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freezingwhitefire · 21 days ago

Text

Okay long story here, it's around 13,000 words so under a read more.

Whumptober Day 27, the full version

Time has a bad time dealing with Repressed Memories and the boys all do what they can to help him out.

Warnings; Repressed Memories, PTSD, Eaten Alive (Dead Hand and Skullfish), Electrocution, Nausea, Being Chained and Gagged.

They were exploring an old abandoned building, some sort of laboratory from what Wild could tell. Time silently agreed with their cook since he’d seen enough labs to recognize one right off. It was just a typical day really… until he entered a room and saw it.

It was a small room, square, and empty… well almost empty. There was a chain and manacles in the middle of the room. The chain was secured to the ground, solidly secure there since the chain appeared to have been secured before the stones for the floor had been laid, and yet it caught Time’s eyes and attention in a way nothing else had all day. Not even the colored vials on the wall just inside the door of the first room had caught his attention so completely.

Something about it made his breath catch, it left him feeling like he needed to turn and run. Time clenched his hands. He was safe. Warriors was just behind him, Twilight was down the hall talking with Wild and Legend. Sky was outside having claimed that the place felt a bit too closed in for his tastes and Four was outside with him. Wind was… running past him to look around the room. The smaller hero stopped next to the chain and looked around the room.

“Hey, Wars, what do you think this was used for?”

Torture. Time kept that thought to himself while wondering where it came from. He hadn’t been tortured like this that he remembered. Still he felt his hands starting to shake a little and he turned so he could see Warriors and Wind both. It felt necessary, like something awful would happen if he couldn’t see them both, especially Wind since he was checking the manacles more closely.

“In a lab like this it is probably for experiments. You know, to keep someone from hurting others if they react badly to something.”

“Oh! So if they react badly to a cure or something?”

“Yeah, the room was probably set up so they would be more comfortable once but it’s gone now.”

Wind nodded and raced past Time again, grabbing Warriors’ hand as he went. Time quickly followed them out of the room, uneasy at the thought of being inside it alone… uneasy at the thought of being there with the chain and the door closed. His hands were shaking while he followed them down the hallway. Time carefully started to adjust his gauntlets when he noticed Warriors glancing back at him, it was less obvious something was bothering him than if he clenched his hands into fists.

They reached where Hyrule was peering into a large hole in the floor and Time’s breath caught, no not just caught, Time couldn’t breathe. He stared into the darkness of the pit and then he felt it, cold metal around his wrists, something that felt like skin keeping his mouth trapped shut, and hands with sharp nails grabbing at him for a gaping toothy grin to bite and bite and rip out pieces. He saw it, a small room, walls that were filthy and covered in debris of some poor people who had been there previously, chained to the floor and arms rising up from the ground. His hands were shaking and Time couldn’t breathe and hands were grabbing him.

It barely registered before Time jerked away and was staggering back until his back hit the wall. It took him a moment to realize that Warriors was standing between him and the others, that his brother’s hand was stretched towards him and his eyes were filled with worry. Time fought the urge to gasp for breath now that he was no longer caught in the.. whatever that was. Without a word, without anything, he turned and swiftly made his way back down the hall. He passed Twilight without really noticing it and kept going until he reached the door to outside.

The sun nearly blinded him but Time kept going until he reached the edge of the forest they’d left earlier to explore the building. He collapsed to his knees next to the tree and pressed a hand against the bark. It helped a little. The tree whispered to him of a cave nearby, of fairies that liked playing over a pond near the cave. He wanted to go right away, but the others were still exploring.. at least he hoped they were and that he had not ruined their fun by his actions.

Time was about to get up so he could go find Sky or Four when he felt like something was ripping part of his leg away. Nausea rose so suddenly that he dropped forwards to his hands and threw up. There was only one creature that had ever gotten close enough to do that to him but Time couldn’t remember-

Silence.

The room was silent and as he opened an eye slightly it was dark. Across from him the wall was splattered with something dark, it smelled metallic and he knew that it had happened recently. He knew the smell of blood after so long in the Evil King’s care. The next thing he noticed was that his jaw ached which brought his attention to something stiff against his cheeks. He cautiously brought his hand closer to feel it and found straps that he couldn’t reach the back of. The straps kept his jaw shut around some sort of bit that reminded him of the bridles he’d seen at the Ranch.

His head throbbed, likely from whatever they knocked him out with, and his hands were cuffed with a chain that was anchored below him. He checked how long it was with a glance and found it might have gotten him to the edge of the room if his guess of how far away it was happened to be right. The soft sound of something moving through the air reached him, somehow he had missed it earlier but now that he noticed it his eyes were drawn to a long thin arm in front of him. The arm was sickly pale with red splatters on it, the hand at the end of the arm had long nails that were pointed and red, the same dark red that was on the wall.

Slowly he curled up a little, wondering what that was and how it had caused the sort of damage that would cover the wall like it was. He shifted a little, turning his head slightly, and froze when he noticed another arm with a hand behind him, the same distance away as the one in front of him. The room was small, and with how long the arms were he doubted that he would be able to avoid them for long… he doubted that more when he noticed another four arms around him, all of which were the same pale color and swaying. Distantly he wondered if this was some new form of torture that Ganondorf had created, a way to try and force him to stay still and behave.

Shaking that thought away he carefully turned, doing his best to stay in the little area that the hands seemed content to ignore, before trying to get to his feet. It was only then that he realized that the arms were raised from where he had been lying, that was why they hadn’t grabbed him yet. He tried to dodge back as one of the hands swayed closer, the thin arm bending unnaturally, and reached for him. His eyes widened as he felt another hand close around his throat, pulling him back away from the center of the room and lifting him higher. He tried to get free, his hands trying to rise enough to fight the hand closed around his throat away but the chain kept his hands too far away to save him from it.

He tried to scream in terror, to call for help, something, but no words came.

Only a muffled terrified sound came.

He tried harder to reach the hand, to claw it away from him. Suddenly it released him, he was left slightly dazed as he was abruptly released.

Was it over?

Sharp pain rippled from his arm. The terrified sound returned but this one coupled with pain. Twisting he felt the horror he felt at seeing the blood on the walls return, a terror greater than previously. Red wet teeth in a twisted parody of a smile set into a pale deformed face. The stubs of arms ending in sharp points as the deformed bloated body wobbled away from him. He saw more of the sickly pale skin that matched the arms on whatever it was, splattered with more red that mirrored the color of the teeth. He wanted to shift back away from it but memory of the hand behind him came back and Link looked around. His eyes went wide with alarm and terror as he remembered he was surrounded by arms, six of them. He dropped to the ground, backing away from the hand that had grabbed him.

The chain allowed him to try crawling past one arm but he was quickly caught and lifted to his feet once again, the chain stretching out to keep him in place and unable to escape the monster. Another bite, and before he could try escaping from the arm and hand by dropping to the ground once more another one had grabbed hold of him. A scream bubbled up, unbidden and yet a true reflection of his terror as he watched that red stained grin move closer to him, as it bit down and tore away some of his flesh. Somehow he was allowed to collapse on the ground and Link curled up around where the chain was anchored, his arms pulled close to his chest, praying that somehow it was out of reach of the monster and that he’d be allowed to live through this.

