#Aryll: I have a dad now! :D

[smilesrobotlover]

I feel like Link’s family would be obsessed with Linebeck

[twistedstoryteller]

Linked Universe Headcanons I have

I’ve been in the fandom for awhile now, and I got a couple headcanons formed cause of it(might add more to it if I remember/think of more to add here)

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Four and Wind are related being each other’s ancestor and descendant respectively. Four is very fond of both Wind and Aryll. He’s slightly protective of them too.

Wind and Tetra’s great great granddaughter is Spirit Tracks Zelda while Aryll’s great great grandson is Spirit or Spirit Tracks Link.

Fable and Legend are twins(therefore Legend part of family tree), though they were separated at birth due to a very unfair law regarding about natural born princes that formed in the downfall timeline(Do not worry Legend and Fable obviously got rid of that law when Fable became queen). The Hylia “bastards” became a thing in that timeline.

Ravio and Hilda are twins as well. It’s just Ravio status as prince of Lorule never actually came up(heck none of the citizens of Lorule realize that Ravio is well “Ravio”, not just because he wore that bunny mask. Mostly due to Ravio as prince behave cold and detached. He cares for Lorule just as much, but well. He is very cunning for a reason)

Four has a dad. It’s just said dad was very busy with his knight duties and wasn’t very home often thus making things very awkward between both father and son, especially when Four was part of the knights of Hyrule for sometime(FSA Manga beginning) but later switch back to being a blacksmith. Four and his dad are getting along slightly better since FSA. It still can be awkward at times.

Sky very fond of his great great great whatever how many greats granddaughters aka the other Zeldas(after he actually got through the process of being embarrassed he and Sun basically created the entire royal bloodline). He’s a hugger too, and he also hugs Legend upon finding out the other is his great great great whatever how many greats grandson.

Twilight is actually Legend’s and Fable��s uncle in another life. Dusk is also Legend’s and Fable’s mother in another life. Maybe?(I’m on the fence on this one but I really like it :D)

Hyrule’s mom from another life is Tatl. It was pretty interesting when he ran into her in Time’s era. Especially considering Hyrule is technically half fairy 🧚🏼‍♂️(based on my headcanon on him)

Let’s just say in the time where all the timelines merge back into one aka Warriors’s era. Legend, Hyrule, Twilight, and Wind own spirits that dwell will get the most interesting experience of having two other lifetime of memories shoved into their heads(the timeline they were heroes in being the most prominent or more present in their psyche. At least the ones they personally chose to identify themselves as, aka it’s filtered to be the one they remember immediately, they have to actually try to think to remember the other two timelines. Both Twilight and Legend were pretty awkward around each other cause of it). Time got lucky cause it was only two timelines worth of memories, the one he lived and the fallen(got the most awkward experience of remembering himself dying in the fallen timeline), Four though. Oh boy, all three set of memories from three different timelines cause well. Remember the palace of the four sword and he was sealed in the sword somehow. Yeah all three sets of memories of three different timelines shoved into his head does not sit pretty well in his head for him. Pretty sure he fainted at least four seconds later after that(and does not have the same type of filter as the others contributed to that as his own lifetime was before the split by Time), at least he was with Sky(Sky got lucky |:[).

Warriors, Time/Mask, and Wind both knew each other during the war. They bonded pretty well to the point they actually saw each other’s as brothers(heck Wind actually tackled hug Warriors when seeing him again).

Time may not exactly behave like it but he still has a mischievous gremlin streak. He just hides it way better than he did when he was younger. Hyrule is Legend’s descendant. Therefore technically related to the royal family but very distantly.

Twilight knows the Lon Lon family song, even if he doesn’t exactly remember where it came from since he was very little when he had wandered into the forest of Ordon. Rusl and Uli were his adoptive parents in a way cause of it(bless them, they were very kind and sweet for him. Colin and his younger sister adore Twilight just as much)

all the Links are all canonically very attractive and beautiful. Unfortunately Four and Legend have this feminine look and feel to them that sometimes get them mistaken for being fair maidens more than once. Legend gets it worse off as at least the way Four presents himself helps(when split as the colors, it’s Red and Vio that get mistaken as girls out of the four). Of course that doesn’t mean Four and Legend don’t take advantage of it when seeing/spotting a good opportunity to use the ability of being mistaken for being female(doesn’t help both have scary talent in being able to mimic a female voice very well).

Four has a dogish cat named “Wolfie”. Who unlike normal cats, actually recognized Four and protected him from other cats(Wolfie happened to love the Minish just as much as Four does). Wolfie the only cat Four actually adores, cause in Four’s words “Wolfie is an exception, he isn’t like any regular cat!” just like Legend would feel about Pyoko since Pyoko’s a cucco, and cuccos are something all the chain(except for Sky) would fear and rather keep away from at all times.(also yes Four is well aware the fact his cat named “Wolfie” and there’s a wolf named “Wolfie” too)

Four, Time, and Legend have one of the most beautiful singing voices out of all the chain. All of them have great singing voices however Four, Time, and Legend have the most beautiful in that order(of course Legend doesn’t show that talent of singing off either as slightly open as the others due to well, everything he been through, especially what happened with Marin, she was the last person he had sung his whole heart for, Ravio has actually helped Legend slowly open up with his singing. Time doesn’t sing as much either however Warriors and Wind remember how beautiful and soothing sounding Mask’s own singing was, and Time is slowly getting more willing to sing the more time he spent with the chain. Four actually was the most comfortable and okay singing in front of others regarding out of the three. Also, they technically have Disney Princess quality singing, heck maybe even better.)

Time/Mask used to love singing often back in the Kokiri Forest. Even though he had his status as a no fairy boy back than, not even Mido can deny Link had the most beautiful singing voice out of the Kokiri. Every creature in the forest loved hearing Link’s singing. Time/Mask later stopped because of his journey especially after Navi left and his time in Termina(the only person he was even willing to sing for at the time was Malon, Epona was an already guaranteed). He slowly did get comfortable singing privately for Warriors, Artemis, and Wind. Later it would extend to the rest of the chain especially Twilight and Wild.

Out of all the colors, Green actually got to keep the soft soothing singing voice Four is practically known for. Of course they(Green, Red, Blue, and Vio) all technically have Four’s beautiful singing voice, it’s just Green has the most beautiful singing when it comes to gentle and soft songs(like Zelda’s Lullaby) The other colors got the other parts of Four’s singing voice aka they sing the other parts of Four’s singing very well(I will answer which parts of it another time). Random side note but Shadow really good at singing too to the point he and Four can do a duet with each other(He and Vio already did one together once, but only that one time back when Vio had pretended to be working for the villains)

Zeffa is very important to Four and not just because I see Zeffa as Four’s loftwing. Zeffa and Four are partners the same way as Sky and Crimson are. Not only that but Zeffa actually loves to listen to Four’s singing voice, especially when Zeffa flying Four around. Also Zeffa is very fond of Green, Red, Blue, and Vio(the four are in a way Four after all)

Wild may not be able to easily recoil the memories as his own. He still feels some remnant of attachment and love for Mipha. Especially since Mipha had always seen Wild, as himself not just “the hero”. Mipha’s spirit stayed with Wild even if she had a chance to pass on. She didn’t.

Warriors is Spirit or Spirit Track Link. He and Artemis(whose Spirit Track Zelda) experienced the timeline merging when they were around they were the ages of 16-17, and they woke up one morning not only seeing that new Hyrule freaking changed! That not only that the country now called Hyrule again, both Warriors and Artemis literally woke up with two other set of memories they clearly know were not there the night before. It was not the most enjoyable experience for either of them(Will not always use this type of headcanon but I do really liked it and might use it in some works of mine)

Legend experience at the palace of the four sword was traumatizing to say the very least. Especially when he later realized he killed Four in that time as he didn’t recognize Four at first(just a sense of dread he can’t explain). He only realized upon seeing Four split for the first time his mind clicked that yeah. He killed an older Four there. Legend couldn’t exactly look Four properly in the eye for awhile

Remember that Ocarina of Time manga where Time had befriended a certain boss dragon monster but had to kill his that dragon when he got older aka Volvagia. Well technically in the child timeline that dragon, never became evil cause of Ganon right? So technically that means that dragon alive but never was under ganondorf’s influence. That just means the dragon living off peacefully somewhere with a happy dragon family(possibly still visit Time somehow). Hmmm, should we still call that dragon “Volvagia” or should we call the fellow something else. Hmmm “Volga” maybe?(totally not tempted to make this dragon the same one from Hyrule Warriors for some random yet potentially angst inducing reason 😶💧, ha ha ha where would you ever get that idea 😅 he he he). Side note the little dragon has heard Time sing before, both in the adult and child timeline.

Four became a sword spirit after LU(No I will not elaborate how exactly. Let’s just say “Palace of the Four Sword”). That random and potentially angst idea aside, Four can still see the Minish as he is interacted with them long enough to still be able to see them possibly all the way till he is very old and grey.

The Chain do reunite once more after their adventure together. How? That part is up for debate. Very up to debate.

Also I really like the headcanon that the Hero of Men(one that Four looked up to a lot just as much as he did with the hero of skies) was actually a minish. A forest minish to be exact

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And that’s all I can think of for now. Still might add more later, who knows. 😅

[silvercaptain24]

Hey Silver! May I hear about The Bakery AU? It sounds cozy. And delicious. :D

Wolf. Wolf I am so sorry. The Bakery AU isn't cozy at all it's like the angstiest thing ever- XD

So.

Wars lived with Wind, and Aryll, and their Grandma. Except she was started to have a really hard time making ends meet, and at the time Wars wasn't old enough to have a job. SO he ran away from home, but his family all thinks he's safe somewhere.

He is not.

Well, fast forward several years. Fierce, who runs a bakery, is coming back from a shopping trip when he sees this kid rooting around in an alley. And Fierce has Dad instincts so he starts asking about the kid. Is he okay? Why is he limping? Where do you live? And Wars is just like "Leave me alone I'd like to eat today."

Which absolutely sets Fierce off because WHAT.

Therein begins his process of trying to get Wars to come back to his house to get food. And there are a lot of details there because @shyrule kinda went crazy, so I won't say everything, but eventually Fierce finds Wars sick and much more injured in the same alley. Wherein the true Dadding begins.

And theres. a lot. A LOT. To this AU, so I won't spoil everything here. But Wars is not one who trusts easily, I'll let you know now.

