A/N: What's this? An update?! More likely than you may think! A 7.1k word chapter for you all! I hope you're looking forward to Arcadius' meeting the Chain! I've had their basic first interaction planned out since I first started this story. I hope you're all as entertained by it as I am!

Fanart is always welcome. You can reach out to me through Discord or e-mail me at [email protected]

(Also, we finally meet the ghosts of the Chain. :) Hope you're ready for some fun!)

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"Well now... Here's a face I haven't seen for quite some time." A familiar wizened voice echoed around them as they stepped out of the Shrine. A gentle dusting of snow covered the area around them—the majority of the snowfall was kept at bay by the magic of the woods. Seeing as they were still in the middle of winter, it made sense. The snow wouldn't start letting up until the end of February—around the time of the Hero's Festival.

"I'll never get used to the strangeness that follows you." Yatir blinked up at the Great Deku Tree before his attention was snatched away by Hestu shaking his maracas. "Never."

Link snorted in amusement as he strolled across the clearing to place a hand on the tree's bark. "It's good to see you, old friend."

"It is curious..." The tree hummed. While Link had spent a good deal of time around the Koroks and the Great Deku Tree even after Ganon's sealing, the tree had been asleep for a good portion of it. "You feel... strange."

"I'm a spirit now." Link informed him. He watched in a sort of morbid fascination as the tree flinched back in surprise, hard enough that several koroks fell from his branches along with a fair dusting of snow. Link let several icicles fall through him as Yatir irritably dodged whatever aimed to hit him. "I... did not survive sealing away Calamity Ganon."

The tree eyed him for a long moment, gaze flitting over the spaces where his fellow spirits stood. He distantly wondered if the Deku Tree could see them. "I see... This is something I cannot say I am entirely unfamiliar with. However, it is the first time I have seen a hero become a spirit as strongly anchored to the living as you."

"You mean there've been other ghosts?" Link took an involuntary step forward. "Ones that could interact with the living?"

"There was one..." The tree hummed. "A hero who had many regrets upon his death, who stayed as a shade to guide the hero that came after him. He was the hero who planted my seed."

"Great." Revali groaned. "So there've been other heroes with as rotten luck as yo—OW! Mipha!!"

"Be nice." Mipha shot him a look.

"Not like he's saying anything untrue." Link shrugged with a soft laugh. "At any rate, have you seen anything unusual in these woods lately? There've been some strange energy spikes across Hyrule."

"I cannot say..." The tree yawned. "I am very tired these days. But my children should be able to tell you."

With that, the Great Deku Tree fell back into his slumber. Link sighed fondly, turning towards Hestu and the other koroks expectantly. Several of the little ones sat contentedly on Link's shoulders and hair—something they could do even when he wasn't corporeal—and a quick glance at Yatir showed he was also popular with the little leaf spirits.

"We've seen something!" One of the koroks on Yatir's shoulder spoke up. "A portal opened up in the woods!"

"A portal! A portal!" Several koroks leapt up and down excitedly.

"Oh!! I remember!!" Hestu did a little dance. "It opened up just before you got here! There were people too!"

"People?" Link shared a glance with Yatir. "Paya didn't mention people, did she?"

"Nope. Fallen Ones, sure, but people?" The knight shook his head, resting a hand on one of his swords. His twin short swords were made by Robbie. Yatir had stated that steel was too loud and heavy for him, so he wielded a specially made pair of Guardian Swords instead.

"Guess we should go check it out." Link glanced at the koroks. "Can you lead us there?"

"I can!" The one on his shoulder—Acorn, was the name he'd given this one—announced happily. "But it's scary out there."

"We don't wanna go!" The other koroks shook lightly, and Link frowned.

"Scary? The Lost Woods?" They'd never been scary to the spirits before. Even Link himself hadn't felt the eeriness of the woods since his own death. In fact, the mists were a comfort to him now. He privately thought that perhaps the woods were meant to feel like home to spirits like him.

"There's monsters there now." Hestu shook a little. "Scary ones! If you can get them to go away, then we can play in the woods again."

Link and Yatir shared a look. "Monsters in the Lost Woods?" Zelda echoed.

"That's not right." Urbosa agreed with a light frown. "Looks like we've got a bit of cleanup to do."

"Do you think the portal brought 'em in?" Daruk wondered aloud.

"More than likely." Zelda sighed. "I can't think of any other reason why they'd be here... Though there were some monsters in the woods a century ago, but that was only because of Ganon."

