Debbie
Legend wouldn't call himself an adrenaline junkie. He hated the feeling that adrenaline gave him when it prickled underneath his skin, setting fires aglow underneath. It tensed his muscles, squeezed his lungs, and settled stones into his heart. He felt himself unusual when compared to his other incarnations when it came to confronting an enemy. 

A gleeok. He's fought a Gleeok before, he thinks. But even if he *Had*? It was nothing like this. Ever since arriving to this new and strange Hyrule, Link has been awestruck with the amount of technology and... Incredibly difficult terrain this place had. In both flora and fauna— though whether the fauna that was around *Should* Be here was another story, according to Wild. 

The wreckage of a Guardian comes to mind. He easily sweeps the memory aside. That was before he met Wild. 

Now... The aftermath. The drawstring on his bow is pulled slack, a silver arrow is slipped back into his quiver. His breathing slows as he closes his eyes to take that moment to himself. No, his reaction to a fight he feels is atypical of most heroes— per the legends he's been told. But he himself is something of a walking legend, isn't he?

And legends are never the same when you meet them. 

The Hylian rolled his shoulders and pulled his Longhook from his pack, glancing down from his spot on high to check for something to attach it to. Sure enough, he found some crumbling blocks to attach it. Climbing up onto the edge of his perch, Link pinned his Roc's Cape on and aimed—

*Clunk!* No time was wasted, the Longhook dragged him from his perch straight down. *Nervewracking, it's been a while.* 

Thankfully, before he got too close he flung his arms out and let the Roc's Cape hover him to the ground before too much damage was done to his knees. Or worse. 

"You're either reckless or know what you're doing. Not sure which yet." Legend hums out, dusting himself off and stowing the Longhook away along with his cape.
Bobby
Wild grinned down from the top of the colosseum at their target: a three-headed, winged monster spitting electrically charged breath from its jaws. A thunder gleeok. The Monster Control Crew had asked him to take care of this one since no one else was good (or stupid) enough to approach it, and he had invited the Hero of Legend along because why not? He had yet to see the guy in an actual fight, and since the opportunity had so generously fallen into his lap, he figured now was as good a time as any. 

Without further delay, Wild dove off the edge of the stone ledge, hurtling towards the ground, before opening his paraglider at the last second to stop himself from slamming into the dirt. He landed square on his feet next to Legends, still smiling, and turned to his previous incarnation. "Of *Course* I know what I'm doing. I do this when I'm *Bored."* 

He then took out his Shiekah Slate, and time around him momentarily slowed almost to a stop as he tapped the screen a few times. Blue wisps swirled around his head before they formed the Thunder Helm, and a bottle of orange liquid formed in his hand. Time around him returned to normal. What had just taken place happened in the blink of an eye to an outside observer and alarmed most the first time they saw it, but Wild couldn't recall if Legends had seen him use his Hyperfocus yet or not. He supposed it didn't really matter, though.

An ear-splitting shriek startled him out of his thoughts. Well, the gleeok noticed them. It took to the air with another angry roar, and began to circle above them. Wild chugged the mighty elixir in an alarmingly short time, and the bottle dissolved in his hand. Turning to Legends, he spoke quickly. "It's too fast to get a good shot when it's moving. I'm gonna get it out of the air. Cover me." 

Without another word, he crouched and put a hand on the ground. A small *Hmph!* Echoed inside Wild's head, and an updraft blasted around him. He opened his paraglider and shot upwards, a bluei

Sh, ghostly, birdlike figure flew around him once before dissipating, and Wild glided over to a floor of the arena closer to the level that the gleeok was flying at. With luck, they could take this thing down pretty quickly. Wild had quite a few arrows fixed with Keese eyeballs before they set out, so as long as he could get a clear enough shot to hit its eyes, they could probably get this done in half the time with two heroes on the job.
Jason
Tired eyes met with what Link could only describe as wildly crazed eyes as he answered. He could remember that same look on one of his newer recruits back at his Hyrule, the look of someone who is entirely *Too* Excited to be killing a beast larger than themselves. Legend set his jaw, staring up at the hovering form of the gleeok. *Great. Fantastic.*

He felt that tension lock his spine for just a moment before he released it in a sigh. Out of the corner of his eye, Link watches as his... Descendant? Incarnation? Either way, in one moment he had no helm and the next a fully decorated one of what seemed to be gold. Even downed a potion.

Now, Legend is no stranger to speed. But this was something different. He barely noticed the difference.

A hand reached behind him to pull his heater shield off his back. The Mirror Shield might be able to deflect a few lightning shots his way. Sounds like Wild needed a distraction. That was something he could do. The hero propped the shield in between the rocks he had used to get to the ground and settled it as cover. Then, he watched... That looked like a spell. 

A spell attached to a... Bird person? Legend shook his head. Questions for later. Crouching low, Link held his bow horizontal and pulled back on the drawstring. It was fitted with a heavier string that needed a stronger draw— 160 pounds worth of forth. And as he aimed a silver arrow up, it fired with a *Heavy* Thunk. He's aiming for center mass of this thing. 

And even if that didn't do much damage, Legend drew another arrow and crouched still, firing off another; and another... Trying to get attention drawn to him. 

*Too far up for the Fire Rod... Ice is no good either... If possible, I want to use as few seeds as possible...*

Legend curses, moving to hide behind his shield. He doesn't know what Wild is doing, and he doesn't know what this thing is capable of. *How could anyone consider this fun?*
Paul
*The gleeok roared at Legends, its attention grabbed by the Hylian on the ground. One of the arrows hit it in the chest... But that didn't appear to be a weak spot. But damage had certainly been done. It seemed the arrows that could face Ganon's might were effective against this monster. But gleeoks are known for being monsters of terrifying power for a reason, and with a shake of its heads and another roar, it focused its three rolling eyes on the Hero of Legend and opened its mouths, hissing and gathering elemental energy, preparing to fire...*
Bobby
*Now.*

Wild somersaulted over the top of the gleeok before activating his Hyperfocus and honing in on the beast upside-down, drawing his Savage Lynel bow armed with three arrows, all with Fire Keese eyeballs fixed to the arrowheads. *Hello there,* He thought, smirking at the monster. Loosing the projectiles, the arrows swirled around the beast with incredible speed and found all three eyes, each colliding with their targets in a burst of flame.

The beast screamed and plummeted, and Wild opened his paraglider again, soaring down after it. It smacked into the stone floor, no doubt bringing down a *Lot* Of its health with the impact. He had also noticed how much the beast flinched at the firing of... It had to be silver arrows, because even Wild's own ancient arrows did next to nothing to any gleeok, if they even managed to land. Noticing Legends was keeping his distance so far, he decided to focus his own efforts a bit closer. "Seems you have some good weapons on you," He shouted down. "Aim for the eyes, it'll shred its defenses!" 

The instant he touched down in between two heads, Wild accessed his inventory again and equipped a Silver Lynel Blade. Taking it out, he started to execute a two-handed spin attack, using the momentum from the weapon's circular movement to hit both heads over and over again, essentially locking the beast in a charged attack. This was a trick he had figured out long ago, great for when he was surrounded by enemies or with particularly big ones. He finished the attack with a powerful *Slam* Straight down on one of the heads. 

When he stopped spinning, he realized he was dizzy. Uh oh, he was out of stamina. *Fi, what's the status on this thing?* He thought, panting. 

***It looks like it is at 70% of its health. Move, your stamina needs to recharge.***

*Good thing I have back-up.*

Wild backed up and nodded to Legends, hoping the other hero would get the message. His stamina would recharge quicker the less he moved, but he did *Not* Want to get hit when they had already cut down so much of the monster's health.

It would be an annoying amount of progress to lose if he had to start over.
Jason
"Oh, made you mad, now *Did I?!*" The man roared over the sound of crackling electricity, eyes flaring in unbridled anger. 

The Knight had nothing but *Contempt* For Ganon's creations. The best they were used for were their parts after their death, and most of the time? Barely *Anything* Was usable. Yes, he hated these creatures. But his rage was not of use here. Wild needed his *Rationality*. Legend licked one of his incisors, trying to ground himself by cutting his tongue on the sharpened tooth. 

The call out reached his ears, the pointed things perking up with a nod of his head. *It doesn't take a genius for that one. Eyes are usually the weak points of these things...* The ground quaked with the Gleeok's descent, and Legend shifted his stance to ground as he pulled out from behind the shield. "I've got such sights to show you!" Legend quipped back, a gleaming grin on his face. He *Loves* Showing off his inventory. Two more silver arrows were fired off towards the eyes before he moved closer.

Legend couldn't help but watch for a moment in awe as Wild went head to head, moving quick yet maintaining power behind his swings. *Plus, that spin attack. Incredible form. Ralph could learn a thing or two from him.*

*Oh, spoke too soon*. Legend watched for the tell tale signs of the loss of stamina. The hero rolled his shoulders, moving forward as fast as he could to swap in. The Power Gauntlets clicked as his fingers twitched, and the hero reached into his pack. For an impossibility. 

The sword that came out of his pack had no real way of being in there, considering it was 5 feet and 9 inches long. The size of an average man. And Legend hefted it and slammed it into the ground with a heavy *Thunk*. Underneath his gloves, he willed his magic into the Doubled Edged Ring. *This is going to hurt—*

"*Come get some blood!!*" Pegasus boots activated, Link ran forward into a downward swing against the Gleeok, a similar cut scraping down the hero's back. Another swing of the heavy sword, an upslash tilted to the right for momentum as he yelled into the arch. That same cut, though still shallow, appeared on the hero. A third. A fourth. But the man didn't back down. He forced himself through the familiar pain.