A hand grabbed his leg and pulled, dragging him away from his safe spot. He realized that he’d forgotten that the spot in the middle of the floor was only safe if he curled up completely in it. Without thinking he kicked out, using his other foot to try and get free from the monster’s hands. It lifted him up and another bite came before it released him, the bite ripping away a chunk of his leg.

Link was released, collapsing in a heap on the floor and before he could think about crawling back to his spot in the middle of the room another hand lifted him up and Link tried to get the chain binding his hands together up to block the creature’s mouth but it seemed to find the attempt funny since the next bite took a chunk of his shoulder. Another hand grabbed him before he fell and another bite came, on and on it went. Another hand followed by another bite, and finally Link hit the ground curled up and sobbing softly.

Laughter. Familiar dark laughter filled the room and Link was lifted up by his throat.

Looking at the face of the man who imprisoned him Link wanted to fight but could do little more than hang there in his grasp waiting for him to do something, anything.

“Well boy, it seems you met the Dead Hand. A lovely creation of the Royal Family’s, wouldn’t you agree?”

He was turned so he could see the creature, it seemed to cower slightly behind one of the arms as though drawing Ganondorf’s attention was dangerous. Link shuddered, he did not want to get closer to it than he had to. Ganondorf seemed to find his lack of reaction because of the Dead Hand tiring since he waved his hand and the chain holding Link in place detached from the floor. He was carried out of the room, blood dripping down his hands and feet as the bites were jostled by the movement.

They reached another room and he was once again chained to the middle of the room floor. Without warning he was dropped and then lightning hit the ground near him, a couple of sparks hit the chain and Link yelped as the lightning hit him too. He tried to get to his feet but the damage the Dead Hand had caused made that nearly impossible leaving him open to the surges of lightning magic and the occasional burst of fire or ice magic.

“See boy, you should have accepted my offer. We wouldn’t be here if you had agreed to side with me.”

Another blast of lightning, this one accompanied by more pain since Link tried to dodge away from it and tore open his side where the Dead Hand had bitten him. He gave a muffled scream and finally blacked out.

“Time?” someone asked.

A hand gently resting against his back, somewhere near the middle of it.

It couldn’t be the monster… either one of them since they both went for his throat.

“Hey, can you hear me?” The voice came again. A voice he knew… he just needed a moment. A flutter of white cloth brought reality crashing back down around him. Sky. It was Sky asking him if he could hear him.

Time blinked and turned his head towards Sky, realizing that he was still on his hands and knees. He must have been like that since he felt sick. Sky just stayed crouching next to him, blue eyes soft and worried as he studied him. Time slowly nodded and Sky smiled a little while nodding back.

“There we go. What happened?”

He got his answer why he had that thought finding that stupid chain in that room. Time remembered that pain, the bites, the shock of lightning sending his body into spasms of agony as his nerves tried to deal with it and failed which only worsened by fire and ice magic sent far too close and yet not touching him. He opened his mouth to speak but the words were gone. There was nothing he could say to explain, nothing he wanted to say to explain this either. Sky seemed to realize that he wasn’t up to speaking and simply sighed while helping him sit back against the tree.

“I asked Four to go get Twilight when we realized you weren’t moving.”

Why Twilight?

“We thought Wolfie might be able to help.”

Sky brushed his hand against Time’s cheek and Time froze, his breath stopping while he pressed against the tree as hard as he could. Seeing his reaction Sky quickly backed away, his hands held up where Time could see them. Time cursed himself for reacting like that, this was Sky! Sky wouldn’t hurt him.

He closed his eye tightly, his hand moving to his hair and starting to pull when he felt a cool wet nose press against his cheek. The soft puff of air helped pull him out of his thoughts a little and his other hand moved without his guidance to rest in the soft fur while the one in his hair dropped to his lap. He turned his head to rest his forehead against Wolfie’s shoulder… he wanted to thank him or say something, but he still lacked the words. Time drifted a little, simply drinking in the comfort of wolf fur and the warmth of the other being there. He tried to drag himself back from wherever that memory had taken him but he was helpless to do so. Really he just needed this closeness for now.

Something sweet reached him, his eye opened a bit and he leaned back to peer over Wolfie at Wild who had gotten out a pot and set a fire. He must seem pathetic if Wild felt he needed hot chocolate… but he had to admit that he really did need it. Tears were trying to build as he saw the way Wild prepared the biggest mug for him, and the gentle look Wolfie gave him coupled with how he rested his head on Time’s shoulder after pressing his forehead to Time’s… well Wolfie wasn’t going to tell anyone else if Time cried into his fur.

Wolfie nudged him a little later and Time looked up to see Wild holding out the mug for him. He reached for it, hands shaking a little but much steadier than they had been when he’d left that room following Warriors. Wild just smiled as Time took the mug and returned to the fire. He seemed to be thinking about something but Time decided he could handle it himself for now. He took a sip of the drink and sighed, it warmed him a little. He still felt the pain from his side and his leg and his shoulder but for now those pains quieted in favor of the drink.

Sometime later, fourteen minutes and fifteen seconds, a hand gently touched his shoulder. Time looked up to see Hyrule watching him concerned. It was only then that he realized that his hand in Wolfie’s fur was still there, keeping him from moving away… that the others were back from their exploring and they were trying not to watch him but they were clearly focused on him anyway. Quickly he moved his hand from the fur and curled it around the half emptied mug. His hands were tight around it to keep from shaking but he kept his grip loose enough he wouldn’t shatter the mug.

Wolfie pressed his nose gently against Time’s cheek again, a soft reminder that he had been crying, before trotting over to Wild. Time’s throat felt thick, not that it made much difference because he still couldn’t find any words to speak. He attempted to smile at Hyrule, it seemed to work better than his attempts earlier because the younger hero smiled back and nodded before returning to Legend’s side near the fire. Time blinked a bit confused before he noticed that Warriors seemed to want his attention… that reminded him that he would need to talk with his brother and explain his reaction earlier.

“Hey Time, we were thinking about finding somewhere in the forest to rest.”

Time nodded. ‘There is a place close that we can go.’

“How do you know?”

‘The forest told me.’

That seemed good enough for the others and they settled to have a snack, no doubt giving extra time to allow Time to finish the hot chocolate that Wild had made for him. Once he was done it took Time a few extra minutes to get the energy to stand up. WIld appeared next to him shortly after Time managed to get to his feet and took the mug, careful not to brush his fingers against Time’s. Time was grateful because he knew that skin contact was not welcome just yet… it was too close to the memory he’d relived.

He took a quick look over the others and saw that they were gathering their things. Time reached for his pack, mentally going over the path that the forest had whispered to him, and once the others were ready he simply waved for them to follow him. His voice wouldn’t work and it wasn’t even worth trying to speak since it would tell them that more was going on than him simply not speaking to them. The path was easy to follow once they got started along it, a few bushes that had flowers indicated the turning points on the path, and before they knew it they had reached the cave. His eyes caught a glimmer of pink in the forest and he noticed how Hyrule made an excited sound, taking a step in the direction of the fairies but stopped by Legend before he got much further.

