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Chapter Text

     Four was sitting against one of the trees behind Wild’s house enjoying one of his books when he heard footsteps approaching.

     Most of the time the other heroes left him alone when he was reading, acknowledging and respecting his need for time to himself, only tending to bother him if he was needed for something. Whoever it was coming towards him now didn’t seem to want his attention- in fact it seemed like they didn’t want him to notice them at all, steps quiet and careful.

     Glancing up from his book he saw Legend, tiptoeing barefoot through the grass towards him.

     Legend looked up at almost the same time and froze, the veteran hero’s eyes going wide. After a moment he glanced furtively around, as if to make sure there was no one else outside, before scurrying the rest of the way over to where Four sat. Four noted he was still on his toes, almost like a rabbit.

     When he reached the smith, Legend didn’t sit but instead swayed side to side, licking his lips nervously and not meeting his eyes.

     “Uh- um. Could you, um.” He stuttered, staring at his toes instead of looking at Four. He began fidgeting with his fingers, and Four realized they were bare of his usual collection of rings, leaving only his heart and green holy rings. “I was, um, w-wondering if...”

     He trailed off, voice quiet and shy in a way Four had never heard before from the older boy. His shoulders were hunched inwards and he kept playing with his hands, ears tilted down. He looked... small.

     Four tilted his head in thought. Legend rarely initiated interactions outside of teasing or bets, and when he did he was usually confident and sure of himself. He was hardly ever shy, and certainly never so quiet unless something was wrong.

     The longer neither of them spoke the lower Legend’s ears tilted. He began to turn away, drawing into himself dejectedly, and something in Four’s chest clenched.

     “Hey, hold on. I haven’t said no yet. You haven’t even asked me anything.”

     Legend turned back at the sound of his voice, a tiny flicker of hope in his eyes that he tried hard to hide. “B-but you, um, y-you dun’ like it wh’n people b’ther you.”

     Four ignored the odd way he was speaking in favour of giving him a reassuring smile. “Normally, yes. But you’re not bothering me. Promise,” he added at Legend’s doubtful look. “What is it you want to ask me?”

     Legend bit his lip nervously. “C-could you... couldyoureadtome?” he asked in a rush.

     The smith blinked in astonishment. Legend wanting to spend time with him was already a surprise, but wanting to be read to? Like a child? He shook it off quickly, though, instead patting the ground on his left with another smile. “Sure. Come sit with me? In my opinion it’s always nicer to read when you’re sitting down.”

     The other boy lit up and bounced happily, dropping down to sit next to Four and drawing his knees up to his chest. Four found where he left off and began to read aloud.

     A few quiet minutes passed where the only sounds were Four’s voice as he read and the chirping of birds. Then there was a soft pressure on his shoulder; glancing over, he saw Legend curled up against his side, eyes fixed on the book in his hands. One of Legend’s hands drifted up to his mouth almost subconsciously only to be snatched back down after a moment.

     The whole thing was a little odd, but it didn’t seem harmful, so Four decided to let it be. He continued to read aloud, leaning his head on the other boy’s and earning a happy little sound. Legend curled closer, one hand clutching at Four’s sleeve as the other came up to his mouth again. He didn’t seem to notice, enraptured with the story, nuzzling into Four’s shoulder with a quiet hum.

Chapter Text

     Wild set the last of the ingredients on the counter before cupping his hands around his mouth and calling, “Alright! Who wants to help me make cinnamon apple muffins?”

     There was an excited gasp from the loft where a certain someone was taking a nap followed by quick footsteps. Legend appeared at the top of the stairs and almost tumbled down them in his haste, caught at the last moment by Twilight.

     As soon as he had his feet under him the little bounced over to where Wild stood in the kitchen area of the house.

     ‘Me me me! I wanna bake!’ he signed, hands nearly shaking with eagerness.

     Wild laughed at the clear excitement, grinning back at him. “Great! We need clean hands before we do any baking, though, remember? And maybe go get changed into something you don’t mind getting dirty. You can borrow some of my clothes if you like.”

     Legend nodded before bounding off back up the stairs. Wild shook his head fondly at the sight before taking his own advice and moving to the sink to wash his hands. He’d put his hair up in a bun earlier so he didn’t have to worry about it while they were baking.

     It was only a few minutes before Legend was back, this time in some of Wild’s old clothes — slightly too big on him due to being several inches shorter and slighter than the champion. He scurried over to the sink to wash his hands, glancing at Wild for approval, and beamed when the older hero gave a thumbs up.

     When he was done Twilight came over, hairbrush in hand. “Hey, kit. Do you want me to put your hair up to keep it out of the way while you bake?”

     Legend nodded and did his best to hold still as the rancher pulled his hair back into a small ponytail. Once he was finished the boy bonked his head gently against his chest with a beaming grin before bouncing back over to Wild.

     ‘Bake now?’ he signed.

     Wild nodded. “Bake now!”

     Legend gave a happy squeal, stomping and flapping his hands excitedly.

     “Bake bake bake bake!”

     Wild guided him over to the counter to point out all the ingredients they’d be using. Flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt sat on one side with eggs, oil, and milk on the other. Two apples, freshly picked, sat on a cutting board with a knife next to them on the other counter.

     “I’ll be cutting up the apples, okay? Can you mix all the dry ingredients together? I wrote down all the measurements you’ll need right here,” he gestured to a piece of paper next to the ingredients and Legend nodded.

     Wild left him to it and started working on the apples, confident that Twilight could help Legend if he needed it; peeling and coring them in quick succession before chopping them into small pieces and dumping those into a bowl. When that was done he checked back in on his brother.

     The little had his brows furrowed, tongue sticking out in adorable concentration. Wild watched as he carefully poured the last of the dry ingredients into the bowl before mixing them all together.

     “Good job, blupee,” Wild praised, earning a surprised squeak. Legend’s ears went pink and he rocked side to side, flapping his hands happily. “Time to add the next ingredients. Are you ready?”

     An excited nod.

     “Okay, I’ll add these if you want to add the apples?”

     Legend nodded so quickly he wobbled for a moment and Wild had to reach over to steady him. He let out a giggle before moving to grab the bowl of apple pieces. Wild added the eggs, milk, and oil, then motioned for Legend to pour in the apples. Then he picked up the spoon to mix everything together and offered it to his little brother.

     Legend reached for it before biting his lip and pulling back. He glanced from Wild to the spoon, then back to Wild again. Then he whispered, sounding suddenly shy, “Help?”

     Wild blinked in surprise. “You want me to help?”

     Legend nodded, still chewing his lip and making Wild worry it would start bleeding. He sighed, reaching over to gently ruffle pink hair.

     “Sure thing, blupee. Good job asking, I’m proud of you.” Legend flushed and glanced away at the praise. “Here, you hold the spoon and I’ll help you mix it all together, alright? Then we can pour it into the muffin tin.”

     ‘Okay,’ the boy signed, finally reaching out and taking the spoon from his hand. His cheeks were still pink.

