A/N: Merry Christmas Eve everybody! I hope today finds you well, and that you've got a reason to smile. If not, here's a new chapter to fix that! :D We're finally hitting the plot of the story, people! Woooo!! Let's see where this takes us. Haha. Poor Wild.

New cover art is by the amazing Quasar Crew. Thank you so much!! :D

~~~

The morning mist brought with it a chill that settled deep within the marrow of Warriors' bones. There was an underlying sense of urgency amongst the group as Wild brought out horses for everyone and helped Legend saddle up the horse he'd caught the day before.

Nobody really spoke much as they set out, following Wild's lead. Lawdon watched after them with a heavy gaze. Warriors couldn't help but mull over what they'd learned the previous night. Wild's Hyrule had a fairly dark history—more so than they'd expected. It was no wonder the kid was so... feral. He grew up in a fallen kingdom.

Everything made sense. Wild's aversion to towns and cities, his lack of basic knowledge that was more than the amnesia, even his lack of social skills. If this was what his land was like—beautiful, untamed, lonely, perhaps even lawless—then it was no wonder Wild had so much trouble adjusting to the way they did things in their Hyrules. Perhaps he could pull him aside every now and again and explain a few things to him.

The Captain couldn't help but marvel at the sheer amount of beauty and nature around them as they traveled. It was almost humbling, the way the mountains rose into the clouds and how the water of the marshlands stretched on and on until he couldn't make out the horizon anymore—it made him feel very small.

It didn't take long before they stumbled upon a group of bokoblins. It was commonplace in most of their Hyrules to gauge a monster's strength by the color of their pelts. These ones were red, so Warriors assumed they'd be average. That was his mistake. He should've known better than to assume he could ascertain the strength of monsters with visuals alone, especially given the nature of their current journey. But he was still trying to absorb the information from the night before, so he hadn't really given it as much thought as he should've. The fact that the bokoblins noticed them first was just rotten luck.

"It's an attack!" Vio called out.

"Dismount!" Time instructed. Most of them weren't adept at fighting on horseback. Even Time wasn't as good at it as Twilight, and the only members of their party other than them that seemed to have any major riding experience were Warriors and Wild. But Warriors' experience lay mostly in travel, not horseback combat.

The sound of boots hitting the ground as twelve heroes launched into battle was almost as deafening as the sound of blades clashing with clubs. Warriors blocked the first strike with a heavy exhale of air. This bokoblin's strength was far beyond red! There was only one explanation for it. "Watch out! I think they're infected!!"

"No shit!" Legend scowled as he took what looked like a heavy blow to his shield.

"W-wait! They bleed red!" Green called out, and Warriors had to do a double-take when his blade caught the side of his own bokoblin. He was right—it bled red.

"Wild!" Time's voice cut through the battle. "Are your bokoblins normally this strong?"

"Yeah?" The scarred youth sent an arrow through the skull of the bokoblin Warriors was fighting, and a quick glance around showed that the battle was winding down. Wild was giving them an odd look—he didn't even look winded. "They're just red-pelts. If Lawdon was right, my infected monsters should have gold pelts."

"H-hold on." Twilight panted lightly, sheathing his blade as he trained his gaze on Wild. "You once mentioned that you have red, blue, black and silver monsters, right? And your red ones are this strong?"

"I thought for sure they were infected..." Legend tore his gaze from the crimson liquid that painted the grass. "And you're saying the other ones are stronger?"

Wild gazed off into the distance for a moment. "You have to keep in mind; my Hyrule was under Calamity Ganon's influence for a century. That's a hundred years for these monsters to absorb his power and Malice." The words sat heavily upon the group for a moment.

Warriors had never thought of it that way. Perhaps Wild's monsters were freakishly strong, but that was normal for this kid. He'd never known differently. This was the world he'd grown up in, even if he didn't remember it. Now that he was thinking about it, he'd never really struggled against the infected monsters of their Hyrules; Wild always acted like their strength was nothing special. Perhaps this was why.

