Sorry for the long wait. I've been having some health issues. If there's any plot holes please let me know, taking long breaks between chapters makes me a bit lost.
Enjoy!
"It's no wonder we found Epona here," Link said as he landed back down on solid ground. "I'm pretty sure this lake has something to do with the horse goddess."
"Horse goddess?" Twilight flicked his ears back. "You mean in the lake?"
Link folded his glider and put it on his back where he normally kept it. "Not the lake, but the large flowers under the water are the same as the ones in the ponds surrounding the horse goddess."
Twilight wasn't going to ask exactly how his friend managed to meet a horse goddess. As per usual he couldn't tell if the kid was joking or not. "Well, I guess there's a correlation then." He gave Epona a few loving pets on her neck. "So now we have Epona, where to next?"
Link pulled out his Sheikah Slate and studied it momentarily. "The Akkala Ancient Tech Lab is only a short ride from here. I need to speak with Robbie about some new gear."
"Sounds easy enough," Twilight gestured him to the front of their group. "Lead the way, Magic Map Man."
But instead of doing that, Link marched over to Epona and with no hesitation pulled himself onto her back.
Twilight froze, waiting for Epona to launch the tiny creature off her with her usual gusto. But instead, she merely turned her head to look at the kid and nickered in acknowledgment before turning back to look at him with an expression that said "what?".
Twilight shook his head at the two of them; they deserved each other.
"We can get there quicker if we ride," Link said, bending down to offer a hand. "Come on, you don't want to be stuck here after dark. The bones are piled under the ground of Akkala, and they wake in the night."
Twilight took the offered hand and pulled himself onto Epona's back behind Link. "You're oddly poetic for someone who doesn't talk much," he said.
"Maybe I don't talk much because I'm trying to think of the perfect thing to say," Link replied before clicking his tongue and urging Epona into a walk.
"Yes because puns really brighten everyone's mood."
The kid snickered quietly and Twilight resisted the urge to hit him. He was still embarrassed thanks to their last stop at the stable. Link had talked to the stable hand normally until he started pulling puns out of his ass.
Twilight was not impressed and the woman looked even less so. But Link had laughed himself into a state and Twilight had to apologize before dragging the kid off.
"How he doesn't get punched in the face more often I'll never understand."
Epona moved into an easy canter as she broke through the tree line. Twilight leaned back to enjoy the ride; it felt like forever since he'd been on a horse. It was unpleasant to ride without a saddle, but the free feeling of flying over the grassy slopes more than made up for it.
Link rode much like he did; he gave Epona as much freedom as possible, steering with his legs and leaving his hands free. This made it easier for combat on horseback, but not every horse liked being directed this way.
Luckily Epona looked to be enjoying it very much. She tossed her head and bolted for the hills as she approached them, trying to speed up them like they were a challenge. This unfortunately made Twilight almost fall off and take Link with him.
"Stop letting her do that!" He hissed as she sped up another hill.
"Hold on tighter," Link barked back.
"I cannot wait until we're on our own horses."
They steered clear of a group of Bokoblins on horseback and found themselves back on the path. It was getting really dark now, the sun having finally set over the horizon. Twilight could see lights in the far distance and he assumed there was a stable there.
Link must have had the same thought as he steered Epona toward the lights. She was not the slightest bit tired, not even having carried the two of them at a canter for so long. She nickered happily and continued on the path at a trot, not needing ant further directions.
"Meet me at the stable," was the only thing Link said before jumping off the horse and jogging over to a small cluster of trees.
Twilight made himself more comfortable and watched the kid until he disappeared from sight. He was no doubt going to collect more stuff to hoard in his pockets.
"I thought he was the one who said it was dangerous to be wandering in the dark while in Akkala."
He couldn't babysit the kid all the time, and he knew for a fact that Link would be able to protect himself easily if he were attacked.
A rolling rumble close by told him it was about to start raining again, so Twilight urged Epona back into a canter. He had no desire to be caught in the rain, not when there was already a chill in the air.
As it turned out, Epona could have run at full speed and they still would have ended up drenched.
There was a blinding flash followed by a deafening crash as the storm gained momentum. Twilight cursed as the sky split open into a torrential downpour that soaked him in seconds.
"Fuck, I might as well throw myself into a river and swim to the stable!" He yelled over the sound of the pouring rain.
Epona whinnied at that, laughing at her rider and his misery.
By the time they got to the stable, Twilight was soaked and frozen to the bone. The guy running the stable laughed at him before having someone come and collect Epona for him.
Twilight was shaking as he paid for two beds, his teeth clattering.
"I have to ask," the stable owner had to yell as thunder rumbled loud enough to hurt their ears. "That horse looks a lot like the legendary untamable horse that has been seen around here."
"Ye-ye-ah?" Twilight couldn't stop his teeth from chattering. "That's pe-pe-peculiar." He waved at the guy and entered the inside of the stable before he froze to the ground. He didn't waste any time pulling his gear off and piling next to the bed. It was so much warmer inside with the fire going, but he was still wet.
"I have some dry clothes I think might fit you," a young woman said as she approached him and placed the clothes on his bed. "I have a bowl of hot water ready for you in the bathroom as well as a towel so you can get dry."