     Together, they folded the apples into the batter before Wild had Legend hold the bowl so he could carefully scoop out enough to fill each well of the muffin tin. Once they were all full Legend gathered up all the dirty baking supplies and put them in the sink to be washed later while Wild quickly whipped up the crumble topping and sprinkled it over top the batter.

     “Alright, now we just stick it in the oven and wait for about 25 minutes!” he announced. “Think you can wait that long, little blupee?”

     “Uh-huh! I used t’ do it wh’n I helped m’ Uncle bake back home!” As if to prove it, Legend plopped to the floor in front of the oven right then and there.

     “…Okay. Just let me or Twilight know if you want to do something else, alright?” With one last glance at Legend, Wild slid the tin into the oven and set a timer on his slate for 25 minutes.

     True to his word, Legend didn’t move from his spot once until the timer went off, rocking and humming as he watched the oven with a single-minded focus.

     He moved out of the way so Wild could take the tin out without being told, gasping in delight at the now-baked muffins. He watched closely as the older boy inserted a toothpick into each muffin, checking to see if it came out clean. Each of them was perfect.

     “Hey, Lege, go call the others in so we can eat these before they go cold.”

     “Yeah!” Legend raced to the door and yanked it open, shouting, “Muffins’re ready!!!”

     Then he was back, bouncing eagerly as he waited for everyone to join them.

     Wind was the first one inside, grinning as he yelled something over his shoulder to the others. He was quickly followed by Four and Hyrule, with Sky close behind.

     “Hi, baby!” Sky exclaimed, moving in for a hug which Legend happily accepted. “You made muffins?”

     “Uh-huh! They’re apple cinni- cinna- um, yummy! Wil’ helped me make ‘em!”

     Twilight chuckled. “You mean you helped Wild, kit.”

     “Mm!”

     Warriors and Time finally came inside, walking slowly and clearly in no hurry. Wind ran over and grabbed their hands, tugging them impatiently towards the table where the rest of the Chain waited. “You guys are gonna make the food go cold, come on!”

     “There’s no rush, Sailor, it’s fine.” Wars grinned, reaching over and ruffling Wind’s hair. He squawked.

     “There will be if the muffins get cold and Legend cries,” he glowered.

     Wars winced. “…Right. Sorry.”

     “Well, we’re here now,” Time cut in, smiling. “No need to worry. Legend, would you like to do the honours?”

     Legend bounced a few times with a happy sound before carefully picking up one of the muffins and handing it to Wild on his left. The champion took it with a smile and a word of thanks and Legend moved on to the others, tongue sticking out in concentration.

     They all took their muffins eagerly but unanimously decided to wait until everyone had their own to try them.

     Legend picked up one of the last muffins remaining and glanced around to check that they all had one. Satisfied, he focused back on the one in his hands and took a big bite. He immediately made a delighted sound and began to sway side to side as he chewed.

     The rest of them took that as their cue and began to eat their own, more than one of them letting out appreciative noises at the taste.

     “Lege, Wild, these are so good,” someone - it might have been Four - groaned. Everyone else made various sounds of agreement.

     “It’s really the little blupee here you should be thanking; he’s the one who gave me the recipe.” Wild grinned, looping an arm around Legend’s shoulders.

     Legend giggled and leaned into the touch, continuing to eat his muffin with a contented smile.

Chapter Text

     They were making their way along one of the roads in an unclaimed Hyrule when the storm hit. It had been looming all day, making itself known in tight scars and aching joints.

     They had just come upon a rocky cliff when it happened. Thunder boomed out of nowhere, making everyone jump. The rain came a moment later, bringing with it a chill that had some of them gasping.

     “Let’s find shelter!” Warriors called. There were enthusiastic sounds of agreement.

     Twilight pulled the hood of his pelt over his head only to pause. Something felt… off. He did a quick headcount. All of the usual troublemakers - Wild, Hyrule, and Wind - were ahead, eagerly searching for some place to take shelter from the rain. The rest were trudging along as well as they could.

     Everything seemed fine. He continued walking.

     …Wait. Someone was missing.

     The rancher stopped in his tracks to count again. Wind, Wild, Hyrule- that was three. Time and Wars in their armor, glancing worriedly up at the dark clouds, five. Sky holding his sailcloth over an unhappy Four. Seven. He made eight.

     …Where was the Vet?

     Twilight glanced around, trying to spot his missing brother. He turned around and-

     Oh.

     Legend stood frozen in the middle of the road, hands clasped over his ears and eyes shut tight. Thunder boomed again and Twilight watched as he flinched, curling into himself with a barely-audible whimper.

     Uh-oh.

     It was no secret among them that Legend hated storms. A big one like this would spook him badly, at the very least. Twilight hurried back towards his brother, calling out to try and get his attention.

     There was no reaction. Legend remained frozen.

     “Lege, hey, lookit me.” Twilight knelt down before him, noticing with mounting worry how pale he was, just how tightly he curled into himself. Thunder rolled again and Legend flinched hard with a choked sound.

     Twilight frowned. Calling his brother’s name again produced no result; Legend stayed unresponsive. A fourth bout of thunder had him shuddering and Twilight biting his lip.

     He wasn’t sure what to do. He hesitated to touch him, but calling his name wasn’t working. Legend hated being touched without warning - a major negative side effect from his adventures - but Twilight didn’t see any other way to get him out of the rain. With a sigh, he shrugged off his pelt and draped it over the smaller boy, making sure the hood was securely over his head before scooping him up and hurrying back to the rest of their brothers.

     The Captain was the first to notice as he approached, his brow furrowing at the shaking form held close in protective arms. He sent Twilight a concerned look which only deepened when Legend let out a small, scared noise.

     “We needta git ‘im outta th’ rain,” Twilight said. Wars nodded and was about to reply when he was interrupted by a shout.

     “We found a cave! It looks like there’s enough room fer all of us!”

     Wind waved at them from an opening in the cliffside. The heroes still on the road hurried over, grateful for the chance to get out of the storm.

     Inside the cave was thankfully dry and large enough for them to spread out and have their own space. The roof was even high enough they could have a fire without having to worry about the smoke.

     Twilight moved to the back of the cave, as far from the entrance as he could. The sound of rain was quieter there, and he felt Legend’s trembling begin to lessen a tiny bit.

     “Shh, shh. I gotcha,” he murmured. “Let’s getcha outta those wet clothes, yeah?”

     Legend whimpered and clung to him weakly as Twilight tried to gently wrangle him out of his wet things. Warriors came over after changing out of his own soaked clothes to offer his assistance. Together, they managed to get Legend out of his wet clothes and into something soft and dry.

     The younger boy didn’t resist, only pressing closer as thunder echoed through the cave. Twilight and Wars shared a look over his head.

     “Reckon he’s small, if he’s actin’ like this,” the rancher muttered, keeping his voice down.

     Wars sighed. “Yes, I think that might be the case. Do you think it was the storm?”

     “I dunno what else it coulda been. ‘e was fine earlier, just grouchy cause his scars were actin’ up.”

     Wars nodded before crouching down to be level with Legend and speaking softly. “Hey, bud. Are you feeling small right now?”

