Gallivanting in Tandem

They strolled to the Master Sword's resting place in front of the Great Deku Tree. Time dipped his head, "Ah, that's right, I apologize for coming into your territory so suddenly."

His old friend chuckled, "Goodness, an apology from a god? Why, I am glad to have you both." Pink flowers drifted from his canopies, "Forgive me if I interrupted you. My time to rest is nigh, but I'd do my best to greet my visitors before then."

"Consider it appreciated." The god turned to the knight with a hand on his hip, "So, since we don't plan to stay here, where would you like to go?"

"O-Oh!" This caught him off guard, "I thought you already had a place in mind!"

His head shook with a smile, "However, you know the land better than I; therefore, I'm letting you choose the distance we travel."

Link shifted his weight to one side as he took a moment to consider it, "Well…this is really sudden. I'm not sure."

The god playfully sighed. "Well…where haven't you been?"

"I haven't seen much of the Hebra region," He thought aloud, "Maybe we could go there."

"Hebra…isn't that where the Rito live if not nearby?" Time's brow rose at his nod, "Link, I'm pretty sure that blue one—Revali, I believe—would pester us for trying to explore their territory." His hands went to his hips, "Besides, you'd freeze over anyways. That tunic is not nearly as versatile as your armor was."

"You have a point…" Link gave it more thought, tapping his foot against the stone, "I remember you saying you wanted to go caving. Eldin is a good place to start. Heck, I bet the Gorons would help us out!"

He had to stop him there too, "Wouldn't we burn alive without a fire potion though? Also, we'd need bombs if we're going caving. All of which would explode under such intense heat…"

The champion huffed a sigh, now truly scouring the depths of his mind. His finger popped into the air, "Oh I know!" His arm motioned to the left before correcting itself to the right, "There's a place past the citadel I've always wanted to see! We used to go on patrols on the path but, I know there's just something over the hill, y'know?"

'Now we're onto something!' He smiled as his stance shifted to one of interest, "What's this place called? Do you know?"

"Ulria Grotto I think!"

Time could see the map from the page in the book reappearing in his head, "If that's where I think it is, I think there may be some treasure to find there!"

Link's eyes shimmered, "Really?"

"That's by…let's see…Akkala Falls, isn't it? There are three bridges there?"

"Yes! That's right!" He fist pumped, "When do we leave?"

His eyes scanned the sky. It was quickly growing dark, "Let's get some sleep first. I'll wake us well before the sun rises."

"Ah," Link knowingly crossed his arms, "because you don't want to run into anyone in case they're out looking for me?"

"Precisely, I don't feel like sharing at the moment." He pretended not to notice his expression change to one of surprise, "But first, let me see if I don't have something you can wear to disguise yourself…" The god searched his mind, 'Mm…I know there's something here…something from a distant past…' He held out his arm as he willed a large, black cloak into his hands. He shook it out like a blanket, "My memory tells me I might have worn this over one shoulder at some point, but I believe you could wear it over two." He cast it around the champion, pulling its hood over his head. It clasped together with the golden crest of the Triforce and the pattern on the cape bore a similar resemblance to his facial markings. The god looked him up and down, "It's a little long on you but that's not an issue."

"What about using my sword?" He asked, "I can't unless I strap it at my hip…"

"The purpose of the cloak is to hide that as well, my spark. Even then, if we run into trouble, I'll just take it back, see?" With hardly a thought, the dark fabric disappeared and reappeared at his command.

Link grinned, amazed, "Okay that's really cool."

Time looked back to his friend, "Is there any chance we could take shelter within your walls?"

The tree's gaze fell to one of the Koroks whose face was made up by a particularly bright green leaf. He gladly waddled their way, "Of course, of course! Please follow me!" He led them up one of the great tree's roots into a hollow inside. Grass and colorful mushrooms sprouted from the moss-covered floors, producing the earthy perfume in the air. The dim lighting was provided via glowing flower bulbs hanging off tall, leafy plants. They were shown to the left where a short, singular bed made of leaves sat in the middle of a cozy room.

Link was all for it, but the deity had to ask, "We won't break it, will we?"

"No siree! It's made from the Great Deku Tree's strong bark after all! I bet a lynel could sleep on it just fine!"

Another peeped around the corner, "But only if it nicely asked!"

"Y-Yeah! Of course!"

With that sorted out, he joined the knight under the large blanket made of flimsy, soft leaves. His eyes found Link's expectant gaze as he recalled the custom associated with retiring with another person, a new night. His lips pursed as he mentally winced, 'That's…definitely not a good idea.' Instead, he kissed his temple, "Goodnight. I'll be sure to get us up in time."

He blinked a few times before closing his eyes, "Night, Time."

Several hours later, the god awoke with a second to spare before it hit five in the morning. Finding the champion's arms around him, he carefully brought him along as he slowly sat up. He tiredly smiled as he spoke into his cheek, "Time to go."

Link twitched awake at his words and woke further from the peck that followed, "Got it…"

They exited the homely hollows and tread into the misty clearing. Time bowed to the Great Deku Tree, "I appreciate you for letting us come and go on such short notice, old friend. I'll try to be more cordial next time, of course."

The protector did the same, more pink petals falling from above. "It is always a pleasure to serve a god and a hero alike. I shall hope that both of you don't run into many dangers along the way."

Time took the groggy knight's hand.

"But," the wise tree wasn't finished, "before you go, old friend. I must apologize. When we spoke after you awakened the Sage, it was my understanding at the time that you were Hylian, a child of destiny."

"And I was. I don't understand it myself, but I know as much to be true." The god warmly smiled, "Friend, accidentally lying to me is the least of your worries. You've never meant me any harm, not then; not now. There is nothing to forgive."

The tree bowed once more, "Very well. I wish you both a safe journey."

