A Second Awakening (Linked Universe AU)

The Studio

Downstairs in the kitchen, Ralph was frying a pair of eggs and setting them on sliced toast. He approached his sister who was sitting at the table with a big tub of chocolate ice cream in front of her (and all over her...) he knelt in front of her with a damp cloth and wiped her face of chocolate and set the egg toast down in front of her. He picked up the ice cream, much to Ambi's protests, and put it back in the freezer.

"DAD SAID!" She wailed.

He looked at her with that expression of derisive yet tolerant love that only older siblings seem to have mastered. "Dad's out of his mind today. You Know what mom will say when she sees... She'll kill him and I still need a ride from practice today." he pointed at her plate. "Eggs. Now."

Ambi pouted as she picked at her breakfast and Ralph made himself a protein shake. Marin came downstairs in a flurry and kissed both of her kids as she ran out the door to try to beat traffic.

"There. She's gone.." Ambi said flatly pushing her plate away, can I have my ice cream now?"

Ralph looked at his watch, opened the fridge, pulled out a pink lunch box, and shoved it into his sister's hands. "Nope. Now, off you go!"

He shooed his sister out the door to meet her bus much to her protests. He waved goodbye cheerily and she pointedly ignored him. As the bus pulled away she stuck her tongue out at him from the window. Moments later an old beat-up topless jeep pulled up with four teenagers squeezed into it blaring 100 gecs and honked at the boy. Ralph grinned and flipped them off. He grabbed his shake bottle and backpack.

"Bye Dad! He called up the stairs and slammed the door as he left for school.

Legend was upstairs staring into a mirror in the bathroom when his son's voice had reached him. It barely registered. He'd washed his face as was asked of him and once it was clean, he'd been struck by what he saw in the mirror. The face he saw was certainly older... This much he'd expected (just going off of Marin's and her relative age to his. Though it was still weird. What had Really got him though was how...'clean' it was. No scars.

On his body either, for that matter. All those many years of hard fighting, all those close calls, countless harrowing near-death experiences, and fairies and potions. The evidence of that was just...gone. As if it had never happened.

Had it ever happened? He continued to inspect each place where he'd been stabbed, slashed...burned...etc. Nothing. As he was doing this that same shrill ringing from this morning came from beside the bed. Legend walked to pick it up and answered his phone on instinct.

"Hello?"

"There you are!" Ravio's somewhat frantic voice came through. "Jesus! This morning when you hung up I got worried. I've been texting you all morning! This was the first chance I had to call! Are you ok?"

"uh.."

"Pre-show jitters? I get it.. It's not every day that the Mayor herself buys an entire collection!"

"Mayor? Legend said stupidly.

"Uh...yeah? She loved your medieval collection; she's buying the whole thing? Tonight, is the last show before they go into her private collection? The charity event? Uh....Link? Buddy? You ok?"

"F-Fine...I think?" Legend answered honesty.

"Well, you're cousin is here and is asking about you. Anyways, he told me to tell You to call him when you have a chance so you should do that. Whenever you're ready come on down to the gallery so we can fix the lighting on some of em.. That castle one is giving me hell."

"Uh, ok...wait my cousin?"

Ravio sighed, "Yeah, the weird one. Short guy? Long hair? Anyways. Get down here."

"Right." Legend said, and they hung up the call.

The Hero dressed and poured himself another cup of coffee. His feet seemed to know what he was doing even though he didn't so he trusted them to it. They carried him through a homey and cheerful living room and through a back garden to a small quaint art studio with a sprawling view of the bay through ornate French doors. He looked around, feeling a weird hybrid sense of newness and familiarity as he did so. This... this was His studio. He made art here. He Loved it. He pulled a white sheet off of a canvas and was taken aback by what he saw.

It was Him! Them! All of them, his brothers... They stood with their backs to the viewer, themselves on a rocky outcrop looking out over a vast expanse of green, with snaking rivers and blue mountains in the far distance.. it was Hyrule, Wild's Hyrule. Their armor and weapons seemed to shine in the painting. It looked so real like he could reach out and touch them. He stood in the middle, his signature red tunic and blue cap fluttering in a soft breeze he could almost feel.

He had painted this.. He must have.

He'd dreamed them up.

Legend suddenly felt very sad. He sat down on the stool in front of the painting and just stared for a long time, reminiscing on all the memories. He sipped his coffee in silence, listening to birds in the garden and missing his companions fiercely.

His phone ringing pulled him from his private reverie. He sighed as he picked it up. It was a video call this time. He answered it,

"Hello?"

"Hello?" A muffled but familiar voice came through. The image was blurry and dark, "Hang on I'm coming through a tunnel."

Moments later the image cleared and a face appeared, smiling into the camera. "Hi!"

Legend gasped. It was Wind! Older and with a short-cropped haircut rather than his signature surf-tousled locks but it was him.

"Wha-" Legend stammered, looking from the canvas to the phone. "B-but How?"

"I Know!" The young man said excitedly "I can't believe it either! But my command approved my leave! The ships in port for a few weeks so I decided to come and visit! Don't tell the 'Old Man' yet though...Or Malon she cant keep a secret to save her life, bless her." He laughed. "I want it to be a surprise!"

Legend stared at the phone tears welling in his eyes.

"Oh Snap! I'm sorry man, are you ok?" I didn't mean to keep it from you.. The ship is just doing some spoopy bull shit I couldn't tell you when we were coming in. But I'm here now! And I own ya a drink! Wanna go to Dave and Buster's after your gallery shindig tonight? My treat!"

"I.... Yes!" Legend laughed through tears. "Sailor we can go wherever you want! I can't tell you how happy I am to see your face!"

Wind chuckled. "Man, who even are you right now? It's only been a few months! But hey, I'll take it.. I missed you too." The crew-cut man suddenly looked up and away from the camera, well I'm about to go pick up Wild for lunch but I'll talk to you later ok?"

O-Ok.." Legend wheezed, feeling hope and confusion spinning in his mind. "W-wait..." His heart clenched at the burst of hope... and fear. The rancher.. maybe?

"Yeah?"

"Is... Twilight?"

"Is he what, dude? Coming tonight? Maybe? Who knows man.." He shook his head and frowned down into the phone. "newlyweds." He finished with gravity.

Legend choked... He was alive. It seemed like they all might be. He could only hope.

"You good man?"

"Yeah.." Legend breathed. "For the first time in a very long time? I think that I am.."