"*What now, kid?!*" Legend shouted back to Wild as he doubles back to catch his breath. He had quite a bit of stamina to him, used to running across the entirety of a continent.
Paul
*The Gleeok screamed in pain at every slash, the sword cutting deep into the thick scales. Black blood oozed out of the wounds, and it seemed the creature was nearing its limit already. This weapon and item combination was dealing immense amounts of damage with every swing. But the Gleeok was not dead yet. It struggled to its feet after the attacks stopped and flapped its wings, ensuring they still worked. It seemed intent on getting out of here...*
Bobby
Wild's eyes went wide as he saw the greatsword come out of Legend's bag. Judging by its size and shape, it *Had* To be the Biggoron Sword. Wild himself had seen a replica on a trip with Zelda to a collector's armory, but this must be the real thing. The Gleeok was definitely taking considerable blows from it. Wild resolved to ask Legend later if it was just the sword or some kind of attack-up item that caused these blows to be so deadly.

But they needed to finish this first. Wild noticed the Gleeok start to get up, probably trying to escape to the skies. Thankfully, his stamina was recovered. "Oh no, you don't!" He yelled, and took out his Shiekah Slate. Thrusting it out in front of him, he pressed a button on the side, and magical yellow chains appeared in the air around the Gleeok. In a flash of golden light, they locked the creature in place with a loud *Clang!* And Wild took his Silver Lynel blade out again. He did another spin attack, and a large arrow appeared on it, turning from yellow to orange to red the more he hit it. He made sure to finish the attack before his stamina ran out, the final smash turning the arrow a glowing red. Finally he pointed his bow at the frozen creature, aimed directly at where the wall on the other side of the Colosseum would be behind the Gleeok, and fired a single, normal arrow.

The second the Stasis wore off, the monster was thrown straight across the room, slamming into the wall with groundshaking impact. It let out one final scream before slumping over, its body turning black before exploding in a cloud of malice. Wild grinned at the other hero. "That was *Awesome!* I've never seen a Gleeok die so fast. And look what we got!"

Wild sprinted over to where the Gleeok had disappeared, where there now sat a pile of monster parts. He held his Shiekah Slate over them, and they all unraveled into glowing blue strings before being absorbed by the device. He then hurried back over to Legend, tapped the screen of the Slate a few times, and ended up with two Gleeok wing fragments, two Gleeok guts, and a Thunder Gleeok horn. "I already have plenty, so you can have these," He told the other hero. "Gleeok guts can turn any normal potion or elixir extra strong. Just make sure to add it while it's still brewing. You can attach a Gleeok wing to any throwing weapon or arrow and it'll fly farther and faster than you've ever seen. And then there's the horn. Attach it to any weapon and it'll shock anything it touches. Does tons of damage too!"
Jason
Legend rolls his shoulders, feeling everything creak underneath. It had been a while since he had to bring out the Biggoron Sword for anything other than show. And his entire body was tensed with the enchanted strength he needed to wield it. He began to shuffle a bit faster away (or, as fast as he could with his heavy mail). But, at it stood, it seemed that Wild took the pitch. 

Some kind of... Yellow or golden chains surrounded the Gleeok. It seemed completely frozen in place, almost as if it were struck by a Mystery Seed or Magic Powder. *When it works that way, anyways...* The hero simply watched on as the other did his business, taking the time to briefly search the area for anything that could heal him. *Thankfully, the red mail is... Well, red. And I have an under coat under the mail and the tunic... So it should stick there. No issues there. Just uncomfortable.* His eyes refocused when he heard the *Twang!* Of an arrow letting loose, and he gave Wild a small smile at his, frankly infectious, excitement. 

Link followed behind the other, watching. He was certainly an observer, and he could garner that the magic tablet Wild has stored his items. That much was easy to figure out. But he perked up when the younger hero presented a slew of... Monster parts. Legend carefully measured his face not to show disgust. But hearing the usefulness of the parts made him think of Maple. *She would love the Guts... And the other two are more useful to myself. Hm.* His eyes began to glitter with possibilities, and he took the parts with a bit of an eerie grin. "These are... Incredibly useful. Were it that Gleeoks were as common in my time..." He stowed them away in his pouch. "Thank you."

The only real notice that Legend gave that he was injured was that his ears would twitch down now and then. Other than that, everything seemed relatively normal. And now that his adrenaline was draining from him more properly, he could *Feel* The pain more intensely. Even if he was *Used* To pain, it certainlly didn't mean that the man *Liked* Being in pain. Just that his threshold was higher than most. 

"Well... Now that it is done, what should we do? You look just about ready for a second round." The man chuckles, a slight shake of his head. *I don't have the same energy anymore.*
Bobby
Wild watched as Legend simply placed everything he had been given into his bag. The bag that had held the Biggoron Sword, which was longer than Wild was tall. Unable to keep standing still, he crouched down to eye level with it. It really didn't look that special on the outside, but the inside must be enormous. It had to have some kind of enchantment on it. He couldn't stop himself from asking (quite loudly), "What kind of stuff do you *Have* In there? It's gotta have some kind of expansion magic going on. Did you get a Korok to do that?"

Wild's mind was racing with all the different possibilities of what he could learn here. The Era of Myth was so shrouded in mystery, so much history had been lost to time. Some stories claimed the Hero of Legend was a demigod because of how powerful he was supposed to be (something Wild did *Not* Plan on telling him because so far Legend didn't seem fond of deities), but Wild had learned extremely quickly that that was far from the truth. But that just made it *More* Interesting, because that meant there were other factors at play here. Enhancers, weapons, armor, there were so many things that could create the results they had gotten, but who was to say they were anything like what Wild was familiar with? 

One thing was for sure, though. Legend's power came from his inventory. Given what Wild had seen so far, it was the conclusion that made the most sense.

Which made him even *More* Excited, because that was also (mostly) true for Wild. It made him want to compare who could do what, find out what one had that the other didn't. And the best way to do that, at least in Wild's experience, was sparring. He shot back upwards, about to ask about it, when he heard someone inside his head speak up.

***Link,*** Mipha began patiently, ***Let's think about this for a second.***

Link's expression turned from excitement to a Mountain Doe in lamplights. He could only imagine the shift looked odd to Legend, but once the people in his head started talking, there was nothing Wild could do about it. *...Yes, Mipha?* He thought back slowly.

***Isn't this the Hero of Legend? The one you said defeated Ganon three times?***

*...Yes.*

***She's saying you're about to do something stupid,*** Revali butted in. ***You couldn't even beat me at that archery contest 100 years ago, and you think you can do this?***

Link's face soured. *Okay, one, like I've said the past million other times, I don't remember that, none of the others were there, and you have no proof of it. Two, you're dead now, so any and all arguments about you being the best archer ever are null and void.*

***Boys, please, you are both adults,*** Urbosa groaned. ***Act your age, both of you.***

*Yes, Urbosa.*

***Fine, Urbosa.***

Wild squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head a few times, but when he opened them he realized he was still standing in front of Legend, who was no doubt wondering what just happened. And... Wild was about to ask him something... 

He facepalmed with a grimace. "...I forgot what I was going to say," He groaned, trying his absolute best to tune out Revali wheezing.
Jason
Legend shifts slightly away from Wild on instinct when he crouches close to his bag. But he stiffens himself up to prevent himself from moving further. *He's not an enemy, or a thief. It's fine.* "A Korok...? Don't know what that is. This is something that was passed down to me from my parents. How they got it is probably some Hyrulian Knight lineage thing." He promptly avoids talking about what's *In it* By offering other information about himself instead. 

... Legend very quickly noticed how hyped up Wild still was. Careful hands unlatch his Power Gloves, revealing his five rings (two on the left, three on the right hand) as he stowed away the gloves. One of the rings, a blue metal ring with a red heart gem, looked as if it had spikes underneath it. The man's finger was dripping blood from the spikes. He simply waved the hand to unlatch the enchantment (and attempted to discretely wipe the blood away).

Which is when he glanced back up from his automatic tasks to note that the other hero was... Hm. *Ears perked up, face changing, is he listening to someone on the other end?* Link watches the other Link's expression sour. *Well, whatever the conversation is, it looks like the kid isn't enjoying it too much.*

"... That's fine, kid. I got a plan, anyways. You've got entirely too much energy packed in there, looks like." A pause. His ears twitched again. "... I figure you were going to ask me something and someone got you caught up. So we either need to go somewhere else now, or rest here for the moment. And in order to rest, *You* Need to be tired."

The man rolls his shoulders with a wince. "If I can find something to heal myself with, I figure we could spar. Used to do that to tire my recruits out. Or teach them a lesson, depending." Legend waits for the inevitable question on how he got injured. At no point did he noticeably get hit by anything, so it'll become a *How long have you been injured* Question. And... He doesn't want to waste his resources on four hits from the Double Edged Ring. But if he is sparring, he *Needs* To be fully healed. 

A part of him hopes that resting will come easy, but in such a strange environment? Probably not. But for the time, he carefully gauges Wild's reaction. Somewhere, he can feel Zelda scolding him for using the ring in the first place.
Bobby
Oh, great. Legend had noticed Wild's excitement. It was always at least a little bit embarrassing when that happened, and Revali just couldn't stop laughing in his head so it made it even worse. But the mention of sparring caught his attention. A sparring match... OH RIGHT. That was what Wild had forgotten. How he had managed to do so in such a short time was beyond him, but it certainly wasn't the first time. 

Wild's eyes went wide. Legend was injured? *How?* He hadn't taken any hits from the Gleeok, and as far as he knew, Legend had gone into battle without injuries. He didn't seem the type of person to walk into *Any* Battle without being fully healed of any prior damage. Unless... Weapon recoil? Wild supposed it was a possibility, but the Biggoron Sword and Silver arrows didn't have recoil, did they? Gloom weapons, as much as Wild despised them, did immense damage... At the cost of reducing one's vitality. Use them too much and they could kill you. Maybe the records were inaccurate and some of those weapons *Did* Have recoil? 

Whatever the case, the Hero of Legend needed a health restoring item, and Wild happened to be lucky enough to have just the thing in his inventory right now. "One second," He said quickly, and took out his Sheikah Slate. He swiped across the screen until he came to the Meals menu, and quickly found what he was looking for on the first page. He tapped on it, and held out his hand until a bottle of red liquid formed from the same blue strings from the Sheikah Slate as before and dropped into his open palm. He held it out to Legend.