Fierce Deity nodded and led them out of Korok Forest into Lost Woods. His hand was squeezed, "Yes?"

"What was that about?" Link paused, catching himself, "Wait sorry, can I know what that was about?"

"One second." He scanned their surroundings as they slowed to a stop. There were a few heartbeats in the distance, but they likely belonged to deer. He continued, "Yes, you may. Before I pulled the Master Sword and began my quest to awaken the different Sages, my entire life, so only ten years—supposedly…not accounting for the grand scheme I guess—I believed I was Kokiri, a child of the forest. Like the Koroks, they're essentially spirits who can't grow old and live under the protection of the Great Deku Tree. They also always had guardian fairies at their side. Well, as I've mentioned before, I've known this Deku Tree since he was a sapling."

"Whoa…" His eyes were filled with wonder, "that's right…"

"I'd pulled the sword, appeared seventeen, and awakened the first Sage—another friend. Seeing as the original Great Deku Tree died when my adventure began, naturally I was curious to see what had become of him. Beside him sprouted this Deku Tree. He explained I was actually Hylian, hence why I never had a fairy until my day of destiny came. I'd also grown up, something they could never do." Time sighed, "Seeing as I'm not truly meant to be Hylian either…or something to that effect…he wanted to apologize for 'lying' to me all those years ago."

"Ah okay, I understand. It makes way more sense why you were so happy to see him when we first came here." Then a finger rose to his chin, "But…why didn't he try to apologize then?"

Leaves shifted around their feet, "He couldn't tell who I was." His eyes caught sight of a curiosity he wanted to solve. "Would you mind staying here for a second? I want to look at something." The hand holding his tightened.

"Can't we look at it together?" Link asked, his eyes glancing over his shoulders. They hadn't walked more than ten feet outside of the entrance to the great tree's grove.

His expression was briefly quizzical, 'Ah, you don't want to be left alone.' Time pat the top of his head, "Aw, I promise I won't be long. Monsters would know better than to get this close to the Great Deku Tree. Besides, you could handle yourself if that were the case anyways." He willed the cloak around his shoulders and pulled the hood over his head, "Feel better?"

"It doesn't change that this forest is creepy as hell, but sure."

With that, he pinched his cheek and strolled off into the trees. 'I wonder if these freakish things can talk?' He stood at the foot of the horrific, monstrous-looking tree's gaping "mouth", "Hello?"

…Nothing.

'Figures…I can't sense any life, thought, or magic flowing through it anyways.' His ears picked up a cackle of twisted laughter off in the distance. He rolled his eyes. Though, catching sight of a deer through the brush reminded him of what he could do. He thoughtlessly morphed into his wolf form and came trotting through the trees up to his traveling companion.

Link's eyes widened, "Uh…hi wolf…with red eyes…" His low voice gave away his caution, "Dear Hylia, you're huge. Why are you coming up to me all of the sudden? I thought you guys left humans alone."

He watched the knight quickly scan the clearing as he curiously sniffed at his knees.

"Shit…I can't call for Time without alerting the rest of its pack!" His gaze tracked back to the lupine, "Maybe it's worth it…"

The golden wolf's shoulders came up to Link's waist. He was even taller than him when stood on his hind legs and put his front paws on the champion's chest, 'Haha! I'm already here, silly!' He managed to get a lick on his face before getting shoved off.

"What the hell?" Link wiped his cheek, "It licked me!?"

'Ha, he clearly can't tell it's me.' He spun in a circle before morphing back into his human form. "What? Didn't like my kiss? I was happy to see you!"

"N-No!" The champion's eyes widened at his nudity before they diverted away, "I didn't even know you could do that!" He peeped back before censoring his waist from afar with his hand, "Okay where are your clothes? Don't tell me you're doing this on purpose! You're lucky I didn't draw my sword on you!"

He snickered, "I'm not, I'm not. One second." Time shifted back into his wolf form, shaking out his pelt.

"Dear Hylia…that's amazing…"

The deity grinned a dangerously sharp smile at his head getting scratched, 'Ahh, that's nice…a little to the lef—this is very nice.' He blinked, 'Right, we need to leave.' He shook the knight's hand off before circling behind him and shoving himself between his legs, causing him to sit on his back.

"Whoa!" Link gripped the thick fur around his neck, "You sure I'm not too heavy for you?"

He shook his head no as their language barrier became all the more apparent, 'It's a shame I can't talk to you in a way you'd understand…eh, he'll catch on.' He reared back, 'Hold on tight!' and sped through the trees, staying considerate about potential nettles and low branches. When they met the path leading away from Lost Woods, he happily panted at hearing Link's laughter.

"This is awesome!" He cheered, letting the wind fly through his fingers, "You're way faster than any horse I've ever ridden!"

"Aw! How sweet of you to say!" His deep bark—more like a roar —was easily more menacing than stumbling across a lynel, but surely the champion knew it was positive, right? The golden wolf's voice echoed as well. It scared off a flock of birds far in the distance, grabbing their attention. They caught each other's eye, 'Right…I suppose that means no more "talking" from me.'

Time's senses largely stayed the same. His hearing and sight were sharp as usual, only now a new expanded sense was added to the roster: smell. The one sense that otherwise never appeared to be affected by his powers. He could smell the earthy moisture rising from the mud used for the nearby obstacle course. He could smell the dew in the grass too. From sniffing the knight, he learned he had a particular scent as well: mostly sweat, castle grass (which smelled sweeter than what they currently traveled on), metal from the Master Sword, and his tunic just barely carried the fragrance of the Princess's wildflower perfume—signifying she made the garment so long ago.