A sudden thought had a frown tugging at Warriors' lips. Wild said he used to be a knight, which meant that there was still some kind of government in place. But he hadn't seen evidence of anything of the sort. Perhaps they were just a bit far out—very possible seeing as Wild's Hyrule was massive—but that felt inherently wrong, somehow. Something wasn't clicking into place. They were missing several major pieces of information. Something massive.

He was about to say something when Wild spoke up. "We should keep moving. The path up ahead is inaccessible to horses, so enjoy the ride while you can." He sent a smirk towards the group. Warriors mentally groaned at the thought of walking any real distance in such a massive Hyrule, but at least they had horses for part of the journey.

It wasn't long before they hit the rain. "Hey, Wild. How wet is this going to get?" Legend scowled, glaring balefully in the direction of a river.

"Don't worry, there's bridges and wide paths. They can be slippery in the rainfall, but if you stick close to the middle, you'll be fine." He reassured the veteran quickly.

"Wouldn't it be better to wait out the rain?" Wind frowned.

"No." The word held a bit of a weight to it. "This rain isn't natural." Wild's expression became serious as he motioned for them to dismount. "That's why we're going to the Domain."

"Something's causing this rain?" Time's eyebrows ticked up in surprise.

"I hope not." Wild's answer was strange, but Warriors got the feeling it had something to do with the kid's journey. He hated talking about it, but none of them could really blame him when it was all still so fresh. Even so... Warriors couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Hey, there's something up ahead!" Red called out. Warriors squinted through the rain. It looked like two glowing... towers?

"They're made of Luminescent Stones." Wild explained as they finally got close enough to see them. "This is the first bridge to the Zora's Domain."

They stepped under an overhang nearby to get a brief reprieve from the downpour. Warriors couldn't help but stare. Twin tower-like structures rose up into the skies in spiraling magnificence, vanishing up into the haze of rain. The delicate carvings twisted and twined together to form intricate designs that took his breath away. As if that wasn't enough, the entire structure glowed softly in the night, like someone had filled it with fairies. He'd seen Twilight's Zora Domain, which was still beautiful, but if Wild's Zora were this good with bridges, he was looking forward to seeing the rest of the place.

"First bridge? How many are there?" Twilight blinked.

"I never bothered to count them." Wild shrugged. "Two, maybe three? It's mostly a trail up the mountain."

"A trail." Legend deadpanned, looking entirely unimpressed. "In this storm?"

"I wouldn't really call it a storm..." Wild trailed off, but Warriors couldn't miss the chance to poke some fun at his rival.

"What, can't take a bit of a hike? If a little rain bothers you, then maybe you should stay back at the nice cozy Stables?" Warriors grinned when Legend sent him a glare.

"Don't start playing with me, pretty boy." He growled. "I'd like to see you fighting in this weather with all that armor you've got on."

"Hey, my armor is perfectly—"

"Actually, he's got a point." Wild hummed, cutting off Warriors' budding protests. "You and Time really shouldn't wear that armor in this area. If even one shock arrow hits you, all that metal will become a death trap."

Warriors felt himself freeze. "Shock arrow?" Hadn't Wild shown them his elemental arrows once? Were there enemy soldiers in this area that had access to them?

"Wild, are you saying that there's monsters here with shock arrows?" Time's mind was going in an entirely different direction, apparently.

"That's ridiculous! Monsters with weapons like that would surely..." Red trailed off with uncertainty.

"Of course they do." Wild tilted his head innocently, as if there was nothing unusual about monsters using elemental arrows. "There's even some electric lizalfos in the area, so we should be careful. I've got some Electro Elixirs that'll help."

"So you have monsters with elemental affinities?" Legend groaned.

"I hate dealing with electric enemies." Sky ran a hand over his face, pushing back his dripping bangs.

"Yeah. It varies on where the monsters live, but there's ice, fire, and electric enemies, mostly." Wild nodded. "Zora are pretty weak against electricity, so taking care of the lizalfos up the trail will help them out for a bit."

For a bit? Were they fast at breeding or something? "So what do you suggest we do about the armor? I don't want to leave it here." Warriors scowled at the thought.

