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Dark stared into the swirling vortex that had opened in the floor of the cave.It almost seemed to be staring right back at him.It was lucky, he thought to himself, that they hadn’t been here when it appeared. The group had visited this cave multiple times in the past. It was a convenient spot to shelter from the weather or from the monsters that sometimes roamed the area. But in the past it had always been just a large, dry hole in the cliffside, big enough for all of them to comfortably sleep but usually empty.It certainly had never contained a pitch black hole swirling with magic so powerful even he could sense it.“So… what is it?” Phantom prompted from behind him. Nightmare’s hand still rested firmly on his shoulder; Phantom’s initial response had been to try to jump straight into the mysterious hole, but the caped shadow had reacted with speed that had impressed even Dusk and had caught him before he could get anywhere near it. Phantom seemed too fascinated to even attempt to shrug off the restraining hand now.Dark spared himself from admitting he had no clue by deflecting attention instead to his second-in-command. “Curse. What can you sense from it?”Curse prowled slowly around the vortex, studying it intently from every angle. He was careful not to touch it, though at one point he picked up a small pebble and held it suspended over the void for a moment before releasing it. It dipped into the dark hole for barely a second before bouncing straight back out onto the floor.“It rejects inanimate objects, but I get the feeling it won’t spit us back out,” he stated slowly. “It’s powerful magic. One person couldn’t have created this alone. It’d take a team of strong mages or someone with a very powerful artifact.”“How powerful?”Curse crouched down and finally let his fingers brush the edges of the vortex. He quickly snatched them back and rubbed them together slowly, eyes fixed on his hand. “… The power of the gods. All I can be sure of is that it’s not the Triforce. Two parts of it have been contained within Hyrule Castle for a hundred years, and the small amount of magic Link has is all focused inward. She couldn’t have done this even if she tried.”“It’s not a Moon Gate,” Shadow Violet stated flatly. “I can tell that much. Wherever it goes, it’s not the Dark World.”“No. The magic is rooted firmly in this realm. Not necessarily in this area, though. It could lead anywhere.” Curse’s eyes snapped up to Nightmare, who had taken a step closer. “Be careful.”“I am.” Nightmare crouched down on the far side and studied the vortex intently. “This magic… it’s familiar. Not the cause but the intention. This is a rift in time. Maybe even time and space.”There was complete silence for a long moment while they took that in. Dark stared even harder into the vortex, studying the way the magic swirled around the edges as though barely restrained from spilling over. Coming in contact with it didn’t seem to be harmful, if Curse’s examination was any indication. His best guess was that the same magic radiated throughout the tunnel beyond, holding it open for any who might pass through.Something so powerful could not remain open for long. It ran the risk of unravelling time itself. Sooner or later the world would force it closed, and then anything on the other side would stay there. And yet, if one had opened, it was possible another would as well. Maybe even more than one.His sharp teeth nibbled at his lower lip. He had already seen so much of Hyrule’s history. He didn’t need to see it again. But somehow he found it a struggle to resist the temptation.“You’ve travelled through time?!” Shade yelped in surprise, interrupting Dark’s thoughts.Nightmare smirked. “A few hundred years, give or take a decade. My counterpart once got his hands on something called the Harp of Ages. I followed him through a few of the portals he left open. The actual travelling part wasn’t much fun, but seeing the past was definitely interesting.” He extended a hand carefully and let his own fingertips barely brush against the swirling magic. “But I’m not sure why a portal would’ve opened here and now. Those ones passed back and forth between two defined points in time. This feels more…”“Uncontrolled?” Curse offered.“Aimless. It must have been created deliberately, but I get the impression whoever made it didn’t particularly care where it ended up.” He sat back, a deep frown crossing his lips. “… The questions are who made it and why.”“That’s easy enough to figure out,” Phantom pointed out. When everyone looked at him he gestured to the portal. “They’ll be on the other side of that, right? Why open it if you’re not gonna go through?”“It could be the other way around,” Shadow Violet reasoned. “Perhaps they came from the other side and the portal simply happened to open into our era. In which case they’d be loose somewhere nearby.”“No.” Curse’s brow furrowed as he stared into the hole. “The magic originates from this side of the portal, not the other. Whatever made it was standing right here in this cave. There’s only one place they would have reasonably gone.”He lifted his head and met Dark’s gaze. “… What do you think?”
What do I think? Something that powerful shouldn’t be allowed to roam free. But it’s really not our problem. We’re not heroes. We’re only trying to survive.

That kind of power, though… If we had that at our fingertips, we could keep ourselves safe wherever we went. We could escape danger by travelling through time. Even if we don’t or can’t use it, I’d much rather it be in our hands than those of a potential enemy.
All eyes were upon him. He let his gaze drift slowly over the assembled group, the living shadows and dark reflections of heroes long gone, all of whom had come to view him as their leader. They trusted him to keep them alive when they had failed at that task on their own. But when his gaze fell upon Dusk’s missing eye, he was reminded strongly that he had almost failed them once already.Whatever awaited them on the other side of the portal would undoubtedly be dangerous. Most likely not the same dangers they had experienced already in this age, and perhaps not even ones he remembered well enough to deal with. He couldn’t simply lead them blindly to their doom.“… What I think,” he said carefully, “is that we should make this decision together. We don’t know what’s waiting for us on the other side. I remind you that all of you have died once before. What we could come up against might be worse than what brought you down. Who of you would still choose to face it?”Phantom’s hand shot into the air at once. Nightmare’s followed. “My counterpart collected a pretty decent arsenal over his adventures,” he commented mildly, “and I have access to most of it through my magic. My death was an unfortunate accident. I’m fairly confident in my own abilities to prevent it from happening again.”Shade put his own hand up tentatively, clearly more anxious to stay with Nightmare than to face the dangers himself. Dusk snorted and raised his hand as well. “I’d gladly go anywhere there are no Guardians,” he stated bluntly.Shadow Violet’s began to rise and then paused in midair, slowly descending again. Dark focused on him. There was a distant expression in his eyes that suggested an intense internal discussion occurring between the four Shadows and occasionally he whispered something under his breath that Dark didn’t quite catch. His eyes were fixed firmly on the portal as his hand slowly rose into the air again, where this time it remained.Aware that Curse’s hand had stayed down, Dark continued, “And those who would rather we remain here?”Every hand went down, though Violet’s was much slower about it. Dark fixed his eyes on the silver-eyed living shadow who had failed to vote. “Curse?”“No opinion,” Curse responded levelly. “Where you go, I go.”He did want to go through, Dark decided as he turned his eyes back to the swirling vortex. It felt as though it was calling to him. A strange feeling prickled at the edges of his mind and made his heart thump faster within his chest; it took him a moment to realize he was excited. That was something he had not known he could still feel after so many millennia of life.“Form a line,” he ordered, straightening up. “Take hold of whoever is ahead of and behind you. We need to avoid being separated.”Everyone scrambled to obey at once. Dark waited with the barest hint of impatience until they were all lined up along the walls of the cave, each with hands gripping arms or belts on either side. He could feel Curse’s fingers securely holding onto his own belt as he finally stepped forward. His foot entered the portal and he felt nothing but air beneath it. Before he could instinctively flail to regain his balance, Dark lifted his other foot from the ground and let himself fall.There was a sharp tug at his belt as Curse was dragged along after him, then another when he dragged Phantom through. And then there was nothing but swirling energy all around him and he was falling through empty space, magic rushing upward past him where wind should have been, no sign of solid ground above or below, and all of his allies toppling above and around him.Dark fell, trusting in the magic to soften his eventual landing, and hoped he had not just made a crucial mistake.

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Reality returned in a disorienting explosion of sound and colour. Violet’s back hit the ground and suddenly overpowering light was blazing down on him from all sides, unbearably strong, making his skin burn even through his clothes. He hissed - or at least, he tried to, though once again his lisp was against him. But nothing stopped him from twisting around until he was on all fours and scrambling in search of cover.A hand roughly seized his arm and dragged him forward. He found himself shoved against something damp and firm and suddenly some of the light was blocked out. He pressed himself deeper into its cover, breathing in the smells of rotting plant life and damp soil, as the stinging faded from his skin and slowly his mind caught up.‘That was worse than dying in a duplicate,’ Blue groaned as his presence stabilized in Violet’s head. ‘Green? Red? You still there?’There was no response. Violet could sense them nearby though, lurking somewhere in their shared head, still too scrambled to speak. He felt much the same way, but he fought to pull himself together and lift his head to see where they were.He was lying in the shadow of a fallen tree. His face was practically pressed against the moss-covered wood, which explained the smells. When he tried to turn his head the light stabbed in again, making him flinch and half-shut them until they began to adjust.It looked like they had ended up in a forest. He could see the others nearby sheltering in similar spots; other than Curse, who was currently huddled beneath his cloak as he crawled slowly into the shade of the same tree. He must have been the one who helped him find cover, Violet thought to himself.There was no sign of the portal they had come through. For the moment at least, it seemed they were stuck here.Someone nearby drew a wheezing breath and managed to sit up properly. Violet could see glowing red eyes and mentally ruled out Nightmare, but beyond that he couldn’t tell who it was until Dark’s voice spoke up. “Is everyone here? Report.”“‘m alive,” Nightmare’s voice mumbled.“Me too,” Shade spoke up bravely. From over in the direction of his voice, a figure wearing a long-eared purple hood managed to climb to its feet. “That wasn’t so bad.”“S-speak for yourself,” Curse rasped. He made a gagging noise and clapped a hand over his mouth, swallowing hard. Violet winced and looked away.“I’m unharmed,” he stated, “though my head feels… scrambled.”There was a rustling sound somewhere to his left. “I’m fine, but Phantom’s out cold over here,” Dusk commented. “So much for being eager to jump in.”“We-” Dark flinched and let out a soft hiss, one arm coming up to shield his head. Violet wondered if he had a headache. “We couldn’t have predicted this result,” he continued in a quieter tone.Nightmare mumbled something unclear. Shade’s footsteps crunched their way through the fallen leaves to his side. “Nightmare said we should’ve asked him what it was like first,” he reported.Curse coughed wetly into the grass. Violet scooted away from him and managed to stand up, though the sunlight beaming down on him felt like a physical force that threatened to push him back down beneath its weight. Despite that he managed to shuffle his way over to where Dusk was sitting beside Phantom, who was facedown and unconscious in the grass.Green materialized beside Violet and promptly toppled over into a bush. “Ow, crap,” he grunted, attempting in vain to wiggle himself free of its branches. Violet grabbed his hands and pulled him back out, only to end up supporting him when he slumped against his side. “Sorry,” Green huffed. “There’s some kind of internal disconnect. You couldn’t hear me from in there and I couldn’t see what was going on.” He blinked hard. “… I still can’t see, actually.”“You can’t?” Violet deposited him on the ground and crouched beside him, far more interested in this new development than in trying to wake Phantom up. “Our duplicates have always had the same capabilities. Why would one suddenly lack an entire sense?”“Is this really the time to mess around with useless questions?” Dusk questioned pointedly. “We should be trying to figure out where we are and what kind of threats we’re dealing with.”Curse dragged the back of a wrist across his mouth and began to climb slowly to his feet. “I can answer that,” he rasped. “The magic of this age is extremely different than the era of the Great Calamity. There’s light magic here, and a lot of it. It feels uncomfortably pure. Powerful elemental magic as well. And something else, but I can’t place it. Whatever it is, it’s just as strong.”“Is there dark magic?” Shade probed.Curse tentatively lowered his hood as though to better listen to the magic around them. “… Two types. Scattered remnants of an ancient dark energy, and a more powerful newer one that’s mixed with the elements and the third type I can’t identify. It feels focused but loose and drifting. If I had to guess, wind magic fuelled by dark energy. Possibly a corrupted form of that third type.”He got all of that just from standing in one place and listening? Violet wondered in awe.Dusk cast a glance at Dark. “Does that sound familiar?”Slowly Dark shook his head. “I don’t recall any part of Hyrule ever having its own elemental magic. But I do know of an elemental weapon forged before my time.” He shot a glance at Violet and Green for reasons Violet wasn’t certain. “We could be in an earlier part of Hyrule’s history than any creatures like us have been before. Stay alert. This age itself sounds hostile to us.”Phantom let out a low groan, startling Violet. He twisted around in time to see the boy slowly rolling over onto his side as his eyes blinked open. “… Ow. Time travel isn’t as fun as I expected.”“Tell me about it,” Nightmare mumbled from where Shade was helping him sit up. He raised a hand and tentatively felt around on his head as though making sure it was still where it was supposed to be. Slowly his eyes cracked open and, blinking hard, he extended both arms and examined them next. “Feels like I left parts of me behind somewhere along the way. Do I still have everything attached?”Shade looked him over quickly. “I think so? I don’t see any blood.”Nightmare took off his boots one at a time to check for missing toes. Seemingly satisfied with the results of his examination, he pulled them back on and then wrapped an arm around Shade’s shoulders to climb to his feet. Together they managed to get him into a mostly upright position, though he slumped heavily to one side and had to cling to the younger teen to stay up. “Tell me there’s somewhere nearby we can rest,” he huffed.Dark rose slowly, clearly trying to hide the fact that he had one hand against a tree behind him for support. “Let’s find somewhere. There must be a cave or some kind of dark shelter nearby.”Phantom yelped loudly in protest when Dusk slung him over one shoulder and stood as well. “Hey, I can walk!”“You weren’t even trying to get up,” Dusk stated bluntly. “Shut up and keep still. It’s not weakness. Most of us need to rest after that. I’m not feeling great myself.” He pressed his free hand over his empty eye socket, baring his wolflike teeth in a grimace of discomfort.Violet forced himself to his feet and grabbed Green’s arm to help him up as well. The two leaned against each other for support as they began following the others through the trees, keeping to the shadows as much as they could.* * *The hollow tree they ended up finding was the biggest one Violet had ever seen, though if many of the others’ reactions were to be believed they had seen bigger in their own times. Nevertheless they all climbed inside gratefully and collapsed on the floor as far from the entrance as possible, basking in the comforting darkness. The escape from the powerful light was a blessing after having gotten used to the aura of perpetual dark magic that hung over Hyrule in the era of the Great Calamity.Almost immediately Violet turned his attention to examining Green. “Can you see anything now?” he questioned, taking hold of the duplicate’s head for a clearer look at his red eyes. They looked just the same as normal aside from being completely unfocused.“Nothing,” Green reported with a grunt of irritation. “I definitely didn’t hurt the duplicate. It was like this from the moment I formed it.”“Can you feel this?” Violet’s finger poked lightly at several points down Green’s arm.He brushed the hand away. “Yes. And I can hear just fine, and smell the forest, and I’m not about to lick anything to find out if I can taste. It’s just my sight.”Blue, who had been quiet for some time, spoke up again quietly. ‘You think Red might be having the same kind of problems? I still haven’t heard him.’Green didn’t answer. Violet quirked an eyebrow at him. “… Green? Your thoughts?”“If I had any thoughts about what’s wrong with my eyes I would’ve told you already,” Green responded shortly.Interesting. “Internal disconnect,” Violet mused out loud, remembering Green’s words from earlier. “You can’t hear Blue?”“Blue?” Green blinked. “I haven’t heard a thing from him since we came through.”‘I’m right here,’ Blue protested, but Green still showed no reaction. ‘… Hold on, I’m coming out.’Violet moved aside to make room as a second duplicate slid out from his body and settled beside him. “I was the first one to be properly conscious,” Blue stated with annoyance. “I was talking while Violet was still acting half-feral from the light. You’re telling me you couldn’t hear me at all?”Green shrugged. “Sorry, no. Wait, is Red talking too?”“Neither of us have heard him,” Violet explained. “Maybe if he sees or hears that both of you are out, he’ll decide to come out too.”They waited. Red did not appear.Green rubbed at his own temple with a frown. “Red, you’re worrying me.”“We could really use some of the hero’s unlimited bombs right about now,” Blue muttered. “Nothing brings Red out faster than explosives.”Violet turned his gaze toward the others, who were each curled up on the floor or slumped against the wall as they rested. Shade was deep in conversation with a recovering Nightmare, but he looked around when Violet called his name. “Shade, could you summon a bomb? We need one.”“How big?” Shade responded eagerly.Dusk groaned. “Outside, please. We need this shelter.”“And stay alert for other danger,” Dark cautioned.The three Shadows got up - Green clinging to Blue’s arm for guidance - and followed Shade toward the entrance. “As big as possible,” Violet stated. “We’re trying to bring Red forward.”Shade clambered out of the tree and headed for another sheltered spot nearby. The weight of the sunlight didn’t feel so heavy now as the other three followed. “I’m starting to have second thoughts,” Blue said tensely as Shade began gathering energy.Green elbowed him lightly to shut him up. In response Blue let go of him and stepped away, leaving him to grope wildly for something else to hold onto. Violet took pity on him and stepped into his reach, soon finding a hand wrapping itself around his wrist. Thankfully their quiet exchange didn’t disturb Shade, who had spread his quivering arms further apart as the dark energy coalesced between them. The bomb he was producing easily rivalled those of the Four Sword’s heroes after a Great Fairy’s blessing.