Luminescent wings caught the morning sunlight as Hyrule landed atop a moss-covered rock. He peered over the gently sloping edge, searching for a familiar tunic of stitched colors. The pixie spotted his companion amongst the tall blades of grass - the latter peeked through the hollow inside of an age-old trunk. The Traveler fluttered down beside the brownie and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Found anything?"

Four's eyes traced the bumpy grooves of the bark and sighed dejectedly. "No…Not even a trace."

Oh…Hyrule reluctantly followed the Smith inside the log, and they sat down in somber silence. He knew something was up when the other hero started getting restless since they landed in this unknown era. He could tell that something was bothering Four and wanted to ask but never got a chance to. The monsters here were strangely abundant, and the magic was nearly the same as Wild's. The Champion confirmed they were not in his Hyrule but agreed with the pixie's observation. They could only assume they were thrown into an era near or within the dragon's time. It would make sense, but that did not mean it was a good thing. There were so many wrong things about it, and Four's concern just happened to be one of them.

"Maybe they're just hiding?" Hyrule offered. "Uh, maybe to hide from monsters? There's a lot of them here."

"Perhaps…" Four mumbled in agreement, though the pixie could tell he was not entirely convinced. "Maybe that's why."

"Sorry…"

"Don't be." The brownie told him. "If I didn't find one, chances are you won't either. It's not your fault."

The Smith said that, but Hyrule still felt terrible about it. He had offered his help to search for any trace of the Minish in this era but found nothing. The Traveler was similar to the other hero - they were both somewhat detached from their kind. Fae was few and far between in the Traveler's time, so encounters were sporadic, much less with another pixie like him. The Hero of the Four Sword might have lived with other brownies his entire life, but he once admitted that he felt closer to the Minish than his people.

Despite that, Hyrule admired him for breaking away from the norms of his people and pursuing what he loved. If he were given the same chance and not burdened by the task of protecting the complete Triforce, he might have done the same.

Four bumped his shoulder against the Traveler's. "Hey, I meant what I said." He assured him. "So, don't beat yourself over it."

"But…" Hyrule pursed his lips. His antennae drooped forward. "...Okay."

The Hero of Hyrule pulled his legs to himself and rested his chin atop his knees. Suffocating silence - or maybe, it was just for him - fell over the heroes. Despite the warm, sunny weather and the familiar forest noises, the atmosphere was gloomy - a breeding place for poor thoughts to run rampant.

"Say, Smith. About what happened to the Minish in Wild's era, do you…" The pixie paused, digging his nails into the fabric of his trousers. "Do you blame him?"

The pixie knows he should not - it was not fair to Wild…or Four - but he wanted to know. He had witnessed others' varying reactions when they stepped foot in the Champion's Hyrule for the first time. Though they shared the same sentiment that it was not the dragon's fault…still, he wondered if there was a time, even a moment, that any of them thought it was Wild to blame. Had any of the heroes thought that Wild had done shame to the Hero's Spirit?

Hyrule might not know the hero more than Twilight, but he had seen his reflection in those eyes. Guilt. Self-depreciation. Fear. He did not see the beginning of the lands' destruction with his own two eyes nor died in an attempt to protect his princess as the Champion did. Yet, the feeling - the constricting feeling of knowing that the fate of your homeland was on your hands the moment you emerged from a cave, he knew that. It was too familiar.

Still, it was unjust of him to pressure Four into answering such a question. The pixie opened his mouth to tell him to ignore it, but the brownie beat him. "...No. I don't."

The Hero of Hyrule perked up and turned to him. "You… don't?"

"Mmm." Four nodded and leaned his head against the rough bark, unconcerned about the moss and lichen growing on it. "It was never his fault, to begin with. I don't think I could live the life he led. Killing my emotions, keeping my silence, and bearing those gazes and expectations? Honestly, I wouldn't even call that living."

"We've heard his and Flora's sides of the story. We've heard parts of it from some people in their era. I think that was enough to paint a greater picture, don't you think? The ones to blame weren't them."

"It was Calamity Ganon - the one who had learned his lesson and took advantage of the royal family's arrogance. It was the ignorant king who thought re-enacting a ten thousand-year tale would be enough to save the lands and turned a blind eye to his daughter's struggles. The people placed too much burden on them and did nothing but stand by, watch, and reap the benefits after the war was won. They're the ones to blame. Not Wild or Flora."

The brownie glanced at the other hero. "How about you? Do you blame him?"

