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The Chain was in Legend’s Hyrule, and were currently staying at the castle since they already handled the monsters this cycle.
Fable had to go on a trip to Labyrnna, and upon hearing this, Legend insisted on going with her.
"You sure? I mean I get protecting your Zelda, but..." Warriors trailed off as Legend got ready to leave. It was earlier than usual and they all had their own rooms in that they could pair off and have their own room.
"Yes," Legend said without hesitation, slipping his last ring on. "It's fine. At worse, a shift will come and we'll be separated but I can handle myself long enough to catch up with you guys. Zel — Fable doesn't go on out-of-country missions often and I'm not letting her go alone if I can help it."
"She has her guards —"
"Who couldn't capture a nine year old when he was the most wanted criminal in the kingdom. I don't trust them. So have fun back here Captain, if you're that worried, do me a favor and whip the royal guard into shape." Legend tossed him a ring. "If anyone questions you that should cover it."
Warriors looked at his palm. "Wha — Legend this is a signet ring. Whose —"
Legend was already gone, the door shutting behind him.
"Wait, vet!" Warriors chased after him, skidding around the corner. "Whose signet ring is this?!"
Legend grinned at him over his shoulder, an easy and mischievous one. "The former Queen's, Fable gave it to me. Use it."
Warriors didn't quite believe him but Legend was already sliding down the railing of the staircase and disappearing from view.
Warriors ended up talking to Twilight later that day, who said that if they had the ability to, they should help Legend out with the guard. So with that, and Sky's excited agreement to help do so, their work began.
A whole day of drills, Impa stepping in to cement their authority, forcing the commanders to listen, and even managing to make some progress, all passed by like syrup.
The next day, nearing dinner, Ravio showed up at the castle. He spoke to Impa in a hushed voice and Impa immediately left, disappearing into the shadows. Warriors had been talking to Impa when Ravio showed up, so what he saw definitely threw him for a loop.
"Ravio? Is everything alright?"
Ravio, his face hidden by his hood, turned toward Warriors. "It's... well, I suppose I could tell you." That worried Warriors, who glanced over at Hyrule who joined them. "Princess Zelda's envoy was attacked. It's okay!" He added quickly. "Mister Hero's already on the job! Zelda will be home in no time!
"What's 'the job'?" Hyrule questioned, showing up out of nowhere. "Did they get hurt or something?"
Ravio's mask made it very hard to read him, his voice did not. "Don't worry! It's just — their highness was taken captive. Mister Hero will make quick work of them, don't you worry! Now I have to go, wares to sell and all that!"
Warriors gaped. He looked at Hyrule in surprise.
"They managed to take her under Legend's nose?" Hyrule said dryly. "That's... I want to say that's a total lie, but he wasn't lying."
Warriors glanced at the younger hero, whose petal pink eyes were trained on Ravio.
"I feel like we should try to help," Hyrule added. "Ravio! How can we help?"
Ravio turned back. "Oh don't worry about it! Missus Impa is already on her way if Mister Hero needs any help. She's very protective of her charges, so we don't need to worry about anything."
Warriors was... kind of disappointed. He understood extenuating circumstances, but Legend was Legend. Warriors had seen him take moblin clubs to the head and get up and keep fighting and win. He was either very worried about what could’ve possibly beaten him, or he wasn't sure what excuse the veteran could have from Zelda being taking captive.
Legend had seen better days.
He sat on a rock as Impa knelt beside him, putting salves and bandages over rope burns on his wrists and throat and ankles. A red potion handled the main bruises that had littered his skin.
"Are you alright?" She asked, her voice was quiet and soft, worry clearly heard. "Any other wounds? Magic residue?"
Legend dazedly shook his head. "No," he whispered, subdued. "No, I... I'm fine."
"What else did they do?" She asked.
"Just what you saw," he admitted. "As long as we get that potion, nothing should hold over from that. The burns will fade within a day or two between the salves and potion and everything else was fixed from the red potion, we just need the pink one for safety."
