#have to admit i kinda hope twilight sparkle wins in the end though

[shoechoe]

i don't really care much about all the character polls going on but it is very funny that DIO is losing on round 1* to Marceline on the bi/pan monarch tournament. he deserves it make him lose

EDIT: i checked again it is actually round 2. i can't read apparently. still though he should lose

[xiao8-bb]

Man, I Feel Like A

A Linked Universe fic

At what point is it considered appropriate to tell your travelling companions you’re actually a man, and at what point are you supposed to take the secret to your grave?

Wild himself would admit he makes a pretty good shieldsister, if it weren't for the fact he's not even a woman half the time.

Chapter 1: First Meetings [posted on ao3 here]

Hylia help them, they almost got skewered onto spears where the portal spat them out.

Hyrule is quick to hold up his hands in a gesture of peace, feeling crosseyed trying to focus on the gleaming metal just centimeters away from his nose.  The woman on the other end of the weapon sneers.  “Voe!  How dare you invade our town!”

Voe?  It’s a foreign word.  He darts his gaze around, taking in the training dummies lined up, the weapons in racks and in every woman’s hands, and, well, the crowd of armed women that look ready to kill for whatever offense their group have inflicted in the single minute they’ve had since being dropped three meters down a rock wall.  This looks more like a military barrack than a town.

To his side, Time tries appeasement.  “We apologize for the fuss, we did not intend to disturb your town.  We were ambushed by monsters when a portal opened up and brought us here.”  He was the one to crowd the group back, keeping them from immediately fighting back when the guards cried out with alarm at their unexpected appearance.  

“Gerudo,” he had hissed out between clenched teeth.  “Stand down and we should be fine, but stay on your guards.”

It was a good call; guard after guard flooded into the area they had dropped down into, and they were surrounded almost immediately.  It would’ve been a brutal fight, not one they were likely to win.

One of them, it’s impossible to tell who, jeers.  “Unfortunate for you voe, then.”  

“We will escort you out,” another says.  Her grip on her sword is less aggressive than before, but a pass of her glare is enough to warn them not to try anything.  “Follow me, and do not touch or bother any of the civilians, or your safety will not be ensured.”

“Wait.”

The crowd around them shifts, slowly breaking away, and yet another woman steps through.  Like all the others, she towers above them all, but her presence manages to be even more intimidating than the rest.  “Portal, you say?  You were teleported here?”

Legend scoffs, loud enough that Hyrule can’t help but look to the sky and pray that he’s not going to piss off the locals and get them killed.  “Did you miss the big swirling void that let us bounce down the rock wall?”  He yelps when a hilt jabs his back.

“Don’t speak to the captain that way!”

The captain, as she seems to be, only narrows her eyes at them.  “It would do you well to watch your tone.  Khali, Leena, escort them out to the shrine with me.  Kanom, go summon Link.  I believe they may be of interest to her.”

Link?

His wide eyes catch on everyone else’s, flickers of surprise and excitement crossing their faces.  Was this a new land?  He’d thought it was Time’s, given that he knew the people, but the name is strikingly consistent.  Would the hero really be so easy to find?

“Who’s Link?” Wind pipes up.  His young age works in his favor—none of the women seem as hostile to him as the others.  “What’s he- uh, she gonna do with us?”

Two warriors nudge them into walking, the captain leading the way.  “She is a gentle soul, so you have nothing to fear, little one,” one says, sounding more relaxed now that their group is on their way out.  “She’s been tracking down the portals, so she will likely ask you questions and send you on your way.”

The other guard snorts, a faint giggle rising from the end.  “Bah, send them on their way?  She’s too sweet for that.  Little Hylian vai will probably insist on helping them get to the bazaar or the stables herself.”

“Quiet, you two,” the captain snaps, and both fall silent.  Her eyes are cutting as she glances back at the group.  “Link is a kind vai, yes, but do not be mistaken.  If she finds any of you a danger to herself or others, she will cut you down with no hesitation.  Step wisely.”

They’re led out through an out-of-way path, only a few non-armed Gerudo catching sight of them.  The moment they’re out of the town walls, the sun seems to take that as permission to beat down harder.  Sand shifts under Hyrule’s feet, and he can’t help but look around in wonder.  Desert as far as he can see, storms of it whipping in the distance.  He walks along in a daze, twisting his head and nearly knocking into poor Twilight as he surveys the land.  The older man looks like he might soon keel over in the heat, covered as he is.