"Oh! That's no issue at all. I can store it in my Slate." Wild beamed, tapping something on said device. Two sets of cloth armor appeared in his hands. "See if these fit. I acquired them a while back, but they were way too large for me."

"Acquired..." Warriors took the set with a frown. It was in deep blues and whites, and bore the Hyrulian crest proudly. It was a fair bit different from his own era, but it was impossible not to recognize the attire. "Isn't this Royal Knight armor?"

"Are you sure it's okay for us to wear this?" Time inspected his with a critical eye.

"There's magic on there..." Hyrule leaned forward, green eyes almost glowing with power as he assessed the armor. "Looks like some strong protective spells were woven into the fabric. It should act like armor for you against physical hits, and even give you some strength and speed boosts." He concluded with a grin.

"Well, I don't see how that wouldn't be helpful." Warriors shrugged off his armor, grateful to get into something dry—even if it was only temporary. It was much lighter than he was used to, and every movement felt like he was walking on air. He wondered if Time felt the same.

"It's just about my size." Time hummed. "We won't get in trouble for wearing this? What if another knight sees us?"

Wild flinched a bit. "Don't worry, it's no trouble." His voice was so quiet that Warriors almost didn't hear him over the rain outside. "If it keeps you guys safe, then that's all that matters. Besides, there's no knights around here. It's just the Zora and a few traders."

"But if the Zora are in danger, won't the knights come to help?" Wind frowned lightly, and Wild's hands twitched for his hood.

"Come on. We've rested long enough. I don't want to delay if they're really in trouble." Wild turned and walked back out into the rain. The rest of them shared a worried look.

"He's still hiding things." Red noted with a soft sigh.

"You can't blame him when his journey's still so fresh." Vio reminded him.

"Even so, if it's going to cause us trouble, he shouldn't hide it." Blue scowled.

"We're going to fall behind." Hyrule spoke up. "For now, let's just trust in him. Wild will tell us when he's ready."

"I hope so." Twilight ran a hand through his soaked hair.

Warriors wasn't necessarily happy about going back out into the rain, but Wild said it wasn't natural, so waiting for it to stop wasn't an option. He frowned a bit when he noticed that some of the plants were yellow—a sign of too much water. Zora's Domain—no matter what Hyrule it was in—was always a wet and humid place. For the plants around here to show signs of overwatering... just how long had this rain been falling?

He ignored the uneasiness that stirred within him as they climbed the mountain. Wild led the group, using his superb archery skills to take out monsters before they could spot the heroes. It was the first time they'd really gotten the chance to watch Wild snipe anything. Sure, Warriors had watched him take out that bokoblin camp once, but usually they were on the battlefield. One didn't usually get the chance to analyze a team member's skills in the midst of combat, after all.

He'd seen Time shoot a bow before, and Twilight was a fair shot, too—the guy could hit a wooden pole across town with that falcon-eye item he had. But Wild's style was inherently different. There was something raw about the way he pulled back his bowstring, how his eyes sharpened and almost seemed to glow when he released arrows that were sometimes too fast to see.

Wind frowned as he mimicked holding a bow awkwardly, twisting his arm in thought. "Time? How do you hold a bow?" The question drew their attention as Wild took out the last foe.

"Hm?" Time blinked for a moment before mimicking the stance. "Like this."

"Wild does it differently!" Wind proclaimed, pointing towards the hand Wild drew his bow back with. It took Warriors a moment to realize what Wind meant. When Time demonstrated it, his palm was facing towards himself, but Wild's palm was facing outwards—his first two fingers drawing back the string. It looked like it should be an awkward position, but Wild made it look natural. So much so that Warriors had never noticed the difference before Wind said something.

"I think I've heard of that style before..." Warriors hummed. "Something about it being faster than the conventional method."

"Maybe that's why he's a better shot than the rest of us." Twilight laughed a bit.

"There's nothing wrong with having some variety in your fighting style." Legend huffed. "So what if Wild shoots differently? He's better than the rest of us at archery."