     A muffled whine was his answer and he exchanged another glance with Twilight.

     “Do you want me to hold you while Twilight gets changed? You can go right back when he’s done if you want.”

     Legend didn’t respond, instead pressing even closer to the rancher as his right hand drifted towards his mouth. Warriors was quick to catch it, rubbing gentle circles into his palm in apology when Legend made an unhappy noise.

     “I know, bud, I know. But Twi’s gotta get out of his wet clothes, too. Come here.” He gathered Legend into his arms and shuffled around to sit against the wall with him in his lap.

     He held his little brother, still rubbing gentle circles into his hands, as he watched the rest of the Chain work to make themselves comfortable to wait out the storm. Wild had managed to get a fire going and was in the process of preparing dinner. Four was furiously toweling himself dry while Wind went around gathering everyone’s bedding, most likely with the intention to make a nest for them all to cuddle in later.

     Everyone had just gotten calm and relaxed when the weather took a turn for the worse.

     Lightning flashed, painting the world a blinding white, followed by the loudest clap of thunder yet.

     Legend jolted from where he was leaning against Warriors with a startled cry. Wars managed to catch him before he fell, wrapping his arms around him in a secure hold. Legend let him, staring into nothing for a long moment before he burst into tears.

     He wailed, shoving his face into Wars’ chest to hide from the storm raging outside. His brother held him close, covering long ears and rocking side to side in an effort to calm him. Soft humming filled the air, a welcome distraction from the dull roar of rain outside their shelter.

     It took a long time, but eventually Legend’s tears slowed. Wars ran a soothing hand through his hair as he hiccuped, letting go of the tight grip he had on the older hero’s shirt to rub at his eyes. The captain gently wiped the tears from pale cheeks before pressing a kiss to his brow.

     Wet violet eyes peeked up at him from behind damp hair. Wars smiled and tucked a lock behind one of those long ears. Legend sniffled and tucked himself against Wars’ neck. He let him, used to the other boy’s way of seeking comfort.

     “You feeling a little better, honeybun?”

     A small nod against his collarbone. Wars leaned his head against Legend’s, earning a sigh.

     “I bet yer tired, huh, kit?” Twilight murmured, laying a hand against Legend’s back. “Let’s git ourselves t’bed, yeah? Wind’s got a nice comfy nest built fer all o’ us.”

     There was a beat, then a tiny “…okay.”

     “That’s th’ spirit. Awright, let’s go!” Twilight helped Wars make sure he had Legend in a secure grip before standing. Then they made their way over to where the rest of the Chain was waiting in the aforementioned nest. Wild was the only one missing, still working on dinner.

      Wars sat down near the middle, Legend curled in his lap. As soon as they were settled, Sky crawled over with a blanket and tucked the little boy in with a smile. Then he took Legend’s face in his hands and pressed several kisses to his cheeks with exaggerated ‘muah!’ sounds. Legend gave a wet giggle at the affection.

     Sky beamed. “There’s my little bird! Are you feeling better, baby?”

     Legend nodded before his face scrunched and he yawned, nose quivering from the force of it. He laid his head on Wars’ shoulder again with a content sigh.

     “You can go to sleep if you want, honeybun. It’s alright.” The rain had died down a fair bit, a quiet patter on the cliff outside. Wild finished dinner and came over with plates in hand, smiling when he saw Legend cuddled up to the captain.

     “I’ll save his for later,” he whispered.

     “Thanks, champion. I know he’ll appreciate it.”

     Warriors began running a hand through Legend’s hair, feeling the boy in his lap relax at the soothing motions. He leaned more and more heavily into the captain, one hand grasping loosely at Wars’ shirt while the other rested under his chin. A moment later tiny squeaking snores sounded.

     Sky cooed. The other heroes exchanged adoring smiles at the sight.

     “Alright, that’s bedtime for us, I think,” Wars whispered. “Sleep well, everyone. See you all tomorrow.”

     With that, he carefully moved to lay down, Legend still wrapped in his arms and snoring quietly. He felt more than saw someone lay a blanket over him, his own eyes already drifting shut from the assurance of safety and family around him.

     “Goodnight, captain,” was the last thing he heard before he let sleep embrace him.

Chapter Text

     Legend has been having a good day.

     They’re in Sky’s era, taking the day off to relax in his surface home. Legend had decided he even felt alright enough to regress, so with his brothers’ encouragement he dressed in some of his comfiest clothes and settled on the floor in the main room to play.

     He’s feeling particularly small today, so instead of his usual chewy necklace he has a teether- made by Sky and Wild just for him. His brothers don’t feel comfortable letting him have his necklace when he’s this small, something about a choking hazard (which he personally thinks is silly, but whatever), so the teething ring it is.

     He doesn’t mind — the ring itself is solid but squishy enough it feels good between his teeth, secured by a small wooden bunny (carved by Sky) that’s nice to rub his fingers over. Legend won’t admit it, but it might be one of his favourite items when he’s small.

     He’s playing a game with Wind, something simple but fun that helps him settle comfortably into his headspace. He hums and squeaks happily, feeling content and safe with his brothers here with him. His mind is calm and soft and he feels himself sink a little deeper into the cotton feeling.

     Everything is fine.

     Of course, that’s when things decide to take a turn.

     The door opens suddenly with a bang! that makes him jump. In comes one of the largest men he’s ever seen.

     “LINK! YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU WERE BACK!!!”

     Legend freezes. Distantly, he registers his teether falling out of his mouth and to the floor with a muted thud. Somewhere in his mind he knows who this is, but all he can focus on is how big the man is, and how loud, and how scary.

    The strange man turns away, maybe to talk to Sky, and Legend takes the chance to bolt.

     He scrambles to his feet, aiming for the hallway he faintly remembers Sky mentioning holds the bedrooms. The first door he tries refuses to open. Frantic, he throws himself at the next one he sees. This one opens easily under his hand and he tosses himself through - barely remembering not to slam it behind himself. He sweeps a panicked gaze over the room before diving under the bed in the far corner.

     He shoves himself as far back as he can, startling when he hits the wall. Curling up as tight as possible, he brings a hand to his mouth and bites down. He has to be quiet. He has to stay hidden. He has to-

     The door opens.

     Groose hurries toward the house he shares with Link and Zelda. Link is back and he didn’t tell him!

     Obviously such a thing must be corrected immediately!

     He finally reaches the house and without thinking bursts through the door. Inside he sees Link, as well as the group of heroes he’s been traveling with. “LINK! YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU WERE BACK!!!”

     Some of them flinch at his volume and he winces apologetically. “Oops! Sorry, got a bit excited there, haha.”

     Link laughs and moves to wrap Groose in a hug. “Hey! I was just about to go find you and tell you we were back!” He pouts up at him and Groose claps him on the back with a grin.

     He goes to tease his best friend but is interrupted by a quiet patter of footsteps and the faint creak of a door.

     “Uh, hey guys?” Groose turns to see one of the smaller heroes kneeling on the floor with a worried look on his face. “Lege just ran.”