He’s not the only one looking around.  There’s something about this place that speaks of its vastness.  Even Legend and Time, seasoned adventurers they are, seem disconcerted at how never-ending the desert seems to be.  That settles whether it’s Time’s Hyrule or not, then.  A new land, a new Link.

They turn around a corner of the wall and stop.  “Over there,” the captain says as she points to a strange stone structure.  It’s tall, engraved with strange blue markings that glow even under the afternoon sun.  Swirls and disjointed lines, a strange eye framed by a few more flourishes.  Under the eye, an alcove sits, another circle glowing in the floor as if a small mirror to the platform that leads to its entrance.

“That’s the… shrine, you called it?” Warriors asks.  It certainly doesn’t look like a place of worship, but the religion could be different here for all they know.  All he gets in reply is an indifferent hum.

For what it’s worth, the shrine provides blessed shade, and Hyrule doesn’t hesitate to duck inside, though he avoids getting too close to any of the glowing circles in the floor.  Twilight and Legend do the same, and one by one the others sigh and stretch and sit where the sun can’t burn.

Without further ado, the captain says, “Link should arrive sooner than later, and it would most likely be in your best interests to stay until she does.  Perhaps she can keep you from stumbling into another portal.”  She spares them one last look, sharply assessing, and adds, “And for the child’s sake, do not try to traverse the desert.  Not until late afternoon when it’s cooled down, at least.”

And with that, the Gerudo leave.

As soon as they’re out of earshot, Four asks, “So we’re in a new Hyrule, right?  Unless anyone here can claim it?”

One by one, each deny the possibility.  “Another hero, then,” Sky murmurs, something regretful under his breath.  He was the most haunted as their band grew, and though they’ve reassured him that the cycle is in no way his fault, he still seems to ache at every new iteration, every sliver of adventure’s lore revealed.  “Did you hear the guards?  They said she, so…?”

“A heroine!” Wind cheers.  He’s sitting on the edge of the platform, curiously sifting the sand through his fingers.  He looks up and grins at them as he speaks.  “Aryll’s gonna be happy, she’s always wanted a big sister.  Oh!”  His eyes sparkle at a thought.  “Do you think she’s gonna be younger than me?  Another little sister!  I don’t know about you guys, but I need someone to dote on, it’s kinda weird without someone younger around.”

Warriors snorts gently.  “I don’t think my heart can take it if we get someone even younger than you, squirt.  Yes,” he says before Wind can protest, “you are an experienced adventurer and all, but the fact that you had to be isn’t great.  I would hate to think of someone even younger.”  

Hyrule thinks he looks to Time for a second, but he’s back to smiling at Wind before Hyrule can be sure.

It drops to a comfortable quiet after that while they wait for Link to show up.  Not completely silent, though.  Twilight and Sky rib at Time to remove his armor “before you get heatstroke, which you will definitely get” while they themselves shed layers.  Wind and Four discuss how beach sand and desert sand are different.  The sun doesn’t let up, hazily drifting down the sky a few degrees at most.  Hyrule lets his eyes unfocus, staring at the mirages that float along the horizon.

Legend sits up from where he leans against cool stone.  “Is that her?”

There, at the town entrance.  A Hylian dressed in the same garb as the Gerudo talks to two guards, hands gesturing and pointing to the shrine.  She raises a hand to shield her eyes as she peers at them, and Wind waves widely when he notices.  Link waves back, a little less enthusiastic but still clearly.  After a farewell to the guards, she makes her way over to them.

Suddenly, Hyrule feels nerves eat at his fingertips, a buzz under his skin.  Yet another hero to get used to being around.  Will they get along?  Will she tip the scale from the group being tolerable to overwhelming in their presence?

Someone bumps into his shoulder—Legend makes a show of not looking directly at him, eyes fixed upon the approaching figure.  “Loosen up,” he says quietly, still not looking at Hyrule.  “It’ll be fine, we’ll figure it out as we go along.”

It’s too late to dip further into anxious thoughts.  Link crests a sand dune and becomes clear to the sight for the first time.

Pretty, Hyrule thinks.  Scarred, he thinks next.

They’re everywhere, disfigured skin all around her left side, crawling up her shoulder and neck and even past the veil that covers her face and into her hairline.  Burns linger on this woman harsher than they could exist on anyone living, and countless other scars litter the remaining skin.  Sword slashes, spear stabs, even what looks to be lightning ferns.  

But she’s undeniably pretty.  Beautiful, even.  Her eyes are a dazzling blue even from afar, and she moves with a grace only royalty could hope to emulate.  Long hair swings in time with her strides.  Despite the battles written in her skin, she walks with a confidence born out of having survived all of them.