They entered the cave and set up camp, Time against a wall and a bit away from the others just in case he had a nightmare about his memory. After something like that it seemed far more likely he would have a nightmare and that if someone touched him the reaction to it would be bad. At least he knew he wouldn’t scream, it wouldn’t happen until his voice came back on its own. He learned that with Malon’s help while recovering from the war.

As Time arranged his things he felt Warriors watching him. Not just Warriors either but all of the others except for Hyrule and Wind who had gone outside to watch the fairies over the nearby pond. Time did his best to ignore it as he removed his armor and weapons. They were camping here for the night and honestly he just wanted to lie down and sleep so that’s what he did. He laid down, tugging his blanket over him, and went to sleep, the emotions and exhaustion both dragged him down into what he hoped would be a dreamless sleep.

The corridor stretched out in front of him, seemingly endless. His heart raced as he ran down it, one hand reached up to feel something around his head. That had to be the gag, he could feel something in his mouth that made his jaw ache. An open doorway passed him and Time glanced inside as he kept going. There was a golden figure with a harp inside, the harp was giving off music which he expected from one so favored by the Goddesses.

He kept going though. Time wasn’t sure what he was running from but he knew he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t go back to the room to warn the musician of the danger and he couldn’t do anything to make the wolf lying across the floor ahead move. Nimbly Time hopped over the wolf and kept going. He had to go, to get away. A quick glance back, wanting to make sure the dog got out of the way, and suddenly he was falling.

His hands shot out to catch him but chains wrapped around his arms, trapping them to his sides, and a hand around his throat caught him. Time twisted, wanting to get free from the hand, but it held fast. Sharp nails pierced his skin as he was lifted up a little, the chains around him pulling tight with the motion. He tried to kick out but the second he did the world was awash with pain as he hit something electric.

Time’s back arched, his mouth opened in a silent scream… or what would have been a scream but his voice still didn’t work. His hands moved to his head, shaking badly, and checked that there was no gag of any sort. Once he was sure that it was just part of the dream, part of the memory, he moved his hands to hide his face. He shook a bit, trying to bury the pain and terror that the dream brought him. It did very little though, his breath hitched as a silent sob tried to make itself known.

A hand landing on his shoulder, the fingers just brushing against his neck, startled him. Time jerked away, scrambling back from whoever it was until his back hit the wall of the cave. He stared wide-eyed for a moment before he recognized the blue scarf around the other’s neck. Warriors was crouching there with his hand outstretched looking at him worriedly. Time wanted to curse since this made twice in a row that he’d flinched away from his brother so severely. Warriors slowly lowered his hand to his lap but kept his eyes on Time, searching for something… possibly some sign that Time needed something from him.

“You okay? You don’t get nightmares like that often.”

Time nodded, he tried to smile… and clearly failed since Warriors looked more concerned instead of less. He owed him an explanation for his reaction, flinching away like that was… well he knew Warriors would figure it out if he gave him long enough. Still he wanted to reassure him and that was easiest done by telling him something so Time tried. He opened his mouth to say something… anything, perhaps that he was fine. Nothing came, no words… no sound… not even a whisper, just nothing. He tried again, hoping that it was just a product of the dream, not some sort of trauma reaction like he’d had happen a few times in the past- maybe the words were just jumbled up like happened more often- but no, there was still nothing.

He closed his eyes as he bowed his head, shaking his head slowly. Time knew that it would worry Warriors, the whole day had to worry him between his reactions earlier and then him not even eating dinner before going to bed. He could almost feel him watching him for something, some sign of what he needed. A gentle tug at his sleeve caught his attention and Time blinked at Warriors who crouched next to him. Warriors gave another tug on his sleeve, Time hoped that his brother figured out it was just skin contact or perhaps how close to his neck that had been. A slightly impatient look was given to him and Time finally got up.

Warriors pulled him along, across camp to where Wild was curled up against Wolfie. Wolfie opened an eye and his tail gave a small wag as he saw Warriors leading Time over. Time hesitated, standing over the two of them uncertainly. Warriors gave a small sigh before giving him a gentle push so he’d sit down. Time did so but gave his brother a slightly lost and doubtful look which earned him a reassuring smile. Time curled up with a bit of room between him and the two of them but Wolfie wasn’t going to allow that and simply grabbed his wrist before dragging it over his back. Time tensed but obligingly shuffled closer. He doubted that he would get back to sleep but the soft fur and warmth of another being against his side helped him relax.

He leaned a little heavier against Wolfie’s side and gave a small sigh, his eye closing again. He felt Wolfie rest his head against his back and drifted off again.

Time was in a dark room, it was so dark he only barely could see his own hand. He looked around but couldn’t make out any details, nothing aside from the smell that filled the room. It unnerved him when he realized what the smell was but that there was nothing that he could see that would make that smell. Rotted meat and fresh blood filled his senses, it left his head spinning and caused Time to stagger to a wall. As he touched it the ground seemed to drop, leaving him falling into a pool of water or something of that sort.

The cool water was soothing at first, easing away his aches, softening the sensation he’d been having of burning from his side where the Dead Hand had bitten him. Then it chilled further, and worse he felt smaller mouths biting at him. Turning did him no good because he could only vaguely see the bony fish under the water as they swam past him, pausing briefly to take a bite or a nibble.

Then just as Time got used to the freezing water, how it numbed his arms and legs making the pain ease away slightly, the water changed and heated. It felt like he'd jumped into one of the hot springs on Wild's Death Mountain. The whole place remained dark though and the metallic scent only grew stronger.

Something grabbed his leg and dragged him down, pulling him under the surface of the water... what he hoped was water, and Time struggled against it. He broke free from whatever had a hold of his leg as the water began to cool again. Before he could surface to take a breath a hand caught him. It pressed against his back between his shoulders, holding his armor so he couldn't struggle away easily. That did little to stop him from thrashing around to try and break free, something that kept him from noticing that the water had heated almost unbearably again.

Time saw the world start to darken around him, the room dimming around the edges even as things became colored. The last things he was aware of were the water shifting his body, the ebb and flow of it gently dragging him with it, and a warm hand on his arm pulling him up from the too cold water again.

A hand on his shoulder was shaking him. Time curled up a bit, trying to get away without moving away since he really felt drained from the nightmare. The person was insistent and their hand shifted further up his shoulder. He froze, his body tensing as his mind processed that the hand had moved closer to his neck. Whoever it was seemed to realize the mistake and moved their hand a little further from that spot, moving to his back and away from his neck or anywhere it could grab him.

“Hey, come on Old Man, you’ve got the kids worried.”

