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If you had asked Warriors prior to the War across Ages if he thought someone could develop lasting and meaningful connections to people while in the middle of a battle, he might have laughed.  Of course,  he would have said,  to fight alongside someone and put your safety in their hands and vice versa is not something that leaves you unchanged.  If you had asked him if he could get a little brother out of a battle, he would have called you crazy.

Then the War Across the Ages happened, and men he had thought he could trust with his life tried to end it. That bond that he was so certain had developed between himself and his fellow knights turned out to be nothing but a pipe dream. Well, not all of them. Many of his men stood behind him, their support and belief in his command were just as important to him in battle as his sword. But still, to have so many of the people he once thought of as friends join the very side they had been fighting against had shaken him.

And then there was Mask.

He was a strange child, what with his too old eyes and fighting skills that rivaled some of the best knights in the army. He refused to tell anyone his name, but it didn't take a genius to put the clues together and Warriors wasn't an idiot. Countless people had been finding their way into Hyrule thanks to the Gate of Souls (both enemies and allies), and Cia's creepy and frankly violating obsession with the spirit of the Hero of Legend practically guaranteed that anyone who did pass through the Gate was connected to the hero in some way. But the real giveaway to the odd child's identity had been his clothes. They were green and not just any green, but a bright vibrant shade that Warriors recognized from his own tunic. Somehow this small boy that didn't reach Warriors' waist was also a Hero of Legend. 

When he first put the pieces together, the captain had played with the idea of confronting the kid. But his better sense stopped him. The child was ten, maybe eleven, and Cia had proven that she didn't care much who the hero was, so long as they had the Hero's Spirit. Even thinking what the Sorceress might do to the kid in a hypothetical sense had sent repulsion coiling through the captain's stomach. No, it would be much better if Cia's attention stayed on the captain and the captain alone. So they called the boy Mask instead, after the numerous masks that the small hero utilized in battle and that swung from his hip constantly.

He was a terribly bitter child that kept his secrets close and did his damndest to push people away. It took weeks before Warriors had seen the kid smile for the first time, genuinely smile and not the sarcastic tight-lipped thing he usually threw around. It had all been thanks to Proxi, that wonderful little fairy. He never did learn exactly what she had said to Mask, but the young boy had been eyeing the fairy for days and Proxi, tired of waiting for Mask to come to her, had gone to him. As much as Warriors wanted to listen in, the role of Captain was one he took seriously- even the mundane parts such as equipment inspection were given his full attention. But Warriors would have had to have been deff to miss the wondrous, joyous laughter that rang through the camp that day. The sound was startling and out of place in the ever grim battle camp and it was a sad testament to the brutality of the war that upon hearing the sound, the captain's first instinct was to reach for his sword. He only aborted the motion when he saw Mask, Proxi flying about his head, nearly doubled over with laughter. The boy had a smile like the sun emerging from behind a cloud.

That moment Warriors knew he would do whatever it would take to protect the kid and see him smile again. From that day on, the Captain made an effort to actively seek out the boy. At meals, in the sparring yard, gathered around the campfires - any time the Soldier could get a moment with Mask, he did. Befriending the smaller Hero of Legend was slow going at first. Mask wasn't keen on making friends, and it wasn't until the boy had all but exploded at the Captain about not needing someone to mind him that Warriors had realized he was going about it the wrong way. So the elder hero had explained how he knew Mask also had the Heroes Spirit, that he understood what that meant for both of them, and that if Mask wanted he didn't have to feel alone.

Mask had looked at Warriors with blue eyes just a few shades darker than the soldier's own, searching the older man for something.

“Do you feel alone?” Mask finally asked with the brutal candor that only children seem to possess.

The Captain shrugged, unable to meet the boy's eyes.

“A little,” he confessed.

Warriors had looked up to gauge Mask's reaction, but the boy was deep in thought. After a few seconds, he nodded to himself and squared his tiny shoulders, a decision reached.

Mask extended his hand.

“I’m Link.”

Warriors smiled, taking the small hand in one of his own and giving it a firm shake.

“Hello Link, I’m also Link.”

Masks nose scrunched up as the boy snorted at the bad joke and Warriors laughed along with him.