"Actually, I learned from an old friend of mine." Wild's expression became wistful for a moment. "The Rito are renowned as the best archers, and he was the best of the best. He taught me how to shoot a bow. I don't remember much, but I do remember that." There was an unspoken weight to his words, and Warriors understood the silent message. That friend of Wild's was gone.

"Can you teach me?" Twilight spoke up, catching Wild's attention. "I'd like to know more than one method for shooting a bow."

Wild gave him a smile. "Of course. I'd be happy to show you how to shoot a bow the Rito way." He paused at the next bend. "Things'll get a little rougher here. I can't get all of them from this angle." He tapped his slate, producing several vials filled with a bright yellow liquid.

"These are the Electro Elixirs I was talking about." He handed one out to everyone. "They only last for five minutes, so only take them if you're fighting against an electric enemy." He gestured towards a group of lizalfos that were barely visible through the rain. They had a muddy yellow color, and every few seconds Warriors could see a few sparks discharge from the horns on their noses.

"I'll take out the ones I can from here, but I can't climb in the rain. I won't be able to snipe like usual." Wild admitted.

"No worries." Sky sent him a gentle smile. "We can't let you have all the fun."

"Now that we know your monsters are stronger than ours, we'll fight them more cautiously." Twilight smirked. "No need to worry, Wild."

The resident Link chuckled a bit with a nod. "All right." He readied his bow. "These ones will notice us pretty quickly. Don't forget the elixirs."

"Pair up. We'll fight them like we did the cursed enemies—just in case someone gets hit with an electric attack." Time ordered, and Warriors found himself paired with Wind. The two shared a look before downing their elixirs. It was a thick syrupy viscosity with some chunks here and there that made Warriors nearly gag. It had a bitter, spicy aftertaste that had him grimacing. Of all the elixirs that Wild had given to them, this had to be the worst—and normally Wild's elixirs were pretty good, when compared to potions.

"Ugh. Do I want to know?" Twilight pulled a face.

"Maybe not." Hyrule laughed a bit. He and Time had been the only ones brave enough to take brewing lessons from Wild, so they were probably the only ones who knew what went into the elixir they just consumed.

As Wild had said—it hadn't taken them long to notice them. Warriors and Wind worked rather well together. Wind was quick on his feet, and danced around the faster enemies to land light blows. Warriors drew the heavier hits to himself and dealt the slower more devastating blows. It was a system the two had worked out over the months they'd traveled together.

He blocked another hit with his shield, and the lizalfos seemed to smirk. Before Warriors knew what was going on, he was on the ground. His entire body felt stiff and he forced himself to breathe through the sudden searing pain. It wasn't until he saw the sparks discharging from his fingertips that he understood that he'd been electrified. Hadn't Wild said the elixir would help?

"Warriors!" Wind glanced at him as he slashed at the lizalfos with his sword, leaping back to help him up. "You okay?"

"Somehow." He groaned. His shield and sword had fallen to the ground, and he felt like absolute shit, but he was alive. He probably would've been unconscious without that elixir. He picked up his blade and forced himself to his feet. His right hand hung numbly at his side, and he winced. He wouldn't be able to use his shield like this. "Cover me." He instructed Wind, who nodded.

The two rushed the remaining lizalfos. Wind spun around to attack it from the side while Warriors met it head-on. In the moment Wind's strike caught its attention, Warriors made a flashy move of his own, ending its life.

He panted, the sounds of battle dying out, filled by the pounding of the rainfall. "Everyone okay?" Time's voice called out, and Warriors shared a smile with Wind. His right arm was still feeling utterly numb and useless, so the younger hero picked up his shield for him.

"We're good, but Warriors got hit with an electrical attack." Wind called out.

"Looking a little frazzled there, Captain." Legend smirked as they regrouped.

"I'd like to see you stand up after that." Warriors huffed. "I can't feel my arm at all."

"It'll go away pretty quickly." Wild assured him.

"Still, those were annoying. Please tell me there's not more of them up ahead." Legend groaned.

"This was the biggest group on the mountain." Wild assured them. "Anything else, I can snipe."

"Well, that's a relief." Twilight pushed some of his hair out of his face.

"I think I can understand why you fight with a bow so much." Red spoke up.

