "If it's wearing on you, then go! I have questions, yes, but-"

The Hero of Time held up his hand, and the fallen champion immediately silenced. "Please, let me speak. We don't have much time left after your little banter." He grinned softly, but his smile fell away just as soon as it appeared. "This is a realm in which you cannot be harmed. Though you may experience pain, feel the bitter cold, you would not be harmed as you would if you came here physically. This realm caters to your spirit and your spirit alone. Your body holds no importance here, though your spirit acts in place of your physical form. It can function just as your body."

"Then… why aren't I ghostly like you? Glowing? Wispy? If this is just my spirit…" he trailed off into silence, his hands in front of his face, turning them this way and that.

"Your spirit holds life. It is linked to a body. Mine is not," the Shade answered. "And your spirit does glow, pup, but the light is dim. It fades the deeper you descend into your melancholy, into your guilt, restrained by chains you yourself have wrought. I have seen the light flicker, fed by ambition, by hope, when you are in the presence of your ancestor; the chains, if only for a moment, do no impede you. Your ancestor, as I had guided the Hero of Twilight, will guide you. Heal you. I have seen the fire in his eyes, the urge to defend you despite his knowledge being so limited. He would throw his life on the line for his own flesh and blood. Though there are centuries upon centuries between you, his blood courses through your veins."

"I know…"

"If you know, why do you refrain from speaking to him? What have you to fear?"

Link flinched at that statement, his fists curling in his lap. The wolf had hit a nerve, but nonetheless, he answered.

"He…" the Hero of the Wild began shakily, closing his eyes. His heart began to race in his chest, but with a firm, "Be still." uttered from his lips, it began to settle.

"Twi is the only kindred that remains of my blood, the only person I feel I can trust. If I betray his trust, if I disappoint him, what then? One wrong step and the past is altered forever… I could change everything, just like I did a century ago…" he rose and paced, the tips of his ears turning red. "I-I let everyone down! And… W-who's to say he'll be able to understand me anyway? This era is so very different from mine. The dialects, the culture, the geography-"

"I'll have to stop you right there, pup, before you go on another one of your rants," the Golden Wolf cut him off sharply. Link groaned and plopped down on the grass beside the wolf, cradling his head in his hands. "He can understand you. And you can understand him. That is a gift the Light Spirits of this world had entrusted to the both of you. You fear you will disappoint him, yet he knows very little of your guarded past to judge you off of."

"Well, at least that's something we have in common…" Link muttered bitterly. The Hero's Shade draped one arm around his waist and pulled him close to his chest, nuzzling him. Link jumped at the wolfish affection, but strangely enough, it did not feel foreign. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, snuggling into the cursed swordsman.

To his surprise, the spirit was not cold as you would expect, but rather, he was warm. Like the first rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds upon a winter morning. Though there was no beating of his heart within the Hero of Time's chest, the Hero of the Wild was nearly lulled to sleep.

"No matter where you go, I will be here. We all will…" the Hero of Time stated, carding one hand through Link's amber-blonde locks. "We will meet again, pup. Next time, try not to give me so much trouble, alright?"

There was the slightest hint of tease to the Hero's voice, but Link nodded softly. Then his head snapped up. "The Sheikah Slate! Impa said it held the keys to my past… my memories… Do you know where it is?!"

"I do," the Hero's Shade affirmed with a nod. "However, with you still recovering, it would be quite imprudent to chase after it. We must withdraw, my time is running short."

"Tell me where it is… please…" Link pleaded desperately. His own voice echoed around him, the scene around him began to drift away. He could feel his own spirit beckoned back to his body, though he clutched to this world for as long as possible. The wolf merely grinned softly before Link was enveloped in the mist, carried away.

~o~

Link…

Link…

"Link!"

The Hero of the Wild's eyes snapped open, meeting with the familiar, amethyst blue tinted eyes of his ancestor. Relief flooded the Hero of Twilight's face, throwing his arms around the younger. Wild sighed and wrapped his arms tight around him in return.

He nearly wished he was back in the Realm of Moon and Mist. In his physical form, he could feel every ache, every sting of pain within his body. And among all else, he felt… exhausted. Perhaps the exhaustion was the aftermath of slipping into that realm for the very first time?

"Thank the Gods… You're awake! I returned from Uli's and you were out cold. You were breathing, but were otherwise unresponsive… I feared the worst…" Twi stated, pulling away. He placed a hand to Wild's head, feeling for a fever. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding upon finding none. "How are you feeling?"