After that day, the Captain was quick to learn that behind Mask's prickly exterior hid an incredibly soft heart. He cared deeply for the people around him, be they soldiers or the unfortunate refugees displaced due to the war. He could also play the ocarina, which turned out to be able to channel magic because of course nothing that resembled a toy that Mask carried with him was ever what it seemed. And then there was the downright devious sense of humor. Had Warriors known that befriending Mask would lead to a mini prank war amongst several members of the army, he might have thought twice about getting to know the boy. (That, the captain knew, was a lie. Nothing could make him regret his decision to spend time with Mask, not even the time his armor had been filled with itching powder.)

Somewhere between one battle and the next, Mask had wormed his way into the captain's heart, becoming the little brother he never knew he wanted or needed in his life.

Then, of course, the war ended, as all wars should. The Gate was closing and Lana sent everyone home. It happened faster than it had any right to and before Warriors truly understood what the light sorceress was doing, it was over. Mask was gone, and the Captain never got to say goodbye.

Hyrule was at peace once again and all that was left was to count their losses and rebuild.

Rebuilding, as it turned out, was a tedious affair. Two years in and for all their effort, much of the kingdom was still in disarray. It had almost felt like a blessing when reports of a strange portal had reached Zelda's ears and she had dispatched the Captain to investigate.

“I may be gone for some time.” Warriors had warned.

“Assess the danger and do what you must, for the sake of Hyrule,” Zelda responded, lips tight. Her seriousness only lasted a few more moments before she smiled and pulled the hero into a tight hug. “And for Hylias sake, take care of yourself.”

Stepping through the portal had come with a horrible sense of deja vu and then the Captain was deposited in a Hyrule he did not recognize and almost walked into a group of five men that bore a striking resemblance to himself. The gods, he decided, weren't very subtle.

Suspicions were confirmed and introductions were made. The first man, with sandy blonde hair and a blue and white sailcloth wrapped around his shoulders, introduced himself as Sky and was apparently the forger of the master sword. The first thing Warriors noticed about the second man was the dark black markings on his forehead and the large animal pelt he wore like a second skin over his simple tunic and armor. Twilight, the man said his name was. Warriors did not ask for an explanation. The next man stuck the Captain as more of a boy, with his shaggy brown hair and short stature and for a moment the Knight wondered what he could possibly be doing in this group. Then he shook ‘Hyrules’ hand, and Warriors' whole arm buzzed with strong magical energy and the soldier was forced to augment his prior opinion. The fourth man (and only later would Warriors recognize the humor in having this particular hero introduce himself at this point) was dressed in a multicolored tunic, a small but sharp-looking sword strapped to his back. The short man waved and gave his name.

Warriors blinked.

“Like the number?”

“Like the number.” Four confirmed.

When the fifth and final member of the group stepped forward the soldier in Warriors immediately stood taller. He was dressed almost head to toe in armor, except for a helmet which only served to show off the blue v on his forehead and two red claw marks beneath his right eye that decorated the man's face. Most startling however was the large scar that bisected the man's right eyebrow and continued down at a diagonal across the lid and ended just above a sharp cheekbone. For a nerve-wracking second, the taller man simply observed the captain, as if looking for some sort of reaction. The second passes and the man nods, satisfied.

“The boys call me Time. What should we call you?”

The captain doesn't hesitate, the name rolling off his tongue with ease. Warriors gets his new name and without further discussion joins the traveling heroes on their journey. Maybe, a part of his mind supplies, since the group seems to be collecting the various holders of the Heroes Spirit he might find Mask. Warriors tries not to hope.

It's not until six heroes have become nine and Wind brings up the topic of masks that the soldier realizes how unbelievably  stupid  he is.

At first, Warriors only vaguely pays attention, and for the life of him, he has no clue how the topic came up in the first place. But then Time pulls out a mask, yellow with a pointed nose and two tall ears sticking up from the top, and Warriors’ mind goes into overdrive.  No.  It can't be. It is after all just a simple wooden mask, nothing fancy. Surely there must be others like it in the world. Just because their Old Man has one mask that resembles one of the many his little brother had carried with him is not enough to hang his hopes on. Aware that he should probably join the conversation, Warriors spits out the first thing he can think of.

“All of you collect masks like kids. Thought you had weapons, not toys.”

Around the fire, his fellow heroes go quiet. Sky looks frozen, eyes wide. Hyrule's smile is plastered unchanging on his face. Hell, even Legend looks like he's seen a ghost. All of them -every last one- is looking over his shoulder.