"Yeah, it's much more logical to keep your distance with enemies like this." Vio nodded.

"You're not half bad with a sword, though." Blue spoke up reluctantly as they started moving.

"Well, arrows are hard to come by in my Hyrule. Even if you know how to make them, it's hard to find the right materials." Wild explained. He seemed to be in a better mood than earlier, now that he'd had the chance to let out some anxiety in a fight.

Warriors was about to say something when a sound cut through the wind. It was unlike anything he'd ever heard—an unearthly roar that shook the very foundations of the soil beneath his feet. It sent a sharp bolt of fear straight through the core of his being. Everyone froze; a primal instinct rooting them in place like startled deer.

The sound of Wild's bow clattering to the ground drew Warriors' attention. The boy's cerulean eyes were wide with horror and disbelief. "No..." Wild's whisper was nearly lost to the wind. "Vah... Ruta?"

"Wild?" Time's voice was gentle, but Wild didn't seem to hear him. He stared ahead in the direction Warriors assumed the call had come from.

"Wild!" Legend's sharp voice snapped Wild out of whatever trance he was in. "What's going on?"

"Are you okay?" Red tacked on, a worried frown on his face.

Wild's mouth opened and closed several times, and Warriors abruptly worried that he might've been startled into being non-verbal again. Whatever this was was obviously something that the kid hadn't expected.

"Are you in danger?" Warriors asked, and Wild shook his head.

"No." His voice cracked in a way that sounded almost painful. "Not yet." For the first time in months, Wild pulled up his hood. It was a very bad sign. Wild seemed to only pull his hood up when he was excessively uncomfortable or afraid. He hadn't withdrawn from them like this since... Warriors couldn't even remember when.

Legend gently placed a hand on Wild's shoulder. "Whatever this is, we're here with you, Wild."

Wild's gaze held Legend's firmly for a long moment before he nodded. "Come on. We're almost at the Domain."

Warriors didn't miss the way Wild's voice shook, nor how his eyes were clouded with doubt and concern. His hands shook and twitched towards his slate like he wanted to summon something.

The call sounded again, shaking stones loose from the cliffs around them. Wild visibly flinched and his hand clenched around the handle of his Slate so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Warriors distantly complimented the Sheikah's craftsmanship for being able to build something that could withstand Wild's grip.

The rain was the only sound for a long while as they walked up the path. "Wild?" Time's voice finally broke the silence. Wild didn't turn towards them, but it seemed he understood what Time was asking.

"What would you do..." Wild started, voice just loud enough for them to make out over the rain. For a moment he was silent as they walked, as if debating on if he should finish what he'd started to say. "What would you do if something you nearly died fighting... suddenly came back?"

Warriors flinched at the question, and he wasn't the only one. Was that sound actually some kind of monster that Wild had fought on his journey? Something that he'd killed that had somehow revived?

The question weighed heavily upon all of them as the dirt beneath their feet abruptly changed to stone. Warriors looked up to see what must've been the Zora's Domain. It was breathtakingly beautiful; structures of glowing light spiraled into the sky and down below into the waters of a grand lake. In the center of everything was some kind of massive statue that Warriors couldn't see clearly. A pair of guards looked up at the approaching group.

"Link!" One of them greeted. "It's a relief to see you."

"Is Sidon here?" Wild asked, not even bothering to return the greeting.

The two guards traded a wince. "We'll send for him."

"Send him to the inn." Wild nodded before walking on, leaving the rest of the Links to trail after him. He nodded to the waves that the Zora gave him, but nobody seemed to have the spirit to call out a greeting. There was a gravity to the air that weighed down upon the people of the Domain. Oddly enough, there was also a sense of relief that came from seeing Wild among them—like they knew he'd solve their problems.

Warriors let out a sigh of relief when they entered the inn. It was warm and dry—obviously having been made for non-Zora clientele. This one even had rooms rather than a circle of beds like the Stables. Though each room seemed to have enough space for everyone to comfortably rest.

"Champion Link." The receptionist, a rather pretty Zora with soft grey scales, bowed towards him. "Are you staying in your usual room?"

