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Amidst the chaos of… well, everything, a day on Outset Island was nothing short of a vacation for the group. For Wind, it was a rare taste of home, having spent so much time out at sea- even before all the time travel and black-blooded monsters. His only contact with his hometown for months was the occasional letters from his sister, which he treasured deeply of course, keeping each one carefully stashed away in his belongings, but written words paled in comparison to the feeling of actually being home .
Being able to scoop up his little sister in a loving embrace made his eyes sting with tears as he swung her around happily. Her delighted laughter made a hole in his heart fill with overflowing love and affection . He managed to temper his enthusiasm for his grandma, but she managed to surprise him with how tightly she wrapped her arms around him, a warmth settling comfortably in his chest as she softly welcomed him back.
…Before she swiftly yanked his ear and told him not to worry her by disappearing off the face of the Great Sea without saying anything.
And no, she did not accept ‘I can’t control when and where evil portals show up to whisk me deep into the past or alternate futures’ or ‘I didn’t even realize the postman could deliver mail between timelines until he showed up with Aryll’s letter’ as valid excuses. So, he promised that he’d make sure to write more after they inevitably left. He pointedly ignored the amused grins of his brothers as his grandma walked off to start preparing some soup- a way to celebrate his return, as she put it.
“Your grandma seems nice.” Wild commented after she left, the playfulness dancing on his expression not obscuring the genuine nature of his words.
Wind snorted regardless. “If by ‘nice’ you mean ‘putting me in an early grave if I worry her this much again,’ then yeah, nicest person you’ll meet.” Then, quieter: “I wouldn’t trade her for the world.”
Time nodded understandingly. “Having someone to come back to…it means everything.”
He smiled softly, nodding.
“The island seems so peaceful, too.” Sky commented warmly. “It reminds me of Skyloft a bit. In every way that matters, at least.”
“It’s home.” Legend agreed, wistful.
Wind looked to the veteran, seeing a strange fondness in his gaze as he looked towards where his grandma was busily preparing vegetables for the soup, humming a soft tune under her breath. He looked…sad, yet a soft smile graced his features. Wind wondered what he was thinking about that made him look that way.
It wasn’t his place to pry, though, and so he didn’t comment, letting the matter drop.
“I wonder how many embarrassing stories we can get from your grandma before we leave.” Four wondered, giving Wind a sly smile.
“Smithy, I swear-“
Dinner was lively in a way only a family dinner of eleven could be. The house didn’t have a big enough surface to seat everyone, nor were there enough chairs, so instead most of them chose to sit on the floor, gathered around like it was just another night around the campfire.
It was nice- really nice, actually. Even with the embarrassing stories Four had vied for, it just felt right, having his family all together like this- both new and old. His grandma never seemed to lose her smile, looking so content and at peace despite the chaotic atmosphere. His sister, of course, was eagerly taking it in stride, pestering the heroes with question after question about their own adventures, which resulted in more than a few embellished tales being spun amongst the group. At some point it seemed to be a competition to impress Aryll the most with their increasingly ridiculous- yet still true- stories, and she loved every minute of it.
After dinner, the energy seemed to taper off and most of the group decided to call it for the night, getting their bedrolls out in the main room. The few that chose to stay up- specifically Time, Wars, and Hyrule- lingered off to the side, their voices lowered to whispers.
Although tempted to join them, Wind couldn’t fight off the sleepiness born from a long day and a warm bowl of soup, so he instead bid the others goodnight and headed off to bed. With a warmth in his chest from the hushed sounds of laughter emanating nearby and the familiar feeling of one of grandma’s knit quilts hugging him gently, he easily drifted off to sleep.
…
..
.
A foggy awareness arrived in the form of a creaking floorboard and a near-silent curse. Wind lazily shifted, squinting blearily out into the now barely-lit home, seeing a flash of pink amidst a shadowy form creeping towards the front door. The door opened without much fuss, pale moonlight ghosting over the floor with its delicate touch, illuminating the shadow to reveal a familiar blonde-haired hero slipping out of the house, rings glittering in the night before the door shut softly behind him.
Wind fell back asleep.
…
..
.
The next day, the group separated to do their own things; some heading out to explore the beaches or further inland, and a few opting to stick around the village to help out or relax somewhere closer by. Hyrule had initially asked Wind if he could show him around the island, but Aryll had all but flown between them and offered to do it herself. She was excited about meeting some of Wind’s friends, he imagined, so he simply laughed as his little sister dragged the dumbstruck traveler out of the village.
It was only after he was left by himself that he realized he hadn’t seen Legend yet that morning.
A memory came, unbidden, of him slipping out the door in the middle of the night. Had that been real? Did he ever come back?
Wind knew he shouldn’t be too concerned, considering where they were, but he felt that he had to confirm that Legend was okay at least. That was how he ended up wandering on his own, eyes scanning curiously for the bright reds and blues of the veteran’s clothes. Instead, he ended up running into the blue and green -clad Warriors, who seemed to be content to explore the area of the village itself rather than going further out.
Wind approached him, waving wildly. “Hey, captain! Have you seen Legend?”