"Hearty Elixir. Drink that and you'll be good as new," He explained, then a smile returned to his face. "Ah, yeah, I just remembered that sparring was what I was going to ask about. I'm still super curious about how you fight! There's no *Way* That what you did to the Gleeok was all you have, and I know I've barely shown any of the stuff I know how to do!" Hell, Legend probably didn't notice his Bullet-time flurry. Wild might have been out of sight, or even moving too fast to be seen at all. And Wild *Loved* Showing off his Hyperfocus.
Jason
Legend's ears lowered as he began to feel uncomfortable. It had been entirely too long since the man had gotten injured, really. Well, injured in a way that mattered. So the feeling of blood sticking to his back and trailing down his spine was... It was uncomfortable. 

However, it seemed the man had gauged the other well enough. He seemed versed in potions— something that Legend simply was not. He couldn't help the look of curiosity at the Sheikah Slate producing the item. Those little blue tendrils... *They're rather pretty, aren't they?* The Hylian blinked a bit, forcing his greed down for the time. Another day, or perhaps later on in this one, he'll ask more about the nature of the slate. His hands reached for the potion and he listened to the explanation. Tilting it back and forth, he popped the cork and gave it a sniff. 

... *Yup. Smells like Maple's brand, with a bit of difference. Wonder if her recipe gets passed down?* 

The hero knocks back the potion with a bit of a face, but he certainly feels the instant effects. His wounds knit themselves back together (the uncomfortableness stays, but he can take a dip in a river later). And he hesitates for a moment before handing the empty bottle back. *Glass is expensive, and this man was kind enough to give me healing in the first place. I'll pay him back by sparring.*

"Yeah?" Legend hums, his ears twitching back up. "No, I have a lot more in my sleeves. I think it would do us good to spar. That way we know each others strengths and weaknesses, should we need to fight together in the future." The man tapped his foot a few times. "... I'll say this much. If you're ready."

Legend began to back up a few paces, keeping his front to Wild. 

"If we plan to spar, I'm not holding back. You are getting *Everything* I've got. So I expect the same from you, too. Aim to kill." A hand dives into his side pouch, fingers hooking on the edge of an item. 

"Ready, Wild?"
Bobby
Wild smiled and nodded as he took the bottle back. Holding it near the screen of his Sheikah Slate, he pressed a button on the side, and it dissolved into blue light again before being absorbed into the device. He put it back on his hip, but the moment he heard Legend's instructions, he looked back up and became very still.

*"Aim to kill."*

As opposed to how he was a century earlier, Wild was an incredibly expressive person. But at those three words, the excitement melted away slowly, leaving an unusually blank face in its place. His eyes unfocused as several scenes played in his mind: the beam of a guardian blinding him as it blasted into his chest; the roar of a lynel as it charged into him; the suffocating darkness of frigid waters stealing his breath; the agonizing pain of a lizalfos's fiery breath torching him in Eldin; a shock arrow to the back on the road to Zora's Domain. Wild lost count of his deaths long ago, and most had blended into each other, creating an amalgamation of jumbled half-memories and trauma. If he died here, his main concern was where he would wake up. He needed to check that first.

Holding up a finger to indicate he needed a moment, Wild took his Sheikah Slate back out and swiped to his combat manual. He checked the area listed in the corner... Yep. Colosseum Ruins. He knew after killing something big, he wouldn't wake up and have to kill it again. That was just how his curse from the Shrine of Resurrection worked. Satisfied, he put the tablet away and thought quickly. His go-to strategy, as always, was to just keep moving. He didn't know what Legend had in his arsenal, but that went both ways. First, Wild wanted to get a flurry rush in. But he didn't really want to let Legend make the first move either. He still had two Revali's Gales (***'Seriously? You need me already?'*** *'Shut the fuck up.'*), so that could get him in the air to unleash some fused arrows. Ice fruit followed by fire fruit might do some good damage... And help him gauge what kind of defense he was looking at. He already had his best armor on, and still had a bit more time left on his attack up boost from the Gleeok.

Determination took over Wild's face. Instead of responding to Legend verbally, he crouched to the ground again, calling on the power of Revali. The ghost appeared again, and the air around Wild was sucked into a whirlwind, and opening his paraglider, the updraft carried him high in the air. Locking all his attention onto Legend on the ground, he activated his Hyperfocus. As the world around him slowed almost to a stop, he took a single arrow out of his quiver and knocked it into his angled, palm-out draw. He called upon the power of Fuse, and a few blue tendrils of light traveled around his back from the Sheikah Slate to the arrowhead. A bundle of white berries appeared on it, and he aimed it at legend before letting it loose. Immediately afterwards he did the same thing again, though this time the arrowhead was topped with a different fruit: it resembled the shape of a wildberry, but had a net-like black skin with a center glowing orange like the embers of a dying fire. This, too, he let loose.

Finally, Wild deactivated his Hyperfocus to begin paragliding, observing the results from above. To him, the arrows looked like they flew normally. To Legend, they and Wild would be a blur if he managed to see anything at all. The ice would freeze the target on impact, and the fire would do thrice normal damage. But these wouldn't amount to much. He knew Legend told him to aim to kill, but Wild was a lot more concerned about what might happen to Legend if he went too far. Wild's death here would be inconsequential. But Legend? That would be devastating, and Wild would not be able to forgive himself for that. 

*(atk pwr = 6, def = 88, hp = 160)*
Jason
Legend reached until his fingers hit the carved wood of a cane. His grip tightened, especially when Wild's gaze seemed to dull and melt to blankness. It was... Unnerving, but he's seen similar in the faces of those veteran guards that survived Agahnim's (or Ganon's) control. The face of someone who isn't quite there in the moment. They're somewhere else, reliving something in the past. Whether or not the memories were kind, well.. Considering it was due to what he said, he can't imagine them anything but.

The idea of dying here wasn't anything he was opposed to. It was... A causality. If he were to die, it would be a lesson. He would have gained a lot of good information about Wild should he ever turn on anyone. Not that he would but— *That's not the point. Pay attention.*

The Captain stared at Wild as he seemed to check something on that magic tablet of his, almost to reassure him on it. But when he looked up, he seemed just that. Almost analytical. Legend, in the meanwhile, his face was steeled. There could be nothing to gain from his features, other than he was ready to produce something from his pack. *I'll let him make the first move, like always. Always know what your enemy has up their sleeve first*.

*There. He's ready. Now what'll he do?* Legend watched Wild crouch again, that same bird-person spirit following him up into the air. The hero's body tensed up watching what... He couldn't quite understand. He's seen this rapid movement before, but even for a man such as himself who was able to dodge *Beamos* Beams, this was too fast.

*Now! Something has to be coming!* A hand produced a cane of blue wood with a curve at the end of it and swung it, a shield of light appearing around him fed by his mana. He has no idea of what was coming, but both arrows were rendered inconsequential by the Cane of Bryna's magic shielding. It allowed Legend to roll back, hiding beneath the stone flooring of the upper level to put himself out of view of Wild. 

*I've dealt with mobile enemies. Aeriel enemies too. But this is...* The man shook his head, deactivating the Cane's magic before it drained all of his mana. *I'll force him to the ground. But how?* What he does know, is that he's activating his Steadfast Ring. That way, it's going to be a lot harder to make him stagger. 

Putting the Cane away, Legend breathed out, producing his Magnetic Gloves. Then, he also fully unsheathed his Golden Sword. He's not sure if Wild has seen this in action yet, since he usually relies on his other weapons... Hopefully that'll give him an advantage. But with one more thing to do— he eats a Pegasus Seed and feels the energy and speed the seed gives him take effect immediately. 

The hero runs out much, much faster. About 4x as fast than before and raises his hands up. Even from this distance, the Magnet gloves should work. And that bow *Has to be pulled from his grasp* For him to be able to dodge those kinds of arrows. The gloves are set to North for now. But once that bow gets popped out of Wild's hands (hopefully his grip isn't as tight as a Goron's), Legend immediately begins to slash the air— causing three beams of light to head towards the other hero.
Bobby
What. The. *Hell?*

It wasn't often that something could *Avoid* Damage from Wild's Hyperfocus attacks. The biggest example of it was Ganondorf, but as far as Wild knew that wasn't very common. Then again, Flurry Rushes weren't something unique to Wild. From what he had gathered, all one needed was a lot of life force, combat prowess, and practice. But this was definitely *Not* A Flurry Rush. It looked like a combination of quick reaction time, an item Wild didn't recognize, and remarkable foresight. How had Legend anticipated that Wild would be doing something difficult to dodge without some kind of shield?

***'Master Link. Remember that this is not another monster,'*** Fi's voice echoed in his head. ***'This is an intelligent opponent, not to mention another Hero. Just like you, he can learn and adapt.'***

*'Can't be called the Hero of Legend for nothing, I guess,'* Wild admitted mentally. *'Got a read on him yet?'*

***'I haven't gathered enough data to give a sufficient assessment on any vulnerabilities. My best advice would be to remember the wealth of experience you are up against. Do not underestimate him.'***

*'Good to know you believe in me.'*

***'Merely warning you against your own overconfidence, Master.'***

Wild huffed in annoyance at the sass before he realized that he couldn't see Legend anymore. Shit. Where was he? This is what Wild gets for getting lost in conversation with the people in his head again. His eyes traveled across the arena, searching for him...

Oh. There he was. And he was moving *Fast.* Wild felt himself stop in midair, some kind of unseen force pulling on him. *I'm losing altitude,* He realized with a start. He squinted down at Legend, trying to see what he was doing, but was unable to discern what it was before his bow was *Pulled off his back,* Spinning in the air as it hurtled towards Legend. Did the other hero just... Steal his weapon? *How?* Something like Magnesis, maybe? Fi's words about a learning opponent were really starting to hit Wild now. This was someone he couldn't pull the same thing twice on. He would have one shot per trick up his sleeve. This wasn't just a match of strength. This was a contest between who would run out of ideas and gimmicks first. 

