#PRAU Pinky

[pockets-rackle]

I should use the changes in Pinky's Uncle's dialogue as parts of the time loop between him and Greeny- Like if he were to try to remember, he isn't quite sure- did his uncle tell him to take his weapons, or did Link just imagine that after he took them from the cooling body? Is he the princess's, or is the princess his...? was the sword technique secret? Did his uncle say goodbye, or was his mission more important?

He isn't sure. The dialogue changed in every loop. His uncle is back, now, but he's too afraid to ask him. He's too afraid that wishing him back in the first place is what caused the strange changes.

""Uhhnn... Link... I didn't want you involved in this... I told you not to leave home. You must rescue Princess Zelda... You are... the princess's... ... ... ..." (one loop)

 "Unnh... Link, I didn't want you involved in this... I told you not to leave the house... Take my sword and shield and listen... Link, you can do it! Save the Princess... Zelda is your..." (another loop)

"Unnh... That voice... Link? Is it you? I thought I told you to wait at home... I suppose there's no escaping destiny... Here, take this sword and shield from me. I shall teach you one of the secret sword techniques used by the Knights of Hyrule... Link...you must rescue Princess Zelda. Our people are fated to do so. But do not fall victim... to fate... Link... I shall always remember... our time... together..." (yet another loop)

But I mean, hey! At least his uncle is still alive. Unlike Greeny's...

[pockets-rackle]

In which three Links meet the First

(Prev) (next)

Link walked through the woods with two others called Link once again.

After they’d cleared the who ‘hero of legend’ thing up as much as they could (which was not at all), The Real Hero of Legend repeated that they needed to continue on. Apparently somewhere in Labrynna was Nayru’s Oracle, who could help them understand the temporal problem.

Link doubted they’d get there. Even if they were headed the right direction, they’d been brought together for a different purpose.

Pink and Arrow- hey, the nickname theme worked in Hytopia, but he wasn’t going to call him ‘green-and-brown’ when the choice was as obvious as his rupee-tipped weapon- were both quiet. Almost silent footsteps, like they were lighter than they looked.

He and his former companions had been quiet too, in sneaking towards the Witch’s lair. But they’d been so close by that point they hadn’t needed to speak.

Link missed that.

“I have a friend, who was from Labrynna.” He said, Blue’s face in his mind. Red had been from Holodrum. Distant lands, by foot. “His name’s Link too.”

“Truly?” Arrow asked.

“Aye. I know a couple other Links in my time, as well as you.”

“Huh. I suppose it must be a more common name, then.” Arrow thought about it. “Like Zelda, in its own way.”

“Most heroes named Link, most princesses named Zelda.” At least, from what he’d met.

“Most?” Arrow repeated.

Princess Hilda of Lorule.

“Princess Styla of Hytopia.”

No familiarity from either of them- at her name, or the kingdom.

“Have you ever been?” He asked.

Arrow shook his head.

“Never heard of it.” Pink confirmed.

Yet.

“There’s a prophecy there. In Hytopia’s time of need, three heroes appear.”

Both of his companions stopped still.

“The Totem Heroes. There’s been at least twice they arrived to aid Hytopia. The last time... We were all named Link.”

“You think Hytopia needs help again.” Pink frowned.

“That could explain the spell that brought us together.” Arrow nodded, but his brows remained furrowed.

Why?

“But?” He asked.

“I just want to be careful if its something worse.” The other shrugged.

Fair enough.

“Through time, though? You’ve been to Hytopia before, with other Totem Heroes?” Pink asked, then continued without waiting for an answer. “If the spell was to summon us, why not those originally with you? Reaching through time is some of the most powerful magic, you’d need something divine.”

Of course, he spoke from experience.

That had bothered Link too- if the heroes had been summoned again, why not Blue and Red with him?

Of course, something could have happened to them, but-

No. He wouldn’t let himself think like that, not without evidence.

“You want to keep on to Labrynna.” Arrow looked between them.