They continued along the trail through the woods and soon came across the stables beside the river. The wolf slowed to a soft trot as he made a left. Looking back at Link, he was glad to see he kept the hood over his head. Luckily the stable's receptionist was fast asleep with a line of drool running down his arm. The animals didn't appear to be alerted by their presence either. From there the trees grew more and more sparse as the land sloped into hills. He soon came to recognize the route they took to get to Akkala Citadel.

Running on all fours resembled something close to running barefoot. The ground felt nice as the dirt turned into soft sand. Though, the group of Zora catching fish in the river near the shrine served as a direct reminder for how much they stood out. None of them called out to the pair, but why would they? 'After all,' His red eyes scanned their shocked faces as they raced by, 'while a cloaked person riding atop a giant wolf is terribly suspicious, you have to wonder what they'd do if you tried to stop them. They're making the wiser choice.'

Smelling the air, he caught a faint scent of, 'Is that—sniff—mineral water?' His nose caught the scent of the water's steam among the other natural fragrances in the slight breeze. This one held an earthy yet undeniably fresh taste. A little moist too. 'Aha! It's hot spring water!' Excited, he sped off in its direction. He felt Link hunker down and squeeze the scruff around his neck as they zoomed ahead. They took a left at the fork instead of a right, leading them to the Maw of Death Mountain. The god held back a howl of joy at the sheer size of the hot springs! He skid to a stop at the edge of the water, stepping his two front paws into the shallows while waiting for the knight to get off. He leapt in, morphing back into his bipedal self with a huge grin. He stood, throwing a spray of water into the air, "I figured we'd take a quick detour! I love hot springs!" He motioned to their surroundings, "Even better, it's just us!"

Link eyed the position of the sun in the sky, "Well, this is about when morning patrols would start." Then the corners of his mouth lifted into a smirk, "And, this was definitely my favorite part about coming here with the Princess."

"Ah, that's right you did." His brows came together, "My memory tells me you…tried to eat rocks? Or something akin to rocks?" He watched Link go from pulling to yanking his shirt off, a light blush accompanying a glare.

"I can't believe you remember that!"

"Why the surprise? You didn't seem so embarrassed telling me about it then." He chuckled at recalling what the knight had said afterward, "Your hardy gut is quite impressive."

"Ugh…" Link got in beside him, "they didn't taste all that great either…though the char from the grill was nice," he thoughtfully commented. "Very earthy yet smoky…"

Now he laughed, putting tremors in the water, "Clouds above, you truly deserve that mark of Courage on your hand."

"Hey actually, is there a way I could get it to stop glowing? It crossed my mind as we were passing those Zora earlier." He was right, though the bright sunshine sort of helped to hide it. The shade would be far less forgiving. The night even more so.

Fierce Deity took his hand, it's shine radiating once more, "Good question."

"Weren't you able to get it to stop when you had it?"

"No, not by my own means," He explained, "After all, I'm still under the impression it's glowing because of me." 'But really—now that I've got some sleep—knowing what I've done, it could be attempting to exert its preference much like before. Prickly thing. I'll be amazed if it could revert my actions, though I believe it lacks the power to do so.' "Fate," He murmured, "thwarted by time alone, hm? Destiny requiring your position within this knight unless he falls. How terribly interesting."

Link was mystified, "…what are you saying?"

"I'm considering theories, my spark. Seeing as it's acting with its own will, much like how it did with me—all that pricking and burning—I feel that getting it to follow any directions is beyond…" His free hand went to his chin, 'Well…but if this is truly it trying to have some preference, then…' "Actually, let me see if this will work. I have an idea." The champion's piece grew brighter as the god held his left palm over it, "Should your principles hold true, consider appealing to my words: be still unless these hands touch." Time figured it could at least return to what it normally did before. He also knew it would be unreasonable to ask it to entirely go away. It was better to go with an idea that worked before than deal with the unintended consequences of a new one.

They eagerly watched the glowing piece pulse until it faded away. Link eyeballed it, "Is it…it's still there, right? What did you do?"

"It should be." When his index finger met the back of his hand, they were met with a burst of light. He winced while Link threw water at his face trying to cover his eyes. Luckily, it went as quickly as it came. "Goodness, I'm forever remembering to stay on your left from here on out. That didn't partially blind you, did it?"

He peeked an eye open, his posture relaxing at the light's absence, "No, but damn. That's one hell of a way to attract attention, dear Hylia. What did you do again?"

"Honestly, in simpler terms, I asked it to stop glowing unless our hands touched. I'm surprised it worked."

Link nodded, yawning, "I guess I'll chalk it up to being another 'god-thing,"' or maybe a 'previous-holder-thing' since you had it last." A drowsy smile tugged at his lips, "This water is making me tired from how warm it is. How long are we staying?"

"After running for three and a half hours with you on my back? At least an hour." He sank lower with a relaxed sigh.

Clearly, this was what he wanted to hear, "Ahh, thank Hyl—wait." The champion caught the deity's eye, "Is that…disrespectful? Well, but that would imply you—" He paused, considering it, "I mean, since you know more, now are you able to—"

"Don't ask questions like that, fair knight." His laid-back tone bore a thread of seriousness, "I can do no such thing." Time watched him nod his understanding before continuing, "Though, to answer your other question, no, it is not disrespectful to be thanking your Goddess. I don't prefer the same worship."

"Oh okay," Of course this lit a light in his eyes, "Then what kind of—"

"You're quite cheeky when you want to be, hm? Such a curious spark of mine." He subtly shook his head as a peculiar feeling rose in his chest at the notion, "In any case, I don't remember and, what's more, I don't want your worship."

His brow rose, "You know I'm going to ask why, and you can't entirely deny that you don't have some affinity for it either."

"Hmph," The god thumbed his cheek, "Cheeky and clever? Wonderful." His tongue clicked, "Your position in my eyes is quite unique. Such is that I don't require you to show me the typical respect I require from other sentient life. One could say it would be disrespectful of you to not take advantage of your exception, hm?" He chuckled at his narrowing pupils, "Oh come now, I don't mean it that seriously. Besides, it would be quite hard for you to stray off the only path you've known, so don't worry."