"I'll bring it to you as soon as I can. Are you ready to move?"
Legend nodded. "Yeah... Think I could get away with staying at my house for a day before going back to the castle?"
Impa guided Legend to a horse and let him climb on.
"I think you could. Zelda is there now, when you're together you can escort her back to the castle. Ravio will have already sent an official letter to the mayor of Labyrnna, detailing a reason for her absence and offering a new date to postpone to."
"Ralph will understand," Legend agreed. "I'll see you at my place?"
"I'll be right beside you."
Legend nodded and urged the horse down the road. Impa flickered into the shadows soon after as he galloped down the path.
They arrived back to the castle, Zelda was perfectly fine, relieved, but she was fine. Legend stayed to the side, disappearing from the room as soon as he could.
Warriors caught up with him in the gardens. Legend was sitting on the edge of a little bridge over a stream.
"Catch."
Legend looked up and barely caught the ring Warriors tossed to him.
"Hey Captain," Legend greeted, oddly subdued for the veteran Warriors was used to.
"Hey. What's up with you?"
Legend didn't respond. "Just..." he appeared to struggle for the word.
"Upset? Disappointed in yourself? Mad?" Warriors offered.
"Sure," Legend sighed. "Whatever. Are you going to lecture me for 'letting the Queen get kidnapped'?" The way he said it sounded like he was in disbelief of the whole thing even happening, almost like he was mocking it.
"I am disappointed in you," Warriors confessed. "But more confused than anything. I've seen you take hits that should have you down for the count, hits that should at least make you falter, but you've always gotten back up and kept swinging. The fact that anybody got the jump on you and captured Zelda..."
Legend said nothing.
"You know, there's a rumor going around the castle that there's a new group of people that have been trying to get their hands on the goddess's blood for their own, specifically a child with the goddess's blood to mold to be their own. So yes, I'm a little disappointed and upset at you for letting her get captured when there's that kind of threat out there, but I'm a bit more worried about that threat."
Warriors didn't fail to note how Legend was gripping the edge of the bridge with a white-knuckled grip.
"Found them!" Warriors glanced up and Sky was joining them with Four and Twilight. It was a bit concerning that all five of their responsible members were together but Time could handle the three gremlins.
Four near marched up to Legend, who didn't hesitate to look at him.
Four stared down at Legend, who unsurprisingly was shorter than him when sitting. "You let her get taken," he stated flatly. Warriors swore his gray eyes looked almost teal in the lighting.
Legend met Four's gaze unflinchingly, he didn't deny it, nor did he say anything.
"There were rumors —"
"Wars mentioned them," Legend interrupted.
"Are they true?" Four pushed, nearly glaring. "Are there actually people out there trying to get their hands on a child with the goddess's blood?"
Legend nodded, slower this time, but without hesitating.
"And you let her get taken?!" Warriors was reminded that Four was also a guard, that his father was Captain of the Guard, that Four was incredibly close to Dot. "She seems fine but they could've raped her! What if you couldn't find them? Couldn't catch up? How could you let your Zelda get taken right in front of you?!"
Legend had redirected his gaze to the small stream beneath them. Warriors shot Sky and Twilight an unsure look. What does one do when their calmest does this?
Twilight tried to speak up. "Smithy, maybe hold off —"
"Did you take any safety precautions before leaving?" Four demanded, ignoring the rancher. "Do anything in case that group decided to attack."
Legend didn't respond, Warriors was definitely worried about the veteran.
"You didnt?!" Four took his silence to mean no. "You didn't even —"
"Shut up."
"No! If it was Dot —"
"Shut up!"
Legend cut Four for again, his head bowed and his arms shaking from how tight he was holding onto the railing-less bridge beneath them. Warriors wanted to say that the veteran was near tears.
"Shut up! You don't have a clue what happened out there, Smithy! So SHUT UP!"
Four near snarled, not even really acknowledging the warning. Warriors moved to stop the Smithy far too slowly. "I know you let the Queen get —"
"Impa!" Legend called, and it was more of a cry for help, a child calling for their parent.