“This world’s magic is fighting me,” Shade huffed, sweat beading on his brow from the strength of his concentration. “Can you help?”Violet held out his hands over the mass of magic, almost pulling Green off-balance, and began pouring his own energy into their creation. He envisioned the angry sizzling of the fuse, the sharp smell of gunpowder, the gritty feel of it on the outer shell of the weapon. He thought of the weight of it in his hands and the little jolt of anticipation he always felt when he handled one. He even concentrated on the skull imagery with which Red had gleefully decorated his favourite weapons, leaving no doubt about how dangerous the blasts were.The finished product looked like a mix between one of Red’s bombs and the ones he had seen Shade call up from time to time to open blocked caves for them. It was so big it hid his entire upper body aside from the hands visible around its sides. Its surface was a deep navy blue and painted with a large white skull. The unlit fuse was so long it trailed halfway down one side. When Violet put his hands around it to help Shade hold it up, he could feel the rough surface and the gritty texture of gunpowder against his fingers.“How about we don’t light that thing?” Blue suggested nervously. “We’ll blow the whole forest up. It looks way too much like one of Red’s.”“Isn’t that the point?” Green reasoned.“Green, put your hands on that thing and then tell me you still think it’s a good idea.”Tentatively Green raised his other hand. Violet guided it to the surface of the bomb and his fingers trailed over it, examining the curve of its side. “… Oh. That’s, uh… pretty big.”“We could go further away,” Shade suggested, adjusting his grip on the oversized bomb.“We should,” Violet agreed with a glance back at the hollow tree. They weren’t far enough away for the others to be safe from its concussive blast. “Not too far, though. We need to be careful. If we could find a hill to roll it down…”“Preferably into a river,” Blue mumbled. The others ignored him.Shade hefted his creation over his head and balanced it there in order to see where he was going. “Let’s go find a good spot! We’ll be safe. Nothing’s gonna mess with us while I’m carrying this.”That was certainly true, Violet thought as he began to follow him again. If he had come across a potential enemy holding an explosive as big as this, he would have definitely kept his distance. (Or sniped them with a fire arrow if he had one, but he sincerely hoped the monsters around here didn’t. That would end very badly.)He tried his best to concentrate on the bomb, on the sensations it produced for all of his senses. Beside him he could tell Blue and Green were doing the same. He felt something stir inside his head and that only made him concentrate harder, now thinking about Red handing the explosive with the expression of barely restrained excitement he always reserved especially for blowing things up.“How about this?” Shade suggested. They had emerged in a broad clearing, practically empty but for the thick carpet of grass and a handful of rocks. “If we set it off here it’ll make a big hole but won’t do much damage. I mean, except to the ground.”Violet studied it appraisingly. The trees around the borders looked sturdy enough to shield them from the explosion and there was certainly plenty of space. “It should be safe enough.”Blue heaved a reluctant sigh. “… Yeah. All right. If we’re gonna do this, then let’s get it over with. Red, you’d better get out here or you’ll miss the fireworks.”Shade deposited the bomb in the middle of the clearing, rolling it onto its side so the fuse was spread across the ground and the skull painting was facing up. He gathered his magic again and a moment later was gripping his Fire Rod. Blue grabbed Violet’s arm and dragged him and Green into the cover of the trees.“You ready?” Shade prompted.Come on, Red. “Ready,” Violet confirmed.Shade unleashed a quick burst of flame. It sputtered out on the grass but the fuse caught alight and began to burn down faster than expected. Shade bolted for cover and ducked behind the shelter of the nearest tree, peeking out from behind it to watch the sparking flame creep closer and closer to its destination.Red surged into front so powerfully that Violet found himself shoved back as though by an invisible hand. All at once he discovered the reason for Red’s unresponsiveness when the world went dark and silent around him. He could still feel the rough bark of the tree beneath his hands and Green’s grip on his wrist, still smell smoke and gunpowder faintly amid the earthy scents of the forest, but suddenly all input from his eyes and ears was completely shut out. Red was not only blinded but also deafened.Violet carefully pushed himself forward again and attempted to nudge Red sideways into a duplicate. His consciousness brushed Red’s in the uncomfortably intimate way they usually tried their best to avoid doing and he found his other self’s thoughts flooded with distress and anxiety. He was clearly aware of the bomb and trying his hardest to focus on it, but his fear of being oblivious to danger and barely able to interact with the world was all-consuming.Discarding their self-imposed taboo on invading the others’ most personal thoughts and feelings, Violet pressed himself closer and radiated comfort to dilute Red’s near-panic. I’m here, he promised without words. The others are close. We’re safe.Red was aware of the others too. Violet could feel hands against their back and arms, Green and Blue clearly having noticed his distress despite the mental separation. But they were directing their focus into duplicates while only Violet was fully inside. It was left up to him to reach into the depths of Red’s mind and gently ease apart the shell of distress he had encased himself in. He barely felt the wave of heat and the forceful jolt radiating through their body that suggested the bomb had exploded, too focused on helping his other self.Take a duplicate, he urged wordlessly, nudging him toward the magic again. It was safer if Red wasn’t in control of the main body right now, but it would still be a good idea for him to stay close so he could draw comfort from the others. Red resisted at first but then seemed to understand, sidling away and allowing Violet to properly take his place again.Sight and sound returned in a blast so overwhelming he flinched, jerking his head down to shield it with his hands. He quickly became aware he was on his knees now, pulled close against Green’s shoulder while Blue crouched beside him and rubbed his arm. Shade was not far away, gazing anxiously into his face, seemingly unaware of the splatters of dirt that now decorated his cheek and the side of his hood.Violet allowed his outfit to change back to his own colours and brushed away the hands comforting him. “He can’t see or hear,” he explained, catching himself by surprise when his voice cracked. He raised a hand to his face and, finding his cheeks wet, quickly dried them on his sleeve. “I told him to take a duplicate.”He felt the familiar tug a moment later and turned instantly toward Red as he appeared, clearly distressed and reaching out in search of anything he could use to balance himself. Blue jumped to his feet at once and grabbed Red’s outstretched hand. Violet took the other one and Red practically collapsed into his arms, clinging far tighter than normal to make up for the senses he was currently lacking.“We should get him back to the others,” Shade pointed out, looking unsure of how to help. “It’s safer with them in the tree.”Blue agreed at once. “You’re right. Anything could be lurking out here and I bet half of Hyrule heard that explosion. If there’s danger it’ll be coming this way. C’mon,” he added to the others, “help me get him upright.”“Who’s the leader here?” Green protested even as he climbed to his feet.“Who’s clinging to Violet’s belt because he’s too scared to walk on his own?” Blue countered.Green flushed and turned away but didn’t let go. Violet spoke up in his place, shooting Blue a look of displeasure. “We’re in a completely unknown time, in an era flooded with dangerous unknown magic, in a forest that could be inhabited by anything, and one of the senses he relies upon most has mysteriously stopped functioning. You would be nervous too.”“I am nervous,” Blue muttered, shooting a glance over his shoulder. “We shouldn’t have come out so far on our own. I just wanna get back to the others.”Violet relented and helped pull Red upright. He tightly clung to the two on either side of him, looking unsure about where to put his feet, and they began to guide him on the flattest path back toward the tree that they could find. Green and Shade were close behind and neither made any comments when the other two wordlessly swerved to guide Red around a rock or a rabbit hole.Curse was waiting for them just outside the hollow tree. He said nothing but gave them a searching look before gesturing them back inside. Shade scurried in first, radiating guilt as though the glance had been an admonition for straying too far. Blue was next and stopped on the other side to help first Green and then Red in after him. Lingering outside with Curse, Violet became aware of the way the silver-eyed teen was surveying the woods as though expecting something to appear.“We didn’t see anything,” he reported, placing a hand on the back of Red’s head to help him duck through the low doorway.“Hm.” Curse’s wandering eyes settled on one particular spot among the trees. “… Then you weren’t paying very close attention.”Violet released Red and spun toward the trees, barely aware of his other self’s hand grasping frantically for his arm again. “Don’t,” Curse hissed in warning, seizing his shoulder to spin him toward the entrance. “Don’t act like a threat. Get inside and sit down. Remember, we’re peaceful and passive, not a danger to this world.”With an unpleasant jolt, Violet suddenly realized what - or who - must have found them. “Should we disguise-““Too late for that. Inside, now.”He climbed in hastily and rejoined his other selves, who crossed back to their spot and sat down. Violet felt tense and highly alert and was only slightly relieved when Curse came back inside moments later, especially since he immediately crossed to where Dark sat and whispered a few words that made their leader instantly snap to full alertness.“Here? Outside?” he hissed back, hand flying at once to his sword. “You’re certain?”“Yes. And we can’t alter history.”Dark released the hilt of his weapon slowly. “We may need to run,” he stated in a low but carrying voice. Everyone tensed at once as he continued, “If it comes to a fight, don’t aim to cause harm. Block and evade until we can flee. But if we’re careful and fortunate it won’t come to that.”Nightmare’s attention was laser-focused on the doorway. “This age’s hero? He’s found us already?”“If Curse is correct, yes.”Blue swore under his breath, Dusk flattened his silver hair over his missing eye, and Phantom fumbled to unstrap his shield from his back. Curse crouched down by the entrance, his eyes on the beam of light spilling inside. “He’s seen us come in here. He knows there are at least six of us and he won’t be careless enough to engage us directly. His most likely move will be to set the tree on fire or throw a bomb inside to deal with all of us at once. But if we’re fortunate, he might still decide to leave us alone.”They waited, tense and alert. For several long minutes nothing seemed to happen and Violet wondered if the hero had indeed decided to leave them alone. The tension in Curse’s shoulders as he waited by the doorway seemed to suggest otherwise, though. Clearly he could still sense whatever magic surrounded the hero lurking somewhere outside.From somewhere outside, alarmingly close and drawing closer, a voice squawked out, “What are you doing, boy? You saw those demons disappear in there! They must be the ones who set off that explosion!”Blue, Green, and Violet moved in front of Red protectively, shields in hand,  briefly forgetting that he was occupying a duplicate and couldn’t be truly hurt. Everyone else was on their feet too now, Curse edging back from the entrance in alarm as the voice cried out again, now louder and more frantic. “Link, you’ll get yourself killed in there! And then what do you think will happen to me?!”The light was blotted out as something moved into the entrance. And then, to everyone’s shock and bafflement, a young boy dressed in green toppled through the entrance and sprawled helplessly on the ground at their feet.

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For a seemingly endless moment, all of them simply stared at the boy who had fallen into their midst and now lay staring back up at them with wide eyes. Curse was struck completely speechless by the sight of him. Surely his senses had to be wrong. There was no way this could be the hero of this age.The magic didn’t lie, though. The sword strapped to the boy’s back shimmered with two types of powerful elemental magic and his entire body thrummed with the still-fading vestiges of a third unidentifiable type, which even now glowed strongly from the hat he was wearing. Even the pouches hanging from his belt radiated magical energy. And if those weren’t evidence enough, the mysterious voice had called him Link. That in itself practically proved it.But he was so small. He couldn’t have been older than eight at the most, perhaps younger. His face was still round with baby fat and the sword strapped to his back, though small compared to Curse’s own weapon, looked almost too big for him to wield. He looked like he should be playing with other children safe in a village somewhere, wielding a wooden sword as practice for the real thing, not fighting for his life and to protect Hyrule.His hat suddenly twisted upright to reveal a face with a long beak on the other end. “Link, get up!” it squawked in alarm.Snapping out of his daze, the boy scrambled to his feet and grabbed for his sword. It slid halfway out of its scabbard before it became clear his arms were too short to draw it fully from that angle. He seized his baldric and yanked it down hastily, angling the sheath so he could pull the weapon out fully, but by then Curse and the others had backed away to give him space. He paused then, glancing uncertainly from one set of unnatural eyes to the next as though waiting to see from which angle the first attack would come.“Your name is Link?” Nightmare asked quietly.Link’s shoulders relaxed and he lowered his shield. “Yeah.”“What are you doing?” His hat was staring at the group in horror. “This is the most evil magic I’ve ever seen! Quickly, kill them!”Frowning, Link let his sword droop until the tip rested against the ground. “But… Ezlo, they can talk. They must be friendly.”Nightmare let out a choked noise. Curse thought of the protective way he acted toward the younger members of the group and wondered if this display of childish naivety was causing him actual pain.“That’s right,” Dark said, quickly taking charge. “We don’t mean you any harm.” His eyes darted up to the birdlike visage of the animated hat. “I understand if you don’t trust us. Would you accept a truce?”“And let you attack us the moment we let our guard down?” Ezlo retaliated spitefully.Link was beginning to slump over, now leaning more of his weight against the weapon in his hand. “Can’t we rest here for a little bit?” he pleaded. “I’m tired and everything hurts.”“There’s enough room for everyone,” Shade piped up hopefully.Ezlo didn’t respond. Seemingly taking his silence as agreement, Link flopped down on the floor and awkwardly manoeuvred his sword back into its scabbard, then removed one of his boots and started massaging his foot with a barely-stifled whimper of pain. Curse could see blisters and smell a trace of blood under the sweat and dirt.He glanced at Dark, raising his eyebrows in a wordless question. Their leader’s eyes darted briefly between Link and Curse before he nodded.“Link,” Curse said carefully, sinking slowly to his knees to be closer to the boy’s level, “I can soothe some of your pain if you’ll let me. I know healing magic.”“You do?” The boy’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Like a fairy?”He managed to fight back the grimace of distaste that threatened to spring to his lips. “… Yes. Like a fairy, but not quite as powerful. It should be enough to heal your feet, if nothing else.”Without hesitation Link shed his other boot and extended both feet to Curse. He rested his palms over the top of each small foot and closed his eyes, letting his magic flow into Link. The fading traces of the enchantment that still radiated through the young hero tried to resist him at first, but it quickly gave way and let him probe deeper, channelling healing energy into the boy.His mouth twisted as his magic sent back signals of other damage. There was a deep cut just above the child’s knee that had barely scabbed over. Further up he sensed a cracked rib and many half-healed wounds littering his back. One of his biceps bore what felt alarmingly like a very large bite mark, seemingly made by oversized insect mandibles rather than normal teeth. And there were bruises everywhere, so many of them that Curse was honestly surprised the boy could move for the pain.He finished healing his feet and reached up to press a hand against the boy’s shoulder, sending another wave of healing energy through one particular injury that threatened to permanently restrict his right arm’s range of motion. Then he forced himself to withdraw, knowing he could easily expend all of his energy on this and still not be done. “How’s that?”Link rubbed his feet again and rolled his shoulder, seemingly awed by the sudden lack of pain. “It feels loads better now. Thank you.”Curse sat back, adjusting his cloak around himself. The others were all seated again now, seemingly deciding that Link was not a threat so long as he didn’t feel unsafe. He seemed perfectly content to relax here so the rest of them were free to do the same. That left Curse free to devote his attention to the strange talking hat Link wore and the powerful energy that made it practically glow with restrained power.“… Forgive me,” the hat apologized gruffly after a long pause. “I may have misjudged you. I of all people should have known that appearances can be deceiving. I am Ezlo and my young acquaintance here, as you already know, is named Link.”Dark dipped his head in a brief nod of acknowledgement. “Our own names will do little to convince you of our trustworthiness, but mine is Dark. My friends here are known as Curse, Dusk, Phantom, Shade, Nightmare, and Shadow Green, Red, Blue, and Violet. Now, if I may ask, what exactly are you?”That was a question Curse was longing to know as well, and it was quickly answered when Ezlo straightened up and raised his head proudly. “Why, I’m one of the great sages of the Minish! Though you wouldn’t know it for looking at me.” He deflated slightly at those words. “I’m afraid I’m under a curse. Young Link and I are travelling together because our goals align. His friend was also placed under a curse by the same person who trapped me in this form.”Link nodded sagely. “Zelda’s dad the king sent me to find a way to break it. We needed help from the Picori and the soldiers were all too old to see them, so I said I’d do it. It’s hard, but I won’t give up no matter what.”“Spoken like a true hero,” Dark observed.Link flushed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Am I really a hero if I just want to save Zelda and turn Ezlo back to normal? I mean, I guess that means I have to stop Vaati too…”There was a clatter from over near the four Shadows; Blue had knocked the shield he was polishing out of his lap and onto the floor. All of them minus Red were now staring in wide-eyed alarm at Link, or at least in his general direction. “Did you say Vaati?” Green exclaimed.Dark shot him a look of warning that was completely lost on him. Thankfully Violet took the hint and clapped a hand over his mouth, breathing something into his ear.For his part Link looked thoroughly baffled by the reactions and completely unsurprised that they recognized the name. “Yeah, him. Did he cause trouble for you too?”