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of Hyrule | Chapter 77

Just as Link expected, the media had gathered around the hospital, anxiously waiting for Hyrule’s Champions to make their appearance. But to his relief, they were also greeted with heavy security detail, and despite Revali’s eagerness to brag to the cameras, they made it through the crowd without incident and into the awaiting town cars.

All Link wanted to do was go home and sleep in his bed for the rest of the summer. But even though the war was over, there were still some loose ends that needed tying up. For one, the sword needed to be returned to where he found it, which would - hopefully - close the last portal, sealing Ganondorf away once and for all.

Secondly, there was the matter of Revali’s mysterious remark to him and Zelda. Something still weighed heavily on the minds of the Champions. Something that Link and Zelda were completely unaware of. Link hadn’t the slightest idea what had happened while they were seperated, but the thought festered in his mind and made him sick to his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to put the entire thing behind him.

And as he thought about it, another realization came to mind. There was still the unanswered question about the Yiga Clan. Zelda had her suspicions that there was a mole among the Sheikah entrusted with the safety of the royal family. She had mentioned that Impa had warned her not to look into the Yiga Clan. Surely she wouldn’t have made such a warning if there was nothing to hide.

He hoped, at the very least, the hardest part was over.

The Champions found themselves in each other’s company once more. They were gathered together at the park. The same park they so frequently visited. The park where their last soccer game was suddenly interrupted by Ganondorf’s return. On this cool, summer evening, however, the park was empty as they huddled together, keeping their voices low as they spoke.

“So,” Link started, shoving his hands in his pockets. “What’s the deal?”

The four Champions exchanged wary glances for a moment before Revali spoke.

“We think the Yiga Clan is still in business, and we think there’s a mole in the Sheikah. Someone is working with them.”

“Right,” Zelda started, slightly hesitant. “I know.”

Urbosa narrowed her gaze on Zelda. “What do you mean you know?” she hissed.

“I mean. Well. I… had my own suspicions,” she admitted.

“Since when?” Daruk asked.

“For a while,” she said.

“And you didn’t think to tell us?” Revali said.

Zelda narrowed her gaze on him. “It was just a suspicion.” she said. “It’s not like there was anything I could do about it unless it amounted to something. I have no proof.”

“Well,” Revali started, crossing his arms and turning his attention to Link. “If it’s proof you need, your father’s got it.”

Link’s brows furrowed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“It seems he and Dorian are out to kill each other,” Daruk said. “It’s a wonder they haven’t offed the other yet.”

Link shook his head. “They’re best friends.”

“So, threatening each other with loaded weapons is your idea of friendship?” Urbosa said.

“I wish I had known that,” Revali said with a grin.

“What are you talking about?” Link sneered.

“Look,” Daruk started seriously. “After you got gutted for a second damn time, we thought we were fucked. Zelda was holding that dickwad back with everything she had, and we needed to get her out of there and come up with a damn plan.” He hesitated. “We went to the base outside the city, but your dad had other plans. I thought he and Dorian were going to kill us all right then and there.”

“He said he should have killed Dorian when he had the chance,” Revali said simply.

“And he was the reason everything happened,” Urbosa said.

“Everything?” Zelda echoed. “Like…”

“Like opening the portals and giving Ganondorf every advantage he could, probably,” Daruk said.

“Exactly what a Yiga bastard would do,” Revali confirmed.

“No,” Zelda said quickly. “Dorian… he’s not with the Yiga. He’s Impa’s second in command. She trusts him.” She grew angry. “And don’t you dare tell me she’s one of them, too!”

“Probably not,” Urbosa said. “But it’s likely she doesn’t have a clue.”

“Or she does,” Daruk pointed out, “and she’s just not telling us.”

“And she won’t say anything,” Urbosa said.

“No, she won’t,” Zelda said slowly. “She knew I was looking into the Yiga Clan. She pulled me aside and told me to stay out of it.”

“That’s enough for me,” Daruk said. “Sounds like the Yiga Clan is still a very real threat. And if Dorian is a mole, that’s even more bad news for us.”

“What do you think they’ll do?” Mipha asked.

“I’m sure they’ll do everything in their power to bring Ganondorf back and fuck up everything we’ve done to get rid of his sorry ass,” Revali said.

“How could they do that?” Mipha’s brows furrowed together.

“I’m sure they have their ways,” Urbosa said. “And we shouldn’t wait to find out. I’m not doing a second war with that giant dick.”

“What do you want me to do about it?” Link muttered.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Revali said, rolling his eyes. “Get your dad to talk.”

“He won’t,” Link said. “He won’t tell me shit.”

“How can you be so sure about that?” Zelda said. “After everything we’ve been through already -”

“Because he’s been hiding shit from me since the beginning,” Link snapped. He hesitated and kicked the toe of his shoe into the dirt. “And he probably has every reason to. If I needed to know, he would have told me.”

“I’d say if it has to do with the safety of Hyrule, you should know,” Urbosa said. “You are the Chosen Hero, after all.”

“Yeah,” Link grunted. “Let me know what that means anything to anyone. It doesn’t give me any special treatment.”

“So, you can’t put that on your resume?” Revali said.

Link sighed. “Are we done? I have a sword to get rid of a portal to close.”

“I’ll see what I can find,” Zelda said. “About Dorian and the Yiga.”

Urbosa pinched her lips together. “Be careful. Don’t do anything without us.”

“I’m the princess of Hyrule,” she said. “What is he gonna do? Kidnap me in my own home?”

“I’m not coming to anyone’s rescue,” Link said, turning his back on his friends. “My job is done.”

“Don’t relax too much,” Revali warned him. “We may be kicking Yiga ass next.”

“Sure,” Link said over his shoulder. “As long as I can sleep the rest of the summer away, first.”

*****

His father was home when Link got home. He and Aryll were happily stuffing their faces with pizza when Link entered. He sat himself at the table with a heavy sigh and reached across to snag his own slice.

“Did they have pizza in the olden days?” Aryll asked with a mouthful of pizza.

“The olden days?” Rusl repeated.

“Yeah. Like. Do you think Hylia liked pizza?”

“I don’t think they had pizza, Ary,” Link said.

Aryll frowned. “Those poor people.” She shrugged and took another bite of her slice. “So, tomorrow,” she continued, changing the subject. “We’re gonna get a puppy, right?”

“I don’t think so,” Rusl said.

“But you said if we won we could get a puppy!”

“In my defense,” Rusl said. “I was fairly sure we would lose.” He grinned at Link.

“Ha. Ha,” Link said sarcastically.

“Well,” Aryll said. “We win. And I get a puppy.”

Rusl put his chin in his hand and sighed. “We’ll see.”

“When I’m a Mom, I’m gonna get all the puppies and do what I say!”

Rusl laughed sharply. “We’ll see about that.”

“Yeah huh!”

“That’s the best part of being a parent,” he said. “You get to be the biggest hypocrite you want, and your best excuse is ‘because I said so.’”

“You say that all the time, Daddy.”

His grin widened. “It’s a wonderful world, Ary. Someday you’ll appreciate it.”

Aryll turned a helpless gaze to Link, and her brother simply shrugged.

“Why do you bother, Ary?” he said. “You’re old enough to know by now.”

“I’m six!”

“When I was your age,” Rusl said, “I had to walk -”

“Uphill, both ways, in the snow,” Link said dryly.

Aryll gasped at Link. “You’re turning into him!”

“No way.” Link shook his head. “I have a better excuse than that.”

“What, saving the world?” Rusl said. “That won’t get old fast.”

“I’m milking that one forever.”

“Does that mean you and Mipha are gonna have babies?” Aryll asked.

Rusl snorted and Link choked slightly on his pizza.

“Hylia, I hope not,” Rusl said. “Do you really think he could keep a damn kid alive?”

“He could make them peanut butter and banana sandwiches!”

Rusl nodded. “Ah, yes, a key category in the food pyramid, with all the nutrients a growing child needs.”

“Don’t you have to go to bed or something?” Link said to his sister.

Aryll shook her head. “No! It’s summer! I get to stay up all night!”

“Go to bed, Ary,”  Rusl said.

Aryll frowned. “Do I gotta?”

“Yes,” they said in unison.

Aryll turned her gaze to each of them, then sighed. “Alright,” she said as she slid off the chair. “But only because I’m gonna build a fort in Link’s room and play his video games.”

“Have fun,” Rusl said as Aryll skipped out of the room.

Link listened as her feet hurried up the stairs and waited for the faint sound of a closing door before he spoke.

“So,” he started, taking another slice of pizza. “What’s the deal with Dorian?”

Rusl met his son’s gaze, his brows furrowed.

“Come on,” Link said. “Don’t do this shit. Everyone told me what happened.”

Rusl still did not answer his son. He picked at his pizza for a moment.

“Is Dorian working with the Yiga Clan?” Link pressed, his gaze narrowed on his father. “Is he going to fuck up everything we’ve done to stop Ganondorf?”

Rusl met his son’s gaze once more. If there was anything he knew, Link could not have guessed what it was. His father’s expression was completely void of any emotional response. He held his gaze on his father, and when endless minutes passed of no response, he got to his feet angrily.

“Stop hiding things from me!”

Rusl smiled and returned to his pizza. “Your job is done. There’s nothing more you need to worry about.”

“There is if the Yiga Clan is going to undo everything we’ve done,” Link sneered. “I’m not doing this again.”

Rusl’s smile disappeared. He regarded his son once more. “I won’t let you do it again,” he said softly. He took a bite of his pizza. “Stop worrying. You’ve done your part. Leave the rest up to us.”

Link hesitated. “What about Dorian?”

Rusl leaned back in the chair and met his son’s gaze. “Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t concern you.”

Admittedly, Link was not happy with this answer, but he trusted his father. “I thought you were friends.”

“It’s complicated.”

“Is that what your Facebook status says?” Link grinned.

Rusl smiled and got to his feet. “Promise me you’ll drop it,” he said fiercely.

Link hesitated, then nodded. “Fine,” he said. “But I can’t promise Revali will, or anyone else.”

Rusl considered this with a shrug. “Convince them. I don’t need any more trouble than I already have.”

Link frowned. “I don’t like this.”

“I know.” Rusl sighed. He patted his son’s shoulder as he left the kitchen without another word.