"Regardless, they shouldn't be there." Link scowled lightly. "Don't worry," he shot the koroks a smirk, "we'll take care of the scary monsters."

Several small cheers and wishes of good luck sounded behind them as they followed the little korok out into the mists. The fog curled around Link like a mother welcoming him home, but it carried a note of danger. A whisper of a warning that something was not quite right. He could sense that there were things in these woods that did not belong.

"This place is creepy." Yatir shuddered, pulling his cloak around his shoulders a bit more tightly.

"To the living, maybe." Link shrugged.

"I'm comfortable here." Zelda agreed.

"I am of the living." Yatir reminded him with a groan.

"You're the only one here who is." Link chuckled. He was about to say something else when he paused, ears twitching. "Do you... hear that?" Everyone stopped, straining their ears to listen. There, in the distance, was the unmistakable sound of clanking armor and hushed voices.

"Did dying make your hearing sharper? How did you hear that?" Revali shot him a look. "You have ears like a Rito."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Link grinned as they continued forward with silent steps. Link made sure to go incorporeal to ensure he made as little sound as possible. Not for the first time, Link wished he could make himself invisible. Yatir ghosted over the snow on the ground with the kind of grace that could only be found among the Sheikah.

The voices were getting louder now, and the mists thicker. It curled around Link and Yatir like it was trying to hide them from the intruders. Finally, they came upon the group that stood in a clearing, arguing about something.

"...telling you we've been walking in circles!" The one in the red tunic made an angry motion.

"These are the Lost Woods." One of the armored men soothed. He had strange tattoos on his face and was missing an eye. He looked to be the oldest of them. "Going in circles usually means you're headed in the right direction."

"Hate to say it, but he's right." Another one spoke up. He also had facial tattoos, along with a wolf pelt wrapped around his shoulders. "Most of you guys don't have a Lost Woods, so you'll have to trust us on this one."

Link eyed them. There were eight living and several spirits obscured by the mist. He wasn't sure why, but there was something about this group that set his instincts on edge. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing he had no idea. He wasn't about to send the Champions out to speak with their spirits just yet—no sense in risking anything should one of the group prove to be like Jacklyn. Link wasn't foolish enough to assume he was the only person who could see ghosts anymore, and he wasn't about to tip his hand to a group of strangers. His first priority was figuring out just who these people were and why they were here.

"C'mon." Link nodded his head towards the group. "I don't think they're hostile." It was a gut feeling. "We should make sure they can find their way out of the forest. Maybe we can even get some answers from them about these portal things."

Link turned solid, letting his feet crunch loudly in the snow, hushing the group. He walked from the mists like the ethereal spirit he was, tilting his head curiously at the group of foreigners. "You seem a bit lost." He sent them a smile. "Need a guide?"

The group of eight—and was that a child with them?! A child with a sword? Link wasn't one to judge but normally it was only Hyrulean kids that were armed these days—turned to study him. Link could make several observations now that he was closer. Their armor was shiny, but not unscathed. Their weapons were nice, but not unused. And their ears were most assuredly Hylian.

"Who are you?" The one-eyed warrior tilted his head. "Not that we don't appreciate the offer, but the chances of running into a friendly face in these woods..."

Link nodded in agreement. "I could ask the same of you. You all look Hylian, but you certainly don't act it." No hylian would wear such heavy metal armor. Moreover, every person in Hyrule would recognize Link in his Champion's Tunic.

"Don't... act it?" Red Tunic looked mildly offended. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You came from that portal thing, didn't you?" Link hummed. "Explain a bit about that to me, and I'll guide you out of these woods."

The group shared a look for a long moment, seemingly debating on what they should say, before the one in a white cloak approached. "We're travelers. We use those portals to get around."

Link opened his mouth to say something, when a familiar chime filled the air. Every muscle froze and his brain short circuited like a Guardian with its wires cut. Because he knew that chime. Hadn't heard it in nearly three years, but he could never forget it. Nor could he ever fail to recognize the hilt of the blade that'd burned its design into the palm of his right hand.

"That sword..." His horrified whisper drew the eyes of Yatir and his spirits to the blade. Everyone stiffened. There wasn't a soul in Hyrule who wouldn't recognize that blade, living or dead. And to those with Link especially, the implications of that blade being here were quite clear. His horrified gaze settled upon the group once more. "What have you done...?"

