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smilesrobotlover · 6 months ago

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Chapter 9: Why Are You Here?

Hoz’s horse did well taking the three to Castle town in a short time, and before Kori knew it, they were at the gates. Colin hopped off and helped the other two down, and he led Penelope through the empty town. She was still fidgety over what happened in Faron woods, and Colin was clearly struggling to keep her under control. Meanwhile, Kori stuck to Rela’s side, staring at the ground, struggling to comprehend what had all happened. It was dark, and Kori was exhausted, but he had to drag his feet wherever Colin was going.Finally, he was able to drag Penelope to an empty stable, putting her in a stall and turning away with a huff. His brows were furrowed, he had bags under his eyes, and he overall looked distressed.

“Hopefully they won’t mind that I’m leaving her here,” he muttered, while Kori and Rela only stared. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a sigh, staring back at them. They continued to stare, waiting for him to do something. Colin sighed again and glanced at the castle, his hand repeatedly going through his hair. Kori looked in his direction and spotted the large building. He’s rarely been to Castle town, and he’s never noticed the giant castle in the town. He wondered if a princess lived there.

“Well, I should go try to talk to the queen, huh?” He muttered, and he glanced back at the kids. “But you two should go to pa and Link, find a place to stay. If they’re still here.”

“My papa is here?” Kori asked, an ache for his father forming in his chest. Colin shrugged.

“Best case scenario, they are. They won’t be happy to see us… but we need to talk to them,” he turned to the castle. “But I need to deliver a message to the queen, as soon as possible.”

Rela walked up to Colin and leaned against him. “I’m tired, big brother.”

Colin sighed and patted his sister’s back. “I know, Rela.” He gave the castle one more look, then sighed, disappointed. “Let’s head to the bar. I’m sure pa and Link are there.”

Kori and Rela followed Colin as they walked through the empty town. Doors and windows were boarded up, lights were off leaving the town dark, and it was eerily quiet. Colin seemed to notice it too, looking around nervously as if something were to pop out and attack them. The group walked past a large fountain that filled the empty silence with its water, and they walked through an alleyway with many shops lined up and closed down. The darkness was getting to be too much for Kori, and he felt his throat tighten as tears once again threatened to escape him. What if that black beast was here? If it was, how would he be able to spot it? He remembered it being so dark it seemed to absorb all light; if it were here, it would’ve blended in with the black surroundings so much it’d be practically invisible. A chill ran up Kori’s spine as they walked, and he found himself staring too long at a black void in a corner. He shuddered as memories of the terrible monster flooded in from the sight of the pitch blackness—the way it snarled at him, the way it chased after him, the way it held the soldiers in its terrible grip. He whimpered again. Was Hoz ok? Did that monster hurt him? Or…. kill him? The thought of the monster devouring Hoz made him grow nauseous, and he felt himself beginning to shake, his stomach sinking further and further to his feet. He wanted to curl up into a ball and cry, he wanted his papa here to protect him, he wanted to be back at home with his family and his toys. The fear caused him to hug himself and he shuffled his feet, trying to keep the tears from forming. Colin moved slowly as well, clearly tense with the darkness and silence. They passed by a dark alleyway, and Kori made the mistake in looking down it. It was just a void of blackness, with nothing to be seen, yet black shapes that represented the silhouettes of the homes and lamps swirled into the shape of the monster from Faron the longer he stared, and though Kori knew it couldn’t be it, he froze in fear. He heard his uncle and aunt move further away from him, but he couldn’t follow them, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t think.

He suddenly saw the silhouettes begin to move, and he felt faint. It wasn’t a trick, it wasn’t him thinking too hard—it was here, the monster was here. He whimpered again, staring wide-eyed at the darkness in front of him, wanting to disappear, to hide.

Hide. Hide. He needed to hide. He needed to hide but how? Where? Where?

Kori felt himself move; he felt himself move to somewhere he could hide. He felt himself fall through the ground, and he was curled up in a ball, staring up at the sky. Something wasn’t right.

“Hey!”

Kori flinched at the booming voice, and he strained his head to see. His whole body shifted up and saw what the shadows were from before. Three Hylian guards marched towards Colin and Rela, who looked terrified.

“What are you two doing out?” One of them asked, one hand on his hip and the other holding a spear. “We’re on high alert! No one is allowed out during the night!”