[adel-memes]

YOOO YOU READ COLORFUL LADS???? what a blast from the past I kinda thought it died 😭😭😭

But yeyeye I'm using similar set up as before just changing it a little bit!!! Like Blue is still Wind's & Aryll's older brother but this time they're not related to Arcy & live with Linebeck! Vio & Red are now siblings & their older siblings are Zelda & Sheik (also twins) but their parent is Ganon & I'm thinking of single dad cause idk who would be the mom just Vio & Zelda look more like her 😁😁😁 but I am actually using a LOT of that fic relationships into the au, maybe dynamic & interactions is sorta different now but who knows :)

Honestly on the rivals & blue going from hate to love towards writing & reading is so 💞💞💞 its FUN and GOOFY and LOVELYYYY especially cause it centers around Vio & Blue being goofy idiots together I think it's nice to have that :D

No cause your au sounds SUPER interesting! The bittersweet feeling at losing touch with a friend who moved away tho HURTS I wonder if Vio knew Blue was moving away or he just thinks Blue disappeared on him without goodbye. Idk which hurts me more ngl but really neat take & au dude I'm curious 👀👀👀

Oooo that fantasy au sounds like a great and fun time. The two of them traveling around together getting into all sorts of stuff. I’d love to hear more about but, but also I want know of the modern au!!

OHHH MODERN AU :)

OK the idea is just this. Vio & Blue were childhood friends, grew apart and as they went into high-school they became academic rivals who always try to one up each other

But here is the thing, during high school break, Blue kind of got into writing & uploads stuff online. But no one except 1 person knows (Red)

And and Vio (unknowingly) Supports his Writing A Lot. Like reads it a lot and gives long comments. That escalates to them talking online & eventually becoming friends.

BUT BUUUUUT they do not know each other's online handle or anything. So the whole story follows Blue & Vio being annoying rivals in school & getting on each other's nerves and then being online best friends who gush about interests & gossip. It also involves the who finds out about the other first, lots of fluffy & crack moments, maybe some angst here and there but mostly crack & fluff.

The other's are here too ofc, Red is Vio's twin brother, Green is Blue's best friend (they bonded over running away from teacher ganon), Shadow is Red's best friend (they bonded over art lol)

[melodramatic-butterfly]

Zodiac! 10 Character Meme (Spark’s 13R Countdown Day 7: Free Day)

Here are Fox’s countdown list, Spark’s countdown list, and every 13R countdown post I’ve made

I ended up swapping Day 7 and Day 8 because Fox’s tag has the same challenge the next day, so I’ll just list everything then. :D

Read below!

Choose 10 characters 1. Rho 2. Lord Neith 3. Pandora 4. Stanton 5. Sirna 6. Nishi 7. Mathias 8. Ophiuchus 9. Arryl 10. Hysan 1. 4 has presented you with a peanut-butter and squid taco. I really wouldn't be surprised if Stanton did that. I'd try it, probably, how bad can his cooking be? 2. 7 and 10 are shopping at the mall when 1 runs out of a store with stolen merchandise. What do 7 and 10 do? Mathais and Hysan shopping together cracks me up. Rho would never steal anything, but if she did she'd have a very good reason behind it. Mathais and Hysan probably chase after her, and help her lmao 3. You've brushed your teeth, put on your pajamas, and are about to get into your bed, when you discover that 9 is sleeping in it. What happens next? Arryl in my bed? I'd punch his balls with everything I've got. Filthy jerk. 4. 9 and 8 discover voodoo dolls of 3 and 7. What do they do with them? Ophiuchus and Arryl find dolls of Mathais and Pandora. Arryl would spend time putting needles in both while Ophiuchus doesn't even bother, probably. 5. 6 is feeling out of shape and somehow obtains an exercise machine. 5 decides to help out and becomes his/her trainer. How does that work out? Nishi would probably do that, maybe it might help vent feelings about Deke. Sirna helping ≠ Nishi improve. Probably ends up in a cold argument. 6. Make up an email address for 10. libranenvoyhysan@zodiac.psy 7. While 10 is checking his/her inbox, they receive an email from 1. They open it to find a picture of 5 and 3 hugging each other while passed out on the floor. How does 10 react and what does he/she send back to 1 in response? Hysan checking his email, and gets an email from Rho to see Pandora and Sirna hugging while passed out would probably confuse Hysan, lol. Probably sends back 'Are you okay?' Or something like that 8. 2 wakes up one morning to find him/herself in a random alleyway wearing a plaid shirt, striped pants, and a polka-dot bowtie. His/her reaction? Lord Neith in something like that would make me g r i n. He'd just be like how in Helios? 9. It's Halloween! 7, 10, 6, and 1 are going trick-or-treating. What do they dress up as? 4 is stuck handing out candy while everybody else decides to watch a scary movie. Who wets them self first? Mathias, Hysan, Nishi, and Rho go trick or treating. I bet Mathias would go as a ninja, Hysan as some vampire, Nishi as a Greek goddess, and Rho as a fairy of some sort. Stanton is stuck handing out candy while everyone else, Neith, Pandora,  Sirna, Ophiuchus, and Aryll watch a scary movie. Probably Sirna or Ophiuchus. 10. 3, 1, 5, and 4 start up a game of Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Who do they play as and who wins? Pandora, Rho, Sirna, and Stanton. Pandora probably plays like Link, haha while Rho plays as Princess Peach. Lol I sooo see Sirna playing as Zelda! Stanton plays as Donkey Kong. 11. When it's all over, they shut off the game to find themselves turned into the characters they were playing as! Their reactions? Screaming and freaking out. Pandoras screeching because she's the opposite gender and Stanton flips out because he's a monkey. 12. It's the first high school football game of the season! 5, 2, 7, 3, and 9 are on the football team! How do they fare against the other team? Sirna, Neith, Mathais, Pandora, and Aryl. Great. I mean there's probably poor teamwork between Aryl and everyone else, otherwise it's probably not terrible. Mathais would make a great quarterback lol. 13. 1, 4, 6, and 8 on the other hand, are on the cheerleading squad doing their best to support the team! Do they succeed? Or crash and burn? Rho, Stanton, Nishi, and Ophiuchus. Rho and Nishi probably create cool cheers while Stanton is mad Pandora made the team and not him, haha. Ophiuchus is on the side. 14. 10 is in the bleachers observing all of this. What does he/she think about all of it? Hysan is watching Rho the entire time. 15. 3 wakes up one morning to find out he/she cannot speak anything but French and without realizing it, very good French. What does he/she do now? Pandora is probably surprised but pleasantly surprised. Talks to Mathais, whose utterly confused. 16. It's 4's wedding day! Who is he/she marrying? Who (on this list) do they invite and how do they react to having to put on nice clothes? Stanton is marrying Jewel, of course! Rho's the Maid of Honor and either Hysan or Mathais is the Best Man. It'd probably be kind of small, Jewel's family and friends plus Stanton's. On the beach, of course! 17. 5. IS. PREGNANT!!! And 2 is the father! How do the two react? What about everyone else? Sirna, pregnant. Neith's the dad, even though he's an Android 🤔. Both are horrified, it was probably a one night stand, if anything. Everyone else is shocked. 18. 9 months later... Sirna decided to raise it, I guess. 19. 6, 8, 2, and 1 are on a mission to steal the world's largest diamond from a tall office building. 9 is manning the security station. Do the cat-burglars succeed? Nishi, Ophiuchus, Neith, and Rho. Aryl is at the security station, probably steals the diamond himself lmao, so no. 20. 5, 4, 10, 1, and 3 all go to the bookstore. Which section does each one go to? Sirna, Stanton, Hysan, Rho, and Pandora. Sirna heads to the murder mystery novels, Stanton goes to the DC comics, Hysan goes to the tech wizard books, Rho goes to the YA fiction, and Pandora goes to the nonfiction. 21. While they are there, they see Stephen King handing out autographs. Who goes over to say hi? Sirna, hands down. 22. 10, 8, and 7 all get employed as farmhands on a dairy farm for a day. How does that work out? Hysan, Ophiuchus, and Mathais. Probably doesn't work out so well. Hysan and Mathais argue, probably, and Ophiuchus doesn't give that much of a damn to do it. 23. Everyone has been turned into a pokemon. But which ones did they turn into? Rho - Lapras Neith - Mareep Pandora - Swablu Stanton - Magikarp Sirna - Krabby Nishi - Leafeon Mathais - Squirtle Ophiuchus - Haunter Aryl - Zubat Hysan - Luxio 24. 4 has become trapped inside the Mushroom Kingdom. How does he/she get out? Or does he/she? RIP Stanton 2k17 25. Conversely, 2 is stuck on the planet Zebes. How does he/she escape there? me <--- has no idea what that is 26. 10 buys a ticket for a one-week stay on the Disney cruise to get away from it all. As soon as the ship leaves port though, they find that 7, 2, 9, and 5 bought tickets too! How does the vacation go?

Hysan buys a ticket only to see Mathais, Neith, Aryl, and Sirna bought one too. Neith ends up being the only one that actually enjoys himself.

27. 7 has come down with the flu and is also due for a physical. 1 takes him/her to the doctor's office. It's a long wait so how do they pass the time?

Mathais, aww <3 Rho takes him to the doctor’s office. They probably just talk and wait quietly.

28. When they get in, they find that 3 is the doctor! How does 7 take to the mandatory poking and prodding?

Pandora, haha. Mathais tolerates while Rho is probably slightly jealous.

29. 8, 5, 9, 10, and 1 have been turned into babies! 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 are tasked with taking care of them. Do they do a good job?

Ophiuchus, Sirna, Aryl, Hysan, Rho. The only good baby here is probably Hysan, haha. Neith, aww, I bet he takes care of Hysan well :) Pandora has to deal with Sirna and can’t seem to appease her no matter what. Stanton probably throws Aryl out the window lol while Nishi struggles with Ophiuchus. Mathais is able to get Rho to calm down eventually.

30. 4 gives 8 a makeover. The result? 

Stanton gives Ophiuchus a makeover, which is probably disastrous.

[senseiwu]

84-92 enjoy!

84 - What colour is your hair?Naturally? Brown. At the moment though it’s blonde

85 - What colour are your eyes?Brown. :/

86 - What are you allergic to?Shh don’t let anyone who wants to murder me see this - it’s penicillin 

87 - Do you keep a journal?Eh, well I try to. Only write in it sporadically or every day, there is no in-between.