Twilight smiled gratefully at her. "You see this often I suppose?"
The girl's skin turned pink and she nodded a little too enthusiastically. "You should really look into getting some waterproof clothes."
He had to agree with her there.
Once he was out of is wet clothes and dry he was much more agreeable. He hung his tunic up to dry close to the fire and sat on his bed. He wasn't sure if he should stay awake and wait for Link or just call it a night. It had already been hours since Link disappeared into the night; maybe he would be gone until morning.
Inside the large tent, workers and travelers were already settling down for the night. The thunder still shook the ground every once in a while, but by the sounds of it, the storm was starting to die off.
Twilight looked up as the owner came to the end of the bed and leaned on the post. "I noticed that you were riding your horse without a saddle," he said with a pleasant smile. "Would you like to buy a saddle and bridle for her? I think I have just the one."
"That would be wonderful, thank you."
The man chuckled, "not a problem, you can pay for it in the morning, I—" He turned as the sound of heavy boots stomping into the tent distracted him.
Twilight tried not to laugh as Link stood near the entrance looking absolutely cranky. His clothes were so wet it looked as if he was bringing the rain inside with him.
He couldn't keep the laughter out of his voice, "Are you okay?"
Link didn't look any less cranky but he shrugged. "I think it's cold enough out there to freeze the rain because it hurt like hail."
Twilight groaned and briefly considered suffocating himself in a pillow.
By the time he opened his eyes in the morning, the sun was well over the horizon.
The rain had stopped (for a few minutes anyway) and Twilight was almost shocked to see the sun. It probably wouldn't last long, but it was still nice to enjoy it while it last.
His companion had taken off at some point in the morning and caught a horse. How the kid did that was still up for debate but Twilight was starting to get used to the surprises that every new day brought.
Back in his warm, dry tunic, Twilight paid for Epona's new saddle and a cloak that was waterproof before meeting Link outside. The kid was feeding apples to his new mare; a dappled gray girl with shiny silver mane and tale. She already had a saddle on was seemed very content to be petted by the small Hylian who was cooing at her.
Epona nickered and Twilight turned to smile at her as she was led over by the girl from last night. She looked so proud to be wearing her new gear, bobbing her head at him before he gave her a pat on the nose. He wasn't sure how, but the saddle she was wearing looked very similar to the one on his Epona back in his own time.
"She's very beautiful," the girl said as he played with a strand of Epona's white mane. The girl must have brushed her; Epona's mane was free of tangles and was silky smooth.
"She knows it too," he said to her with a grin and another thanks.
He tried not to feel too bad as she turned completely red and ran off without another word.
Twilight sighed and he went to join Link who was watching him approach with a curious expression.
'What?' he signed to the kid as he continued to look at him.
Link said 'nothing' with his hands and spoke, "You too, huh?"
Twilight groaned as he pulled himself onto Epona's back. "Let's just go see this 'Robbie' friend of yours. Maybe he'll have something to eat."
Link waited until he was on his horse before saying, "are you hungry enough to 'wolf' your food down?"
"You—"
But Link was laughing too hard to hear all the unpleasant things he wanted to say so Twilight pushed Epona into a canter and left the kid behind in the dust.
He was going to have to set a limit on daily puns.
"But at least he's opening up a bit more."
It was a hard decision, Twilight decided after some thought. Would he rather be stuck in silence all the time or have to listen to puns all the time?
He was far ahead of Link who he could hear galloping behind him trying to catch up. The tech lab was only at the top of the hill so thankfully they didn't have to waste the whole day looking for it.
In fact, it was closer than he thought as he came around a corner and spotted a building there. He could hear something over the sound of Epona's hooves as he came closer to the building. It was familiar; the same clinking and whirring of the monsters that he'd encountered at Hyrule castle.
When he was in his wolf form the things didn't pay much attention to him unless he got too close. He had a feeling that would not be the case this time.
As Twilight passed an outcropping of rocks he heard the thing spot him. His hair stood on end as a bright red beam zoned in on him. He didn't even realize he'd pulled back an arrow until he was shooting the thing in the eye.
Stunned, the monster twitched as if it was malfunctioning. It barely had enough time to regain its senses before Link was there, Master Sword in hand.
The kid pulled to a stop and started hacking away at the blue eye. Then when that part was completely destroyed, he started stabbing the blade under metal plates to cut at whatever was under the shell.
Twilight stopped Epona and circled back around just in case he needed help, but by the time he got there, the thing was already crumbling into a heap of twisted metal.
Link sheathed his sword and began collecting the parts that weren't too destroyed. "I wasn't expecting to see a Guardian here," the kid said as he pocketed what looked like a few screws, "nice shot."
Twilight scoffed at him, "nothing fazes you, does it?"
'Not really,' Link signed before pulling himself back into the saddle.
This time Twilight kept the same pace as Link as they rode for the laboratory. He may have gotten lucky the first time but he didn't want to push it.
The lab was at the top of the hill; it was a run-down looking place. Twilight was surprised to see tons of the 'Guardians' lying about, some even piled high in a pit.
"I lit the torches last night, so now we don't have to go through all that," Link said as he dismounted. "I knew he was going to ask so I figured I'd get it over with first."