“He did,” Blue agreed warily. “Be careful of him. He’s powerful.”“We know,” Ezlo sighed. “I’m unfortunately very familiar with the source of Vaati’s power.”Link reached up and patted him reassuringly on the brim. It was an odd sight. Seeing a chance to ask his next question, Curse took the opportunity to voice it. “His power wouldn’t happen to be a form of your own, would it? I can feel it on the wind. It feels much like the energy I sense in you, but twisted into darkness.”Ezlo straightened up and eyed Curse with new interest. “Yes, in fact. I presume you’re referring to Minish magic.”“That depends. Who exactly are the Minish?”“They’re also called the Picori,” Link added helpfully.“Still unfamiliar, I regret to say.”Link’s mouth fell open. “You don’t know the Picori? But everyone knows about them! What about the Picori festival? Or the Hero of Men? The Picori Blade and the Bound Chest? You’ve heard of them, right?”Curse cast a brief glance around the hollow tree and saw bewilderment on every face. “I’m afraid not. Could you enlighten us?”“I’ll take care of the explanations, boy,” Ezlo stated self-importantly. He hopped off Link’s head, seemingly completely unbothered by falling almost twice his height to the floor. Link took his chance to scoot back against the wall and curl up on his side, head resting on his folded hands, as Ezlo began to talk.* * *Ezlo was fascinating, Curse quickly decided. Never before had he been given the chance to discuss magic with somebody who understood it so intimately. Long after the explanations were over, when Link had fallen asleep and some of the others had retreated to the far side of the hollow to do the same, Curse still found himself listening raptly to an explanation of how the sage had woven a powerful wish-granting cap out of pure magic.“Of course, the most difficult step was properly solidifying the magic in that form. I couldn’t have it unravelling or merging with its wearer’s head…” Ezlo trailed off, eyeing Nightmare as he shuffled over to Link’s side. The golden-eyed shadow completely ignored the suspicious glance as he removed his cape and draped it over the sleeping boy. Link didn’t stir as it was tucked in around him, and after carefully adjusting it so it wouldn’t cover his face, Nightmare quietly returned to his place beside Shade.Ezlo’s expression softened slightly. “You and your friends continue to surprise me,” he observed, turning back to Curse. “I notice you still haven’t told me who or what exactly you are.”“Is there any need? You already know.” Curse pushed his hood back to give Ezlo a clear view of his storm-grey skin and reflective silver eyes in the weakening evening light. “To most of Hyrule, we’re monsters. There’s only one person who’s ever considered us fellow people.”“I don’t believe monsters would heal or offer safe shelter to a swordsman capable of slaying them,” Ezlo observed.Curse sensed rather than heard movement at his side and glanced over to see Dark settling beside him. “Perhaps not,” he stated. “I for one like to believe our friend’s assertion. Perhaps I was once a monster, but no longer. I fight to keep myself and my allies safe from harm, not to bring suffering to others.”“The question is if one believes that what makes a monster is its actions rather than the manner of its creation,” Curse spoke up. “If the latter, then we could claim otherwise all day and you would never change your mind.”Ezlo studied the two of them for a moment. “The magic that comprises you is darker than Vaati’s evil power, yet the way you chose to use it was to heal Link. I’ve witnessed an ordinary person make the decision to become a monster. It isn’t too much of a stretch to imagine the opposite.”His eyes drifted past them to survey the rest of the group. Shade was dozing against the wall, his head drooping toward his chest. Nightmare looked ready to catch him if he started to fall and lower him down more gently. Dusk was already asleep, curled up with his back to the wall. Phantom sat polishing his sword and occasionally glancing up toward the entrance, clearly listening for danger. The Shadows were draped on top of each other in an untidy heap; Green and Blue were fast asleep but Violet’s eyes were open, his hands cupping one of Red’s and stroking it reassuringly.It was a comfortably peaceful scene. It was the type of thing that would never have happened when they had first met each other, when the limit of their trust was believing that the others were less likely to stab them in their sleep than any other creatures in Hyrule. And once again Curse caught himself wondering when that had changed and they had taken their first steps to being more than they were created to be.“If I may ask,” Ezlo spoke up quietly, “where are you headed? I assume from your lack of familiarity with the area that you’re travellers.”Curse looked to Dark to answer. He seemed to weigh up his words carefully for a moment before voicing them. “We’re searching for something. Perhaps a person or group of people, perhaps an artifact. We’re not quite sure yet. Whatever it is, its power brought us here.”“In the sense that you followed it, or in the sense that you were dragged?” Ezlo probed shrewdly.“In the sense that we chose to follow of our own will, but once the decision was made there was no way to stop or go back.”“I thought as much,” the sage mused out loud. “There was evidence of powerful magic in these woods not too long before we encountered you. It faded very quickly, but it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that surge of energy coincided with your arrival here.”Dark’s eyes glowed brighter in the dim shelter. “You wouldn’t happen to have seen its source, would you? Or have some general impression of which way it went?”“I’m afraid not. It simply faded away. Perhaps the caster was already gone by the time you arrived.”“They could have a lead on us,” Curse pointed out. He earned a raised eyebrow in response and knew that Dark was questioning how one could have a lead while travelling to the same point in history, but when he didn’t speak Curse guessed that he was not willing to mention time travel in front of Ezlo. It was a wise decision; there was no telling what could happen if knowledge of the portals got around.“We’ve only just begun searching,” Dark said after a long moment. “No doubt we’ll learn more about the nature of this power if we continue to follow it. For now I suggest we all get some rest. Phantom,” he added, glancing over to where the boy sat, “how are your energy levels?”He sheathed his blade. “I can keep watch, if that’s what you’re asking.”Dark nodded to him and turned back to Ezlo. “He’ll raise the alarm if there are any threats.”“Smart,” Ezlo acknowledged. “I admit keeping watch isn’t something that’s occurred to me until now. I never was particularly well-versed on survival strategies.” He hopped his way awkwardly over to Link and settled down by his head, facing the others. Still wary, Curse assumed.Phantom ducked out through the entrance and a moment later Curse heard his boots scuffing against the exterior of the trunk as he climbed up to perch in the branches. Dark had retreated to the wall to settle down and soon Curse found himself a spot to sleep as well. He lay awake for a long time, his mind still swirling with thoughts of magic, before finally drifting to sleep.* * *The lingering feelings of nausea and discomfort bubbling within Curse’s insides in the aftermath of the portal had faded away by the time he woke. The first thing he noticed was the shrill birdsong ringing through the forest outside. He had never heard anything quite so loud or exuberant; it was like every bird in Hyrule had flocked here just to unite in the goal of deafening them. When he forced his eyes open and squinted blearily toward the entrance, he saw the sky outside lit with hues of pink and orange in the early morning sunlight.Curse slowly levered himself upright and began to brush dust off his skin and clothes. He was combing dirt out of his hair with his fingers when he realized something was missing. Or rather, someone. The young hero, previously curled up by the entrance, was now nowhere to be seen.Far more alert now, Curse took in the rest of the hollow at a glance. The others, Phantom aside, were all still fast asleep right where they had been hours before. Clearly the cacophony outside had not yet disturbed them. Ezlo lay draped across the floor, snoring faintly, beside where Nightmare’s cape lay in a crumpled heap. Link wouldn’t have left Ezlo behind; not when he seemed to look to the sage for guidance. His weapons were gone as well, though. A kidnapper would likely have left them behind.He shook his head as though to get rid of that thought. Kidnappers? What am I thinking? Link is a hero on a quest, and probably a light sleeper because of it. I’d be surprised if he was actually asleep through that entire conversation last night. If Phantom so much as coughed he’d probably be awake. We would too, no matter how tired we were. That means Link wandered off on his own but with intent to come back. But how long ago, I wonder…?Quietly Curse slipped through the entrance and out into the early morning light. Its brightness felt far less overwhelming than the day before and he barely had to shield his eyes as he turned to stare up into the branches. Just as he had expected, Phantom was perched upon a branch in the cover of the leaves, only his white hair and luminescent eyes giving away his position in the shadows. Those eyes had immediately snapped to Curse when he emerged but soon returned to gazing around the forest. He was clearly alert and would never have let any potential threats past.Curse leaped lightly into the tree and swung himself up to crouch on a branch. “Have you seen Link?”“What good would I be as a guard if I didn’t?” Phantom pointed ahead into the forest. “He went that way about half an hour ago. He didn’t see me up here.”Half an hour was certainly long enough to get lost, Curse thought to himself. He debated back and forth mentally for a moment before making up his mind and hopping down from the branch. His boots crunched in the leaf litter and he paused, glancing around to see if anything had heard him, before setting off quietly through the trees in the indicated direction.It wasn’t long before he caught the trail of elemental magic. Instinctively he slowed and dropped into a half-crouch, concealing himself in the foliage as he took in everything else he could detect in the area. There were no sounds of movement or combat, but he could faintly hear flowing water. A stream, perhaps. Deeming it safe, he stalked closer, keeping his footsteps light and his senses alert as he drew nearer to the source of the magic.He found Link perched upon a rock at the water’s edge. His boots lay on the grass beside him and his feet dangled into the merrily splashing water, occasionally kicking into the air to watch droplets fly. Curse searched for his weapons for a moment before spotting the sword’s scabbard resting across his lap. He was clearly prepared for any danger even during his relaxation.The living shadow hid there for a moment, watching, before deciding it was safe to show himself. The snap of a twig beneath his boot caused Link to instantly spin around, drawing his sword in an instant even as he scrambled to get his wet feet beneath him. Curse held up both empty hands and Link relaxed, sliding the weapon back into its sheath.“You’re the one who was interested in Ezlo’s magic talk yesterday, right?” he enquired. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”“Curse. And yes, that was me.” Curse crossed to the water’s edge and stood beside Link, gazing across to the opposite bank. It was a small stream, barely deep enough to come up to his knees. He thought he and his companions might have been able to clear it in one jump if necessary, though Link would have been forced to wade through.“I don’t always understand the things he says about magic,” Link admitted, getting comfortable on his rock again. “He’s really old and wise. He’s had ages and ages to learn about it. I bet Zelda would understand. She’s learning to use it too.” He frowned. “She was. She will be again after I save her.““She will,” Curse agreed quietly. His gaze was drawn to the sword resting in Link’s lap. It was brimming with magic, and yet it felt distinctly like something was missing. It was designed to weave together more than two elements, he was sure. Right now it felt unbalanced, incomplete.“Tell me about that sword, Link,” he requested.“The reforged Picori Blade?” Link drew the sword again and held it up in front of him, tilting it back and forth to examine its shining blade in the early morning sunlight. “Ezlo told you about the Hero of Men, right? This was the sword he used to seal the monsters away. But Vaati broke it, so I took it to the best blacksmith in Hyrule to get it fixed. I still think my Grandpa is the best blacksmith,” he added in a lower tone, “but don’t tell anyone I said that. Except him. You can tell him.”Curse raised an eyebrow at the boy. “… I won’t tell anyone. What about the elemental magic?”“You can sense magic, right?” Link rested the blade across his hands and held it out toward Curse, though he noticed he kept a secure grip on the hilt. “Can you tell what kinds there are in it?”He raised a hand and saw Link twitch as though to withdraw the sword, but he kept holding it out. Carefully Curse let two fingers trail down the blade and closed his eyes. The scent of rich soil briefly overpowered the smells of plant life and he was suddenly highly aware of the solid ground beneath his feet. A flush of heat swept through his body, briefly turning the splashing of the stream into the crackling of flames.“Earth and fire,” he stated, withdrawing his hand. “Am I correct?”“Yeah. Earth from the Minish Woods and fire from the mine up on the mountain.” Link sheathed the blade again, seemingly happy with Curse’s response. “We’re going to find the wind element next. It’s meant to be in the swamp just past here. Then the water one in Lake Hylia. Once we take them all to the sanctuary and infuse the sword, I can finally break Vaati’s spells!”So Curse had been correct after all. The sword was designed to hold a balance between four elements. And yet he didn’t think that was all it could do. “There’s more to that weapon, isn’t there? It radiates a deeper magic between the entwined elements. Something that isn’t quite an element itself, nor Minish magic, nor any other type I’ve ever felt.”Link opened his mouth to respond and closed it again without saying anything. After a moment he swung the sword onto his back and withdrew his feet, kicking them in the air to shake off the water. “I’m going back before Ezlo wonders where I’ve gone,” he announced, spinning around to retrieve his boots. Without another word he rose and trotted off in the direction of the hollow tree.Yes, Curse thought to himself, there was definitely more to that weapon. Something that Link clearly didn’t want to discuss. Though, considering the way Dark’s eyes had flickered toward the Shadows when he mentioned an elemental blade, he had a feeling he already knew. “A sword of four elements,” he mused to himself. “Violet for earth, red for fire, green for wind, and blue for water…”He lingered there for a moment before turning to follow Link. As much as he wanted to stay out here and think, or perhaps go hunting for breakfast, it would not be wise to stay out alone for long. There were undoubtedly worse things lurking in these woods than young heroes.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Link and Ezlo parted ways with the group after a hurried breakfast. Phantom watched with curiosity as the two vanished into the trees, heading in the direction of the nearby swamp. He had caught a glimpse of its foul water and tangling thorny vines through the treetops and he certainly didn’t envy the hero the next leg of his adventure.The others had all slept surprisingly heavily and now seemed to brush off the weakness they had suffered the day before. Phantom could feel its weight still creeping up on him, but he managed to stave it off with a lizard he caught and ate raw. It tasted disgusting but it gave him enough energy to keep up when they all set out from the hollow tree.“If we’re looking for information, visiting the town might be the best answer,” Nightmare pointed out as the walls of the city loomed into view ahead of them.Dark contemplated that for a long moment before speaking up slowly. “The people of this age are unlikely to expect danger in their settlements. It seems as though the released monsters have been restricted mainly to uninhabited areas. A town in this era will likely be safer for us to visit than during the age of the Great Calamity.”Despite his statement he didn’t sound convinced. Phantom wondered if he was afraid of being among people. “I say we should do it,” he piped up. “All of you got a ton of rest last night and I ate a lizard. We can all keep up our disguises.”“A lizard won’t keep you going for long,” Shadow Blue pointed out from behind him. He was alone today, the other three having retreated inside to conserve energy after Green and Red had woken with their senses intact again.“We don’t have Link here to cook for us,” Shade spoke up. He frowned briefly and added, “Our Link. You know, the Champion.”“More’s the pity,” Dusk muttered. Even as he spoke his hair was dulling to a shade of golden brown, his skin shifting from stormy grey to a healthy tan. Phantom followed his lead, watching the colour spread to his fingertips with vision that wavered slightly as his eyes changed as well. One by one the others adopted their own disguises until they all looked like relatives of the little boy who had been chosen as this age’s hero.Though Dark still looked indecisive, he was clearly making an attempt to act confident as he led the group alongside the city’s walls in search of a gate. Trotting alongside Dusk, Phantom found himself wondering how the residents would react to their presence. It sounded as though this age’s Link was close with the princess, which undoubtedly meant the town’s citizens would be very familiar with him. The sight of seven unfamiliar teenagers with more than a passing resemblance to the boy might turn some heads.It was one thing to travel the open roads of post-Calamity Hyrule, meeting the occasional traveller but mostly avoiding settlements. It was another entirely to walk around in a crowded city where their presence would almost certainly attract attention. Suddenly he thought he understood Dark’s paranoia.The gate that soon came into view stood open, but to no surprise it was guarded by a pair of armoured soldiers. Dusk’s hand automatically began to smooth down his hair over his missing eye as they approached. Phantom had never noticed him displaying any nervous habits before he lost that eye and couldn’t help but wonder if its absence made him feel more vulnerable. Without a word he dropped back slightly, moving around Dusk to walk on his right side.“What’re you doing?” Dusk muttered, keeping his voice low.“Covering your blind side,” Phantom responded just as quietly.Dusk gave no response, but Phantom thought he saw his shoulders relax almost imperceptibly.Perhaps the ease with which Link had relaxed around them had not entirely been a product of inexperience or naivety. The soldiers flanking the gate barely gave the group a passing glance before stepping aside, permitting them entry into the town. To Phantom, the carelessness they were displaying seemed almost beyond belief, though at the same time he couldn’t help but remember the young hero’s words.“The monsters of this age must be mindless, disorganized beasts,” Curse stated quietly once they had passed through the gate. Clearly he was thinking along the same lines. “If simply looking like a person or being capable of speech is enough to earn the people’s trust, the dangers must be incredibly obvious.”