The Kids? Oh, Wind and Four. They probably hadn’t seen someone dealing with something like this before. That meant that the person trying to drag him back to awareness was probably Warriors since he still had his warm, breathing pillow. His eye opened slightly and he saw the soft grey fur and hummed softly, rubbing his cheek against it. A gentle rumble told him that the action had been noticed and Twilight wanted to move. It was only that knowledge that drove him to move. The hand shifted to his shoulder to help support him getting up but the movement and the strength of the hand as it helped started to make him slip back into his dream of the hand holding him under water but he opened his eye again and saw the blue scarf pooled on the ground next to him.

It was only as he managed to sit up with Warriors’ help that Time realized he was shaking badly. He saw how his hand was shaking hard enough that he wouldn’t be able to hold a cup of anything without spilling it. His breathing was starting to speed up but he felt a hand carefully but firmly rubbing his back. It helped, the hand was too warm to be any of the monsters he’d dreamed about, and it was familiar to him too. He buried one hand in his hair, almost pulling but not yet. Distantly he felt someone pull him against them, heard a heartbeat against his ear and the warm rumble of a familiar voice trying to pull him back to the present.

“Hey now, Time. Come on, you have to calm down!”

The sound of his name was disorienting, but it helped. The sound pulled him a little out of the panicked state he’d been falling into. The hand had settled on his arm not on his back or shoulder and Time wanted to cry in relief as he noticed that. He was relieved that his brother had figured out where he placed his hand would have an effect. The phantom feeling of bites littering his skin remained but it eased with the warmth and the steady heartbeat against his ear.

“That’s it. Come on, come back to us.” That was Sky, his voice gentle as Time opened his eye again.

Slowly he began to recognize things, the trees just outside the cave for one. The scent of cooking meat came next and it was immediately followed by the feeling of nausea so strong that he shoved away from Warriors to scramble out of the cave. He made it a few steps before he dropped to his hands and knees, dry heaving as tears started to run down his face. The scent clung to him for a moment as he struggled against the nausea.

A hand on his back startled him and Time jerked away, landing on his side, his eye wide with alarm. It took him an extra moment to recognize Warriors crouching just behind where he had been, his hand dropping to curl into the fabric of his tunic while watching him worried. Time hated that look, especially directed at him. It was a reminder of his weaknesses and how Warriors was one of the few that could see them easily. Before he could sink too deeply into self hatred a warmth pressed against his back, vibrating slightly as the wolf crooned a familiar song to him.

Somehow that song helped him settle more, it took away the lingering smell of cooking meat. Then he noticed a couple of fairies fluttering around him and Warriors. The soft brushes of their wings against his skin was soothing though the sweet sensation of their magic while they checked on him helped him more. Time relaxed without really realizing it.

“Hey, you back with us?” Warriors asked, and when Time looked he saw that Warriors’ hands were fisted so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

He wanted to answer, to say something like he was aware of them or that he’d be okay. His throat still hurt and there was some sort of chill that had settled over him. It was familiar despite his wish that it wasn’t. The ache came from all the times he had nearly screamed while dealing with the nightmares, and the chill came from the memory he’d dealt with the day before. Well not dealt with so much as the memory he’d relived. That was likely also the cause of the nightmares.

At last he nodded, shifting to try and get up despite the pain his mind gave him which he knew was not really there. As Time moved he noticed how Warriors released his grip on his tunic as though he was about to help him get up, but how he returned them there. Time frowned as he lowered himself back to the ground, certain that he would probably need help standing if the pain he thought he felt was going to stay for the rest of the day. Sitting there he studied Warriors in confusion and concern. Warriors seemed to notice it and looked like he wanted to roll his eyes.

“You’ve reacted badly the last few times that Warriors… well pretty much any of us have tried to touch you.”

Oh. That explained why Warriors was acting like he was. Time groaned and rolled onto his back, his arm draping over his eyes. Wolfie rolled, lying partly on top of him, and licked his hands and chin and cheeks. Time huffed and lowered his arm to press his hand against Wolfie’s muzzle. Wolfie’s tail wagged and he gave Time’s cheek a final lick before getting up and pouncing on whoever it was that had spoken a moment ago, it looked like possibly Four.

‘Nightmares.’ Time signed before returning his arm to drape over his eyes.

“Those didn’t seem like nightmares to me.” Hyrule commented, sitting close to where Time was lying when he looked.

Seeing the soft look on the boy’s face and how Legend was watching him with concern as he sat next to Hyrule was enough for Time to go back to pretending he didn’t want to see anyone. The softness and care was enough to make him cry if he wasn’t careful and Time really didn’t want to tell them what was making him cry because that usually meant whoever it was got showered with even more affection.

“You don’t usually react to nightmares like that. It seemed different… more like how my uncle used to react to some things.”

It was true, this was not how he reacted to normal nightmares. Of course they had not just been normal nightmares. It left him wondering though, how much would that comment tell Warriors? Time knew it would tell his brother something about what was happening and that Warriors was the one who knew best what to do to help with the situation. He just couldn’t talk about it, his voice was frozen and his hands shook whenever he thought about trying to find the words to explain it.

A quick glance at Warriors showed that the other hero was watching him closely. There was some sort of puzzle that he was working through, and he likely had just been given the pieces he had been missing because of Legend’s comment. Time’s free hand started to toy with the grass next to him, he wished it was Wolfie’s fur or some flowers that he could braid because that would give him something better to focus on than the look he was receiving from Warriors… or the ones he was being given by Hyrule and Legend.

“Time… may I touch you?” Warriors asked, moving closer though he kept his hands carefully away from Time.

Time blinked, surprised, but nodded. He sat up, carefully supporting himself with his hands behind him. Warriors moved slowly, reaching out and making sure that Time could see the motions he was making.. could see his hands and where he was reaching. Time wondered why for a moment, but then he realized what Warriors likely figured out. His ears burned, no doubt turning red, and his hands grabbed Warriors’ shoulder and arm tighter than he’d meant to.

Warriors was kind enough to say nothing about it as he helped Time stand up. Time felt oddly shaky and wondered why until he realized it was an effect of the stress his mind had been under with the memory. He wondered why he remembered it now instead of at the Ranch or even during one of their previous explorations, the only thing he could think of was that damned shackle on the floor of that room.

“Sometimes, after the war, some of the men would remember something awful when they were someplace safe. Other times they would see something and it would bring it all crashing back, there is no shame in it. It’s just the mind trying to accept whatever happened. The key is they were usually with someone that was able to keep them safe… that could hear about what happened and help as they processed what they forgot because it was too much for them to bear.” Warriors looked intently at Time’s face and Time wanted to go back to lying on the ground while hating that his brother felt unable to touch him. “There is no shame in that, in needing help to be able to move past whatever it was.”

Time felt his face heat now too, felt the gazes of the others on him. He closed his eye, unwilling to see the anger or frustration on their faces… or worse yet the pity as they realized he had blocked something out so completely that it left him like this once it came back. They likely thought he was a fool or weak… or simply unfit as a leader, something he felt without his voice and without being able to simply be touched without some sort of warning.

“My era calls it battle fatigue. The mind needs help to process awful things, I needed help with some of my memories.” Wild shared, pausing somewhere near the entrance to the cave.