Twilight also dismounted and gave him a look. "Assuming I know what you're talking about, how did you light torches in the rain?"
Link blinked slowly at him, the way he always did when he was trying to process a question before answering. "I kept the torch dry under my cloak."
A reasonable answer.
"Well, how did you light the other torches? Wouldn't they be wet?" Twilight asked.
"I'm pretty sure they're magic because they don't go out, even in the rain," Link said quickly. He was giving Twilight a look that said 'drop it please'.
Twilight couldn't help it though. "So you lit magically torches in the middle of the night in a thunderstorm?"
"Well, I had to clear out the monsters first."
"Monsters?" Twilight shook his head in disbelief. Maybe the kid still had a few surprises left. "You are something else, you know that, right?"
'Whatever' Link signed along with some other choice words that Twilight knew were unpleasant.
Link made sure the horses were settled before entering the lab with Twilight following close behind. The building was empty, save for a blue glowing thing in the middle of the room.
They both approached it and the thing started talking like mad. Most of it didn't make sense to Twilight but he caught the words 'familiar name' and 'Cherry'.
"Who exactly are you two?"
Both warriors swerved, Twilight already reaching for his sword.
But the man standing behind them was small and old, not a threat to either of them.
He looked very pissed off, however.
"You can't just walk into someone's home and expect a warm welcome." The old man grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest.
He was so distracting that Twilight almost didn't notice the blonde woman standing off to the side behind him. He wasn't sure how two people had snuck up on him when his hearing was so good.
"Unless you are Link the Champion because if you are, I have something to tell him." The old man leaned forward as if taking a closer look. "But why would you be? There weren't two Hylian Champions, so unless one of you have the scars of the Hylian Champion from one hundred years ago, get out."
Link turned to look at Twilight and Twilight shrugged since he had no idea what the old man was talking about.
"So if you see the scars," Link said carefully, "you'll talk to us?"
"That's what I said, isn't it?"
There was a pause before Link shrugged and then started taking off his gear.
"What are you…" Twilight trailed off as the kid started taking off his clothes. He was slightly concerned by how nonchalant the kid was with getting naked in front of an old man.
Once Link was in nothing but his shorts, the old man came closer to inspect.
Twilight resisted the urge to pummel the old guy, as he could see the scars from where he was standing just fine. There was no reason to get so close, but Link just stood there, unbothered.
"Hmmm…yes, the number of scars you carry. I remember them quite well; you were a mess when we brought you to the resurrection chamber." He backed away thankfully to give Link room to dress again.
"I'm the lead Guardian researcher and director of the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab… Doctor…Robbie!"
The guy did some kind of pose and Link paused halfway through putting his pants on the give the guy a weird look.
Twilight gritted his teeth and tried not to look too irritated. The man was old so maybe he was such a character because he was senile.
"I'm surprised you made it all the way out here," Robbie continued. "I suppose Purah sent you?"
Link nodded, still struggling to get dressed as the old man wouldn't shut up.
"Good, the purpose of this Sheikah research lab is simple. We aim to destroy the calamity and rid Hyrule of evil and recue Princess Zelda."
Twilight wondered briefly who the 'we' the old man was referring to since there were only him and the blonde woman who'd wandered off to read a book. They weren't exactly a large army.
As Robbie continued to ramble and Link finally got redressed, it hit him that this person knew Link from one hundred years ago. Not that the old guy looked any younger than one hundred, but it was still a baffling thought; he could only imagine how Link felt.
And Robbie had also said that this place was a 'Sheikah Lab', which meant he was probably a Sheikah.
The Sheikah who had once been the Twili, which meant that Midna possibly…came back after he left. How they did that with a broken mirror was still a mystery; a mystery that might be better explained by Zelda.
If they could rescue the Princess before Robbie talk them both to death.
Twilight only clued back into the conversation when Robbie handed him some weird looking arrows. Link looked very happy, so he assumed it was actually a good thing to make a stop here.
Apparently, as Twilight discovered, with Link having lit the torches, he was now able to get some new gear from the glowing blue thing. This new gear was really strong for fighting off those Guardians, so it would make their lives convenient in the long run.
While Link loaded up a quiver full of the new arrows, Robbie came over to talk to him.
"So why do you look so much like the legendary Hero?" The old man chuckled, "do you idolize him that much?"
Not wanting to make nice with the possible pervert, Twilight said, "No I'm the grandchild of his bastard child from one hundred years ago."
This shocked both Robbie and the woman as they gasped loudly and Link shot him a glare that would kill him if it were forged into a weapon.
'Go wait outside', Link signed to him.
"Outside sounds better than in here."
He left the lab and stepped into the colder outdoor air. Somehow it had already managed to cloud over and he could smell rain on the way again. Akkala was downright impossible to figure out.
He went to Epona and gave her a pat before ruffling through Link's saddlebags for an apple. Once he had one in hand and had managed to dodge both horses, he found a quiet spot to sit further down the hill to eat.
A light drizzle had already started to dampen the air before he was completely done his apple. Not wanting to get wet again he pulled his hood down and held his new cloak tight around him.
"I'm not sure how waterproof it is but as long as it keeps me even slightly dry."
A rustling by the trees made his ears flick. He could spot something moving by the bushes; it was big and dark.
