Work Text:
Time would be happy that they are in his Hyrule, except for the fact he has no clue where they are. He knows this is his world because he recognises the woodland path they’ve been walking down for the past hour. He’s definitely been here before, but-
“Would you three be quiet!”
-but he just can’t quite place it. What he really wants to do is find Malon. Goddess knows they all need a break, and he misses her an unreasonable amount. Hylia, he’s in love with that woman.
If he could only remember which way to go…
“I mean it! I’m trying to think!”
He’s pretty sure they’re on the outskirts of the Kokiri forest, so if they keep heading west, they should get there before sundown and hopefully meet the others there too. They’ve been to this world before after all, so they should know to head that way…
They’re going to start attracting monsters with their arguing though and it’s doing Time’s head in. He takes a deep breath and summons all the patience he can muster.
“Guys, come on, what’s the problem?”
“Legend’s lost his fire-stick thing and he’s blaming us,” says Four grumpily.
Time looks at him in surprise. He expects the arguing from Legend and Warriors, their bickering has become somewhat of a comforting background noise to their travels now. But Four? He’s usually one to resolve conflicts, not get involved with them.
“I know one of you did, idiot, I just need to find out who.”
“Who are you calling an idiot,” Four starts angrily, “I could beat your-“
“OKAY,” Time interrupts tiredly, “Legend, is it possible one of the others has it. I know Wild sometimes likes to borrow it now and then.”
“That’s what I told him!” whines Warriors, “Why do you always assume it’s me?”
“Because it’s usually you,” says Legend drily and, well, no one can argue with that.
“We’ll sort it out when we reach the ranch, I’m pretty sure it’s this way.”
Legend mutters something under his breath and Time maybe thinks he sees Four kick his shin out of the corner of his eye, but he decides it would be easier to ignore it. They start walking west in tense silence.
It’s going to be a long afternoon.
Sky, Four and Wind have come across what must be the castle town. The streets are cobbled, and the houses made of grey stone and he can see the castle a little way in the distance. It’s impressive. Big.
To be honest, Sky doesn’t like it. He’s used to the warm, bright colours of Skyloft and here the building are built to be intimidating.
“We should try to find out whose Hyrule we’re in,” suggests Four, “it might help us find the others.”
“I think Wild said he needed more milk, so we should probably get some while we’re here too,” Wind chimes in.
“It would be good to stock up on food anyway,” agrees Sky and together they walk to the general store that Wind spots across further down the street.
Wind chats to the man behind the counter while Sky and Four gather ingredients that they think Wild might like to cook with and they smile a bit when Wind starts telling a story animatedly. It’s something about pirates and a sea monster that they’ve probably heard before and they can tell the shopkeeper is humouring him and doesn’t really believe it. If he only knew.
“Hey, look at this,” says Four, gesturing to the bottle in his hands.
“It’s milk,” he says.
“Yes but look what’s on the milk.”
There’s a small label with a hand printed design of what is unmistakably a ranch. A very familiar ranch. Above it are words in a script different to what Sky knows but he’s pretty sure of what it might say.
“Lon Lon Ranch,” Four confirms.
“Do you think it’s Time’s Lon Lon?”
“I would say so, but even if it’s not, it would be a good place to head to.”
Sky agrees and they make their way towards the counter to pay.
After asking for directions, they walk mostly in comfortable silence through Hyrule Field, taking in the warm spring day and the twittering birds.
“I hope it is Time’s Hyrule,” says Wind quietly, “I like seeing Malon. She reminds me of home.”
Sky puts a hand around the sailor’s shoulders and squeezes, just a bit.
Hyrule is having the time of his life.
He never knew Four could be such an exciting companion. He’d always assumed he was like Time or Twilight or Warriors in the way they had to plan everything, which frankly saps all the fun out of adventuring. But now that he thinks about it, he’s never really taken the time to properly get to know the blacksmith.
Four had been the one to suggest they explore and see where they end up and he hasn’t even mentioned a map. In fact, Hyrule doesn’t even think he has one on him!
Hyrule loves the others, really, he does, he couldn’t ask for better companions on this weird and wonderful adventure they’ve all found themselves on, but sometimes he feels they could let loose once in a while.