“S-sorry!” Colin began to stammer, holding Rela close. “I was sent by captain Hoz to deliver a message to queen Zelda—”

“Quiet you!” The guard snapped, he walked closer to Colin, looking up at him with a disgusted look on his face. “Psh, just a bunch of Ordonians. You don’t belong here, kid.”

Colin huffed and straightened his back, staring down at the guard. “I was sent here to deliver a message on Hoz’s behalf! He’s in danger, and this is vital for the queen to know!” Colin turned to Rela and gestured to her. “I just need to get to my pa so my sister and my nephew can get rest, but I…” Colin trailed off as he searched the alley-way, and his fair skin turned paler as his eyes widened with realization. “Kori… oh no… Kori!” Colin began to frantically search around him, with Rela following his lead. The guards glanced at each other and shook their heads in disbelief.

“Kid, you need to head inside–”

“No! Not without my nephew! He was right here!” Colin cried, and Kori frowned. He was right in front of him, wasn’t he? He waved his hand in an attempt to catch Colin’s attention, but even when his uncle looked right at him, he seemingly didn’t notice him. Kori frowned again, feeling his throat begin to tickle with his voice trying to call out for Colin, but he didn’t find it. He only remained silent. Why couldn’t he see him? Kori looked down at himself and gasped at the strange and new sight. His normal pale blue and black skin was replaced by a translucent, black shadow. It was spread across the floor and the ground thanks to the hint of moonlight, and it connected to the other shadows also being cast by the moon. Kori… was a shadow. No, he was inside a shadow. He was hiding behind it as if he were hiding behind one of the boxes in the shops. So that’s why Colin couldn’t see him…

Colin was having a meltdown at this point, desperately trying to spot Kori, but the young twilian couldn’t figure out how to step out of the shadows. How could he? How did he even step inside the shadows in the first place?

“Alright, listen kid, we can take you to the castle where you can get help… or something,” one of the soldiers offered, clearly growing worried over him.

“No, no no no I have to find my nephew!” Colin shouted, sobbing at this point. The tough soldier also began to grow worried and he rested a hand on Colin’s shoulder.

“Easy now, let’s just…. Get you kids inside, alright?” The soldiers began to lead the two down the alleyway towards the castle despite Colin’s protests. Kori attempted to step out of the shadows as they passed by, but instead he slipped into one of the soldier’s shadows. He wanted to let Colin know he was alright, but he couldn’t find his voice, and he didn’t know how to reveal himself. He was stuck, and he began to panic. What if he was like this forever, never to see his family ever again because he couldn’t escape the shadows?

The group made it to the castle, one of the soldiers giving the others orders, and they along with his aunt and uncle walked away, with Kori staying with the remaining soldier. The soldier huffed and marched through the castle, passing by many pillars, paintings, and tapestries that caught Kori’s eyes. He only saw the ceiling and the walls, but they were huge. His entire house could probably fit in here. The soldier reached a door and gave it a knock, entering inside when he heard a muffled “come in”.

“King Edmund,” the soldier greeted, bowing towards a desk. Kori attempted to step outside the shadow again, but he once again slipped into a different one, remaining hidden. He was able to get a better view, however; being in a shadow on the wall, he spotted a tall and thin man with unruly red hair, hunched over papers. His curly mustache shifted as he pursed his lips, and he glanced up at the soldier.

“What is it?”

“We just found these two hysterical kids outside in Castle town. My soldiers are taking them to the maids to be taken care of.”

The man stared for a long moment, his thin eyebrows practically resting on his eyes. He sighed and nodded. “Very well, I’ll take care of them in the morning. Thank you.”

The soldier bowed and left the room, and the man sighed, resting his head in his hands. “Labryn… these blasted Hylians,” he mumbled as he rubbed his face. He glanced out the window, the dark sky beginning to lighten with the sunrise. The night had already passed? But Kori didn’t even get to sleep! He huffed and decided to try stepping out of the shadows again, imagining them as a box he was stepping out of. He nearly lost his balance as he left the wall, and he looked down himself. To his relief, he was back to normal, but he realized how trapped he was. He was in a messy room with papers scattered everywhere, different trinkets and clocks decorating the walls and the desk, and the man seemed to have not noticed him as he stared at the paper.