"You don't have to be nervous, come out so I can see you," Twilight called to it.
There was a soft growl in response before a black muzzle poked out through the bushes. It was a wolf, a big one. Twilight held out his hand and the creature carefully walked over, its nose twitching as it learned his scent.
"Now don't go causing trouble for people on that path. They have enough out there wanting to kill them without you guys hunting them down." He gave the wolf a generous ruffle before shooing it away.
Like a ghost, the wolf left and disappeared into the forest and down the hill.
"Twi?"
Twilight threw his apple core into the bushes and met Link on the path. "Did you get what you needed?" He asked the smaller man who was eyeing him suspiciously.
"Yes…" Link looked behind him toward the woods; he must have heard Twilight talking to the wolf. "I have something for you," he said as he handed him a quiver full of arrows. "They're Ancient Arrows; they'll take a Guardian down in one hit if you get them in the eye."
Twilight pulled an arrow out so he could look at it closely. Somehow, even with the bulk on the tip, it felt no heavier than a normal arrow.
"I also got you an Ancient Bow for when yours breaks," Link gestured to the bow that was on Twilight's back. "And when your sword breaks I have all kind of spares, you get used to switching weapons eventually."
"Hold on…" Twilight buckled the quiver around his waist so he could better focus his attention on the brat. "What do you mean 'when my weapons break'; they're not going to break unless I do something really drastic."
When Link gave him a confused look Twilight returned it.
"Your weapons don't break?" Link finally asked after an awkward pause.
"Do yours?" Twilight replied a bit baffled. "Do your smiths not know how to forge proper weapons?"
Link seemed to finally understand as a look of realization crossed his face. "Oh, your weapons were made by actual smiths, I forgot about that." He pulled the extra sword out of the sheath on his back. "When the Calamity destroyed Castle Town, it took all the best smiths with it. Any smiths that survived were either apprentice or they weren't the best."
He held up the sword for Twilight to see and even an inexperienced eye could tell the steel was weak.
"That mixed with the growing danger and not being able to get out and find proper ore caused what you see here. Blades that break after you use them too long; the bows as well since the trees have traces of Blight in them." He re-sheathed the sword and shrugged. "Guess you don't have to worry though."
"That's kind of awful; no wonder people have such a hard time fighting back monsters. You don't even have proper weapons." Twilight had never felt more grateful for his trusty old Ordon Sword. "Thanks for the arrows though, they'll come in handy."
Link said nothing else, but he did nod in acknowledgment before going back up the hill to get the horses.
Once they were seated and the horses were walking lazily down the hill, Twilight tried to start up the conversation again.
"Do you think Zelda might know more about the Twili?"
Link signed the name 'Zelda' and nodded. "If anyone knows anything about the Twili it would be her; Maybe Impa too."
"The way you talk about her, you sound as though you were friends," Twilight said. "Did you know her well?"
Link's hands stopped and a look of sadness took hold of his features. "I—" He looked away from Twilight and focused on the road ahead. "I think I knew her better than anyone else did."
That was surprising. Twilight tried to think of what else to say, he didn't want to upset the other man. "You said you don't have all your memories, is there a chance of getting them back?"
"I've done all I can to try," Link said. "I'm hoping when I rescue Zelda she'll help me. I would like to know my past, even thou I don't think it will make much difference. But at least I would know who I am."
Twilight smiled sadly but he didn't push any further. "You're the Champion of Puns, that's who you are."
Link leaned over so he could smack Twilight, almost falling off his horse in the process.
When they settled back down again, Link started laughing quietly and Twilight shoot him a scared look.
Link grinned at him as if he enjoyed making him uncomfortable. "I think I know what you meant by the Triforce by the way," he said still smiling. "And the reason I don't have a piece is because Zelda has all three."
"All three?" That sounded a bit…dangerous.
"Yeah," Link's smile turned a little darker. "So maybe next time you want to insult her think twice about it. She's in no way 'weak' like you keep mentioning."
"Alright, so obviously I hit a sore spot last time."
"I can't say I've said this before because I'm an antisocial asshole," Twilight said. "But I'm almost curious to meet her, she seems…different."
Pleased with that answer, Link nodded and urged his horse into a trot, ending the conversation.
Twilight shook his head and followed him. He wasn't sure if the kid had brotherly feelings for the princess or something else entirely. Either way, if he wanted to stay on the kid's good side he was going to have to hold back some comments.
Still, he really was interested to meet Zelda.
"We're climbing that?"
Twilight stood at the end of a broken bridge and looked up at the imposing tower before them.
Not that the huge structure was impossible to climb, but Twilight was pretty sure he could see Guardians 'flying' around. And as much as he liked adventure he'd rather not have to face off a hoard of those flying things.
"I need the tower," Link said with barely a hint of concern in his voice. "I need to complete the map on my Sheikah Slate and see if I can find any shrines while I'm up there."
Twilight noticed his hands moving in half signs while he spoke. The kid said it was a nervous habit so maybe he was…nervous right now? But he wasn't sure if it was from the thought of taking on the Guardians or if he was seeing something from 100 years ago.
"If he's nervous then I should be really scared. Maybe I should have stayed at the stable with the horses."