“Keep an eye out,” Dark muttered back. “Whatever opened the portal might be hiding in plain sight just like us.”Beyond the clusters of small homes and plainer buildings at the edges, the town was a blaze of life and activity. The wall of noise struck Phantom almost like a physical obstacle as they neared the busier streets closer to the centre of town. Unconsciously he found himself drawing back slightly, his fingers twitching toward his weapon before he controlled himself and let his arm fall. A glance at the others showed him a similar tension radiating out of every form, movements growing more deliberate and cautious as eyes darted around alertly. For all that they were attempting to blend in, it was impossible to hide their discomfort. The town was far bigger than Hateno Village and much more overwhelming than any of them had expected.“Let’s keep close together,” Curse suggested in a low voice as they drew nearer the bustling town square. “If any of us become separated from the rest, we should return to the hollow tree to meet up.”Dark paused momentarily in the entrance of a narrow alleyway, his expression contemplative. “No,” he stated decisively. “We’ll draw more attention and potentially suspicion as a single large group. We should split up into teams. Nightmare and Shade, you take this section of town. Curse, you and I will search for clues on that side. Dusk, Phantom, and Blue, the three of you take the far side, beyond the town square.”Dusk grunted, clearly displeased with the plan, but raised no arguments. Dark continued, “Stay alert. If you hear any disturbances that could mean trouble for any of us, lay low and slip out of town at the first opportunity. We’ll meet up at the hollow tree once we have information or when we can’t tolerate the crowds any longer. By sundown at the latest.”The idea of potentially staying in this crowded, chaotic town all day made Phantom’s chest tighten. The others were chorusing their agreement and he managed to force out a noise of assent as well, sidling as close to Dusk as he could manage without bumping into him. Nervously he wondered how soon he could reasonably request to go back to the meeting spot without looking like a coward. If he was lucky, perhaps one of the other two would crack first.Shadow Blue took the lead, setting out through the central square toward their assigned section of town as Dusk and Phantom followed closely behind. The noise grew to an almost unbearable level as they weaved their way in and out of the crowds, giving a wide berth to the merchants who were hawking everything from fruits and vegetables to colourful metal tokens. Phantom caught a faint scent of bananas and sped up, almost shoving past Dusk in his haste to escape the press of bodies.The noise level dimmed slightly as they escaped to the nearby streets, where the shouting voices and clanging bells by which the merchants drew in customers were exchanged for the tactic of colourfully-decorated shop windows. The crowds were almost as thick here, but Phantom felt that he could breathe more easily away from some of the chaos.Something bumped into his shoulder and he stiffened, only to realize at once that it was just Dusk. The silver-haired teen was noticeably twitchy, one hand compulsively smoothing his hair down over his missing eye as his gaze darted warily over every person who passed them. His lack of a shirt was earning more than a few stares and the attention was clearly not helping his paranoia.Phantom drew a breath and cast about in search of a distraction. The scent of freshly-baked bread reached his nose at once and he paused mid-step. “Do you guys smell that?”Dusk slowed, sniffing the air. He seemed to pick up the scent immediately and began to search for its source even as Blue turned on his heel to face them, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Smell what?”“Bread,” Dusk responded, his eyes fixed upon a building further down the street. “This way.”He took the lead, his previous paranoia momentarily set aside as the scent grew stronger. Phantom found himself inhaling deeply as he walked, drinking in the aroma with every breath. It seemed like a lifetime ago since he had smelled freshly baked bread. Link had made cakes and crepes for them on occasion, but never something as simple as a loaf of bread. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed it.The smell drifting from the open door of the small bakery was heavenly. Phantom stared hungrily into the window, where fresh loaves sat on display. Cream-filled cakes and fruit pies had been nearly sliced into individual servings; even as Phantom watched, a slice of cake was taken from the display and passed to the current customer, who exited the bakery a few moments later with their paper-bag-wrapped prize.“We have to get some,” Phantom breathed.“With what rupees?” Dusk muttered back.Phantom hesitated for a moment, loath to admit he had entirely forgotten that making purchases required rupees. “Blue, you go in through the shadows and steal some.”Blue arched an eyebrow at him. “Firstly, you don’t tell me what to do. Secondly, it’s way too brightly lit and crowded in there. I’d be seen and probably wouldn’t have anything to show for it. Can you imagine what the others would say if I gave us away doing something as pointless as stealing bread?”Phantom growled softly under his breath, though he had to admit that Blue was right. Thievery using their abilities was not an option here. And considering how packed the bakery was, regular thievery was not either. They would need to find another way to obtain some freshly-baked deliciousness of their own. “Maybe they threw some burned loaves away,” he mused out loud. “Let’s look around the back for a bin or something.”The trio left the window and slipped along a nearby alleyway, Phantom remaining alert to the scent of bread in case he detected a new source. There was no sign of any discarded food there, but he held onto hope even as they emerged behind the bakery to find only a mildly unpleasant smell drifting from the small waste bin by the back steps. When Phantom poked through it with a stick, he found little more than broken eggshells and waxed paper smeared with butter.“I guess we’re out of luck,” Blue observed.Phantom groaned and tossed his stick aside. “They have to throw some away. Surely they burn some or drop it on the floor once in a while. What do they do with it then?”“Probably eat it themselves,” Dusk pointed out.Blue’s outfit shifted colour to green as he leaned back against the bakery’s rear wall. “This town doesn’t strike me as a very wasteful place,” Green observed. “Blue’s right, we’re probably out of luck when it comes to getting any bread for free. Unless we can beg some off one of the customers, and I’m not desperate enough to stoop that low.”Phantom drew a breath to respond, only to hesitate when a flicker of movement caught his eye. His gaze was drawn to a small gap at the bottom of the bakery’s rear door, from which he thought he had just seen something whip out of sight. His brow furrowed and he stared hard at the crack.“What’re you looking at?” Dusk questioned warily, following Phantom’s gaze.He shook his head slightly. “There was something… I know I saw something move just now.”“Probably a mouse,” Green suggested.“In a bakery? I’m pretty sure Hylians usually don’t like that.”Phantom took a step closer. At once his eyes were drawn to something ruby red and sparkling in a clump of grass beside the stairs. Dropping to one knee, he parted the grass and reached for the object. His fingers closed around the hard facets of a rupee and he held it up with a victorious exclamation. “Guys, look! Our money problem’s solved!”“A red rupee? Just lying around in a town?” Dusk snatched it from his hand and held it up to the light, squinting at it intently with his remaining eye. “That’s suspiciously convenient.”“Who cares?” Phantom retaliated, bouncing to his feet again. He jumped for it but Dusk held it up out of his reach. “We can probably afford some bread with it! Give that back!”Dusk grunted, keeping the rupee upraised over his head. “This feels like a trick to me.”A tendril of magic plucked the gem out of his grasp and brought it down to Green’s level. “A trick that results in us having money?” he enquired as the magic dropped the object into his cupped palm. He rolled it between his fingers thoughtfully. “I don’t see any downsides here. We know the bread must be safe to eat if so many Hylians are buying it. What’s the worst that could happen? We can’t quite afford anything? The rupee turns out to be dyed glass? We’d be no worse off than we were before.”He flicked it up into the air with a thumb and caught it again. “I’ll go in and see if we can buy anything with this.”Phantom and Dusk trailed behind Green back to the front entrance of the bakery. As the living shadow entered, stepping around a departing customer to join the queue, Phantom positioned himself in front of the window again and let his eyes take in the scene. Past the enticing display in the window he could see a woman in an apron serving customers, and beyond her a man was sliding another tray into the large brick oven at the back of the bakery. On a shelf beyond his head, something small was scurrying past the baking implements on display.Phantom blinked and looked closer. The tiny figure was mostly in shades of blue, but he could see a feathery scarlet-tipped tail waving behind it. It looked no taller than two or three inches and, as far as he could see, it was walking upright like a person.He elbowed Dusk in the side and pointed, pressing his fingertip against the glass. “Dusk, do you see that on the shelf?”“Do I see…” Dusk trailed off momentarily as he spotted it. “What in Ganon’s name is that?”“I don’t know,” Phantom responded with a hint of glee, “but it’s not a mouse. I think that was what I saw by the back door. That or another one like it.”Three eyes followed the tiny creature until it vanished through a small hole in the wall. “There’ve gotta be more,” Dusk muttered. “If you ask me, that looks like our first clue to figuring out where the portal’s maker went. Definitely feels preferable to asking random Hylians about it.”The two of them were so absorbed in staring at the hole where the small creature had vanished, they didn’t initially notice Green’s return until Phantom found himself distracted by the scent of fresh bread being waved in his face. He blinked, his vision wavering scarlet briefly in surprise before he focused on the loaf of bread in front of him. “You got some!”“Twenty rupees for a brioche loaf,” Green responded with satisfaction. “I don’t have the slightest clue what brioche means, but Violet thinks it’s a sweet type of bread. Why don’t we find out?”He tore off a third of the still-warm loaf and passed it to Phantom, who wasted no time in sinking his teeth into it. It was indeed sweet and soft with a buttery flavour, almost more like a plain cake than any type of bread he had ever eaten before. A noise of contentment escaped his throat as he chewed, closing his eyes to better savour it.Dusk let out a muffled sound of surprise through a mouthful of his own portion. “Tastes as good as Link’s cooking,” he commented thickly.Green hummed in agreement, his own face practically buried in the soft bread. Phantom took another bite, inhaling the scent deeply, before a thought occurred to him. He beckoned for the others to follow and set off at a trot back along the alleyway.“What are we doing here?” Green enquired as they came out behind the shop once more. “I don’t think we’ll find any more rupees just lying around.”“That’s not what we’re here for.” Phantom was hesitant to part with any of his precious bread, but reluctantly he tore off a small piece no larger than an inch across. “Did you notice anything weird while you were in there? Because we did. There was something running along the shelf at the back and it wasn’t a mouse.”A frown crossed Green’s face as he swallowed another mouthful. “I didn’t see anything. You think that was what went into the hole here?”“More than that. I think it might’ve been what hid the rupee in the grass for us to find,” Phantom stated. He sank into a crouch and placed the scrap of bread at the top of the stairs, inches away from the small gap in the door. “A monster wouldn’t be living among Hylians. It has to be some kind of creature like us, which means we can talk to it. Maybe it knows something about the portal.”Green opened his mouth to respond but paused, his expression thoughtful. “The Minish?”“Minish?” Dusk repeated. “Those people the hero and Ezlo mentioned?”Green’s outline blurred as a duplicate slid out of him, clothed in purple. “Precisely,” Violet stated, kneeling down alongside Phantom to examine the gap in the door. “If you’d been listening, the hero explained at length how the Minish derive happiness from assisting Hylians. One of the ways they do so is by hiding rupees in obscure places for them to find. If one overheard us discussing our lack of money, it makes far more sense for us to have unexpectedly found the exact amount we needed to purchase bread.”Green nodded thoughtfully in agreement. “You’re right about that. So it wasn’t any kind of trick after all, then? They just thought we were Hylians and wanted to make us happy.”“Hello?” Phantom called out quietly toward the gap. “Minish or Picori or whatever you wanna be called? Thanks for the rupees. Here’s some bread for you too. Can we talk to you for a minute?”Silence hung over them for a few seconds before Phantom’s sensitive ears picked up the sound of tiny claws against wood. Moments later a little head smaller even than the tip of his thumb appeared in the gap, surveying them with wary dark eyes.A victorious smile flashed across Violet’s face. “You must be one of the Minish.”Tiny ears, almost Hylian in appearance other than their unusual length, twitched curiously at the sound of his words. The Minish stepped out fully, revealing a beige-furred body clothed in tiny but delicately stitched green garments, bare long-toed paws ending in sharp claws, and a long feathery tail. Perhaps Green hadn’t been far off after all; to Phantom’s eyes the little creature looked a lot like a cross between a mouse and a Hylian.They chittered something in a high-pitched tone that Phantom couldn’t quite make out. He lowered himself onto all fours, bending his head close, and gave the creature as benign a smile as he could manage. “What was that? I didn’t understand.”The Minish crept closer, wary but clearly intrigued. This time Phantom could make out words, slightly obscured by a trilling accent but clear enough to be understood. “You see me?”“We can all see you,” Violet agreed, bending close beside Phantom. “Ordinarily only children are capable of seeing you, correct? Perhaps it’s because the four of us aren’t Hylian.”The little creature’s pointed nose twitched. “Strange magic,” they chirped. “Different.”“We’re not from around here,” Phantom agreed. “That’s what we wanted to talk to you about. We’re looking for the magic that brought us here…”He trailed off, watching the Minish scratch their head in clear bafflement. They shrugged helplessly and shook their head, their tail drooping to almost brush against the ground. “Not speak Hylian good. Can speak Picori?”“Picori?” Violet’s brow furrowed. “Your language? No, I’m afraid not. Unless any of you have failed to mention something important,” he added with a glance up at Phantom and Dusk.“I only speak Hylian,” Dusk shrugged.Phantom frowned contemplatively. “Shade can speak some Lorulean and I think Nightmare knows bits of Zoran and a few other languages, but neither of them ever mentioned Picori. Unless… maybe Dark knows it?”“Unlikely,” Violet stated with a dismissive shake of his head. “He’d never heard of the Minish either until yesterday.” He paused briefly. “… Although it’s entirely possible he could have met some before without knowing what their race is called in Hylian. We went all this time without knowing Vaati was a Minish, after all. Maybe it isn’t really that far-fetched.”Green straightened up, a light of interest coming into his eyes. “That makes sense. Dark’s probably lived through most of history and been all over Hyrule. I bet he could understand any language and speak at least some of it. We’ll have to bring him here to translate.”“We might know someone who can speak Picori,” Violet informed the Minish. “When we bring him here, will you meet with him?”They nodded, smiling eagerly as their tail and ears twitched upward in excitement. “Come back soon! Will wait!”Violet rose to his feet. “Then let’s go and find him.”“Assuming we can,” Dusk pointed out. “This goes against his plan. We could be hunting for hours and not find him until we head to the meeting spot.”Phantom stood as well, dusting off his hands on his tunic. “It’s not like looking for him is any more of a waste of time than just going there to wait. He pointed over near that big bell when he said where he was gonna be looking around, right? I bet if we climbed up on it we’d be able to see better.”Green opened his mouth to counter that, then shrugged and gave in. “It’s not like the guards would get too upset about us looking for someone. Sure, let’s try it.”Violet’s eyes lingered curiously on the Minish, who had hefted the scrap of bread up onto one shoulder and was carrying it back toward the gap in the door. As they ducked through out of sight, he glanced briefly up at Green as though in unspoken agreement before his body flickered out of existence. Green nodded and straightened up. “All right then, let’s go find Dark.”“And see if he can solve this mystery,” Phantom chimed in, hurrying after him as he started to head toward the northern side of town. Dusk grunted in agreement and followed.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After half an hour of lurking close to the edge of the crowds, occasionally approaching particularly observant-looking shoppers to casually enquire about any strangers who possessed powerful magic and earning strange looks from each one, Dark’s tolerance for being in such a busy place was nearing its limits.He retreated to the shelter of an alleyway for a brief reprieve. Curse followed, his eyes still darting over their surroundings in a way that told Dark he was just as unsettled. “This approach seems unsustainable,” he muttered under his breath, his gaze fixed on a family currently strolling past and chatting happily among themselves.Dark had already figured that out for himself. He stood motionless for a moment, flexing his hands and feeling the leather of his gauntlets creak under his palms. The urge to escape back to the hollow tree warred with the desire to appear confident and in control of the situation. If he had even half the courage of any hero, he should be able to handle a little crowd that wasn’t even attempting to attack them.He was certainly no happier about it than any of the others, though.“What are our alternatives?” he enquired, hoping Curse had thought of a better solution.Curse’s eyes followed the small family out of sight before resuming their wandering. “Our presence here proves how unobservant the average Hylian in this era must be. They haven’t noticed anything amiss, so they would likely not have noticed the cause of the portals. We can assume they’re useless to us. But if we were to seek out other magic users, they might have been able to pick up on the magic in the same way I did.”He hesitated. Dark faced him more fully, his eyebrows quirking. “But there’s a problem with that.”“There is,” Curse admitted. “I can sense magic in this town, but I can’t tell where it’s coming from. It isn’t being disguised by anything, but it’s too scattered and weak for me to pin down a source. If I had to guess, I might be sensing a population of Minish with powers far weaker than Ezlo.”Dark’s brow furrowed. Considering what Link and Ezlo had told them the day before, it seemed unlikely that they would simply be able to approach the Minish in the same way they could with Hylians. “They’ll be hiding from us,” he mused aloud.“And shrinking us down to their size isn’t among my magical capabilities,” Curse finished. His expression twisted momentarily into a grimace of distaste. “… That is to say, I do know a spell to change my own form to something smaller, but it worked far more effectively for my counterpart than it ever did for me. Most of the time it expends a large amount of energy with no results, and when it does function I often lose control of myself and can think of nothing but draining energy from other beings. It wouldn’t be a good way to go about seeking out the Minish.”For a moment Dark was silent, studying the streets beyond their hiding spot. A part of him wondered if it wouldn’t be better to try to catch up to Link and Ezlo. Perhaps they would be able to introduce the group to some of the town’s Minish. But if Link had been able to meet them on his own, surely it was not impossible for others to do the same so long as they paid enough attention.