Link shrugged, keeping a thoughtful eye on him, "Fair enough…though, before we left the castle, you had said something like you've 'put up with this for long enough.' Did it feel like we've been disrespecting you this whole time?"

He sighed. "A part of me says no and another part of me says a resounding yes. However, it's not as if I'm truly annoyed. Complacency exists on my end as well you know." His eyes closed as a nauseating lightness ballooned in his head, "…I have mixed feelings to say the least."

His finger tapped his chin. "You did tell me one time not to refer to you as you are because you didn't want me to 'feed into' how it made you feel at the time." His head cocked to one side, "I suppose you sort of feel the same way now?"

Time had to smirk at the idea that pushed past his light ache, "I'll be damned if you ever discover my true name. I'll leave it at that." He gingerly pinched his cheek, "And no, you'll never hear me say it, my spark."

The champion sighed with wishful eyes, "I suppose I just think you'd be happier if you didn't seem to hold out on yourself so much. I mean, after what you did yesterday, you'd be in some pretty painful denial if you tried to backtrack on any of it now." He waved his words away, "Either way, it's not as if I know everything, especially about this , but I dunno. I wonder what would happen if you dropped the reins entirely and let yourself be." A moment passed before Link frowned, "Okay, why are you smiling like that?"

"I'm thinking about how that is—and I mean this softly—a terribly awful idea." They laughed as the knight pretended to clutch his pearls.

"Sure," He chuckled. "I'll pretend that's soft."

"I'll put it this way then: you're asking me, a god who feels incomplete and is frustrated about being so, to let myself be? I'm sure I'm a rather rare case, but don't doubt for a moment that you're not my saving grace as of now." He nodded as he watched the sense come into his eyes. 'Good. I'm glad you finally understand some of where I'm coming from.' "I can imagine I'd only be mulling in despair had I been left on my own." A solemn sense lined his eyes as he took his hand, "I have too many questions with no one to turn to for answers, my sweet."

This appeared to settle things within Link's mind. He tugged him into a hug, "Dear Hylia…now I just sound like an asshole for thinking it might've been that simple. I'm sorry."

Time lightly squeezed him back. For now, his feelings regarding his predicament waned into a more neutral stance. "Don't worry, as isolating as this can feel, I know answers will come to me at some point. So long as I don't think about it too hard, I manage well enough." He pecked his cheek, "Hence why we're doing any of this." He gazed into the light blue eyes before him as his thoughts spoke. Perhaps sharing lips would make the springs more enjoyable, '…but I probably shouldn't. I could certainly ask Hylia should the opportunity arise, though.' Watching him blink pulled him back to the present.

"Thinking again?"

"Per usual."

This amused him, "Can I know?"

The god cocked his head, "Hm hm, I guess I have to wonder if you meant anything else by what you said before about 'dropping the reins.'" 'Your eyes speak it all.' "And…judging by the look on your face, I might just say I'm correct.~"

"Ahem," Link pulled out of their loose embrace, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh please, you've lied better than that.~"

He winced a quick smile before looking the other way, "Um anyways, did you just figure out that you could turn into a wolf? Also, why a wolf? Though, it makes your growling from before make some sense, if that's something it's connected to. Is it like a spirit animal kind of thing?"

"I did recently find out about this ability, yes. As for being a wolf, it just feels right if that makes sense, but no, I believe spirit animals are something else entirely."

"Hmm…so does that mean you could turn into anything? How do you do it?"

"I simply think it, the same way I do with my cloak." Time thought for a moment for how he should answer next, "I believe I could turn into anything; however I don't know if I can at the moment."

Link studiously nodded, "Okay one more, have you remembered anything about that place you wanted to take me to?" His fingers came together as he shrugged, "I can't deny that I'm curious about it now. Oh yeah, and 'spark.' That's new."

He could just vaguely imagine simple shapes and forms of possibilities for whatever and wherever that place could be. His shoulders slumped, "Ugh, if only I could remember…all I know is that I'd love to take you there. As far as your other nickname goes, that's all it is—unless you don't like it of course." Really it was more akin to how Din would call him "firefly." It felt as though he intended to refer to him this way before. "I like to think of it as a spark of light or perhaps a spark of joy, or simply lightning if I'm honest." Watching the knight's eyes shimmer tugged the corners of his lips into a pleased smile.

"Oh…that's actually…nice…" His demeanor turned from surprised to playful as he pretended to take a swipe at him, "It's far better than 'bastard!'"

Fierce Deity chuckled, catching his hand, "Very well, I'm glad you like it." He sank lower into the hot water until his chin rested on the surface, holding onto the knight's hand. "I think I'll rest my eyes until it's time to go." In fact, his weighing fatigue reminded him of his odd mortal traits, 'So peculiar…what's more, not even Hylia knows why I'm like this…supposedly because I haven't told her…' He gazed at his left hand, 'Though, it goes without saying that this body is quite resilient…and magical to some degree, given its ability to shift as it can and wield spells, so that's useful.' Still his thoughts continued, 'An immortal spirit within a mortal body…hm, I'd rather not technically be announced dead one day. Hylia has already taken that avenue. It wouldn't be very original.' His brow rose, 'Though, given the years I spent as an unchanging child thanks to that Sage of Time, Zelda, perhaps I'm wrong. Maybe I've somehow picked up these traits instead. I had them then the same way I have them now.'

His brows furrowed as he glared ahead, 'But why? Clouds above, it just—' The deity breathed a sigh as his gaze softened, 'I'm getting too worked up over this…but really, none of this makes any sense.' Seeking something more tangible than his memories, he pulled Link closer to his side.