Maybe in the end it comes down his Hyrule. Where he grew up, you couldn’t plan anything because nothing made sense. Crazy things happened every time you stepped out the door and so he had to learn to expect the unexpected. Don’t plan or you’ll just be stuck when nothing goes your way. Improvisation is the only way forward.
Wild is the ultimate adventure companion really, and some of his very best memories have been getting lost with him and discovering some new forgotten temple, or that time they found a great fairy fountain and had a really nice conversation with the fairy who resided there.
But, Hyrule must admit, Four is really cool! He has no idea where they are, or even what Hyrule they’re in but Four doesn’t seem all that worried. In fact he seems convinced that if they keep exploring, they’ll eventually bump into the others.
Frankly, he thinks that’s a little optimistic, but it’s not like he’s about to complain.
They’ve somehow ended up in a body of water. But it’s really shallow so only their feet are wet and Hyrule’s having such a nice time, he doesn’t care all that much about wet socks.
“I think I found something!” Four says from a little way ahead of him, and Hyrule scrambles to keep up, water flying everywhere as he splashes through the pool.
“Woah,” he exclaims in awe at the sight in front of him. It’s a big stone entrance to what he assumes is an even bigger underground temple.
“Do you think we should go in?” asks Four, “there might be something useful in there.”
Hyrule looks at him with barely contained glee.
“Absolutely!”
He wonders what the others are up to and if they’re having as good a time as they are.
Twilight has just about had enough. Actually, scratch that, he’s done. Completely and utterly done.
“Wild, Four, I swear to Hylia if either of you climb one more tree, I’ll-“
He stops and brings his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose as the two younger Hylians rush to climb the tallest tree they can find, completely ignoring his threat.
“Calm down Twilight, we’re trying to find the others,” says Four.
“Yeah!” agrees Wild who is now surely up as far as he can climb- no wait, he’s still climbing, “higher ground and all that, we can see for miles.”
“Din give me strength,” Twilight mutters before shouting, “You’ve already climbed every tree on this hill, we need to carry on if we want to find the others before dark!”
They don’t respond.
Of course.
“Fine, I’m leaving without you,” he shouts angrily (Goddess, he’s starting to sound like Uli), and starts to make his way down the hill. The light is fading fast and he’s very aware that they might have to make camp for the night just the three of them and he’s not entirely sure he’ll make it through that long without murdering one of them.
Four catches up first.
“Sorry Twi, we were just trying to help.”
“I know, I’m just worried we’re not going to be able to find them,” he replies. Truthfully, he’s always had a soft spot for Four, always the voice of reason… well, usually anyway.
“What’s going on with you today anyway?” he asks, “I can usually rely on you to be responsible.” His words come out a bit harsher than they were meant to and he sees Four cringe a little.
“Yeah, sorry, I must have had a little too much of Wild’s energy boosting kababs earlier.”
“Ok, well… no more climbing trees.”
“You got it.”
They turn when they hear a shout come from just off the path behind them.
“I’m just going to check for the others on the other side of this canyon,” Twilight hears Wild call from nearby, a little way off the path, and his heart rate picks up suddenly warning him of an oncoming heart attack.
“Wild! Wild, don’t do anything, I’m coming!”
“Me too!” shouts Four and runs ahead.
Twilight gets there just in time to see the two of them jump off the ledge of the biggest canyon he’s possibly ever seen, both of them clinging to Wild’s hang glider.
“Oh,” he says.
By the time they reach Lon Lon Ranch, Time is ready to tear his probably already greying hair out. Warriors, Hyrule and Four have been bickering the entire way about things that Time has long since stopped caring about and it took them way too long to find the ranch because Time had completely miscalculated where they were and ended up taking them in circles for three hours.
He needs a drink.
The sight of his wife is probably the most beautiful thing he has ever seen in his life and he thinks her long auburn hair might actually shimmer in the darkening light. She runs to him and hugs him and gives him a kiss that’s all comfort and a little bit of woodsmoke and thank the Goddess he’s home.
“What a lovely surprise!” Malon exclaims with a smile, “I didn’t know you were coming!”
He smiles back, a true, genuine, unforced smile that’s a relief after the day he’s had.
“Sorry love, we couldn’t exactly send a letter through realities.”