"Yes. These are my companions, they'll be staying with me." He gestured towards the rest of them. The woman blinked in surprise for a moment, a small smile flitting across her lips.

"Of course."

Wild walked on by without so much as dropping a rupee on her desk, making the rest of them blink and startle after him. "W-wait, aren't you going to pay?" Wind asked as Wild slowly let his hood down.

"They won't accept it even if I try." Wild shook his head. "I've given up on trying to pay here." He opened the door to a rather large room. There were four beds scattered about, and a rather large fire pit in the middle—likely to warm up the room to hylian standards. A cooking pot was set up in the corner, and one bed in particular looked a little more used than the rest. There was a desk next to it with a few personal items set upon it, and Warriors idly wondered if the Zora had set this room aside purely for Wild's use.

"Really?" Twilight shook the excess rainwater from his hair in a way that reminded Warriors of a dog. "That's kind of strange. Even though I saved their only prince, my Zora still charge me for stuff."

"Ah, well..." Wild scratched at his scars. "There's a few extenuating circumstances to it."

Hyrule sparked a bit of magic and lit the fire in the center of the room. The warmth started permeating the area almost immediately, and the group sighed in relief as they shed their soaked outer layers.

A soft knock at the door had Wild's head tilting. "You don't have to knock, Sidon." He called out as the door opened.

It was the largest Zora Warriors had ever seen. He was twice the size of a man and his scales were a startlingly bright red color. His smile was strained, but he had a kind air about him. Jewels adorned his head in a way that reminded Warriors of a crown. He looked regal, and Warriors instantly pegged him for a prince.

"Link." Sidon's eyes darted to the rest of them in question.

"These are my friends." Wild nodded, hesitating for a moment. "I trust them."

Sidon twitched a little in surprise at the statement—perhaps Wild wasn't as trusting with other people as they thought? "I see." The Zora nodded, closing the door behind himself. "I'm sure you heard her cry."

"How long has it been?" Wild's voice was heavy and serious.

"About three weeks." Sidon sat down beside Wild. He seemed hesitant to say more.

"They can hear." Wild nodded towards the rest of the heroes spread out around the flames. "These are the Heroes of Old. We've been traveling across time through Hylia's guidance." Wild's frank explanation startled the rest of the group, but the Zora seemed to take it in stride.

"It is an honor to meet you." Sidon bowed his head. "I apologize for not being able to greet you properly, we are facing a crisis at the moment."

"It's all right." Time soothed. "If there's anything we can do to help, please let us know."

Sidon turned his gaze back towards Wild, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. To Warriors' surprise, he didn't flinch. "My friend, I'm afraid we must ask you to aid us once again."

A soft smile spread across Wild's lips as he gently rested a hand on Sidon's chest. "Of course. You never even had to ask."

Sidon lifted his gaze towards the rest of the group. "I also humbly ask you, as the prince of the Zora, to please look after Link."

"Of course." Time nodded. "Though forgive my saying so, you're awfully accepting of this."

Sidon gave a laugh. "After seeing the trouble Link's gotten into over the years, I've learned that nothing is impossible."

"I'll introduce you." Wild gestured to them. "This is Time, Legend, Hyrule, and Warriors. Over here's Red, Green, Blue, and Vio—they collectively go by Four—and that's Sky, Twilight and Wind."

"It's an honor to meet such legendary heroes." Sidon beamed. Warriors couldn't help but think the guy was probably pretty fun to hang around, when his people weren't in danger.

"Legendary, huh?" Sky chuckled.

"Oh, yes. Tales of the Heroes of Old have been passed down in Hyrule since long ago! Though most of them have been lost in the century following..." Sidon trailed off, an uncertainty to his voice.

"They know about the Great Calamity." Wild sent him a smile. "I explained about that last night."

"I see." Sidon nodded as he stood. "I'll make the preparations. I assume you'll want to head out tomorrow?"

"Yes." Wild nodded. "But... how?"

"It was the last Blood Moon." Sidon turned his gaze towards the sky. "Nobody knows why, but... I fear it was not just Vah Ruta."