"Hm?" It seems the knight decided he'd "rest his eyes" as well. In fact, he kept them closed.

"Don't mind me." Time turned his back to him and laid back until his head landed in his lap. The hot water rushing over his cheeks as his face submerged felt nice. Though, this must have awoken his companion to some degree for he felt his legs become uncomfortably tense. He slowly rose from the water to speak, his gaze expectant, "Is something wrong?"

Link's complexion matched the red colored rocks surrounding them, "D-Don't you need air?"

He blinked, "I can hold my breath for extended amounts of time…though I intended to hear an answer, not a question."

The champion crossed his arms, wearing a light scowl, "I just didn't think I'd suddenly feel an entire head of hair against my legs! Your bangs tickled me—that's not my fault!"

Fierce Deity smirked, squeezing his left hand, "Link. Just cross your legs." He chuckled. "Though, it is amusing to watch you try to act as if I lack such perception."

"Ugh," He did as he was asked…more like ordered, "Be quiet."

They remained that way until it was time to return to their travels. However, they ended up staying another hour to hunt the local emus to eat. Time kissed the talented cook's hand with gratitude, leaving a faint sparkle to quickly fade away, "By the stars, if there was some greater way for me to show my thanks, I would."

Link laughed. "I have to wonder what you'd do without me!"

"Hm," This was easy to speculate, "I'd likely shift into a wolf and hunt the same way they would. Raw things are less of a problem when your body is made to break them down. Oh, and bones too."

"Wow, so you're entirely a wolf with the conscience of a human…or g—" He paused, "you get what I mean."

"I'd say that's a fitting description, yes." Seeing as they were done, Time took his lupine form and willed the cloak around the champion. They backtracked along the path until they reached the fork and took a left, dashing in the direction of the esteemed citadel. 'Right,' The wolf could smell the sweat of men and they just barely made it halfway up the incline. 'They have guards posted everywhere. Better yet, we're easily visible thanks to their tactful lack of gardens. A golden wolf with a black rider…' He slowed to halt and promptly sat.

"What is—!" Link slid off his back onto the stone road.

Time snorted as he paced, thinking of his next move, 'Simple answer: a distraction.' He glanced back at his companion, finding him in the middle of getting back on his feet, 'But what kind?' He considered his options, 'It's likely they've already been informed of what occurred at the castle yesterday. I'm not certain they're truly looking for their champion, but they'd benefit from doing so. I imagine they'd question him to no end about me and where he'd been. But—focusing back on my plans—sending him forth would certainly get their attention. Though it'd be an entire ordeal to get him back and I expect I'll also get shot at in the process. So that's a no.'

His ear flicked, 'If I went alone, I'd still face the same problems.' He could faintly hear the whirring of machinery coming from the valley beside the fortress, the Sheikah's research camps. 'Perfect.' The deity shifted back, "Forgive me for surprising you, I was thinking of a plan so we could slip by."

Link had watched his brief deliberation with interest. Now he respectfully diverted his gaze elsewhere. "No one gets hurt, right?"

"Of course. It's in neither of our best interests to commit war crimes, my spark."

"Y-Yeah…right…" He crossed his arms, "Also do you have to be naked every time you change back?"

"Oh right." His garments threaded into existence, "And by all means it's amusing your stance regarding my transformation is so prude. If I did this more often, perhaps I'd remember to recall my clothes each time. Though I suppose learning curves become invisible with confidence, don't they?"

The knight rolled his eyes at the notion he was "prude." "Anyways, what are you going to do?"

The blue V on his forehead began to glow as his lips curved with mischief, "I'll play with their toys for a moment.~" Fierce Deity infected the same guardian from before with his divine influence. He considered the chaos that would ensue if he directed it to begin its firing protocol on the citadel itself. The tone of the following chuckle was admittedly sinister. 'No, no…that would be terrible, immoral too…though funny. Briefly. Ahem, the color change from orange to teal should have grabbed their attention.' He closed his eyes, taking the perspective of the ancient tech.

Time's smirk momentarily dipped into a frown, 'I shouldn't complain, but that was far too easy, slipping into this thing's "mind." I have to wonder if this was a part of their intended design. Maybe Hylia will tell me.' Keeping his wandering thoughts fenced in, he took in the shocked expressions of the Sheikah who began to crowd around him.

"Dear Hylia!" Exclaimed a researcher with a clipboard, "Guys it changed colors! It—It looks like it's trying to look around!" Similar sounds of agreement followed her words.

Careful not to accidentally step on anyone, he made the machine lurch in the direction of the citadel to give some indication it was going to move. He whipped his sights toward the fortress and skittered off in its direction.

"What the—hey wait!"

"It's moving on its own!?"

"Quick! Someone tell them to hold any possible fire!"

'Oh that's interesting,' He moved past a few dig sites with half-uncovered guardians, 'They've already considered the possibility that the citadel will mark any of their projects as hostiles. An order from the King, no doubt.' Scanning the area, he had the complete attention of the Sheikah, and certainly that of the general military, 'but what of those at the gates?' The guardian trampled toward the southern cliff responsible for holding the entrance of the great bridge.

It could climb.

'Impressive.' He could hear the yelling of the guards from where he currently stood. Time left its consciousness and quickly retook his wolf form. Once he felt the knight on his back, he ran ahead and to the right, taking the sloping path to the research grounds.

Link gasped, "Wait—is that? Time!" They watched the machine near the flat of the bridge when it lost its footing and began to rag-doll down into the valley. "W-Will it break?"

He vigorously shook his head, trying to keep himself from snickering after watching its legs limply fly around as it descended. After witnessing the spectacle, the wolf found himself panting, 'Clouds above…what is this fatigue? Ugh. Annoying.' He slowed his run into a peppy walk. It was late noon as they reached Akkala Falls. Ahead were three bridges connecting the land. 'This is where the treasure should be,' Time thought as they crossed, 'We'll get to where we're going first and come back later.'

