A/N: Irregular updates, angry Eb, oh and ignore the Smash set up in the Era epilogue

"Daruk on his left… no his left."

"Sorry."

"Yunobo, on Sidon's right. Good, just like that. Teba, in front of Yunobo… step to the - right there. Perfect!"

Link hid a smile as he watched the white feathered warrior fold his wings in annoyance.

"Yeah, get all of that out of your system now. Revali next to Teba and Medli next to Revali… aren't you all friends? Come on, move in! We don't have a whole lotta room you know." Link snorted, receiving two identical dirty looks from the Rito Champion and his former protege. "Alright, Urbosa, next to Medli. That's a lovely smile you got there. Can't wait to see your final pose."

Link continued watching, a small smile on his face as he watched everyone shuffle around at Purah's command.

"Riju, in front of Teba… Can you make yourself any taller?"

"…No."

"Allow me." Buliara stepped in, lifting the Chieftain on her shoulders.

"Perfect, though you'll need to move between Revali and Teba. Right there!"

"Thank you, Buliara," Riju sighed with a rueful smile.

"I am simply fulfilling my duty," the woman replied.

Purah frowned as she held up the Sheikah Slate. "Uh… can you actually move back between-"

Rather than waiting for direction from the Sheikah scientist, the woman crouched down.

"- huh… Yeah, that'll work. Link, next to Buliara and Riju." He sidled up next to the two, finally being eye level with the guard.

Mipha I think - yep, you get it… Why don't you two lovebirds turn toward each other slightly? Yes! Beautiful!"

He gave his new wife a chaotic grin, some of that long buried mischief surfacing just a bit. Mipha covered her mouth with a hand as her shoulders shook with silent laughter. Ordinarily, they would have suppressed such thoughts and feelings, but they were among friends here. And it was their wedding day. If there was ever a day where they could relax a little, it was today.

"Zelda?"

The Princess of Hyrule stood in front of Urbosa. The Gerudo Champion set a hand on the girl's shoulder as Purah made a few last-minute adjustments. Link nodded to himself as he watched the two exchange fond glances. For as long as he had known Zelda, she had always taken comfort in her mother figure. Seeing them together again set him at ease, as he knew that she would be getting the support she needed in the days ahead.

"No, Midna, you cannot be in the picture." He bit back a laugh as the wolf refused to move, instead planting her rear just in front of Link's feet. "Midna, you're not even big enough to- who am I kidding, you can't even understand me." Purah continued muttering to herself as she peered through the Slate. "I don't like the way this is tilted… Symin?"

Her assistant stepped forward, setting down a box before promptly setting the girl down atop it.

"Hmm, thanks," she muttered as she made a few adjustments. "I think that about does it. All right! Everyone, get ready."

As Link straightened, he felt his ears twitch as Daruk muttered something to someone behind him.

"You intend to do what?!" Sidon hissed.

"Three… two… one- " Everything fell apart. A red and white avalanche descended on Link and Mipha as Sidon wrapped his arms around them, crouching over them protectively. At the same time, he heard Revali and Teba curse, Medli yelp, Riju and Zelda laughing, and though he could not hear it, he could feel Urbosa's eye roll. "… Snap!"

The Sheikah scientist looked at the photo for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Yeah, that's about what I expected!"

Link's eyes snapped open as he heard orders being barked. Rising quickly, the swordsman straightened his uniform and grabbed his sword and shield. He paused a moment as he looked at the ruined weapons with disgust. Ever since the gloom had appeared, everything had been decaying at an accelerated rate. Anything made of wood or fabric would deteriorate after only a few years, food that should have lasted months lasted weeks at best, and people…

He shook the thought off. It wouldn't help him to think about that. Or his own slowly depleting strength.

However, the corruption and decay didn't stop with organic materials. Weapons and armor were similarly affected, becoming rusted and brittle far too soon no matter how much they were cared for. Even only a few days away from the sanctuary was enough to damage his current equipment.