88 - What  do your parents do?My mum works at the local newsagency/post office, so EVERYONE knows her (it’s really awkward and annoying when we go to IGA to get groceries and get stopped every five minutes to say hello)My dad works at JB Hi-Fi, and my stepmum if she counts works at a bank in the city

89 - Do you like your age?I’m 18, so yeah it’s pretty cool. Only drawback is that my parents can now legally drag me into the bottle-o or ask me to buy them smokes :/ 

90 - What makes you angry?Apart from all the jerky things a person can be (racist, sexist, etc.), hypocrisy and my brother’s friends.

91 - Do you like your own name?I guess? I’m not a hundred percent sure. Bri. It’s... alright

92 - Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they?I’m not gonna have kids of my own, buuut tbh that hasn’t stopped me from thinking about it. If I had a girl I’d name her Saoirse (Irish name, pronounced kinda like ‘seer-sha’; I heard it in this movie Song of the Sea and I love it)And if I had twins who were a boy and a girl, I’d have to force myself to resist the urge to call them Link and Aryll tbh lmao

i have way more in-depth thoughts about names for my future cats tho if you wanna hear those

Thank you! :D

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Yiga | Epilogue

Song for Dad, Keith Urban

Lately I've been noticing I say the same things he used to say. And I even find myself acting the very same way. I tap my fingers on the table to the rhythm in my soul, and I jingle the car keys when I'm ready to go. When I look in the mirror he's right there in my eyes starin' back at me and I realize the older I get, the more I can see how much he loved my mother and my [sister] and me. And he did the best that he could and I only hope when I have my own family that everyday I see a little more of my father in me.

Link stretched his arms over his head in an attempt to crack his back. When did he start to feel so damn old? A few years ago, trimming hooves was the easiest part of his day. But, then again, he didn’t have to deal with a spunky little filly, either. He patted the young horse’s neck and she snorted. He felt the air snap as a presence appeared, but he didn’t turn to his visitor.

“Hey, D,” Link said casually. He glanced at Dorian over his shoulder.

Dorian narrowed his gaze on him. “You don’t get to call me that,” he sneered.

Link ignored his comment. “What are you doing here?”

Dorian put his hands in his pockets. “Looking for Cottla and Koko.”

“You know they’re grown ass Sheikah women, right?” Link said with a grin. “And they have phones. You could have called them.”

Dorian glared at him. “Are they here?”

Link rolled his eyes. “Yes. They’re with Aryll.”

“Uncle D!”

Dorian turned to the little boy that ran up to him. He smiled and picked up the child. “What’s going on, Dude?”

“Are you here to play Sheikah?”

“I don’t think so,” Dorian said. He put the child back on the ground. “I gotta get going.”

The boy whined. “You always say that!”

“Sorry, Rus. You know how it is.”

Rusl cocked his head to the side. “Okay,” he said simply before running off again.

“You don’t have to check up on us, you know,” Link said. He turned back over his shoulder, but Dorian had his back to him. He met Link’s gaze briefly, a smile tugging at his lips, and in a snap, he disappeared.

He turned back to the horse and smiled. He pulled a carrot out of his pocket to treat the filly, then set back to work at trimming her hooves. When he finished, he gave her one last pat, then set at putting his things away. He turned to greet his sister when she appeared in the doorway.

“You’d think they were like, sixteen years old,” Aryll practically whined. “Jeez, Dorian is a tight ass, sometimes.”

“Are you really surprised?” Link asked.

Aryll sighed. “I guess not.” She shrugged. “I suppose it’s for the best. Cottla only wanted to feed Rusl sugar before everyone got here.”

Link stepped around her, moving back to the horse. He scratched at her ears and cooed to her. “Dorian thinks he’s a big, scary Sheikah, doesn’t he? But he’s not, no he’s not. You’re such a cute little thing, yes you are.”

“You're sickening.” Aryll rolled her eyes and sighed. “What happened to you, man?”

Link grinned and scratched the mare's neck. “Kids make you soft.”

At that moment, Rusl came running back towards them from around the corner, this time with a stick in hand. He jumped at Link and roared as threateningly as he could.

“Shit, Ary, look at that thing!” Link picked up his son and threw him over his shoulder. “Now that's scary!”

“Down, Daddy!” Rusl giggled, waving the stick in the air as Link placed him back on his feet. “You're the scary monster!” He swung the stick at him, his brows knit together. “I'm gonna beat you.”

“Not with that footwork you're not,” Link said.

“He doesn't care about footwork,” Aryll said.

“Hey! Impa pounded that shit into my brain. If this kid's gonna do anything right, least he can do is learn how to fight.”

“Because sword fighting is such an important skill.”

“You don't know!” He took the stick sword from his son. “Look.”

Rusl laughed and ran off to collect another stick, returning and doing his best to mock his father.

“What did I say!” Mipha shouted from the house. “You're not teaching our son to fight with swords!”

“I'm not doing anything!”

“Yes, you are!”

Aryll giggled and picked up her nephew. “Come on, Mr. Hero. You need a nap before everyone gets here.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Link said with a yawn.

“Wasn't talking to you,” Aryll said over her shoulder as she carried the child back to the house.

Link followed behind her, only to be met by the angry glare coming from his very pregnant wife. His shoulders dropped and he offered her an apologetic smile.

Mipha sighed and shook her head. “Honestly,” she said. “Can’t you teach him something more useful?”

“Like how to use Hylian powers?” Aryll asked excitedly.

“I’m gonna be a Sheikah!” Rusl proclaimed.

“No!” Mipha barked. “For the love of - teach him the damn alphabet or something. That’s what kids should be learning.”

Link frowned. “Oh. No. That doesn’t sound right.”

“How the hell are you a father?” Aryll said with a grin. “Honestly, Mipha. Why did you think that was a good idea?”

Mipha sighed, defeated. “I really don’t know.”

Link took the child from Aryll and placed him on his shoulders. Rusl giggled and waved the stick in the air.

“I’m gonna be the hero, Daddy,” he announced. “Just you wait!”

“You got it, Kid,” Link said. He looked up at the child over his head and smiled. “You already are a hero.”

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Yiga | Chapter 47

It was early in the afternoon the next day when the Champions found themselves gathered together inside the palace. They kept inside the walls of the palace, away from the crowd and reporters, as Zelda held a press conference. Link, however, paid no mind to the coverage on the tv screen, and instead searched for his sister, somewhere within those same walls. It didn’t take long to find her, having a good hunch of where she would be.

He stood in the doorway of the small temple inside the palace, his hands shoved in his pockets. He watched as Aryll stood over their father. Though she spoke softly to him, her voice carried.

“Anyway,” she said. She paused to sniff and wipe at her tears. “I dunno. Maybe it’s dumb. But I just wanted a chance to say goodbye this time.” She shrugged. “No one gets a second chance like we did. Only you would manage to pull something like that off.” She smiled to herself, then after a moment, she sighed shakily. “Thank you for coming back,” she whispered. “I wouldn’t change that for the world. Link, either, I know. You guys...” She chuckled lightly. “You guys are both so damn stubborn. I guess there’s a lot of you there. So, that’s not so bad.” She forced a smile. “I know you’d be like, making a stupid joke right now or something.” She paused. “I know we’ll be okay. You made sure of that.” She allowed the tears to roll down her cheeks. “And don’t worry. I won’t burn anymore books.” She hesitated, holding back a sob. “I love you, Daddy.” After a moment, her ears twitched, and she turned her gaze to the ceiling and smiled.

She noticed her brother then, and turned toward him. She offered him a smile as he approached her. He stood at her side when he reached her, but his gaze was fixed on the casket in the front of the room.

“Do you resent me?” he asked quietly.

Aryll’s brows furrowed. “What? No. Why would you ask that?”

“Because everything's my fault.”

“Why would you say that?”

“I didn’t… I could have… prevented this.”

Aryll wrapped her arms around her brother. He stiffened in her hold.

“It’s not your fault,” she said softly. “I know it’s not.”

Link’s shoulders dropped and he wrapped his arms around his sister. “Okay,” he said simply.

Aryll pulled back and met his gaze. “Don’t you believe me?”

Link forced a smile. “Yeah.”

Aryll raised a brow. “Really?”

Link sighed tiredly. “Yes, Aryll.”

Aryll smiled. “Good.” She made her way out of the room, not bothering to check to see if her brother was following her. “I think we should get pizza again tonight. This time, I’m thinking a veggie lovers.”

Link turned his gaze back to the casket. He remained standing in the middle of the room, his hands back in his pockets. It felt strange to be back in the city, as if all that had happened over the last couple of months was just a distant dream. He didn’t particularly feel any better about being home and instead found himself wishing he were back at the ranch. Despite it all, at the ranch, everything felt right, even if for just brief moments. Aryll happily grooming the horses. His father smoking a cigarette against the fence as his daughter pressed for a ride. Staring at his father’s casket didn’t necessarily make his death feel any more real, but it made those small moments more concrete in his mind. And he smiled.

Aryll was right. They were given a second chance. And despite how they were torn apart once more, he wouldn’t have traded those moments for anything in the world. He tore his gaze away, turned around, and followed Aryll back into the hall where she waited just around the corner with the rest of their friends.

“Who knew she’d be so comfortable making speeches,” Daruk said.

“I knew,” Revali said with a nod. “This is Zelda, we’re talking about. All she ever does is lecture us and make speeches.”

“Are you guys leaving, now?” Aryll asked with a frown.

Revali draped an arm around her shoulders. “Not me, kiddo. I’ve still gotta recruit your brother to work for me.” He looked up, meeting Link’s gaze, and gave him a wink.

“I already moved in, and out, and in again,” Mipha said. “I don’t plan on going anywhere for a long time.”

“I was actually thinking about moving back for a while,” Urbosa said thoughtfully. “You know, in case Revali really does need a lawyer.”

“Oh, so I’m the asshole that’s not going to stay?” Daruk said.

“Pretty much,” Revali confirmed.

“You’re breaking us up, man!” Aryll scolded him.

Daruk sighed. “You guys have never been to Eldin,” he said. “It rocks over there.”

“I never thought I’d say this,” Revali started, “But I’m going to Kit’s bar. Guess it’s time to be a regular there.”

“Kit has a bar?” Urbosa asked with a grin. “Jeez, he never talked about it.”

They turned as footsteps rounded the corner and Zelda greeted them with a tired smile.

“We’re going drinking, apparently,” Daruk said. “You coming?”

“I don’t think so,” Zelda said with a frown.

“This is it,” Revali said. “This is where she leaves us to be a boring queen.”

Zelda offered an apologetic smile.

“Ah, we don’t need her,” he continued, waving her off. “Let’s go.”