Slowly, Warriors turns his head and he nearly comes out of his skin when a skeletal face with one red eye looms out of the darkness. The captain is not proud of the sound he makes, warring between a gasp and a shriek that resolves the difference in a loud squeak. In a flash, he draws his dagger and lands ass first in the dirt. From behind the mask, Time laughs, open and carefree. Warriors clutches his chest, but it's only half due to his racing heart.

He knows that laugh, and when Time lifts the skeletal mask, Warriors knows the smile too.

Din's fire, he's an idiot.

Later that night the Captain lays awake on his bedroll running everything through his mind and he wonders yet again how he could have missed it. Hell, Time even carries an ocarina around on his hip, and the soldier can count on one hand the number of people he knows that can play the instrument.

From the corner of his eye, he watches as Twilight shakes Time awake for his watch. The captain waits till he can hear the goat herders breathing even out before getting up as quietly as possible and joining the eldest hero in his nightly vigil.

They sit in silence for a long time.

“You’re an ass, you know that?” Warriors whispers.

Time looks at him.

“You’re the one who hours ago made fun of a very important hobby of mine, but I’m the ass?”

“Yep,” Warriors responds, hiding a smile.

There's a pause and then Time lets out a soft puff of air.

“You figured it out, didn’t you?”

Wordlessly, the captain nods and turns to look at the elder hero properly.

“Why didn’t you say something?”

Time looks at the ground, gently scuffing one foot against the dirt and shrugs. Warriors is struck with the knowledge that were they further from the ground, Time would probably be swinging his legs.

“I didn't think you remembered.” He says it so matter of factly as if the possibility of Warriors not remembering the sarcastic little kid that wormed his way into his heart is a given. “When we first ran into you, I thought maybe you might remember, but when you said nothing-" Time shrugs again "- I thought it was for the best if I didn't bring it up. I didn't want to get my hopes up.”

Warriors' eyes bulge and he feels like he might scream.

"Not remember?" He splutters, bringing one hand up to grab at his hair. "Mask, I didn't  recognize  you. You-you-"

Warriors drops his hand from his hair, thoughts a stuttering mess. Distantly he is aware that his hair is sticking up at a ridiculous angle but he needs both hands for this.

"You're half a foot taller than me", he manages to get out, hands gesturing wildly between the two of them to emphasize his point. "For Hylias sake, you're  missing an eye . Pardon me for not expecting that the next time I'd see my little brother he'd be a forty-something-year-old badass in full armor."

Time is still looking at the ground, head bowed and silent. That, Warriors decides, just won't do. So he reaches out and takes the older man by the shoulders until he is facing him. The captain has to wait for Time to raise his head and look at him but it's fine. For this man, he can wait. When Time does finally look at him, he is close to tears.

Warriors’ own smile is watery and he knows that before too long he'll be crying too.

"You were the best damn thing to happen to me during the war and -" Warriors voice breaks and he can't hold back his tears any longer "-and I am so sorry it took me so long to realize that you have been right here this whole time."

Without warning, Time reaches out and engulfs Warriors in a tight hug, burying his face in the crook of the shorter man's neck. There is no question of if the captain should return the hug, and he holds the other man just as tight.

"I've missed you Mask."

"I've missed you too." Is the muffled reply.

They stay like that for at least five minutes, both of them crying and sniffling wrecks before Warriors decides to break the tension.

"You better not be getting snot on my scarf."

Time, the little shit that he is, snickers and proceeds to wipe his nose on the garment in question.

The resulting roar of "YOU BASTARD" wakes the whole camp and earns Warriors a shoe to the head by a displeased Legend. But Warriors does not care, either about the assault-by-shoe or the mucous stain slowly setting into his prized possession. Not when he has his little brother back, shit-eating grin and all.

---

It's an adjustment, reconciling the grizzled older man before him with the small ten-year-old boy from Warriors' memory. Don't get him wrong, the soldier is overjoyed to have Mask back in his life whatever his age, name, or height. But for weeks now Warriors had begun to look up to Time, he was their leader -stoic and strong, the one you turned to for advice of many kinds. Such a person and mentor clashed terribly with his brotherly instincts.