He had been wrong about this group. These weren't travelers, they were hyraiders! They'd somehow made it down into the sanctum and... And if the sword was here, then there was nothing sealing Calamity Ganon away. His death was entirely in vain. His sacrifice was for nothing. Anger—hot and fierce—overwhelmed him, fueled by a primal terror that he hadn't felt since he died.

"Wait, what're you talking about?" The one who carried the sword held up his hands, as if he could placate the wrath of the Champion.

"You idiots!" He drew his blade. If he could take her back from them, then perhaps there was time to seal Ganon once more before he destroyed everything. On the edge of his hearing—mind?—he swore he heard that earth-shattering roar. But whether it was real or his fear playing with him was yet to be seen. "You damned hyraiders! Have you any clue what you've done?! That sword—!! She was never meant to be removed!"

"Wait a second!" The one in a multicolored tunic shouted as several of them also unsheathed their blades. "It's not what you think, this isn't the Master Sword you know!"

The man with the sword also drew the blade, the shimmer of her magic was familiar, and something about the situation seemed inherently wrong, but he was too worked up to think it over.

"Link." Urbosa placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Calm yourself. I understand your anger, but you cannot battle with clouded judgment." Despite her words, even the Gerudo Chieftess seemed furious. Lightning crackled along her fingertips as Mipha pointed her spear in the direction of the strangers. Daruk's smile was nowhere to be seen and Zelda had an expression almost as enraged as Link himself, bow held tightly in her grasp. Revali looked a half second away from taking flight, his eyes flickering to Link as if waiting for his go-ahead. Even Yatir had drawn his Guardian Swords as he slipped into a battle-ready position.

Link forced himself to take a deep breath. Before anyone could say anything else, a voice rose into the air. "STOP IT!" It was multilayered, like the chimes of the Sword that Seals the Darkness. And in that same moment, sparks flew from the blade, forcing the hand that held her to let go.

And all motion ceased. Wide eyes went from the man who'd been holding the sword, to Link. "You..." He carefully picked her up, and Link instantly realized what'd seemed off about the situation.

Only the Hero could wield that sword. So how could that man hold her? His eyes flitted towards the spirit who'd called out—the multilayered voice that'd tickled the recesses of his mind. She was like a dancer—fluttering robes of purple and blue, with crisscrossing ribbons around her legs like the hilt of the sacred sword. At once, he understood that she was the spirit of the blade.

"Only the Hero... Only the Hero can wield the Sword that Seals the Darkness." Link uttered in quiet realization. There was only ever one hero at a time, from what he knew. Now that he was looking more carefully, the blade looked different from the one he'd wielded—newer, sharper, her colors were bright and not at all faded like the ten thousand year old blade that'd burned his hand. Link sheathed his blade carefully, but did not pull his hand away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yatir do the same. "Who are you?"

"We are heroes traveling across time." The one-eyed man spoke up. "And this is not the Master Sword from your era."

"Master... I am sorry that I was raised against you." The spirit apologized softly, in a way that told him that she had no idea he could hear her.

Link took a deep breath, trying to force the tremors in his hands to abate. His anger still coursed hotly through his veins, and it was taking more effort than he would've liked to work himself down from his fury. "So let me get this straight. You eight are the Heroes of Old from across time." Honestly, if he couldn't see the Sword's spirit, he might've been inclined to call them liars. This was a tad ridiculous even for him. And he'd broken the laws of the world twice so far... at least.

"W-wait... as in the historical Heroes of Old?!" Zelda's eyes went wide. "Oh, Link! This is incredible!! Look, I think that one's the fabled Hero of Time!!" Well, at least one of them could get excited over this. Link was somewhat relieved to see he wasn't the only spirit that was having trouble letting his anger go.

"Calm down, Little Bird." Urbosa gave a fond chuckle, though everyone was still very much on edge. Nobody but Link and Yatir had sheathed their weapons, though everyone had lowered them at least.

"Heroes of Old?" Red Tunic scrunched up his nose. "That's a new one."

"Better than being a bedtime story." The one who was the most sensibly dressed, in Link's humble opinion, shrugged. He was also the only one with brown hair.

"If Fi shocked me like that, then it's likely that you're one of us." The one with the sword spoke softly. "My name is Link. We're all named Link."

"That'll get confusing." Revali clicked his beak.

"So we go by nicknames." The soft one continued. "I am Sky. I forged the Master Sword."

Link jerked back as Yatir stepped forward. "W-wait! You forged the legendary blade of the hero?!" The Sheikah bounced excitedly. "Then that must mean you're the hero who came from the sky!! The one who gave Skythos their nickname!!"