“An all-nighter,” he mumbled again, sniffing as he straightened his back. “Great…”

Kori stepped closer to him, fear taking hold of his throat once again. He didn’t know if he should say something, or if he should run to the door, or if he should go back inside a shadow. But he was once again frozen with fear. The man sniffed again and glanced over at Kori. He looked away but did a double take, flinching when he comprehended another person’s presence. The man yelped as he toppled out of his chair, and Kori jumped back, pressing himself against the wall. The man scrambled to his feet, his green eyes wide as he stared at him.

“Holy sh—wha—what are you doing here? Who are you? What are you? Good goddesses, you gave me a heart attack!” He yelled, holding his chest as he breathed heavily. Kori couldn’t hold it in anymore, and the tears began pouring once again. The man’s fearful and angry expression quickly melted away into a concerned and guilty one. “Oh… no no no, don’t cry, I’m sorry for yelling,” the man’s harsh voice softened as he raised his hands defensively. Kori continued to sob uncontrollably, the stress from the past day finally getting to him. The man got on his knees and rested his hands on his shoulders. “I’m sorry. I won’t hurt you.”

Kori sniffled and finally took in a shaky breath. The man’s voice and demeanor reminded him of his papa, and his lower lip jutted out in a pout. His heart ached for his parents.

“Shhh, it’s ok. I’m sorry I frightened you. I was just… uh… frightened myself,” the man said with a light chuckle. Kori sniffed again and stared at the ground. “What are you doing here, little one?”

Kori’s voice was once again taken away from him. Why couldn’t he speak? The man stared for a long moment, then sighed.

“It’s alright. My name is Edmund. What’s yours?”

Kori bit his lip, staring hard at the ground as he struggled to find his voice. “K—K—K…” He swallowed and let out a breath. “Kori.”

Edmund nodded. “It’s nice to meet you, Kori. Why are you here in my office? And Uh… how’d you get in here?”

Kori glanced at the shadows slowly changing with the sunrise. He swallowed again and looked down. “Captain… Hoz… um…” his voice was quiet, and Edmund leaned in.

“Sorry, I don’t have good hearing, what did you say?”

Kori sucked in a breath and tried again. “C-captain Hoz… he… um… my aunt and uncle were uh…. Um…” Kori clamped his mouth shut, his voice leaving him once again. Edmund’s eyes narrowed, and he glanced at the wall.

“Captain Hoz you say? What happened? Where is he?”

Kori looked down, his voice still gone. Edmund watched him for a moment, then he sighed.

“Where’s your aunt and uncle?”

No matter how hard he tried, his voice couldn’t escape him. His eyes started to tear up again and he hugged himself. Edmund sighed and stood up, towering over Kori’s little frame.

“Well, you’re safe now, little one,” he said, patting his head. “Perhaps when you’re able, you can tell me where your aunt and uncle are?”

They were taken by the soldiers, Kori wanted to say. They were the ones the main soldier told you about. Please, they're here, just take me to them.

It was uncomfortably silent as emotions ran rampant through Kori, until a knock came at the door. He and Edmund turned to it as it opened, and to Kori’s surprise, a young girl about his age peeked her head through.

“Father?” She asked, and she froze when she made eye contact with Kori, her gray eyes widening.

“Amber! What in Labryn’s name are you doing up so early?”

Amber shifted, her eyes never leaving Kori’s. “Who is that?” She asked, pointing her finger at him.

Edmund glanced at Kori, his mustache curling up in a smile. “This is Kori, Amber,” he nudged him towards her, and Amber loosened up slightly. She stepped through the door, her hands clasped politely in front of her. She was wearing a simple, pink dress with a little bird plushie in one of her arms. Her head bowed in greeting, her brown curls with hints of red bouncing as her head moved.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kori,” she said, and Kori only stared with his mouth hanging open. Amber glanced up at Edmund, a confused look on her face. Edmund looked down at him and smiled again.

“Amber, my dear, Kori is a little scared right now,” he began to explain, kneeling on the ground to be on Amber and Kori’s level. “He’s separated from his aunt and uncle and could use some comfort. Could you take him to your room?”

Amber blinked. “But what about my studies?”

“Oh, you can miss them for the day. I want you to take care of him for now.”

Amber’s eyes lightened up and she grinned.