Of course, things changed between them, although not as much as the soldier feared they would. Time is still their leader, the one who calls the shots and who has the most life experience. He treats the Captain with the same level of respect as before and Warriors does his best to return that courtesy. Time is many things, capable chief among them, and he no longer needs Warriors protection the same way he did during the war.  Although,  the soldier muses, remembering the way Mask had fought,  it's debatable how much protection he needed then too.

Sometimes the changes manifest in the two of them sitting a little closer around the fire than they did before, other times it's in subtle requests for help after a battle. Most of the time it's when they are alone, and the one-eyed man relaxes and becomes more expressive.

They don't ever speak of it, and the rest of the group remains oblivious to the subtle shift between them.

Right up until Warriors draws their attention to it.

In his defense, he doesn't do it on purpose. By mutual agreement, both he and Time have decided that it's not something the other heroes need to know. It's not a secret since neither one is attempting to hide anything, but it's not affecting their dynamic, so it just doesn't come up.

Then one day the chain runs across a group of monsters, some belonging to Winds Hyrule, others from Wilds. The battle is hard-won and when the dust settles a few of them have injuries.

They are low on potions and healing items, and Hyrule's magic can only handle so much healing at a time. But after taking quick stock of the various wounds (Three deep cuts- Legend, one broken rib - Wild, and a badly sprained ankle - Wind) it looks like they have enough.

Time stands off to the side watching the group, Biggoron sword in front of him, resting his arms on its hilt.

A breeze blows through the forest causing the tree branches to sway and the lighting to shift, and that's when the Captain sees the small pool of blood forming at the elder hero's right foot.

Warriors swears to himself and walks over to their leader. He knows why Time said nothing, knows that the older man must have done a quick calculation on their healing supplies versus their wounds, and decided to prioritize the others over himself. Hell, Warriors has done the same thing a time or two, but seeing Time pull the same stunt doesn't sit well with the soldier.

"You're hurt." The captain states when he reaches his destination.

Time sighs.

"It's nothing."

Warriors crosses his arms.

"Uh-huh, well, 'nothing' is pooling blood at your feet."

Time looks down and grimaces slightly when he sees what Warriors is talking about, but he recovers quickly and shrugs.

"I've had worse."

The soldier takes a long breath through his nose. So that's how his little brother is going to play this? Fine. It's not like he doesn't have experience dealing with the other man's stubborn streak.

"Old man, I have bathed your naked ass in the castle fountain, you do  not  get to pull this with me."

The whole camp goes silent, and Warriors realizes that he might have said that a bit loud.

The two turn with wide eyes and observe their fellow heroes. It's as if the camp has been hit with Wilds stasis rune: all of the others have stopped mid-motion, some of them with their mouths hanging open comically, and are looking at Time and Warriors with varying degrees of shock, confusion, and mild horror.

There's a pause and then-

"I was  ten ." Time explains, a touch desperately.

Although still confused, a palpable wave of relief passes through the assembled group. Warriors spares a moment to shudder at the mental image the rest of them must have been picturing before pushing it away as fast as he can.

"And to this day I still don't know what exactly it was I washed off of you, and I'm not sure I want to."

"I told you," Time says, rolling his good eye, "I was caught in a bokoblins camp and one of their horses spooked and I was knocked into a pile of-"

Warriors waves his hands, catching on to what the older hero is trying to do. That it cuts his little brother off before he can explain what he was knocked into is a bonus.

"A-ah, don't think you can change the subject that easily. It didn't work during the war and it won't work now. I do not want to be the one that has to explain to my sister-in-law that the reason her husband came home with gangrene is because he pulled a tough guy act and wouldn't subject himself to basic field medicine."

Time pales at the mention of Malon, and the Captain knows he has won.

"Now march!"

The wound, it turns out, is not "nothing" as Time claimed. While it isn't life-threatening it does require a deep cleaning and several dozen stitches. Warriors reminds himself that saying  I told you so  is undignified for a soldier of his standing, nor is this the appropriate moment for such antics.

Now and then Time winces as Warriors carefully stitches his paradoxical brother up.

"Those were all low blows and you know it." Time grumbles, sounding for all the world like the little boy Warriors remembers. 