"Uh... yeah. My time's before Hyrule was even called Hyrule." Sky nodded.

"Wait a second." Link held up a hand. "You're all heroes from across time, and named Link." He waited for their nod. "And you've come to this time..." He was pretty sure he knew the answer, but he was hoping he was wrong.

"To find the hero of this era and bring him along with us." The one with the wolf pelt smiled even as Yatir's excitement drained away at the statement. "I'm Twilight. Nice to meet you. The old man's Time, and the grumpy one in red is Legend."

"I'm Warriors!" The armored one in a blue scarf grinned. "That's Hyrule, Wind and Four—he's a blacksmith."

Link shared a hard look with Yatir. "I am Champion Link and this is Sir Yatir. I'm sorry, but I cannot go with you. I have things I must do here."

"It's not up to us." Sky shook his head. "Hylia is the one that decides who comes along." He held out the blade to Link. "Fi is the name of the spirit in the sword. She'll give you your nickname."

"Regardless, I cannot leave my kingdom." Link stated firmly, gently shoving the sword away with a mental apology. "I will lead you out of these woods as promised, but after that I must be on my way." He wasn't about to get caught up in this mess more than he already was. He had nothing against the goddesses, but some divine entity was really pushing some of Link's buttons if they wanted to send him along like this.

"Not really your choice to make." Legend scowled. "You think I wanted to come along on a seventh journey?! If I'd had a choice I would've gladly told whatever damned goddess it was that asked that I was retired."

Link felt something like a chill go up his spine. "I've done my part." He practically growled, and though it was aimed towards whatever goddess it was that was orchestrating this, Legend flinched lightly. Even still, he wouldn't take it back. He had done his part. He was dead. Didn't that negate any obligation towards the title of the Hero anyways?

He sighed roughly, glancing at Zelda out of the corner of his eye. "Let's just guide them out of these woods." She suggested. "And then we can talk over our options with the council."

"We've all done our parts." Four spoke up softly, eyes flashing red for a moment. Actually, now that Link was looking at him, he had four little wisps of color that arched out from his body—blue, red, purple and green. It was almost like he had four different spirits shoved into one body. And he had another spirit with him, a look-alike in dark shadowy tones and bright red eyes. "Doesn't mean we get to rest."

Link scowled lightly as he started walking. "Look. I'm sorry, but I'm not coming along with you. I've made my decision. I'll show you out of these woods and then take my leave. Let's get moving, unless you'd like to get lost in the mists?"

The group shared looks before trailing along behind him and Yatir. "I'm Wind!" The child trotted up to walk beside him. He didn't seem to have a spirit with him. "My Hyrule is all buried under the sea!! I'm a pirate! What's your Hyrule like?"

Zelda gave a muffled laugh, drawing a small glare from Link. He idly wondered if the twins would be like this when they were older. "Not sure how to describe it when I've never known any other Hyrule." He finally answered. "Beautiful. Untamed. We get travelers from all across the continent that come for the scenery alone." Link gave a small smirk as he added in a whisper, "and we have chocolate."

"Chocolate?" Wind tilted his head to the side, and Link noted that the rest of the group looked equally confused.

"A sweet unique to Hyrule." He explained. "It's so coveted in other kingdoms that even the royals across borders will send their fastest knights or hawks to buy more."

"Sounds like something I've gotta try." Warriors grinned.

Link opened his mouth to say something when he had the abrupt feeling of something wrong. The mists swirled anxiously around him, carrying the whisper of something's coming, be ready. He froze mid-step, ears swiveling as he tried to pinpoint what direction the warning was talking about.

"Hello?" Four questioned, but Yatir held a finger up to his lips, hands already going for his blades. The whole group tensed, drawing their own weapons as a quivering silence befell them.

It was years of battle experience that had Link bringing up his blade just in time to block an attack from a lizalfos. It snarled, spit falling from its gaping maw as its eyes swiveled around in a hate-filled haze. He heard, more than saw, the rest of the group being attacked as well, but they weren't Link's people. If they couldn't fend for themselves, then they shouldn't have come to Hyrule.

Yatir found his place at Link's back, and the two fell into a familiar dance. Yatir's bright blue Sheikah swords sliced through both mists and monsters with a frightening ease, and Revali's arrows flew from the branches and embedded themselves in the skulls of the Fallen Ones around the battlefield. Urbosa and the others stood back, ready to help should he need it, but equally content to watch the battle unfold.