“Have fun,” Urbosa said. “Zelda and I have our own plans.”

“Whatever,” Revali grumbled.

“I’ll meet you there,” Link said. There was still something else he had to do. Someone else he wanted to see. He parted from his friends, wandering the palace halls aimlessly until he rounded the corner to the temple once more. The doors were closed, now, and two guards stood on either side of it. A third person - and just the person he wanted to see - stood in front of the doors.

Dorian stared at the closed doors, his face torn in grief and regret. It took him a moment to notice Link’s presence, but when he did, he turned to him. His expression hardened once more, offering him no greeting, and he watched as Link approached him.

“What’s up?” he asked simply.

“I, uh just wanted to apologize. For not trusting you.”

Dorian seemed to study him carefully. He pulled his gaze away. “That’s not necessary,” he said. “I did nothing to earn your trust. You had no reason to trust me.”

“But Dad did,” Link said. “And that should have been enough for me.”

Dorian said nothing.

“And,” Link continued. “I wanted to say thanks. For everything you did for him, and for us.”

“Ah, don’t thank me,” he said, his shoulders dropping slightly. “I only did it because your father would have killed me otherwise.”

“Right,” Link said. The corner of his lip pulled into a crooked smile. “Like he could have killed a Sheikah.”

“You underestimate him,” Dorian said. “He was terrifying when he wanted to be.” He turned his gaze back to Link. “Is that all?”

Link raised a brow. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Well, no offense, but you’ve been my problem for the last twenty-six years.”

“Right.” Link’s lips pulled into a small smile. He put his hands in his pockets and turned away. “See you around, D.” He could practically feel Dorian’s furious gaze on him as he walked away and rounded the corner.

*****

To his surprise, Kit’s bar was lined with bodies. As expected, Daurk, Revali, Mipha, and Aryll were there, along with Teba and even Sera. They took up a majority of the bar seating while the rest of the room remained relatively empty, one other patron sitting alone at a booth in the corner. They all turned to see who had come through the door, and upon seeing Link, Sera jumped to her feet and ran to pull him into a hug.

“For fuck’s sake, Link,” she barked at him. She pushed away at arm’s length and looked him over. “Please tell me all of Kit’s wild ass stories aren’t true.”

“They probably are,” Link said. He stepped around her, ignoring her angry gaze, and joined his friends at the bar, sitting himself beside Mipha.

“You didn’t believe me,” Kit said. “Why else do you think I’ve been MIA? I’ve been helping his sorry ass!”

Sera returned to her seat at the bar, her head shaking. She glanced at Link. “For real?”

Link shrugged. “He was an annoying presence,” he said simply.

“If it weren’t for me -”

“If It weren’t for you,” Mipha sneered, “he wouldn’t have run off on some suicide mission.”

“But then he wouldn’t have found Dad,” Aryll pointed out.

“Oh, that guy would have found you one way or another,” Revali said.

“Wait,” Sera started. “You left out that part.” She sneered at Kit.

Kit cleaned an empty glass absentmindedly. “It’s a touchy subject right now.”

Sera frowned. She turned back to Link. “So, now what?”

“Do you think I can get my job back?” Link asked.

“You defeated the entire Yiga Clan, and you’re worried about getting your job back?” Sera stared at him in shock.

“Heroes gotta get paid,” Link reminded her.

“Oi.” She pressed a finger to her temple, then sighed. “The office has been pretty boring without you.” She opted to turn her attention to Aryll, and smiled. “Are you going to make it through your last year of high school? Or is Link going to have to bust you out of jail or something?”

Aryll shrugged. “We’ll see how I feel come September,” she said with a grin.

“Does that attitude run in the family?” Sera asked.

“Yes,” Link and Aryll both confirmed.

Sera smiled.

“Refill?” Kit pointed down the line of patrons seated at the bar. When he got to Link, he skipped over him, and pointed at Aryll. His gaze narrowed for a moment on her, then shrugged.

“Beer, or fruity drink?”

“Beer,” Aryll confirmed.

“Do you want to lose your license?” Sera sneered.

Kit straightened and spread his arm out before him, indicating the very empty bar, then laughed. “Like I have one of those.” He turned to fetch their drinks, speaking once more when he returned. “Besides. Girl could use a drink or two right now.” He handed Aryll a bottle and winked at her.

“You’re a good man,” Aryll said. “A gentleman and a scholar.”

“She’s drunk,” Revali said.

“Hey, fuck you.”

Link peered at his sister curiously. “How many have you had?”

Aryll held the bottle up proudly. “One.”

“And before I got here?”

“Three!”

“What a lightweight,” Revali said.

“You didn’t learn your lesson last time?”

Aryll slunk back in her seat.

“Oh, shit,” Kit said, remembering what had happened last time. “I can’t encourage that behavior.” He moved to take the bottle from her.

“I’ll be good!” Aryll said. “I’ll pass high school and everything! I deserve this drink!”

“That’s how it starts, you know,” Kit warned. “Your brother is an expert.”

Aryll frowned. She turned her gaze to the bottle in her hand. When her brother patted her head with his hand, she met his gaze.

“You are smarter than me, remember?”

“This is true,” she confirmed. She lifted the bottle as if in toast, and drank.

The man that sat alone stood at that moment and mosied over to the bar, pushing himself between Link and Aryll.

“Son of a bitch,” he said, looking Link over. He held a card between his fingers and handed it to Kit. “They’re drinks are on me.”

Kit eyed him carefully. “Sure,” he said with a one shouldered shrug. “You’ll regret that.”

The man leaned against the counter. “I don’t think so,” he said with a grin. “So, Rusl really did find himself a chick and a couple of kids.”

Link narrowed his gaze on him. “Excuse me?”

“I grew up with him,” he said. “At Telma’s. I’m Karsen.”

“Telma’s?” Aryll echoed. Karsen turned his attention to her. “Were you guys like, foster brothers or something?”

Karsen made a look of disgust and laughed. “I guess so. Shit, last time I talked to him was almost thirty years ago.”

“He never talked about you,” Aryll said frankly.

Karsen smiled. “I’m sure he didn’t talk about any of it,” he said.

Aryll considered this. “Yeah. That’s true.”

“Camilla’s been up my ass about finding you two,” he said.

“Camilla?” Aryll raised a brow.

“Telma’s daughter, that old hag.” He straightened and took his phone out of his pocket. “I dunno. She promised Telma she’d give you some shit Telma had been holding on to. Said Rusl wanted you to have it.” He showed his phone to Link, a number displayed on the screen. “Give her a call, I guess. I did my part.”

“Stalking us?” Aryll asked, narrowing her gaze.

“Well, it’s not that hard when the entire kingdom is hearing about some shit with this Yiga Clan.” He shrugged. “I always knew Rusl was living in the city. Figured it was likely you were still here. Once I started seeing all that shit on the news, I decided to come around and see if I could track you down.” He let Aryll take the phone from him, and he wiped his hands together. “I did my part. That’s all I came for.”

After taking down the number, Aryll handed the phone back to him. “Where are you going?”

Karsen smiled and pocketed his phone. “I dunno,” he said. “I usually just wander around and see where life takes me.”

Aryll raised a skeptical brow. “Right. You’re weird.”

“And you are totally Rusl’s daughter.” His grin widened and he turned away from them. “See ya later.”

Revali watched him leave, his gaze suspicious. “What the fuck was that about?”

“I’m gonna call,” Aryll said, jumping to her feet.

“No, you’re not,” Link sneered.

“Aw, come on,” she whined. “I wanna see what stuff Dad had laying around.” Her face brightened. “Maybe we have an inheritance!”

“Unlikely,” Link said.

“Never know unless we call,” she said, already dialing the number. She tapped her foot as she waited, then beamed when a voice answered. “Camilla? Karsen gave me this number.”

“Bless Hylia,” Camilla’s voice said. “If it isn’t little Aryll.”

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Future | Chapter 65

The next time Rusl saw Dorian, he did not come with good news. Rusl was sitting on the old, rock wall, a cigarette between his lips, when Dorian approached. Rusl grinned at him, but his smile quickly faded when he met Dorian’s fierce gaze. He got to his feet. He removed the cigarette and blew out smoke, his forehead creasing in concern.

“What’s wrong?”

“The Yiga Clan found them,” Dorian said. “Link, Aryll, and Mipha were captured.”

Rusl’s heart dropped and his face whitened. He searched Dorian’s eyes, but the Sheikah held his fierce gaze on him.

“No,” Rusl muttered. He pulled his gaze away. “How?”

“They were ambushed outside of the city,” Dorian explained. “They’re alive. Kohga won’t kill Link. He has plans for him. But…”

Rusl’s eyes darted to Dorian. “But?”

“They will kill Aryll and Mipha.”

His heart raced erratically, seemingly dropping to his stomach and causing him to feel sick. His eyes darted as he grew frantic, his mind moving too quickly for him to even follow any logical train of thought. His mind clouded, darkness threatening the corners of his vision as his anxiety grew. It took him a moment to realize that Dorian was gripping his shoulders in an attempt to shake him out of his panic. He met Dorian’s gaze, grounding himself once more, realizing then that he had started to hyperventilate.

“I will get them out of there,” Dorian said fiercely. “You need to trust me.”

Rusl swallowed as he tried to steady himself and nodded weakly. “This is my fault,” he said. “I thought… I couldn’t… I was supposed to keep them safe!”

“This isn’t your fault,” Dorian hissed. “You’ve done everything you could. You would have died for them.”

“I should have,” Rusl snapped. “If I had died, Link would have had a damn fighting  chance!”

“Stop it,” Dorian hissed.

“My children are going to die!” He started to pace, but Dorian’s hard grip stopped him once more, forcing Rusl to face him.

“They won’t die!”

“I won’t let them,” Rusl said. “I will get them out of there.”

“You will stay here, out of my way, and let me handle this.” Dorian’s gaze narrowed on Rusl.

“No! I need to see them! They need me. There’s no sense lying to them any more.”

“You will stay here out of my way,” Dorian growled. “Do you understand?”

Rusl met his gaze, his face whitening. “You did this.”

Dorian’s gaze softened. “What?”

“You did this,” Rusl sneered. He pulled away from Dorian, his muscles stiff, prepared to attack at a moment’s notice. “You had orders from Kohga to lure them out of the city.”

“They left on their own accord,” Dorian snapped. “How dare you.”

Rusl stared at Dorian, and Dorian’s face softened.

