COVER IT UP

.

Disclaimer: Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo

.

Genre(s): Hurt/Comfort

.

Warning(s): Typo is my most loyal fan, spelling mistakes because English is not my mother language, Possibly OOC. NO BETA, so beware of grammar mistakes

.

Summary: Till nobody can see your true self.

(Or, The loneliest people are the kindest. The saddest people smile the brightest. And the most damaged people are the wisest.)

.

(A/N): Sorry guys. Still a bit emotional after Sonic the Movie. I like how they portrayed him as an isolated kid with unstable emotions. Reminded me with Natsume Takashi from Natsume Yuujincho (both of them were really good at covering their loneliness. Whether by being unnecessary cocky or being a polite, calm teenager).

Soooo, I've been reading a lot of Sonic fanfic after that. Not the Game/Cartoon/Comic/AnythingBesidesMovie Sonic fanfic. Cuz I like some of the games, sure, but I don't know the Lore. It took me two weeks non-stop, watching some YouTubers played Legend of Zelda (those, that were featured in Canon Timeline. Every single one of them) just so I can have at least a basic understanding of this franchise. I don't think I have the energy for that kind of dedication anymore. Nu-uh, too much work. No. I'm reading Movie Sonic fanfic. The wholesome, found family fanfic (my most fav genre ever) and I have a total blast. Thank you, authors out there~

Anyway, yeah. Because of that, I've been totally ignoring this fic for two days. But I'm back now :'D

.

.

Every incarnations of the Hero of Courage are valiant knights. Brave, courageous, ready to climbed the mountain and crossed the river as long as they could save one more precious life. Their smile calmed the panicking citizen, the confidence gave them a boost in hope and faith. All in all, Champions chosen by Hylia (so far) are manly heroes.

So, what Warriors wanted to say was, he didn't scream like a little girl. At all.

No, no sire. He was just…caught off guard. Because, stupid magic, it transported them to the bright, blue sky without any warning. Literally between the white cotton of clouds and all. Where there were no trees to latched their hookshot onto, so they could slow down their descent. Nor any surface for them to land in the first place. They fell, with a speed of sound as wind whizzed across their skins, clouds parted like a vulnerable curtain. Warriors—again—definitely didn't shriek and he definitely wasn't jealous at Wild and Wind for having a glider to save their hide.

(Oh hey, look. Time gave those two gremlins the same squinted look as well. Alright, the Captain won't be too ashamed when he admitted that he wanted to steal that item from their hand if he managed to survive this fall).

(He'll also forget a slight detail that the Old Man's scream rose one decibel higher (not as high as Warriors'—hey, what? No! Shut up, Legend!) if he turned a blind eye, in regard of his robbery plan in the near future).

Fortunately, he didn't have to be the bad guy in the story as something went passed them. His blue scarf tightened considerably and he stopped free falling. When he opened his eyes—didn't even know he close them in the first place—he saw big birds. Flying around him, with his teammates clasped tightly between their sharp talons. At first, Warriors felt fear spike in his heart, thinking that a flock of monsters had captured them. They could do nothing in this position. Couldn't retaliate back because, ironically, the birds had saved them from their imminent death. They're sitting ducks. If he didn't think of something, the beasts will gobble them all up. As a captain of an army, a second-hand in command of the Links, he cannot let a single member die—

Then one look at the riders on their back and Warriors let out a long sigh.

Hylians. So, these birds must be their animal partner then.

Now that he wasn't so high strung with adrenaline, he could finally look around the location they were in. Still up in the sky. But he saw flying lands, peppering each corner of the blue yonder. Houses stood tall, people mingling about. This kind of civilization didn't exist in his friends' worlds. And his Zelda will certainly inform the soldiers about the appearance of a floating island.

Except…she did, didn't she?

At war. When the witch combined four different timelines into one. There was a floating island there. With a Hylia statue, just like the one the birds seem to be going for right about now. He remembered Fi, blue lady garbed in an elegant dress. The spirit of the Master Sword. Not his Master Sword. Or at least, his version couldn't manifest herself, even though he could hear her…intention, for the lack of a better word, just fine; she didn't speak as eloquently as Fi. Most of her spirit was busy sealing the 'father' of Ganon for good.

If so, then. They were in a world where Hyrule isn't even in development yet?