"It's a big brother's prerogative, Mask." The captain responds without a hint of remorse. Time opens both eyes and scowls, but the effect of the pure white eye combined with the look of displeasure is ruined by the hiss of pain that escapes the injured man's lips. Warriors murmurs an apology. Internally, the soldier agrees that his method of persuasion was somewhat underhanded and he resolves to sleep with one eye open for the next few nights just in case Time decides to seek revenge.

The short walk back to camp is slow for the sake of Times injury, and although Time can't be pleased with him, he does not push Warriors away when the Captain offers support.

The chatter around camp dies when they arrive and seven faces turn to them. The silence is awkward.

Hyrule clears his throat.

"How is he?" The exhausted medic asks, prioritizing Time's injury over his curiosity.

"He'll live, though it will be better in the long run if we can get him some proper healing."

The traveler nods and Warriors can see the gears turning the brunet's head, and he mentally makes a note to make sure the magic-user doesn't overtax himself.

No one else speaks and the awkward silence descends once again, so Warriors helps Time to sit on a log by the fire. 

Around them, their fellow heroes busy themselves in attempts to hide their curiosity. Some are more successful than others. Sky is the most successful, carefully carving a block of wood into what looks like a bird. The next best is Hyrule, though his success is probably more due to sheer exhaustion than any bluffing ability. The worst by far is Wind, his expressive face giving away his every thought. Though it looks more like vague nausea than curiosity, Twilight is the second-worst offender. The rancher's eyes flick from Warriors to Time to the ground almost non-stop, bouncing one knee in an erratic rhythm.

Time looks at Warriors, and though they don't say anything, the soldier agrees. It's painful to watch.

Time sighs, pushing a hand through his bangs before addressing the group.

"You must all have questions,"

It's like a switch has been flipped. The words are barely past the hero's lips before they are being crowded by the rest of the chain except for Sky and Wild- one carefully tucking their project away safely, the other unable to leave the cooking pot unattended.

At least three mouths open at once and Time holds up a hand, preempting the chaos.

"One at a time." He says pointedly.

Four raises their hand.

"How exactly do you know each other?"

"Yeah," Wind pipes up, "I thought you hadn't met before this."

"We fought in the War across the Ages together." Time responds. "That was almost twenty-eight years ago by my counting."

"Two and a half for me." Warriors chimes in. "When I first met Time he was maybe yea high-" the soldier lifts a hand, indicating a height a little shorter than Four, "- and he was a surly little hellion."

"I wasn't that bad." The one-eyed man mumbles, and Warriors lifts an eyebrow.

"Two words: Deku Nuts."

Times brows pinch as he searches his memory for a moment, then laughs softly when he recalls the event in question.

"Heh, yeah that was a fun day."

Warriors rolls his eyes heavenward and briefly prays for strength. Fun isn't the adjective he would use to describe the chaos of that day.

The questions pour in from every hero except Twilight. The older teen follows the conversation with interest from where he sits at the back of the group, hands resting in his lap, a pensive expression on his face. His silence strikes Warriors as odd considering how anxious he was earlier. But if the rancher won't say anything, neither will the soldier. Twilights hangups, he decides, are not his problem.

After a week of awkward side glances, several aborted attempts at conversations, and Twilight just generally looking at him as if he is a strange new type of mold stuck to his shield, Warriors amends his prior decision.

Whatever the rancher's hang-up is, it very clearly involves the soldier in some way, and if Warriors has to endure another day of awkward observation he might combust.

The first opportunity he gets, Warriors drags the dirty blonde man well out of earshot from the camp, ensuring that no matter how this conversation goes down they won't be overheard.

"Alright, what is your problem?"

Twilight, displeased at being pulled away without a word or warning glares at the soldier.

"I don't have a problem."

"You very clearly do." Warriors scoffs. "You've been acting weird since you found out that Time and I know each other from the war, and it's driving me spare. What even was that yesterday? You came up to me two different times and then turned around without saying anything, and I could feel your eyes on the back of my head while we were walking. I mean, did I do something?"

Twilight is no longer glaring at him, in fact, he won't even meet Warriors eyes, his mouth open with the pained expression of a man that would like to be anywhere other than he is.

"Is-is this about the dog comment?" The captain asks, out of better ideas, "Because if it is, I'm sorry. It was a joke that went too far. You smell fine, and the next time I see Wolfie I'll tell him-"

"I'm Time's descendant," Twilight interjects, cutting Warriors off mid-apology. The rancher looks like the words have physically pained him to say, or perhaps it's that he has had to say them to the captain. Either way, his eyes are wide, lips curled up as if he has the taste of Hyrule's cooking stuck in his mouth.