Pink didn’t answer for a while, or meet Link’s eyes. “I want to keep trying to. If we’re meant to end up in Hytopia, we’ll get there. Whoever or whatever brought us here will eventually reveal itself if we continue on. Nayru’s Oracle is just our best option to speeding that up. Besides,” he heaved a sigh, “You aren’t anymore sure of the way to Hytopia than I am Labrynna, are you?”

... No. No, he wasn’t.

“Then we’ll keep on going.” Pink decided, and the others followed.

They continued on. The trees thinned and thickened and thinned again as the sun descended through the sky.

Arrow cast nervous looks above and around them, and Link knew he and Pink weren’t doing much better.

They should look for shelter soon. Rations too.

The trees opened up on a cliffside lit by the red of the day’s last rays.

Any thoughts of shelter or food up here were forgotten when all three saw the body laying by the cliffside.

In a heartbeat, all three were running to the stranger’s side.

A knight, wearing chainmail under a green tunic, with hair almost as pale as his skin pasted to his face with sweat and what Link hoped was dirt instead of blood. He was wrapped in a torn red scarf, and a pale blue sword lay over his chest.

There was something familiar about that, but Link couldn’t think about that now.

“Do either of you have fairies or potions?” Pink asked.

“Fairies?” Arrow repeated, but Link was already pulling out a blue potion.

It went down easy, and the knight’s slow breath began to get faster. Raspy, but more even.

“I can try a life spell.” Arrow offered, hands beginning to glow as they hovered over the knight’s chest.

“Do it. I have some heart rings.” Pink pulled a red ring from his finger, and then dug a gold one from his knapsack. They slid onto bony fingers too easily, Link thought.

But after the light faded from Arrow’s hand, they sat back to watch.

The knight’s fingers twitched, patting towards his sword’s hilt. He squinted his eyes closed tightly.

“'Ylia?” His voice was even raspier than his breath.

“Calatian, actually.” Arrow murmured, brushing the scraggly bangs from his face.

The knight opened his eyes, squinting. “Or ville?”

Arrow shook his head. “Sorry. I don’t know who that is. Can you tell us your name?”

The knight blinked once, twice.

Link took that as a no.

“Link.”

What?

With that last word, the knight’s eyes closed again, and stayed that way.

Asleep.

“Neither of you know him?” Pink looked between them and got twin ‘nos’ with shakes of head. “So his name is probably Link too then.”

Oh.

Well, that complicated things.

[pockets-rackle]

How Arrow met the Twin Heroes of Sages:

Link set the rupee in the wood, wrapping the soaked thread around it with hands that were a few years out of practice.

He hadn't had to do this in so long.

When he'd first truly ventured out into Hyrule, there were no good metal arrowheads that would actually pierce the monsters he'd faced. Stone ones had worn away, and sharpening the wood wasn't enough for anything worse than a bot.

Rupees, though, were hard crystals and cut with two sharp points. He'd felt a certain power and weight to them, and when he'd tried- they flew true and strong from his bow.

The blue that glinted on the shaft was the same color as the rupee that had torn through Ganon's neck.

He'd been going to pick up arrowheads from the smithy when the spell hit him.

Lucky habit meant he had his sword and shield along with his bow, but little else.

He still wasn't sure who cast it, or where he was now- but he was going to be as armed as possible.

Besides, these woods were teaming with life, and it was easier to hunt with an arrow than his sword.

A sound pricked his ears, and he tensed when it didn't carry on like the wind when rustling leaves. A pattern of crunches and pats. Footsteps, more than one pair.

Link darted to the nearest tree, holding his breath as he notched the arrow he just finished.

The footsteps came closer, and with them, voices.

"- make sense."

"Of course it doesn't. I'm telling you, we're from different worlds. Parallel maybe, or reversed since that's our history."

"Different worlds? I'm still not convinced I'm not dreaming."

The voices sounded young- like his- and Link told himself to mostly relax. Eyes of Ganon didn't act like humans when alone together, surely? Unless they knew he was there, and this was an act to lower his guard after the spell brought him here.

Carefully, he leaned around to try and catch a glimpse through the trees.

It took him a moment, since they were both wearing green and brown.

But one had a shock of pink hair under his cap, like a tulip. The other was green.