“Ok father! Come on!” She grabbed his arm and started to drag him out of the room. Kori looked back at Edmund who had a pleasant smile on his face, his fear for his aunt and uncle leaving him as he was pulled through the castle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as the two kids disappeared, Edmund collapsed in his chair. Gods above, he was too tired to think clearly. He should’ve taken care of Kori better, like searching for his missing family or something, but he couldn’t think clearly from his late nights. Despite how many times he chastised Zelda for neglecting herself, he was no better than her when it came to neglecting his own needs. He laid there for a moment, his eyes threatening to close shut as the sun beat through his window, feeling like a blanket wrapping around him. A harsh knock on the door shook him out of it, however, and he groaned as he stood up.

The soldier from before was on the other side with an awkward look on his face. “U-uh, your highness, I would’ve waited much longer to come to you for this but…. the kids we brought in last night….”

“Yes yes, I’ll take care of it,” Edmund mumbled, walking past him and marching to the quarters where the homeless and poor took refuge. As he walked, he thought about the little boy that somehow snuck into his office. He wondered how he would find his parents, or his aunt and uncle. Kori was a race that he never recognized; he could’ve been part zora or something, but Edmund figured since Hyrule was filled with all sorts of races, that he was probably a race he simply didn’t know. He hoped that his daughter could coax some information out of him, especially information about Hoz. Zelda sent a mysterious letter to him, telling him that everyone must stay inside at night, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Hoz had something to do with this. As he got closer to the rooms where the two kids were, he heard shouts and spotted a blond human yelling at the maids.

“Let me out! I need to find him!” He yelled, and the maids pushed him back.

“Sir, we cannot let you out until sunrise! That is by order of the queen!”

“The sun is up! You can’t keep us here anymore!”

“Sir, please—” The maids turned to Edmund and quickly bowed, the young human’s eyes widening as he spotted him, shrinking away.

“What’s going on here?” Edmund asked, staring down the young man.

“King Edmund, he was just—”

“I need to find my nephew!” He blurted out, and Edmund frowned, his mind instantly thinking about Kori. But he quickly pushed that out of his mind; this young man looked nothing like Kori.

“Alright, just take a deep breath,” he said, nudging the man back into the room. He spotted a little girl on a bed, glaring at him as he pushed him inside. “Now, what’s your name?”

The young man glanced at the little girl, then back at Edmund. “I—I’m uh… Well I—”

“Your name?” Edmund pressed, his patience growing thin. The boy looked down and took a deep breath.

“Sorry. I’m Colin, and my little sister over there is Rela,” he gestured to the girl on the bed.

Edmund glanced over at Rela who was still glaring. He could certainly see the resemblance. “And where are you two from?” He asked, turning back to Colin. Colin pursed his lips and stared at a corner in the room.

“O-Ordon.”

Edmund frowned. “Isn’t that the human village to the south?”

Colin nodded. “Yes.”

“And what are two Ordonians doing here at Castle town in the middle of the night?” He glanced at the window. “Or… in the morning to be more accurate.”

“Well—w-we have to… uh…” Colin sighed. “We need to speak to Queen Zelda. Captain Hoz sent us.”

Edmund’s breath hitched at the mention of Hoz. It was the second time he’s heard his name, so that must mean….

“Is Kori your nephew?” He blurted out, and Colin’s eyes widened.

“You’ve seen Kori? Is he ok? Where is he?” Colin asked, grabbing onto Edmund. The king peeled his grip off of him and he huffed.

“Gods above, you Hylians have no respect for royals!” he grumbled, dusting off his arm. Colin hopped back and bowed apologetically.

“I-I’m sorry, I’ve just been so worried about Kori.”

Edmund’s anger quickly fizzled away and he sighed. If his Amber went missing, or heaven forbid any of his nephews, he’d be desperate as well.

“Kori’s fine. He’s with my daughter. He wasn’t speaking and I hoped that she could help him feel better,” Edmund explained gently, and Colin practically crumpled onto the bed parallel with Rela’s with relief, his hand running through his hair as tears formed in his eyes.

“Thank you Ordona, thank you,” he muttered, rubbing his face tiredly. Edmund looked down and pursed his lips. He should get Kori, but his curiosity on why Hoz sent Ordonians to relay a message in his stead ate at him. Edmund decided to talk to him first, and he sat next to Colin, resting his back against the wall. Colin stiffened and stared at him, his big blue eyes holding a hint of fear.

“Colin, you and Kori both mentioned Hoz,” he started, not turning his head, but his eyes meeting Colin’s. “What happened?”