“Do you really believe…”

Rusl pulled his gaze away.

“Rusl!”

Rusl’s shoulders dropped, but he still did not turn his gaze to Dorian. He closed his eyes, unable to keep them from welling. “I need to see them,” he said softly. “Please.”

Dorian hesitated. “You need to let me handle this.”

“I need to see them,” Rusl repeated, his voice hardening.

“Let me get them out -”

“And what if you don’t?” Rusl snapped. His gaze moved to Dorian’s. “What if you’re too late?”

“Rusl -”

“I need to see them alive.”

Dorian held his gaze on Rusl. There was no getting through to him. What he was asking was almost suicide. Though, not completely. Sure, he could probably get Rusl in and out undetected. Though the girls were heavily guarded, Link was in complete isolation, just as Rusl had been. Kohga only made appearances once or twice a day. The hideout was warded, but he could lift the ward temporarily, allowing them to move in and out undetected, presuming they were quick enough. It would be enough to calm Rusl and allow Dorian to focus his efforts on getting the three of them out.

“D.” A single tear escaped his hold.

“For fuck’s sake, Rusl,” Dorian sighed. “You will be the death of me.”

*****

It was risky. Incredibly risky. And if Kohga were around, or the Yiga foot soldiers any wiser, they would have sensed the ward was gone. They would have sensed Dorian’s abrupt entrance, amd even though they were accustomed to each other snapping in and out as they pleased, surely that, coupled with the disappearance of the ward would have been suspicious enough.

But as it was, Kohga was not in the hideout, and the foot soldiers were none the wiser to Dorian sneaking Rusl into their base. They appeared just in front of the door that contained Link, and he paused before he opened it, turning to Rusl.

“You’ve got five minutes,” Dorian said fiercely. “Do you understand?”

Rusl nodded wordlessly. He waited as Dorian unlocked the door and pushed it open. The dim light from the corridor spilled into the room as they stood in the doorway. They blinked their eyes, allowing them to adjust to the dark room before stepping inside and closing the door behind them. Dorian flipped the switch and the lights hummed as they turned on.

Rusl stayed at the edge of the room, his gaze on his barely conscious son, and his heart sank. He watched as Dorian moved to Link. He sat on his heels, pushing Link back with a hand as he used his others to hold a flashlight to his eyes. Link groaned and turned away in response.

Satisfied with his response, Dorian clicked off the light and pulled Link’s chin up. His eyes met his, but they seemed empty.

“He won’t stay conscious for long,” Dorian warned Rusl as he continued to inspect Link. Link’s brows furrowed slightly, and Dorian frowned. “He’s not even aware of anything right now.”

“What have they done to him?” Rusl growled. He worked up the strength to step forward and met Link’s empty gaze. Link smiled, then laughed, and pulled his chin out of Dorian’s grip.

“Nice try,” he muttered.

Dorian straightened, keeping his gaze on Link. “I’ll get him back to the city.”

Rusl’s gaze hardened on Dorian. “They’ll find him,” he hissed.

“If we don’t get him out,” Dorian said, “Zelda will look for him. I won’t let the Yiga get to her, too.”

“Your job was to keep them out of the Yiga’s hands,” Rusl growled. “And yet here he is.”

“Rusl,” Dorian warned. “I’m doing everything I can damn well do.”

“My son’s on the brink of death because of you!”

Dorian shook his head. “Nothing I do is good enough for you,” he said with a sigh. “I’ve managed to keep them safe for over twenty damn years. I got you out of this hell hole. What more do you want from me?”

“I’m done hiding,” Rusl said. “You’ve had your way. I’m done. I want to go home.”

“If you go -”

“He knows, Dorian! He’s not an idiot!”

“That’s debatable,” Dorian muttered. He turned his gaze back to Link. He got to his knees and peered at him curiously. He pushed his chest back with a finger and Link turned his gaze to him.

“How’s it going, kid?”

Link sighed heavily but did not respond.

“So, we’re gonna get you outta here.”

Link smiled, then laughed, but still, he did not respond.

“Okay,” Dorian said. “Let’s go.”

“You’re a traitor,” Link muttered. “If I ever get out of here, I’ll kill you.”

“You’re dense,” Dorian said. “A damn idiot.” He stood once more and stepped away, allowing Rusl to move to his son.

Rusl gripped his shirt, shaking him briefly.  “Snap the fuck out of it.”

Link smiled and pulled away. “You’re dead,” he spat. “Get the fuck out.”

Rusl frowned and released his hold on his son. He turned to Dorian. “What’s your plan?” He didn’t wait for a response. “Whether you like it or not, he’s a part of this. He won’t stand down. Not until he’s destroyed the Yiga Clan.” His gaze narrowed. “If you had just told him the truth -”

“What do you think would have happened?” Dorian snapped. “The same damn thing. He’d walk right into their hands with the stupid idea that he could end it. He’s powerless against him. And before you know it, he and Zelda are team Ganondorf, and everything they’ve done will have been for nothing.” His voice lowered. “If he knew you were alive, he would have gone after you. If he knew they were a threat, he would have gone after them. Either way, he would have been exactly where they wanted him.” Dorian hesitated. There was a tone of regret in his voice when he spoke again. “I kept my promise to you, Rusl. I can’t possibly plan for everything. They still got their hands on him. But he’s here. He’s alive. And I will get him out if you just let me do my job.”

Rusl pulled his gaze away and turned back to his son. “I’m done,” he said softly. “I can help him. We can finish this.”

“How do you expect to do that?”

“The Champions,” Rusl said. “They have a lot more going for them than you like to think. Let them do this. Let them fight.”

“You were the one that wanted them to have no part of this,” Dorian said.

“I know,” Rusl hissed. “But they’re all we’ve got.”

“Let me talk to Impa and Roham,” Dorian said. “I’ll keep Kohga away from him and Zelda as long as I can.”

Rusl met his gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, but Link’s voice interrupted him.

“Dad.”

Rusl turned to his son. His head still hung low. His body shuddered with each breath he took. Rusl moved to him, getting to his knees and putting a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll get you out of here, alright?”

His head shook slowly. Tears fell onto his lap. Rusl frowned and moved his hand to his son’s head. He pressed his forehead against Link’s.

“Just hang in there, kay?”

Link did not respond to him. Rusl returned to his feet, his lips pinched together. He turned to Dorian. There was a bright flash of light and a loud crack split the air.

They were back in Faron, in the grasslands just outside of the desert. They stood just yards from the edge of the cliff, overlooking the sea. A cool breeze came off the waters and blew around them. Rusl had his gaze on the horizon, his brow furrowed slightly.

“I’ll get them out,” Dorian said in hopes of reassuring him. “I promise you, Rusl. I’ll get them out of there.”

Rusl did not respond. He knew he had to trust Dorian - and he did - but he hated standing by doing nothing while his children were in danger. They were helpless against the Yiga. If they didn’t get out soon, they would die.

His heart pulled painfully in his chest. He turned to Dorian, his expression defeated and desperate, and he met Dorian’s gaze. “I can fix this,” he said softly.

Dorian’s brows knit together fiercely. “What are you going to do?” he snapped. “Kill yourself?”

Rusl did not respond. He pulled his gaze away.

When Dorian spoke again, his voice was soft, pleading with him. “Let me take care of this. Please. I need… you need to be here for them.”

Rusl glanced at Dorian. He appeared as desperate as he sounded. His eyes were pained and terrified. Rusl pressed his lips together, then nodded. He knew Dorian would stay true to his promise, even after all these years.

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Future | Chapter 52

The months went on without much trouble. By some miracle, Link made it through his senior year of high school, and to Rusl’s surprise, he even got accepted into the community college in the city. He supposed he couldn’t give his son too much of a hard time; he was the hero of Hyrule, after all. And the fact that he bothered to look into colleges came as a surprise to Rusl. In truth, he didn’t care what his son wanted to do with his life, as long as it meant he was happy, alive, and certainly not living with his father until he was in his forties.

As if he Rusl expected to even live that long in the first place.

And though his communication with Dorian had almost completely disappeared, he knew he was working day and night to keep tabs on Kohga and provide all the intel he could to Impa.

Admittedly, he had grown anxious with how quiet things have been, though he was beyond grateful for the time he had with his children. So when the call from Impa finally came, he was torn, sick with the idea that he may have to leave his children behind, for who knew how long, and yet anxious to get out into the world once more, learning all he could about the Yiga Clan, and fighting to give his children the chance to live in a world at peace.

He stood in front of Impa as she waved herself with a manilla folder. Her brows were knit together in annoyance as she grumbled angrily about the heat.

“It is summer,” Rusl reminded her, grinning.

“I know that,” she snapped at him. “But for the love of Hylia, why does the AC need to cut out now of all days?”

“It’s like you’re stuck in the middle of the Gerudo Desert,” Rusl said dryly. “Too bad no one knows what that’s like.” His brows raised. “Oh. Maybe D does.”

“I’ll kill you,” she hissed.

Rusl frowned. “That won’t make it any cooler out.”

“But then I won’t have to listen to your stupid shit.”

“Touche.” He offered her a smile. “So? What’s going on?”

Impa leaned back to sit against her desk, still fanning herself with whatever she could find. “I’ve got a job for you.” She hesitated and met his gaze. “It’s dangerous. It will take you out of the city and across Hyrule for a long time. Are you up for that?”

“I’m a walking target,” he reminded her.

Impa pulled her gaze away and sighed. “I know. But I’m running out of resources. And I trust you will do whatever you have to do to stay alive and out of Kohga’s hands.” She glanced at him. “Cado will be with you,” she added. “And as many of my men as I can give you.”

“Sounds like I don’t have much of a choice.”

“You do,” she said. “If you would rather stay here in the safety of the city with your children, I would understand.”

“Trying to convince me to stay?”

Impa pulled her gaze away. “The choice is yours,” she said. She stopped fanning herself. “I need your help. But it is risky.”

“What am I doing?”

“Purah found the Sheikah Slate,” Impa informed him. “And Robbie has found another Divine Beast. He and his men are working on recovering it, and with the slate, Purah will restore them. You should know that Dorian has made Kohga aware of this, and Kohga plans to take the slate from Purah.”

“You want me to stop him?”

Impa shook her head. She turned her gaze to the floor. “Let the Yiga Clan take it,” she said.

“They’ll kill -”

“They won’t kill her,” Impa snapped at him.

Rusl’s gaze narrowed on her, but Impa continued.