“Let’s begin by searching for likely places they could be hiding,” he decided. “We’ll go from there.”The two had barely stepped out onto the street again before three other familiar pale-haired heads appeared from around a corner. Pausing momentarily, Dark found his eyebrows rising as the trio spotted them and hurried closer. He had not expected to see any of the others again until they retired to the shelter of the hollow tree. What could be so important for them to actively seek him out?He didn’t have to wait long for the answer.“We found something,” Phantom blurted the moment he was close enough to be heard without shouting. He was bouncing on his toes, grinning as widely as if he’d just discovered Hyrule’s largest unguarded cache of honey candy. “Something important.”“Important how?” Curse questioned, arching an eyebrow of his own. “You’ve found a lead?”“Could be,” Dusk added gruffly.Shadow Green filled in, “We’ve found some of the Minish, but there’s a bit of a language barrier. They don’t speak enough Hylian to understand what we’re asking about. Dark, we thought that if any of us could speak Picori, it’d be you.”Dark felt slightly caught off-guard by that revelation. Quickly he ran through his memory, seeking out the scraps of other languages he thought he might have picked up throughout his seemingly endless life. Though he was sure he had never heard of the miniature race until Ezlo had described them the previous day, it was ignorant to completely discount the possibility that he had met some in the long-forgotten past. Perhaps, when the language reached his ears, it would somehow make sense.The other four were gazing at him expectantly. Quickly he pulled himself back together and put on the mask of a composed leader. “It’s worth a try. Show me.”Phantom was the one who led the way, navigating around the crowds and taking the quieter side streets. When he began to follow his nose to the destination, Dark tentatively sniffed the air as well and picked up the faint scent of fresh bread carried on the breeze. It grew stronger and stronger until the small group finally emerged into an alleyway behind a small bakery, where the intoxicating scent hung thickly in the air and Dark could barely stop himself from salivating.“Over here.” Seemingly unaffected by the aroma, Green crossed to the few steps leading up to the building’s back door and crouched down. Phantom followed, squatting down close to the tiny gap at the bottom of the closed door.“Hey, Minish person,” he hissed, “we brought him. Can you come back out?”Dark’s ears picked up a scrabbling of tiny claws before a very small head appeared in the gap, big dark eyes alertly scanning their surroundings. After confirming that it was safe, the tiny creature emerged fully out onto the doorstep. Green and Phantom both turned expectantly to Dark, who was beginning to doubt his decision to try. He could feel five sets of eyes burning into him now, and yet the sight of the Minish stirred up no sudden rush of familiarity. Perhaps this would prove to be a waste of time after all.He strode closer and dropped into a crouch at the foot of the stairs. “Hello,” he tried, unsure of what else to say to the mouse-like figure gazing up at him.They trilled out a response and he leaned closer to make out the words. “Hello, speak Picori?”The last thing he wanted to do was admit that he didn’t know. “I’ve lost my memory,” Dark confessed, trying to squash down the distinct feeling of foolishness. “If I hear it, I might recognize it.”The words that came next, aided rather than obscured by the trilling accent, were not Hylian. He tilted his ear closer, focused entirely on the words. They were coming so quickly he could hardly make out where one ended and the next began. Without thinking he spoke, his tongue clumsily shaping the trilling words of the same language. “Slow. Hard to listen. Talk slow. Please.”The Minish obeyed, and this time Dark could pick out individual words. “Hello, my name is Elliri. You and your friends are welcome in Hyrule Castle Town. Can you understand my words?”Dark could feel four sets of blue eyes staring at him in rapt fascination as he responded. “Yes. Understand.”Elliri gave an excited little skip and began to chitter rapidly, though they quickly caught themself and slowed down for him again. “It’s been quite a while since a big person could speak our language, other than the shrinking one! I want to help all of you in any way I can. You’re looking for something, is that right? I couldn’t understand when your friend explained.”“Yes. Looking for…” Dark’s voice trailed off briefly as he struggled to recall the words he needed to explain. Dredging up a long-forgotten language from the depths of his memory felt somewhat like attempting to suck water out of a cloth that had been wrung out and left to partially dry in the sunlight. Drop by drop it came, slowly and unwillingly, the strain causing a dull ache to build behind his eyes. “Magic. Cause of magic. Strange thing or person. Not belong. Came… day before now.”“Yesterday? A source of magic that came yesterday?” the Minish clarified, ears perking up further in curiosity. “Yes, I know the magic you mean! We Minish all felt it. It came from the Western Woods.” They pointed in the direction from which the group had initially entered town. As one, the others all glanced in the same direction with eyes alight with interest.Dark responded with a nod. “Yes, that way. We came here because of magic. Now gone. Missing. Where?”“You want to find where it went? It didn’t come through town, but…” Turning on their heel, Elliri pointed instead to the southeast. “The Minish Woods. That’s the way it went. There’s a big Minish settlement there, near the heart of the woods. They might be able to help you track it down. Tell them Elliri from Castle Town sent you.”“We’re going that way?” Phantom questioned, leaning to one side in an effort to see around the wall blocking his way.Elliri switched back to Hylian. “Yes, friends! Minish Woods. Much luck!”“Thank you,” Dark told them, bowing his head briefly in respect. He rose to his feet once more and turned to address the others. “We’ll need to wait for the others before we make another move. Let’s return to the hollow tree.”“Gladly,” Dusk muttered under his breath.There was no sign of Nightmare and Shade as they made their way back out of the town the way they had come, moving in single-file and keeping to the quieter areas. The guards nodded in greeting as they passed by once more, clearly recognizing them. There was a part of Dark that wondered what they thought about this group of similar-looking strangers who had come from the woods, spent less than an hour in town, and departed again the same way they had come but with two of their number missing and one dressed in distinctly different colours. To him it seemed suspicious, but perhaps Hylians did similar things regularly for completely ordinary reasons.The hollow tree was empty when they arrived. Curse scouted out the surrounding area briefly before taking up a post upon one of the branches, watching for Nightmare and Shade’s return. The others settled down in the shelter of their hiding spot once again, using the brief respite to recover from their trip into the town.At least, Dark assumed they were attempting to recover. His own nerves were still jangling after being in close proximity to so many people for far longer than he could ever remember before. His muscles were wound so tightly he found himself trembling uncontrollably as he sat, the solid wood wall hard against his back, hands resting in his lap in a deliberately casual way that he hoped disguised the fact they were fisted around handfuls of his tunic. Thoughts tumbled over one another as they swirled around his head as though caught in a tornado, moving too quickly for him to even track. The only one that made itself clear was that he had no desire to ever do that again.As the peace and darkness sank in, little by little his breath came more easily and the tension began to seep out of his muscles. He closed his eyes briefly and the colourful scenery danced behind his eyelids once more, but without the press of bodies around him it didn’t invoke the same feeling of high stress. He drew a deep breath and exhaled again slowly, letting his body relax into a more natural posture.In hindsight, he was oddly proud of the way his team had handled the excursion. It had been something new for all of them; while Phantom had spent time dwelling in an artificial dungeon deep beneath a city and the Shadows had occasionally terrorized villages, he was certain none of them had ever attempted to blend in with Hylians in such a public place before. Not only had they done so successfully, they had also quite quickly found the information they sought. While he hated the idea of ever venturing into Castle Town again, at least now he knew they could do it if absolutely necessary.Curse’s voice reached Dark from seemingly a great distance away. “Nightmare and Shade are returning.”His eyes fluttered open and blinked heavily. He must have fallen asleep without noticing; he was slumped backward at quite an uncomfortable angle, having slid partway down the wall without being aware of it. Quickly he straightened up as the aforementioned pair climbed in through the opening together, still shedding the last vestiges of their magical disguises.“I guess we’re the last to return,” Nightmare observed, drawing his cape more tightly around his shoulders. There was a distinct tension to his movements that showed his discomfort as he crossed to an empty spot to sit down. “I have news, but not much of it.”“That’s fine,” Shadow Green told him. “We already found out where the source of the magic was headed.”Shade, who had been looking rather downcast as he flopped down beside Nightmare, perked up quickly. “Where?”“To the Minish Woods,” Dark informed the pair. Quickly he summarized the encounter with the Minish and the information they had received, directing them to their new goal. Shade’s eyes grew wide, his mouth hanging open unabashedly in wonder as he took in the words.“You met a Minish?” he repeated enviously.“You’ll meet some soon as well,” Phantom pointed out. “Minish Woods. It’s right there in the name. We just had to wait for you two to get back before we headed there.”“You took your time,” Dusk added curtly. “We’ll be lucky if they’re not long gone by the time we get there.”Dark rose to his feet. “If the creator is gone and the portal closed, we’ll learn to adapt to this era just as we did in the era of the Great Calamity. If not, we’ll continue to follow. Let’s get going.”The others picked themselves up without protest, shouldering weapons and dusting off clothes. As they trooped out of the hollow tree, Dark in the lead, he heard the thud of feet hitting the ground that suggested Curse had jumped down to join them. Together they turned away from the entrance of the town and angled southeast, in the direction Elliri had pointed them, as they set out on the trail of the magic’s source.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Though Shade had spent plenty of time around people before, he would have been lying if he had claimed he felt at ease in the city. It had been thoroughly uncomfortable from start to finish; from the press of people packed entirely too close together in the crowded streets, to the babble of noise which constantly assailed his ears, to Nightmare’s tension beside him, to the strange looks they had earned each time he attempted to ask a likely-looking person about any strange goings-on.After that, he was sure he would never again take the long, almost empty roads of post-Calamity Hyrule for granted.Despite the bright midday sun that beat down on their heads, he found himself breathing far easier as they left the Western Woods behind and found a trail heading in the right direction. Along the way Nightmare informed the others of the single lead the two of them had managed to dig up; a young woman with bright green hair, who had seemed to look at them as though seeing straight through their disguises, and who had informed them that the source of the magic was moving away somewhere south of the city. She had been unable to tell them more than that, and a part of Shade wondered why she in particular was sensitive enough to magic to have known such a thing, but it seemed to match up perfectly with the more solid clues Dark had been given.It was quieter away from the city, even once they were walking along a dirt trail crossing through more organized fields. A few scattered homes sat out here, isolated from the bulk of civilization but still close enough to undeniably be a part of it. Shade’s ears picked up the distant sound of metal rhythmically striking metal from one of the buildings and, eyeing the smoke unfurling from the chimney, felt a sense of calm wash over him. Perhaps he had never aspired to be a blacksmith like his own era’s hero had once wanted to be, but the sound still brought to mind an odd feeling of being home. It was something he had hardly noticed he had missed in the era of the Great Calamity, where the skills had been all but lost and the only weapons to be found were far older than the people who wielded them.Unconsciously he gave a little skip as he sped up to walk with Phantom. “I kind of like it here.”The look Phantom gave him suggested he thought he’d lost his mind. “How could you like it? There’s so much light. The whole land is choking on it.”“It’s not that bad,” Shade said bracingly. “There’s just a lot of raw magic here and a bit less darkness than we’re used to. But that was Ganon’s fault anyway, and it’s not like we really want him around, right?”Phantom responded with a wordless grumble. A part of Shade wondered how difficult it was for the darks compared to the living shadows like himself. His magic felt more difficult to call upon here and the light felt like it was wearing him down faster, so perhaps his friend’s heightened senses were being affected too.“I miss Link’s cooking,” Shadow Red piped up from Shade’s other side. He still looked slightly anxious from his ordeal the day earlier, even though he had woken up in the morning with his senses intact once more. “We could all use a good meal right about now.”“Tell me about it,” Dusk huffed from just behind them. Phantom had mentioned the bread the three of them had shared and Shade had to fight back his envy, but it didn’t seem to have been particularly filling. “I’d kill for one of her meat and rice bowls.”“Egg tart,” Red said wistfully.“Nothing beats a good fish pie,” Phantom put in.Shade contemplated some of the various dishes Link had made for them in the past before coming up with his favourite. “Wildberry crepes, with plenty of cream.”“Nutcake,” Nightmare stated from ahead of them. “Light and fluffy with nuts finely chopped to just the right sized pieces.”“Poultry curry,” Curse stated simply.There was a short silence before Dark spoke up. “Omelet. With whatever extra ingredients she decides to add for flavour.”“And a cup of hot milk,” Red added. The others all murmured their agreement.Shade was still thinking about food as they left the blacksmith far behind and continued along the path, toward a distant building with a thatched roof. As they drew closer he noticed absently that the fields around it were fenced off, but he thought little of it until Dark paused. A glance at their leader showed him that he was staring at the large animals grazing beyond the fences with a look of temptation on his face.“What is it?” Phantom sped up, squinting suspiciously at the animals. “Are those Moinks? They’re weird-looking ones.”“Cows,” Nightmare observed. “If we want some hot milk, there’s our source.”Shade stared at the cows. They were very different to the ones he had glimpsed from a distance in the era of the Great Calamity, and extremely different from the goats who were their usual source of milk. He found himself wondering how different theirs would taste. But before he could consider climbing over the fence to find out, Curse spoke up. “We’ve delayed too much already. We need to keep moving.”Dark tore his eyes away from the pasture and responded with a brisk nod. “No more stops today.”Phantom was halfway to the fence already, but he came back reluctantly and with much grumbling under his breath. “… Next time we see cows, we’re stopping. I don’t even know how to get the milk out but I want some.”“Next time,” Shadow Red agreed, shooting the animals a longing look of his own.Shade found himself too curious to look away as they passed alongside the sturdy fence keeping the animals contained. One of the cows was standing alongside the wooden railings, its ears flicking in mild interest as it watched the group of strangers pass by. Its back looked sturdy and Shade found himself wondering if it could be ridden, as well as how fast it might move. A cow was one of the few large animals they had never seen Link trying to ride, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t possible.The cow let out a loud moo and he jumped so badly his feet left the trail. Red clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter.“Shut up,” Shade complained with no real heat, trying to collect himself. He gave the cow another curious look and could have sworn it was watching him with almost as much amusement. “It was loud and I wasn’t expecting it!”He bumped Red with his shoulder, making him stumble into Dusk’s blind side. In retaliation Dusk gave him a rough shove back, which sent both of them crashing into Phantom. The ranch was forgotten as the younger three playfully shoved each other back and forth for the next few minutes while they continued along the path.* * *As much as Shade had defended this world and its plentiful light magic, it was impossible to deny that it was a relief to step into the cool embrace of the shadows again. The trees surrounded them, the canopy of leaves overhead bathing them in mottled darkness as they moved under its cover. Shadow Red let out an audible sigh of relief and several of the others relaxed visibly. It was not a complete escape from the light - there was no escaping the magic that lingered in the air, even here in the blessed darkness - but it was far better than being out in the open.“The Minish magic is strongly concentrated around the centre of the woods,” Curse stated, pushing his hood back just enough to free one ear. His head turned to the right and he nodded in that direction. “That way.”“Can you sense another portal?” Nightmare questioned.“I can’t tell. There’s too much other magic around. It’s obscured.”Dark was already walking in the direction Curse had indicated, alert for danger. The others caught up quickly and kept pace, eyes searching the darkness. Though this place felt relatively peaceful to Shade, he occasionally heard a rustle of grass that could have been either an animal or a monster or caught a distant fishy aroma that seemed quite out of place. His boomerang took shape in his hand and his fingers clenched around it.“Careful where you step,” Shadow Red urged, skirting around a large patch of mushrooms. “Minish could be hiding anywhere. I don’t think they’d want to help us if we stomped all over their friends and homes by mistake.”Their pace became more careful as they navigated around fallen trees, large stumps, and thick patches of growth that could have potentially been hiding forest-dwelling Minish. Shade wracked his mind for where the young hero and Ezlo had mentioned Minish living, but as far as he could remember it sounded as though they had listed off every possible location. In the walls of houses, in tiny cliffside caves, small crevices hidden under rocks, barrels, old boots, tree hollows, large mushrooms… There could have been Minish everywhere, hiding in their homes while seven sets of boots stomped around them. He could only imagine how terrifying it must be to be so small and need to fear everything.They went in single-file to squeeze through a narrow thicket, sidling along with arms tucked close to their sides as twigs caught at their clothes and hair. Shade was halfway through when the sounds of combat reached him from the other side; he sped up at once, silently thanking his small size for letting him force his way through the narrow gap that those ahead of him had already widened. When he stumbled out, his face covered in scratches and his hair full of leaves, he was just in time to join in his allies in wiping out the horde of Octorok that had descended upon them.Dusk squeezed his way out of the thicket, both hands cupped protectively over his bare chest, as the final monster expired at Dark’s feet. He looked vaguely irritated at having missed the fight as he plucked a twig out of his hair. “Lesser monsters are just as stupid in every era.”