With a frown that was far too natural, he equipped his gear and stepped out into the remains of a gatehouse. Around him, his fellow soldiers were milling about the crumbled remains of the structure they had taken shelter in for the night. Like him, they wore clothing and armor that had either been patched up quickly, or made even more quickly. That, and the lack of discipline many of them displayed had the effect of making the outfit look more like a local militia drawn up in a hurry.

Which they were, in a manner of speaking, even if they had been created…

His head grew fuzzy as he tried to recount the details. Link shook his head, dispelling the thought. It wasn't an important one anyway.

"..."

His spine stiffened and he looked around quickly. It had been a quiet, almost imperceptible sound. Like the ghost of a voice that had called to him.

"Link!"

He turned toward the sound of his name, snapping to attention as Captain Hoz approached him.

"Everything alright?" the Captain asked quietly.

Link nodded.

"You sure? You've been funny ever since you came back from the depths- "

Link's head grew fuzzy again. That's right, he and Zelda had been heading into the tunnels beneath Hyrule castle and…

He clutched his head as a disorienting spike pierced his head, nearly making him groan in pain. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the errant thoughts down, doing his best to not think about anything that had happened recently.

"... -ocus."

"Whoah, whoah. Are you okay?" Hoz set a steadying hand on him.

Link nodded with a wince.

"You sure?"

Link nodded again, feeling his temper flare slightly at the doubt he heard in Hoz's voice. While most of the soldiers in their company weren't as familiar with his exploits, the captain had been one of the few that Impa had shared most of his story with. He should have known that something like a migraine or vertigo were more tame than what he had grown used to.

He pushed his annoyance down as well though. Hoz meant well and he needed Link's support. Even though the former Champion technically outranked him, Hoz was still in charge of the mission to find Princess Zelda and bring her home. Ordinarily, Link would have headed the mission himself, but he had only reappeared himself after the operation had already been put together. What was more, Link had no memories of what had occurred beneath the castle or where he'd been while he was missing.

All in all, it made sense that Hoz continue leading the mission with Link there to offer his support.

"Listen," Hoz said, looking around to make sure that nobody was listening in, "if you need to go back and get more rest, you should do so. We can tell the men that Impa found a new lead on Zelda's whereabouts or whatever."

Link relaxed slightly before shaking his head. In truth, he wanted nothing more than to return to Impa's sanctum. Every step toward the castle filled him with a sense of dread. Dread that he could see slowly building in his fellow soldiers. As much as he wanted to obey his instincts and flee, he didn't want to leave an inexperienced captain with an inexperienced crew to his own devices.

He could see relief and consternation mixed in the captain's eyes.

"Alright, alright. Lady Impa told me I should know better than to argue with you. Just… take care of yourself okay." He leaned in again. "I know you weren't here to see it, but morale took a hit when you disappeared. I don't know how many of us could take it if something happened to you. So take care of yourself, and let me know if you need anything, okay."

Link opened his mouth, only for the captain to cut him off. "That's an order!"

The former champion stiffened.

There was a pregnant pause before Hoz relented. "Sorry," he muttered as he ran a hand through his hair, "that was probably a bit much."

"No," Link replied quietly. "It was good."

They both cracked a small smile, the first one in days.

"Well, alright then. Be ready to head out within the hour. Every second we spend dragging our feet is one more second everyone back home is worrying. And there's enough of that in the world right now."

Link tilted his head.

"... too much?"

"A bit." He nodded toward the soldiers who were now moving in a far more organized fashion. "They need to hear it."

"Right… maybe later."

"Maybe later."

Hoz rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I should get back to the others and make sure that they're getting set up okay. And keep what I said in mind."

"Okay."

As Hoz marched away with purpose, having already spotted an issue that required his attention, Link looked down at his right arm. Turning it over, he looked at the strange glyphs inscribed on it. He wasn't sure what had happened to his arm or where this one had come from. He couldn't even be sure if it had replaced his arm or had wrapped itself around his arm. How much of it was machine and how much was organic?

He turned it over, searching for answers as he curled and uncurled his fingers.