What he hadn't seen was the moblin that lumbered from the shadows of the trees and shattered his wooden shield. Link clenched his jaw as he collided hard with one of the nearby trees. His scars pulsed in pain as they scraped against the bark through his shirt, but he was on his feet again in less than a second. He thought he distantly heard one of the forei—Heroes call out to him, but a familiar voice snatched his attention instead.

"You good, Link?" Yatir shot back without taking his eyes off the moblin.

"Yeah. Just love getting shoved into a tree by an angry moblin in the morning." He leapt back into the battle.

"Well don't let Gin hear you say that, he'll get jealous." The Sheikah snickered.

The battle was finally starting to wind down. The Fallen Ones were defeated, crimson staining the ground around them. Thankfully they were just blue-pelts, so it wasn't anything too difficult. Even so, the fact that there were monsters in the forest at all was concerning. Was it because of the travelers?

"Their blood isn't black?" Warriors frowned. "I thought for sure they were infected."

Link's head whipped about. "Black blood?"

"Yeah... it's why we're traveling across time." Sky explained.

"Monsters with unreal vitality and black blood have appeared across time." Time sheathed his sword as he spoke. "I assume you've encountered some?"

Link grimaced. "Gold pelts." He explained. "They appeared suddenly about three years ago. Incredibly intelligent for Fallen Ones, and their power is at least three times that of a silver pelt."

"Silver pelt?" Legend puzzled as Link sheathed his own blade, continuing the trek out of the woods.

"You know, the step up from black-pelt?" He blinked at the uncomprehending looks. "Red pelts are the weakest, then you've got blue-pelts, and then black and silver?"

"Silver and black." Warriors groaned. "Just when I thought blue was the toughest we had to deal with."

"Well, anyways I should..." Link brought his wrist up to activate his communication crystal, only to freeze. "Aw, shit." He stared incredulously at the shattered crystal. It must've happened when the moblin attacked. "Teba's gonna kill me."

"I'd be more worried about Riju, honestly." Yatir nodded in agreement. "Teba will yell a bit, but Riju will hold it over your head for ages. Sidon will just give you a disappointed lecture."

"I may just fear Sidon the most then."

"Are you okay? You hit that tree pretty hard." Hyrule frowned as he fell into step beside Link, ignoring the way Yatir tensed lightly.

"I'm fine." Link smiled softly. "It'll take more than a blue-pelted moblin to take me down."

"Don't I know it?" Yatir groaned. "I'll ask you again, please stop finding trouble."

Several heroes snorted. "Sorry to break it to you... Yatir, was it?" Warriors grinned. "But heroes will always find trouble. Asking him to stay away from it is hopeless."

"It's my job to help keep him out of trouble." Yatir shook his head. "I have to try."

"Job?" Warriors studied his outfit with a critical gaze. "Are you a knight?"

"I am!" Yatir puffed his chest out slightly with pride. "General Yatir, head of the Hyrulean Royal Army." He gave the knight a confident smirk. "Pleasure to meet you."

Warriors' shoulders stiffened as his stance became more rigid. Link had seen foreign knights do the same when they unexpectedly happened across a superior officer. "A General? Not just that, but the head of the army?" His gaze flitted between the Sheikah and Champion.

"He likely mistook his words." Zelda giggled lightly. "I do believe he's mistaken you for someone who works under Yatir, rather than the one whom Yatir works for."

"It'll be interesting to see how they react to you when they learn what the title of Champion means here." Urbosa smirked wickedly.

"You are very cruel, Lady Urbosa." Mipha grinned behind her hand. Link could make out several far too sharp teeth.

"As if you don't take just as much enjoyment out of this as the rest of us." Revali snorted.

"Pardon me, are you his companions?" A new voice made Link's ear twitch, and his gaze passed over a new ghost—one who'd been walking beside Legend. She was a rather pretty young lady with fiery red hair and shimmering warm brown eyes. There was a tropical flower in her hair and she wore a rather simple blue dress.

"You could say that." Revali smirked. "We're the ones responsible for trying to keep Link out of trouble."

"Except for you, Revali. You help him find it." Zelda reminded him.

"I beg your pardon?!"

"Shatterback."

"One time!" The Rito puffed out his feathers.

"I'm Marin." The girl cut their argument short with a wide grin. "If your ties with your Link are strong enough, you should be able to travel with him like the rest of us." She gestured behind her towards the other ghosts.

"Link's already decided not to go." Zelda stated firmly. "All of us are staying with him."