“Undoubtedly they’re unused to encountering armed travellers,” Curse acknowledged as he slid his sword back into its scabbard. “Supposedly these beasts were sealed away for centuries before Vaati unleashed them upon Hyrule again. They were likely a genuine threat in the era with which they’re more familiar.”“Now they’re just a warmup,” Phantom added, kicking one of the monster corpses into the undergrowth.Curse paused, pushing his hood back from his ears again. All present eyes turned to him as he listened to the forest’s magic, his expression distant as he swivelled slowly on his heel. He came to a stop facing a nearby tree just as Shadow Red stepped out into their midst, spitting out a leaf that had somehow ended up in his mouth.“Dark,” the cloaked shadow said evenly, “your talents are needed.”Shade blinked and looked closer. A tiny creature like a cross between a mouse and a Hylian was climbing out of a hole in the trunk, looking quite relieved as they glanced around to see that the monsters were gone. They eyed the group with a wary curiosity which quickly turned to amazement when Dark moved forward, an unfamiliar chittering tongue spilling from his lips as he crouched down to place his head level with the creature.The Minish scampered along the branch and stopped a foot from Dark’s face, gazing at him with joy and gratefulness. Shade didn’t need to understand in order to recognize their next trilling words as thanks for clearing out the monsters. He edged carefully closer and crouched down himself, taking in the figure with interest as they conversed with Dark. They were adorable; he wanted nothing more than to stroke that feather-like tail which twitched and swished occasionally as they spoke, though he was sure they wouldn’t appreciate it.Dark responded, his words slower and more halting. Watching him, Shade noted that he clearly struggled with the tongue far more than he did with Hylian. By contrast the Minish spoke easily, its voice like the babbling of a brook or the chirruping of birds. He tilted his head, his eyes flickering between the pair as he noted that their new ally was slowing down their speech and occasionally repeating words for Dark rather than simply expecting him to keep up. That was far more helpful than his own experiences of trying to learn Lorulean, and he wondered briefly if he could learn Picori too.Dark nodded and held out one hand to the branch. The Minish clambered onto it, standing with feet braced apart and tail outstretched for balance as he straightened up. “She’s going to show us to the village,” he informed the others as Nightmare emerged from the thicket last of all, pausing to unhook his cape from a low branch.The Minish led the way from Dark’s upraised hand, pointing in the correct direction as he walked at the head of the group. Occasionally she chittered a warning, which he passed back to the others in the common tongue as he skirted the object he had been warned to avoid. Shade eyed each obstacle with great curiosity, wondering silently to himself if each one was home to more Minish. He wished he could sense ambient magic like Curse could in order to detect the little creatures.Dark pushed aside a low-hanging branch and stopped in his tracks. Crouching low to see beneath his arm, Shade felt his eyes growing wide in disbelief.Nestled among the grass and tree roots was what he could only describe as simultaneously the tiniest and the biggest town he had ever seen. Discarded boots, partially-buried pottery, and even a modified barrel had been organized in an order which seemed almost random until one noticed the smooth dirt paths that linked them. The large, magically-enhanced mushrooms sprouting amongst the roots had doors and windows carved into their hollowed-out stems. Even the shallow water nearby had been bridged with tiny planks and supports carved out of twigs in order to expand the settlement safely over the surface. And everywhere, whether walking the paths, bartering goods in the central square, hanging out of windows to chat, or scampering up the sides of the makeshift houses to repair almost unnoticeable holes, were Minish. It was Castle Town seen through the eyes of a giant; practically a bustling metropolis in miniature.Dark sank to one knee, careful not to damage anything, and lowered his hand to the grass. The Minish jumped off and scampered into the town, where much of the activity had paused at the sight of the large visitors. Once again Shade found himself wondering if these tiny people were used to scattering and taking shelter any time someone approached, for fear of their houses being trodden on and their entire village destroyed. It was an intimidating thought, even for one who lived on the move and had no home to speak of.The others were spreading out and finding places to sit or stand around the borders of the village. Even Dusk, leaning against his tree and keeping a wary eye on their surroundings, shot the occasional curious glance toward the homes by his feet. Shade found a spot of his own to crouch down, shuffling closer on hands and knees until he was as close to the little paths as he could get without disturbing them. He lowered himself down until he was almost lying on the grass, gazing at the tiny settlement with fascination as he tried to recall if he had ever seen anything like it in his own era.Over the top of a nearby boot, he saw Dark’s new friend returning with another Minish behind her. This one looked like a village elder; they moved far more slowly, supporting themself with a sewing needle wielded like a staff. The crowds parted easily to let them through as they approached the teenager still kneeling in the leaf litter. Shade noted their twin tails with fascination and briefly wondered if that was a sign of great age, though a moment later he was distracted by the pair of smaller than average Minish who came scurrying out of one of the homes and clambered up onto the back of his hand together. Siblings, he guessed, and likely still children themselves.His expression split into a broad smile as the pair blinked curiously up at him. “Hi,” he whispered, keeping his voice down so Dark could still hear the elder’s soft, crackling voice. He raised his other hand close to his face and waved with one finger. “Hello.”The taller of the two Minish waved back, chittering curiously, as the shorter clung to their companion’s leafy garments and gazed at him with wide eyes.Shade tilted his head slightly, listening intently to the words. It was difficult to tell if any sounded familiar. “Do you speak any Hylian?”The questioning chirp told him neither of them understood a word. He thought for a moment, wondering how to communicate with them like this, then pointed to his own face. “My name’s Shade. Shade.”The taller of the two perked up and made a passable attempt at pronouncing the name. When they pointed at themself and let out a trilling chirp, Shade’s own attempt at mimicking it made both of them double over in gales of laughter. He found himself laughing along, wondering exactly what he had accidentally said that was so hilarious.A taller Minish poked their head out of a window of the pair’s home and called out with a soft whistling sound. The children’s ears twitched in response and they scampered down from Shade’s hand at once, each throwing him a quick wave and chirp of farewell as they raced each other back home. The taller one - their parent, Shade assumed - eyed him with wary curiosity and gave a soft trilling noise of their own before vanishing from the window.He pushed himself up onto his knees again just as Dark finished his conversation with the village elder. Shadow Red was kneeling close by, smiling at the Minish who was scaling his sleeve toward his shoulder, while Nightmare was using one finger to gently flick a tiny pebble back and forth with a small group who each raced to be the first to kick it back. It almost seemed a pity to leave so soon, but when Dark rose to his feet Shade knew they had more important duties to attend to.“We’re close,” their leader stated. “There was another surge of magic nearby not long ago. We need to catch up before the portal closes.”Red held a hand beside the Minish on his sleeve, who jumped onto it and was lowered gently back to the ground. The group picked themselves up and dusted themselves off, all heads turning to look in the direction Dark was facing. Despite himself a flutter of excitement welled up in Shade’s belly at the thought of seeing another new era. He hoped there were Minish there too; it would be a great shame if this was the only time he got to meet some.A chorus of tiny squeaks rose from the village as groups of their new friends called out their farewells, waving little paws over their heads happily. Shade was not the only one who smiled and waved back before turning away to follow Dark into the trees once more.As it turned out, they were not far at all from the portal. Within minutes they were emerging into a clearing where another magical void, identical to the one that had first sent them on this impromptu adventure, sat swirling ominously amid the fallen leaves. Those in the lead had sidled along the treeline, keeping their distance from the portal, and Shade stepped to the left alongside Nightmare to let the others join them.“Grab hold of each other,” Dark ordered again once they were all present.Shade immediately latched onto Nightmare’s belt and felt a hand firmly grip his own, tugging it tighter around his hips. His eyes scanned the clearing, watching everyone prepare themselves and wait for Dark’s signal. Once they were all ready, he nodded in satisfaction and stepped forward into the portal.Shade walked forward bravely after Nightmare, closing his eyes as he felt himself begin to fall, and braced himself for whatever might be awaiting them on the other side.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The sensation of all of his body parts being pulled apart, juggled by a mad jester, and thrown carelessly back together in approximately the right order was so disorienting, Nightmare didn’t immediately register the water he had landed in until he felt it flooding into his ears and closing over his face. He shoved a limb that felt roughly like an arm behind him, leaning on what might have been an elbow to lift the area his head should have been back out of the water.The first breath he took was tainted by an odour reminiscent of something that had died and been left floating in warm, shallow water for a few months. He resisted the temptation to cover his nose with his sleeve; assuming he even had sleeves at the moment, it was likely just as drenched in the foul water as the rest of him. Instead he settled for blinking and trying to convince himself that his eyeballs were not still bouncing along the interdimensional tunnel after him.There was a choking, spluttering noise somewhere to his left as Dusk hauled Shadow Red up from where he had landed facedown in the muck. The splash of approaching footsteps from the opposite direction preceded the feeling of hands grasping Nightmare’s arm, trying to help him to his feet. He blinked again and Shade’s face swam into view, just as unbothered by this portal as he had been by the last.“Is everyone here?” Dark croaked, one hand shielding his narrowed eyes as he rose somewhat unsteadily out of the water.Red coughed and raised a hand feebly. “I’m here. I feel all mixed up and I can’t see anything but I’m good. This water tastes awful.”“Don’t try to drink it, then.” Dusk rolled his eye as he stood, an unconscious Phantom slung over his shoulder. “I’ve got Phantom. He’s out cold again.”“I’ve got Nightmare,” Shade offered helpfully, managing to haul Nightmare upright. He leaned heavily on the boy, sincerely hoping those were feet on the end of his legs.Curse, still on his hands and knees in the shallow water, answered with a strangled retching noise that sent all of them scrambling out of the water and onto the nearest solid ground. Shade lowered Nightmare onto the damp grass, where he began running muddy hands tentatively all over himself to ensure his body was still in one piece. It felt as though everything was where it was supposed to be, at least, even if his brain felt rather like it had been turned upside down and spun at high speed before being reinserted through his ear.“I’ll never get used to time travel,” he mumbled as Curse staggered upright, wiping his mouth as he waded out of the swamp after them.Dark turned his attention at once to his second-in-command, keeping his eyes shielded from the weak sunlight that managed to break through the clouds. “Curse. What can you tell us about this era’s magic?”Curse pushed his sodden hood back and dragged his fingers through dripping hair in a vain attempt to squeeze some of the swamp water out. His head tilted toward the sky, ears pricked as he listened. “Time travel,” he stated. “Either our mystery target has been busy here, or someone else has been bending time for their own purposes.” His head turned the opposite way, the crease in his forehead deepening. “The Triforce… no, not the Triforce. Something bearing a portion of its power is very close nearby. Over there.”As one, the group turned and stared out over the swamp. Through the gnarled tree trunks and the murky haze which hung low over the ground, Nightmare could just make out what resembled a small hut sitting atop a low hill.“A piece of the Triforce is… over there?” Shade echoed, bewildered. “Not a hero who’s holding it? Just a bit of it sitting out in the middle of a swamp?”Dark began to take a step toward it and promptly stumbled over a tree root, barely catching himself on Nightmare’s shoulder. The jolt felt as though it made all of his body parts spiral outward again. The swamp dissolved into a dizzying blur as he fought to keep his grip on consciousness, barely aware of the sensation of being lifted until he found himself being pulled along between two of the others. By the time he registered Shade on one side and Dark on the other, they were already half-carrying him into the small yard surrounding the hut.As Dark helped lower Nightmare to the ground again, clearly intending to go in alone to scout the place out first, a creaking voice called out from somewhere beyond the door that the disoriented shadow now noticed was standing ajar. “Don’t just stand out there. You’ve kept me waiting. Come in, all of you.”The shock and alarm that shot through Nightmare was enough to get him on his feet again. The voice sounded like an elderly woman; certainly harmless enough, except for the power radiating from the hut. Every part of him screamed that this was a trap, though who it could have been intended for was something he didn’t know. Perhaps this time had multiple heroes like the four Shadows’.He shot a glance at Curse, who was staring at the gap into the door with the same expression he had worn while attempting to sense Minish magic. His eyes flickered briefly across each of them before alighting on Dark, to whom he gave a short nod. His skin tone swiftly melted from deep grey to a light peach; the others imitated him at once with varying degrees of difficulty, including a groggy Phantom still slung over Dusk’s shoulder.Dark reached for the doorknob and, when nothing happened upon making contact, stepped back and swung the door open in one swift movement.Nightmare was not sure what he had been expecting, but it was not the sight that greeted him. On the other side of the door was a cozy little home, complete with a tiny kitchen and a bed in one corner covered by a knitted throw. An elderly woman reclined in a rocking chair, knitting needles clicking in her hands as another creation took shape from the ball of wool which sat, inexplicably, atop her head. She hardly seemed to be paying attention to her own work, yet she didn’t miss a single stitch as she surveyed her visitors with a shrewd eye.“Take those silly things off,” she scoffed with no preamble. “Anyone would think you don’t want to be recognized. And come in. Don’t just stand there letting all the cold in.”It took Nightmare a long, baffling moment to realize that the ‘silly things’ she was referring to were their disguises. The others all seemed to figure it out at the same moment but nobody moved, tension visible in every muscle and every hand inching toward a weapon. Nightmare’s eyes darted to the tapestry on the far wall, which depicted a Sheikah eye.
Can she see through our magic?
Shade was the first to step inside, though he was clearly still tense and alert. A tiny smirk crossed the elderly woman’s lips. “There, now. Kindly follow this young man’s example and get yourselves in here. You’ve already kept me waiting quite long enough, don’t you think?”Seeing that her hands were still occupied with knitting and that she didn’t seem likely to stop, Dark finally took a step further into the house. The others followed one at a time, Dusk last of all and looking as though he would much rather head in the opposite direction. The door swung gently shut of its own accord behind them.The woman’s stare pierced into them. Finally Nightmare released his tenuous grasp on his magic, allowing his true form to show through just as the others were doing. But far from looking alarmed, the woman’s smile widened to reveal startlingly white teeth. “There now, was that so hard? Welcome to my humble little home. It was once a shop, but the ten of you have little need for potions, do you?”Shadow Red looked around in shock as though searching for visible duplicates, seemingly forgetting his own lack of vision at the moment.“No,” Dark responded, wariness audible in his tone, “you’re right. We don’t carry things like that.”The woman’s eyes seemed to stare right through their leader. “I thought not. I do however offer one service of which you might find some use.”“And that would be?”She tilted her head toward the large, partly opaque orb sitting on the table before her. Nightmare had taken it to be a decoration, but perhaps he should have guessed that it was more than that. “You’re a fortune teller,” he observed.“Correct. And your future,” she continued, holding Dark’s gaze, “seems to hold some of the missing pieces of your past.”The glow of Dark’s eyes intensified as he gave her his full attention. “My past? You can see it?”“I see everything. Past, present, and future. Now come closer, Dark, and let me take a closer look at yours.”Dark’s boot left a muddy imprint on the rug as he stepped forward, but neither he nor the elderly woman seemed to care. “I have nothing to offer as payment,” he stated.She let out a raspy chuckle. “I can offer my services for free just this once.”He came to a stop before her table, gazing down at where she rocked slowly in her chair. Her needles didn’t slow their movements as she began a new row without looking, her eyes now fixed upon the crystal ball before her. Nightmare stared at it as well; smoke swirled within its depths, but he could see nothing else other than the distorted grain of the wood upon which it sat.“Three places,” the fortune teller announced cryptically. “Three destinations on your journey. Three things that have little in common on the surface, but everything in common to you. When you find those places, you’ll know. And you might find answers to more questions than you’d known you had.”“What kind of places?” Dark questioned, moving a step closer seemingly without conscious thought.The old woman cracked a smile, revealing startlingly white teeth. “Now, telling you that would take away the fun, don’t you think? But if you keep following your little escape artist, you’ll learn the truth.”
Escape artist?