When they finally touched down, only one of the riders stayed behind while the others went back to their patrol, after scolding them for dozing off and throwing themselves off the plank without making sure their Loftwings (the name of the birds, it seems) were there to catch them. The man wore a yellow tunic, has a short hair that was hidden by the cap with the same color. He had been staring intently at Legend, a questioning hum rumbled from beneath his throat. The pink-haired teen looked uncomfortable, he folded his arms in front of his chest and hackles instinctively raised, "what?"

"You just looked like my friend, is all," the rider waved offhandedly, not noticing how the Links' shoulders stiffened at the mention of 'a person who looked like a Chosen Hero', "name's Pipit, by the way. Nice to meet you all."

Legend reluctantly nodded, introducing himself and the rest of the group as an exchange. Warriors walked to the front and took over the conversation when it was clear their grumpy member's quota of socializing was used up. He cut to the chase, no preemptive sweet talk whatsoever. It wasn't a great strategy, now that he thought about it. And it will surely raise suspicion. But he was irked after that rough landing, mad at the idea that whoever-magic-it-was-that-brought-them-together could actually kill them without the need of raising any finger, "do you mind bringing us to your friend? The one that Legend reminded you of?"

And his initial presupposition was right. The moment that favor came out of his mouth, Pipit's countenance immediately changed. Whereat first, he was friendly and ready to help, he was now hostile and had his guard up. Warriors might step back in shock at the sudden turnabout, if he wasn't used to the other captain of other platoons doing the same to him (after all, they perceived him as inexperienced child. Becoming a leader in such a young age can be a curse and he completely understand Wind's feeling when the Links started babying him). He kept his ground even. No matter how the air around them figuratively turned colder, atmosphere awkward. After another second of a staring contest, Pipit asked. Slow and unsure, "what do you want with him?"

"We can explain it to you if you bring us to him. We mean no harm," he unclasped the sword from his back, "you can even hold my weapon captive as collateral if you don't believe me."

The other nodded, each of them went to disarm themselves as well. Pipit raised his hand to stop them, a charming smile was back on his face.

"No, no. don't worry. I can see it from your eyes that you're honest," he grimaced. Pity and sadness briefly flashed and Warriors didn't understand what was that expression supposed to mean, "just promised me not to spook him, alright? He's a bit…skittish."

O-kay?

Off they went then. To a building near the end of the road filled with decorated bushes. The plaque called it 'the academy', but in Warriors' opinion, it looked like a barrack. There was a place for them to train the way of fighting, a room to learned history and way of life. They were climbing for the second floor, stopping in front of a 'headmaster' room. Pipit knocked before he tentatively pushed the door open. A girl with blonde hair was seen on the floor, papers strewn around her vicinity. A boy was standing behind her, looking at whatever she was doing from over her shoulders. Clad in a green tunic, white cloak—though he wore it as a hoodie as well. Like how Wild wear his capelet—strands of dirty blonde locks were peeking from beneath, and he donned a mask of a red bird with a yellow beak. It covered his entire face, allowing the world to only see his blue, clear eyes and nothing else. Both of them turned around at the sound of the door creaking. And Warriors had to stop a shiver from running through his entire body when the boy's sight instantly locked onto him, orb roaming. Judging.

(There's something…off about him.)

"Oh, hello Pipit. What's wrong?" the girl waved, gathering all the paper into one neat pile, "and who're the gentlemen standing behind you? I never saw them around before."

"Yo, Zelda. Just a rowdy bunch who decided to take a dive without using their Loftwings. Seriously. It was fortunate that my squads were in the area today. Would you believe me when I said only two of them remembered to bring their sailcloth along?" Pipit laughed out loud, while the Links cursed the Teleportation Magic and Warrior's intention of stealing Wild's or Wind's glider rose anew, "by the way, they want to talk to you, Link."

Bird Mask blinked, he tilted his head in wonder, "Me?" so, he is Link. Couldn't really see the resemblance. Not with that mask hindering him from closer inspection. Judging from the upturned eyes and nice atmosphere all around, the boy just gave them a serene smile (the judging gaze was nowhere to be seen either),"well, why don't you come inside and sit? You must be tired after your journey."