     Worried exclamations sound before Link steps over to the boy and joins him on the floor. “What happened, Wind?”

     “We were playing and then Groose came in and he got spooked, I think. As soon as he looked away Lege ran that way,” Wind points towards the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

     Link worries his lip.

     “Sorry, Groose,” he offers an apologetic smile. “I guess I should’ve warned you-”

     “Aw, don’t worry about it. It’s my fault for comin’ in without knocking. Not surprised I spooked at least one of ya.” Groose waves him off.

     Link looks like he wants to argue but Groose shakes his head and moves towards the hallway. He needs to apologize to the little guy, and he only hopes he doesn’t scare him further.

     He hears worried muttering behind him but ignores it in favour of figuring out which door the missing hero might have gone through.

     Link and Zelda’s doors are locked, since Link’s been on his quest and Zelda’s been out doing some surveys to find the best places for building new houses and farms. So that strikes those out as potential places to hide. Groose turns and notices his own door is slightly open.

     He’s sure he closed it when he left this morning. The little guy must be in there then.

     Groose is careful as he opens the door and peeks inside. It’s empty upon first glance, and he almost leaves to continue searching the rest of the house before his eyes land on his bed and-

     Oh.

     That makes sense.

     As quietly as he can, he slips inside, making sure to leave the door open a crack. He makes his way over to the bed and sinks down to sit beside the nightstand — that way there’s plenty of room for a panicked hero to escape if needed.

     There’s no sound besides his own breathing and for a minute he worries if he got the wrong room; if the little guy isn’t in here after all. Then - the tiniest, squeakiest sound he’s ever heard. It sounds a bit like a remlit sneezing, only a thousand times cuter.

     “Bless you,” he says on reflex. There’s a tiny startled sound. “Ah- right. Sorry for scaring you earlier. I was excited to see Link again and just rushed in. I forgot you guys would be here too.”

     No response from the hero under the bed. That’s okay. Groose is content to wait; sometimes it would take Link hours to stop being scared when something triggered him. He wouldn’t be surprised if these other heroes were similar. Worst comes to worst, he can go get one of the others and let them help the poor guy.

     A few more minutes pass before he hears the shuffling of fabric on wood, like someone is crawling. Then pink appears, followed by grey, and soon there’s an entire hero kneeling at the other end of Groose’s bed, watching him apprehensively from under soft pink hair.

     The kid’s dressed in a soft grey woolen dress and leggings coloured in a mix of muted pinks and blues. He looks like he’s ready to spend a nice relaxing day at home; Groose feels a little bad for potentially ruining that with his sudden arrival.

     He sends the little guy a warm smile. “Seems like you’re feelin’ a little better, huh?”

     He gets a shy nod in response. The kid’s clutching the blanket in one hand while the other creeps towards his mouth. The action reminds Groose of the little kids back on Skyloft — how they’d cling to their parents’ clothes and chew their own tiny fingers. He feels a sudden urge to tell him to stop, get him something else to chew on, but he’s not sure it would be welcomed.

     Instead, he shifts to face him, leaning back against the bed with another smile.

     “Say, you see anything cool on your travels?”

     The kid lights up.

     Sky is pacing the living room, wringing his hands and constantly glancing back at the hallway Groose disappeared down.

     It’s not that he doesn’t trust Groose; he does, really he does. But he doesn’t know about Legend’s regression. Sky had planned to mention it to him when he went to get him, but then Groose had taken it upon himself to find him, and then-

     Well.

     Here they are.

     So here he is, pacing a hole in his carpet as he worries about his best friend and his little brother and everything that could be going wrong.

     The only reason he didn’t immediately take off after Groose is because he knows, for all he seems big and goofy and not all that bright, Groose is smart and clever and much better at handling situations like this than he appears. Sky remembers the many, many panic attacks and meltdowns and how Groose did his best to be there for all of them; providing support and a steady shoulder to lean on- and cry on, too, as was often the case.

     So, though he’s close to chewing his nails down to the quick with worry, he chooses to wait and let his friend do what he does best.

     It’s only when he can’t stand to wait any longer that he spins towards the hallway and makes to march down it. He’s stopped by a hand on his shoulder and nearly sinks his teeth into it before registering something is being held out to him. Blinking, he realizes it’s Legend’s teether. Following the hand holding it up and back, he sees Warriors behind him.

     “I figured he might want it, so I washed it while you were busy putting a new track in your carpet.”

     Sky inhales, holds it, then exhales; it’s only a little shaky. Taking the teether from Wars, he smiles gratefully. “Thanks. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

     Wars returns it with his own small smile and squeezes his shoulder before stepping away.

     Feeling a little calmer now, Sky heads down the hall. Groose’s door is slightly open, so that’s where he goes. He moves to open it but pauses at the sound of voices: one deep and warm, the other high and soft. Neither sounds angry or upset, which lifts a bit more weight off his shoulders.

     Pushing open the door, Sky is greeted by the sight of Legend sitting cross-legged on the floor at the end of Groose’s bed, rocking and waving his hands as he babbles eagerly to an intently-listening Groose. His best friend is also on the floor, leaning against the bed with a warm smile on his face as he watches the boy.

     ”-bunnies go hop-hop!” Legend tells Groose, who nods and makes an intrigued sound. “They also like to, um- t’ eat lots an’ lots of plants! They can’t have too many carrots, though, cause they coul’ get sick. Eve- even though ev’ryone says that’s what bunnies eat. An’ they- um, they also like t’ burrow! Th’t’s when they dig an’ dig lots of tunnels an’ rooms t’ live in an-”

     He breaks off when he sees Sky, immediately reaching for him with an excited “‘ky!”

     “Hi, baby!” Sky coos, kneeling down to draw his little brother into his lap. Legend goes easily, tucking close and grasping at Sky’s shirt with a happy sound.

     “Ohhh, you’re little little, huh baby?” Legend hums in answer, squishing his face against Sky’s neck. Sky coos and cuddles him some more. After a moment he remembers he’s still holding the teether and nudges Legend until he looks up, then lets him grab it and eagerly pull it to his mouth.

     Groose clears his throat. Pulling his attention away from his baby brother, Sky sees him glancing between the two of them, brows pinched in confusion. “Uh… Not to be rude or anything but… Can you explain what’s going on? Why’s the little guy, uh, ‘little?’”

     Oh, right. Sky had been going to explain it before everything happened. Well, no time like the present.

     He clears his throat and shifts so he’s sitting a little more comfortably, adjusting Legend to tuck him more securely against his chest. “Right, so, essentially… You know how hard my quest was on me, right?” Groose nods. “Well, Lege had six of them, that we know of. This is his seventh. And he… he started really young. So, to cope with everything, his brain goes back to being a kid sometimes. And sometimes even younger than that.”

     “…So it helps? The- the ‘being small’ thing?” Groose’s expression is a mix of worry, sadness, and dawning understanding.

     “Yeah.”

     “And you all take care of him when he’s like this?” Sky nods and Groose leans back with a thoughtful sound.