“The slate won’t respond to them,” Impa said. “Purah has made sure of that. They won’t be able to do anything with it.” She met his gaze. “Kohga will realize this, and he will give it to Dorian to bring back to us with the hope that we will activate the Divine Beasts for them.”

“Wasn’t that the plan?” Rusl said between his teeth.

“Yes and no,” Impa said. “A back up plan, really.”

Rusl’s forehead creased as he started to put the pieces together. “A back up plan?”

“If Dorian’s intel is true, then with all Kohga has been working on, he will likely be able to gain control of the Divine Beasts and turn them against us.”

“The Divine Beasts are a backup,” Rusl started, “for… what? For when Link fails?” His nostrils flared. “You’re going to send him to his death?”

“Our war with the Yiga Clan can only go one of two ways,” Impa said sternly. “If you die, Link will have the power to stop Kohga. However, if you stay alive, Link will not be able to stop him, and we must rely on the Divine Beasts to aid us.”

His teeth grit together. “It seems to me this is a lose-lose situation. You’re trying too hard to make sure everyone gets out alive. That will be what destroys Hyrule.”

“As prepared as you are to meet your fate,” Impa hissed, “we are not. I will not sacrifice -”

“War is nothing but sacrifice, Impa,” Rusl snapped at her. “You of all people should know that.”

Impa stared at him, her expression softening. She pulled her gaze away. “I am prepared for every possible outcome,” she said softly. “I am prepared to sacrifice only when necessary, and save those who deserve life.”

Rusl’s jaw clenched. “What the hell do you want from me?”

“I want you to help find the last Divine Beast,” Impa said, her voice strong and steady. “Robbie has sent Koko and Cottla to Tabantha to find it. You and Cado will assist them. Once found, report back to Robbie and Purah; they will take care of the rest."

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“I really don’t think you need me for something as simple as that.”

Impa held her gaze on him. “The truth is,” she started, “the Yiga Clan is getting stronger every day. Kohga’s power has far surpassed even Dorian’s power, and soon it will surpass my own. They will become unstoppable.” She pulled her gaze away. “Link will not be able to stop them, and I am unwilling to let you sacrifice yourself so that he can.”

“You are putting Hyrule in a far more dangerous situation,” Rusl said fiercely. “Activating those Divine Beasts will leave them open to be turned against us. You said so yourself.”

“I have a few other cards I can play,” Impa said. “I haven’t played my best hand, yet.”

“What could you possibly be saving?” Rusl hissed. “Link is the only one that can stop Kohga.”

Impa met his gaze. “Tell me, Rusl.” She paused. “Do you think your role in all this is as simple as bringing the Chosen Hero into this world?”

Rusl’s gaze softened. He stared blankly at her for a moment. Then his brows furrowed furiously. “What are you saying?”

“Chosen Heroes are only meant to seal the darkness. They are Hylia’s only means to preserving Hyrule from a curse doomed to repeat itself for all eternity. But they are not all who sacrifice to keep this world at peace. History is full of those who have gone unrecognized - who have given their all to help the heroes succeed. Without them, Hyrule would have been lost centuries ago. Princesses and Light Spirits, Sages and Champions. All who have equally earned the title of Hero.” She paused to let this sink in. “Don’t you see, Rusl? You are not merely a tool of Hylia’s own game. You have so much more purpose than you realize. Without you, Link and Zelda would have never succeeded. Hyrule would have been lost long before Ganondorf’s revival.”

Rusl hesitated. “You’re talking out of your ass,” he hissed.

Impa smiled. “I see the strength of your power. It will surpass even my own. You may think it is your job to die, but I can assure you that you are meant to live. You are meant for more.”

*****

Rusl was leaning against his car with a beer in hand when Aryll and Link came home, though he hardly drank from it. His mind was preoccupied with Impa’s words. She was insistent on remaining cryptic. Perhaps she didn’t know as much as she lead on. Still, he knew the old Sheikah knew close to everything about everything. Surely she wasn’t just caressing his ego. But he couldn’t possibly wrap his mind around her words, and he was so lost in trying to decipher them that he didn’t even notice his children’s arrival until Aryll skipped down the driveway toward him and climbed onto the trunk of the car.

Rusl turned to her, relieved for the distraction, and smiled. “And where have you guys been all day?” Rusl inquired.

“We got ice cream and went to the park and Urbosa braided my hair.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder to show her father. “And Riju and I went to the arcade and Link got kicked out and Mipha bought me a new shirt, look!” She spread her arms open so her father could see her shirt, and she grinned. “My other shirt got dirty.”

“You owe Mipha a hundred rupees,” Link said with a grin.

“For fucking what?”

“Because,” Aryll started. “Mipha says you’re too stupid to take care of me and she’s gonna start charging you.”

“You know,” Rusl said. “It was Link’s turn to take care of you today. That’s why I stuck you with him.”

“Well, you know how good Link is at that,” Aryll said, rolling her eyes. “Link said he took care of me enough and he’s done.” She crossed her arms and pouted.

Rusl frowned. “He doesn’t mean that.”

“I kinda do,” Link said.

Aryll slid off the car. “I don’t need you guys,” she said, stomping her foot. “I can take care of myself, yanno!”

Rusl smiled. “I know you can. But the government wouldn’t be happy with me if I let you do that.”

“I’ll talk to Zelda,” she said, straightening. “Zelda is my friend.” She perked up suddenly, growing excited. “Can I live with Zelda?”

“Live in a really cool, big palace with a princess, or get stuck here with Link and I.” Rusl pretended to think about her options for a moment. “Well, I think it’s a no brainer.”

“So I can?”

“Stay here with us?” Rusl grinned.

“Dad!”

“You would rather live with Princess Zelda than with me and Link?”

“No offense,” she said in her childish tone, “but you guys are lame.”

“I thought heroes were cool,” Link muttered.

“Come on,” Rusl whined playfully. “I’ll let you have all the peanut butter and banana sandwiches you want.”

“I dunno,” Aryll said slowly. “I’ll think about it.”

“Why don’t you think about it while you get ready for bed?”

Aryll frowned. “I don’t wanna go to bed!” Despite this, she yawned.

Rusl smiled. “Okay,” he started. “But you can at least go get dressed so you don’t ruin your nice, new shirt when we eat ice cream.”

“Yes!” She thrust a fist in the air, then turned to hurry inside of the house.

When the door closed, Rusl turned his attention to Link. He reached behind him to hand him a beer, and Link frowned.

“You’re a really terrible father, you know,” he said. “I’m not even twenty.”

Rusl shrugged. “Fine. Don’t take it.”

Link moved to his side, taking the can from him with a smirk. He pushed himself onto the trunk of the car. He frowned, his gaze turning to the beer as he opened it. “You only let me drink when you want to talk.”

“I want to talk,” Rusl confirmed.

“I know.” Link hesitated. He turned his gaze to the sky as a meteor graced the world with its presence. “How long will you be gone?”

Rusl sighed. “I don’t know,” he admitted regretfully.

“And you’re not going to tell me anything.”

“Right.”

“So, I’m stuck taking care of Aryll some more.”

Rusl smiled apologetically to him.

“You know,” Link started. “You can’t keep pawning her off on me. That’s not what I’m for.”

“That’s exactly what the oldest child is for.”

“I’ve been more of a father to her than you have.”

Rusl frowned. “Guess I owe ya, then.”

“Yeah, kinda.” Link sighed. “Whatever,” he said. “I don’t mind. I just gotta give you shit.”

“I know.” He turned his gaze to him. “I guess I’ve never really thanked you for everything. For taking care of her when I couldn’t. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Rusl smiled.

“When are you leaving?”

“The end of the week.”

Link nodded once. “Alright.”

“I’ll call when I can.”

“Sure.”

“Don’t let her eat junk.”

Link smiled. “Like peanut butter and banana sandwiches?” He met Rusl’s gaze.

“I’ve failed terribly with you,” Rusl said. “But she can probably still be saved. Try to get her to eat those things… I think they’re called vegetables.”

Link laughed lightly. “Yeah, I think that sounds right.”

Rusl pushed himself off the car and finished his beer.

“Are you ever going to tell me the truth?” Link asked quietly.

Rusl met his gaze and smiled. “Yeah,” he said. “Someday. I promise.” Someday he would be gone. Someday Hyrule would be at peace again. And someday, Link would learn the truth. Someday.

Link frowned. “Someday?”

Rusl hesitated. “Link,” he started. “Whatever happens… Promise me you won’t get involved.”

Link’s brows furrowed. “Dad.”

“Just promise,” Rusl hissed. “That’s all I ask. Stay out of this.”

Link hesitated, holding his gaze on his father. After a moment, he pulled his gaze away. “Alright,” he said softly. “I’m trusting you.”

“Thank you.”

Link slid off the car onto his feet. He moved to his father and hugged him.

Rusl wrapped his arms around his son. “Everything I do is for you and Aryll,” he said. Perhaps he was saying too much; he didn’t want to give Link any reason to get involved. But he didn’t care. He needed him to know that much.

“That’s what scares me,” Link said. “Someone told me I was as stupid as you.”

Rusl smiled. “Yeah,” he said. “That’s what scares me.”

The door opened and Aryll leaned out into the night. She watched as her father and brother pulled apart, and she grinned.

“I’m gonna eat all the ice cream,” she called to them. She held a spoon out before her and giggled.

“When do we introduce her to vegetables?” Link asked.

“I don’t know,” Rusl said. “But I think you need to do it slowly so the change in her diet doesn’t kill her.”

“Maybe we should consult with the vet,” Link said with a grin. “And take her to the groomers.”

“I can hear you, yanno!” Aryll shouted at them. “I’m not a dog!”

“Do you like going to the park?” Link asked.

“Yes,” Aryll answered slowly, her gaze narrowing on her brother.

“Do you like treats?”

“Yes.”

Link grinned. “Do you like belly rubs?”

“Link! Shut up!”

“Just to be sure,” Rusl started, “we should get her on a dewormer.”

“I hate you,” Aryll muttered. “I’m eating your ice cream.” She stuck her tongue out and ran back into the house.

Link’s shoulders slumped. “Don’t you dare.”

When she appeared in the doorway again, she had the open carton out, her tongue hovering over it.

Link shrugged. “Do it. I don’t care. I’m an adult. You’re a kid.”

Aryll licked the ice cream.

“Aryll!” Link chased her into the house.