"...what?"

Twilight takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, centering himself.

"We don't just share a timeline or the hero's spirit. Time is my ancestor by blood."

Warriors processes this. The soldier had always known that the rancher and Time shared a special connection, and while the one-eyed hero never played favorites with their group, it was hard to miss that he seemed closer to Twilight than the others. This new information goes a long way towards explaining their closeness but does incredibly little to clear up Warriors' current confusion.

"Well," the soldier tries, "I'm not that surprised to find out that some holders of the hero's spirit share common blood, but what does your ancestry with Time have to do with anything?"

Twilight groans and buries his face in his hands, the tips of his ears turning red from embarrassment, and mutters something that, given the context is most likely "I can't believe I'm saying this".

The rancher drops his hands and looks Warriors in the eye.

"You know I'm an orphan, right? I've never known any of my blood family. But now there's Time and although he's a distant relative, he's become like-" there is a small hesitation, but Twilight pushes through, "-like a father to me."

He looks at Warriors, his expression open and vulnerable, storm blue eyes beseeching the captain to put the clues together. It's an incredibly effective set of puppy dog eyes, and Warriors feels a little bad that all he can do is slowly shake his head to indicate his continued confusion.

Incredulous, Twilight throws his hands in the air.

"For the love of- I know I joke that we only keep you around for your looks, but you are not this dense."

Warriors bristles at the backhanded compliment.

"I am allowed to be stupid from time to time." 

Twilight growls in frustration, his voice rising.

"That's not the point!"

Warriors own confusion and anger swells and before the captain knows it, he is shouting too.

"What even is the point, country boy? I am so confused."

They are both throwing their hands around in the air by now, but neither hero much cares.

"Time is like my dad, and you have said yourself that he's your little brother. So if he's my dad and you are his brother, that makes you my-"

" Oohhhh ," Comprehension dawns for the soldier and promptly turns to disgust. "Oh, I don't  like  that."

"Right?" The Ordonian bemoans, sinking to the ground. Warriors follows Twilight's lead, sitting heavily on the forest floor.

"I'm your Uncle."

Beside him, the rancher presses his hands to his eyes.

"Please don't say it out loud, it's already so weird."

"Sorry," Warriors replies, "I just- I needed to get it out, you know? It's like the thought doesn't want to sit right in my brain and it feels-"

"Gross." Twilight finishes for him, and Warriors nods his head.

Their part of the forest falls into silence as the two heroes think. Looking back at how painfully uncomfortable and awkward this conversation has been, Warriors decides he doesn't blame the man beside him for his odd behavior or reluctance to talk. Were he in Twilight's place, the soldier isn't sure if he would have been able to get the words out.

Minutes pass and the sound of bird song fills the air.

Twilight smiles.

"You know, growing up I always wanted a big family, but this one's a mess."

A single bark of laughter bursts from Warriors.

"Yeah, well, at least your little brother isn't suddenly fifteen plus years your senior and the family dad."

The Ordonian closes his eyes and laughs quietly, shaking his head.

"Time travel." He says, summing up the tangled web of the family tree to the root complicator.

They sit for a few moments longer before Warriors decides that they have been gone long enough. Standing, he stretches his arms over his head then offers a hand to his companion. Twilight takes it with a small smile and permits himself to be hauled to his feet.

Part of the way back, Warriors voices a thought.

"I can't believe you lasted a whole week without saying anything."

The rancher shrugs.

"I wanted to talk to Time, but he's been different recently. I don't know what caused it, but he's been more open, relaxed. I didn't want to change that, and you saw how my attempts to talk to you went."

"You're usually so good with the direct approach too." Warriors quips, clapping the other man on the back. "It's alright, we all choke sometimes."

The Ordonian snorts and rolls his eyes.

"Whatever you say, Captain  I'm allowed to be stupid ."

Warriors scathing comeback dies on his tongue as the camp comes into view.

"Right, how do you want to play this? Pretend nothing happened and never speak of this again?"

"We are  definitely  never speaking of the things we spoke of again, but it's going to be hard to pretend nothing happened since you weren't subtle dragging me from camp."