This time, he caught the onset of vertigo and quickly stamped it down. Dropping his right arm, he busied himself tearing down his tent and packing whatever meager supplies he had. Even with his late start, years of routine allowed him to finish before the rest of the company had finished readying themselves. Rather than sit back and observe the newly minted soldiers, Link set to work helping them finish packing up supplies and checking equipment. Where he could, he offered advice and instruction. It had been a while, and his memories from before the Great Plateau were still in tatters, but he wanted to make sure he passed on what he could.

Hoz and Impa must have been right when they said his reputation preceded him, as the soldiers listened with rapt attention when he spoke. And when he offered advice, they were quick to adjust accordingly.

It was certainly a far cry from what he remembered of his time in the old guard. Most of his memories were of fighting to hold the respect of his peers and superiors. And then, when he'd traveled the kingdom to reclaim the Divine Beasts, he'd had to fight for the respect of each of the other races. The Zora had been particularly difficult.

And painful.

Now though, his peers held him in high regard. He'd noticed a couple of times that the soldiers would look to him when they had their doubts about the mission at hand. He couldn't deny that their admiration brought a lot of pressure, but there was something familiar, almost comforting about it. It reminded him of his days silently accompanying Zelda, bearing the weight of the world with as few words as possible. It hadn't been a happy time, but it was something he knew. Something he had survived once.

Once everything was ready, Hoz gave the command to march. Link joined him at the front, figuring that it would be best if he was seen at the front alongside the captain. Whether he liked it or not, he was "the hero."

The air was acrid and gray, almost choking Link as he followed Hoz's lead along the dreary stone path. Normally, the heavy cloud cover would have signaled rain, but it had been a long time since there had been any rain. It didn't stop him from hoping that there would be some, even a little, to wash away the constant red and purple mist that was inescapable outside the sanctuary. But, as had become the new normal, the clouds merely hung above them oppressively.

It would have been enough to make anyone uneasy, but the deafening silence was worse. There were no birds singing, crickets chirping, or plants rustling. There wasn't even any wind to create the smallest amount of ambient noise. It was unnatural, and it made his skin crawl.

A quick glance over his shoulder showed that the soldiers were feeling it too.

"Is there anything you can tell me about the tunnels?"

"No." It hadn't been the first time Hoz had asked and, just as every previous time, Link didn't have an answer. Whenever he tried to recall details of what had happened down in the depths, the vertigo and headaches attacked. The few times he had tried to push through had led to him blacking out. And right now, that was about the worst thing that could happen for the morale of his men.

"Hmm. I guess I was hoping that getting close would spark something."

Link was certain that the man was talking just to make some noise. He couldn't blame him, as they both needed to keep it together for the sake of the crew. Sometimes, keeping it together meant talking just to keep oneself from focusing on something out of their control.

"... Link, I need you to answer me honestly right now. Are we making a mistake?" Link looked over to find Hoz eyeing him with an unusually stoic expression. "I know we have a duty to the princess, but I have a duty to my men as well. I'm not going to send us to our deaths just because the princess might be there."

Link said nothing.

"Look, if we knew for certain she was still down there, it would be different, but think about it. You went down with her, and when you came back, you rode in from Central Hyrule. And we have no idea how you got there. Who's to say that something similar didn't happen to the princess?"

"..." He frowned thoughtfully. He looked down at his right arm, considering it thoughtfully. The fog at the edge of his vision began creeping in but he ignored it. While he was determined to return to the depths despite his own misgivings, he was as reluctant to order the soldiers down there as Hoz. "... I'm going. Go back and tell-"

"No. If you're going, then I'm going to. This is my mission too, remember?"

He could see the trepidation in the captain's eyes, but there was determination too.

Link nodded, eyes narrowing as the entrance to the tunnels came into sight. He grit his teeth as he saw more gloom emanating from it. It was still considered a "safe" amount, but they would have to be fast. Prolonged exposure to what was considered a safe amount would still leave them weakened.

"Halt!"

The company came to an abrupt halt at Hoz's command. Eyeing them over, Hoz picked four of the healthiest looking soldiers he could find. The rest were ordered to hold position until they returned. Those that weren't chosen looked visibly relieved as they moved to take defensive positions around the tunnel entrance. Meanwhile, the four who were chosen did their best to hide their dismay; however, a few quiet words from their captain, and a nod from Link was enough to steel their resolve enough.