"No." Hyrule shook his head with a sad smile. "How could I? When I, too, open and close my eyes to a ruined world. I know the feeling…that fear of the unknown, the guilt that it was my fault -"

"It wasn't yours." The Smith interjected. His eyes flashed in a vibrant blue as he spoke. "None of us did anything wrong to deserve the shit we've been through. If we weren't born with the Hero's Spirit, the goddesses wouldn't even give us a fuck!"

"But then, we wouldn't be the same people we are now." Hyrule clasped his hands together. "We wouldn't be talking like this if we didn't share the same soul. After all, we're from different eras, so it would be impossible for us to meet."

Four paused, then looked away. "I…" He mumbled. "I didn't think about that."

"Sorry for bringing it up."

"Don't be." The brownie shook his head. "You're right. We wouldn't be the same. Maybe we would be in better situations than right now. But at what cost? We'll be ignorant of the true machinations of the world, living a routine like clockwork. It's brutal, but it's the truth. It's a truth we can't deny no matter how much we try."

Four was right. It was cruel, but it was the reality. Hyrule would not be the same person he was now. His role would be different - he might have become like his closest cousins, the devas, who assist the Heroes of Courage rather than being one himself. That responsibility seemed mindless - waiting for ages until the Goddess' Chosen came to seek his aid. He would be trapped in a glass jar, only to be released when needed. However, that would not be the end. The pixie would do it again - a cycle of waiting, being trapped, and being released. The Smith was right. Was it even worth it? Could it still be called living?

Hyrule felt even more empathetic of them. He had been exceptionally tolerant of the other heroes keeping them for emergencies, but it felt wrong. Even if the devas with them assured him it was fine, it was not. The others had been kind and considerate of them, but still…

"Hey," The brownie nudged him. He did not need to ask what was going on in Hyrule's mind. The Smith was a fae, too, so he was as aware of the troubles their kind faced as he does. "If you're worried, then talk to the others. I'm sure they'll understand and try to figure something out.."

The pixie nodded in gratitude. He did not doubt the hero's words. "I know." He said. "And I… I'm glad to have met you, Smithy. Really, really glad."

The brownie chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "Likewise. Traveling and questing alone had never been as fun and crazy as with you guys. Though it would have been better with fewer injuries."

The Traveler groaned. "Please don't. Time scolded us for that last one. Legend gave an earful afterward. He was watching me like a hawk for three days."

"Yet you and Wild wouldn't learn a thing."

Hyrule opened his mouth only to shut it. He could not refute that. Exploring with Wild was fun, despite the insane shenanigans that they committed without a second thought. Only the Champion understood and shared his passion for free adventuring among the heroes.

"Knock! Knock!"

The two heroes turned to see a familiar face peeking from the log's opening. Wild was crouched on the grass, peering at them with slitted blue eyes. The others must have sent him to look for them. The dragon had a strange knack for finding them wherever they went. They theorized that it must be an ability unique to the hero's kind, but the Champion could not confirm that. He just said that he just knew like it was an instinct. Perhaps, something that nature itself imparted to him.

"Break's over! Time said we need to go."

Hyrule and Four stepped outside and onto the Champion's open palm. They climbed his shoulder, and the dragon carefully stood up. "Did you find what you're looking for?"

"No," The brownie shook his head. "But that's fine."

Wild tilted his head at them. "Is that so?" He turned to trace the way he came from. "Sorry. Do you need help next time?"

The Traveler exchanged looks with the Smith and smiled. "Thanks for the offer, but it's okay. I'm sure we're going to find them soon."

"Them?"

"It's nothing." Four patted the dragon's scaled neck. "Come on! We can't keep the others waiting."

"Now, I'm even more curious."

Four only laughed in response. Tiny ears perked up at the sound, and small figures curiously emerged from the grass and climbed atop the log. They watched the trio walk away before hurrying back to leave gifts only the well-behaved children and heroes could find.

AU Lore #6:

Pixies are the closest cousins to the devas, the orb-like fairies in the games. I am torn in deciding what type of fae Hyrule is, but eventually, settled on a pixie. However, he is an odd one since he has limited interactions with his kind throughout his life. Thus, he is unaware of most traditions and customs of the pixie. One reason is that most races are on the brink of extinction in his era, much like in Wild's. Hyrule shares the healing powers of the devas, but unlike them, he can transform into a perfect human form, which he uses to disguise and blend in.

Hyrule has luminescent, glass-like wings (similar to a Glasswing butterfly) of green and pink and moth-like antennae. The opaque part of the wings is gold and black; the tails of the hind wings are the same colors.