     “Well… Can’t say I totally get it, but he seems to be doing alright. And he’s got you lookin’ out for him, so he’s got nothing to worry about.”

     Sky’s chest warms at Groose’s faith in him even as he blushes, flustered, and ducks to hide his burning face in Legend’s hair. The little boy coos and reaches up to clumsily pat his head in an attempt at comfort; Groose chuckles as Sky groans dramatically. He nuzzles his little brother’s hair and presses a kiss to soft pink to show he’s not mad, and Legend squeaks happily, cuddling closer.

Chapter Text

     Thunder boomed. Rain pelted the windows of the cottage, sending streaks across the glass as wind rattled the panes.

     Ravio watched the storm from the safety of the couch. He’d already made sure all the doors and windows were shut tight, and that Sheerow was inside with no way to get out and swept up in the storm. He himself was cozy in a sweater and fluffy socks, with a quilt wrapped snugly around his shoulders.

     It seemed to be just another storm - albeit a fair bit stronger than what he was used to from Hyrule so far.

     So preoccupied was he in watching the storm that he almost missed it. The next crash of thunder had him flinching at the strength of it, only to pause at a faint sound from elsewhere in the house.

     He frowned, straining his ears to hear it again only to be met with nothing but the howling of wind and rain. He almost dismissed it as Sheerow making noise in another room, but a quick glance around proved that untrue: Sheerow rested peacefully on the perch beside the fireplace, head tucked under a wing.

     Another boom of thunder was followed by the same soft sound. Ravio’s frown deepened; it sounded almost like a child’s cry.

     He pushed himself up from the couch, wrapping the quilt tighter around his shoulders as he started to search for the source of the noise. The first floor was clear, so with a sigh he turned his attention upstairs.

     The sound slowly became clearer the higher he went; soft, muffled cries following every bout of thunder. They seemed to be emanating from Link’s room.

     …Link’s room.

     Ravio stopped in his tracks as the realization hit. He hadn’t seen or heard Link since the storm began, and it was with a horrible rush of guilt he remembered his friend’s confessed fear of storms.

     With a curse he hurried down the hall. Opening the door, he was met with what looked to be an empty room. He knew better than to assume that was the case, though, and immediately began looking for his friend.

     It didn’t take long.

     Ravio found him under his desk, a blanket over his head and hands clasped tightly over long ears. Ravio could see him shaking from where he stood. Thunder boomed and he watched as Link jumped, letting out a terrified little sound. His eyes squeezed shut.

     Oh dear…

     Ravio knelt down before the desk, watching as Link trembled and did his best to curl into a tight ball.

     “Link,” he said quietly, waiting so see if he heard.

     Nothing. That was unsurprising. The sound of the storm was loud enough to drown out almost any other sound. He was surprised he’d been able to hear Link at all.

     He tried again, louder this time. “Link, it’s me. It’s Ravio. I’m here.”

     He set a gentle hand on Link’s knee as he spoke. The other boy startled at the touch, looking up with wide, shining eyes. Ravio’s heart ached at the frightened, lost look in them.

     Link whimpered and Ravio knew without a doubt that he was small. His heart broke at the sound; he’d had an inkling he would probably be regressed, but seeing it confirmed was like a knife to the chest. His dear friend had likely been small and afraid for hours.

     “Hey, bun. Sorry I didn’t realize sooner. I’m here now.” Ravio moved closer to the desk, shifting to sit cross-legged and opening his arms. It only took a moment — there was a resounding BOOM and Link yelped, flinging himself forward and into his lap, clinging tight. Ravio immediately wrapped his arms around him as he began to sob.

     “Shh, shh. It’ll be alright,” he crooned, stroking messy pink hair. He continued to murmur reassurances as he did his best to comfort his friend. Another crash of thunder had him covering quivering ears and soothing Link when he gave a frightened cry.

     He cast his mind about for ways to soothe his friend. Almost subconsciously, he started humming an old lorulean lullaby as he pulled the quilt from around his shoulders and wrapped it around the boy in his lap. It took a few moments, the notes faint in his memory, but soon his voice grew bolder, more confident. Link sniffled and shifted to look up at him; Ravio smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his brow, still humming.

     Slowly, Link’s sobs died down to shaky hiccups and sniffles. Ravio realized the storm had quieted as well. The thunder was no longer quite so loud, the lightning no longer so blinding.

     He kept humming, rocking side to side in the way he knew helped Link feel calm. The rain was only a quiet patter, now. Link sniffed before letting out a sigh.

     “How are you feeling, bunny?” Ravio asked softly. Link was quiet for a moment before he answered.

     “…better.” His voice was hoarse and scratchy from crying. “Thanks, Ra- Ravi.”

     “Of course, bunny. I’m sorry it took me so long.” Ravio nuzzled soft pink hair apologetically. Link shook his head and curled closer, tucking himself under Ravio’s chin.

     “‘m jus’ glad you were here,” he murmured. “Um, co-could you hum again? Please?”

     “Sure, bun. What do you wanna hear?”

     “I like what you were humming b’fore. That one?”

     “The lullaby?” Link nodded, eyes beginning to droop now that most of the storm had passed. Ravio cooed and shuffled to sit more comfortably, taking a deep breath before beginning to hum again.

     The two of them sat there together on Link’s floor, waiting out the storm.

Chapter Text

     Sky sighed, relaxing into the soft cushions of his chair. It had been far too long since he’d sat in a decent chair. That was one thing he disliked about adventures, he mused, you went so long with only the basic necessities.

     Several of his brothers lounged around him, taking advantage of the rare opportunity of being in one of their own’s home.

     This time they were in Warriors’ apartment in his Castle Town. The captain had graciously allowed them full use of the place while they were there and the group of heroes was taking full advantage of the comfortable furniture, plentiful space, and hot water.

     Today, the older heroes were sharing idle conversation in the living room while the younger ones played some sort of game upstairs. Sky could hear laugher and pounding footsteps overhead. He wasn’t sure what it was they were doing, but at least they were having fun.

     He flicked an ear in Twilight’s direction as the other man pulled himself to his feet and headed to the kitchen, saying something about snacks. Sky simply hummed in reply and sunk further into the chair, eyes slipping closed.

     Then suddenly there was a yelp and the sound of something heavy tumbling down the stairs. Sky was up and moving in a flash, racing towards the noise.

     Upon reaching the stairs, he found Legend sprawled at the bottom, eyes wide and face white. The younger hero hiccuped and let out a faint whine, lip trembling. His eyes met Sky’s, who realized with a jolt that he was looking at a very small Legend.

     “Oh, baby,” he breathed, kneeling down and reaching out to cup pale cheeks. Legend hiccuped again. “Shh, shh, it’s okay. That was scary, huh?”

     “Shit- is he alright?” Warriors asked from behind him. He glanced back to see his brothers gathered in the hallway, looking on worriedly. Wars put a hand on his shoulder as he leaned closer.

     “He had a bad scare,” Sky murmured. He gently pulled his baby brother close only for Legend to let out a pained sound, eyes still wide and lost. “What’s wrong, baby bird?”