"Well…if you say you need it then we might as we get it over with." Twilight sighed as he looked down at the ground below. It would not be pretty if he fell and ended up smashed against the rocks. "That guy we saved said this was a fortress of some sort, do you have any memories of it?"
Link's clear blue eyes turned their focus from the tower to look at him. "I think…" He looked very unsure. "I think this is where I came for my training as a knight."
Both men looked back at the fortress. It was beautiful in a terrifying sort of way. It was hard to believe that so many people lost their lives there or that it once used to be a place of happiness. But the evidence of the last battle was overwhelming judging by the number of defeated Guardians and rusted armor and weapons lying about. It looked as though the soldiers could rise from the earth and take up their weapons again at any moment; much like the Redead Knights in his own time.
"Dead things…I can handle any monster living, but dead things are where I draw the line."
He thought back to his battle at the Arbiters Grounds. If Stallord wasn't scary enough, the group of skeletal Hylian soldiers protecting it sure were. That whole place was overtaken by the dead, and Twilight wondered if the dead also rose in this day and age.
"The bones are piled under the ground of Akkala…let's hope they don't pop up to say hi while I'm here."
Twilight sighed and threw himself at the task of getting over to the other side of the broken bridge. He knew Link could easily paraglide over so he wasn't worried about him. He was more worried that he would fall and land on a rusty sword at this point.
The kid must have snapped back to his overly reckless self again as he sailed over him, making a beeline for the first Guardian that stood in their way.
It took him a bit longer than he was hoping to climb down but there weren't many places to hold onto. How Link made it look so easy he'd probably never know. By the time he reached the bottom, the kid had already dealt with the first Guardian and was tossing him a rope to help him climb up faster.
"I totally could have climbed on my own," Twilight said as he pulled himself over the ledge. He was only slightly out of breath.
Link snorted and signed something he didn't catch. "Maybe ten years ago you could have."
"Excuse me?" Twilight growled at the kid but he only got a smile in return.
"Come on, old man, we still have a long way to go." Link gestured to the fortress that now looked much larger being so close to it.
'Whatever', he signed at him before getting to his feet and dusting himself off. "I'll back you up I guess," he said as he pulled out his bow and one of the fancy new arrows. "I'll test these out a bit."
Link shrugged as he always did when he had nothing more to say and he led the way forward.
They took a path that brought them to a dangerous set of steps that went all the way to the top of the fortress. Twilight noted several Bokoblins as well as Guardians ahead. They would have to clear the path to get anywhere.
So Link drew the Master Sword and took care of the first Bokoblin while Twilight shot down the Guardian as it got too close.
The arrow really did work as he hit the buzzing mechanical thing in the eye. One shot and it smashed onto the stairs and then dramatically toppled over the side to fall to the ground far below.
Link watched it go, a look of disappointment on his face. "I was going to loot that…"
Twilight peered over the edge to see the Guardian smashed to bits. "Well feel free to climb down."
That earned him a glare of course and Twilight grinned back.
"The first one to the top is the better hero," was all Link said before running up the stairs like there was a wolf snapping at his heels.
"Hey!" Twilight chased after, not wanting to get left behind. The brat didn't even bother taking out any monsters as he dodged swings from Bokoblins.
He barely dodged one of those swings as the monster flailed trying to get one of the crazy Hylians running past it. Twilight stopped only to punch the creature in the face and it went flying over the cliff to join the Guardian.
Speaking of the Guardians, the kid was not only dodging monsters but also the flying mechanical tyrants. He could hardly believe just how many fucks Link didn't give as he climbed the stairs with the red light pointed right at his back.
Twilight cursed and drew back an ancient arrow, knocking the thing out of the sky before it blasted the hero to the other side of Hyrule.
"You are actually insane!" He cried out as he watched Link roll sideways to avoid another Bokoblin. Either the kid was extremely lucky or extremely stupid.
Three Guardians and a whole cluster of Bokoblins later, both heroes stood at the base of the tower. They were exhausted and Link was bleeding from a gash on his forehead, but they were both alive.
Twilight groaned and fell on his ass, too tired to move and too pissed to talk.
Link knelt in front of him, smiling like the mad-man he was. "Are you hungry?"
"Are you kidding me?" Twilight snapped at him. "That was so stupid, how are we even still alive?"
When Link didn't answer and just continue to sit and smile at him, Twilight gave in. "Yes, I'm hungry now that my soul has returned to my body."
Link snorted loudly and left to go pull a five-course meal out of his ass.
Twilight grumbled and resisted the urge to shoot the kid with an arrow. "You can't always win me over with food you know."
"Yes, I can."
They took their time eating after Link prepared their meal. It was a new type of food Twilight had never tried before; something called hamburgers. It was tasty whatever it was, and his stomach rumbled happily at being filled.
Link had sealed the cut on his forehead with some kind of tonic and was teaching him some more signs as they finished eating.
"Are you going to climb the tower with me?" He asked, signing the question as well as speaking.
"Do I need to?" Twilight glanced up at the tower, his back already aching just by looking at it.
Link shrugged and said, "You don't have to, but the sun is setting and I'll bet that the view will be nice."
"Oh how very romantic, you gaze at the sunset while I lie face down wishing I was dead," Twilight grumbled and took a drink from his water skin.