“You know who we’re chasing?” Dusk demanded. “We never even mentioned how we got here.”A rasping laugh escaped her. “Of course I know. And you’ll find your target too, in time. One might even say in time and space.” Her chuckling increased in volume, though her hands remained remarkably steady and her knitting didn’t falter in the slightest.Dusk scowled but didn’t respond. For once Nightmare could empathize with him; harmless though she might look, this old woman and her apparent omniscience made him extremely uncomfortable.“Ah, but you want a target for right now, don’t you?” the fortune teller observed once she had recovered. “Very well, let’s see… yes, I think he’s close enough that you should find him without trouble. You’ll want to head northwest. Go to where the trees are thickest. He’ll meet you on the way.”“He?” Shade echoed.Wrinkled lips pulled back in a smile, baring those dazzling teeth again. “It’s about time he had something to do again. His remaining time in this world was doomed to be short, but with this intervention? Well, your arrival may have just changed his fate. Go on, now. You’d best catch up to him before he wanders off again. Never stays in one place for long, that one.”Dark turned and he and Curse exchanged a glance. When Curse responded with a subtle twitch of his head toward the door, Dark nodded in response and glanced back at the old woman. “Thank you for your time.”“So polite for a monster,” she cackled in delight. “He’ll fit right in with you.”Dusk and Shade began to head for the door, carrying Phantom and Nightmare along with them. Red reached out as Dusk passed, grasping a handful of his tunic and using it as a guide to stumble along after him. As they exited the house, Nightmare heard Dark respond in a quiet tone. “We’re not monsters. Not since we broke free of our own fates.”“A bold thing to do, turning your back on the fates,” the fortune teller acknowledged, “and it works out very poorly for most. But then again, you’re not like most people, are you?”The swamp smelled every bit as bad as it had before they stepped inside. As the door shut behind them, Nightmare managed to stand under his own power and took a proper look at himself. The sight was less than pleasing; his clothes were covered in mud, his boots caked with it, and even his cape hung sodden and filthy at his back. “What do you think are the odds we’ll find clean water for a bath before we meet this mystery person?” he commented, forcing his voice into a lighter tone.At his words, each of the others (Red aside, for obvious reasons) took a proper look at himself. Curse hissed softly in dissatisfaction, pointlessly holding the hem of his travelling cloak up away from the muddy ground. Shade looked almost like he wanted to cry and quickly averted his gaze from the mess. Dusk attempted to wipe some of the mud off his chest, though all he accomplished was smearing it over his skin like some type of foul-smelling war paint.“Hopefully likely,” Dark muttered, attempting to flick a few thicker clumps off his gauntlets. He shielded his eyes to survey the area, squinting at the horizon until he spotted a thick gathering of trees that resembled a forest. “That must be northwest. Let’s go.”Though several of them clearly wanted to stop and rest as much as Nightmare did, they followed without protest. Dusk set Phantom down and he began to determinedly stomp through the muck alongside the rest of them, the wet squishing sound of each footstep adding to the unpleasant chorus that followed them on their path through the swamp.Even the small amount of sunlight that crept through the thick clouds made Nightmare’s head spin. He felt unsteady as he walked, wobbling occasionally when his boots slipped or became stuck in the damp ground, but any time Shade edged closer to offer support he waved him off. If they were to encounter any danger, every member of their group would need his hands free for combat. Especially if this mystery person they were to meet proved a threat.Though whether it was some lingering magic of the fortune-teller’s or a strange sense of intuition about what was coming, he had a feeling they would not need to worry about that.The ground grew slightly firmer beneath their boots as the trees began to close in around them. A veil of mist swirled loosely around their ankles; a fog which smelled distinctly of magic. Shade was the first to slow, eyes wide as he glanced at the almost-identical trees around them. “Wait. We can’t go this way.”Curse pushed his hood back, a deep frown crossing his lips as he tilted an ear toward the woods. Dark’s eyes scanned the trees alertly in search of danger before he cast a glance toward his second-in-command expectantly. “Curse?”“Magic intended purely to mislead,” Curse stated. “The enchantment courses through the soil and sap of the forest itself. It’s not a direct threat to us. At its heart it’s protective magic. The most it can do is confound our sense of direction.”“This is the Lost Woods,” Shade put in. “Or at least, it feels a lot like it.”Now it was Dusk’s turn to pause, his eye flickering warily toward the upper branches of the nearby trees. Nightmare cast his mind back and, after a moment, latched onto a memory of the very same forest existing in his time. And judging from the way Dark stopped in his tracks as though suddenly caught in an invisible web, it was clear he too knew this place.“The Lost Woods,” Nightmare repeated. “The resting place of the Master Sword?”Dusk and Shade nodded. Curse, on the other hand, responded with a frown and a shake of his head. He opened his mouth to refute the claim, but Shadow Red unintentionally cut in first. “The Master Sword? I don’t think that’s in the Lost Woods. Our heroes never heard of it being there.”“I would say the same,” Curse agreed, “though the Master Sword was lost by my counterpart’s time. There’s supposed to be nothing in the Lost Woods, though, especially not something of that much importance.”“It was there,” Shade insisted. “There was a sacred forest clearing deep in the woods where the pedestal was. I’ve seen it myself.”“It’s there,” Dusk agreed grudgingly, “guarded by a very irritating forest spirit. Didn’t see it myself but I know it’s there.”Dark’s brow furrowed and his eyes drifted away from the arguing group, wandering seemingly aimlessly over the trees with an expression that suggested he was struggling to remember. Studying him, Nightmare saw his expression suddenly sharpen like a dog that had scented a rabbit. His hand snapped up toward the hilt of his sword and he growled out a single word. “Quiet.”The rest of them obeyed instantly. In the abrupt silence that fell like a heavy shroud over the trees, Nightmare picked up the sound of footsteps shifting in leaves before they quickly stilled. At once seven pairs of eyes snapped toward the sound. Hands twitched toward weapons and Red sidled quietly behind the nearest person, making himself less of a target. For a few seconds, the tension was so complete it felt as though the entire forest was holding its breath.“Show yourself,” Dark ordered sharply.A second passed before leaves shifted again. A dark shape that had been lurking in the shadows of a bush carefully rose to its feet and stepped away from its cover, cloak fluttering around its ankles and bow still gripped securely in one hand. Nightmare’s eyes darted from the familiar garb to the coal-dust grey skin to the bright red eyes that stared unflinchingly back at them, fearless and determined.“You shouldn’t be here,” stated the unfamiliar dark hero warningly.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

With the smell of decaying plant matter and damp soil filling his nose and the unnatural magical mist swirling around his feet, Dusk stared down the new stranger who had appeared in their midst. His fists curled, sharp fingernails pressing into tough palms, and his toes buried themselves in the soil for traction as his lips drew back from sharp teeth in warning. But the others made no move to strike, so he held himself back.The stranger took a few steps closer, boots crunching over the skeletons of fallen leaves, the subtle swish of his cloak disturbing the fog that tried to wrap pale tendrils around his legs. His bow was aimed at the ground, but the three arrows tipped with crackling lightning magic in his other hand suggested he was not lowering his guard either. “If you’re looking for a magical weapon, you won’t find one here.”The sentence almost sounded suspiciously specific until Dusk remembered the conversation they had been holding only moments before. Of course; this stranger must have overheard them discussing the Master Sword’s resting place and was now under the impression they were looking for it. The thought alone made him want to spit in revulsion; as if he would ever willingly lay his hand on a tool bursting with so much divine energy, so unlike the dark copies some of their number carried. He didn’t know what it would do to him and had no desire to find out.“We’re not after a weapon,” Curse stated levelly. “We’re seeking a person. One whose identity is still unknown to us. Perhaps you could point us in the right direction?”It sounded sincere enough, but after all of their time living together Dusk knew him well enough to sense that he didn’t mean his request in the slightest. Perhaps he felt, as Dusk did in some distant part of his mind he was reluctant to acknowledge, that the dark hero standing before them was the exact one the fortune teller had intended for them to meet. But while he still had a weapon in his hand that could potentially be pointed at them, he refused to consider him anything but a potential threat.The dark hero’s eyes darted over the group warily, taking in their muddied and dishevelled conditions. “Why are you looking for this person?” he questioned cautiously.Dark was the one to respond this time. “We encountered a fortune teller. She shared with us several pieces of information, including that if we walked toward the heart of the forest we would meet someone on the way.”Dusk didn’t miss the way the other dark being’s fingers relaxed subtly around his bow and his shoulders straightened. “One of the Fates sent you here to find me?”“So it would seem,” Nightmare agreed.After a glance around in search of any further danger lurking in wait, the dark lowered his bow properly and returned his arrows to the quiver at his back. “Apologies. I’ve learned to be wary throughout my life. Very few respond well to meeting one such as me. But the fact remains that you shouldn’t be here. If you’ll follow me, I’ll lead you out of the woods safely.”“Thank you.” Dark nodded to him and lowered his hand from where it had been lurking cautiously near the hilt of his blade. The others released their weapons as well and Dusk forced his fists to loosen, exhaling as some of the tension seeped out of his muscles.The unfamiliar dark did not lead them back the way they had come, but instead began to head east. Dark followed a safe distance behind and the others fell into step behind him, keeping watch in every direction for monsters as they navigated their way through the trees. Dusk found himself gravitating back toward Phantom and placing himself purposefully at the boy’s left, letting him cover his blind side again. Phantom didn’t acknowledge the change in formation, but Dusk heard the rhythm of his footsteps change to more closely match his own and felt slightly safer for it.“What’s your name?” Dark enquired of their guide as they walked.The stranger didn’t look around as he responded. “I’ve been given many names. Shadow Link. Dark Link. Monster. Evil shade. Hero. Some are more flattering than others.”The corners of Dark’s lips twitched downward briefly before he clarified. “I’m not asking about the names you’ve been given. Is there a name you prefer to call yourself?”The stranger’s footsteps faltered briefly before he continued on as though nothing had happened. For a few seconds there was nothing but the sound of their footsteps on the leaf-strewn forest floor, and Dusk noted to himself that despite this dark being’s apparent fame, clearly nobody had ever asked him that simple question before.“Dirge,” he finally answered in a low voice. “I call myself Dirge.”Despite himself, Dusk found some of his lingering wariness melting away at the sound of the name. It reminded him of the ones he and his allies had chosen as a way to distinguish themselves. Perhaps Dirge had more in common with them than he had initially allowed himself to believe. The fortune teller - the Fate, if Dirge was correct - must have wanted them to meet for a reason, and he had the first stirrings of an idea about what that reason might have been.“Dirge,” Dark repeated, as though fixing the name in his memory. “I am known as Dark, and these are my companions…”The fog retreated and the trees began to thin out slightly as each member of the group introduced himself. This time Dirge acknowledged each of them with a glance as they spoke, matching names to faces, though most of his attention was on leading them in the right direction. It wasn’t until they emerged into a grassy field that he finally stopped and turned to face them properly.“You should be safe from here,” he informed them. His eyes flickered to Dark, who was squinting and shielding his eyes from the sunlight, and he added, “But I know a place you might find more comfortable.”The spot he took them this time was the entrance of a cave, a ragged hole blown into rock. Dusk had barely taken a step inside before he realized it was far deeper than he had initially thought. The echoes of their footsteps rang hollowly around the dark space, muted slightly by the soft walls of crumbling soil that disguised its true size.“It’s safe,” Dirge assured them, moving ahead of the others to quickly scan the crumbling walls. He picked a clear space and gestured for them to sit down, then rested his bow against the ground and began to unstring it. “I cleared the mindless monsters out of here months ago. It’s one of my preferred hideouts.”For a hideout, there was absolutely nothing here, Dusk noted as he lowered himself down with his back to one of the walls. He could smell no hidden food or running water, and there was no sign of so much as a pile of dry grass or an animal pelt to sleep on. The only things it had in its favour were that it was dark, sheltered from the weather, and completely empty aside from them.Phantom seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “If this is your hideout, then where’s your stuff?”“Here.” With one hand Dirge patted the pouches strapped to his belt beneath his cloak. They were certainly enchanted to hold far more than they looked capable of containing; that was made especially clear when he opened one of them and slid his bow inside, where it vanished seemingly into thin air. Shade made a sound of envy, but Dusk could only think with disdain of his own light counterpart and the similar pouches he had carried.“Where did you get those?” Phantom questioned, eyeing them with interest.Dirge settled himself on the ground, the spear and shield strapped to his back clanking quietly as he adjusted them. “Needs must.”“Huh?”“I stole them from my light counterpart,” Dirge admitted reluctantly. “When Hyrule called for a hero, he was in a deep enchanted sleep. I knew he had a few items that could prove useful to me, so I took them. Then I simply never returned them. I have far more use for them than he does.”Dark had been watching Dirge in silence, taking in his words and movements, but now he finally spoke again. “You’re the hero. You saved Hyrule yourself.”“I did. Though I’d rather most of the people remained oblivious to that.” Sharp teeth flashed in the darkness as he grimaced. “I disguised myself with magic and remained hooded in their presence. They wouldn’t react well if they knew they were saved by a monster. In any case, I don’t want parades and celebrations in my name. I ventured across Hyrule and fought who I had to fight because it’s what I know how to do, not because I wanted to be someone important.”He tilted his head and studied the others shrewdly. “But you… you aren’t from this time at all. That much is clear.”“What makes you think that?” Curse questioned, his expression never faltering.Dirge began to count points off on his fingers. “Firstly, I’ve travelled through time myself as a part of my quest. I can sense the same magic on you. Secondly, in my travels I should have encountered at least some sign of a group as large as yours somewhere in Hyrule, unless you weren’t in this time at all yet. Thirdly and most incriminatingly, when I came across you it sounded like you were arguing about the same place at different points in time.”Dusk felt his eyebrows rising in grudging respect. For him to have picked up something like that so easily from overhearing one out-of-context conversation…
This one is smart. Good at solving puzzles, probably. Makes sense if he’s a hero, considering the places they go through. We could use someone like that.
Dark responded with a nod, looking rather impressed himself. “True on all accounts. I don’t know if we came from the past or the future, but the era we live in is nothing like this one. We came here on the trail of someone else who doesn’t belong.”“A person with a powerful magical artifact,” Curse agreed. “Someone we know nothing about, other than the fact they seem to be indiscriminately tearing holes in time and space to travel between eras. If you have experience with time travel magic, have you sensed anything of the sort in the past day?”A contemplative crease appeared in Dirge’s brow. “… No. I hadn’t, until meeting you. But something in the woods did feel… out of place. Wrong.”“In the Lost Woods? Is that why you led us out of there?” Red piped up.The crease deepened. “I suppose you wouldn’t know. Until recently, the woods were a very unsafe place to be. Toxic water, Redeads, roaming packs of Wolfos, and one of Octavo’s most dangerous monsters unleashed at the centre of it all. Even now the Deku Scrubs are still in hiding because they don’t feel safe enough in their own forest. I was on my way to do another sweep for monsters to clear out when I heard you.”“We can handle ourselves,” Phantom stated, though his face had gone slightly pale. Dusk wondered which of the mentioned dangers had been enough to scare even him. The boy jutted out his chin defiantly in an attempt to cover up his fear and stared at Dirge. “There are seven of us and only one of you. If you can handle it, so can we.”“But a team of eight would be better,” Shade added hopefully.The furrow disappeared as Dirge’s eyebrows rose. “You would volunteer to help me clear out the forest? Despite what might be lurking there?”Curse and Dark exchanged a glance and a nod. “So long as you help us track down the cause of that strange feeling afterward,” Dark requested. “It could be the person we’re searching for, or at least another portal to follow them through.”For a moment Dirge weighed up that offer. Something seemed to change subtly in his expression as he came to a decision, and there was a new determination in his eyes when he turned his gaze on Dark again. “If I may add one more condition? I’d like to accompany you in your search through this portal and beyond. There’s little more I can accomplish here now that others can’t do in my place, and now that peace has come the people grow bolder every day. It’s only a matter of time before I find myself hunted down like the last few monsters.”Dark didn’t immediately reply. Instead he held Dirge’s stare for several seconds before instead casting a glance over the others seated around him. “Would any of you have an issue with Dirge joining us?”“Not me,” Nightmare commented, giving Dirge an appraising look, “as long as you show me what else you’ve got stashed away sometime. The magic is pouring off you in waves and you’ve got me curious.”“I’d like to examine them myself,” Curse acknowledged, silver eyes fixed upon the enchanted leather pouches.Shade looked nothing short of delighted about a new travelling companion. “I don’t mind! It’ll be more fun with more of us. We’ve gotta spar together sometime! I want to see how you fight with a spear!”“Do you have bombs?” Red questioned, leaning closer curiously as though he might be able to smell them on the newcomer.“Of course. I have both regular bombs and Bombchus.”“Ooh, Bombchus? What’s a Bombchu? Can I try one when I can see again?”Phantom contemplated Dirge for a moment before shrugging. “I mean, if you can handle Redeads… I guess you’ve got my respect.”Dark’s attention landed on Dusk. As he weighed up the question he found the fortune teller’s words returning to him, circling around and around in his head. “It’s about time he had something to do again. His remaining time in this world was doomed to be short, but with this intervention? Well, your arrival may have just changed his fate.”
This is what she was talking about. She knows he’ll be killed if he stays here. She meant for him to join us.
“Fine with me,” he grunted eventually. Shade’s grin grew to almost blinding proportions and Red bounced slightly in place with excitement, though he quickly stopped with a wince when the rocky floor impacted his tailbone.Turning his attention back to Dirge, Dark gave him a nod of acknowledgement. “Welcome to the team. This will likely be different than you’re used to, but you’ll adjust in time. We all did.”* * *They stayed in the cave for a few hours to sleep off the after-effects of the portal. Dusk was mildly relieved to wake up without the constant twinge in his missing eye that had plagued him beforehand, and the sight of Nightmare looking fully coordinated again and Red’s eyes focusing on the object of his attention made their chances in battle seem much more encouraging.And then, with Dirge in the lead, they set out for the forest again.“You’ll need this,” he stated on the way, passing a small handheld device to Shade, “in case you get separated from me. It’ll lead you safely through the woods. I know how to find my way without it.”Shade stared down at the device. It had several buttons on each side, a tiny mirror in the centre, and a sphere dangling from a wire at its top, and the entire thing was painted a forest green that once again served to remind Dusk of the hero. Experimentally Shade pressed each of the buttons and, when there was no response, flipped it over and studied the other side. “How does it work?”“Once we’re in the woods, hold down these buttons,” Dirge explained, pointing. “It’ll start to beep. The sound will be louder if you’re going the right way.”“I saw something like that once,” Phantom observed, eyeing it curiously. “My counterpart used it to talk to a weird guy who made him keep poking rupees into it. But this one doesn’t have a hole to put them in. I guess that’s good, since we don’t have any.”Dusk was almost expecting to hear wood rattling and a flute playing as the trees closed in around them again, the mist swirling ominously around first their ankles and then their knees. The hour was later now, the air cooler, and the fog slightly thicker as a result. It wasn’t as soupy as he knew it could be, but it still made the furthest members of their group look slightly fuzzy around the edges as they spread out to give each other more room to fight. Everyone was silent now as they listened intently for danger.It was Dusk, on high alert for the Skull Kid, who heard them first. Shuffling footsteps dragging through the leaf litter, the rasp of leathery flesh against branches, and a low groan echoed by multiple dry throats which sent a chill up his spine. He spun toward the sound at once, reaching for his sword. “There!”“Redeads! Don’t let them grab you!” Dirge barked out as three humanoid shapes shuffled out of the gloom, mummified skin stretched over bones with no fat or muscle to speak of, blank faces with hollow eye sockets turned in their direction as though scenting prey.Dusk almost expected Phantom to freeze as he had in the past when confronted with one of his fears, but it was the white-haired boy who charged in with a ferocious snarl before anyone else could move. He leaped straight into the air, bringing down his sword hard upon the lead monster’s skull in a perfect helm splitter and using the momentum to carry him past it. The Redead staggered back a step, something tarry and foul-smelling seeping from its wound, though it soon recovered and began to turn. By then Phantom was already gone, darting around it to strike viciously from behind.Dirge had engaged the second one, using his spear to strike from a distance while baiting it away from its companions. A bow took form in Shade’s hands and he drew back the string, holding it just long enough to form an arrow of shadow magic before he let it fly. Red seemed to take inspiration from his idea but produced a small bomb with an already-sizzling fuse instead, an expression of manic glee on his face as he lobbed it at the feet of the nearest zombie. The resulting explosion sent it crashing to the ground with an anguished groan, its legs and hips charred from the blast. Dark’s sword severed its head from its body before it had a chance to rise again.Though Phantom looked like he was in control of his own battle, darting in to attack and retreating just as swiftly before the slow-moving monster had a chance to even turn toward him, Dusk decided to help him out regardless. His blade took out its ankles in one swift slice, sending it stumbling forward on the stumps of its calves. Its arm flew out to the side to catch itself in a strangely human gesture - and its fingers closed around a handful of Phantom’s hair, jerking him toward itself so harshly his head snapped back. In an instant its thin arms were curling around his shoulders with deceptive strength, legs encircling his waist as it opened its foul jaws wide to reveal the rotting stumps of blackened teeth.A blast of freezing wind and snow struck the monster’s head, instantly encasing it in ice. Nightmare tossed the Ice Rod to his other hand and hefted a hammer in his left, but Dusk got there first. His blade ripped through the leathery flesh of one of the creature’s arms and split the fragile bone in two, sending the limb flying away to land on the grass with a sickening thump. Phantom squirmed free of its grip at once and the moment he was out of the way, Dusk was driving his blade into the monster’s back as hard as he could. Steel streaked with fetid blood erupted from its chest and it toppled, the ice shattering as its head struck the ground. Dusk’s feet stomped down hard on its back and he felt its ribs splinter beneath him as he ripped his blade upward through its chest and neck with all the brutality he could muster.“I had that one!” Phantom snarled angrily as Dusk, satisfied that the thoroughly annihilated Redead was not getting up again, stepped off its stinking remains. “I would’ve handled it just fine on my own if you hadn’t knocked it toward me!”Dusk bared his teeth at the boy as he wiped the foul blood and scraps of shrivelled flesh from his weapon. “And if it caught you anyway?”“It wouldn’t! I’ve seen these things before! Why d’you think I was keeping my distance? So I’d be far enough away if it screamed!”“Why should it matter if it screamed?”Pupils glowing brighter with fury, Phantom took a step toward Dusk and immediately found himself pulled backward by Nightmare’s grip on his shoulder. A hand similarly seized Dusk’s and yanked him back a step; snarling, he whirled to meet a potential attacker, only to be confronted with Dark’s scowl. At once the low growl he had hardly even noticed he was emitting dropped to a displeased rumble, lips closing over his teeth again as he lowered his sword.“It doesn’t matter any more,” Dark told him bluntly. “The monsters are dead. It’s over.”It didn’t feel at all as though the issue had been resolved, Dusk thought bitterly as Dark released him. And judging by Phantom’s frustrated expression, neither did he. But the two composed themselves and proceeded to determinedly ignore one another as they resumed following Dirge deeper into the woods.They walked for another half hour without encountering any more monsters, changing direction seemingly at random with Dirge’s guidance. Eventually Shade grew bored and took out the device Dirge had called the Tingle Tuner, which indeed maintained a steady beeping sound so long as he kept pointing it in the direction they were headed. For a while he amused himself and Phantom by pointing it in different directions to see how the sound changed.And then, quite abruptly, the fog retreated and they found themselves in a clearing, staring down at the darkened entrance of a massive fallen tree.“This is the deepest part of the Lost Woods,” Dirge explained, moving forward. Almost immediately Dusk’s attention was diverted from him when Curse suddenly turned on his heel, staring at a slope of soft earth that rose up to the right of the opening.“And there is our target,” he stated in a low voice.Their guide’s eyes left the tree he had been heading for, instead turning to follow Curse’s gaze. His brow creased as he slowed to a halt. “… You’re right. It has the same feeling as the portal to the future.”Using a nearby boulder as a convenient step, Dark ascended the slope with the others not far behind him. There it was, swirling ominously amid the grass and fallen leaves, seemingly beckoning them to step inside. Another pathway to yet another far-distant era of Hyrule, where they might have a better chance of finally catching up with the mystery person who had so far remained several steps ahead of them.Rather than calling for everyone to hold onto each other, this time Dark first turned his gaze on Dirge as he climbed up to join them. “This might be your last chance. Stay and continue fighting monsters, or come with us and possibly never see your own era again?”For the first time since he had joined them, Dirge flashed a small smile. “I’ve done enough here. This era can take care of itself now.”Dark nodded in satisfaction. “Then find someone to hold onto. We need to stay together.”Phantom deliberately positioned himself between Shade and Red, grasping each of their belts securely. Dusk felt a brief flicker of irritation at the obvious attempt to snub him before he planted himself firmly between Nightmare and Dirge. His fingers closed around the newcomer’s wrist in an iron grip, ignoring his subtle attempts to tug free until he gave up and allowed it to happen.The woods dissolved in a haze around them as they fell into nothingness again.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Curse hit the bare ground and a cloud of dust erupted around him, instantly filling his mouth and eyes with grit. His fists clenched around tufts of hardy grass as the nausea crashed over him again, sending his stomach rolling like a barrel on a capsizing ship. As he fought to lever himself up onto his hands and knees, blinking the grit out of his eyes to quickly take stock of his surroundings, the familiar feel of tainted magic registered to his senses and he felt his own magic singing back to it.