Colin glanced at Rela for a moment, the gears in his head turning. “I… I need to talk to Queen Zelda—”

“Zelda isn’t here right now,” Edmund cut in. “I’m taking care of things for her right now. So you will tell me what Hoz needed to tell her.”

Colin still seemed hesitant. “And Kori is ok?”

“Of course. My daughter is taking good care of him. I can grab him after you tell me everything.”

Colin’s brows were drawn together, but he finally submitted.

“Alright.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kori remained silent as he was dragged through the castle with Amber talking excitedly about things he didn’t understand. The castle was huge, much bigger than what he realized, and it made Kori feel much smaller inside it. When they reached Amber’s room, he couldn’t help but gasp at the sheer size of it. Her room seemed to be the same size as Gramma Uli’s house, with a large bed in the middle and a chest right in front of it. A window that practically reached the ceiling led onto a balcony, and there were several doors on each wall; whatever they led to, he had no idea. Amber stopped by the large chest, her hands clutched in front of her.

“It’ll be a while until my maids come by to get me ready, so…” she glanced at the box, then back at Kori. “We can do whatever you’d like.”

Kori stared blankly at her, not daring to move a muscle. Amber’s eyes looked around the room, her lips pursed as she traced the chest, Kori’s eyes following.

“It was Kori, right?” She asked, and he nodded. “I am princess Amber Zelda Hyrule, daughter of Nebula Zelda Hyrule and Edmund James Labrynna. You may call me Amber.”

Kori nodded, barely understanding what she meant.

“How old are you?” She asked, her voice high and sweet, which put Kori more at ease. He shifted slightly and stared at the ground.

“Ten,” he mumbled, and Amber gasped.

“Ten? H-how?”

Kori looked up at her with a confused look.

“You’re so small! You can’t be ten!” She continued, an even more confused look on her face. Kori frowned. He was pretty small but he wasn’t that small. He was much smaller than Rela but that was because she was eleven. Amber seemed to be bigger than Kori as well, so how old was she?

“My birthday was a while ago,” Kori mumbled, his hands waving around. “I’m ten.”

“B-but…” Amber huffed and crossed her arms. “But I’m nine!”

Kori’s eyes widened. He was older than her? He giggled and pointed at her. “I’m older than you!”

Amber glared and turned away with a huff. “How is that even possible? What are you?”

Kori withdrew, his hand returning to his side. “I… I’m a twilian, I guess.

Amber’s anger went away and she tilted her head. “What’s a twilian?”

Kori shrugged. “I guess I’m part Twili and Hylian.”

“What’s a Twili?”

Kori shrugged again. “I dunno, it’s what my mommy is.”

It grew silent between the two, until Amber stepped up to him.

“I’m part human and Hylian,” she said. “So… I know what it’s like to not be something exactly.”

“Human and Hylian… I guess that makes you a humian?” Kori commented, and Amber raised an eyebrow with an amused look.

“Or a Hyman.”

Kori giggled and Amber joined it, and it grew silent again. Kori stared at the large chest, and finally curiosity got the better of him.

“What’s in there?” He asked, walking closer to the chest. Amber hummed and opened it, causing Kori to gasp at the sight. Hundreds, possibly thousands of toys laid before him. He didn’t know it was even possible to have this many!

“These are all my toys,” she explained, reaching in for a doll and grinning at him. Kori continued to stare with wide eyes.

“You have so many!”

Amber giggled. “Yes well… I get a lot of gifts for my birthdays!”

A lot of gifts… Kori would be lucky if he even got one. The amount of toys he could’ve gotten if he’d gotten presents every birthday… Spirits, it sounded incredible!

“That’s amazing! I only have two toys, Billy and Jasper…” Kori said glumly, jealous of Amber’s large inventory.

“Billy and Jasper?”

“My goat stuffie! And my cat stuffie! I got Jasper for my birthday,” he explained, and Amber’s eyes widened as she hugged her bird stuffie closer.

“I love stuffed animals…” she mumbled, her face in her bird’s head. “I never get them though. Everyone believes I’m too old for them.”

“What?!” Too old? Kori was older than her, yet he didn’t feel like he was too old for plushies. He couldn’t imagine not being able to get them! “That’s so sad!”