     Legend only gave a tiny shake of his head, pressing closer.

     Sky exchanged a look with Wars before pushing to his feet and carefully hoisting Legend up on his hip, his heart squeezing at the quiet gasp at the movement. Together they led the rest of their brothers (the younger boys creeping down the stairs after them) back to the living room, where he set Legend down on a stool by the fireplace. He set to fussing and cooing while Warriors went to find his medical kit and shoo the other heroes away to give Legend space. They all knew how he hated being crowded, no matter his age.

     Then he was back, kneeling down by Legend’s side to look him over. “Can you tell me what hurts, honeybun?”

     Legend sniffled. His brothers waited patiently; he had a hard time with words when he was small, and his fall wouldn’t have made it any easier.

     “Mm- mmmuh, mmy sh- mmy sssh- sshuh,” an inhale followed by a frustrated sound. He hunched his shoulders only to hiss in pain.

     “Your shoulders hurt?” Wars asked, voice soft. Legend gave a small nod. “Is it okay if I touch your back? I gotta know exactly where it hurts so I can help.”

     Legend bit his lip, hesitant, but nodded. Wars smiled. “I’ll be as careful as I can, I promise.”

     He lifted a hand and set it gently on Legend’s back, between his shoulder blades- only for Legend to flinch away with a whimper.

     Sky watched as Warriors’ brow furrowed in a frown. His brother glanced at him then back to the boy between them.

     “Hey, honey… Would you be okay with us taking your tunic off so we can see your back?”

     Another, longer moment of hesitation before Legend nodded.

     Sky breathed out, relieved. For a moment he’d worried Legend would refuse or make a fuss - nevermind that he hated the very idea of throwing any sort of fit when he was small. He worked with Wars to unbutton Legend’s dark green undertunic and pull his arms through to let it sit around his waist. The boy visibly shivered at the feeling of air against his skin despite the fire behind him.

     Then Wars made a sharp sound- quickly cut off- causing Sky’s eyes to snap to him in alarm. The captain’s gaze was trained on Legend’s back. Warily, Sky shifted to look. He immediately had to bite back a gasp.

     Legend’s shoulders were a mess of bruising: red darkening to purple blossomed across his skin like a macabre bouquet. Tearing his gaze away, Sky noticed similar bruising on his lower back.

     “Wars,” he murmured, gesturing as discreetly as he could. Wars followed his gaze and grimaced before reaching into his medical bag to pull out a bottle of red potion and a scrap of fabric.

     “Alright, bud, you’ve got some bad bruising back here. I’ve got a red potion that I’m gonna put on it; it might feel a little funny but it’ll make your back feel better. You can hold on to Sky if you want, okay?”

     Legend gave a timid nod, reaching out to hold on to Sky’s sleeve with a trembling hand. Sky covered it with his own, hoping to reassure him. He murmured comforting words as he watched Wars pour some of the potion onto the cloth before beginning to dab it over Legend’s back.

     The boy didn’t react much more than flinching at the first brush of cloth on skin, but Sky could hear him grinding his teeth as he visibly strained to remain still. He rubbed gentle circles into his hand, trying to help him stay calm.

     Thankfully it took only a few moments before Warriors pulled away, cloth in hand. He cast an appraising eye over Legend’s back and nodded.

     “Alright, that should kickstart the healing, but I want him to spend some time without putting any strain on his back. I’d prefer if he was lying down, as well, just to make sure.” Sky hummed in acknowledgement. “I also want to put some cold compresses on those bruises to help keep the swelling down.”

     Sky pursed his lips in thought before he lit up. “Why don’t I take him up for a nap?” At the captain’s questioning look, he elaborated, “It’s quieter upstairs, not to mention easier to keep nosy worrywarts out.”

     He inclined his head back toward the doorway with a wink, where he knew their brothers were trying to pretend they weren’t watching (poorly, he might add).

     Wars followed his gaze and snorted, shaking his head. “You make good points. Give me a moment to put these away and grab an ice rod and some cloths, then I’ll help you bring him upstairs.”

     Sky nodded. “I’ll help Lege put his tunic back on. You go do what you need to do and deal with our flock of concerned cuccos.”

     There was a flurry of offended squawks from the other room and the two of them shared a smirk. Then Wars was gathering up his bag and standing, giving Legend a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Be right back, honeybun.”

     Legend gave a tired sniff in response. Sky cooed and carefully helped him pull his arms through his sleeves. When he moved to do up the buttons at his collar, Legend winced with a small whine. Sky immediately pulled his hands back with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, baby. Is it too tight?” A nod. “Okay, we’ll leave those undone then. Good job, you’re being so brave.”

     Wars came back then, smiling at the pink dusting Legend’s cheeks. “Ready to head up, then?”

     “I think so! What about you, little bird?”

     Legend bit his lip and nodded. He tugged on Sky’s sleeve, whispering, “Sssuh- Ssky, c-carry?”

     Sky melted. “Of course, baby. I’m so proud of you for asking.”

     Legend squeaked, the tips of his ears going pink to match his cheeks. He held out his arms towards the older hero, making grabby hands. Sky was quick to (carefully) scoop him up, settling him on his hip and pressing a kiss to his hair as Wars led them upstairs towards one of the bedrooms.

     “Here we go. You get him settled while I make some cold cloths, alright?”

     Sky nodded and moved over to the bed, intending to set Legend down, only for the little boy in his arms to cling with a huffing whine.

     “You gotta lay down, baby bird,” he sighed. Legend only shook his head and Sky ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. Legend laid his head on his shoulder with a little sigh.

     Sky blinked down at him. “…oh. You want to nap together, huh?”

     Legend let out an affirming sound, making him chuckle.

     “Alright, little bird, we’ll take a nap together. Let me just-” He shuffled so he was sitting on the bed with Legend in his lap. “You gotta lay on your tummy, okay? We don’t want you to hurt your back more.”

     It took a moment for the two of them to get settled; Sky laid propped against the pillows with Legend on his chest. He hummed softly, and felt more than heard his baby bird trying to copy him, quiet little hums and squeaks sending vibrations through his chest.

     They lay there for a few minutes as Legend slowly dozed off, squeaks drifting towards snores that had Sky pressing a kiss to his hair.

     Wars turned around from the dresser where he’d been using the ice rod to make cold compresses and smiled. Sky gave him a small wave, hands resting lightly on the middle of Legend’s back, careful of the bruising.

     Wars picked up the compresses and moved over to the bed, setting them down momentarily to smooth pink locks away from a pale face. Legend gave a quiet sigh and leaned into the gesture. The older hero allowed himself a fond smile before picking up one of the compresses and pacing it gently across his shoulder blades. The boy shivered at the feeling, whining softly. Sky quickly soothed him by threading a gentle hand through his hair.

     The rest of the packs quickly followed suit, finding places on Legend’s shoulders and lower back, each followed by a shiver that had the men frowning sympathetically.