Maybe he could stun Legend and go in for a swipe with a heavy weapon? *I got a hunch that a Dazzlefruit may not work... A Puffshroom would obscure vision, though- WOAH!* Wild's thoughts were interrupted as what looked like Master Sword beams came flying at him. In a panic, he dropped to the ground and hit the dirt... *Hard.* That had to have taken off some of his health. Dammit. He quickly got up and thought fast. He needed to get back in the air, but he couldn't use his last Revali's Gale so soon. Legend would surely figure out a way to get him out of the air again. He just needed a short period of air time... Cryonis Bounce, maybe?

Wanting to keep moving, Wild started to circle the arena in a sprint and quickly took out his Sheikah Slate. Producing a Splash fruit, he threw it at the ground ahead of him, and just as it broke and formed a puddle in the dry dirt of the Colosseum, he held out the Slate and pressed the button for Cryonis. The block of ice started to rise, and Wild jumped, slipping his Knight's Shield under his boots. The collision of the metal against the ice boosted him into the air, and Wild equipped the Zonaite Bow. Legend may have stolen his Knight's Bow, but the Zonaite Bow was not metal and could not just be pulled from his grasp the same way. Hoping Legend hadn't figured out a way to stop Wild's Hyperfocus altogether, he took out the bow and aimed in mid-air again, slowing time. This time a tan mushroom with a fuschia head and yellow spots appeared on the arrowhead as Wild activated Fuse, and when he let it go, he hoped Legend didn't have some way to block this. 

The mushroom should explode upon impact, and create a cloud of smoke that obscured vision outside of a few feet. Now Wild might be able to get the jump on the other Hero. Taking out his Silver Lynel Blade again, Wild dashed forward, hoping to burst through the cloud of smoke and get a swing in before Legend could react.
Jason
Legend had thankfully breathed a sigh of relief upon avoiding whatever those arrows were going to do to him. It was frankly a bit unnerving, the amount of firepower develops further on in time. He's not sure he has anything to *Match that*. 

*Even if I don't, I have to try. I need to know more about Wild, and the best way to do that is to fight him. Focus.* His icy blues widened, trying to take in more information at once. He needs to memorize every little detail, every move, every *Breath* The other hero takes. It could all be a tell. And tells were what made a winning or losing battle. And with the Magnet Gloves pulling the bow to him— a hand reached up and grabbed the bow— he had a slight advantage. He stowed it around his frame in an instant, where his other bow was. 

*Yes! The swings took him out of the air!* A small smirk crawled across his lips, showing off his strangely sharp incisors with a gleam. It looked like the kid was still going, so he kept his defensive stance up. He even pulled his shield out, stowing the Golden Sword away to place a hand in his pouch. Gripping another pole weapon. The knight simply watched the other get up and run, trying to circle. Legend's widened eyes narrowed slightly, shoulders stiffening for whatever the hero had next—

Which was— a puddle? And *What was that?* Legend shifted the Mirror Shield in front, the heavy thing obscuring half of his body. But when he braced for that strange speed to happen again, he felt the explosion of... Spores? Spores filled the area, obscuring his vision. He holds his breath. 

*But I know where you are, hero. Your exact location is burned into my mind's eye. You wouldn't move around me, you would try and go straight for me. That's been your strategy I've seen. You rush in to attack. Time to use what I've learned from you against you, Wild.*

Closing his eyes, his ears rose as he rapidly calculated distance based on when he heard Wild's feet hit the ground. And with that—

*Clang!!*

The Mirror Shield *Parries* The Silver Lynel Blade *Perfectly*, Legend's face obscured but barely visible with his eyes closed. They open immediately, staring death into Wild's face before he jumps back into the smoke, keeping his distance. *I can't stay close. No need to. Not with what I've got*. 
 
The hero produced one of his many Fire Rods, the thing clicking open and shooting a burst of magical flame towards Wild as he moved backwards. In fact, he fires it twice, just in case Wild thought to dodge left and away from the hit. Afterwards, he stows the rod away and breaths out, wracking his brain for another attack. 

*That gale he summons, it's like the Gale seeds but powered by... A ghost. I wonder if the Gale seeds could give me a similar effect, if I manage them properly? Though I may be shot too far up to do so...* Legend shakes his head, producing the Longhook and aiming it up, grabbing onto the side of the ruined second floor and flung himself up. He quickly switches in the Roc's Cape to glide into the floor and crouch down, trying to hide and hope that he has some time to survey damage and figure out his next move.
Bobby
The impact of the parry made Wild's core vibrate, but it was nothing compared to the complete chaos of thoughts bouncing off the walls of his head. He got one look of the Hero of Legend glaring daggers at him before the slowdown wore off and Wild was pushed back. He plunged his blade into the ground, counting on friction to keep himself from tumbling backwards. But that was *Also* A mistake, because he looked up to see a fireball flying at him. Deciding to abandon the stuck blade, Wild took out his shield and Perfect Parried it... Only to get hit by the second one. His first parry didn't even matter anyway, as he managed to catch a glimpse of the other hero shooting upwards and disappearing into the second floor before the fireball could hit him. 

Wild grumbled, then flinched as adrenaline wore off just enough for him to realize he was still on fire. *Thank Hylia I have my best armor on,* He thought to himself. Grimacing from the burning sensation, Wild dug the elongated nail of his pointer finger into the palm of his restored Zonai arm. The ring on it glowed blue, and a tall, teal, translucent figure, a Zora twice Wild's height, appeared. The avatar thrust its trident forward, and from the tips a stream of water spouted, surrounding Wild in a cooling bubble. Able to breathe, Wild let out a sigh of relief as the flames were extinguished. He returned to his Silver Lynel Blade and pulled it from the dirt, then performed a single slash with it, dispelling the water around him in an attack imbued with the element. Finally Wild scowled up at where he saw Legend disappear.

That was a *Perfect Parry.* Legend had just used one of Wild's own tricks against him, and that was more than a little frustrating. *Now I know what it's like to be on the other end of that move,* He thought. Well, not quite. A normal person would probably be knocked back even more than Wild had been, and they wouldn't have been able to perceive the time slowdown. Wild *Could* Because of a combination of his own Perfect Perception and Perfect Override. That look on the other Hero's face... He read Wild like a book, and he *Knew* It. Now Wild was starting to see what was so scary about Legend: the amount of experience and knowledge he had even compared to Wild's was staggering. It seemed that the longer the fight lasted, the better Legend could predict Wild's next move. Wild wouldn't call himself a guy to fight by the books, but he must be consistent enough for Legend to have already picked up on so much. He needed to start using things that he knew Legend couldn't possibly use against him. Things that made Wild distinct from his predecessors. Luckily, he had quite a few of those up his sleeve... Quite literally. Time to bust out his more unique attacks.

Wild made a fist, digging all five zonai nails into his right palm. Three more avatars appeared, one a small rito, another a half-grown Gerudo, and the last a hulking Goron. If Legend was going to fight dirty, well, two can play at that game. *Let's see how you deal with my friends,* Wild thought with a smirk. Pressing his ring finger into his palm again, Wild walked closer to where he knew Legend had to be hiding, the avatars following closely behind. The Gerudo avatar raised one of its swords, and the very air around it crackled as an expanding radius of electrically charged energy, extending upwards higher than the top floor of the Colosseum, bathed the area in a yellow glow. Wild took out his Zonaite Bow and aimed a single, unfused arrow at the place where Legend had disappeared.

Urbosa's Fury was a little overkill this early in the game. If he exhausted his other options and *Still* Couldn't hit Legend, he would use it. But it would stay in his back pocket for now. Right now, he just wanted to smoke him out of hiding. He let the arrow loose, then immediately dug the nail of his thumb into his palm. The Goron avatar balled up and began to rapidly spin, and Wild watched as the arrow flew in regular time up to the second floor. He knew exactly when it landed, because of the loud *CRACK!* As a lightning bolt came down from the sky and struck the spot where the arrow landed, dealing immense damage to anything within range. With that, Wild prepared to fire the Goron avatar, planning to get the jump on Legend the moment he jumped out.

*(atk pwr = 200, def = 88, hp = 126/160)*
Jason
*It worked, I think.* Legend breathed as he looked back on the past few steps in this dance of theirs. The look on Wild's face was absolute, he had rattled the knight with copying his move. *It must have, I heard one of the fire balls connect.* He supposed that Wild could have... Simply fell for his trick, there was a 1/3 chance of it after all. But considering that Legend all but expected the other to dodge right (being the fast bastard he is)... It just made more sense for Wild to have rattled the other enough to get hit. *He probably has futuristic goggles that let him see through the spores.*

Fingers clenched on his Roc's Cape, throwing it back into his pouch with very rapid shoves (bordering panic, but he's not panicking— why would that be happening?). His hair began to stand on end, but he amounts that to just anxiety about not seeing where Wild is. *Not unusual. He must have something big he's about to bring out. Most people get irritated and want to end a fight. And even if he doesn't, it's a good way to get the drop on him. ... If I'm fast enough.* 

The hero shifts forward a bit, still crouched. He dug around in his pouch and grabbed a hold of a different fabric. *The Magic Cape. Generic name, sure, but I'd believe someone if they told me it was because it simply was the first and best to be made. This will help.* That hair standing on end feeling didn't leave. Which led Legend to finally realize he had gotten distracted. The entire air seemed to spark with a yellow au—

... ... ... 

His entire world had gone dark for a moment. Intense, burning pain scored his body. That pain slowly leaked out of him, which clued him into the fact that his ears were ringing again (did he lose hearing?). He became aware of the fact that he was practically *Heaving* He was breathing so hard. Did he just die? A quick check into his inventory led him to believe so— the potion Maple usually drops (this one he had shipped by Syrup, he promised!) had shattered and the liquid had dissolved through the pouch into him (he... Doesn't claim to understand how this potion worked. How else does it get used? Does his dead body drink the potion and break the bottle?). 

