It was already afternoon when Time approached Lookout Landing with a bag full of freshly gathered herbs and fruits. A wolf walked beside him. The bag of supplies certainly would come in handy, but it was actually just to buy their time. It may have been odd for two hylians to leave and one to come back a minute later with a wolf.

As he approached the gate, he mentally prepared a short speech about how the Wolfie was a companion of theirs and was actually really tame. But to his surprise, the guard began to beam at the sight of the animal instead. "Oh! I see you've found a wolf!" They exclaimed as they knelt down and held open their arms.

Wolfie gave a quick "Arf?" as he tilted his head, looking over at the guard and then up at Time.

Time only chuckled as he nudged Wolfie, prompting him to reluctantly go over to receive pets like a dog. "I have! It's a bit of a travelling companion of ours that has helped us many times before. We thought he might be able to help us find Link."

"Well, I'm glad. Who knows, maybe this one knows Link as well." The guard grinned as he gave Wolfie one last pet on the top of the head before standing back up. The phrasing of that made Wolfie tilt his head again, but then he shook himself and wandered inside.

"Who knows," Time agreed with a chuckle before he followed the canine, deciding not to dwell too much on the interaction. He moved to walk in front of Wolfie, leading him over to the mini stable. Lester was there as always, bending down as he put fresh food in the trough.

"Good afternoon... Lester, right?" Time greeted as he approached with a wave. The old hylian turned with a smile and a nod.

"That's me!" He confirmed, paying the wolf little mind. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"I heard that black horse is Link's and the white one Princess Zelda's. If that's true, I was hoping that my wolf here could sniff them. Maybe he could find their scent and track them." Time explained as he turned to look up at the horses in question.

"I'm not sure if that'll work." Lester hummed as he put his pitchfork aside. "It has been quite awhile since they disappeared, and I'm not sure how long scents are traceable for dogs, you know?" But then he shrugged. "But if you want to try it, I can pull one out for you."

Time nodded, biting his lip. "I know it's a long shot, but I thought we'd try it anyway." He explained. Lester nodded before he approached one of the horses, opening the gate.

「∆」

「∆」「▲」

Link tilted his head slightly. It was though he was considering the likeliness of them both bearing the same name. Not just that, but that Sky would also be able to recognize him as well. But at last he smiled and nodded, reaching out with his prosthetic hand.

Sky was quick to take it, shaking it. "It's nice to meet you." He said with a grin of his own. Then the teen retracted his hand, putting it back in his lap as his smile faded. He hadn't said anything. Did Sky say something wrong? He frowned in turn, but only for a few moments. "Did you make that soup I ate?" A nod. "It was really good!"

Link chuckled as his cheeks turned a slight pink, his gaze drifting even further away as he rubbed the back of his neck. He shrugged, as though to say it really was no big deal. His eyes eventually settled on Sky's two braces, cast to the side. He moved so that he could lean over them, reaching his hand out as if trying to touch them but not quite daring to.

"Oh, those are my braces." Sky explained, picking up the left one and holding it up to show. He tried to push the sole up to show how the metal joint made it semi-flexible. "They help keep my legs in place and help me walk." He laid it down so he could put it on, doing the buckles slowly so Link could watch him.

One he had it secured, he stood up. Wearing only one made him stand somewhat unevenly, and wearing the orthosis without shoes was a strange feeling too. He looked down at his legs, noticing how his right leg was a little more out of place, his ankle especially looking as though it wanted to cave in on itself. Link nodded in understanding as Sky sat back down to put his right one on. He assembled this one much quicker, the feeling of pulling leather through the buckle and back again to secure it in place was so familiar that he did both the one at the top and the one over his foot without thinking.

As he finished up, a strange buzzing sound caused him to look back over at Link. He had his left hand on his right forearm, where his prosthetic met his skin. His fingers seemed to be pressing something and a few more foreign sounds were made as result that reminded Sky vaguely of the ancient robots he had met. With a wince, the slightly green glow the arm had faded, leaving it to be only the misty black color with the metal highlights. The arm fell to his side, the fingers curling slightly on themselves as Link pushed the prosthetic off of himself after a few tries. His movements had been much more noticeably unsure and inexperienced compared to Sky's. Link gave a nervous laugh as offered Sky the detached arm.

The skyloftian took it with hesitance, being sure to handle it with the uttermost care with both hands. He gently touched the gold metal, finding it surprisingly thick. What purpose did that have? "Did you lose your arm?" He asked. He supposed it could be possible that he was born without it, but his movements made Sky suspect otherwise.