Amber nodded. “I’m not too old for dolls though,” she muttered, staring at all the many dolls in her chest. She didn’t seem to like them all that much. Rela didn’t like dolls either, and instead opted for toy soldiers and swords. But Kori liked the dolls that could be dressed up, so he grabbed one with a blue dress on. Several dresses missing from dolls laid in the chest and he reached for a small hat and brown shoes. He stared at the doll and put the two accessories on while Amber watched.

“Do you like dolls, Kori?” She asked, her head tilted. Kori giggled nervously and shrugged.

“I’ve never had one. But I like the clothes on them.” He stared at the doll and handed it to Amber who took it hesitantly.

“This hat doesn’t belong to her,” she commented, and Kori shrugged.

“It looks good.”

Amber observed the doll and nodded. “I guess so.”

Kori looked back into the chest and gasped at wooden soldiers on top of different doll dresses. He grabbed one and pulled it out, observing the delicate carvings.

“You have everything!” He exclaimed.

Amber smiled and shrugged.

“If I had this many toys, I would never be bored ever again!” Kori exclaimed.

Amber’s smile faded and she looked down, still hugging her bird. “Toys are great, but they grow tiring when you have no one to play with.”

Kori turned his head at her, his brows drawn together.

“You have no one to play with?”

“I-I… I have my father… he sometimes plays but,” Amber’s expression grew sad. “He’s been pretty busy.”

“What about your mommy?”

Amber looked up at him, her expression growing more sad. “I never see her.”

Kori’s stomach sank a little, and he looked back at the soldier.

“I am happy that my father is here,” she continued, “but… sometimes I…I…”

“You want your mommy too?” Kori finished for her, giving her a knowing look. Amber looked up at him, her brows pinched together. “My mommy is gone all the time too. I don’t know when she will come or how long she’ll stay, but she has other stuff she needs to do at her home.” He sighed and sat down, his back against the chest. “I miss her when she’s not here. I have my papa, but I feel… happier when my mommy and papa are with me.”

Amber joined him on the floor, a look of understanding on her face. “Yeah! My mother has been gone for so long and…” She paused, her eyes staring at the floor distantly. “I just never see her. Sometimes I wonder if she loves me.”

Kori’s heart hurt for her. Though his mommy was gone a lot, she always spent her time with him. He knew for a doubt that she loved him. The thought of not knowing if she really cared for him was almost too painful to think about. He scooted closer to her and put an arm around her.

“I’m sorry,” he said, and she leaned into the hug, her bird plushie still in her face as she hugged it close. They stayed there for a short moment before Amber began to stir, and she returned to her chest of toys.

“Anyways… I’m not sure how long you’ll be here but… do you… want to play with me?”

She seemed almost bashful as she asked Kori; her eyes were avoiding his, her voice soft and quiet, and her bird plush still remaining clutched at her chest. Kori smiled and nodded enthusiastically, looking into the chest again.

“What do you want to play?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Release the princess you old creep!” Kori shouted while waving the toy soldier around. Amber planted her dress-up doll in front of the soldier, cackling maniacally.

“You’ll never save her!” She shouted back, the toy moving around violently as if she were casting a spell. “I’ll turn you into a spider and you’ll have to be crawling around for the rest of your life!”

“Noooo!” Kori’s toy dodged out of the way in a dramatic fashion, and he began to smack Amber’s toy as if he were fighting her. “Die die die!”

Amber seemed surprised at the sudden violence, but she played into it, making noises of pain as the evil witch died.

“Nooooo! It can’t end like thiiiiiiis!” She wailed, making dramatic dying noises. Kori watched as she put her whole body into it, laying down with the toy and sticking her tongue out. He let out a giggle when she finally went silent, and she looked over at him, a smile on her face. She shot up and pulled out her princess doll, shoving it towards Kori. “My hero! You saved me! Now we can get married!”

Kori’s nose scrunched up. “‘Married?’”

Amber nodded, giving Kori a look as if he was stupid. “Yeah! Every time a knight saves a princess they get married! Obviously.”

“But… they barely know each other!”

“So?”

“So it’s… it’s… weird.” Kori glanced down at his toy soldier, fiddling with his sword.

“It’s not weird! It’s romantic,” Amber sighed dreamily, her eyes staring at the ceiling with her toy clutched to her chest. Kori stuck his tongue out in disgust and turned away. Amber suddenly snatched his toy soldier out of his hands and pressed the princess and knight together, making kissing noises. Kori squealed and cringed away, giggles escaping him as Amber got louder with the teasing. Soon the two kids burst out laughing and laid out on the floor, holding their tummies as they grew sore from the laughter.