Warriors turned, his smile brightening at the sight of the younger hero. “Hey, sailor. I…” He tilted his head slightly, pondering for a moment, “I don’t remember seeing him today, no. I figured he must’ve headed out earlier or something. Why?”
“I just…” Wind paused, wondering if he should express his concerns.
Outset was safe, but…was it? He had always thought Outset was safe growing up, right up to the moment that his little sister was plucked right off of it and whisked away to a fortress wardened by Ganondorf. And that was when he wasn’t stuck in the middle of a quest involving monsters randomly appearing throughout time to attack him and his brothers.
Something didn’t… happen to Legend, right? When he wandered out there by himself?
“Sailor?” Warriors lightly shook his shoulder, eyes betraying a glimmer of concern. “Everything alright? What’d you need to find Legend for?”
“I, um, saw Legend leave the house last night, and…I’m not sure if he ever came back.” He admitted. “And I’m worried, I guess. I- I know it’s stupid- we’re in my hometown for Hylia’s sake- but-”
Warriors shook his head. “Hey, no, none of that. It’s not stupid.” He squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, his expression radiating a sense of understanding , much to Wind’s relief. “How about we go look for him together? With us two on the case, we’ll track down that idiot in no time.”
Wind smiled gratefully, leading the way on his aimless trek through the village. For all he knew, Legend could still be lurking around the houses somewhere, after all. He didn’t have to worry. Probably.
“Where do you think we should start looking?” Wars asked idly, casually glancing around for any sign of the veteran.
The sailor tilted his head in thought. “Well…I guess…we could try checking with some of the others? Maybe they’ve seen something we haven’t.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He smiled, ruffling the younger’s hair. “I think Sky’s around here somewhere.”
Unlike Legend, the chosen hero was actually quite easy to find, meandering down the bridge that connected the two halves of the village. As soon as he heard their footsteps, Sky was quick to turn around, grinning happily at their presence.
“Hey, guys!” He called cheerfully.
Wind skidded to a stop in front of him, returning his smile. “Hi! We’re looking for Legend, have you seen him around?”
Sky nodded. “Oh, yeah, I saw him a bit earlier today.” He gestured back towards the way they came from. “He was on the docks back over that way! Seemed like he needed his space, so I left him be.”
A rush of relief went through him at Sky’s words. Legend was fine.
Warriors nudged him lightly. “That help you feel better, sailor?”
Wind’s smile grew as he nodded. “Yeah, thanks Sky!”
“No problem! Actually, uh…” Sky trailed off, thinking for a moment, “I was kinda just thinking of heading up to a higher part of the island just since…closer to what I’m used to and all. Do you guys wanna come with?”
The sailor was tempted, not usually getting to spend a lot of time with just Sky, but…
“Actually, I think I might hang back this time.” He then addressed Warriors. “You can go if you want, though, I don’t mind!”
Warriors gazed at him consideringly. “You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure!”
He shrugged nonchalantly after a moment. “Alright, yeah, not like I really had any plans or anything.” Warriors slung an arm around Sky’s shoulders. “C’mon, let’s go. We can go extra slow to make sure you can keep up.”
Sky playfully glared. “You two were running , and I’d watch who you’re teasing on a bridge…”
Their voices slowly tapered off as they walked away, leaving Wind to turn and head towards where Sky had indicated before. He figured Legend would probably want to be left alone as Sky had assumed, but he still wanted to check on him in any case. Maybe he could use the company after all; there was no harm in trying. The worst Legend would do is be grumpy, and grumpy Legend wasn’t exactly as intimidating as he perhaps wanted to be.
Eh, maybe he was just used to dealing with more irritable people from spending so much time around Linebeck. Linebeck was much harder to crack than Legend. Though, Legend wasn’t exactly tough to crack at all. He was a total softie, despite his claims otherwise.
As the houses cleared out of line of sight, the ocean centered into his focus. The rippling waves gently lapped at the golden sand, barely stirred by the sea breeze. The dock he was looking for was prominent, impossible to miss in such a small village. It stretched out a fair ways, its old, weathered wood holding firm years after it was constructed. Looking down the sturdy plank path, he could see, right at the very end, the prominent red of Legend’s tunic contrasting against the deep blue sea.
Found him.
Wind closed the distance fairly quickly, the thumps of his boots against wood nearly drowning out the sound of water splashing against the dock. The salty scent of the ocean was much stronger here, and the wind picked up minutely, unhindered by any houses or trees. If Legend noticed his approach- how could he not with how loud he was being?- he didn’t acknowledge it, keeping his gaze trained out towards the horizon.
Yet, when he got close enough, the veteran hero moved to the right, making room for him to join him.
Well, that was as open an invitation as any.
Wind settled himself on the edge of the dock, kicking his legs idly as he looked over at the older boy. He seemed…okay. Tired, maybe, if his slouched posture was any indication, but he seemed alright otherwise. Yet…his expression, it looked the same as it had the night before; something sad lingering in that sense of contentment.
He was a bit unsure of where to go from here. Should he say something? Should he just…keep him company? Hm…
“I used to do this nearly every day.” Legend surprised him by speaking up, voice quiet.