Link nodded as he took back his prosthetic. He pushed it in, only for it to fall off a moment later. He picked it back up and tried again, with a bit more force. It stayed this time, but it must have not been satisfactory. Link took it out and tried it again, before nodding once more, to himself this time. His fingers pressed the buttons again, and the arm came back to life, glowing incredibly bright before dimming into the faint glow from before.

"Was it more recent?" Sky asked with a bit of hesitance. He had been tempted to come over and try to help, but what did he know about reattaching an arm? Less than Link surely, even if he seemed unpracticed. He got a robotic thumbs up and a more hesitant nod as a response, Link's eyes drifting away again.

"Sorry about that." He replied. With a pause, he added, "If I've learned anything about limbs not wanting to work though, it's that you just learn to get used to it. You'll get better with taking your prosthetic on and off, too I'm sure."

Link nodded, but only ever so slightly. He began to lift his hands up but hesitated and put them back in his lap. Something told Sky to wait to see if Link did anything, and so he did, not saying anything more. With a full minute passing, Link finally looked back over, lifting up his hands again. He moved the fingers on his prosthetic first, as if to remind himself how to move it. Then he began moving his fingers in practiced patterns. Words, Sky realized. Link made a few short signs before tilting his head, as though asking a question.

"Sorry... I used to sign when I was little. I spoke a lot later than most kids, and I had trouble with making sounds, but I lost almost all of it." Sky admitted with a sad smile. It would have been really handy to remember in that moment, but he had been a toddler when he stopped using it. There was very little he remembered.

Link waved his hand, as though to say that was fine. He reached to his side, where a strange rectangular piece of tech was attached to his garment. He unclipped it and put it on his lap.

"What's that?" Sky asked as he moved to sit beside Link rather than across from him. The hylian pressed a button, and the piece of tech lit up in with a blue Sheikah symbol. Sky watched in intrigue as the symbol went away, replaced with a few different colorful boxes with various symbols inside of them. Link tapped the white one, which had a giant A on it. Or at least, something akin to an A, but it looked upside down for some reason.

The application opened and half the screen was covered in four rows of squares. The first three contained what looked somewhat like the letters that Sky knew (although they were quite different) and the last row contained random symbols. The top part was blank. As Link began to press various letters, they appeared at the top of the screen as fast as he pressed them.

'Can you read?' it read as Link came a sudden halt. Sky took a few moments to decode it, but when he figured it out, he broke into a grin.

"Yes I can. Your letters look different from mine, but I can." He assured. Link nodded and, holding down an arrow symbol pointing to the left, the text disappeared even faster than it had appeared. With it gone, Link typed out something else.

'Not a lot of people can.' He explained. He waited a few moments before adding 'sometim' before shaking his head and deleting it all.

"That's gotta be tough." Sky replied, and Link gave the all-too-familiar shrug that said it was what it was. He moved to put his magic writing box away before standing up and began to walk away.

"Hey wait--" Sky began, quickly standing up and following. It felt weird to be walking with his braces but no boots. Where was the blonde even going, anyway? Link paused, looking over at him curiously as if telling him to continue. "I actually came up here to find you. Everyone's looking for you and the princess; they're really worried. And... well this part is a bit out there, but I'm kind of you in a past life. There's seven other of ourselves -- Heroes-- and we've come to invite you into our party."

Link's eyes widened, then narrowed in suspicion, but at last, he went to go sit down again. Sky sat across him him, taking off his braces yet again. Something told him that this was going to take awhile. And for as helpful his braces were, he hated them.

「∆」

「∆」「▲」

As Four studied the first sword he pulled out of the diluted vinegar basin, he frowned. Just as he had expected, the weapons had been too deeply worn to have much of an effect. He took the steel wool out of his pouch and brought the weapon over to a table anyway. He began to scrub at it, pressing down on the blade with all of his strength. The corroded metal flaked away, only exposing more damage. Still, Four continued, trying his best to recover at least something.

「∆」

「∆」「▲」

At first, there was nothing. Then far away, a strange... burning, yes a burning feeling, Link decided. He felt it deep in his lungs, and a different yet similar feeling made itself known all over the right side of his torso.

In only a few moments, the distant feelings suddenly grew to be a thousand times more intense. His eyes flew open as he began hacking away, the pain in his lungs, throat, mouth and nose far too much for him to bear.

"Hyrule!" A voice called somewhere in the background. Too busy trying to expel the fire from within him, he couldn't focus on anything else. It felt as though he was coughing so deeply that he might just break a rib, or accidentally bring up an organ or... something. He didn't really know if that possible, but he didn't want to learn. Though that being said, he did feel as though something was coming up, he didn't know what, but it felt thick and wet.

Gently, a hand was placed on his back. It wasn't much, but it was something to connect to, to focus on. In the moments following he eased, his cough slowly down gradually until at last, he could finally stop altogether.