“You’re so weird,” Kori laughed, and Amber grinned widely at him. The two laid there in silence, a few giggles escaping one or the other. Kori sat up and was about to say something, but the silence was interrupted by a knock on the door. Amber scrambled to her feet, with Kori following as the door opened, and Edmund entered, his eyes widening at the room.

“Good gods, what have you two been doing in here?”

Kori glanced around at the room. The two had certainly made a mess with it, with different toys scattered everywhere and blankets being used as forts. He looked at Amber who had a guilty look on her face, and she quickly got to tidying up the toys.

“The princess got kidnapped and Kori had to save her,” she explained simply, throwing one of the dolls into her chest, and Edmund’s face softened.

“Alright. Well I’m glad you two had fun, but the maids will have much work to do,” he turned to Kori and gestured to him to follow with his head. “Come with me, I’m going to take you to your uncle.”

Kori gasped at the mention of Colin, and he walked across the room to where Edmund stood, but he stopped. He turned back to look at Amber, who had a sad look on her face.

“He’s leaving?” She asked in a quiet voice, and Edmund sighed.

“Kori needs to return to his aunt and uncle, my dear. Say goodbye, now.”

Kori glanced up at him and walked over to Amber, pulling her into a hug. She reciprocated immediately, her head falling onto his shoulder.

“I hope I can play with you again,” she said, her voice muffled.

“Me too! You were fun to play with!” Kori gave her one last squeeze and pulled away. Amber’s eyes had grown watery and she sniffed slightly.

“Could we… write to each other?” She asked, and Kori shrugged.

“I don’t know. I don’t know how it works. But I’d like to!”

Amber smiled and put her toy soldier in his hand. “Write to the castle, and I’ll be sure to respond. I’ll… see you later?”

Kori stared at the toy soldier for a moment, and looked up at her with a smile. “Yeah! I hope so.” He began to back up towards Edmund, who watched silently. He waved at Amber as he walked out of the room, and Edmund closed the door behind them. It was silent as Kori followed the man, feeling like a mouse compared to him, and the discomfort to go with it. He already missed Amber as he fiddled with her toy soldier, the silence growing uncomfortable for him. Eventually, Kori heard talking, and he spotted a familiar blond whose eyes lit up when they made eye contact.

“KORI!” Colin shouted, running to him. Kori felt a weight lift off his shoulders as his uncle ran to him, and he quickly melted into his embrace, tears streaming down his face. “Oh thank the spirits,” his uncle mumbled, giving Kori a squeeze. Rela came up behind him and joined in the hug, sighs of relief coming from the family.

“Goddesses, Kori,” Colin started after pulling away. His hands rested on his arms and he looked him over. “What the heck happened? Where were you?”

Kori looked down, not knowing how to explain his situation. “I was… in the shadows?” He answered, shrugging his shoulders. Colin stared for a moment, confusion apparent on his face, but he pulled Kori in, not caring what he meant.

“I’m just glad you’re alright. You had me worried, kid,” he muttered, and Kori smiled.

“I was worried about y’all too,” he replied. Rela stepped up and put her hands on her hips, pointing at herself.

“Well I knew he was going to be ok!” she cut in, giving Kori a proud look. “I taught him how to take care of himself!”

Colin gave Rela an unamused look and stood up. He turned to Edmund who remained silent and bowed.

“Thank you for taking care of him, Your Highness,” he said, and Edmund nodded.

“Of course. It was my pleasure,” he said with a smile. “And thank you for telling me about Hoz. This information is vital to the safety and protection of Hyrule.”

Colin nodded back at him. “Of course. Just… make sure Zelda gets the information, ok?”

“Zelda will get it, I assure you,” Edmund replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice. “Though just because she isn’t here doesn’t mean things won’t get done.”

“R-right, sorry…” Colin turned to Rela and Kori and sighed.

“Do you have a place to stay?” Edmund asked. “If not, you may stay here until it’s safe to travel.”

“No no, we have a place to stay, don’t worry,” Colin assured with a smile. “Thank you though, you’re very kind.”

Edmund glanced between the group and nodded. “Then it’s best for you to leave. I’ll escort you out.”

The king began walking towards the larger doors with the rest following him, and Kori squinted at the sunlight that shone through the frame. Edmund walked them across the courtyard and stopped at the gate, turning to Colin and gesturing to the town with his head.