Wild paled a little and clenched his jaw. "I see. And the Castle?"

"It's quiet. At the very least, it seems Calamity Ganon has not revived." Sidon informed, and Wild let out a breath of relief.

Warriors' head spun a little. Whatever this situation was obviously had Wild deeply shaken. But for him to be concerned about Ganon reviving when it hasn't even been a year since the end of his journey? What the hell was going on?

"We will be ready by dawn." Sidon informed.

"We?" Wild frowned.

"Myself and the other Zora warriors." Sidon crossed his arms. "We won't let you swim into battle alone this time. With the state you returned to us the first time... I will not risk it twice. You nearly died."

The words hung in the room. It was one thing to know that Wild had nearly died facing this foe, but to hear it from one of his own people was somehow different. "You know Ruta won't let anyone but a Champion set foot upon her in that state. It's far too dangerous." Wild rejected.

"Perhaps so." Sidon nodded. "But she may let a hero." He gave a significant look towards the rest of them.

The cook's eyes widened, as if the thought that they'd join him in this fight had never occurred to him. "I won't—"

"No." Legend cut him off sharply. "You aren't going into this alone."

"You don't understand." Wild shook his head. "I have to do this."

"We all had to do our journeys alone." Hyrule spoke up softly. "But Hylia let us come with you this time. You don't have to do it alone this time."

Wild's mouth was a firm line. Warriors got the feeling that there was more to this than just the enemy, and Sidon's expression only lended weight to his thoughts. "I'm sure she would rather you have people by your side helping you, than for you to needlessly put yourself at risk yet again. She would be beside herself if you got yourself seriously wounded for her sake once more." The Zora's words seemed to strike a chord with Wild, whose eyes actually misted over.

A few tears escaped as he pressed a hand to his forehead. "That's not fair, Sidon."

"But it's the truth." He gently rested a hand on Wild's head. "More than anything, she would want you to be safe. Don't make me lecture you in her place."

Wild gave a watery laugh. "Fine." He scrubbed at his eyes, resolutely averting his gaze from the rest of them. "But if Ruta doesn't let them on, I'm still going."

Sidon sighed but nodded. "Rest up. We'll set out at dawn." With that, the Zora prince left the room.

A tense silence enveloped them. It was suffocating and heavy but nobody knew how to broach the topic. None of them had really seen Wild cry before, and though it'd only been a few tears, it was heart wrenching. Warriors had been able to read between the lines. The way Sidon had spoken indicated that someone very close to Wild had died. Perhaps that was why Wild felt he had to do this alone.

Wild turned and approached the cooking pot in the corner of the room. He sat with a heavy sigh and started making their dinner.

"Wild." Legend's voice caused the cook to look up. They held one another's gaze for a long moment before Wild sighed and let down his hood.

"I know." His voice was hoarse and heavy. "I... can't just not explain it." He stirred the stew as he spoke. "And I'll let you choose to stay or come after you understand the situation."

"We're going." Twilight's voice was stern. "Whatever it is, cub, you don't have to fight it alone."

Wild's jaw clenched. "The cry you've been hearing belongs to one of the Divine Beasts, Vah Ruta. One hundred years ago, her pilot was killed by Ganon... to be precise, she was killed by a mini version of Calamity Ganon that I call a blight. Waterblight Ganon... I never thought that the blights could be revived." His hand shook as he clenched the spoon.

"So you're saying that there's a smaller version of Ganon out there controlling some kind of Sheikah super weapon?" Legend frowned.

"Yes." Wild nodded. "Ruta is what's making it rain. If it continues like this, it'll overflow and break the dam. It'll flood lower Hyrule. If it's anything like last time, she'll be waiting in the center of the lake—we'll have to swim to get there."

"Time to break out the Zora armor, I guess." Twilight sighed as Wild winced.

"About that..." Wild's cheeks tinged red a bit. "In my Hyrule, Zora armor has... a meaning."

"You mentioned that once." Hyrule noted.

"It's... Well, do you know what a heartscale is?" Wild's question caused a bit of confusion.