They looked similar to each other, and Hylian. Family members, perhaps?

Golden swords glittered on their backs- one with a purple hilt, the other green.

"Wouldn't it be easier if we were?" The green haired, purple hilt one sighed.

The pink haired, green hilt one didn't answer, just glared.

"Look, I'm sorry this doesn't make sense." Greeny said, stopping his steps. "But I do think it's cool that I get to meet you, you know, to figure it out?"

... so definitely not family then. Link's brows furrowed.

The Triforce of Wisdom offered no clue to the answer. It never did, when he actually needed it.

Pinky paused, then looked down. "Yeah. You too."

It was quiet, and very awkward, for a few more minutes. Link considered just stepping out to cut the tension, but then it abated as Greeny stepped up to pat Pinky's shoulder. "Might as well keep going. You said North East, aye?"

"Aye." Pinky agreed.

What was North East? The North Castle was in Western Hyrule, but Link isn't know where he was in relation to that.

Especially not with their words about dreams and worlds.

They continued to walk, and Link inched around the tree to keep it between them but-

Pinky stiffened and reached for his sword the same moment Greeny did.

Link's fingers tightened on his bow, and he took a step back, raising it in front of him. He couldn't aim at both, but maybe one shot would give him time to arm himself with his own blade and shield before they charged.

It would depend on where he aimed.

"Who are you?" He asked, at the same time they both did.

"Oh." Greeny blinked, then glanced to his fellow, who shrugged.

This close, he could feel magic clinging to them.

More on Pinky, with the glittering rings decorating his hands and something tucked into his tunic, but it flickered faintly over Greeny's clothes as well.

"Who are you?" Link repeated.

"Link." Pinky said, and Link stiffened. Of course he'd been recognized, he was always recognized-

"And my name is Link too. I'm guessing that's yours as well?" Greeny asked.

... What?

"My name is Link, I'm from Hyrule, I got hit with a spell and dropped here," Greeny waved a hand to the trees, "And met him, who said the same."

"Really, a third Link?" Pinky asked, skeptical.

"Not the first time." Greeny said, then looked back at Link. "Wait, is that a rupee?"

"Huh?" Pinky followed his gaze to the arrow, eyes going wide.

"It is!" Greeny began to laugh. "Oh, Ravio would get a kick out of that!"

Link felt his hackles raise. "You can't have it, if that's what you're after."

Though, if he was honest, usually people were after him for much worse than his money. And he was outnumbered here, so if that's all they really wanted, well...

"We're not thieves." Pinky said, annoyance and something else dripping into his words. "We're heroes of Hyrule. Are you?"

Yes. He was, and with the thought, the Triforce of Courage hummed.

Something resonated in the other two, and he looked down at their hands. Greeny wrote gloves, but Pinky-

A faint Triforce symbol etched into his hand, one corner shimmering when he moved.

He pressed his magic closer to theirs, and realized under the enchanted ware they had was something else.

They'd touched the Triforce- or been touched by it.

"Yes." Link lowered his bow. "I'm Link."

Heir to the Throne of Hyrule.

The Protector of the Triforce.

The one who's brought Ganon's death- and possibly, again, his life.

Son of Calatia.

"Hero of the Princesses of Hyrule. You're heroes as well but-" wait "-are one of you the hero of legend?"

They exchanged looks.

Pinky asked "That depends- what did your legends say that hero did?"

How strange, to not have someone know.

"You know, the one who defeated Ganon and his powerful wizard, saved the kidnapped Princess and sages, held the full Triforce and used it to heal a broken world, saving all of Hyrule and then going on out to another kingdom to save them too?"

They both closed their eyes, and pointed at the other.

"That's him."

[pockets-rackle]

The Triforce Rackle

(Leon the Hylander, Harper of Skyloft, and Sprig of the Kokiri)

(Lonson of Ordon, Arti of Adoba, Cap'n Link, and Abbas of the Gerudo)

(The Twin Heroes of the Sages: Pink and Green, and Arrow of Calatia)

*the final Link sleeps yet in a hidden shrine.