Wild dramatically extended his fingers while holding them together in each bent hand, pressing them into his chest and dragging them down, both hands now cupped with thumbs facing outward.

Exhausted…

"Exhausted huh…? Well, do you think you can eat a slice of pie?" he motioned to the pie sitting upon the table. "Uli insisted I take some, so I did. You take precedence as my guest-" he took up the slice of pie and held it out to Wild. "so you eat first."

Wild groaned and rolled onto his side, curling up. Food was the least of his interest right now, even if his stomach was growling loudly and churning, begging for food. He just wanted to sleep…

"Wild…" Twi nudged him softly. Wild pulled the blanket over his head defiantly, groaning very audibly. Why couldn't Twi just let him sleep? "I know it's late, but please, eat. I've got plans for tomorrow for the both of us and we really haven't eaten much all day. Please…?"

No response.

"Link, don't make me pull this blanket off your head with you in it."

Again, no response. Twi set the slice down and moved the table back a little before standing, grabbing tight onto the blanket, and counting. "One… Two-" before he could reach three, a head popped out of the blanket, one-wild blue eye half lidded, the other twitching a bit, his long hair a mess. He glared daggers at his ancestor. Twi couldn't help but laugh, but he had one more trick up his sleeve.

"Alright, fine, be that way. If you won't eat, then I won't eat," Twi declared, releasing the blanket and folding his arms. That had to stir his guest. "I can be just as stubborn as you, you know!"

The Hero of The Wild reluctantly sat up, yawning and rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes. His eyes darted to the pie, then back up at Twi, then at the pie yet again. It was very tempting… And if he didn't eat, then Twi would starve himself! Either way, he was losing this bet.

Wild held out his hand, expecting Twi to place the plate in his palm. Sure enough he did, grinning triumphantly before skipping to the kitchen, grabbing a fork and a glass. He went to the bathroom, taking up water from the tap, and returning to Wild, setting both items down before him. Wild was half tempted to take the glass and pour it on the Hero's head.

Instead, he accepted his fate and chowed down on the pie. The sweet juice of the apples filled his mouth, along with the sass of cinnamon and the crisp, flaky crust. He couldn't help but hum in satisfaction to himself as he took bite after bite, slowly being torn from his exhaustion by the need for sustenance.

I'll get you back for this… The Hero of The Wild thought to himself, trying hard to appear intimidating while he shoved fork-fulls of pie into his mouth. Unfortunately, that only served in making his host laugh and ruffle his hair.

"You can't stay mad at me forever, can you? I saved your life you wild child and I took you in. I unfortunately can't stay mad at you either… You're just too dang cute!"

Wild shoved the last bit of pie in his mouth, downing the glass of water, then set it down on the table. As much as he'd like to slam it down, that would only break the glass and make a bigger mess for himself and his generous host. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, then opened them, spelling out "call", motioning to himself, and then taking two fingers on his left hand, pressing them to his lips, then bringing those fingers down into a fist.

Don't call me cute!

"What would you prefer then?" Twi teased, softly elbowing him. Wild leaped and tackled him on the floor, Twi yelping in surprise, but laughing as Wild pinned him by his wrists. He smirked, as if saying, "Gotcha" but Twi, having years of experience, knew precisely how to wriggle himself out of this mess.

"Let me teach you a little something, Link," Twi offered, grinning. He moved his left arm closer to his head, locking his knees beneath Wild's. In one swift move, Wild was flung to the floor, Twi pinning him in place, kneeling above him. Wild's eyes widened in awe before laughing, giving up. Twi released him, Wild holding his hands in the air submissively, both bursting into laughter.

"I surrender," he declared softly. It slipped out, just like that, and the Hero gasped and clamped his hands over his mouth. He prayed to the Gods Twi didn't hear that…

Twi's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, sliding a foot away from Wild to recollect himself. He took a deep breath and stared his opponent dead in the eyes. Were his ears deceiving him? Had the mute Hero really just spoken?

"What… What did you just say?"

"I… surrender…?" Wild tested again, though nervous, his ears perked back.

"You can speak!" Twi nearly shouted, excitement in his voice. His eyes lit up brighter than the sun. "I knew it!"

I'mma go get some more pain medicine and lay down for a bit. Peace out, loves! :3