“I take it, you can make it on your own now?”

“Yes, your highness. Thank you.”

Edmund nodded one last time and watched as Colin, Rela, and Kori crossed the gate, but he stopped them before the gate door closed.

“Hold on,” he called out, and Kori turned around. “Kori, you’re from Ordon, right?”

Kori glanced at Colin who looked confused, and he nodded. Edmund smiled and glanced back at the castle.

“I’m just making sure. Thank you… for playing with my daughter. I’m sure she had fun.”

Kori’s eyes widened and he grinned. “Yeah, I had fun too!”

Edmund chuckled slightly and bowed his head before finally leaving the gate, it shutting closed behind him. Colin turned to Kori with an eyebrow raised.

“Spirits, did you play with the princess, Kori?” He asked, and Kori frowned.

“No, I just played with a nice girl,” he explained simply.

“Kori, you do know that we talked to King Edmund. His daughter is the princess. You played with her!”

Kori paused. Amber was the princess? He knew Edmund was the king, but he didn’t even think about Amber being a princess. Was that why she had so many toys and such a big room? But… she seemed like a normal girl, not at all like how he expected a princess to act. Colin burst out laughing and ruffled his hair, turning to the town.

“You made friends with the princess of all people, kid. That’s somethin’ not even your pa could do.”

Kori followed, his hand holding onto Rela’s. He didn’t know why that was such a big deal, but he figured it was just adult things that he’d understand when he got older. The town was drastically different from how it was last night when the group finally reached it. People were running into each other, zipping from place to place, chatting at the fountain, and listening to singers by the front gates. It was less scary than before, and Kori grew fascinated at all the different characters running past him. Some ignored the little boy, others gave him weird looks, but overall, they minded their own business as he, his aunt and uncle walked through the crowd. Rela’s hand tightened around Kori’s and he moved closer to her, hugging Amber’s toy soldier to his chest. He still didn’t understand why she had given it to him, but he knew he had to ask his papa if he could see her again. Kori didn’t have many friends besides Rela; it would be nice to have one closer to his age who liked to play with the toys the way he wanted to. As the group wandered through the town, all he could think about was the game he and Amber played, and how much fun he had. Rela was great and all, but she was older than Kori, and a lot more rough. She preferred to play with swords and pretended to kill monsters. Plus, being his aunt, it also felt less like a friendship since she was family. Though, the way she protectively kept him close as they walked through the town, he was grateful Rela was there for him like a friend. Regardless, Kori longed for a friend outside of his family, one who he could play fun games with. Just like Amber…

The three finally reached a staircase that led into an empty area of the town, and Colin confidently went down the stairs, marching straight towards a door. Colin reached for the handle but paused, staring at it for a long moment.

“What is it?” Rela asked after a while of staring. Colin sighed and looked at her and Kori.

“It’s nothin’, I just… Pa is gonna kill us, that’s all,” he muttered, and he finally opened the door. Kori’s eyes slammed shut at the sudden stench inside. He didn’t know what he was smelling, but his fingers squeezed his nostrils shut, his eyes watering from the awful smell. His ears drooped as well, the loud shouts and laughter of drunk men assaulting his long ears. He huddled closer to Rela, staring at the sweaty men drinking a foaming liquid that poured out of their mouths. This place was awful! As Kori looked around, he spotted a group of people across the room, and he quickly recognized his grandpa standing at a table. His brows were pinched together as he stared at the table, but his blue eyes glanced up to see the group of kids walking towards him. His serious expression turned to horror, and Kori saw his own papa turn around to see him. Tears escaped from Kori and he broke away from Rela, sprinting across the room to his papa. His papa was out of his chair, a confused expression on his face, and Kori rammed into his chest, wrapping his little arms around him as he sobbed into his shirt. He quickly reciprocated, rubbing his back as he cried.

“Kori, what the heck are you doing here?” His papa asked in his gentle voice, which made Kori cry harder. Spirits above, he missed him so much. He missed him so much and he didn’t want to let him go. Kori heard talking from his uncle and grandpa, but he didn’t listen as he clung on desperately to his father. His worries melted away, and all that was there for Kori was him and his papa.

#love at twilight #Kori #twilight princess #smiles wtites #yayyyy update!!!!#not a big fan of this one hoenstly but I hope you guys like it anyways #beloveds #no one is having a good time here

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