"Has anyone ever told you you're dramatic?" Link said as he signed the word 'baby' at him.
"I'll climb the damn tower if you think it will be that amazing," Twilight said, hoping the subject would be dropped. "It's probably going to be freezing up there."
Where they were sitting next to the fire and sheltered behind a wall was nice but it would not be the same up in the open air. The fact that it hadn't rained yet was still amazing but he wasn't about to say it out loud; no need to jinx it.
Link pulled one of his pouches open and started digging through it. It took a minute of searching but he finally pulled out a large metal ring with a red stone in it. He handed it to Twilight and gestured for him to put it on his head. "It's a ruby circlet, it will keep you warm."
Twilight observed the metal piece in his hand, trying not to think of how stupid he would look when he put it on. But Link kept gesturing at him to do it so he sighed and took his hat off so he could put it on.
As soon as the metal made contact with his skin, a jolt of heat passed through him. The chill of the Akkala region no longer made his bones ache, in fact, he felt like he was in the humid air of Ordon Forest.
"This is awesome." He put his hat back on, hoping to at least hide it.
"It's very stylish," Link said with a grin. "It looks good on you."
"Shut up."
They packed up their camp and Twilight watched in fascination as Link made a bridge using his Sheikah Slate. The thing must have been magical as it was able to pick up a huge metal slab like it weighed nothing.
"We better hurry if we want to make it to the top for the sunset." Link said as he tied a bandana around his head. "We can camp up there for the night where it's safer, just in case some monsters wander back up here."
Twilight was only slightly distracted by how serious the kid took climbing. "You mean the one Bokoblin that I didn't punch off the stairs?"
"Yeah him," Link started climbing; only pausing once to make sure Twilight was following.
"Oh man, this is going to suck." Twilight put his hands on the cold metal bars and started the climb. "This is really going to suck."
Thankfully there were well-placed ledges all around the tower, so just when he thought he couldn't climb anymore; he was able to take a break. The scar on his back was aching like it always did when he overexerted himself. That made him nervous, as it would be pretty fatal if it acted up while he was so high up.
The sunset was fully underway by the time he managed to drag his ass over the top. The dead and rusted Guardian was the first thing he noticed, as well as just how huge Death Mountain was from their vantage point.
The air was blowing hard enough that Twilight made sure to keep his hand grounded on the ancient stone tower. Link had been right though; the view was absolutely amazing.
He could see the edge of Hyrule where it met the ocean, as well as the streams of lava pouring down Death Mountain. Below the fortress was crumbling in ruin, only brightened by the splashes of orange and red from growing trees.
It made him more homesick than ever.
Link placed his Sheikah Slate into some kind of pedestal and Twilight jumped as the tower jolted and shifted, filling the air with a blue light. He still didn't understand 'technology'; it looked like magic to him. The blue stone above the pedestal lit up with strange wording, the glow looked similar to Twili magic. It dripped something onto the Sheikah slate and Link picked it back up with a pleased look on his face.
"I told you the view—"
Twilight froze as Link stared at him, a look of surprise on his face.
"What?" Twilight swerved around, trying to see exactly what made the kid freeze, but there was nothing behind him.
"There are markings on your face," Link said. He moved forward, trying to get a better look as Twilight grabbed at his face.
"Where?" He could feel nothing different on his skin.
"It's reacting to the glow of the guidance stone," Link held his Sheikah Slate up to Twilight's face. "Move your hand, I'll take a picture."
"Picture?" He moved his hand before Link swatted it away. There was a click as the kid touched something on the slate, and then he was looking at a picture of himself.
"I look like shit." Twilight stared at the picture, trying not to cringe at the sight of the tiara-hat combo on his head. He could see the markings though; they glowed with a silver-gold color, moving from his forehead and down his cheekbones.
"I don't know if it has anything to do with anything," Link said as he took the Slate back and started looking for something. "But the marking looks similar to this rune that just appeared when I registered this tower." He turned the slate back to Twilight to show him. There was indeed a similar marking to the one on his face.
"I have a bad feeling about this…" Twilight said quietly, he didn't trust the look Link was giving him. "Can we not touch that rune thing at least until we know what it does?"
"Come on," Link was looking a little too mischievous. "Where's your sense of adventure?"
"It's back in my own time where I left it."
Link scoffed at him, "My slate has never done anything bad, I'm sure it will be fine." His finger hovered over the rune. "It will probably just turn you into a means of transportation." He pressed the rune.
"No—Wait—!"
Twilight hit the cold stone of the tower as the transformation took hold of him. He knew exactly what the rune did now. His body cracked and groaned as the wolf took over and within seconds it was complete.
He shook, trying to throw off the feeling of his skin crawling.
"Well…."
Twilight looked up at Link, growling quietly.
"You are big enough for me to ride."
"Don't even think about it!" Twilight snapped at him when he moved to pet him. "I am not a dog."
Of course, Link couldn't hear his inner dialog. He avoided the sharp teeth and grabbed Twilight behind both ears, scratching like a man possessed. "Who's a good boy?"