The soldier considers for a moment then nods.

"The vague truth it is."

That night Warriors sits a little closer to Time than he normally does, and notes that on their leaders' other side Twilight does the same. If Time wonders at the behavior of the two young men, he doesn't say anything. Later, after the sun has fully set and the only illumination is the fire, the soldier spots a small comfortable smile on his little brother's lips. It's then that Warriors knows that though messy and confusing, he wouldn't have his family any other way.

---

As always, a stop in Times Hyrule means a stay at Lon Lon Ranch for at least a few days. It's a welcome break, and the shift from hero work to farm work makes for a nice change of pace.

On the second day just after breakfast, as Warriors is pulling his boots on to head out and help with his share of the work around the ranch, Time comes up to him.

"I need to speak with you, it won't take long."

Warriors inspects the older man for any hint as to the reason for his request, but Times' face is an unreadable mask. The soldier nods and after he has finished lacing his shoes, follows the other man into a small side room.

Malon is waiting for them, a knowing glint in her eyes as she watches her husband. Time goes up to his wife and presses a kiss to her forehead and when he turns back around an excited smile has cracked his carefully neutral facade.

"I know I've already done this once, but I didn't get to do it right. Captain, you already know my wife. So, Darling, may I introduce my big brother."

Malon spares an incredibly fond look for her husband before stepping forward and enveloping Warriors in a hug.

"It's good to meet you properly." She tells him.

"Likewise," Warriors replies, returning Malons surprisingly strong embrace. "It's good to finally have someone that I can swap embarrassing stories of his childhood with."

The redhead pulls back with a delighted laugh, eyes crinkling at the corners.

"I'll hold you to that promise, Captain."

Beside them, Time groans good-naturedly.

"I'm going to regret introducing you two, aren't I?"

The soldier chuckles and Malon gently bats a hand to her husband's chest.

"Dear, this was your idea. You knew what you were signing up for."

Time smiles at her.

"That I did. I-"

A loud crash accompanied by the raised voices of Wind and Legend cuts the elder man off.

Time sighs.

"I should see what that was before they can cause more property damage." Time sighs, before pointing an accusing finger at Warriors. "You boys are a handful."

"I see it as divine comeuppance for all the stress you put me through, Mask." The soldier laughs.

There is another crash from outside, and Time shakes his head, pressing a quick kiss to Malon's head before sweeping out the door with a disapproving "What are you boys into?"

Malon watches her husband's departure with smiling eyes, then turns to Warriors.

"Do you already have a task for today Captain?"

"No ma'am."

"Well then, why don't you help me with my work and we can talk."

This is how Warriors finds himself breaking hay bales, his green tunic discarded over a fence, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He gets through one for every three of Malons, but the woman makes no comment on his speed.

"That was important to him, you know?"

Warriors looks up, wiping sweat from his brow, and meets Malon's gaze.

"To Link," she explains, "Introducing us like that, I mean."

Warriors is well aware of what family means to Time, and what a rare and valuable commodity it was to the boy he knew.

“I know. And I’m honored that he deems me worthy enough for a private introduction. I imagine Twilight got something similar?”

Malon grabs another hay bale, lifting the heavy object with ease.

“You know about that?”

“It was an...interesting day.” The soldier settles on.

“Hm, well that's my husband's influence for you. Life with him is certainly not boring.”

“That,” Warriors grunts as he drags a new bale of his own into position, “Could just be a Heroes Spirit thing.”

The redhead laughs.

“Fair enough.” Malon hesitates, and Warriors slows down a little since the farmer didn’t strike him as the kind of woman to hesitate over anything. “How much do you know about what Link has been through?”

The soldier pauses and considers for a second before continuing with his appointed work.

"Probably more than most, but I doubt as much as you. We did fight a war together and he was fresh out of his second journey when I met him. I know why you keep bowls of sugar water around, who it's is he's looking for if that's the sort of thing you mean.”

The farmer makes a surprised sound.

"I had a fairy during the war," he explains, "Proxi was her name. She and Mask were close, and I asked her why one day and she was the one to explain about Navi. Sometimes I think Proxi was more of a comfort to him than I was."

Malon impales her pitchfork into a fresh bale with aggressive force, making the soldier start and look at the woman.