“...Watch the ocean?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
Wind sensed there was something more to that, but Legend didn’t elaborate.
“It’s nice. I brought Aryll out here a lot when we were younger.” Wind spoke instead. “We’d sit out here and look for ships, not that there are many that sail around here. We… kinda got bored of it after a while, admittedly,” He laughed, thinking of Aryll dramatically flopping backwards onto the dock, groaning loudly about the lack of ships, “and we started looking at the seagulls instead.”
That got Legend’s interest, finally tearing his gaze away from the water. “...Seagulls, huh?” Something fond entered his tone. Huh…a fondness for seagulls? Now that was a rarity no matter what timeline you came from.
“Yep! This was before Aryll’s Lookout got officially established, though. We tend to just do our sightseeing up there, now.” Wind smiled, before an idea came to mind. “Say… the view up there is a lot better than down here! How about I show you?”
Legend raised an eyebrow. “Did Aryll okay this? It is her lookout, after all.”
“Pshh, nah, she’d be fine with it. She’d probably drag you up there herself if she hadn’t already committed to showing Hyrule every nook and cranny of Outset.” Wind waved him off, standing in the same breath. “C’mon, it’ll be fun!” His voice took on a teasing lilt. “Better than just sulking on the docks, y’know.”
“Hey.” The veteran pointed an accusing finger. “I was not sulking.”
Wind pretended to think for a moment, scrunching up his face in deep thought. “Hm…no you were definitely sulking.” He pulled on Legend’s arm, lifting him to his feet. Ah, the joys of a power bracelet. “No more sitting by yourself on the dock, that’s boring, let’s gooooo~”
Legend rolled his eyes, but a small smile stole its way onto his face regardless. Success! “Ugh, fine. Lead the way.”
With a wide grin, Wind pulled Legend along, heading straight for the familiar lookout tower in the distance.
“So you just…watch seagulls up here all day?” Legend paused at the top of the ladder, glancing around the small space. Blankets and pillows were strewn about, leaning against the rough, wooden railing that enclosed the platform. A few stray pieces of paper were scattered on its floor, each covered in an assortment of colors to form messy depictions of palm trees, seagulls, and various other things presumably from around the island.
Wind smiled freely, laying out a blanket to sit on. “Sometimes. Though, we tend to kinda treat the place as more of a clubhouse than anything. Grandma always complains that we practically live up here.” He laughed lightly. “I guess she’s not entirely wrong.”
Legend pulled himself up into the watchtower, moving to sit next to the younger hero. “It does seem like it’d be fun to spend the day up here, I’ll admit it. It’s uh, kinda cool, that you live next to the ocean.”
“Is that jealousy I detect?” Wind teased as he pulled out Aryll’s telescope.
He chuckled. “Nah, honestly I used to want to live on the shore like this, but…” Legend trailed off, something forlorn trickling into his gaze, “Well, I suppose it didn’t work out quite like I wanted.”
Wind sensed the hidden meaning behind his words, and chose not to pry. Instead, he silently offered the telescope to the veteran. After a moment of consideration, Legend accepted it, gingerly gripping the object, almost like he was afraid to drop it. The two sat in silence as he examined its gleaming brass with an appraising gaze.
“It’s a beautiful piece.” Legend finally said. “You said it was your sister’s, right?”
The younger boy nodded. “Yeah. It’s still her’s, really. She just won’t let me give it back. Said that she wants me to keep it with me, so that I can still have a piece of home with me.”
Legend smiled slightly at that, before raising the telescope to his eye. Wind turned his attention outwards. The sky was as bright as ever, its cheerful shade of blue embracing the horizon. A light dusting of clouds were scattered throughout, near invisible in the light. And, of course, high above it all, seagulls were soaring, their wings cutting through the thin air in a deceptively graceful glide. From all the way down where they sat, they seemed almost…majestic.
Their loud, obnoxious squawking would say otherwise, of course, but it was a nice picture while it lasted.
“Y’know, I knew someone once,” Legend started, voice inexplicably softer all of the sudden, “Whose one wish was to become a seagull.”
Wind blinked, turning to stare at Legend. “A seagull?”
“Yep.”
Wind knew this was a rare moment; the veteran was actually being open about himself, but- “Was their true purpose in life stealing food from unsuspecting pedestrians?”
There was a moment of silence, and for a second Wind worried he had overstepped until Legend snorted . “She probably would’ve, honestly.” He lowered the telescope from his eye, handing it back to Wind. “Pretty sure she had a secret dark side in there somewhere.”
They both went quiet again.
“I think I get where she was coming from, though.” Wind started. “It must be pretty nice, being able to be up there, not a worry in the world. I think a lot of people would wish for that kind of freedom.”
Legend smiled sadly. “Yeah.”
Wind idly fiddled with the telescope in his hands. “I hope she found what she was looking for.”
The seagulls twirled and weaved amongst the sparse clouds, their eager calls ringing across the island, shouting as loud as they pleased. The sun splashed against their feathers of freshly-fallen snow. Annoying as they were, they sure could paint a beautiful picture at times.
“...I hope so, too.”