Now that everyone presents took a seat, receiving a warm, fragrant tea from Zelda, Time delegated himself to be the spoke person. Talking about them sharing the same name. That they were—are—a Chosen Heroes of their own timelines. Had a chance of holding a Master Sword at one point in their life and how they were now embarking a new adventure, whether they like it or not. Believe me. I will stay as a rancher for my whole life if I was not forcefully transported to the other world.

Twilight agreed wholeheartedly.

Link hummed, cradling the mug between his palms (which, was also covered by brown gloves. Warriors belatedly realized that, except for his eyes, he couldn't see a speck of skin showing off), "what do you think, Zel?"

"Hm…well," she scratched the back of her head, lips puckered up, "I thought it was just my concern speaking so I didn't want to worry you…"

"You had a prophetic dream again?" Pipit piped in, eyes rapidly sharpened.

"Not really. Just…words," Zelda answered, "she spoke about future heroes. And how they'll be there to help in solving the unseeing troubles. We're busy with our plan of building a new civilization on the Surface, it kinda slipped my mind."

There's a Surface? was what Warriors latched onto. Then he backtracked. Of course, there's a surface. If there was no land under there, the Hyrule he knew will not exist. His hometown will be up in the sky. And after today? Falling through the clouds helplessly, hopelessly? He didn't want a continuation of that debacle ever again.

"If Hylia said so," wait, did he miss a conversation just now? Link rose from the chair, saying, "we have to make a detour first. Master Sword is sealed in a Sealed Temple at the Surface, deep within Faron Woods."

"…that means?" Warriors didn't like where this conversation going.

"We have to jump off of the Island."

"Dammit!"

(But hey. He got a cool sailcloth out of this.)

(And he didn't need to resort on stealing his friends' item as well. It's a win-win situation~)

The euphoria of gliding down from the flying island slowly vanished as they walked through the forest—they could arrive right next to the temple. However, because Hyrule was not used on not having something to step on to, he panicked, flailed and swerved wide. Forcing them to chose a different landing point—chatting with their newest member. He's nice, kind, and patients to boot because he listened on Wind's ramble without brushing him off, inserting his own comments here and there. Even their humble traveler, who was super wary with the presence of new people, quickly latched onto him. Clearly, it was a sign of a good thing to come. Link's optimism and general good vibe will fit right in the group.

So, why did Warriors sensed dread creeping up his back?

It wasn't wary, like what he usually felt towards the possible enemy (ies). It wasn't scared, like what he usually felt when the situation was out of hand and the possibility of his men dying was high. It wasn't anger, like what he usually felt when he knew that person was the traitor. No. This dread felt, somehow, familiar. Like he experienced this all before; covered by invisible, uncomfortable worms and he wasn't sure if these things will ever go away, no matter how many times he washes himself.

(Why? Why did this feel so familiar?)

Was it because of his getup? Covering himself from head to toe like a Sheik on a mission. Why did he wear so many layers in the first place anyway? Did he get cold easily? Sure, the air around Skyloft was a lot colder than down here, but Warriors had a feeling it wasn't like that. And he also knew it wasn't because of this mundane reason that he felt something wrong towards Link. Was it because he was too friendly? It may just be his paranoia speaking, because of his status as leader of a troop. Respected by all yet was also easily got betrayed by some.

He was lost in thought, still trying to presented and eliminated any speculations, causing him to almost miss the temple. The place was majestic, even after the wear and rot. Link guided them to the back of the room, passed the humongous gear and climbing a bunch of steps. They arrived at the pedestal, Master Sword protruded from the crumbling stone. The thing was singing. Calling. Must be happy that its master was finally back. They let Link had his moment, watching him slowly yet reverently approached the ancient blade. Even without looking straight at his covered features, he could sense the giddiness, along with hesitancy, wafted from within.

That made sense. Fi must be his only partner in his own journey. Just how Proxi was to Warriors. Knowing it was for the sake of the greater good doesn't mean he was willing to leave the companion alone.

However, fate always loved to screw everything up, shattering this peaceful moment with a roar, figuratively and literally. When Link clasped the handle of the sword, monsters appeared out of nowhere. Emerged from the particle of shadows and the shadows themselves. Their main enemy—whoever it was—must felt threatened. Eight heroes were bad already, now they were adding more? Not to mention, the one who was equipped with a truly genuine Master Sword? They needed to get rid of this problem as soon as possible.