This is my era. I’m back.
The others were still trying to recover from the portal. Red sat nearby, blinking dazedly, though as he stood up his tunic changed to blue and he shook his head to clear it. Shade was helping up Nightmare, who was making an effort to get his feet beneath him and cooperate even though he moved as though his entire body was numb. Dark was shielding his eyes even from the feeble sunlight that managed to pierce through the thick clouds. Phantom lay sprawled on his back, only just starting to stir. Dusk was on his feet, one hand gingerly rubbing his empty eye socket as he cautiously surveyed their surroundings for danger. Dirge was still on all fours, panting raggedly as though he had just run a race. Everyone was together and still in one piece, thankfully.
As long as nobody decides to examine the bushes for edible fruit before I can warn them. They’re hardly careless, but none of them know this era as I do.
The sour taste burned at the back of his throat. He swallowed, fighting it back, but his stomach lurched and a moment later he was heaving up bile onto the dry ground. Thankfully, just as quickly as the nausea peaked it began to ease off again, leaving him with nothing but an uneasy squirming sensation inside him and a sour taste in his mouth.“Do not touch anything,” he rasped out as soon as he could manage words again. Shakily he staggered to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of a dirty hand, and drew a breath that itched in a familiar way in his lungs. “This is my era, and it’s hostile.”“How hostile?” Dusk questioned warily.Curse gestured toward the nearby bushes. “For example, those berries look like some of the edible ones from Link’s era. They’re not. The branches have thorns coated with toxins. Being pricked will almost guarantee an infection. The fruit causes extreme gastric distress that leads to dehydration.”Shade, who had been standing near one of the bushes, edged himself and Nightmare away from it nervously.“While we’re here, we follow your guidance,” Dark stated. “I don’t remember enough about this age to get us by as well as you do. Can you sense our target?”Satisfied now with the knowledge that nobody would try to touch anything potentially dangerous, Curse opened his mind to the flow of energy and cocked his head to listen. He could sense the heavy pall of Ganon’s magic hanging thickly over the world like a choking fog. This was likely before the hero had defeated him, then. The divine energy of the Triforce was muted, shattered, its alluring song buried deep below where he could barely detect it.He tilted his head the other way and felt a flicker of something that didn’t belong. A fading trail of time magic, moving from their position toward the southwest. “Yes. We’re headed that way. Keep watch for monsters. They’re not overly powerful aboveground, at least if we are when I think we are, but they’re numerous.”“What?” Blue bellowed louder than necessary, looking bewildered and rather annoyed about it.Curse cringed, hissing through his teeth as an answering roar rang through the sparse scattering of trees. Everyone reached for a weapon and spun toward the sound of stomping footsteps coming toward them; everyone but Phantom, still picking himself woozily up off the ground, and Blue, who looked oblivious to what was happening around him.“Good job, genius,” Phantom growled as he staggered to his feet.A horde of Moblins came swarming through the trees, crude bows clutched in claws hands, hungry eyes quickly finding their prey. Blue’s eyes widened at the sight of them and he snatched his own sword from its scabbard. Already Curse was leaping into action, gathering energy to shield himself if necessary even as he closed the distance to the nearest monster and cut through its bowstring in one quick slash.The fight was short but brutal. The Moblins were smarter than the ones they had all grown used to; they moved in formation, changing pattern when their bows were made useless to wield the remnants as melee weapons or shield those who could still shoot. One of them, forcefully parrying a blow with the crudely-carved length of wood it called a longbow, nearly managed to snatch Phantom’s sword from his still-shaky grip until Dark intervened and severed the hand from its wrist. A few managed to loose arrows into their midst, but thanks to the group’s quick reflexes none made contact with flesh.Curse had just struck down his second Moblin and was turning on his heel to confront another when Nightmare’s shout of warning reached his ears. “Blue, behind you!”He spun around. Blue’s sword was clashing ferociously against his opponent’s bow, sharp teeth bared in a snarl as he drove it backward toward where Shade and Dirge were finishing off another one together. But the beast that loomed up beside him, piggy eyes glinting victoriously as it grasped its weapon in both muscular hands, went entirely unnoticed. In an instant it had hooked the length of wood beneath Blue’s chin and pulled back sharply. His next strike missed its target as he was yanked back against his assailant’s chest, a choked sound leaving his throat.Curse and Nightmare leaped forward in the same instant. As the other Moblin began to advance again, pressing its advantage, Curse flung his hand out and unleashed his gathered magic. A shield formed of pure darkness burst into existence in front of Blue just in time to reflect a strike; it immediately began to dissolve, crumbling in the sunlight, but by that point Nightmare had already sent his boomerang flying in an arc toward the one holding their companion. It struck the beast in the head, prompting it to release him as it recoiled with a startled bellow.Blue seized his chance to duck out from beneath the bow and darted out of reach, one hand rubbing his throat as he glared at his attackers. With him out of the way, the pair struck in unison. One of the Moblins swayed on its feet and toppled, its head separated from its shoulders, while the other roared and dropped the bow that was suddenly engulfed in flames. Before it could do more than stumble back from the smouldering wood, Nightmare was behind it and drawing his blade across its throat.There was a sudden but brief silence in the aftermath of the struggle, broken only by the final monster’s gurgling as it expired. And then Dusk rounded on Blue, teeth bared as though prepared to strike him down next. “What was that supposed to be?”Blue was too busy wiping blood from his blade to notice, but Curse already had a feeling he knew. “He can’t hear us.”“Again?” Dusk’s eyes narrowed.“In case you have failed to notice,” Curse stated dryly as he wiped down his own blade, “the portals tend to consistently affect us in the same way. The Shadows lose one or more senses. We should have accounted for this possibility better.”He slid the weapon back into its scabbard and crossed to Blue. Spotting the movement, the Shadow glanced up at him. When Curse tapped an ear, Blue’s expression twisted into a scowl of his own. “I can’t hear a damn thing, if that’s what you’re asking. And the others are still too scrambled to come out and help.”He nodded briefly; that was more or less what he had assumed. Not bothering with words, he pointed meaningfully to where Shade was standing over a kneeling Nightmare, using his own body to provide shelter from the weak sunlight. Blue scowled but obediently headed over to join them.“Can you walk?” Dark enquired of Nightmare.He grunted and climbed to his feet again, steadying himself on Shade’s arm. “Yeah. Just can’t disguise myself right now. I overextended my magic trying to shake off the portal’s effects so I could fight.”“We won’t need disguises. Not here.” Curse lifted his hood, which had fallen back during the fight, and turned to lead the way. “Remember, nobody touch the plants if you can help it. My healing abilities are limited on our kind and there’s no Malice here to use.”“I’ll assume I’ll find out what that is eventually,” Dirge panted, still sounding completely out of breath as he stumbled along after the moving group.“Ganon goo,” Phantom provided, which Curse was certain explained even less.It was difficult to judge exactly where they had ended up in the wasteland that Hyrule had become. Curse had grown so used to Link’s lush and nature-filled era, he had almost forgotten how incredibly different his own was by comparison. If his guess was right, though, they were not far from one of the desecrated temples where a shard of the Triforce had been sealed away. So long as he could spot it or one of the landmarks he knew was close to it, he would be able to figure out their location.Unfortunately, it quickly became clear they would not be using the hostile environment to their advantage to catch up with their target. By the third time they had to stop, giving Dirge a chance to catch his breath as he doubled over and wheezed for air, it became clear he was struggling to shake off the portal’s effects far more than the rest of them. The further they walked, the more unstable and shaky he appeared. It was as though the sudden displacement in time had drained him of every drop of stamina he had.As they stopped in the shelter of a cluster of gnarled trees to let him sit down, Curse spotted sunlight glittering off water to the northwest. When he tried to peer through the trees toward it, he managed to catch a glimpse of eroding cliffs surrounding a construction of weathered and moss-covered stone. They had been slightly further east than he had expected, but now he knew exactly where they were.“There’s a place nearby we can use as shelter,” he informed the others.Dark, still rubbing his temples as he kept watch for danger, nodded to him. “Show us.”It took one more short break along the way before they emerged onto the stony shores of a lake. The Octoroks that attempted to swarm them were far less organized than the Moblins and were quickly dealt with, leaving their path free to the rickety suspension bridge leading over the water. Curse could see ripples stirring on the surface as an unseen creature lurked just out of sight, waiting for prey to draw close, though for the moment it seemed content to keep to itself. He kept an eye on its movements as he crossed to the bridge and tested to ensure it could support their weight; though many of the planks looked discoloured from exposure to the weather, the ropes holding it up were still stable and it felt more than sturdy enough for the eight of them.He had just turned to direct the others across first when he spotted Dark, who had stopped just past the treeline and was staring at the water with the expression of a man witnessing his own nightmares coming to life.“It’s safe to cross,” Curse stated as Phantom scurried ahead in the lead, looking almost delighted to feel the wood creaking and swaying beneath his feet as he moved.Dark didn’t respond. His fingers twitched and flexed at his sides, eyes unblinkingly fixed upon the gently rippling surface. It was almost as though he too had suddenly lost his sense of hearing.Briefly Curse turned to impart the necessary warnings as the others began to cross (“watch for attacks from the lake, be alert for monsters and traps, don’t go deeper than the first room, and if you value your life do not touch or drink the water”) before directing his full attention to Dark. The gravel and silt that made up the shoreline crunched beneath his boots as he crossed to where their leader stood, seemingly transfixed by the lake spread out before them. He had not once reacted this way to large bodies of water in the era of the Great Calamity, Curse noted, so clearly he didn’t fear it. But what could have brought on such a response now?“Dark,” he called out. When that failed to incite a response, he sharpened his tone and increased his volume slightly. “Dark Link!”Dark blinked, the glow of his eyes faltering briefly as he drew a sharp breath. His gaze darted around wildly before landing on the living shadow standing before him. “Curse.”“Something’s wrong,” Curse stated bluntly. “What is it about this lake that caused you to focus so intently on it? It isn’t like you to get distracted like this.”Dark’s gaze flickered briefly back to the water before darting around again. Only when he spotted the others, already halfway across the bridge toward their temporary shelter, did he release his breath. “This water. It’s poisoned.”Curious, Curse dipped his head in a brief nod. “I never directly said as much, but yes. You remember.”“No. Yes.” Another sharp exhalation. Dark took a single step closer to the water and then stopped, studying it with a combination of wariness and interest. “I didn’t remember that until this moment. At some point in my time living through this era, I drank that water.”“You couldn’t have.” Curse felt his own expression twist into a deep frown. “The toxins in it are lethal to anything not adapted to it.”“Yes. The memory I regained had a… disturbing amount of clarity regarding the effects.” Dark’s lips twisted, his expression still contorted in something akin to horror. Curse’s mind dredged up the memory of Phantom’s face, eyes wide and staring blankly at nothing as his breathing grew erratic, and he wondered if Dark had just experienced a flashback of his own. If that was the case, it would certainly explain the haunted look he now wore.
Nightmare would be far better at handling this situation than myself… But this is Dark. I won’t forgive myself if I don’t try.
He stepped closer. It was a deeply ingrained habit for the majority of the group to keep some distance from one another, aside from in situations where their sleeping space was uncomfortably restricted or they were forced to huddle close together for warmth. But this was the first time it had simply been the two of them, alone, standing almost shoulder to shoulder. Despite the situation Curse felt his heartbeat picking up and fought to keep his breathing from doing the same.“It’s nothing short of a miracle that you survived,” he stated, keeping his tone low and careful, “especially with no healing magic of your own. It’s only to be expected that you’d find the memory of coming so close to death distressing.”Slowly Dark shook his head, brow creased in deep thought. “No, that isn’t it. It could simply be my amnesia, but the more I think about it… the more clear it becomes that I remember nothing past that point. Nothing at all about how Hyrule in this dying state became the thriving one in which Sheikah technology became more common and advanced than magic. You’re right that the water is lethal. I don’t think I survived.”For a long moment, Curse found himself struck speechless. Perhaps each of their number had died in their own times - Curse could vividly remember his own final battle, finally released from his counterpart’s shadow only to be struck down as one final test of his courage - but Dark had always survived. That was an undisputed fact that they had all known ever since he first named himself their leader, back when their group had been at best a reluctant alliance for the sake of convenience. Dark had survived his own defeat, lived through each of theirs, and continued to do so across the thousands of years that separated their times from the era of the Great Calamity. The vast amounts of survival knowledge he had amassed through the millennia were what made him the most suitable leader, and the decisiveness and sharp reflexes born of surviving every challenge in his incredibly long life were among the main reasons they had all come to trust and depend on him. To suddenly learn that he too had fallen made Curse feel as though everything he knew had been yanked out from beneath him.“You…” He had to pause briefly to gather his thoughts before continuing, slowly and cautiously, as he drew on the few facts of which he was certain. “You saw the Divine Beasts built. You saw the Great Calamity defeated once before, which we know was ten thousand years before the Link we know now lived. That means you existed in that time far before the rest of us rose again. Why would you alone have been revived so soon before us? Are you certain you didn’t live the entire time?”Finally Dark tore his gaze away from the water to face Curse fully. “No. I’m not certain. Maybe I did survive and time has just eaten away the rest of my memories of the gap between ages. Maybe I didn’t. I don’t think I’ll find the answers here, if there’s a chance of finding them at all. It isn’t worth wasting too much time thinking about. Let’s take shelter for a few hours and sleep off the portal’s effects before we continue chasing our target.”He strode away toward the bridge, after the others. Curse let his eyes follow him in silence for a few moments before he set off in pursuit.