"Right there!" The knight pointed toward the hills, "It should be just over them!"

However, as their travels were coming to an end, the slopes possessed a small group of bokoblins on horseback. The god willed his cloak's absence as he leaped at the first rider. His arc of motion passed over the monster, leaving Link to get the kill without hurting the horse. It was an innocent bystander after all. He side-hopped an arrow aimed at his gut, but nearly lost Link from the sheer speed. 'Sorry! I'll try to keep that in mind!'

Once the champion regained his balance, they killed another in a similar fashion. The previous two held clubs, but the next wielded a spiked spear. The bokoblin dashed toward them while another shot at them from a distance. The monster wildly swung the spear in a circle, leaving a slim opportunity to perform the same maneuver.

Slim wasn't good enough for the god when it regarded his companion's safety. They evaded the charge, letting the monster race past. Catching sight of the fear in the horse's eyes gave him an idea. He'd been growling since the encounter began, but now he lunged after the horse, spooking it with his terrifying snarl. It bucked the monster off, giving Link the opportunity to slash it in half as it fell. This left the bokoblin archer, an easy pick after dodging its sloppy arrow fire.

The wolf's ears perked at the sensation of fingers scratching the back of his head.

"Haha, hey you can stop growling now. The fight's over." The scratching quickly turned into petting.

'Ah,' He stopped. 'I didn't realize I'd continued.' They trotted over the hills, finding a stepping passage that led into a cedar and pine forest. Time looked back at his rider, 'This way?'

He flinched, "Oh right. Yeah, it's just down this way into the forest."

Following his directions, the god morphed back into himself and continued to give the champion a piggyback ride, "Oooh, this is a pretty part of the land." The trees were tall and lush. Pine needles and cones littered the forest floor, meanwhile the brush was sparing. It hugged the rock face and larger trees. Walking further, they found themselves at the edge of a cliff. Below was a large pool of water, "I believe there's treasure down there as well." He let his rider down.

Link leaned over the edge, "Really?"

"Mhm," he nodded, "there should be some in the river back there as well." Fierce Deity yawned and stretched, his expression turning bashful, "I'm sure you could feel it, but I'm quite tired."

"Don't worry, I could tell as soon as we reached the bridges." His hands hung on his hips, "I suppose we'll set up camp, kill something to eat, and call it a day?"

"You've read my mind."

They explored the area first, at least what they could easily reach and come back from. They discovered the stepping slope curved as it led them closer to the water. There they found bass leaping for mayflies. The trees were so dense it kept the entire area well-shaded. On the way back, they killed a boar and decided the nook in the cliff face close to where they entered would be perfect for camp. Link took to scraping salt from nearby deposits while Time fell a tree for firewood.

"Dear Hylia…" The champion murmured as he watched it fall, "Sure, I've helped my dad cut some trees, but," he scoffed in surprise, "I dunno, wow."

The fierce god chuckled as he propped the double helix blade over his shoulder, "Well I thought I'd make you a spit to use too. Not to mention we'll need plenty of wood to keep a fire long enough to cook the boar." Watching a gluttonous sparkle light up the knight's eyes brought a grin to his face.

"Oooooh, I like your thinking." A hand went to his chin, "Mmm…some lemon and thyme—"

"Me?" He pointed to himself as a brow rose in confusion.

Link gave him a look, "—with an 'H' and a 'Y'—"

"Oh… right. My mistake." His grin shifted into a cheekily tight-lipped smile.

"As I was saying, with those, this would taste amazing. Though, the meat itself with some salt should be good too. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere—or my dad told me—that boars normally eat a lot of grass, nuts…and maybe berries." Link decidedly nodded, "What I'm saying is this should taste sweeter than other meat."

He lined up his swing to take off the protruding branches, "Very interesting. I look forward to it."

"Oh sweet Hylia!" Link stood from the salt deposit, "I didn't realize you were using that sword!" He came closer, "Whatever happened to you not wanting to use it?"

Fierce Deity blinked, "Hm, I did say that. Strange. Well, if I were to have a reason why, I'm either aiming for the cruel suffering of my enemies or I'm trying not to destroy everything around me. Watch." He swung the mystic blade, sending a beam of light to cut the loose limbs from the tree. It didn't disappear until it hit the other edge of the cliff more than fifty feet away where a few pebbles were knocked into the water below. When he looked back at his companion, he saw his hand covering his mouth in shock, "Already seeing the issue, my spark?"

His astonished eyes met the god's as he bobbed his head in agreement, "How the hell are you supposed to fight with it then? That could kill allies too!"

He turned the bare portion of the tree into the grass, readying another swing, "Mhm, though you're assuming I prefer to work in groups. If I were to use this sword, I'm going after something alone." More tree limbs cluttered the ground, "Hm hm, or using it in the stead of an axe, I suppose."

"That's a good point." A hopeful smile appeared, "Is there, y'know, any way I can touch it now? Pretty please?"

Time gazed at the flat of his sword, "This blade cuts the hands of those it fails to recognize as its master," He plainly looked his way, "so no, you may not. It only has one master and I imagine it'd be hard to trick it into thinking otherwise." He laughed at the knight's wide eyes.

"That's…yeah wow." Link retrieved his jaw from the grass, "Though, since it has to recognize you as its master, does that mean it has some kind of sentience?"

"Like—" 'the Master Sword?' He paused to think, 'I shouldn't say that. He doesn't seem to know.' "Ah, I get what you mean. No, the sword certainly doesn't have a mind of its own, more so a particular set of magical properties."

"That reminds me…" Yet his eyes drifted elsewhere, "but I'll ask after we've got everything set up."