“Well actually,” Four interrupts, “there is that postman-“
“Yeah, we get it Four. Point is we didn’t know we were coming.”
Malon raises her eyebrows at him.
“Difficult day?” she whispers.
“You have no idea,” he replies.
“Well, you boys better come inside. Will the others be joining us?”
“We were kind of hoping they’d already be here,” says Legend.
“We got split up during the portal jump,” explains Time.
“Ah, well, in that case you can all come inside for dinner while we wait.”
“You’re an angel,” Time says and Malon just chuckles.
They are halfway through their meal when they hear some of the others arrive.
“I’ll go and meet them!” says Four hastily and Time’s too tired to stop him as he scurries out the door.
Sky and Wind come clattering into the room a few minutes later with huge smiles on their faces.
“I knew it was Malon’s ranch!” exclaims Wind excitedly as he launches himself at the woman in question. She wraps her arms around him fondly before doing the same to Sky.
“Good to see you two,” says Time, and he means it.
“Where’s Four?” asks Warriors.
Sky looks around, confused.
“He said he was going ahead to warn you guys we were coming.”
“No, he said he was going to get you and bring you here.”
“Thought you’d got rid of him, he’s been in a really bad mood all day,” grumbles Warriors.
“Huh?” Wind gapes confusedly. “What do you mean? Four’s been with us all day.”
Time frowns.
“That can’t be right.”
The others are saved from answering by the arrival of Twilight and Wild, the former with a very grumpy face, supporting the latter who seems unable to put full weight on his left ankle.
“Hey guys!” Wild says brightly to which the others reply in kind. They don’t say anything about his injury, it’s a common enough occurrence by now, but Malon hurries to his side and helps him to the couch.
“Where’s Four?” asks Twilight looking around, “he said he was going to go ahead to let you know we were coming.”
There was a pause where everyone looked at each other in confusion.
“Okay what in Din’s name is going on?”
“Four’s been with us all day, what do you mean?”
“He can’t have been, he was with us!”
They all start talking over each other at once then, and Time watches tiredly as Malon just stares at them in the corner watching the chaos unfold in mild amusement.
“Wait!” shouts Legend suddenly and they all go silent. “Hyrule’s the only one not back. I think… I think Hyrule is alone?”
“Oh, Hylia,” sighs Time as they all start talking at once again wondering if Hyrule is somehow with Four as well or if he’s just lost somewhere, in which case they are probably never going to find him again.
It’s a while later that they all stop once more as Hyrule walks sheepishly through the door and Legend has one of his rare moments where he turns into a mother and gives him a hug (“I thought we were never going to find you, idiot!”) before promptly giving him a harmless smack around the head.
“Four’s here as well,” Hyrule informs them. “he said he was going to catch up.”
The others look at him.
“WHAT THE-”
Four sits on a tree stump, just out of earshot (and shooting distance) from the ranch, his ocarina in hand, mainly for comfort as he slides his fingers across the familiar smooth surface.
“How confused do you think they are?” Red asks, sending a bubble of laughter through their chest.
“I kind of wish we could see their faces,” smiles Green. He knows they’re going to have to come up with an explanation somehow, but they can cross that bridge when they come to it.
“I’m glad we’re all back together,” says Red after a while and the others murmur their agreement.
“I had a nice time with Wild and Twilight though,” muses Green fondly.
Blue huffs, “Yeah, you got lucky, I got stuck with Warriors and Legend. I’m telling you, next time they speak to us, I’m having nothing to do with it.”
Vio hums, “I suppose it was nice to be apart, to have a body to ourselves like we used to. I didn’t like that I didn’t know where you guys were though. I wonder why the portal split us up like that…”
“Speaking of,” says Green, “where did you and Hyrule go off to, Red?”
“Oh, it was so cool, we found this temple and it was mostly underwater, and we met these Zora and they were so nice, not at all like the ones in our world, and we found some fire arrows that Hyrule took… I’m not sure what he’s planning to do with them, but he seemed really excited.”
“Wow. We should not let Red out on his own again.”
“Agreed.”
There is silence for a second in which their thoughts align, one of those rare moments where their feelings are completely in tandem.
“We work well together,” considers Green. The others agree.
A bird flitters past and they realise then that this may be what inner peace feels like.