"Now you look here," she says in a tone of voice that brooks no arguments and promises swift action against those who don't comply, "We both know Link isn't the best with words, but you should have read some of the letters he sent home. I had to read between the lines a bit, but he was heartbroken when he thought you didn't remember him.

"The first time my father asked him if he had any family, we all thought Link wouldn't speak to us for days. But he was so proud to tell us about his big brother that commanded armies and fought sorceresses and demon kings, just like he did. In all the years I've known my husband he has never stopped calling you his family, so don't you doubt for a moment how much you mean to him."

Emotion clogs Warriors’ throat and his eyes are suspiciously watery after Malon's impassioned declaration. He coughs once but when he speaks his voice still comes out rough.

"He's important to me too. The war was awful and my Hyrule still hasn't recovered from it. For a while, I was sure I would never smile again. And then along came this kid- grumpy and standoffish, and the mouth on him I swear-" the soldier laughs, leaning on his pitchfork. "You know he doesn't swear around us and tells us off when we curse, but some of the things I've heard him say make me blush to even think about."

"He's traveled all over and has the language skills to match." Malon laughs.

"That's one way of putting it." The soldier agrees, his smile fading. "Even then he was too old and jaded for his body - prickly to a fault - but he cared so much. A helping hand here, a song there. He reminded a lot of us how to laugh and live even in the middle of all that death, and I don't think I'd have made it through the war if it wasn't for him."

Malon makes a soft sound and pulls the captain into a gentle hug.

"You should be telling him that, not me."

Warriors sighs, holding into the hug for a moment longer than stepping back.

"You're right."

"Of course I am." She says brightly, chasing the somber mood from the barn. "Someone has to be. You Links are many things, but sensible has never been one of them."

Warriors does not argue this point, there is a reason that they haven't been blessed with the Triforce of Wisdom after all.

Later that night, body sore from keeping up with Malon and her chores, Warriors finds himself outside the main house looking up at the star-filled sky. The wooden bench creeks slightly under his weight, and the occasional cloud drifts past the moon. If he strains his ears he can make out the sound of fairy wings softly beating as the magical creatures inspect the bowls of sugar water around the ranch.

The door to the main house opens sending a beam of warm golden light across the ground. It disappears a moment later and Time sits down beside him, the wood groaning under the added weight.

"You've been quiet tonight."

"Tired," the soldier responds. "Malon worked me to the bone, it was hard to keep up. Your wife is something else."

Time chuckles.

"That she is."

One of the cuccos crows and Warriors takes a breath.

"We talked too, about you mostly."

"Oh?"

He turns his head and looks at the other man. Dressed in a simple tan tunic and lit by the moon, Time looks younger than his age, and for a few moments, Warriors can see the boy his little brother once was. The soldier thinks back to his conversation with Malon and all the things he said to her but not the man beside him. Now is as good a time as any to take his sister-in-law's sound advice, but Time he muses isn't the only hero of courage to struggle with their words. So the captain opts to take a page out of Twilight's book and use the direct approach.

"I love you," he says simply.

Seeing Times raised eyebrows, the soldier pushes on.

"I mean it. You were a pain in the ass at times and a gremlin - you still are, by the way. You don't have me fooled. The war...it, well it was hell, but I got to meet you and you're my family. And I love you."

It sounds lame to his ears, and the earlier eloquence he had when talking with Malon is nowhere to be found, but Time seems to understand anyway. The one-eyed man smiles, small and honest with just a hint of teeth.

"I love you too."

Warriors reaches out and takes Time by the shoulders, guiding the man until he is laying down with his head in the soldier's lap. It's an old position of theirs, borne from long battles and exhaustion. It's different now: his little brother is grown and rather than a cold and broken stone wall at their backs it's a house. The coppery tang of blood does not scent the air, nor is the world possessed by the unnatural stillness that seems to fall across battlefields once the fighting is over. It's better, familiar, and Warriors resolves that it won't be the last time it happens.

He cards gentle fingers through Mask's hair.

"Do you still feel alone?" his little brother asks, transporting Warriors back to the day this wonderful and confusing man changed his life.

He thinks of Time and Malon, of Twilight and the unexpected family he has found in the rancher. He thinks of the rest of the heroes and the wildly differing personalities that are hard to imagine not being a part of his life.

Warriors smiles.

"Not anymore."