"I think you heroes have outstayed your welcome."
A Sheikah warrior, Impa, stepped out from the shadow of a nearby tree. Warriors saw Four scowl, but Impa's aura promised danger if they kept pushing.
"Let's go," Warriors said a bit sternly, he near picked Four up as he urged the Smithy out from the gardens. Twilight followed them, but Sky lingered.
A glance back let Warriors see Legend shaking and Sky moving closer and Impa letting him.
Warriors shook his head, just making sure to get the very pissed off Four out of there. He would have to have some words with him.
Sky knelt beside Legend, paying Impa no mind. "Hey, are you okay?"
Legend didn't reply, but he was shaking. Sky sat beside Legend and, clearly showing his movements, carefully placed his hand beside Legend's. He let their fingers touch but he could tell when someone was vulnerable and he wasn't going to push any boundaries if he could help it.
Legend stiffened, but didn't move away. His hand still gripping the edge of the bridge tightly.
"Him too, Link?" Impa asked, and Sky ignored the glare she had aimed at him.
Legend shook his head, and Sky was thankful for the unsaid permission to stay. "Thank you," the veteran murmured to Impa.
"Of course... telling them —"
"No," he cut the shadow warrior off. "No, I... I'll think about it."
Impa simply nodded. "You should move from the edge. That would not help and the potion does need a few more days before it's effects are guaranteed, that... dip would certainly affect it."
Legend nodded, then Impa disappeared the same way she came. Sky looked back at the younger hero.
"Do you want a hug —"
"No!" Legend said quickly and not quite sharply, it was more scared than anything. His shoulders were hiked up to his ears and his head ducked down. "No, I... Don't touch me. Not anymore than..."
His eyes flicked to their hands and Sky nodded.
"Alright," he said softly, keeping their fingers barely touching and that was it.
The silence lingered only briefly before Legend forcibly unlatched his grip from the bridge and stood up slowly.
"I'm moving over to the tree," he muttered. Sky was surprised to easily hear the offer to join him. Sky got up and followed Legend over to the tree, Legend sat down at its roots, not quite against it, but still beneath it.
Sky sat beside him, close enough that he was in reach but not too close. He let the silence settle. He was worried, Legend wasn't ever this subdued even on a bad day. This was just... Legend was tense, maybe even fearful, and it just... it set so many alarm bells off in his head. Every inch of him wanted to wrap him up in his sailcloth and promise him warmth and safety.
He realized, he could do that.
Sky pulled his sailcloth off and then, carefully, without touching Legend, he set it over his shoulders.
"You're okay, Link," Sky whispered softly using Legend's real name, their shared name, to try and help ground the veteran. "You're safe, Zelda's safe, everything's going to be okay. I promise."
Sky was almost surprised that a few, soft words of comfort were all it took for Legend to break.
The veteran grabbed the sailcloth and wrapped it around himself as he trembled, his shoulders shook as he drew his legs up and buried his head against it. Sky noticed he was wearing pants, and for Legend who had refused to wear pants even in Wild’s Hebra region, it was a bit concerning.
Legend was crying. He was silent about it, if Sky wasn't paying close attention he wouldn't have heard the hitching sobs and shaky inhales or seen the way his shoulders shook.
Sky shifted a bit closer, not touching but sitting beside while facing him and slowly letting his leg press against Legend's.
"I'm here," he said verbally to go along with the silent assurance. "It's okay. You're safe here, I'll make sure of it, I swear."
Legend choked on a breath, Sky could hear the soft hitches and shaky inhales grow.
"I'll be here," Sky promised. "I don't know what happened but I don't care either, it hurt you and I won't let it happen again. I'll keep you safe for as long as I can, as long as you'll let me."
"Sky?" Legend's voice was small, shaky and strained, he was clearly crying even from the sound of his voice. Seeing him now, Sky would've estimated Legend to be about sixteen, not the nineteen he's figured him to be.
"Yeah, bunny?"
Legend snorted. "Don't call me that." Sky some took pride in getting him to laugh even a bit. "Could... Could you play a song? With your harp?"
