Linked universe || Oneshots

Smoke Signal || 4

Chapter 4 || Why...?

~~~

"Explain," said Warriors. His tone was cold. Whether intentionally or not, it sounded disturbingly like a stern order, the sort he'd issue to a subordinate when he wanted something done. Immediately.

It was all Time needed to hear to know how he and the others felt. Begrudgingly, he sat up, leaning on an arm for support. "How did you boys sleep?"

"What?"

Time met the Captain's glare with a single sleepy eye. "It's pretty late in the day now so you all must have slept a while. How do you feel?"

Warriors' expression faltered. He allowed for a short pause, rubbing the back of his neck before settling on an answer, "Good- great even. Haven't slept that well in recent memory."

Time nodded. "Does everyone feel the same?"

A murmur of muted agreements bubbled through the air as each hero momentarily put aside their suspicions to admit that yes, they had in fact all slept well. Very well. However, the tranquil state they had all found themselves when they woke up swiftly vanished upon realising the reality of their situation.

They had all overslept, leaving themselves vulnerable and without protection in an unknown version of Hyrule for hours and one of their own had gone missing. At first, they blamed a phantom group of thieves who put a sleeping spell on them all and either made off with Wild or he went after them alone.

But then Sky woke up and he argued with Legend, sowing the seeds of the likelihood that there may be another answer. And then Time awoke, spouting out one question that almost confirmed it. Betrayal.

"Great, so we're all feeling as fresh as daisies." Legend was quick to cut the chatter with a snide comment. "Mind telling us now what happened last night?"

An exhausted sigh involuntarily escaped Time. It seemed that no amount of sleep would ever be enough for this man. He sat up properly and rubbed at the bags under his eyes. "Certainly," came his curt reply before promptly standing up and stalking over to the lidded cooking pot. "It seems Wild didn't take 'no' for an answer. He waited until we all fell asleep and ran off."

"Cut the crap, you saw him didn't you?" spat Legend also getting up. "You were on first guard. You could have stopped him!"

Genuine surprise made Time raise his eyebrows. "You honestly believe that I would've been the victor of that duel?"

Legend didn't answer right away, so Hyrule spoke. "He's got a point vet, look at him properly. He was even worse last night." Both heroes looked towards their senior, and Legend instinctively touched his bandaged arm upon re-evaluating Time's injuries.

"Let's not forget Wild's crazy high pain tolerance," said Four, eyeing Wind's sore hand and then Time's reddened cheek. "That fight would've turned ugly fast."

A scowl smeared across Legend's lips. "There's no guarantee that Wild would win-"

"You're missing the point," Four fiercely retorted. "Think about it! What's the use of beating each other up to bloody pulps over someone we don't even know and who may not even be in trouble?"

"This is all Wild's fault?" Wind's small voice rang out like the tentative swing of a bell. "He just left us?"

Sky cast him a sympathetic glance. "You shouldn't be too surprised, he was very determined last night. Even threatened to take the Master Sword without my permission."

"He never asks for permission anyway!" The small sailor's face crumpled, his hands absentmindedly playing with the grass at his feet. "I thought it was just Wild being Wild- like sure he tugged really hard at the sword when I tried to get him to cook, but he settled down soon enough after. That was just a spur of the moment thing."