"Very well, I shouldn't take much longer here." He finished de-limbing the tree and chopped it into usable firewood. While Link began to gut the boar, he picked suitable pieces to make the spit. He drove the sturdy bases into the ground and carved the thinner branches meant to splay the animal's limbs.

The knight pressed his lips together as he watched the deity skewer the animal through its mouth. His hand hovered around his neck, "Eugh…imagine if that happened to a person."

"Ha! Oh I'm sure it has." Next he took two shorter sticks and slid their ends between the boar's ankle bone and tendon. They lifted it onto the spit and lit the fire. "What's that face for, fair knight?" He asked as he sat down.

Link was sarcastic, "Y'know I'd like to think people weren't skewered, but now that you've said that…well there's no way it didn't happen at some point." They laughed.

Fierce Deity pat the grass beside him, "What were you going to ask before? Something about magic I presume?"

"You're too perceptive," he muttered, obliging, "But yes, it had to do with what you said about me 'misunderstanding the basics of magic' when I thought it had gotten to you that one night. Which means," their eyes met, "it wasn't a blessing at all, was it?"

The god's impressed smirk was toothier than usual, "Correct.~ How remarkably insightful." He appraisingly held the side of his face.

Link spoke slowly, "But that…doesn't change the fact that it came from Din either. She just didn't bless you," his eyes squinted, "because she can't? I-I guess it makes sense that you can't really do that to eac—" A thumb pressed into his lips.

"I'll respectfully stop you there, my spark." His head drifted to one side, "While I'm terribly impressed with you—almost smitten, really—I'll make you aware that you're dangerously toeing the line of meddling in my affairs, and I'd hate for you to suffer the dire consequences of that." Fierce Deity's smile returned as he lightheartedly squished the knight's cheeks, "That aside, yes, it was magic that surrounded me, and therefore magic that made my sword. Though," he looked off, "I have to wonder what would have happened if I absorbed it instead…"

"Sorry about that," he was cautious, "I didn't know I was—"

"I know." The deity's voice was soft and understanding, "That's why I told you. The easiest thing to do is consider who we're talking about. If they're not Hylian, we should keep them out of our conversation. Simple."

"Ah, I see, got it." Link bit his lip, "I guess I don't want to know what sort of 'dire consequence' I would face?"

Time was frank, "Getting cursed I imagine. Though, at least you'd die at some point and it'd disappear." His gaze fell to his hands, "That's a luxury I can't say I have."

This took him by surprise, "Wait, you really are immortal?"

Once again, a peculiar feeling rose in his chest as the lightness returned in his skull. He rubbed his temples, groaning, "Ugh…even I don't understand my mortal traits." He wearily shook his head, "But I've had them for as long as I can remember."

Link held up his hands, quickly speaking, "Uh, well um, what do you think would have happened if you absorbed the magic instead?"

This admittedly redirected his thoughts, relieving a portion of his ache, "Well, I suppose, since it was specifically related to power, it would have likely added to my own. Maybe in the form of stronger bolts, or perhaps only in strength." He scoffed, "I take the last one back, certainly not strength. That would be impossible." 'And Din would remind me to no end.'

The champion stood to rotate the meat, "Huh, interesting."

It was late into the evening by the time their kill was cooked. Link was right too; the meat was great! Better yet, there was no way they could eat the entire thing either. There was plenty for tomorrow.

When they finished, Fierce Deity waved his hand, scattering the loose pine needles away from them. He nodded in response to his companion's amazed expression, "As beautiful as I find these trees, I can't say I appreciate sleeping on their needles." Now he motioned to him, "Come, you can use me for comfort." He took his wolf form, whining a yawn before lying on his side.

"Okay good, that's what you meant," Link murmured, scooting over and throwing an arm over him. He pleasantly sighed, pushing his face into the hair on his chest, "I knew your undercoat would be soft."

'Aw, how sweet.' Seeing as his face was currently inaccessible, he opted to lick whatever was closest. In this case: the tip of his ear.

The champion jerked back to look at him, "What the hell?" He understood once his cheek was licked next, "Oh, right. Goodnight, Time."

The god closed his eyes, letting his mind wander. Minutes later, the sound of rushing water filled his ears. 'Here. Of course.' The void—his void as he understood. Strangely, he took the form of a puddle. Specifically, a silver puddle in the center of a whirlpool all the way down where the water bore the black, sandy sea floor. 'How am I still in this predicament?' The water began to spin a bit faster, 'I'm beyond amazed at the lack of control I exhibit here.' The one thing he could influence most was the water around him, presumably because it essentially looked just like him, though he could never make it draw any closer. Most often, he'd make it choppier whenever the atmosphere became darker, annoyed by the lack of light. Other times he tried to use it to look for whatever else existed there…if anything else did. He could see nothing beyond the tall wall of water other than the dark sky. It frustrated him to be there.

'If only I had the ability to reach out to it. I have to wonder if we'd combine or repel.'


Link flinched awake to whimpering. 'What the…? Is that you, Time?' It had to be. He could feel the wolf twitching. His eyelids hung at half-mast as he sat up on his side. He scratched the fur around his neck and cheeks, trying to soothe him, "Shhhh…I'm sure…I hope whatever it is, is only a dream." Moments later, he watched the large wolf begin to relax, his worrying cries had ceased.

Still, the champion continued to pet him, 'I'll admit, it's a little hard to not treat you like the stable dogs.' Lead by curiosity, he lifted the side of the wolf's lip. The low light from the fire illuminated the wicked, jagged fangs the wolf possessed. 'Dear Hylia, there really isn't a version of you that isn't ready to kill anything and everything, is there?' He sighed, scratching the god's head and ears, '"If they're not Hylian, we should keep them out of our conversation." So then…what really happened between you and Din in the Temple of Power? We all heard what you said to her. It was the definition of a prayer.' He frowned, 'I guess, since you're both gods, she couldn't bless you, so she decided to cast some kind of magic around you? That did absolutely nothing? That doesn't…make a lot of sense. Though I know I'm missing plenty of context.'