“Sav’aaq!” she calls out.  “I’m told you lot got dumped out of a strange portal?”

-

Well, she’s definitely older than Wind, but she is definitely going to be a cool person to adventure with.  The sword strapped to her back is probably bigger than he is, and she stands before them with her hip cocked out just like how Tetra does.  It’s a strong pose, confident and with a hint of swagger. 

Wind loves it.  She looks like she has a million wild stories to tell.

“Sav’aaq!” he greets back, fumbling the word a little.  Only a little, though!  The way her eyes curl into a smile tells him he didn’t do too badly.  “That’s hello, right?  Are you Link?  The captain said you’d wanna talk to us!”

He slips out from between Twilight and Four to grin more directly at her, unable to help his excitement.  She’s Link, one of them; he can feel it in his heart.  The same feeling of familiarity and recognition and right that he’s felt with all the other heroes.

This close, she doesn’t look that much older than him.  Maybe a few years at best.

“It means ‘good day’, yeah.  And yes, I’m Link.”  She walks right up to the platform, uncaring of the blue glow under her shoes.  There’s a terseness in the line of her shoulders, but she holds herself otherwise loose, casual.  “So—portal?”

This is where Time steps up, exchanging glances with Twilight and Warriors.  Wind allows himself to be pulled a bit further back into the shade while they decide: do they come clean immediately?  Do they play along with what Link is after?

Wind’s seen this debate a handful of times.  They usually make a good enough judgement, so he’s content to follow their lead for the time being.

Warriors is the one to speak.  “Yes, a dark portal, big enough to swallow us all.  We fell into it, and it took us from where we were to, well, the middle of this town.”  His tone shifts to wry.  “I take it men aren’t welcomed here, miss?”

Link hums.  “No, voe are not allowed to enter Gerudo Town.  Though it’s strange…”

She takes another step towards them, gaze intent as she studies them one by one.  Beside him, Hyrule takes a step back, uncertainty tightening his eyes.  Sky shifts uneasily.  Four’s breathing purposefully evens out.  Even Legend tenses up.  Despite not doing anything threatening, something in her stance has shifted to scream danger!, and Wind swallows with an abruptly dry throat.

“What is strange?” Time prods.  His stance also changes, from unassuming and relaxed to on guard.  The other two also hold themselves differently, like subconsciously they’re all preparing for a fight.

Suddenly, Wind realizes she’s cornered them in the shrine.

“These portals have only ever released monsters, you see.”  Her voice drops quieter and quieter, but the steel underneath is almost visible.  “Then how is it your group gets dropped out of one?  Hylian travelers, unlucky enough to fall into a portal rather than being ambushed by monsters from one?

“...Unless you aren’t truly Hylian travelers?”

“Wait!” Four blurts out, but it’s too late.  Only Time’s battle-ingrained reflexes keep him from being cut, his own sword drawn just fast enough to block her blade.  “This is a misunderstanding!”

Quick as lightning, Link raises her shield to block a strike from Warriors, taking the opportunity to parry back and swipe at his knees.  Warriors swears and jumps back, nearly bashing his head into the wall behind.  

“Wait!”

Metal rings out against metal as Sky meets her next strike, the glow of the Master Sword ghostly across his face.  “Please, hear us out!”

“...!”  Link backflips once away, dodging a grab from Twilight.  “That’s…!”

Sky waits, but after a few moments, he lowers his arm.  She’s staring at the sword in disbelief, incredulity obvious even in the way her ears stick up.  “I take it you recognize her?” he asks, not quite daring to fully lower his guard.  They’re all frozen in a tableau of wariness, all aware of the danger she could pose to them before they can convince her of the situation.

Her gaze travels up from the blade up to him, and even though Wind isn’t at the end of her glare he feels its feral intensity.  “Why,” she asks—no, demands, “do you have that?”

“It’s a long story, if you’d just let us explain—”

“I restored the sword to its resting place,” Link says, low and fierce.  “Calamity Ganon is dead.  What kind of trickery is this?  Are you the ones responsible for the monsters?”

Wind brightens in spite of himself.  That’s as good as confirmation she’s wielded the sword before.  His hunch was right.  If only they can get her to trust them…!

“Take the sword and she’ll tell you!” Sky insists.  “This isn’t a trap.  We mean you no harm, really.  Please, we are heroes just like you.”

“Is giving the woman who just tried to kill us your sword a good idea?”  Wind elbows Legend harshly.  “What!  It’s a valid concern!”