Rusl followed his children inside, shaking his head. Though he knew he would have to leave them, he liked the idea that their safety - and the safety of Hyrule - wasn’t as dependent on his death as he once thought. It seemed his fate wasn’t written in stone after all, and that was all he ever wanted.

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Future | Chapter 34

One Year Later...

Rusl knew the first year without Uli would be the hardest, but despite all of their firsts, they had pulled through. To Rusl’s surprise, Link had grown a lot in that year, eagerly helping to care for his little sister, and even taking over completely when Rusl was unable. Rusl only allowed himself one moment of weakness when they anniversary of his wife’s death came, and to his relief, Link had stepped up to give him the space he needed.

Life had seemingly returned to normal that spring, and they fell into a routine as a family together, moving on with their lives. Even Rusl found himself a little braver than he had been over the last year. But it wasn’t like he had a choice. He literally could not continue to hold Aryll back as she started to crawl and explore, and he supposed it was all a part of life. There was nothing he could do to change that, no matter how much he wanted to protect his children.

And Aryll was all too eager to explore her surroundings, even going so far as to eat handfuls of dirt as she roamed the backyard. Her hand came down hard as she crawled, squashing bugs and giggling as their remains stuck to her palms.

“Don’t laugh,” Rusl said with a grin on his face. He bent down to pick his daughter up from the ground. “Goddesses, you’re going to try to burn ants with a magnifying glass next. Even I wasn’t that messed up, and that’s saying something.”

But Aryll wasn’t listening to her father, still laughing as she slapped at the ground. When his hands came around her, she yelped and cried until he released her. With a joyous laugh, she continued to crawl through the grass once more.

“Dad! Look!”

Rusl turned to Link and frowned. His son had wandered across the yard and was now a good ten feet up in the air, sitting on a tree branch. “Will you get down?”

“Look how high I got!”

“You’re going to kill yourself.”

“Stop being lame,” Link whined. “It’s just a tree!”

Rusl sighed. He tried to remind himself what it was like to be a kid. He was just climbing a tree, after all. “Yeah,” he said. “That’s higher than I could probably get.”

“Yeah!”

Rusl turned his attention to his daughter as she giggled and crawled across the lawn. He reached for her, pulling her back to him. She giggled and crawled forward once more.

“If I teach you to walk, you’ll just take off on me,” Rusl muttered. He heard a snap and his heart froze. When he looked up, Link was on the ground, not moving.

“Fuck.” Rusl scrambled to his feet, sprinting across the lawn, only to slide to a stop and turn his attention back to Aryll. She continued to giggle and crawl; how far could she really get? He hesitated between them for a moment, muttering curses under his breath, before running to his son and dropping to the ground beside Link.

He was unconscious, and Rusl’s heart dropped. He called to his son frantically, but Link did not respond. He had failed; he turned away for two damn seconds and his son was dead. He searched desperately for a pulse. After a moment of fussing, however, Link’s eyes opened, and he squinted up at his father.

“What… what are you doing?”

“What the fuck,” Rusl breathed out. “Are you okay?”

Link blinked up at him and frowned. His eyes started to water. “My arm really hurts.” He sniffed in an attempt to hold back his tears. “Dad, it hurts!”

“Alright, alright,” he said quickly in an attempt to calm his son, but his own pulse was still racing. “Shit, dude. I told you to be careful!”

His lip quivered. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Come on,” Rusl said, pulling at his good arm. “Can you get up?”

Link nodded, and with his father’s assistance, he got to his feet, cradling his arm against him.

“Sit tight,” Rusl instructed him. He searched out Aryll, then picked her up off the ground. He held her in one arm as she squirmed, wanting only to return to crawling through the grass. With his free hand, he fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed Dorian’s number.

“Are you busy?” Rusl said as soon as he answered.

“That depends,” Dorian said. “What do you want?”

“Don’t give me your shit,” Rusl grunted. “I have to take Link to the hospital.”

Dorian’s tone changed quickly. “What’s wrong?”

“I think he broke his arm. Can you watch Aryll?”

“I’ll be right there.”

*****

To Rusl’s relief, the break was small and minor, but still required a cast and a sling, which Link was all too happy to receive. He texted Dorian with updates, and as they waited in one of the rooms for his discharge papers, Cottla made a loud and abrupt entrance with Aryll in her arms. Koko and Dorian entered in tow, Dorian with a slight apologetic - yet amused - look on his face

Rusl frowned. “You brought them?”

“Hey,” Cottla snapped at him. “I didn’t come to see you.”

“There was a time when I was your favorite.”

“And now it’s Link and Aryll.” Cottla grinned and jostled Link’s hair. “What kinda trouble did ya get into now?”

Link frowned. “I didn’t get into trouble!”

Cottla handed Aryll to Rusl. “You’re gonna be trouble, too,” she said. “I just know it! But a good kinda trouble, like me!”

“You are so weird,” Koko said, rolling her eyes. She busied herself with her phone, her fingers flying across the screen as she texted.

“Shut up, Koko!” Cottla shouted at her older sister. “Stop texting your boyfriend all the time!”

“Shut up, Cottla!” She sneered at her sister over her phone.

“Both of you shut up,” Dorian muttered. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Rusl grinned. “Teenagers.”

“You’re not far behind,” Dorian sneered at him.

Rusl frowned. “Fuck. When did that happen? When did I get so damn old?”

Link giggled. “You’re old.”

“You make me old,” Rusl muttered.

At that moment, the door opened and a nurse entered.

“What’s the prognosis, Doc?” Cottla said, bounding to the nurse’s side. She craned her neck to look at the papers on her clipboard.

The nurse raised a brow at her. “Nurse in training?” she asked with a smile.

“Please,” Cottla said. “I could out Nurse you any day.”

The nurse frowned. “Excuse me?”

“Cottla,” Dorian warned.

“I’m just saying!”

Rusl handed Aryll to Koko. “Stay,” he instructed to them, and he followed the nurse out of the room. She seemed miffed, but otherwise ignored the teenager’s comment. She turned to Rusl, then glanced at Dorian as he stepped out behind them.

“Here are his discharge papers,” the nurse said. She held the pages in her hand, hesitating between Rusl and Dorian. “Just need a signature from you or your husband.”

Rusl’s nose wrinkled and he snatched the papers from her hand. “Husband,” he muttered. “Give me a damn break.”

Dorian crossed his arms. “You’d be lucky to land a guy like me.”

“Stop talking,” Rusl muttered as he quickly scribbled his signature before shoving the papers back toward the nurse. She hesitated uncomfortably before quickly turning away from them.

“Oh, come on,” Dorian said. “You’re usually the one giving me shit.”

Rusl sighed. “I’ve had a long day.”

Dorian grinned. “You’ll get used to it.”

Rusl frowned. “You mean this is going to be a regular occurrence?”

“You have an eleven-year-old boy,” Dorian reminded him. “If there’s a way for them to get into trouble, you can bet on them getting into trouble.”

“That’s not -”

“What were you doing at eleven years old?”

Rusl hesitated. “That’s different.”

Dorian rolled his eyes. “He takes after you.”

“Let’s hope not,” Rusl muttered. “I don’t need to deal with that shit.”

“Just wait until Aryll gets older,” Dorian continued. “Girls are way worse. Koko has this stupid boyfriend - but I have a feeling Aryll won’t be taking shit from no one.”

Rusl groaned. “Boyfriends?”

“Or girlfriends.”

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“That’s what does it these days?” Dorian grinned. “You use to run head first into an ambush, and now you can barely handle Link falling out of a tree.”

“Some would say I’ve gotten wise in my old age.”

Dorian barked out a sharp laugh. Ignoring him, Rusl made his way back into the room, stepping aside as Koko and Cottla hurried out the door.

“Where are you going?” Dorian called after them.

“Getting some candy!” Cottla called back.

Rusl stared after them for a moment. “They took my daughter.” He turned to Dorian. “Are they gonna give her sugar?”

Dorian shrugged.

Link looked up as they entered. He grinned at his father.

“Look at my cast! Isn’t it cool?”

Rusl smiled at him. “Yeah, I guess. Pretty cool, man.”

“The doctor said I can have all my friends sign it and stuff. Will you and Uncle D sign it first?”

“Maybe,” Rusl said. “What should I write?”

“Farts!” He laughed at himself.

“That’s mature,” Rusl said. “I’m not writing farts, you weirdo.”

Link laughed some more. “You’re the weirdo!”

“It takes one to know one,” Rusl shot back.

Link jumped to the floor and marched up to his father. “Yeah, well, I take after you!”

“Is that supposed to be an insult?”

“Yeah. You’re a fart.”

“I’m rubber and you’re glue.”

“I’m rubber times infinity!”

“Infinity plus one!”

“Oh my Goddesses,” Dorian muttered. “You’re both weird.”

Link giggled. “Can we go home, now?”

“I dunno,” Rusl said slowly. “I don’t take weirdos home.”

“Dad!”

“Yeah, alright,” Rusl said with a sigh. “Let’s go before I check myself into the psych ward.”

“What’s that?”

“A place for weirdos.”

Link nodded. “Do you think Aryll will be weird like us?”

Dorian laughed loudly.

“Most likely,” Rusl said. He punched Dorian in the arm. “She’s doomed being stuck with us.”

“Yeah. Mom could have made her normal.” He frowned.

Rusl hesitated. “Mom was weird, too.”

Link smiled up at his father. “Cool.” He turned his attention to Dorian. “Tell Cottla she can only sign my cast if she wins Mario Kart.”

“Doesn’t she always win?” Rusl asked.

Link grinned. “I let her win. But don’t tell her that.”

“I don’t think you’ll be able to play with that cast,” Rusl pointed out.

Link frowned. He looked up as Cottla and Koko made their return, candy bars in their hands. Aryll’s face was covered in melted chocolate, and she held a half eaten barn in her hand, giggling.

“Why?” Rusl asked desperately. “Why do you do this to me?”

“Stop being so dramatic,” Cottla said. “We got you candy, too!”

“What about me?” Link asked.

“Maybe,” Cottla started. “But only if I can sign your cast!”

Link considered this a moment. “What are you gonna write?”

“It’s a surprise!”

“Alright,” he said slowly, then held his good hand out, waiting for a piece of candy. He selected an option, and to his surprise, Cottla already had a marker in hand. He groaned lightly, but ate his candy happily as Cottla signed his cast. When she was finished, he inspected it, then grinned.

Never stop getting into trouble, Wolfboy. Xoxo, C.