Time felt relieved because he felt horrible having just run from the cave at the smell of him cooking, and if Wild was willing to be near him like this it meant that he hadn’t ruined that at least. Cautiously he glanced over while seeing Wild make the signs for the issue. It felt familiar to him, as though he’d dealt with it before just not necessarily for himself. Abruptly he remembered a few soldiers that had been at his side during some of the fighting who had suffered from it. It felt off though, and he wondered if maybe that was wrong and he was experiencing something different. Warriors nodding as he moved closer to Time, shifting his arm to rest across his shoulders, reassured him a little.

“Exactly so, the mind protects itself from things it can’t deal with. Eventually something can trigger the memory and then it is able to be processed by the person with the help of others.”

“So we can help Time deal with this?” Wind asked hopefully.

Time looked at the youngest Link, wondering how much of the conversation he’d heard. To the side he saw Sky join them, standing next to Legend who crossed his arms in mild annoyance since he was still watching Time closely. That meant all of them were there to see and hear whatever Warriors had to say since Twilight had finally released Four and returned to normal. Four tilted his head thoughtfully, his eyes shimmering red and purple for a moment.

“Wouldn’t Malon have made him feel safe enough to begin processing it?” Four asked.

“Possibly, but I think this might be better. We have a bit more experience with this type of thing, you know?” Legend pointed out, before Warriors or the others could say anything.

“True, we all know some things are too horrific to really share with someone who hasn’t dealt with something similar.” Hyrule agreed. He smiled softly and gave Time a gentle hug, his magic helped increase the feeling of safety and peace that the touch gave Time. “Can you tell us about it?”

Warriors shook his head, making Time feel even worse since he couldn’t even try to answer the question himself. “He hasn’t been able to speak since last night.”

“Actually, I think it was since we were at that abandoned lab yesterday.” Sky stated, sending a cautious look towards Time as though he felt bad for saying that.

The others all looked at Time and he felt like shrinking, he really wished that was an ability he had… to be able to shrink and hide until this all went away. He looked at the ground while trying to ignore the eyes on him again. As he did so he missed the way they all shared a look and mutually agreed to try and help him with this. It was Twilight walking over and gently pushing Hyrule over to Legend and Sky again that drew his attention. Of course when Twilight casually shoved Warriors out of the way and ducked under his arm that caused Time to give a small smile. It became a silent laugh when Warriors turned and glared at Twilight.

“What was that for?”

“You’re stopping him from getting some food. Remember he didn’t have dinner yesterday.”

The feeling of Twilight’s fur pelt under his fingers helped, it was something so different from the stone or skin or liquid of his dreams and memories that some part of his mind felt like he could relax some. It was also nothing like the tunic that he’d worn or that Warriors wore which helped him calm more. He would need to let them know that skin contact was not a good thing for now. It kept making him think of the hands grabbing him and preventing him from escaping.

“Wild, did you make the fruit crepes like I asked?”

“Yep, I just finished them!” Wild replied to Twilight, using his slate to make the plate appear.

Twilight nodded, and half dragged Time over to a tree near the pool where the fairies were playing again. He could probably feel how much Time was leaning against him, needing the help to stand and walk. It left him feeling ashamed that he needed so much help when he wasn’t even hurt. Twilight didn't seem to care and simply grabbed the plate from Wild as well as a bowl of something else before sitting next to Time, turned so Time can’t see or smell whatever is in the bowl. Time felt grateful since he knew that Twilight ate more meat than he did and he simply could not even bear the thought of seeing it be eaten just then. Time noticed how the others were watching them until Twilight paused eating to give them a pointed look.

Legend apparently understood since he huffed and dragged Hyrule over to grab some food from Wild as well. Wild handed them the same thing he’d given to Twilight which made Time feel… both happy and a bit odd. He looked at his plate in mild confusion but started eating. He wondered if Wild had started to make the crepes for him before he’d stumbled out of the cave or not and if so how someone had known that today would be a no meat day so early. Honestly he was grateful for it, even if he suspected that his habit of not wanting meat after nightmares had been noticed by Warriors or Twilight.

“So I hope you don’t mind if we stay here and do some chores. We have a pile of menting and washing that Legend has been complaining about. You know how he gets when the mending doesn’t get washed.”

“Hey! I’m not the one who won’t wear something that isn’t washed. That’s Warriors, he refuses to go anywhere without having his socks washed if he can keep them clean.”

“Sure, sure, keep telling everyone that. I’m sure it helps you sleep at night if you believe that.”

Time knew for sure that Legend had already finished most of the mending and that it was all pretty much washed. He felt his eyes burning a little as he realized that the others were trying to make things easier on him since he had been doing so poorly with the memory returning. He noticed that Wild was watching him for an answer and nodded, giving a small smile of gratitude. Seeing Wild nod back he turned his attention back to his food. It tasted better now, somehow that simple action from the others to give him a day to recover from the mental stress made the meal taste even better than it had.

As he ate, Time did his best to ignore the way the kids were bickering and fighting. Hyrule joined him nearer the fairies though he kept a little distance since he was eating the actual meal Wild had made for everyone else. His ears twitched when he heard Wind make an indignant noise before the scuffling sound of him trying to tackle someone, likely Legend since he didn’t hear anyone yelp or fall. Probably some comment about Wind’s age, the kid was too easily set off by those comments, not that he had been much better when… well when he had been around Wind when he’d been younger. Time finished his meal and sat there watching the fairies for a few moments before he heard someone, Warriors by the timing of the steps, approaching.

“Sprite?” Warriors’ voice was gentle.

Time looked at Warriors, seeing that he had some paper and a pencil. Time recognized the paper as having been taken from the back of one of Warriors’ journals, his brother had done that often enough during the war for him to recognize it now, and the pencil being the one he used to sketch out pictures for his sister whenever they’d had the chance for a break. It made him wonder briefly why he was being offered them before he realized that he wanted him to share what happened, what had him so upset.

Despite the fact that he wanted to give those answers in many ways, Time just didn’t want to think about it. He reluctantly accepted both things but sat there staring blankly at them for a moment. Warriors seemed to understand though the slump of his shoulders spoke volumes about how much he’d hoped it would help. After giving him a small nod Warriors turned to head over to where Wind and Legend were wrestling, allowing Time to stare at the fairies playing for a little longer.

“He’s worried. After he helped you move over to next to me you kept tensing and twitching from whatever nightmare you were having. After Wild started cooking we couldn’t get you to wake until breakfast was almost done. It was like you were lost to whatever you were seeing.” Twilight’s voice was gentle, but the explanation hit Time harder than a strike from an Iron Knuckle.

Time curled a little, his knees moving closer to his chest and he set aside the pencil and papers so he wouldn’t mess them up. His hand slipped into his hair giving it a small tug before Twilight’s hand gently pulled it away and slid his fingers between Time’s so they were holding hands. The hands rested on the ground between them while Time dealt with the suddenly overwhelming fear and guilt at the nightmare and how he expected the others to react to it. At last he tugged his hand free from Twilight’s so he could sign since he didn’t want to think about it longer than he had to.