     “Leave those on for about twenty minutes. After that, we’ll wait two hours before we put them back on. We don’t want to damage his skin any more than it already is,” Wars told Sky. “I’ll come back to check on him and see how he’s doing in twenty minutes, alright?”

     His brother nodded and continued running his hand through Legend’s hair. Wars gave them one last smile before turning away to let them nap in peace.

Chapter Text

     It was cold.

     He shivered, trying to curl up, to make it go away. It covered his back and seeped through the rest of him; he barely registered the warmth pressed against his front. All he knew was cold cold cold.

     A quiet creak and the tap tap tap of footsteps followed by a soft voice distracted him for a moment. He couldn’t make out what it said, though, too busy shivering miserably.

     Then- the cold began to lessen. Bit by bit, it lifted away, until there was only a lingering chill.

     He heard the voice again, and then there was a hand in his hair, ruffling it gently and smoothing it away from his face. It went away after a few moments and he whined, wanting it to come back, before something soft and heavy was pulled up and over him. The cold finally began to fade away and he sighed, muscles slowly stopping their shivering as he relaxed.

     The hand came back for a moment, patting his head one last time, then the footsteps tap tap tapped away, leaving him in a cocoon of quiet and warmth. His breath slowed and he sank down into it, slipping into sleep.

     He woke to find himself still wrapped in warmth and the feeling of a gentle hand in his hair again. He stretched with a sleepy sound, hearing a low chuckle from above him.

     “Hey, baby bird, you awake?”

     Turning his head towards the voice, he blinked open his eyes to see a blur of dark blonde. The hand in his hair didn’t stop its ministrations and he couldn’t help a quiet purr. The voice laughed again.

     “It’s time to get up, little bird. It’s almost dinner time.”

     “Mn.”

     “I know, you’re all comfy. But little birds need to eat. C’mon, up you get.”

     The hand left his hair, making him huff unhappily. Then he was moving - or being moved - as whatever he was laying on shifted upright. Hands slipped under his arms and pulled him up to sit, no longer leaning against the soft warmth. The blanket slipped off his shoulders in the process, and he made a noise of protest as he tried to reach for it, only to be stopped by a painful twinge across his back.

     He yelped at the sudden pain, curling into himself as he waited for it to go away.

     “Oh no, I’m sorry! Oh dear- Here, hold on, let me…”

     The hands came back, holding him steady as he bit his lip to muffle the sounds of pain that tried to escape. They gently pulled him forward to lean against that warm surface again, and he felt it rise and fall as the voice continued talking.

     “It’ll be okay, baby. Just breathe. There you go, that’s right. Just keep breathing and focus on me, okay? I’m here, I got you, don’t worry.”

     He did his best to do as the voice said and breathe through the pain. Slowly, the ache in his back eased and his head began to clear. Sniffling, he looked up to see a familiar face looking back at him with worry clear in sky blue eyes.

     “Mmn…. Ss-sss… ‘ky?” he mumbled. His big brother sighed, relieved.

     “Yeah, baby. I’m here. How are you feeling?”

     He made a face and buried himself against Sky’s chest, feeling his brother chuckle and pat his hair consolingly. Then Sky was gently pulling him upright again and moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

     His brother made to stand and he sucked in a breath- the fabric of his tunic pulled and rubbed against his back almost painfully, making him squirm. He tugged at his sleeves, trying to take it off.

     “No- no, Legend, baby, stop that-” Sky grasped his hands in an attempt to make him stop and Legend growled, though it was apparently not very effective, judging by his brother’s expression. He pulled back, trying to get Sky to let him go.

     He managed to get a hand free and clumsily signed, ‘Hurt bad too tight want off!’

     Sky blinked before realizing the problem. “Oh! Oh, baby, is your tunic too tight?” Legend nodded miserably. “Okay. Thank you for telling me. Let me see if I can find something looser, alright?”

     Sky moved him off his lap and stood to rifle through the dresser. Legend watched his big brother open drawer after drawer, one of his hands drifting to his mouth to chew absentmindedly on his fingers.

     It took only a minute or two before Sky made a triumphant sound, turning around with what looked like one of Wars’ nightshirts in his hands.

     “Here we go! I think this should be loose enough. What do you think, Lege?” Legend hummed, taking a good look at the shirt. It certainly looked comfy and loose, and he decided he wanted to wear it now. Besides, he’d always wanted to try on the Captain’s clothes, even when he was big - though that was a secret he’d never tell anybody.

     He nodded and made grabby hands at the shirt, only to be stopped when his back gave a warning twinge. Sky understood, thankfully, and helped him change out of his too-tight tunic and into the much looser nightshirt.

     Legend let out a pleased hum as the fabric settled over his shoulders, already feeling much better at the change. He pushed himself carefully off the bed and shuffled to the door, Sky close behind. The two of them moved slowly down the hall until they reached the stairs, where Legend froze.

     “What’s wrong?” Sky asked, concerned. He glanced from the stairs to Legend before realization bloomed. “…Is it the stairs? Do you want me to carry you?”

     Legend shook his head, a whine building in his throat. The stairs stretched before him, long and steep and frightening. His chest felt tight and he took an involuntary step back.

     He heard Sky talking, trying to help him calm down, but the sound was muffled as he continued to stare. The stairs were so steep and he was so small-

     His legs gave out and he sat down hard. The stairs disappeared from view as he did and he felt a rush of relief.

     After a few moments he scooted forward to peer down at them; somehow, they seemed less scary like this, he thought. Maybe… maybe if he went down one at a time he’d be okay?

     “What are you thinking, baby bird?” Sky’s voice had him blinking up at the older hero.

     Legend glanced between his big brother and the stairs before signing, ‘Go down, want to try;’ adding ‘on my own’ when Sky looked conflicted.

     Sky nodded after a moment, though he still looked worried. “Just be careful, alright? I’ll be right here if you need help.”

     With that, he walked down the stairs to wait at the bottom, a reassuring smile on his face.

     Legend swallowed nervously as he scootched forward. Sky looked so far away… No! He could do this! He took a deep breath and inched forwards, sliding down onto the first step.

     He gave an internal cheer. He did it!

     Glancing down, he realized it wasn’t much of a victory in the long run. One down… a lot more to go.

     He grit his teeth and kept going.

     Step by step, he slowly made his way down the stairs. He kept his gaze on Sky; his brother waited patiently for him at the bottom, an encouraging look on his face the whole time.

     When he finally reached the bottom Sky was quick to scoop him up and shower him with praise for being to brave. Legend flushed pink as Sky peppered his cheeks with kisses but couldn’t help preening at the praise. He had been brave, hadn’t he? He’d shown those dumb stairs!

     He tucked his head under Sky’s chin with a happy sound as the older boy began to walk, letting the soothing rhythm of his gait relax him.

     They entered the kitchen to find the rest of their brothers gathered there. Everyone looked up as they entered, smiles crossing their faces at the sight of him cradled in Sky’s arms. Legend waved shyly and was rewarded with coos and answering waves. Wars looked up from where he was standing at the sink and immediately dropped what he was doing to cross the room.