Eventually, he felt like new again, but the aftershocks of the instantaneousness of it led him to one conclusion:

*It's storming. It must be, just— instant? Did we not notice an oncoming sort? That must be the case. Wild— Wild, he doesn't know. He might have metal on him.* He had to get to Wild, get him to stop the fight. He'll just make up some excuse once he asks why. Or maybe he's already figured out they need to stop. Legend doesn't even know if Wild has anything to bring himself back, like a fairy or a potion or something. *He could be out for all I know if he usually does.*

The hero rushed to the edge of the second floor, glancing down with a look of fear in his eyes to try and catch sight of Wild. His hand was still clutching the Magic Cape— he's a walking lightning rod like this. They both need to get out of this storm. He doesn't even bother double checking the air— he can feel his skin prickling still. *A dry storm? It must be.*
Bobby
*It sure is taking him a second...* Wild thought with a frown. Legend hadn't reappeared right away, which is what Wild had been aiming for. Did something happen? Surely he was fine, Legend had already proven himself to be the smarter fighter, and Wild hadn't gotten a single hit on him yet. There was no way an attack meant only to scare would have done *That* Much. Legend was smarter than that. He had probably figured out what Wild was trying to do already. 

*But that's not going to stop me. You* ***Have*** *To have a weakness. I will not let you keep embarrassing me. I can be scary, too.*

Wild held out his Zonai arm, and in an instant a green vehicle appeared. It was made of melted Zonaite, constructed from the memory of a perfected build by Wild himself from scratch. Just two Fans and a Steering Stick, and it moved fast and far. Wild liked to call it a Hoverbike, but that was besides the point. Wild hopped on, and immediately it lifted into the air. The avatars of the Gerudo and Zora turned into small balls of light and returned to the rings on Wild's right hand, but the Goron hopped onto the front of the vehicle, rolling rapidly, and the Rito flapped closely behind. As they rose higher, Wild steered it around the arena, his eyes watching where he knew Legend had disappeared.

*There!* Finally the other hero popped his head out, his eyes wide and... Fearful? *It's probably a trick,* Wild thought, his brow furrowing, and pressed his thumb into his palm without another moment's hesitation. *I know how you work now. You use your observations of an opponent against them. You're a smarter fighter than me, but that doesn't make you impossible to beat. My only path to victory is throwing everything I've got at you that I* ***Know*** *You can't throw back.* The Goron was launched from its place on the bike, a ball of fire hurtling towards the Hero of Legend. To follow it up, Wild pressed his pinkie finger into his palm, and the rito avatar readied his bow. Three arrows were shot consecutively, each of them made of spirit aura, so they wouldn't sink into skin, but damage would certainly be done. 

After that, Wild started to circle around again, squinting down to see what happened. The goron shot up and returned to the front of the bike again. The cannonball was going to be hard to dodge, unless Legend was already preparing for it. Arrows were just extra measures to see if he could inflict some more damage afterwards. With luck, he might just be able to overwhelm Legend. Multiplying the targets from one to five wasn't good no matter how you sliced it. But just in case Legend tried to get him out of the air again, Wild readied himself to grab for his paraglider if he needed it.

*Goron atk pwr = 10 (+5 dmg every 5 secs on fire), rito atk pwr = 14, 14, 28 (crit), def =88, hp = 126/160*
Jason
Wild was nowhere to be seen on the ground. His head raked skyward, sounds that he didn't recognize filling his ears. It was too loud, he thinks, before his body moved into action before his head had time to fill himself in. Because there was a thing hurtling towards him— it hits full chest and maybe would have staggered him had he not activated his Steadfast Ring earlier. He thinks something's cracked in his chest. *Your ribs*, Zelda's voice echoes in his head, *Keep your heart safe. As well as your lungs. So stop trying to push through these hits to the chest, please—*. Vaguely, he feels the fire spreading across his frame but his full, panicked attention is focused up. 

Eyes sensed more than saw the arrows fly towards him— his body only having enough time for auto-reactions. It meant the thing his hand was clenched on was going up—

Which led to Legend disappearing entirely. He starts unconsciously patting the flames on him out. Desperately, the man breathed and began to run a circle around this enemy or thing or *Whatever* That just was. Because surely, *Surely* Wild would not see the face of a man panicked after getting hit by lightning and attack still. For all he knows, he could have been out for longer than usual (maybe the potion was old by now, not as effective, *Something*). *Was it an enemy? Had something happened to him before I had a chance to get up? Goddesses, it's something—*

Breathe in. *Focus*. Breathe out. 

There's a figure up on top of the flying... Thing. A cart of sorts, maybe, on small wheels. There's another floating nearby, another bird person? *An assassin, maybe. I think I remember them saying they were having troubles with them. Or overhearing.* The knight skids to a rapid halt directly behind the main figure, vision still shaky from... *It'll fix itself, it always does*. But his fingers pull around his bow, notching a silver arrow as he stops feeding magic into the cape. Fully visible with the element of surprise, he fires— hoping to hit his mark. 

It's really only then that the Hylian takes a second to take stock. *Pegasus Seed is done, I've got— well, there it goes. Wild's gone, is he on that thing?*

Analyzing, careful, *Concerned* Eyes flew across the thing before really *Really* Looking again. The armor hadn't changed. Fuck, he should have noticed the spirits. Breathing heavy, it's then he realizes he's shot Wild. *He should be fine, right? I've not shot a... A good hearted Hylian before, so it... He hit me with a giant, flaming boulder...*

... Anger, like magma from his spine out to his fingertips, flooded him. It's like wildfire, the way your emotions struggle when you come back from the brink. For a moment, he sets aside that hero title and that stubborn, hateful feeling grabs his heart. *He deserved it. There's a storm and he uses it to capitalize against me? Maybe my fear of storms gets jotted down in history somehow.* Whatever it may be, Legend's heart hardens for the moment, and he swaps to Wild's own bow to make it seem as if he had fired that one. *It's a face down, now. I'll finally go in after this.*
Bobby
Pain. Something sank into his left shoulder, and he felt his health diminish severely. It hurt, it *Burned.* This was *Not* A normal arrow.

He was falling. His paraglider, he needed to take it out now or he might hit the ground too hard and die. Forcing himself to move his injured arm, he pulled it out and broke his fall just before he hit the dirt. Wild tried to stand, but stumbled to his knees from the weakness. 

***'Master. You have one heart left.'*** Fi told him, her usually monotonous voice holding a foreign urgency. ***'You mustn't push yourself until you recover.'***

***'Link, please heal!'*** Mipha begged. ***'My Grace has not yet recharged!'***

***'Little Guy! Do something about that arrow!'*** Daruk exclaimed.

***'I knew this was a stupid idea,'*** Revali sighed.

***'Link, call off the fight. You can't keep going like this!'*** Urbosa insisted.

But the voices in Wild's mind were drowned out by the pounding of his head and the ringing in his ears. With a grunt of pain, he pulled out the arrow from his shoulder and inspected it. Aside from Wild's own blood, the arrow shone silver. A Silver Arrow. Legend had used a weapon designed to kill a beast with the power of a *God* Against *Wild.* If his health had been much lower or if he hadn't pulled out the paraglider in time, it would have easily killed him. Did he *Actually* Mean it when he said 'aim to kill?'

Several emotions swirled inside Wild's head. Betrayal, hurt, sadness... Anger. Oh yes, there was a *Lot* Of anger. Legend told him to go all out, and when he finally started doing that, the other *Hero* Had pulled off a near-fatal blow. Talk about arrogance. Wild truly wasn't allowed to show off what *He* Could do without getting immediately knocked off the pedestal. It was *Infuriating.* 

*You're the cleverer one. I* ***Get*** *It, you don't have to keep rubbing it in my face. You want* ***Everything*** *I've got? Fine. You asked for it.*

Wild didn't even bother turning around or activating the avatars. He merely took on a spin attack stance in place and flicked his Master Sword behind him. A green bubble expanded from his position, much quicker than the previous yellow aura. Unlike the power from the Gerudo avatar, Urbosa's fury, true to its name, became more deadly if the user was upset. And with Wild so consumed by anger at the use of the Silver Arrow, the bubble consumed the entire arena. Ignoring Urbosa's warnings and the pain in his left arm, he lifted a hand and...

*Snap!*

***CRACKABOOM!***

Lightning rained down upon the arena around Wild, seeking anything metal it could find that wasn't on the wielder of its might. And even if Legend wasn't wearing metal armor, he *Did* Have Wild's own metal bow on him. If this couldn't hit his opponent — no, *Whatever* Legend was — Wild didn't know what could.

*Atk pwr = 150, def = 88, hp = 4/160*
Jason
It was anger that filled his veins now, but that panic flooded him briefly as he saw Wild struggle to get his paraglider open to break his fall. He's expecting, *Fully* Expecting for the other to tap out eventually. After a blow like that— there was no way the knight was still planning to keep going. It's why, even settled in his fury, he jumps down from the second story and glides before hitting the ground. 

The silver arrow was a lot. He can admit that. But Legend had no early idea that Wild would *Keep attacking* After a *Lightning bolt* Hit him. It had to be some kind of foul play, a dirty move involved. Some historian listed his major fear on a stone tablet somewhere that keep itself alive in the ruins of some tomb under the remnants of Hyrule Castle. *Stupid. I just keep my trap shut about that fear from now on. No use telling anyone because it could get out anywhere.*

Still on guard, the hero had his hands on Wild's bow to hand it back when the other inevitably called it quits. But—

*... Something's off.* Legend shifts, the air still filled with static. *We still need to get out of here, I could get hit again or worse, Wild could get hit. I'm pissed at the kid, but I'm not going to let him die to a lightning strike.*

But Legend watched as Wild shifts into a stance. *The Hyrulian Knight's technique passed down from generation to generation* His Uncle's voice supplies, an echoed, far off memory. It makes the knight reach a hand out, palm up. *It's been a good fight, but we need to stop. He really had me on the ropes.* "Hey, kid, maybe we shou—"

A snap. 

***CRACKABOOM!***

... ... ...

There's the sound of a body hitting the ground, the clattering of a bow leaving lifeless hands. Chainmail shifting from impact and then— 

Nothing. The only sound of breathing coming from the one living soul within the arena.
Bobby
Anger had coated Wild's heart in a block of ice, muted most sounds, even the other hero's voice, but the thud behind him broke through it all and shattered it, making Wild acutely aware of what was going on. He hadn't activated his Hyperfocus, but the feeling of the world seeming to slow down as he turned around felt eerily similar. Like time had been momentarily put on hold to give him an opportunity to strike, except instead of attacking, he was attempting to process what he was seeing on the ground. Legend... Lying there, motionless. 