‘Torture. Dreamed of torture.’

Twilight was silent, seemingly uncertain of how to help with what Time had shared. At last he shuffled a little closer and leaned against Time, grabbing his hand again. The weight of another person against him reached the part of Time that wanted the comfort, that wanted to be held despite not being able to really accept it yet. It reminded him that he would need to explain some of what he remembered happening, he owed it to them to explain part of it. Before he could work up the courage to share any of it with them Twilight shifted, using his shoulder to nudge Time for his attention.

“You don’t have to share anything that you don’t want to, not with us. We know some things are… difficult to speak about.”

Time’s throat felt tight, he wondered if his voice would work or not because he wanted to thank Twilight for that reminder. He nearly tried anyways but the soft look Sky gave him as he settled on Time’s other side stopped that thought entirely. The weight of both of them leaning against his sides made Time realize that he was shaking a little, it was gradually slowing but he had missed it entirely until that moment. Their care also seemed to warm some part of him that had been chilled and numbed since the previous day, it left him calming and slowly the tension and chill was being replaced with an odd warm exhaustion that wasn’t caused by being tired. Time rested his cheek against Sky’s head anyways and closed his eye, content to drift for the moment.

“Would you three knock it off?” Four’s voice was a little sharper than usual and that drew Time from the momentary contentment back to the present.

He looked over and saw Wild crouched over a pot to make something, while glancing anxiously towards where the other three had been wrestling. He frowned and glanced around to see if he could spot Hyrule, spotting the boy curled up next to Sky, holding onto his arm and watching the fairies over the pool with wide eyed delight. Time smiled a bit as he saw that and absently noted that the fairies were collecting flowers for something.

“He started it!” Legend snapped pointing at Wind who stuck his tongue out at the veteran. Legend went to lunge at him but Warriors caught him before he got very far.

“I didn’t ask who started it. I’m finishing it unless you want to make Time get up.” Four’s threat seemed to do the trick.

The three who Four had been scolding looked very contrite as they glanced towards Time. They shuffled over, finding places near him to sit. Time thought about leaving things alone, about keeping his memory to himself, but he felt like he needed to share what he remembered, at least part of that. All he could hope was that doing so would give him a measure of peace. With a small tug he freed his hand from Twilight’s and grabbed the paper and pencil.

He hesitated, the remembered terror starting to draw him back to the nightmares, but the warmth of Sky and Twilight pressed against his sides helped him focus. Hoping that it would help him calm and focus he sketched the room, the hands with their sharp nails reaching for the sky and the small dip to where he’d been chained drawn out in careful detail, even the chain and shackle he’d had around his wrists had been drawn. Once he had everything he could draw there on the paper he moved another blank page to the top and started sketching something else.

He drew the monster with it’s bloated body and dark sightless eyes, he drew the grin and the sharp stubby arms, it was next to one of the hands and with it there it was easy to see where the hands came from, that they were just another part of the creature. Time had to stop once while he was drawing it because his hands had begun to shake with remembered terror, but once it was done he simply wrote ‘Dead Hand’ at the top of the page.

After a quick check to make sure it looked right Time held both pages out to Warriors, he knew his brother would put things together quickest and understand at least part of what happened. Sure enough Warriors looked at the room first and his expression darkened but it turned to a purely horrified look when he saw the monster on the second page. Time watched as Four and Wind tried to look at the papers but Warriors held them where neither could. Legend saw the monster and gave Time a worried look which said plenty about what he’d figured out about the monster.

“Was- Was this what you dealt with in your memory?”

Time nodded, his shoulders relaxing a little and he closed his eye again, his cheek once more pressing against Sky’s head. He debated leaving it at that but felt that sharing more might help.

‘It attacks by biting and ripping parts off with its teeth. First the hands grab whatever is there then it appears and bites, the hands hardly let go when it bites. It kept grabbing my throat, or my arm or leg and all I had was a simple tunic.’

“No wonder you didn’t react well to being touched. I’m sorry Time.”

‘You didn’t know.�� Time paused before deciding to explain a bit more about the memory. ‘I was chained in the middle of the hands.’

Warriors held the other picture up and turned it so the others could see it. Time nodded, he noticed how Sky looked a little angry at the sight, and how Twilight paled a bit, his hands clenching into fists. All of the others seemed upset but not angry about it. Then they noticed the hands and they sent him a curious look but Warriors frowned at the papers before showing them the other one. Seeing it they all looked horrified as well.

‘The chain was just long enough to almost get away but the hands kept catching me and grabbing me.’ His hands were starting to shake again and the phantoms of the bites were making themselves known again too.

“Easy, little hero. Take a moment to breathe.”

Time tried, but he also knew he was starting to panic again. He felt Wind climb into his lap and looked down at the youngest hero. Wind was leaning against his chest, just sitting there and not grabbing his hand or hugging him or anything more than giving him something to help focus on the present.

“Hey, just take a moment. Can you breathe with me?” Sky asked, then he exaggerated his breathing.

Time did his best to follow that pattern. It took him a few moments before his breathing calmed, and a few more before the shaking and pain eased again. It was only then that he noticed how he was hugging Wind tightly, and he quickly released the younger hero. Wind turned then and wrapped his arms around Time to give him a hug. After a couple of moments Wind moved to sit next to Four again.

Everything about how the other heroes were being considerate but still showing him love and support helped pick apart the anxiety and hopelessness that he’d failed to notice. The tiny hands of the fairies in his hair helped to unknot more of that tangled mess of darkness that Time had missed completely. He simply sat there drinking in the comforting warmth and absently brushed the back of his hand against his cheek. As he moved it away he noticed the darkened spot on his gauntlet and realized that he was crying.

Not long later Time felt Twilight move away from him and the tree, it left him feeling a little bereft until Twilight turned and pulled him close. Time buried his face into the fur pelt and curled his hands into the fabric of Twilight’s tunic. It wasn’t the same as Wolfie’s fur but it offered the same warmth. Soon after, Time recognized Warriors’ arms wrapping around him too and leaned a little into him. The others started moving around, drifting away from the three of them while Time cried against Twilight’s shoulder. The knowledge that they would be close enough he could call them back but that they were giving them some privacy left Time feeling grateful for them and how much they cared.

“Go ahead, Time, it’s okay to let it out. You’re safe, we’ve got you. I promise you, we’ve got you.”

Time nodded and just let the tears come. He lost track of time while he cried, the tears and release they gave so needed though he didn’t realize it until he was done and just resting tiredly against Twilight. After a few moments Warriors shifted, no doubt his knees were aching by now and so were Twilight’s. Time huffed a little laugh as he shifted away from Twilight and leaned back against Warriors. His brother grunted but guided him back to resting against the tree again. Time didn’t feel his hair brush against his neck like usual which told him the fairies had braided it while he’d been crying on Twilight.