He blinked at his sleeping companion, 'If one thing's for certain, you can at least talk to the Goddesses in those temples. I guess just not to Hylia herself. Maybe she has a lot of rules about who can talk to her.' Link laid back down, recasting an arm and a leg over the wolf, 'Since I've known you this entire time, I really shouldn't be surprised, but…even when you're like this, you're really human for being a god. Distracting yourself from your problems…though, I bet I'd probably be doing the same thing as you if my head tortured me by even half as much. I can't imagine what it's like to have my identity redefined all the time. I can tell it has an effect on you when I accidentally mention anything related to it. Though, it makes me wonder what would happen if I did say your name or knew whatever your worship practices were. I guess you forgot when Zelda said the name of your mask the last time we were on Vah Naboris…' He cocked his head, 'I mean, would it be a good kind of damned or a bad kind of damned? There's a difference, and, based on how you said it, I have no idea which it is. I wonder if this "unique position" I hold has a name too... Does it mean anything else from your perspective?'

Even now he continued to pet the wolf. He mentally rolled his eyes at himself, 'Dear Hylia…I guess I can't help myself. Ugh, who cares anyways? Everyone knows it's therapeutic to pet things dammit! I haven't pet a dog in forever! I dunno why I thought your fur would be rugged either, it's so soft and smooth!' He shamelessly shoved his cheek further into him, 'You're such a big dog too! Hylia above, I'd cuddle you all morning if I could…' He blinked, 'I think he'd kill me if he could read my mind…well not while he's like this at least, but definitely later.'

But he set himself straight, 'Okay. Right. He's not a dog. Not a dog.' He chuckled to himself, 'Really, when I think about it, he'd probably look terrifying to other people, huh? Especially with those red eyes. I don't think they're half bad, though. Ha, I bet he'd prefer to look menacing anyways. What's that phrase he calls me sometimes? Damn drorkaer? I wonder if he has a translation for that now…'

'Link. Dear Hylia. We were thinking more important thoughts. Ahem. Where was I?' He winced, 'Right, he's been a god before he was the Hero of Time and yet he believes he's immortal but doesn't understand why he has "mortal traits" despite having them since he could remember.' He took a breath, 'That's…too much to process—the same goes for the Deku Tree not recognizing him as a god when I went to pull the sword too. Otherwise, it makes sense gods and goddesses wouldn't get tired or hungry. If I lived forever, I bet eating would become a chore.' The mere thought of it made his head woefully shake, 'That would be so awful. Speaking of which, no wonder he warned me about that affairs-thing. I guess he'd have to contend with getting cursed forever, huh? That's insane. And then I'd be cursed until I die! That's probably the first genuine rule he's brought up.'

His brow rose, 'On that note…there's no way he doesn't know what I'm doing by now, right? Can he blame me though? Can I blame me?' His gaze flicked away, 'I'd think not! I mean, c'moooon Tiiiime. You're the only god—let alone Hero—I know! I know you have amazing reasons to be so damn secretive, but you're absolutely killing me!' Link squeezed him a little more, 'I truly meant what I said at the hot springs too. When you're like this it's so obvious that you're sort of—I dunno—kinda censoring yourself? I mean, given what you are, can't you do whatever you want within reason? Why bother? And why bother around me dammit!?'

He puffed a sigh, 'I understand around everyone else, but really? Me? What did I do?' Link shoved his forelock over his shoulder. It was tickling him. 'Honestly, probably nothing. You also said I earned your trust and respect back in the forest, but I'm starting to disagree with you. Only on the "trust" part, though. I'm just confused.' His lips pursed, 'Oh wait.' His brows furrowed, 'It's actually your stupid consideration for my stupid interests! Damn you, Time! I don't care how numb my face gets from your damn kisses! I want. To know. I want to know for the pure sake of knowing I know!'

He quietly groaned, 'You always dodge around me when I try to push your buttons too. Why the hell does that hardly ever work in the first place?' His tongue clicked, 'Ugh, because you do know what I'm doing!' The knight considered his options, 'Well…if the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome, then I guess it's time to switch tactics.' His fingers drummed against the wolf, "But I'll need to work on not getting so flustered. Damn."

Link finally closed his eyes, hugging the god as he muttered, "You better kiss me in the morning or I'll know something's wrong with you."


Author's Note:

Long time no see! I've started school again, so I'm back to being stupid busy. I'm just gonna apologize in advance if months go by without an update because it's pretty hard to find time to sit down and write for this at the moment *cries.*

Anyways, with that said, that's why I'm leaving y'all with this and the next 2 chapters! I'm kinda breaking my norm of being two chapters ahead, but that's fine lol. These have been baking for months now, so they might as well see the light of day XD (all the while I continue to make edits to them until now lmao)

I had fun taking the liberty to write Link's pov about all of this along with revealing his rather selfish intentions concerning his...questionable methods of obtaining more information about divine customs. I thought making him a little scatterbrained and rambly when thinking to himself is a nice contrast to Time's more straightforward, to-the-point thought process too.

Touching on other things, in the beginning I actually had a pretty tough time deciding what I wanted both of them to go do. I knew it had to be centered around Time's love of adventuring in order for it to be something he'd want to go distract himself with, but then I had no idea where they should go do it. I decided on Ulria Grotto because of the opportunities it has, one of many being that their path requires them to pass by the citadel, thus giving us the scene where Time willingly uses his divine influence to cause a distraction with the researchers' guardians...something he'd otherwise normally never do unless he had no other choice.

There's more I could say, but they'll be in the other chapters' notes. Enjoy!