No. No no no nonononono- "No, no, no, no, *No!"* His thoughts transitioned into a verbal plea, begging Hylia that this wasn't real. That he hadn't just killed this hero that he had admittedly come to think of as a sort of mentor, even in the relatively short time they had known each other. He rushed to kneel at Legend's side. "Hey... Get up..." He choked, grabbing the other's shoulder and gently shaking it. "This isn't funny..."

His heart stopped for a moment as he noticed a new scar, a bright red, fern shape across Legend's face. Wild could feel himself trembling. He had never used a lightning attack on anything but monsters and Yiga Clan members... He had never seen a mark left by one. This was the first new discovery he had made about his powers in... A while. And it was probably the worst.

*Is this what I'm capable of?* He asked himself in horror. *This... This is terrifying.* Trying to hold back tears, he took out the sheikah slate and desperately swiped to his combat manual. Maybe... Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe he could go back. Fix it. All it would take is a single stab of the Master Sword. He's done it before. He checked the time listed next to the location. If it was long enough ago, he could go back. Tell Legend to stop. Say he was tired out — he probably would be, at least emotionally. 

*3:26 PM*

His stomach dropping, Wild frantically swiped to the map to check the time there.

*3:26 PM*

Wild had killed a lot of things. Monsters for parts, animals for food, Yiga for survival. Killing wasn't new to him. At best it was a victory, at worst, a necessary sin he hoped Hylia would forgive him for. He would walk away, another death avoided. But this was different. This time, he simply let his face fall into his hands and cried. 

The other people in Wild's head had gone silent. All he could hear were his own sobs and his thoughts sending him in a downward spiral.

*You idiot. Two lightning attacks? He was lucky to survive the first. Even you couldn't take one of those without dying or getting seriously hurt. What kind of hero is so incapable of controlling his temper? What kind of knight lets anger compel him to use unfair and lethal tactics during a sparring match? Failure. Murderer. Monster.*
Jason
... ... ...

From within his pouch, one of Legend's two fairy bottles opened— releasing a fairy into the air. It glanced around for a moment, then down, flicking a wand down at the corpse of the hero before disappearing into the air. It was a relatively quiet affair, certainly unnoticeable by anyone who would be distraught at the death of their friend. 

For the second time in a short span, Link's lungs filled suddenly with air in a rattling gasp. Icy blue eyes blown wide with panic. It had been so long since he died last, before this sparring match, that his brain had nothing to grasp at for *Why* It had suddenly stopped other than the fact that it was in *Danger*. Not fully healed, his hearing slowly returning to him (ringing, ringing)— the first instinct the hero had was to swing out in a punch at whatever was in front of him as he pushed his body to sit up. 

Legs regained feeling, and he felt his muscles screaming in protest. His ribs were still in pieces practically (fairies don't heal everything when you go down), so his sharp breaths were laced with stinging pain. He scrambled away from whoever was in front of him, eyes unseeing. Panicked. Tears prickling there, because something connects to remind him that it was *Storming* And there is *Thunder and lightning* And he is going to *Die again*. 

Suddenly, Legend is nine again. He's crawling out of bed with a lantern to follow his uncle. It's cold, and wet, and dark. And he's holding his uncle's bleeding body in his arms and shaking him. Wailing. Crying out for help. *Please, Goddesses, please save him. He's all I have left. I can't do this without him. It's unfair—!*

That scared boy reaches his hands to his face for a moment, gripping at his hair and *Pulling*. There's a strange feeling of something *New* On his face as his hands brush past. It's jarring. *That shouldn't be there*. Vaguely, he is aware of himself coughing and something spraying out from his lips, dripping down his chin. His ears are downturned (ringing, ringing). 

*... Why isn't it raining?* 

... It's not raining...
Bobby
The sudden gasp from a friend he thought dead made Wild's hands fly from his face as his head snapped up, eyes wide and disbelieving. Unfortunately, that earned him a face full of fist, which *Definitely* Took a quarter heart. But the pain on his face and shoulder was dulled almost to nothing as he sat, staring at Legend... Alive. Extremely scared, but alive.

Wild's head was spinning, his thoughts a jumbled mess. His tears had stopped, more out of shock than anything else. Legend just died, he was sure he had. The complete motionlessness, not even the rising and falling of a breathing chest had been present. But now here he was, very much alive. It was frankly quite confusing. Not because it was something Wild thought was impossible, since he knew for a fact it wasn't. No, his surprise was more from the fact that until now, he had thought himself unique in his ability to revive after death.

Very slowly, very carefully, Wild crawled across the dirt towards the other hero. He didn't want to worsen the panic he was already in, but he had to know if this was real or just a dream or hallucination. Or maybe even wishful thinking. Slowly, so slowly, he reached a finger up towards the older man before gently poking his shoulder. Solid. Real. Wild blinked, processing this. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak. "You..." He whispered. "You're like *Me."*

It was the only explanation he could think of. He was too frazzled to think of any more logical possibilities. Legend had died, and then came back. He wanted so desperately to hug the other hero, say he was sorry and he didn't mean to kill him, but the fear in Legend's eyes and the blood coughed up told him that had to wait. Besides, he didn't know if Legend even trusted him enough to want to be around him after today.

*Stop feeling sorry for yourself. He needs healing.* Wild snatched the Sheikah Slate from his belt and swiped to his meals screen, trying to keep his fingers from fumbling too much. Only one more hearty elixir... But his collectors anxiety wasn't of importance right now. He could make a new one later. Shoving away his own discomfort, he tapped on the icon for the potion and waited impatiently for it to materialize in his hand. Once it had, he held it out to Legend, trying to hold back his tears. "I'm sorry," He apologized quietly. "You told me you wanted everything I had... I didn't think the first strike would land, and then I got mad at the arrow, I was stupid, I..." He swallowed. "I didn't mean for this to go so *Wrong."*
Jason
The best way to describe what he is feeling, if Legend ever had to explain it to anyone, was that claws were raking down his spine and clinging to every ridge in it. 

It led to his frame curling in, the man who was currently a boy, a protecting shell. It led to strains of ginger and pink hair being tugged, some pulling free in the process as his shoulders tightened. Bowstring taut, preparing for another hit. Preparing for an impact of some kind. He's ragged, at this point. Tastes iron. And somehow... Somehow all of the pain, the prickling in his skin, the clawing panic, and the blood on his tongue... 

The quick, choking hyperventilations stutter as his unseeing eyes try to focus in time to feel a *Poke*. Legend flinches, wild and frantic eyes trying to search the person who has suddenly *Appeared* In his vision, very close. A voice, familiar to him. Disembodied and echoing, until his hands (older, calloused, scarred) reach out to grasp hold of it mentally. The man's brain has not quite caught up, but he tries... He tries—

*Link, look at me. Please, look. You're okay, you're safe. We're in bed, in the castle. Touch the bedspread.*

His shaking hand touches the ground. Feeling tile. Cold and hard. He feels it has... Something on it. *Blood*, Legend registers. *Mine.*

*You are doing so good, my heart. You must look at me. My hair, see, it's blonde, isn't it? You may reach out and touch it, if you'd like.*

Pale blues searched the person in front of him. Blonde hair. Longer than his own, but not as long as hers. Blood on the face, *From my hands or—*. His hand, briefly, reaches up with a shake. Calloused, scarred, *Gentle.* Legend holds the side of Wild's face (*Wild, this is Wild. We were fighting. Sparring.*). He brushes the tears that were already flowing and the blood off with a thumb as best he can. Legend registers the potion in hand... And lowers his own hand. Pushes the potion *Towards* Wild. His mouth opens, briefly, but what comes out is such a pitiful sound instead of words that he closes it without hesitation. 

*Do not worry if you cannot speak. You do not need to speak with me. I will simply be here for you. As long as you like.*

Swallowing with a wince, the hand he pushed away the potion with instead points to Wild. A finger taps the potion once. The fear is still lingering in his eyes, but it is less. Not panic, and it is acknowledging things now. 

Legend listens to Wild. *First strike would land. Mad at the arrow. Did he know the lightning hit me, before? But— not that it killed me. He wouldn't... He would've had this reaction sooner.* Another swallow, tinged with rust. *... I can't tell him right now.*

... The man's mouth opens again, as he tries to force it. It's a strangled, weak thing. It vaguely sounds like... "...*Kid?*" 

... He wants to desperately to reach out and hug the other. Hold him tight, to let him know that it's okay. That he should have tried harder to stop Wild. He should have been better, moved faster, thought quicker. The tears that were caught in his eyes dropped, finally overburdened. Legend didn't care.
Bobby
Wild's bottom lip trembled, he was trying so hard to stay strong because right now he felt like Legend was in far more pain, but he still couldn't stop the tears from falling. He was going to wipe them away, but Legend got there first. A gentle gesture that Wild couldn't help but feel he didn't deserve. *"...Kid?"* The other hero croaked, and Wild felt something stir in the back of his mind...

And then, quite suddenly, the scene around Wild disappeared. The arena was gone, replaced by a grassy field at dusk, the sounds of a battle in his ears as he stared not at Legend, but someone who looked quite similar to himself, but older. His armor was stained with blood, his back against a tree as Wild gripped his shoulders with hands that were significantly smaller than they had been moments ago. He could hear a child's voice: *'Don't leave me, Dad! I won't let you!'* 

A gloved hand reached up to touch his face as the man smiled at him through glossy eyes. *'Link... You make me proud,"* He said hoarsely, before the hand dropped, limp against his chest. 