Exhausted he settled against the tree and glanced at Warriors and Twilight before smiling a bit more. White Heathers were tucked in Warriors’ hair with Gladiolus made into a flower crown resting on top of his head. Time found the meanings accurate for him, he was watchful and generous. Twilight had White Heather and Violets tucked into his hair, the meanings of watchfulness and faithfulness very accurate for him. Seeing the way the fairies were bobbing over the water, clearly pleased with their work and happy to have given that respite while he was dealing with his emotional wounds told Time plenty about how worried they had been.

He felt more whole now, the soft sweet feeling of the fairy magic helped soothe some of the hurts away as he looked at the two still with him. Somehow Time felt like he might be able to speak now, that he could share something with his words unlike earlier or the previous day.

“Was gagged, and chained. Could hardly move, couldn’t speak, just hope it wouldn’t reach me but kept forgetting to curl up tight enough. Hurt so much.” Time’s voice sounded odd to him, as though whatever stole his words away was still having some effect on him. Still his hand dropped to his side where he kept feeling the bite and he looked at Warriors and Twilight. “Eventually he came… then there was lightning and fire and ice over and over. Freezing and burning the bites.”

More tears appeared, running down his face as he spoke. Time raised one hand to hide from them with but Twilight gently caught his wrist while Warriors used his scarf to wipe the tears away. He felt his breath hitch a little when Warriors pressed his forehead to his own and he was being given such a soft look that he felt some sort of warmth spread through him.

“You survived. Yes it was horrible, and yes we will have to help you be able to stand us touching you again, but Time… Sprite, you survived.”

Those words helped, Time felt like the weight he’d been carrying for the past day had eased greatly. He closed his eye and nodded in relief. He had survived. Twilight slid his arm around Time’s shoulders and pulled him against his side, his hand very gently rubbing Time’s shoulder through his tunic.

“Rest, Time, we’ll be here. If we ever see that thing…” Twilight trailed off then he growled softly. “If I see it I’m gonna tear it apart.”

Time nodded then he tried to sit up a bit again but Twilight kept a firm but gentle hold of him. “Wars? It… it isn’t…”

“It happens to everyone Sprite, even I had to deal with it some. Having memories come back like that happens. It’s going to be all right though because we won’t leave you to deal with it alone.”

Time hummed and nodded, finally slumping properly against Twilight, his eye closing as he did so. The exhaustion from the day, from his nightmares and all drained his energy so completely that he was asleep again before he knew it. Luckily this time his sleep was relatively dreamless, and when Time woke up again he was back inside the cave, tucked safely in his bedroll with Wolfie acting as his pillow and Warriors writing nearby.

“Writing Lydia?” Time asked softly, his voice hardly carrying to Warriors.

Warriors had apparently been listening for him to wake up or to speak or something since he immediately set aside his writing and turned to face Time. A wide smile spread across his face.

“You know she’ll want to hear that I got into trouble by falling in a fairy pond.”

Time blinked a little confused but slowly sat up while looking around. It seemed the three of them were alone inside the cave and Warriors’ boots were near the fire, upside down to dry out. Time couldn’t help but snort softly at that, trying to spare Warriors being laughed at yet again. Warriors pouted at him before his relieved smile won again.

“So the others are outside, Wild insisted on cooking out there so you could rest peacefully in here.”

“Please tell me he isn’t feeling guilty too?”

“Sorry, but he did notice that the smell of what he was making earlier was what caused you to get sick.”

“I just woke up from a dream where I was being attacked by Skullfish in a room that smelled like blood, okay?”

“Um Sprite… what is a Skullfish?”

“They are fish that are mostly bones and try to eat whatever is in the water with them. They are pretty easy to kill if you have a weapon or something that works in water.”

“So let me get this straight, you had a memory of a creature that eats people alive yesterday.” Time nodded, absently noting that he hadn’t missed too much time due to the memory and nightmares. “Then you had a nightmare about it again, I guessed. As though that wasn’t enough then you had a different nightmare about a different monster trying to do the same thing?”

Well when he put it like that… why was Wolfie giving him that look? Time was about to say that it wasn’t that bad when he noticed that Legend had entered the cave at some point and was now shaking his head.

“We all thought my life was a mess. Really Old Man, you have all the monsters that like to eat, don’t you?” Time tilted his head trying to figure out how to respond to that. Legend turned to talk to whoever had been following him. “Hey Wild, no meat for the Old Man for a few days. He’s been having nightmares about being eaten.”

Time wanted to argue against that but he just couldn’t because it was true. He perked up when Hyrule pushed Legend aside and walked closer carrying a mug of something that smelled sweet. He eagerly took it and took a sip. Giving a pleased hum he took a larger drink which made Hyrule laugh.

“Okay, what is that? You wouldn’t tell me while you were making it and I want to know.”

“It’s hot chocolate that is made by fairies, they add a lot of mint and other herbs as well as some of their magic. It makes it really sweet and is saved for days that are really special or where someone really needs it. I’m guessing that Time has had it before.”

Time grinned and nodded. “Fairy cocoa. That’s what the Kokiri usually called it. It was always given on mid-winter day.”

“So, can we touch you now?” Time jumped a bit as Four asked the question. The smallest hero was giving him a slightly hopeful look as though he’d been wanting to give a hug or something for the last little while.

Time paused to think about it and nodded. “Avoid touching my neck and don’t touch my skin with your nails or if your hands are cold and it should be fine for now.”

As soon as he said that Time found himself with his arms full of the others, Warriors off to the side after having rescued his mug before he could drop or spill any of it. Hyrule, Legend, and Four quickly released him and hurried back towards the entrance to the cave looking a bit sheepish. Time took his mug back, still a little confused.

“We were worried about you. Not just you being unable to speak but how easily you seemed to zone out on us and how much you were shaking. We all know it won’t be easy for you to deal with it but we wanted to reassure you that we are here and that we care even though you weren’t really able to accept it.”

“Oh.” That seemed too little for everything they gave him. Time blushed and looked down at his hands. “Thank you.”

“You should know by now that we care about you.”

“I do, it’s just…”

Warriors sighed and set his hand carefully on Time’s shoulder giving it an affectionate squeeze. Time sighed softly and leaned against him for a moment before Wild entered the cave with a wide smile.

“Time, I hope you’re hungry. I made something for you to eat.”

Wild brought over a plate with some skewers of mushrooms and veggies on it. There was also a skewer of apples that had honey drizzled over it. Time grabbed the plate, pausing to give Wild a quick hug and a kiss to the temple before settling against the wall, angled so he could see the others. His time sense told him that it was a little after the others should have eaten dinner but not too late yet.

Sky cautiously poked his head in and gave a bright smile when he saw that Time was awake and eating. “You’re awake! I was hoping you would be willing to listen to me trying a new song. It’s one Legend has been teaching me, he said it was sung to him by his uncle when he was very little.”

Warriors laughed and sat next to Time, watching as the others crept into the cave again. Wind hurried over and curled up against Time’s side while Sky sat across from him with his harp and a hopeful look. Time chuckled while nodding. He ate while listening to the song, noting with amusement that it was very familiar to him. It was a song he’d sung to Malon a couple of times… in each of the timelines. Twilight clearly recognized it since he was watching Sky in silent wonder. With only the music of a harp it sounded a little off, but Time nodded with a smile when Sky turned an anxious look towards him. Sky smiled happily and continued playing even after he finished the song.