Link found himself observing them as the rest of the heroes carried on conversations with Yatir, realizing he was 'zoning out'. They likely thought he was concentrating on the path before them so they weren't getting more lost than they already had been.

There was Marin—who seemed to be Legend's ghost companion—and the greyscale Link that accompanied Four. He looked to have a rather mischievous vibe to him.

"Good luck with that. Not up to you, and not up to him." The Four lookalike snorted. "I'm Shadow, by the way." He gave a sharp grin as he introduced himself to the Champions, unaware that Link could hear him. "Never seen a hero with so many ghosts. Well, Prettyboy over there doesn't count because he's in the military. He's got a lot of ghosts that still follow him, but they got stuck at home."

"Oh, just wait till you meet the ghost army." Revali muttered under his breath.

"Ghost army?" A small blue orb of light flitted over towards the Rito in curiosity. "Oh, hi! I'm Navi! I'm Time's companion!" She smiled, flashing tiny sharp teeth at her fellow spirits. "And the wolf over there doesn't speak, so we call him Goldie." She flew over to a golden one-eyed wolf who practically glowed. "He's Twilight's ghost companion." She explained.

Finally, the last spirit introduced herself. "Greetings. I am Fi—the spirit of the Master Sword." She paused for a moment, looking at Zelda. "You... are the Zelda of this time."

The other ghosts jerked back like they were struck. Goldie in particular whined loudly, eyes fixating on Zelda with something like recognition and pain. "Wait, you... I thought all the Zeldas were safe?" Marin tilted her head in confusion.

"Ah..." Zelda sighed and gripped her arm. "I... fulfilled my duties as the princess of this kingdom. Ganon has been sealed. What's done is done. I'm free now. It wasn't Link's fault, you must understand this." She glared at them as if daring them to defy her. Link idly noticed that the other Champions' stances shifted as well, ready to defend him if need be.

"Hey, we weren't blaming your Link." Navi corrected at once, wings flittering with unease as she glanced warily between the five spirits. "No hero would hurt their princess. I'm sure he blames himself enough as it is."

Link hid his wince at that. He used to blame himself. Some part of him still did, but he'd long since come to terms with what happened in Hyrule Castle that day. After all, it was difficult to blame himself when his own life had been lost as well.

"Beyond that, are there any heroes that can see us?" Urbosa asked suddenly, nearly making Link miss a step. He recovered quickly enough that nobody seemed to have noticed, sans the one-eyed wolf spirit who chuffed softly in amusement.

"There are, actually!" Marin clapped her hands happily. "Well, sort of. Little Wind can see and hear us when he concentrates hard enough, but he tries to stay out of the business of the rest of the heroes. Don't be surprised if he strikes up a conversation with you when the others aren't paying attention. He's such a sweetheart, he doesn't want us to feel lonely. And I think Twilight can do something similar, but he needs to tap into a... special magic."

"Four can sense us if they really concentrate, but that's because they're idiots who already messed with soul magic." Shadow sighed fondly, and it took Link a moment to decipher the meaning behind the spirit's words.

"W-wait, what does that mean?" Zelda flinched back, but Shadow shook his head.

"Not my place to say. I've already told you more than the other heroes know." The monochrome Link shrugged, red eyes lighting up in mirth. "It's a puzzle you'll have to figure out on your own."

Link subtly eyed the multicolored aura of the short hero. Four. Four colors. And Shadow referred to him as them—which either meant Four was gender neutral or... Or the soul magic mentioned somehow involved one person becoming four people. Somehow, that second answer rang truer than the first, but Link would wait and see. In all honesty, it wasn't his business either way. He would part with these heroes at the edge of the Lost Woods, and probably never see them again.

He couldn't go with them. He wouldn't. Not when he was already living on borrowed time. He couldn't waste it on another journey when he had a kingdom to look after. He wasn't a vagabond anymore—he was the Champion of Hyrule.

Link's ears twitched as a few korok rattles echoed around them, drawing his attention back towards the living. Every ear twitched, and Link found himself distantly intrigued by the fact that all these heroes could hear the koroks.

"I know that sound!" Wind piped up. "Do you have koroks here?!"

"Yes, this is the Lost Woods—the home of the Koroks and the Great Deku Tree." Link informed as the mists cleared slightly. That eerie feeling of 'wrong, something's intruding upon this place' was slowly fading. Whatever monsters that remained within the forest were likely being expelled by the confusion of the mists. By the end of the day, the koroks would be able to freely play within the spirit woods once more. He made a mental note to send some people to patrol the area around the woods to take out whatever Fallen Ones had escaped the forest.