Wild heard the child's voice let out an angry roar, and felt himself stand (was he... Shorter?) and reach for a sword behind him before rushing into the battle. ***'YOU MONSTERS! YOU KILLED HIM!! I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!!!'***

And then the battle was gone, and he was back in the Colosseum, looking once again at Legend. Was that... A memory? He blinked and realized Legend had pushed the bottle back at him. A beat, and then Wild put the elixir to the side and hugged the older hero, now crying without restraint. "I'm sorry," He sobbed into Legend's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Jason
Legend struggles, for a moment, to gather what he should do. He isn't sure if Wild wants to be hugged. Isn't sure if he should just get up and stumble away, leave the hero be. But as he stares on at Wild, he notices the other has... A distant look in his eyes. A look of concern furrows itself into his features— despite the fact that Legend currently looks like death. Hell, they *Both* Do. 

*I didn't need to shoot him with a silver arrow. I know it's all I have in arrows, but I have more things I could have used. It... Was overkill. It wasn't needed. Even if I wasn't in my right mind, I should have known, I should have stopped myself.*

The man silently berates himself, hands shaking from pain and indecision. But seconds become longer, and longer, and *Longer*— and Wild is still not shaken out of this trance. He's not... Sure whether or not he should shake him or not. Or touch at all. 

Instead, he tried to wipe his lips from blood that had dripped down... Which works a bit— just ends up smearing it instead. *It's... Hard to breathe properly... I need to heal myself soon. But that potion Wild offered, he needs to take it first. I... I can wait. I can handle it. He's... Just a kid.* Legend finally refocuses when Wild comes back, the slightest new movement catching his (admittedly still fuzzy) sight. 

It was then Wild made the decision for him, hugging him tight enough that Legend just missed holding back a a sharp inhale of pain. But his arms still wrapped around Wild, clutching tighter. If Wild had a helmet or a hat, he tossed it off so that his hand buried itself into Wild's hair. Running his fingers through it. His chin dropped into Wild's shoulder, his own shoulders shaking. Tears prickled back into his eyes, but he schooled his voice as best he could.

"It's okay... It's okay... You didn't know... I forgive you... It's my fault, okay? I should have been faster. Should have been louder. But Wild, we need to get out of here... I— the storm, I... I can't..." A cough bubbled up into his throat, but he muffles it in his hand. "Kid, take your potion, okay? I... I hit you bad... You need to take that and we... We can go, okay? We don't ever have to do this again..."
Bobby
Wild wasn't sure what this emotion was, or why he was feeling it. It wasn't the same as when Zelda hugged him; that had him feeling warm and fuzzy inside. But this was different. Legend hugging him back, with a hand in his hair, Wild felt... Safe. Even though this man had almost killed him, he felt like he was in no danger. As if nothing and no one could harm him right now even if they tried. He felt like a piece of his heart he didn't know was missing had just returned to its place. He couldn't remember anyone who made him feel like this, but somehow he knew he *Had* Felt it before. Like a dream he knew he had but couldn't remember. And now that it was back, Wild didn't think he could bear to lose it again.

His breathing started to slow, though still interrupted by the occasional hiccup. It honestly defied all logic, this protection he felt. He could still feel the wound the silver arrow gave him, the silver arrow *From Legend,* That had nearly depleted everything in him. The burns from the fire rod still stung, he could still feel the pain in his side from his fall. It hurt, but somehow it was more bearable. 

At the insistence that he drink his own elixir, Wild was about to protest, but Fi finally spoke up to stop him.

***'Master. Please heal yourself.'***

*'But... But he got struck by-'*

***'Yes. But my readings put him currently at a health above your own. He is right, you must heal yourself.'***

Well, he couldn't argue with that. Fi was usually right in her observations. Reluctantly, he did as he was told, pulling away from Legend and picking the potion back up, drinking it slowly. He felt the wound in his shoulder seal up, his burns melt away, the ache in his side fade. Now he really *Was* Safe. 

*...The storm...*

Wild blinked as Legend's words started to sink into his mind, clearer now thanks to the elixir's effects. He furrowed his brow in confusion, then turned his head to look back at the older hero. He certainly *Looked* Completely serious, so Wild looked up at the sky to check. Crystal blue. Not a cloud in sight. What storm was Legend talking abou-

Then it hit him, as suddenly as a bolt of lightning itself. Legend thought the lightning was an *Actual storm.* The panicked look as his head popped out of the second floor, searching the ground... It suddenly made sense. It wasn't a mind game at all, Legend had thought both himself and Wild were in danger of a lightning strike. Wild felt like he might cry all over again.

"Legend... There's no storm. That... That was *Me."* Wild swallowed a sob and held out his Zonai arm to Legend. "These rings... They let me utilize the powers of sages. One of them... Commands lightning. A powerful bolt will come down and strike any spot I hit with an arrow. And I have a second lightning attack, one that activates with a charged attack and a snap. I..." Wild wiped furiously at his eyes, but the words kept coming. Legend had to understand this, he needed to know the full story. "I didn't think the first strike would land... I was trying to startle you out of hiding. After the parry, I figured I had to start using things you couldn't throw back at me. I didn't think... And then the arrow... You told me to give everything I had, and when I finally did, you hit me with something I thought for sure you'd never use on me. And I was so angry that I-"

His voice broke, and he was crying again. This time he didn't even seek comfort from Legend, even if he wanted it. He certainly didn't feel like he deserved it.
Jason
And it was true. Legend would die again, and again. He would face a thousand deaths for this kid if it meant he didn't have to die once. He would like to say he would do this for anyone, but... It was like he was missing a piece of a heart container that only just now got found. It... Occurs to Legend, that he certainly knows why. Especially as he pulls Wild even closer into his shoulder, protective. *Safe. He's safe with me. I will never harm him again, in any capacity. This I swear.*

Eventually, Wild pulled away, and the knight let him go. Idly, he brushed a hand against his face— tracing the new scar that was there. *Wonder how I'm going to explain this to Zelda. Wonder how I'm going to explain... Any of this. ... Wonder if she wants...*

... Suddenly, Wild is speaking. He listens, intently. With an eerily calm face, all things considered. The fear slowly drains out of his eyes, and understanding sticks there instead. His eyes, almost holding onto a last shred of hope that this was a... Lie, of some kind, flick upwards. 

Crystal blue skies. 

He returns when Wild begins to speak about his abilities. *Abilities on the same level as the Medallions. These things that he used against me. Did he think I was able to survive lightning? Did he not realize... After all, my fear? Does he think that big of me? ... Can he survive lightning?* It makes sense, logically. In a life or death situation like Legend posited, you would adapt your strategy to something your enemy could dodge or copy. This... Was his fault. He should never have said it was that kind of a sparring session. He should have just stated to "Take it seriously" Or something. 

*The arrow. When I hit him because I thought he— ... I have to tell him. It is going to make it worse. But it will be better afterwards.*

Legend leans forward and grabs Wild's hands, brushing his thumbs over the backs of them as he stares down at the hands. Trying to find the words. 

"... I am going to tell you something that will make you feel worse. But it will be okay afterwards. Because it's done. And you will know something about me that... Only Zelda knows. My Zelda." The man corrects himself. "Not even my Uncle knows." 

*Breathe in. Breathe out.*

"... When you... Shot that arrow. It was instantaneous." He pauses, look at Wild's eyes to see if, maybe he understood and he did not need to explain further. A hand reaches up to wipe away tears on the other man's face. Gentle. Kind. "When I die, it... Takes time to come back, depending on what I use. That time it was a potion made by a witch. It brings me back to full, but... I can feel everything coming back. I lost my senses, my hearing. I thought we were... There was a storm. I didn't know how long I was out. And when I saw you *Gone*... And some... *Contraption* In the sky, in my blurry vision..." *Breathe in—* His chest hitches, eyes squeezing shut. Pain floods his chest again. 

A few huffs as he pushes through it. "... I remember you talking about assassins, in passing. I thought..." And he shakes his head. "I was panicking. I couldn't— see, properly. I... I don't like thunderstorms. And you were gone, and... So I fired on what I thought was some assassin. Until I realized... It wasn't. And *I* Was angry. Because I thought you *Knew* That... That I was afr— I didn't *Like* Thunderstorms and... Used that against me, somehow. Knew the storm was coming." 

Legend looks down, at his hands. Calloused, scarred. *These are the hands of a murderer. There are guards lying in the cematary with his blade marks on them. Even if they weren't in control. He went to each of the families houses and explained to them what happened when he came back. When he was 13.*

"It's... My fault. I should have checked the sky. I should have stopped and hid, until my vision came back. Until I... I could calm down. I'm sorry, Wild."
Bobby
Wild stayed silent through the whole explanation, but his head was spinning for a different reason than the fact that he had accidentally led Legend to believe he had taken advantage of a weakness on purpose, that he had hit a man he knew was down. No, he was more shocked that his initial guess had been right... Partly. Legend *Did* Die and get revived, and it wasn't the first time. But it wasn't the *Exact* Same as Wild. For Legend, death had consequences. But for Wild, there was a lack thereof. Suddenly he realized that he had a *Luxury* Legend didn't. And he couldn't help but wonder why.

*I've been selfish. I get a do-over. Legend doesn't. Why? That's not fair to him. I... I have to tell him. He's told me his secret, mine is the least he deserves.*

He hugged Legend again, feeling more tears coming down his cheeks but being unable to stop them. "It started only hours after my first quest began, after waking up with no memories except my own name," He began, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I don't remember all my deaths, and I certainly couldn't tell you how many times it's happened. But the first time... I fell from a tower on the Great Plateau. I thought it was over... And then I woke up. On the top of the tower, not a scratch on me. As if it had never happened."

Wild took a deep breath, but he couldn't pause long, because the words kept coming. "The second time was to a guardian. I hadn't seen one wake up before, I didn't expect it. It killed me, and then I woke up steps away from the place it would have seen me. No hole in my chest, not even a scar. The ninth was to a guardian stalker in Hyrule Field. The fourteenth to a Lynel on Shatterback Point. I lost count somewhere in the thirties. I've been burned, frozen, drowned, electrocuted, struck down by monsters and Yiga Clan members. Crushed by boulders, fallen from cliffs. Every time, I wake up before it happened, and the only one who remembers it is me."