"You're going to be a dead boy soon." Twilight tried to back away but Link just followed him. He resolved himself to being treated like an animal as Link scratched and petted him; cooing over how cute he was. His wolf form was easily twice the size of the little Hylian, and yes he could easily ride him no doubt. He would probably be no heavier than Midna.
"Well at least we know what it does," Link looked down at him and laughed. "This will definitely come handy in a fight."
"I'm so happy for you."
"Let's see if we can change you back now," Link held up his slate and pressed the same button.
With another jolt, Twilight felt the transformation take over. He landed on his face once he was back to normal, the switch throwing him off balance.
"Ow…"
He lay there, not really wanting to get up. He was tired and the kid was still laughing at him. He was way too old for this.
"We'll be able to see the moon peak over Death Mountain from here," Link changed topic, going back to his routine like his friend had not just turned into a giant wolf. "Are you hungry? I can cook again."
He looked at Twilight who was still groaning on the ground. "Wait, of course you're hungry; you're always hungry. Hoe does pumpkin soup sound?"
Twilight flipped him off.
It was pitch black out by the time they had both finished their soup and had settled down for the night.
Link used a large blanket out of his pack to make a small tent to shield them from the chilly wind. It also helped shelter the fire so it didn't blow out; overall it was very comfortable for a camp uncomfortably high in the air.
They were continuing his lessons as they normally did. Link was very talkative, and Twilight wasn't sure if it was the excitement of his new rune or the possibility of using him as a horse at some point.
The thought made Twilight instantly annoyed, but as Link pointed out; it would really be fun to freak people out.
"I once rode a bear to a stable and asked if I could register it," Link said with a laugh. "I thought the owner was going to pass out. He looked at me as if I had two heads."
"Honestly two heads would be less scary than the fact that you're just crazy," Twilight replied. He said it in a joking manner of course; he didn't actually think the kid was crazy.
"Could you imagine if I rode a giant wolf there though? They would honestly try to banish me from all the stables." Link took a bite of the jerky he was snacking on. "Nothing will beat the time I rode the Lord of the Mountain to the stable; that was amazing."
Twilight shook his head. "You're a shit, you know that?"
Link shrugged and signed something Twilight didn't understand. "So your friend, Shad…do you miss him?"
Not really sure where the conversation was going, Twilight tread carefully. "I guess, why do you ask?"
Link shrugged and Twilight thought for a second that the kid had lost interest in the conversation. Until he spoke again, "We're pretty similar I think, with both of us out of time, and both of us have lost our friends."
The kid wasn't looking at him as he spoke so Twilight knew the subject must be uncomfortable. "So you do remember some of your friends then?"
Link shrugged again. "I think…I think I remember someone I loved. When I defeated Vah Ruta, she came to me. I know it hurt her to see that I'd lost my memories of course." He picked at the strap on the back of his boot. "I just feel…horrible, I can't remember exactly what I felt for her."
"Yikes," Twilight didn't reach out to comfort the kid, knowing that would probably not be received well. "I can't say I'm in the same boat, I never really had a relationship."
When the kid said nothing more, Twilight knew he had to say something.
"You avenged her death right?" He tried to sound as comforting as possible. "You saved her people, the Zora. I think she knows, even if you don't."
Link nodded but he said nothing else.
Twilight cursed his inability to be helpful in these situations. He could never say the right thing at the right time. That's why he missed out with Midna, and that's probably why he and Shad had never advanced any further.
Talking about feelings never came naturally to him, neither did trust.
"Shit." Link threw his blanket off and jumped to his feet, covering Twilight in his haste to stand up.
"What?" Twilight fought to get the blanket off. "What's happening?"
A red orb slowly crept out from behind Death Mountain. At first glance, it was hard to tell it was the moon. Twilight's heart started racing the moment he laid eyes on it; whatever it meant, it wasn't good.
"You've never seen a blood moon?" Link gave him a sad look before turning back to the moon. "You're in for a surprise."
As the light from the menacing orb reached them, there was a cry from below. Twilight scrambled over to the edge, noting every monster they'd slain including the Guardians had returned. "What the fuck?"
The monsters must have remembered them; the Bokoblins were starting to climb the tower as the Guardians started drifting higher to reach them. There were a lot of them; even if he and Link tried they couldn't fight them off.
Link wasn't watching the horror scene below; he was already grabbing their things, throwing everything of importance in his bags. "We need to get out of here."
Twilight pulled away from the edge to look at the champion. "How exactly are we going to do that? You'll be fine with your paraglider, I won't be so lucky."
"It should be able to take both our weight." Link was already pulling the flimsy looking contraption off his back. "We can both hold onto it, we only need to get to the stable."
"I don't like the word 'should', should means there's a chance it won't." Twilight looked over the ledge and reminded himself again just how high they were.
"I can't risk attempting to teleport when there's a chance I might leave you here," Link was speaking calmly. "Just hold on to the paraglider and trust me."
"Easy for you to say," Twilight had a thousand more reasons why this was not going to work but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he placed his hands where Link was pointing, and held on like his life depended on it (which it kind of did).
He followed the kid and they both jumped off the tower. Twilight was barely registering that they were falling faster than was safe before the cloth caught a good amount of air and their descent slowed abruptly, almost throwing him off.
"I'll glide us down, follow my movement." Link had to shout over the howling wind.