"How are you feeling?" The person asked as Link blinked away tears. Able to see clearly now, he found a blonde teen with blue concerned eyes staring at him. He was wearing a lot of blue, actually, from his cap to his tunic.

Link gave him a sort of awkward grin, his lip quivering ever so slightly. How had he gotten here? And... where was here, anyway? Who was this hylian? Everything felt far away still, with exception to the pain. And despite the fact he was lying down (wasn't he just sitting up?), he felt as though he were going to fall. "It-- hurts." He admitted, allowing his smile to drop. He glanced over at his left hand, wincing when he was met with the sight of fresh blood. Had that been his blood? How, and when did it get there? Was he bleeding? Or was that someone else's blood? And if so--

"Here." The blonde hummed as he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. Link's eyes lingered on their bare arm, their sleeve pulled up to reveal gaws tied around their elbow. In any case, he took the offering with reluctance before he clumsily wiped his hands with it. He tried his best to wipe all of the blood off. When he was done, his hand was still a bit red, but he found he didn't care to continue regardless.

He decided to set the bloodied fabric on the bedside table. His arm felt weak as he lifted it, as though something were weighing it down. He tried to hold out his arm, but it trembled, and it wouldn't extend far enough. At his angle, he wasn't sure if he was close, but it'd have to be close enough. He blinked, and the hylian with the blue cap was right there, holding it instead. (Wasn't he just holding it? He didn't let go yet. And they hadn't taken it from him?)

"No, no, you've-- here. Stay still." They supplied before they brought the handkerchief up to Link's mouth. With gentleness and care, he wiped some thick red liquid that seemed have spilled down his mouth to his chin at some point. (What was that? Did he drink something? Or was that blood? Did he drink blood? Why would he do that?) When they were satisfied, he threw the handkerchief aside in a place Link couldn't grab it from. 

That settled, the stranger rose from his chair. They stumbled slightly, letting out a groan as they found their footing. "--ou just stay-- ." He ordered before going over to the door. They opened it, stuck their head out and yelled... something. Link heard them well, but in the moment, he just couldn't translate the sounds into words. That took energy, and it was getting harder to keep his eyes open and listen and... anything else, really. He was too tired to think of what else. 

In the meantime, he felt his body shiver underneath the heap of blankets he found himself under. His limbs felt slick and wet, which probably wasn't helping. (Why was he wet? Was this his bed? If so, why didn't he recognize the blankets? And.. why was his body wet?) He didn't have time to dwell on that, because before he knew it, he was coughing again. He tried to sit up to help, but couldn't find the strength to do so. He turned his head, apologizing silently as he coughed freely without covering it. He couldn't hardly move his limbs to do so.

Then, a moment later, it was done. It hadn't been a gradual stop at all; it almost felt as though he hadn't been coughing at all. (Had he been coughing? Wait-- why would he be coughing? Should he be coughing?) The door nearly slammed open. In comes some other guy with green clothes and a blue scarf. The scarf guy rushed to his bedside, where the hylian wearing blue already was, holding Link's hand. (Wait, when did he come over? Was he always holding his hand? No-- he was just... just doing what again? He couldn't remember.)

"--just woke up--" Blue Hylian was describing from where he sat, but Link couldn't catch it all in his fuzzied state. "--didn't -- questions-- fading--"

If Scarf-Wearing Hylian answered, Hyrule didn't catch it. It was getting increasingly harder to try and pay attention and stay awake.

A hand being placed on his forehead caused his eyes to open again. Scarf-Wearing Hylian's face was incredibly close to his, painted in concern. "Hyrule?" They asked. "Can-- hear-- ?"

What was that other words he had said? Link had to piece the other words together as the two strangers waited, staring at him. Hyrule... that sounded familiar. That was... the kingdom? Yes. The kingdom. This hylian was asking if the kingdom could hear him. (What does that even mean? Shouldn't he go where there were more.... more... something.) He answered anyway with a hum. 

Scarf seemed to ease slightly at his response. "Do you -- name?" He asked in turn. His name? Was he asking for his name? That would be... uh... (What was it again? Zel... no, that was something else... Imp-- no... Hy-- kingdom... Scarf? No, that was that guy. Wait why was he named after a scarf? Weird. Wait, what was the question again?) He must have looked confused because they repeated, "--name--?" 

Which would be... (something with an L...) "L... Link?" He asked, knitting his eyebrows together. Was that it? It certainly sounded familiar. It sounded right, yeah. He thought. Maybe. (What an odd name.) He watched as the concern deepened in both Scarf and Blue Hylian at his response. Wrong answer, then? (They all had odd names.)

