Chapter Text
It's a bright, sunny day and the group finds themselves traversing yet another forest both similar and different to all the other forests they have found themselves lost in previously. The leafy green canopy provides light shade as they brush through various bushes and climb over fallen logs.
Legend is really starting to hate forests.
"If I've got this right," Hyrule mumbles from beside him, "Then we should be close to Nabooru Town?"
"How close is close?" Twilight asks from behind them. Hyrule smiles sheepishly.
"For me? Three days at the very least."
Wind lets out a loud groan. "Three days? Of being lost in the forest?"
"Look, that's just an estimate!" Hyrule defends.
"At the very least, you said," Time points out. Hyrule pouts.
"Maybe."
Legend rolls his eyes at their antics. Stuck in a forest for probably more than three days. What else is new?
"This sucks," Warriors grumbles from Legend’s other side.
He turns to him. "What, are you afraid your hair is gonna get messed up?" Legend jeers in good nature. Warriors swats him on the shoulder.
"I have an appearance to maintain!" He retorts. Legend knows he’s just playing along, chuckling with a twinkle in his eye.
Legend grins, encouraged. "Oh yeah? Is that why you're skinnier than a twig?"
Warriors abruptly stops laughing, frowning in confusion. He looks down at himself, then back up at Legend with an eyebrow raised. "I'm not that skinny.”
"You are skin and bone," Twilight snickers, appearing on Warriors’ other side. "You can barely wear that shoulder pad of yours, never mind lift anything heavier than a cucco!"
Instead of getting riled up like Legend expected him to, Warriors glances at Twilight with a smirk. "Wanna bet?”
Twilight nods, crossing his arms with a wide, cocky grin--as if he's already won. Legend looks between the two before shrugging. It's not his money he's about to wager. Let them have their fun. It'll at least provide some entertainment.
"Alright, farm boy," Warriors says, holding up a bag of rupees. "How's thirty?"
"Make it fifty and you're on."
"Deal!"
"As interesting as this is, is now really the time?" Time asks, walking up to them and raising an amused eyebrow.
"Yes, considering we're probably gonna stay lost for a week if Hyrule's estimate is anything to go by," Legend replies, his curiosity overriding the everlasting urge to go go go. "Besides, you said it yourself: it's interesting."
"I said three days!" Hyrule shouts in indignation.
Legend elbows him playfully. "Right, so a week."
"What am I lifting?" Warriors asks before Hyrule can complain further.
Twilight hums, surveying the forest with narrowed eyes. Legend scoffs. He's really taking this seriously, isn't he?
"There are no rocks around here," Twilight mumbles under his breath. "No logs or anything either." He hums, raising a hand to his chin and leaning on one leg.
"We can continue with this silly bet later," Four chastises, though he looks to be biting back a smile. "Let's keep moving before we run out of daylight."
Twilight's eyes land on Legend. "Oh, actually, I've got it!"
Legend raises an eyebrow. Warriors nods expectantly.
"Carry Legend until we make camp."
"I'm sorry, what?" Legend exclaims. Carry me?
"You want me to carry Legend?" Warriors asks, incredulous.
Twilight nods. "Yup. Unless that's too much for your skinny little arms to handle. Then you can carry Wind."
"Hell yeah!" Wind shouts from the sidelines.
"Hell no," Warriors barks. "You said Legend. I'll carry Legend!"
Legend raises a hand, grabbing their attention and effectively reminding them that he is right there and has thoughts of his own. "Hang on, I didn't agree to this!"
Warriors looks at him pleadingly while Twilight continues to snicker. “It’s just a piggyback ride!”
Come on, Link! If you climb on my shoulders, we can reach the switches!
Actually... it might not be such a terrible predicament.
"You know what? Go for it." Legend says with a shrug, dismissing his nostalgia. "I can be lazy for once. Best day ever."
The words are barely out of his mouth before Warriors is ducking down. With a yelp of surprise, Legend finds himself suddenly seated atop Warrior's shoulders, his hands holding Legend's ankles to keep him steady.
Twilight gapes.
“Comfortable?” Warriors asks, head tilting back to look up at him. He has a mischievous glint in his eyes as Twilight splutters in shock.
The shoulder pad is annoying, but… “I’m good,” Legend replies, a little shocked himself at how easily Warriors picked him up. He knows Warriors is strong, but he didn’t think Warriors would be able to lift him like he weighed less than a feather.
"Then off we go!" Warriors begins walking, leaving the rest of the group behind in a stunned stupor. Hyrule is the first to walk after them, shrugging nonchalantly at the entire scene and gently urging poor Twilight to follow.
"You owe me fifteen rupees if you pull this off," Legend whispers, leaning down so only Warriors could hear him.
Warriors glances up at him with a grin. "No problem."
They climb up hills and weave through the tightly packed trees and bushes, Legend holding branches out of the way for them. The hours pass by with idle chit-chat, the occasional glance their way. At one point, Sky gives him a bemused smile, which widens into a grin when Legend lazily shrugs with a wink. To everyone's surprise, Warriors barely breaks a sweat before Time calls for them to stop for the night.
Twilight looks disappointed, to say the least.
"I can't believe you actually did that," He says in a pout as Warriors crouches to let Legend clamber off.
"I can," Warriors chuckles. "Did you forget I'm in the army?”
Twilight goes to answer before he pauses. His face flushes a little.
"No," He weakly says.
"Liar," Legend teases. "Don't worry, I think we all did. He doesn’t exactly… come off as the military type.
"I'm stronger than I look," Warriors says with his chest puffed out in pride.
That’s not what Legend was getting at, exactly, but it’s close enough.
Warriors holds out a hand, eyeing Twilight with a shit-eating grin. Twilight rolls his eyes with a groan, tossing him a small bag before trudging away with a defeated mutter. Warriors fishes out a blue and yellow rupee and hands them to Legend.
"Thank you for your service," Warriors snickers.
"Thanks for the free ride," Legend shoots back, taking the money and stuffing it into his own wallet. "I'm glad I wasn't the one making that bet,” he adds after a moment.
"You doubted me too, Mr. Analytical?" Warriors admonishes. Legend shakes his head.
"Oh no, I didn't doubt you couldn't lift me. I'm glad I didn't bet because you would have been in a sour mood when you lost."
"What makes you think I would lose just because you bet?"
"I would have made you carry Time."
Warriors's eyes widen in fear. "Thanks for not betting."
"No problem."