The monsters climbing the tower were screaming in anger, some chucking rocks at them. The Guardians didn't notice their prey escaping which was lucky. If they did they would have been shot out of the sky.
For a brief moment, Twilight thought they were in the clear. That was until a horrible ripping sound made his heart stop and an arrow shot past their heads.
With no time to even scream, the two men plummeted to the ground. They were past the fortress now, which meant they were much too high to survive a fall. The paraglider swerved left hard, taking them away from the direction of the stable.
But even with a growing hole in the cloth, the paraglider was stopping them from falling too fast.
"Hold on, I'm aiming for the trees."
Twilight nodded even though Link couldn't see the gesture; his stomach was basically in his throat.
Still faster than he was comfortable with, they fell into a group of trees on the ground. Twilight's chest smashed into a large branch and he was ripped from the paraglider. He reached for anything to stop his fall but his hands could grasp nothing and he fell from the tree and landed hard on the ground.
Winded but alive, he lay on his back, trying to get his lungs to take in the air.
He had no idea if Link had survived the fall but he thought he heard someone curse through the ringing in his ears. His vision was blurry and filled with black spots. The only thing he could really make out was the glow from the still red moon.
"Did we actually make it or am I dead?"
He wasn't sure how long he laid there or if he stayed conscious the entire time, but eventually, he was able to suck in a breath and his head stopped spinning. With a pained groan, he sat himself up, rubbing the back of his head and feeling a large welt.
Somewhere in his fall, he'd lost his hat.
A moan close by told him Link was alive.
"That was…really stupid," Twilight said with another groan. "I'm not even sure if I'm in one piece honestly."
He waited for a sarcastic reply but received none.
Twilight turned in the direction he'd heard the moan and his body tensed. It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him.
Right next to him stood rows of soldiers; dead soldiers. They were dressed in Hylian armor that was broken and rusted; some were holding swords and some were barely wearing anything.
They were standing perfectly still like they were in a death parade of some sort. The red moon illuminated them in an eerie red light as they stood still in the silence. They were pointed toward it like they were ready to battle the red monster in the sky.
"Do they not notice me?"
Twilight wanted to move, his instincts were telling him to run. But for some reason, he couldn't make his body move.
The corpses didn't notice his presence; they didn't seem to know he was there.
A warm hand suddenly pressed against his mouth and Twilight actually choked on a yelp. He turned to see Link, alive but injured.
The gash on his head from before was open again and bleeding badly and he was holding his left arm awkwardly. Twilight couldn't tell if it was broken or just bruised.
Link said nothing but he raised a finger to his lips to tell him to be quiet. Then he started signing something slowly, and Twilight could understand the basics of when he was asking.
Link wanted to know if he could walk.
Twilight shrugged, not knowing the answer. He instead tried to move to stand up, hoping his legs would take his weight.
As quietly as possible, Twilight moved onto his feet. Other than a sharp twinge along his ribs, he was in working order.
Link stood with him, holding his good arm out in case Twilight started to fall, but he waved him off. He gestured for Link to lead the way out, desperate to get away from the army of the undead.
The kid nodded and carefully began walking toward a hill past the trees. Both of them tried their best to be silent as they crept away from whatever was happening behind them. The air grew thicker around them and for a moment Twilight thought he might have a punctured lung.
"It's the blood moon," Link whispered. "Keep going."
As they reached the hill they let themselves relax only a little; even if the dead started chasing them they had a good head start.
Up ahead Twilight could spot an enemy camp and he was almost relieved at the thought of having to fight something alive.
"We can sneak past them too, they'll be sleeping." Link was looking toward the dead, a sad look on his face.
"What was that all about?" Twilight asked him in a whisper.
Link looked at him for a moment before turning back to the dead. The blood was still dripping down his face and he wiped it out of his eye. "That place is called the parade grounds, so who knows…maybe the dead gather there, not realizing they're no longer living."
"Does the blood moon bring everything back like that or does this happen every night?" Traveling after dark was starting to sound more dangerous than he imagined.
"It happens with the blood moon, though I'm not sure why." Link sighed and shook his head. "Perhaps they were touched by the blight and that made it possible for the Calamity to control them." He was holding onto his left arm but there was no pain in his expression.
"Come on," Twilight clapped him gently on the shoulder. "Let's get back to the stable and fix that arm."
"And get as far away from the dead as possible."
Link smiled at him. "You know, I can't believe we made it."
Twilight flicked his ears back and growled. "Asshole."
I just wanted to say I hope everyone likes reading this as much as I love writing it.
I'm not sure about romance right now or if there will be any, but it won't be between the boys haha. I see them both as pan-sexual so if I do have romance, it will happen when I feel it needs too :)
Also I wanted to clear up a comment I had calling Twilight a 'pussy'. This fic was not to make Twilight the savoir of Hyrule; this is Wild's story and he will be in the spotlight.
Twilight is old, tired and his injury was placed to hold him back from running the show (it also mirrors my own disabilities). So I'm sorry if there's disappointment over Twilight's battle skills, but I find it interesting!
With that said, if anyone has any ideas they would like to see written, feel free to share. I have a list started of side-plots, and I'm always willing to try my best to add more in.
Until next time~