"Yahaha!" The korok that had guided Link to the group popped up from the hood of his cloak. "You found me!" The little tree spirit grinned at Wind.

"So that's a korok." Twilight hummed. "We don't have those in my time."

"It makes sense." Time nodded. "Koroks are supposedly what's left of the Children of the Forest."

"I like you!" The korok leapt from Link's hood to settle on Time's shoulder happily. The older hero smiled softly, gently patting the tree spirit's head with his index finger. Before anyone could blink, several other koroks settled themselves on Time. Link snorted when one started 'braiding' his hair (he knew from experience it'd end up as nothing more than a tangled disaster, and did not envy the one-eyed warrior).

He felt a few koroks settle on his own head and shoulders, and the one he'd fondly nicknamed Maple slid down his arm to rest on the palm of his hand. "Link! Thank you for clearing the woods! Now we can play again!" Maple cheered.

"You smell good." Halberry—another little korok that Link had once found hiding in the Duelling Peaks—commented to Time. "You smell like the forest."

"I am from the forest." Time hummed softly. "I was raised by the Deku Tree."

"You were raised by a tree?" Warriors sent him a look.

"You're a Kokiri." Link realized abruptly, noting the way Time startled lightly, like he hadn't expected Link to know that term.

"I was raised as one." He nodded. "You know of them?"

"They're the Children of the Forest." Link's lips curved upwards. "I've heard stories of them from the Great Deku Tree before."

"That means you're our brother!" Maple cheered, echoed by his siblings who chittered excitedly.

"Careful." Link smirked as he caught one of the Koroks that'd danced right off his head. "Start talking like that too much and I might start thinking you like him more than me." He teased.

"No!" Several tiny voices rose into the branches above them. "Link's still our favorite!" Halberry argued.

"Yeah, nobody's better than Link!" Maple nodded decisively as several agreements filled the air.

"Well someone's popular." Warriors grinned.

"Koroks are playful, but mine aren't this friendly." Wind looked a tad confused, but overall pleased. "Or tiny."

"We're nearly out of the woods." Link eyed the torchlight he could see in the distance. "Once we're there, you can continue along the road until you find a Stable—they're like inns that're dotted along the roads of Hyrule. You can study the map there to gather your bearings or rent a Guide—a native who can help you navigate Hyrule."

He heard several sighs behind him. "I wish it was that easy to refuse a journey from a goddess." Legend pinched the bridge of his nose. "I doubt she'll let you out of this so easily."

"I don't care what the goddesses think." Link's voice was firm. "I have a duty here that I cannot abandon. Unless this land is in mortal peril, I will not go on another journey."

"Those black-blooded monsters may just be that mortal peril." Twilight pointed out. "You said they'd been here for... what, three years?"

"We've been handling them just fine." Link shot him a look. "Hyrule is strong. Her people are not to be taken lightly. You can ask any single one of the foreign lands that grace our borders."

A cool breeze wafted through the branches of the trees, carrying with it the feeling of sunshine and wildflowers. He'd felt it off and on during his Journey, most notably at the goddess statues—Hylia's Divinity. A soft voice drifted on the wind, but he couldn't make it out clearly. Either way, the sentiment itself was clear—Hylia wanted him to go with this group. He narrowed his gaze at the wind, challenging the goddess with his very will. He'd sooner give up his Triforce pieces than leave this kingdom.

He was already dead. He owed the divine nothing.

"Finally!" Legend heaved a sigh of relief as they left the woods at last. The mists curled around Link, as if to hold him back and keep him in the forest of spirits. The koroks hopped off their favored riders and stood at the edge of the woods, refusing to leave when the lands beyond were so dangerous. These ones were not prone to wander at the moment, it seemed.

Hestu had once explained that the koroks in the woods were usually too young to venture out. The older koroks, on the other hand, were still playing their now 6-year-long game of hide-and-seek. Link liked to think he was winning. Then again, he had no idea how many of them there were. But he liked to think that finding over 490 of them was winning. He hoped.

The moon shone overhead—half moon, he still had plenty of time before the next Blood Moon. "Here's where we part." Link's hand rested over his Slate, ready to teleport away at the first sign of the heroes' protest. He belatedly realized that he'd already freely teleported to the Lost Woods, without a Shrine or Tower as his sendoff location. A quick glance at the Slate told him he still had fifteen minutes until he could freely teleport again. Otherwise he'd need to step into a Shrine to make his way back home.