To be fair, Wind hasn’t lowered his weapon either.  They’d all jumped into action the moment she did.  Fellow hero or not, reflexes are a life-saving thing.  It’s with wary stances that they watch Sky flip the Master Sword, offering it hilt first to Link.  A moment passes, two, and Link’s sword swings back up to be sheathed on her back.

When her hand grips the Master Sword, its glow paints her scars in lurid blue.

“...Otherworldly travelers?”

Wind lets out a breath he didn’t know he was even holding.  “I dunno, it kinda sounds like we’re aliens when you say it like that.  We’ve figured out we’re coming from different parts of different timelines, though!”

Link huffs out a laugh, hostility sliding off her frame.  She hands back the Master Sword to Sky and takes a step back to survey their group once more.

“My apologies for the rough start,” she says, dipping her head in a bow.  “It’s been more and more dangerous around here lately.  Portals are popping up everywhere and spitting out strange monsters.  Did you hit the wall?”  She directs this last part to Warriors, who smiles charmingly, if not a tad warily.  Bleck.

“Not to worry, miss.  It’ll take more than a stumble to take me down!”  Gross.  Grossssssss.  Wind forgoes holding up his sword to cover his face and groan.

“Do you have to flirt with every person you meet?” he complains.

“Why you little—!  It’s called natural charisma and being polite!”  Warriors catches him in a headlock and starts scrubbing at his scalp, much to his horror.  “I’m not going to flirt with someone who’s essentially me!”

With that, the tension breaks.  Hyrule laughs at the fuss and even louder when Legend says, faux-casual, “That doesn’t exclude everyone else you flirt with, captain.”  Wind twists and squirms to throw Warriors off, bolstered by the laughter of his friends and of the newest hero to join their group.

Link, for her part, relaxes considerably.  She speaks quietly with Time and Twilight while the rest shake off their little adrenaline high, then addresses the group as a whole once they quiet down.  “There’s an inn at the bazaar near here where voe are allowed to enter.  Just don’t cause any trouble and you should be fine.  If we leave now, the sun shouldn’t be too hot to bear and we should arrive before it gets cold.”

The path is long and winding, sand getting in boots and under clothes.  Wind finds himself near the front of the group, pelting Link with questions that she seems amused to entertain.  She smiles, at least, so he’s taking that as a win.  What’s a voe?  It’s the Gerudo word for male, with vai as female.  How far is the trek to the bazaar?  A couple hours, maybe even three or four if there were enemies in the way.  What are those round plants that grew in random spots?  Hydromelons, and she picks up all the ones in their path and magicks them away with a tap of a slab on her waist and a wink, much to his awe.  How does she not get sunburned in that outfit?  She leans close, showing him the magic interwoven into the fabric.

Finally, a large rock spire becomes visible in the distance, draped in flags and with lanterns hung up.  “Just about another half hour,” Link says.  She doesn’t seem at all tired by the long walk.  “Once we’re there, I’ll get you boys some dinner and you can fill me in on the details of your quest while we eat?”

“Sounds good,” Twilight says, obviously relieved.  Poor poor rancher; even with the sun beginning to lower, he still looks the most bedraggled by the desert.  Sand has stuck into his pelt til it looks more tan than grey.  “Your Hyrule uses rupees too, right?”

Link waves him off without even turning to look.  “Dinner’s on me, let me call it even for trying to behead you all before now.”  Wind turns to exchange wide eyes with Four—behead?—but his are a lot more eager than Four’s look.  Link is totally going to be his older sister.  She’s already like a pirate, except she’s one of a sea of sand rather than water.

The sand gives way to steady rock.  Time sighs in relief, and Wind can’t help but turn around to give a cheeky little “That’s what you get for wearing such heavy armor!” and prancing away from a half-hearted swipe.  He and the smaller heroes probably had the easiest time of it, those more heavily clad sinking into the sand.

With the evening chill sweeping in, they’re quick to weave their way past stalls and lighting torches to enter a building carved in the spire they had seen earlier.  A general store sits in front, the shopkeeper barely flicking her eyes up at them before waving them further inside.  “Sav’saaba,” Link greets.  “Do you have room for…”  She takes a moment to count them all.  “Nine guests?”

The innkeeper stares at the large group for a moment before sighing.  “You’re lucky today’s caravan is camping outside,” she says.  “180 for regular beds, 360 for soft beds.  If you want dinner too, it’s double for regular and 540 for soft beds.”