So, the fight ensued. He slashed Blins down, he stabbed Lizarfos to death. He bashed the Knight Shield on the head of a Cursed Bokoblin, and he sliced Deku Babas apart. From the corner of his peripheral, Link quickly pulled out the Master Sword off of its resting place—it emanated a quick, bright light before it settled—and promptly went to help. He was quick on his feet. Hard and powerful but precise and elegant in a way that reminded Warriors of Wild's and the soldier's own style. A trained style, taught by teachers and was sharpened by the pupils themselves. Another good point for everyone to welcome him into their party.

Yet, once again, it only caused Warriors' instinct to blared in a warning.

It happened a bit too fast for him to comprehend. One moment, there was a loud screech. And the next, a bird that looked like a Loftwings but smaller, more aggressive and definitely not their friend (later, he learned that the thing was called Guay), dived into the circle. It messed up their choreography. Some stumbled, some faceplanted to the ground almost painfully. The thing that specifically caught his attention was Link. Guay was speeding right at him, narrowly slammed its wing onto his mask. It flew, clattered to the ground and everything stopped.

Warriors saw Link's face for the first time. Smooth, round nose, baby fat still evident. All in all, a normal look for a normal boy. His eyes widened. Mouth agape. The air around him changed—

"How dare yooOUUUU!"

And Link disappeared like a whirlwind.

Gone was the image of a calm, serene hero. In his place was a beast on a rampage. Striking down enemies left and right, drenched in blood and guts. His breathing sped up, teeth bared, pupil shrank until it was just a dot. When he stood still, he hunched his back forward, head tilted to the side and arms limped on each side. It was such a jarring transition that even Time backpedaled.

It didn't take long before everything was over. Link, ignoring the wary compatriots, walked back to his former location. Muttering unintelligent words over and over as he bent down, groggily picked up the mask that was laid abandoned on the tiled floor. The moment he put it back to its place though, the switch flicked once again. The swaying stopped, his back straightened and the innocence of a child enveloped his entire being, "I've got the Master Sword," Link chirped, "let's go back to the Skyloft. You guys must be hungry~"

H-How? The captain wanted to demand the boy to speak. How could he happily smile at them, tone light and cheery? Humming a random tune, all the way as if the last minute and a half just now had never happened? What, in the Hylia's name, was tha—

…oh.

Oh.

Warriors…Warriors understand now. He stared at Link's back in horror, not noticing how the other eight of Heroes of Courage—still in their own state of shock—threw a questioning look at the scarf wearer when he suddenly stopped. He didn't explain. Didn't even try to assure them that he is okay. That the appearance of the 'second personality' might disturb him, but as long as he could differentiate between friends and foes, it won't affect his decision of including this...unstable teen in this journey of theirs. No. He was too busy mulling over the fact that, fuck—

(Link mumbled those unintelligent words a moment ago, right? One, that nobody could not decipher. Not until this realization dawn upon Warriors)

('It touched me," Link whispered, eyes blank, a silent whimper escaped from his lips, "I won't forgive. It touched me. I won't forgive. It touched me. I won't FORGIVE—')

No wonder. His breath hitched.

No wonder the aura Link exuded was oh, so familiar.

(A/N): Warriors: *approached Sky, who was tasked for the first watch* "That one enemy I faced…Cia. She was also very…clingy."

Sky: *Tensed. The soft smile under his mask froze*

Warriors: "Every dream, every nightmare. Every moment I was awake, I felt her hands on my skin. Crawling. Wandering."

Warriors: "It took me a while to get used to other people's presence after that. I'm pretty sure I still flinch whenever Time clapped my shoulder or Wind asked for a piggyback. But you know. Not all touches are bad. Didn't you feel happy when your Zelda pat your head?"

Sky: "…"

Warriors: "Why don't we start with a handshake?" *grinned. Hand outstretched* "just a quick one. You don't have to completely shed all your layers if you don't want to."

Sky: "..."

Sky: *Furiously shook his head. Stood up and left*

Warriors: *hand still in the air. A sad smile* "Well, he didn't have a full-blown panic attack just now so...it's a start."

.

Ghirahim is really creepy, okay? And Sky is a naïve, precious boi. He thought by covering himself up, he'll be safe from non-con touching. Although that kinda backfired and he only birthed a second, more ferocious, scarier personality to solve the problem TwT