Wild swallowed and breathed a few times before continuing. "These days I find it difficult to care. I've become numb to it, I think I'd have gone insane a long time ago if I didn't. And even then, I feel like I abuse this power. It doesn't matter how many times I die as long as I get results. I'll wake up without a scratch. I've even used it to change an outcome if things go really wrong. All it takes is a stab of my sword, and I get sent back. My second quest may not have happened as it did if I had been given the chance to do that. But I wasn't."

Wild sniffed a little. "My Zelda is the only one who knows, and even then I haven't told her everything. I don't want her to see that side of me. I don't want her to know what it's driven me to do. I don't want her to know I've played god, bent fate to my will if I don't like it." 

He was really crying now, but he had to finish this. He had to push through. "All this time... I thought I was the only one. The only one who's cursed with a failsafe to come back after death to keep fighting. I never thought someone as strong as you would have it too. I didn't think you'd *Need* It."
Jason
It took a moment for Legend to reciprocate the hug, as if his mind was several feet behind him. Everything felt like it was slowed, up until he registered the feeling of pressure along with Wild speaking. His arms came up, under Wild's own and crossed behind him. He settled his hands onto Wild's shoulders as he listened. 

... And the longer he listens, the more he cannot help the bitterness that crawls up from his soul. The anger that flares again, this time not at Wild. At the Goddesses. At this supposed Hylia. But his anger is stuffed down for now, leaving that bitter taste in his mouth as he listens to the deaths Wild speaks about. About how he would induce a "Reset" Just to get the job done properly which... Which was eerily similar to himself a few times. But Wild feels... *Guilt* For the curse? 

And how he thinks his Zelda may have an averse reaction to the situation. *No... No if she's anything like my Zelda... She would be filled with such pity and sorrow.*

... Then Wild says something that is completely jarring. It causes Legend to completely stiffen up. *I never thought someone as strong as you would have it too. I didn't think you'd need it.*

There's a long, quiet moment. The air is charged, but not with electricity. 

"... When I was nine..." Legend begins, his voice small, smaller than it's ever been, "... I had a dream. Zelda was reaching out to me, calling for help from Hyrule Castle. It had been taken over by a man named Agahnim— Ganon in disguise. And she was to be potentially sacrificed. I woke up, scared, to a thunder crack. And I saw my uncle standing in the doorway, with the sword and shield he never used to let me touch. Told me it was his own when he served in the war. He told me to go back to bed, that he'd be back."

Legend's breathing becomes unstable, he realizes this distantly. It's hitching now and then, and he can register the fact that it *Hurts* But it's... Disembodied. Like someone else is feeling the pain and telling him about it. 

"... I followed him. Took my lantern. And when I snuck past the guards I... Found him dying. Stabbed through. He— tells me that I'm the last of the Hyrulian Knights... That to take his sword and shield, that I've never touched ever, and to save the Princess. I spend so long just... There... Until I'm so angry and furious. I want to know who killed him— and the guards of the castle are— controlled. Mind controlled, I guess. There's a group I encountered that sees me and I'm terrified. But so angry... And so I rush up to try and attack. I can't remember..." Legend's voice is quieter now, his hands grip Wild tighter, his face hiding down. 

"... I remember the feeling of being stabbed through by spears and swords. And bleeding out in the waters of the basement. Of thunder cracking outside, being soaked through by the rain already. And I remember waking back up and things knitting back together. And grabbing a sword too big for me and striking them down."

Legend finishes, practically shaking in Wild's arms. "I'm... I wasn't a knight, when my quests began, Wild. I was not a bodyguard for the Princess. I was not even... Trained in swordsmanship. I... Was a kid. ... I was just a kid... And I only got to where I am now just— due to all of my experiences... As a child."

He's trying to tell this story so that Wild understands. That he isn't strong. That he isn't this mighty figure. That he isn't this *Hero of Legend*. 

He's just Link. That's all he ever should have been.
Bobby
Wild listened silently, just taking the information in. The more he heard, the more he couldn't help but feel that this was just... Unfair. The emotion he felt wasn't anger, it was... Sadness. For how it all happened to Legend. Wild was very justice-oriented, every time he heard about any kind of unfairness or prejudice, it was upsetting. Because the world *Shouldn't* Work like that. He couldn't help but ask... Why.

*Why did it have to happen to him? Why did it have to happen when he was so young? Why is it so much worse for him than for me? Why does he get up with scars while I come back unscathed? Why does he not get to try again from scratch like I do? What did he do wrong?*

It wasn't like this was the first time someone he knew seemed to get the silent treatment from the gods. Zelda had spent most of her life leading up to the Calamity praying ceaselessly for Hylia to activate her power to seal away Calamity Ganon. Urbosa had told of her fainting in the freezing waters of a spring attempting to access it. It took Link's near-death to cause her to unlock it — by herself, with no goddess to help her. Why?

And then Wild himself, after waking up with no memories but his name, was showered with help from Hylia. Giving him gifts of life and power, telling him to bring peace to Hyrule. To the world. The same statues who remained deaf to the person dearest to Wild's heart called him "Devout swordsman." Why?

*What is so special about me? Why do I deserve these things, while they don't? It... It isn't fair. It's not fair. It's not fair!*

Wild tried to pull himself together for what he needed to say. It was difficult, since he was still crying, but... He was going to try. "That... Isn't true," He started quietly. "Who you are now isn't defined by... Things you can't do anything about." He had this conversation with Zelda many times, whenever she started spiraling. "And who you were then doesn't determine who you will be tomorrow. Or the day after that, or the day after that. The past can't go away, but it can only hold you back if you let it. Letting go is easier said than done. But it's not impossible."
Jason
... There's a long, silent moment after Wild speaks. It... Makes sense. Legend had heard Zelda say this to him before, time and time again, when that self doubt crept into his bones and he felt like nothing more than a weapon to me wielded against evil. That he had no more use to people than as such. 

That the moment he stopped being useful, Legend would be cast aside by those he loved and cared for. 

His uncle often held him when he came back from Koholint, while he sat crying without any way to explain why. Legend would like to think that Uncle knew. That the world had become too much, too hard, too cruel. Everything was too loud, or sharp, or blunt. Uncle would hold him for as long as he needed, and make him vegetable stew afterwards. Sometimes he would make cinnamon roasted apples. Cheap. Easy. Nostalgic. 

A choking feeling settles in his throat. But Legend is 26 now. He's not a child. He's not. *He's not.* So, he should not be pulled apart like this, strung up like a broken puppet trying to flail at pretending to be a man. 

If Legend had to guess, he was more akin to a walking corpse. Biding on borrowed time until the Goddesses saw fit to release him. 

A broken toy. 

He tries to internalize what Wild has said, just as Zelda has said, just as Uncle has smoothed circled into his back. But Legend pulls away from Wild, his arms pulling away. The tears streaming down his face feel like they're molten, burning paths that could scar. Damning. *A child's tears, not a man's.* His eyes are downcast, dulled despite their bright color. 

They turn up, meeting Wild's eyes. Reddened, the both of them, from crying. 

"... I want to go home." ... It's a soft thing. Quiet and cracking under the pressure that builds in his throat. If he says anything more, he thinks he might burst into full tears and wail and sob and shout. *It's unfair. It's all unfair. Why me? Why was it me?* 

"... I just... Want to go home."
Bobby
Wild watched as Legend pulled back. He looked — and sounded — much younger than he actually was. Wild was no stranger to trauma, and this had to be it. 

*"I want to go home..."*

It broke his heart a little, but not in the way that he thought it meant Legend didn't want to be around him anymore. The Legend that Wild knew wasn't here right now. This was a different Legend, one that reminded him very much of Koko and Cottla, the two Sheikah children whose father, Dorian, was a former Yiga Clan member. The girls felt like little sisters to Wild. He would often visit Koko to keep her company at her mother's grave in the morning, helping her to make fresh Ring Garlands from the wildflowers that grew there. He would sometimes play games with Cottla, knowing that she didn't have any other young friends to play with. 

And sometimes, on particularly bad days, Wild would come over to Dorian's home to cook dinner for the family. Dorian often said he could never seem to quite replicate his wife's cooking, even when following the recipes. But Wild's magic touch in the kitchen somehow did the trick. He would stay for dinner with them, waiting patiently as Dorian asked Hylia's blessing, then digging in, listening to the stories of Koko's most interesting customers and Cottla's adventures running around the village. 

And right now, that big brother instinct was kicking in again. Forcing his own tears to stop, he nodded at Legend and stood up, holding out a hand to help him up and giving him a smile. 

"Let's go home then," He said quietly, channeling the same energy he approached a crying Koko with. "You can rest there, and I can make some apple pie. You can have as much as you want, too. I promise it will fill you right up. You'll feel good as new."
Jason
There's a choking sound that bubbles up at Wild's voice, the words there. It's not his uncle's. And it's not Zelda's. In a very faint sense, nestled into the back of his head in some forgotten place— he knows it is not familiar. 

Not in the way that it's been here before. Amongst the catalogue of people normally deemed safe (a short list). But, despite it all, everything that surrounds them, and what they just have done—... It was safe enough. Tired, dulled, barely there. Acknowledging, at the very least. Legend breathed, recognizing his lungs in his chest. *They sting.* 

A hand reached up, grasping at the hand offered and gripped. With a heft, his aching body forced itself up with the help of Wild's pull. 

Somewhere, Legend feels like he should be embarrassed. That this was a bit... Too much to show to someone that you barely know, despite being one of the same soul. 

The other part doesn't care. It wants to be comforted. It was the arms of family. It wants a cabin house with an orchard and apple pie on the windowsill. 

Sticky hands and laughter, painting each other with flour. Late nights staring up at the stars and pointing out constellations, naming each one and telling a story until he falls asleep. Sitting on a balcony, a soft hand in his too-calloused one. Or his head on soft silk, fingers carding through his hair. 

He hates this. He hates fighting. He hates being a hero. 

"... Okay. Apple pie. And constellations." There's a quiet hum as he glances up, even though it's still daytime. The hand lingers in Wild's for just a moment longer before it releases. 

*Apple pie and constellations.*