"Alright, look alive, everyone. If things get dicey, we are retreating. Won't be any good to the princess if we die trying to find her."

Link lit his torch and nodded to the captain.

And with a gesture from the captain, the small team descended into the tunnels.

The acrid smell of death and decay was overwhelming, causing a couple of the soldiers to start coughing violently a few steps in. After taking a moment to collect themselves, they continued their descent. With every step, the torch's light seemed to dim more and more. Link was certain that if they were to draw close enough to the walls, they would find carvings depicting certain events from Hyrule's past.

But that was far from their concern.

"Do you hear that?" one of the soldiers hissed.

"Hear what?" Hoz asked sharply. Link flipped around to eye the man. In the darkness, he could just barely make the man's eyes out as they flitted about wildly. Beside him, the other three were starting to give into their own nerves as their heads swiveled about, searching the darkness for something they couldn't see.

"There's something in the -" the soldier was cut off as the floor rumbled beneath them.

"What was-"

Tendrils of gloom lashed out of the darkness, surrounding them all. What had once been a wall of shadow was now a roiling mass of inky black tendrils and gloom.

Link's arm reached for his sword, only to pause as he noticed the glow emanating from his arm. It was soft, yellow, and so familiar. And as he watched it, the glow increased in intensity. Somewhere, off in the distance, he could barely hear the sound of a ticking clock.

Around him, men were screaming.

The ticking grew louder.

Someone called his name.

And still the ticking grew louder.

The ground beneath him rumbled, though it felt far away, as though it was happening to someone else.

Then a tick that echoed through his mind, drowning everything else out, and everything went white.

Rhythmic ticking. He wasn't sure how long it had been going on, or how long he'd been conscious. And he didn't really care. He just wanted to lay where he was and let the oddly comforting tick of a clock put him back to sleep.

Maybe then, he could forget about it all. Forget about his failures in the Great Calamity. Forget about the countless deaths that hung on his shoulders. Forget about the deaths of his fellow champions that he'd been too weak to protect.

Yes. That sounded nice. A deep, numbing sleep.

"Remember."

He immediately pushed himself up and reached for his shield. The man who had spoken was nowhere to be seen.

"Try to remember."

Link stood, drawing his sword as he finally took in his surroundings. He found himself on a simple cobblestone path suspended in a void. Floating alongside the road were images. They were nothing more than silhouettes, but they struck a chord in his memory. Walking along the path, he eyed the images, trying to see through the shadows that obscured them.

"Focus."

He looked around again, trying to find the source of the voice, but as before, he was nowhere to be seen. Then he heard something very different.

"Both you and the princess… I know you've suffered much regarding what happened to us Champions."

Urbosa's voice was little more than a whisper, barely audible over the ticking of the clock, but Link recognized it instantly. He whirled around, trying to find the source of it. Surely she had moved on once they had defeated Ganon. They couldn't still be trapped in their Divine Beasts…

Could they?

"Sit down, or I'll have Daruk sit on you!"

When had she said that? He should know. He closed his eyes as the vertigo crashed into him like a tidal wave. When had she…

"Oi, Rudania! Don't ya run from me! You bring that pig-faced gravel sucker back here, so I can knock ya both around like the pebblits ya are!"

Link gripped his head.

"Well, I'll be plucked… You defeated him, eh?"

"... That means I'm the victor, naturally."

"Father has insisted that he sees to all the preparations of course."

"... And once you've made your way into Hyrule Castle, we're going to light that thing up!"

"Yesterday I was awash in a pool of tears."

Link was on the ground, in agony as he fought the urge to vomit. Tears streamed down his face as his head felt like it was splitting open and the urge to vomit was almost overwhelming.

"Focus!" There it was again. The voice he didn't recognize. "Now, get up."

Link dragged himself up, trying to hone in on the ticking that was still audible in the background. As he focused on it, the voices of his deceased friends faded away. And as they faded away, so too did the migraine and nausea.

"Good. Now, come to me."