Before long Time found himself trapped by Warriors leaning against his shoulder, Legend and Hyrule curled up together using his leg as a pillow, Wind curled up against his other side, and Four using his other leg to rest his head on. Time gave Twilight and Wild a pleading look, silently asking for help getting free from the others but the two of them only laughed at him and started talking about the things they saw while they had been exploring. Without thinking about it Time started to play with Legend’s hair, gently tugging it into a simple braid so it would be easier for him to deal with once he woke up later.

He looked over the cave and smiled as he grabbed his cocoa again. The drink seemed to taste even better than it had, and he decided that it was because of the amount of love that filled the cave. Sure they had dark moments but they would always be there for one another and he was so incredibly grateful for it. Looking at Sky he grinned and hummed along with the song he was playing since if he kept thinking about how amazing the boys were he would end up crying and worrying them.

“Warriors said that you’ve fought that thing before?” Four asked.

“Hmm? Oh… yeah.” Time eyed Four cautiously wondering what he was going to say.

Four nodded and settled against Time a bit more comfortably. “Well if it shows itself white we are here it will never have a chance to touch you.”

“I know.” Time nodded.

“Also we’ll help you deal with it… no matter what.” Four added, peering up at him for a moment, no doubt wanting to make sure Time knew that for sure.

“As long as we have a say in it.” Sky added, his voice quiet but firm.

“I… I know. It’s stupid… I thought you might blame me or be angry with me for that.”

It is stupid, but most times horrible events leave us with stupid little fears like that. I know I was afraid that Sun would blame me for her falling. She didn’t but sometimes, even now, I feel like she might change her mind or that she is just being nice.”

“Well I can say this, nothing is going to make any of us think less of each other.” Twilight stated, cutting into the conversation. Time and Sky both sent a startled look at him before smiling and nodding. “Now, I think that’s enough chatter for the day. I know you slept most of it Time but I think you ought to sleep more and Sky you said you’d take the first watch so Wild and I are gonna get some rest too.”

“Okay, sleep well you two.”

“Good night, Rancher, you too Wild.”

Time sat there thinking for several minutes before Warriors stirred and pressed an elbow against his side. Absently Time realized he hadn’t felt the phantom pain from the bites the entire time he had been awake.

“Sleep.”

“Sitting up?”

“Yep. Comfy.”

Time chuckled at Warriors’ answer and nodded, kissing the top of his head before resting his cheek against it. “Okay, sleep well.”

He sent Sky a smile and finally closed his eyes to go to sleep. The warmth of the boys curled against him was enough to allow their words to follow him back into his dreams. Maybe he would wake up sore and be teased about being an old man, but maybe not. Whatever the case he knew he could trust them and tell them about his fears without doubting they might think less of him for them. Besides, if they ever did find a Dead Hand he had no doubt that it wouldn’t last long against the others… especially not with his fear of them known.

Time was chained to the floor in the middle of the room, pale arms reaching towards the ceiling all around him. His throat felt tight as he saw them and he immediately tried to back away from the ones in front of him, momentarily forgetting about the arm and hand behind him. The sound of the hand moving through the air caused him to turn and see it reaching for him, as it got closer a shield intercepted it. The shield was familiar, right down to a singed spot on the inside, and Time looked at Warriors to see the expression of fierce protectiveness on his face. It made him feel safe even here in the middle of these clawed hands, and he relaxed a bit.

Two pairs of hands gently touched his own, they were warm and careful as they picked the locks on the shackles keeping him trapped in the middle of the room. As he looked he noticed that Wind was watching him concerned while Legend was glaring off to the side, silently daring the monster to get any closer to them. Legend sent a glance towards him before huffing and holding out a hand to help him up. Time smiled and accepted the help from both Legend and Wind, both of them kind enough to say nothing as he stumbled a bit once he was standing.

The familiar groan of an undead being came from behind him and Time turned to see the flash of the Master Sword striking the Dead Hand. Sky was glaring at the spot where it disappeared, but when he noticed that Time was watching him he smiled at him and gave a firm nod. Time nodded back and rubbed his wrists a bit. Another pair of hands pressed against them for a moment, a slight tingling feeling came as the slight damage done was healed completely. He looked at Hyrule who gave him a reassuring smile.

A pained cry from the Dead Hand drew his attention back to the area around him and Time saw that each of the others had dealt with the hands reaching for him. Then he noticed the grey shape of Wolfie moving around to grab one of the hands which had been reaching for Four. Four approached Time with a sword in his hands and behind him Time could see Wild making good use of a bomb arrow to take out more of the hands that were trying to appear.

The Dead Hand seemed to finally give up on escaping from them after that, especially when Wolfie bit down hard. The sound of whatever the thing had for bones breaking was oddly comforting since it meant that it couldn’t hurt them… not without one of them doing worse to it. Time looked at the sword that Four offered him and smiled a bit, it was a familiar blade but an unusual one. The blue and green blade seemed to glow slightly in the dim light of the room.

“Your turn.” Four said as he moved aside once Time took the sword with one hand.

“Well?”

“Are you sure?”

Time looked over his shoulder, noticing that he was once again in his armor. The armor and tunic were clean and gleamed like new, matching the way the armor belonging to the Deity behind him looked. His throat felt tight as he looked at him. Kishin’s expression was reassuring, but it seemed less so compared to the warm hand on his shoulder and the gentle squeeze that it gave.

“You can do this.”

Time paused to think about it then he nodded while smiling. “I know. They helped.”

“They did, but even without them you can do this. You never have to do it alone again.”

Those words meant so much more than he could even begin to say so Time simply nodded at him and said, “Thank you.”

Kishin nodded, then he turned so Time could see the monster. He could see that now it seemed much smaller and weaker than it had before. Perhaps it was that he was in armor now, or more likely it was because he knew that he would be helped if he needed it. It didn’t really matter why. Time took a deep breath, tightened his grip on the sword and struck, it vanished and with it the dungeon and the chains. He turned and grinned as he recognized where his mind had taken them. He took a step then paused to look back at the Deity.

“You know, anywhere that was my home is yours too. I would be happy to have my friend as a guest.”

“I know, but for now you need rest.”

Time grinned over his shoulder at the Deity before continuing on his way. He needed to meet with Saria after all. She was always so happy when he brought the boys to visit.

The next morning when Time woke up he was indeed stiff and a bit sore, but he felt completely at peace. The others seemed to notice that and while they were still very careful to make sure he knew they were going to touch him they all hugged him before breakfast. After that they went on their way, Wild still wanted to show them a few places in his era’s Hyrule if they could find them before the next portal appeared.

As they walked, Time spared a thought that he would like to introduce these boys to Saria, he thought she would enjoy having more people to fuss over… and it might relieve her some to know that he had them to watch over him and keep him safe too. Then again maybe he would keep them to himself for just a little while longer, they did save him from his nightmare after all.

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