"If you can, we wish you luck." Time gave him a tired smile—eye shimmering with the light of someone who knew far too much to be fooled by false hope. Link internally glowered. He didn't care what they thought. One could say living after dying was a false hope too, but here he was. Nothing was impossible. Not when it came to Link.

"Like I said, follow this road and you'll hit the Stables. You can be guided from there. If they ask, say you're travelers from Illistria."

"Illistria?" Legend frowned. "Is that a neighboring kingdom?"

Link shook his head with an amused smile. "No, it's the continent across the sea. You don't look anything like the people from a neighboring kingdom, but you can get away with saying your ancestors hailed from Hyrule. That's where you get the ears from."

"Across the sea?!" Wind perked up. "You've sailed the sea?"

"No, but I know my geography." Link hummed as he eyed the sun. "If you leave now, you'll get to the Stables by dusk." He turned to leave—to go off-trail and wander around a bit until he could teleport back to New Castletown—when a familiar laugh floated across the wind.

"YIGA!" Yatir's voice cut through whatever conversation the heroes had started, and while they assuredly had no idea what a Yiga was, they could tell by the knight's tone of voice that it was an enemy.

The Sheikah traitors had been strangely quiet over the last few years—enough so that there was a sighting only once every few months. This in mind, one would have to forgive Link's disbelief at seeing seven Yiga appear before him with mad cackles and the strong scent of bananas.

Link blocked a sickle that'd been aimed for his neck as Yatir blocked the one aimed for his back. "Well, this is just wonderful." The Champion scowled as his knight nodded in agreement, pushing against the Yiga's blade to make the enemy stumble back.

"Who are these guys?!" Legend's voice called out.

"Yiga!" Link explained in a clipped tone. "They're Sheikah traitors who work for Ganon."

"Well that's fucking lovely."

"WIND!" Warriors' reprimand fell on deaf ears as the blue-scarfed knight disengaged with his foe only to scarcely block the blade of another. Link didn't have much time to analyze the heroes' fighting styles as he felt the icy chill of a blade passing inches from his neck.

Urbosa blocked another blade that made for Yatir's head, and though the Sheikah couldn't see the spirits, he always seemed to know who was around. "Thanks, Urbosa." He muttered softly.

"Of course." The Gerudo Chieftess smirked.

"Incoming!" Revali's voice called from the skies, and Link was quick to give Yatir a low-toned whistle to let him know Revali was about to rain down all kinds of pre-calamity hell upon their enemies.

The three fighters all dove to the side, rolling just as a maelstrom of arrows pelted the three Yiga that'd ganged up on them. One went down and did not rise, the other two staggered to their feet.

A familiar whinny on the wind had Link's grin stretching uncomfortably wide. "Y'know, you really should've learned that anything less than double digits is too easy for me." Link smirked as he stepped back, holding out a hand behind him just in time to catch Echo's reins. He swung himself onto the back of his beloved steed just as another feathered spirit swooped down to soar beside him.

"Valik." He greeted as he fired off a few arrows of his own, aiding the heroes who seemed to be struggling against their more human foes.

"What kind of trouble have you found this time, Captain?" The Rito groaned. "I swear, dead or alive there's no end to the chaos you bring."

"What can I say? I'm a beacon for excitement." Link cackled as he fired off yet another arrow. Two more flew above his own—one from Zelda and one from Revali.

"Don't leave me out of the fun!" The once-princess grinned from her seat upon Revali's back.

"Honestly. You're awful at teamwork." Revali laughed.

"Well—" Link cut himself off abruptly when he saw something from the corner of his eye. It was a feeling in the air—the warmth of spring, a whisper of feathers, a silent murmur of apology—and a swirl of colors—blues and purples and whites and greys.

A portal had swirled into being right in the middle of the battlefield.

The heroes all startled, but Wind—the youngest and likely the most distractible—had turned to look at the swirling vortex that lay not five feet behind him. It was a mistake that might've cost him his life, had Link been a moment slower.

He leapt from Echo's back, activating his Champion's Ability—Link's Courage. He felt the time around him slow to a crawl as he pushed just the tiniest bit of magic into his Triforce pieces, willing himself to get there in time.

In that moment, he didn't care that this boy was a foreigner, or a hero. All he saw was a child in danger. He called up Daruk's Shield just as he got between Wind and the blademaster, but the force flung the Champion into the Hero. And both straight into the swirling vortex.

The last thing Link saw as the nauseating colors consumed him alongside an acute vertigo, was Yatir's panic stricken face.