"I've found some in chests in my Hyrule before. They sell for a good price." Twilight hummed, startling when an angered look crossed Wild's face.

"They aren't goods!" His voice was sharp, and Warriors flinched a bit at the tone. "Heartscales are sacred in Zora culture. Only females have them, and they only ever produce one. It's... given to their lifemate... They sew it into armor made from their scales. To receive armor from a Zora..."

"It's a marriage proposal." Warriors realized abruptly. "You... you have a wife?" He'd never pegged Wild as someone who'd settled down with someone.

"She's dead." Wild's words cut through him like a blade. It was stated bluntly... almost angrily. "You saw her picture once... Her name was Mipha. She was Sidon's sister."

"I'm..." Warriors trailed off. It looked like an apology was the last thing Wild wanted, but what else was he supposed to say? Wild's fiancee was dead, after all.

"At any rate, if you've got Zora armor, don't be surprised if you have some odd looks thrown your way." Wild shook his head.

"So what should we expect when we set foot on Ruta?" Legend's question startled Wild out of whatever thoughts he'd had. Wild gave him an odd look, and Legend nodded. "I'm coming."

"But..."

"It's fine." Legend turned towards them. "I hate swimming, but they were bound to find out about my curse eventually."

"Curse?" Wind frowned.

"You'll see tomorrow. Just know that if you make fun of me, you'll regret it." Legend's glare only made Warriors grin.

"Oh? Make fun of you, huh? Must be some curse. Don't tell me you turn into a girl if you get wet?" Warriors teased.

"Shut up!" Legend's face turned red.

"As far as what we'll encounter..." Wild tilted his head. "There aren't many monsters on the Divine Beasts. There's a few here and there, but the Malice is the main issue. There's a ton of it all over the place. Whatever you do, don't touch it. It'll eat away at your skin like acid, and Malice infections are a bitch."

"That bad, huh?" Sky winced. "I can't say the Malice in my era was that potent."

"If you get it on you, water will wash it right off. That aside, try not to touch it." Wild pulled out some bowls and portioned out enough for everyone. "Make sure you've got plenty of arrows, too."

They ate their meal in relative quiet. There was a bit of chatter here and there—mostly the Colors and Wind—but most of them were contemplating what they'd learned. Tomorrow they were going to fight a version of Ganon. It was a bit of a terrifying thought. For many of them, Ganon had been the ultimate final foe, but according to what Wild had told them, he'd had to fight the guy five times.

"Hey, Wild?" Wind spoke up after their meal. "About Flora..."

"I'll go see her after we've dealt with the Blight." Wild assured him. "Besides, I imagine that Lawdon has already sent word to Hateno. Knowing Flora, she's already on her way here." A fond smile danced upon his lips. Despite the fact that his girl was gone, it seemed Wild still held a fondness for his princess. Warriors wondered what she was like.

"I'm sure we'll meet her eventually." Red leaned against Vio tiredly. "Why worry about it right now? We've got a busy day tomorrow."

"Red's right." Green nodded.

"We should get some sleep." Vio agreed.

Wild seemed to hesitate for a moment, like he wanted to say something. His eyes roamed the group, meeting the gazes of each hero. He was searching for something—something important. Warriors wasn't sure what it was, but he could feel the moment that he found it. Something in Wild's gaze simultaneously softened and hardened, and the captain quickly realized what this meant. Wild had decided to trust them a little more.

It felt like a larger step than before—a heavier sort of trust. "I don't want any of you to get hurt because of my mistakes. But if... If you all would fight with me to free Ruta again... I would be grateful." He flushed, and Warriors felt a smile cross his own lips.

"Wild." Time spoke up, stepping to the front of the group. "We would be honored to fight beside you."

It was like someone had opened a window. A breath of fresh air that lifted the tense haze that'd surrounded them since Ruta's first cry. A weight fell from Wild's shoulders and something in his eyes cleared. A few tears ran down his face, but he had a hesitant, gentle smile on his lips. It was more vulnerable than they'd ever seen the boy.

"Thank you."

They would show Wild that he wasn't alone. This time, they'd fight together.