"Yes, yes your name -- Link." Scarf assured him, offering a slight smile even though it was delayed, not that Link realized it. "Do -- us?" He must have looked confused again because Scarf tried again. "Do you... know... who we... are?" he tried again, speaking much slower this time, and using hand gestures to refer pointedly at himself and Blue Hylian. 

"No?" he asked after a few moments. Was he supposed to? They didn't look familiar at all, anyhow. Or maybe they did? Were they supposed to? "Uh-- Scarf?"

"-- fine." Scarf assured, waving his hand dismissively with a kind smile. (Oh, so that was his name. Guess he just really liked scarves then.) Whatever Link was supposed to make of that, he wasn't sure. He was tired though, and so he closed his eyes. Hands came to grasp his shoulders, shaking him gently. "-- not yet, Link. Just another--, okay? One more -- ute, and then-- sleep. Okay?" 

(What link? A link to what?) Link as in... himself, right. (Maybe? Probably.) He opened his mouth, but no reply came out. He wasn't sure what to say, so he closed it again and nodded instead. They wanted him to wait to sleep for some reason he had sorted out. (But why? When was the last time he slept?) He wasn't really sure if he could do that, each moment that passed it was harder to understand even the simplest of things. It took effort to decode things, and the call of sleep was only growing stronger. 

"--ink! Link, are-- with--? Can you -- ear me? Link?" Scarf was exclaiming suddenly. When had his eyes closed again? He wasn't sure, but as Scarf continuing to speak, he managed to peel his eyelids open, just barely. It truly felt as though he had nothing left in him at this point, even the raging pain seemed to fade. (Wait, he was in pain? Why? What had happened?) He couldn't focus his eyes anymore, unable to make out what the blurry shapes in front of him were. 

More sounds from -- someone, somewhere. Link could no longer even care to try, not that he had the energy to regardless. Something shifted him into a sitting position. Now the colors of green, blue, yellow and peach were intruded with splotches of black. Something in his senses buzzed, mostly in his head, and someone let out a cry. Another person let out a sympathetic something-or-rather sound, and something rubbed his back. (Was he trembling?) He wasn't sure if he understood anything anymore. 

Something touched his lips as someone seemed to ask a question. Drink... oh, he could do that. Maybe. He opened his mouth slightly, and they helped him tilt his head back. Something thick and slightly odd tasting trickled it's way in. With hesitance, he swallowed, feeling as everything in him burned even more at the action. (Wait, was he in pain? When had...?)

 In any case, the trickle paused until his mouth was empty. From there, it was cycle that Link held onto by sheer familiarity alone -- tilt back, liquid, stop, swallow. Repeat. Unless he began coughing, in which case the bottle was pulled from his lips and the grip on him tightened to keep him upright. Voices gave soothing murmurs the entire time, although he made nothing of them.

He wasn't sure if he had done it for a few minutes, or for an eternity, or what he drank, or who gave it to him, but at some point, the cycle had concluded. The bottle was pulled from him one last time before the hands guided him to lie down again. A few more murmurs, and then he was out for good this time, no voices or touches or anything to jostle him awake. 

「∆」

「∆」「▲」

"Really, this Wars guy just left us with this brat?" A soldier leaned over to whisper to the person next to them, the other nodding in agreement. In a matter of seconds, they were wacked in the back with a stick by said brat. The two quickly took up their stances as they spun around, but of course it had been a little too late.

"Never underestimate your opponent." Wind scolded with a shake of his stick before put one end on the ground like a cane. "If I had a sword, I would have cut you right in half just now. I may be young, and I may be small, but I have more experience than you lot. You never know what tricks a monster has up their sleeve, either. Even a moblin can turn out to be deadly, trust me." 

The two soldiers glanced at each other with guilty looks before the one that had spoke before spoke again. "Sorry." He apologized. 

Wind tilted his head back and laughed. "Oh, you better be." He agreed with a wide, sadistic smile. "Now all of you: twenty laps. And anyone who doesn't finish before I do twenty-five will have to do twenty more!"

Needless to say, Wind loved to prove grown ups wrong about him. Even more so, getting to boss them around. 

「∆」

「∆」「▲」

Yeahh... I broke the name streak. Like I said, I wasn't going to force it. I actually struggled to name this one, but I decided In the Clouds fit both Sky and Wild's scene as well as Hyrule's. Hyrule is... not with it by any means.

A bit of a fun fact, I loosely wrote it based on my experience after waking up from anesthesia one time. I remember I'd blink and then things would be a bit different. Looking back, I was definitely blacking out, but at the time I didn't really register it or find it too odd. I wasn't confused like Hyrule, though. .. I think. I don't really remember much.