“Regular beds, no dinner.  I can use the cooking counter inside, right?”  At the innkeeper’s nod, she taps the slab at her waist and pays with a handful of rupees that materialize in her other hand, ignoring the heroes’ protests.  “Pay me back later if you’re so hung up over it,” she says, firmly herding them over to the inn’s baths.

“So, not the little sister you hoped for, huh?” Four teases, sinking into the bathwater.  The baths are big enough that a few can go in at once, and they’re all tired enough to forego the usual turns.  The warm water feels nice against muscles aching after an eventful day, and Wind blows a few bubbles under the surface.  The only thing nicer than this is the hot springs Twilight brought them to a few portals ago.  “Guess she’s pretty nice.”

“You seem taken in by her,” Warriors adds, sliding in to join them.  He rolls his shoulders and sighs as he settles in, tipping his head back.  His eyes close even as he continues talking.  “Shouldn’t get on my case of having manners when you’re trailing after her like a puppy—HEY.”

Wind ducks back under the water to avoid the revenge splash.  Being wet by choice is infinitely better than being wet by attack.

“It’s not my fault she’s cool and you’re lame,” he proclaims once he comes back up.  “Besides, no one was really talking to her much, you can’t blame me for wanting to not be a stranger.  We’re supposed to be companions!  Traveling together across time and space!”

Four frowns at that.  “Mm… yeah, I kinda hung back today.  I wanted to get a better feel for her, I guess, but you’re right.  We’re stuck with each other anyway.  ’ll try to engage her more later then.”  

A banging against the bathroom door startles them all.  “Hurry up!” Twilight calls out.  “Dinner’s going to be ready soon!”

They get out and dressed awfully quick after that.

-

Link didn’t leave the house expecting to feed a small horde of heroes, but he’ll make do.  It’s lucky that he’s a bit of a hoarder; he might’ve gone overboard with the proportions, but travellers are always hungry, young warriors even more so.  “Give it 15, 20 more minutes to simmer,” he tells one of them (Cloud?  Sun?  Something to do with sky, he thinks) and goes to take his own bath.

Once he’s clean and in the water, he slumps, letting out a long groan.  Idiot.  He’s an absolute idiot.  Tried to kill his ancestors, past incarnations, however this hero spirit thing worked—who does that other than idiots?

At least it’s not unusual, he reminds himself.  The wolf pelt guy said Lore (Myth?  He really should remember actual names instead of vaguely remembering concepts) had also tried stabbing their group the first meeting, so Link’s not alone in this.

Oh goddesses.  Is he gonna have to get a weird nickname now?  Mushroom the Hylian champion? Century-old Failure?  Ser Shrine Dude?

The old tunic and leggings he slips on look decent enough.  Kachuu doesn’t spare him a glance, already used to the apparent presentation change.  “Oh, it’s you!” the smallest one exclaims mutedly at the sight of him.  His name’s a number or something, but Link has just been calling him Colors for his odd tunic.  “Sorry, miss, thought you were another traveller.”

Link pauses.  “Miss,” still?  That’s new; usually people stopped using feminine words for him once they saw him out of traditional women’s clothing.  Maybe he’s being considerate, not wanting Link to be seen as some sort of perverted imposter where they may be overheard.   

(Oh, how he’ll come to regret that moment.  Would’ve spared him a whole lot of trouble if he’d just corrected Four in the first place.)

“No need for ‘miss’, Link is fine,” is all he says, before he frowns.  “Ah.  This is where I get a nickname of some sort, isn’t it…”

The one watching the soup laughs.  Cloud or whatever, though Sun certainly seems like it’ll fit better with the easy way he smiles.  “No need to look so apprehensive!  It’s just taken from your hero name.  If you don’t already know yours, we can ask the sword.”

“We can settle that later,” Thyme (Time?  It’s one or the other) cuts in.  “Let’s eat before the soup burns.”

Much to Link’s delight, the creamy heart soup is a smash hit.  There’s excited chatter as they all dig in, more than a few compliments thrown his way.  It’s only because he ladled the portions ahead of time that he has enough to share with Kachuu and Shaillu.

“None of us are really good at cooking,” Hyrule (he remembers this one, because it’s pretty hard to mess up the name of the kingdom) says to him.  “We can get by, but, uh, well…”

“Hyrule’s the worst of us,” Four (Link got a proper introduction a few minutes ago) tells with a conspiratorial smile.  Hyrule’s ears turn red as he laughs guiltily.  “He could probably burn water if he tried.”