Taking his weapons back in hand, Link advanced along the path. He kept his gaze focused on the road directly in front of him, refusing to listen to the ghosts of the past. Some of them still called to him, but every time he heard his name, he shut it out and refocused on the ticking.

"Good."

Slowly, the path widened out and, looking up, Link found himself in a circular garden. He took a few cautious steps forward, eyes and ears sharp for any signs of life.

He noticed a shadow moving out of the corner of his eye. Spinning to meet it, he struck out with his blade. The sharp clang of metal on metal echoed throughout the void.

"Good!" Link stumbled back as the shield he had connected with was shoved into him. "You have skill and courage, if nothing else."

Link's stance faltered slightly as he locked eyes with his opponent. Across from him stood a decaying stalkin. It was covered in the tattered remains of clothing, and wore old, rusted armor adorned with the sigil of the royal family. Curiously, its shield appeared to be in pristine condition, as did its blade, which gleamed with a strange light.

A tense moment passed before the stalkin lowered its weapons.

Link remained at the ready.

"Relax, boy. If I wanted you dead, you would be so."

Link narrowed his eyes.

"Very well. Remain as you are. It doesn't change what I have to say."

"..."

"I will take your silence as an indication you are listening. Good." The stalkin walked to the edge of the garden and stood on its edge, staring out into the sea of shrouded images. "I take it you have figured out those headaches of yours aren't natural, yes?"

"..."

"I thought as much," the stalkin said, not looking back. "And your memories of the past few days? I take it they have yet to return."

"..." Link's stance relaxed ever so slightly. He didn't trust whoever this was but he clearly knew something. Perhaps he knew where Zelda was.

"Perhaps they will return as time is healed," he mused quietly. "But there is no time for speculation. Listen carefully, boy." The stalking turned back to face him. "Once, a very long time ago, there was an evil king who sought a great power hidden in the heart of Hyrule. In order to stop him, the goddess allowed a child to travel through time; however, when the child did so, time itself became fractured. With time fractured, realities took shape. Over many millennia, the goddess restored time to its proper form, except for one reality."

Link frowned thoughtfully. The story and its implications were certainly interesting, and he had no doubt that Zelda would have endless questions. But he had no idea what it had to do with him.

"In this reality, the child failed to stop him. The king seized the power that had been hidden within Hyrule and used it to transform himself. With no means of slaying him, the last means of defending Hyrule was to seal him away and pray that the seal would hold."

"..."

"What the sages who had sealed him away could not have foreseen is that he would reach across time and space to break his seal. And as he did so, he took the chance to deal a crippling blow to his enemies. Do you understand?"

"He killed them," Link said quietly.

"So you do remember, deep down." The stalkin turned back to stare out into the void. "When he merged the final reality into yours, he went back in time and killed your friends and destroyed the Divine Beasts. Your head aches because it cannot reconcile your true memories with the ones that have been planted there by his interference."

Link's fists clenched as he tried desperately to shut his emotions down.

"But there is still time to undo what has been done."

Link froze.

"Five gates reside buried beneath Hyrule. Find them and cross through them. Only then will you be able to take back what you lost and bring peace." The stalkin looked over its shoulder. "Take these. They will be of much use to you on your journey."

Link felt a weight settle on his back. Checking over his shoulder, he saw the sword and shield the stalkin had just been using strapped to his own back.

The ticking was starting to grow louder.

"Our time grows short. But there is one more thing."

Link looked back to find the stalkin fading away.

"I found a friend of yours lost in time. I'm sure it will do you good to see her again."

Something rustled behind him. As Link turned to see who was there, a dark blue mass sprang toward him and crashed into him, sending them both sprawling. Before he could recover, there was a deep growl followed by a rough tongue licking at his face.

Something clicked in his head and memories rushed back to him. A wolf that he and Mipha had found whose paw had been crushed by a rock. A wolf who had subsequently adopted him and had been a constant companion. "Midna."

The wolf barked and retreated, allowing him to climb to his feet. He looked around, trying to find the stalkin so he could thank it. But it was nowhere to be found.

The ticking grew louder.

"Find the gates."

One final, deafening tick, and everything faded away.