     “Hey, honeybun! How are you feeling? Did you have a good nap?” He looked Legend over before his concern gave way to a confused frown. “…Is that one of my nightshirts?”

     Sky chuckled as Legend nodded before ducking to hide against his neck. “His tunic was too tight so I had to find something looser. I hope you don’t mind.”

     Wars sighed, shaking his head with a fond smile. “Not at all. Come on, it’s time for dinner. We’re having veggie cream soup and rice balls, and Champion made wildberry and honey crepes for dessert.”

     Legend made an excited little noise at the mention of some of his favourite foods, pulling back from his hiding place to look expectantly at the Captain. Warriors chuckled warmly and led the way to the table where the rest of their brothers waited.

     Dinner was a comfortable affair, the nine of them happy to take the time to relax and enjoy their meal without worrying about anything else but the company and good food. Legend ignored the occasional worried glances, too busy trying to eat without making a mess. It wasn’t his fault that being so small made otherwise-simple things like using a spoon so difficult!

     It didn’t take long for Sky to step in, spooning up Legend’s soup in between bites of his own. The rice balls were thankfully simple enough that Legend could eat them on his own, and dinner passed without too many problems.

     After dinner, when the dishes were cleared away, Warriors placed a red potion in front of Legend. “Drink this up, alright bud? It’ll help your back heal faster. You can have dessert when you’re done,” he promised.

     Legend whined, pouting, but relented when Warriors gave him a firm look. Grimacing, he grabbed the bottle, biting his lip before chugging the whole thing. As soon as he finished he shoved the bottle into Wars’ hands, gagging at the bitter taste. His brother only chuckled at his pain, the meanie.

     “As promised,” Wild said, instantly grabbing his attention from where he was pouting at the Captain, “dessert for a brave little bunny!”

     Legend’s eyes went wide at the plate of warm, juicy wildberry crepes drizzled with honey and he quickly forgot to be upset, waiting impatiently for Sky to cut them into bite-sized pieces before grabbing a fork and digging in. A pleased hum escaped him and he rocked side to side with delight. He felt a hand ruffle his hair but ignored it, too absorbed in his dessert to be bothered.

     When everyone was done they moved out to the living room, where Twilight worked to get the fire going again while the rest of them got settled. Legend found himself cuddled up with Wars and Sky on one of the couches, a soft blanket covering the three of them and a hand running gently through his hair.

     The ache in his back was mostly gone, now, only the slightest pangs that were easy to ignore with the warmth and sense of safety and home surrounding him. It was easy to let that warmth wash over him and drift off, happy and content.

Chapter Text

     Childlike laughter filled the air of Ordon Spring. The sky was sunny and the softest of breezes blew through the area, bringing with it the scent of early summer and the sound of birdsong.

     In the Spring itself was the source of the laughter: a boy bouncing along the sandy shore while a wolf lounged in the shade.

     Wolfie kept a watchful eye on his charge as he lay in the shade cast by the rocky wall of the Spring. Legend hopped and splashed barefoot in the shallows, letting out happy squeaks and honks as he played. The kit had woken up small and full of energy, and it had yet to go down at all despite it being nearly two hours after lunchtime. Twilight had taken him out to help with the goats, and then the two of them went for a romp through the forest for several hours afterwards. When that still didn’t tire him out, Twilight (now Wolfie) had brought him to the Spring to hopefully burn off his remaining energy.

     “Woofie! Woofie! Look, look!”

     Legend bounced over, eyes bright as he held something in his hands. Thrusting them towards the wolf, he revealed a pile of glittering stones, the water on them sparkling in the sun.

     “Aren’t they pretty? Th’ water makes ‘em all sparkly an’ shiny! Ooh, lookit this one! An’ this! Look, it’s blue!”

     Obligingly, Wolfie lifted his head to peer at the rocks Legend had collected. He gave a boof of agreement. Yes, they were very sparkly.

     Legend rambled for a while, occasionally picking up one rock or another to show his guardian, stimming excitedly the whole time. For his part, Wolfie snuffled indulgently at the rocks he was shown but otherwise didn’t move. He was tired from running after an excitable kit all day.

     Eventually, he laid his head down and let the chatter wash over him. Thin fingers poked at him but he only huffed and closed his eyes. It was naptime now.

     It took a few minutes of prodding and attempts to get him up for Legend to get the hint. The kit flopped over with a groan, and Wolfie squinted open an eye to see him shuffle over before curling up against him.

     Content now that his kit was calm and quiet, Wolfie laid his head over his charge and held him close. Thin hands wove into his fur as a sleepy sound escaped the boy cuddled into his side. Together, they drifted off under the warm summer sun.

Chapter Text

     "Has anyone seen the Vet?"

     Warriors' question is met with a chorus of no's. He frowns. It's nearing dinner time and he hasn't seen the Veteran in hours. The other hero hadn't gone patrolling, hadn't gone to get firewood, he wasn't even sorting through his numerous items like he liked to do during downtime. Wars isn't sure where he could be.

     The Captain does a lap around the camp in an attempt to ease his nerves. The Vet is fully capable of taking care of himself and doesn't often go off alone, only doing so occasionally to clear his head or recharge from being around eight other people constantly. When he does, he always tells at least one person what he's doing; this disappearing act is more in line with something the Champion or Traveler would pull, not the 'prefer-to-be-prepared-for-anything' Veteran.

     Wars does a silent headcount as he walks, to make sure no one else has gone missing in the interim. Wild, one, at the cookpot, beginning to prepare for dinner. Hyrule, two, sitting nearby and chatting with the Champion about something or other. Wind and Twilight on one side of camp, the Sailor hanging off the Rancher's arm as he chatters away like a monkey, three and four. Smithy, on the other end of camp, doing weapons maintenance with Time beside him, working diligently on his own armour. Five and six. And finally Sky, leaning against a tree and snoring away, sailcloth wrapped around him like a blanket. Seven. Wars himself makes eight. So where is the Vet?

     Despite himself, Wars finds a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as he nears the Skyloftian. Sleepy he may be much of the time, he wouldn't be snoring like this if there truly was an issue. The rest of them may tease him about his sleeping habits, but they all know they can rely on the sky knight when the need arises.

     Drawing closer, Wars realizes there's another sound under Sky's snores. Listening closely, it sounds softer, squeakier... and like it's coming from under the sailcloth.

     Wars ever-so-gently lifts a corner of the fabric to peek underneath. ...Oh. Of course.

     A head of soft pink hair is pressed against Sky's chest, a pair of thin hands adorned with rings tucked under the chin. A patched purple bunny plush is held close under one arm. Quiet, squeaking snores sound from the boy cuddling close to the older hero currently serving as a pillow.

     Wars can't help the fond sigh that escapes him at the sight. The sound causes dark lashes to flutter, brushing against pale cheeks, and he reaches down to smooth his thumb over one of them. "Go back to sleep, honeybun. You're safe here, it's alright."

     Legend gives a tiny, snuffly sigh and settles again. Wars replaces the sailcloth with care and steps away. They can sleep for a bit longer.