Lore-or-maybe-Myth scoffs.  “Bold words from someone who fed us all burnt rocks last week.”

“Hey!  I was distracted by the frogs you let Wind put in my bedroll!”

Hylia, may She ever watch over him, has sent Link comedians as ancestral spirits.  He can’t help but giggle at the thought of serious-looking Four burning dinner because he was too busy trying to catch frogs from his pack.

Dinner goes mostly along those lines, a few heroes talking to him at a time.  After he accidentally referred to Sky as Cloud, they’d all taken the chance to introduce themselves to him properly.  Wind is probably his favorite, first to reach out and eager to laugh.  He just about begs Link for a story, which soon is to Twilight’s consternation.

“How do you set a bear on fire and think riding it is a good idea?” he keeps asking.  Maybe this is a sign Link will fit right in, the funnyman to Twilight’s straightman in this comedy act.  The story was rocky to get out at first, mostly because Wind didn’t know what a bear was, but it’s fun seeing the boy light up with excitement.

It’s only after cleaning up that Sky approaches him again with intent in his expression, Master Sword in hand.  Shaillu had left ages ago, and Kachuu bid them goodnight as she retired for the night, entrusting Link to keep any damage away from the inn.  He keeps his tone soft, but there’s something welcoming in his direct gaze.  “I believe you may have some questions?”

Many.  He didn’t bother asking when they were on the road, travellers walking past at any given moment, but it’s quiet and secluded in the inn.  Most are content to camp outside where setting up shop is easiest, and Link knows after having spent many nights here that none of the Gerudo here are the type to pry.  First one: “Who is the spirit of the sword?”

That’s how the rest of the night goes.  Link learns of Fi, listens to the heroes’ retelling of their joined adventure thus far, laughs at the easy banter and jibbing made when dark memories become too heavy.  The longer he sits there, the more comfortable he feels.  

The Master Sword—Fi—she had spoken only the bare minimum, just enough for a frantic Link to calm down and extend some trust.  Incarnations of the same spirit, she’d said.  Comrades pulled from other worlds, lands past, by Hylia’s hand.  Have faith, champion.  

Something in his heart had tugged at him to believe her, but this… It’s almost unsettling how easily he falls in with them.  Already they feel like fast friends, a few still a little reserved but all quick to allow him into their circle.

“So,” Four says, drawing Link’s attention out of his thoughts.  He blinks and finds eight pairs of eyes on him.  “Do you know your hero title?”

At least he doesn’t have to go by Mushroom.  The alternative isn’t much better, though.  “I’m not sure, but the Sheikah monks called me the Hylian Champion.”

“‘Hyrule’ is already taken,” Legend muses.  “Champion?”

It’s a word commonly applied to him, but Link’s nose wrinkles all the same.  Champion, like Mipha, Daruk, Revali, Urbosa—no, it doesn’t sit well with him.  He may have been one, but it is a title of an age long dead.  There are few who refer to him as the Champion still, and they’re all old guard.  Anyone else who tries gets a gentle correction: he isn’t the champion, not any longer.  Just a traveller, or Zelda’s knight if the situation calls for it.

His distaste isn’t subtle enough to go unnoticed, but thankfully no one asks.  “I can ask Fi, just to check, and you can decide a different name if you want,” Sky reassures, sending him a rueful grin.  “I got called Chosen Hero, and I didn’t like it at all.  I was about to cry in relief when the others settled on Sky for me.”

“Chosen Hero!” repeats Link in disbelief.  “That’s a heavy title you bear.  Sky fits you much better, I’m glad.”

“The same goes for Hylian Champion.”  Hyrule speaks softly, as if to himself, and he flushes when the others turn to look at him.  “You seem more lively than where the burdens of a kingdom lie, is all.”

“Yeah!” Wind pipes up, saving him from the sudden attention.  He winks at Hyrule, and Link can’t help but feel endeared at the obvious care they hold for each other.  “Man, when we get back to my world, Tetra’s gonna love you!  She’s always a sucker for good stories, and you act them out and everything.  I’m pretty sure you’re older too, and she and Aryll wanted an older sister so it’ll be great!”

Older sister.  A nagging suspicion begins to bloom, but before he can even begin to consider examining it, Sky interrupts.

“Got it!”  He looks so pleased Link immediately forgets his thoughts.  “Hero of the Wild.  Wild, then.  Does that work for you?”

Wild.  Link rolls the name on his tongue.  Wild rolls the name on his tongue and nods.  Grins at the faces grinning right back.

It fits perfectly.

[chapter 2 - tumblr - ao3]