"Of course," Sky murmured softly. He pulled out the Goddess Harp, he considered the Ballad of the Goddess, but decided against it. He instead opted for the song he was working on based off the Ballad of the Goddess, the one he started using to lull Sun to sleep.
Soft notes filled the air. Legend remained tense, but slowly, Sky could see the shaking slowly come to a stop and the tenseness fade away. He kept playing.
"Sky?" Legend's voice was far less strained but much softer and quieter.
Sky stopped playing for a moment. "Yeah?"
"My mom used to play that song," Legend revealed, voice a tired mumble, and Sky's mouth dropped. "I don't remember her very well... but I remember that song."
"Oh," Sky managed. "That's... a coincidence."
"It's a family thing." Legend lifted his head to look at him and rubbed his face dry. "Zel says that the first king wrote it for his wife, the goddess, and it's been used as a lullaby for our family ever since."
"Our..." Sky stared at him, fingers having gone still on the strings of his harp. "You..."
Legend nodded, confirming what Sky thought he was saying. Then he added hesitantly. "Thanks for staying with me, I'm sorry for... being like this."
Sky itched to hug him. "Don't — Always," he promised, "anytime, anywhere. You're allowed to hurt, Legend, and you're allowed to show that hurt."
Legend met his eyes. Sky realized his eyes were the same shade of purple that Hylia's armor had been but with the same flecks of gold that were in Sun's eyes.
"If I tell you the truth about what happened... will you promise not to tell the others?" Legend asked in a near whisper.
That made Sky even more worried but he easily agreed. "They won't find out from my mouth or my hand."
Legend nodded slowly. "Fable... Fable and I switch places a lot, sometimes she needs a break from being Queen and I learn things better by doing. She's trying to teach me about being royalty and all that but — yeah... So we switch a lot and at this point, nobody but Impa or Ravio can really tell."
Sky had a very bad feeling as Legend spoke.
"We switched for the trip," Legend revealed. "We knew about the group, and even though she can handle herself very well, we both know I'm the better fighter so we — it was only supposed to be so they'd focus on me, so she could escape and I could fight them, but —"
"They captured you, didn't they?" Sky realized.
Legend nodded, and that was probably the worst feeling Sky had felt since he watched Sun fall.
"Legend... did they..."
Legend nodded again.
Sky made a pained noise. "I'm so —"
"I hate myself for it," Legend added, cutting Sky off. He was staring at the grass, amethyst eyes glazed over. "I keep trying to think of other things I could've done, safety measures I could've taken instead, but nothing... I can't... They used a sleep spell, a powerful one or dozens of them. We stood no chance and... I had three protection rings, spell protection rings, and they still knocked me out cold. I can't think of anything else we could've done and I hate myself for it, Sky."
Sky wasn't sure what to say to that. He gently pressed his leg against Legend's, trying to provide some kind of assurance.
"I'm going to ask it again because you look like you really need one but if you still don't want to that's completely okay, and I won't do it even if you don't say no, only if you say yes," Sky explained gently, "but can I hug you?"
Legend was silent for a long moment, long enough that Sky assumed him to be saying no.
"Yeah," Legend murmured quietly. "Yes you can."
Sky telegraphed his movements. He shifted closer, then he slowly and carefully wrapped Legend up in a hug, using the sail cloth to practically swaddle him.
Legend went easily, he was shaking again as he crumbled against Sky's chest.
"If Four or Wars keeps giving you trouble, I'm fighting them," Sky said a bit spontaneously.
Legend stifled a laugh. "They mean the best. They'd also feel so bad if they found out they've been insulting a prince to his face."
"You want to keep that a secret still?"
"Please. I don't want them to treat me differently. I like arguing."
"Really? I couldn't tell."
Legend chuckled, curling up in his arms. Sky felt his heart melt and he held Legend as tight as he dared, making sure to leave plenty of room for Legend to get out if he wanted.
He'd be alright, Sky decided. He would make sure of it.