#cub why are you so deeply ominous

[kriber]

i'm sure nothing will go wrong

[robininthelabyrinth]

Nie Huaisang is the cutest thing monsters have ever seen, they can be yao dragons or giant turtles one look at nhs and they want to feed hug or kidnapt him nmj trainning involved recovering his baby brother from every monsters nest around qinge

ao3

“I’m sorry,” Nie Mingjue said, his teeth gritted together and his arms shaking from the strain of holding Baxia up. “He’s mine.”

The massive tiger glared down at him over Baxia’s blade, currently stuck in its teeth, and growled something.

“I know,” Nie Mingjue said. His legs were shaking now, too. “I know, trust me, I know! I’m human, he’s – young, yes, yes, I know. But he’s my little brother! I’m not giving him up!”

The tiger spat out the blade, knocking Nie Mingjue backwards on his ass.

“And when you change your mind?” the tiger demanded. “Will you abandon him then?”

“No!” Nie Mingjue exclaimed. “Never! He’s my brother!”

“Mark your words,” the tiger said ominously. “Or else.”

It turned and stalked off, its tail waving arrogantly in the air, until its towering white form disappeared into the distance.

Nie Mingjue sighed in relief. “Huaisang?” he called, and a small head popped out of the nest the tiger had started building, blinking owlishly at him. “Come on, come to da-ge. It’s time to go home.”

“But Master Tiger said we were going to play…”

“Yes, well, he wanted to play for too long,” Nie Mingjue said. “Only a few centuries, give or take. Let’s go.”

-

It started back when Nie Huaisang was born.

No, more accurately, it started when Nie Mingjue’s father fell in love with someone he probably oughtn’t have, which according to the sect was not a terribly uncommon problem for him to have, and decided to bring home a bride.

Nie Mingjue could still remember the first time he’d seen the Second Madame Nie. They’d all been lined up to greet her, all the sect and close members of the clan in rows according to rank, Nie Mingjue fidgeting in the inside of the house proper in his first tangle with formal clothing outside of the discussion conferences. She had come sweeping in with her head held as high as a princess, seductive and bewitching.

Every movement had been perfect, the eyes of all the men fogging over in lust and the women in admiration – or visa versa, depending on their personal preferences – and a wicked smile had lit up her face when she had stepped across the threshold, officially becoming the sect leader’s wife, and maybe everything would have gone along with whatever plan she’d had back then if she hadn’t next seen him.

“Oh, look at you,” she exclaimed, rushing over to pinch Nie Mingjue’s cheeks between her hands. “What a delectable little morsel you are!”

“Uh,” Nie Mingjue said, staring up at her with big round somewhat-worried eyes.

“You charming little dumpling,” she said. “You adorable mouthful of meat! Spoonful of egg yolk!”

Nie Mingjue cast his eyes around to see if anyone would be willing to help him.

“My eldest son,” Nie Mingjue’s father said, not without pride – albeit perhaps a puzzled sort of pride. “He’s probably just about old enough to come to the forecourt, if you don’t want him to live with you –”

“Oh no,” she said. “He’s definitely living with me.”

And so she stayed, and Nie Mingjue stayed with her, and she doted on him in a way he found pleasant if mildly disconcerting. Within a year, she was pregnant, and irritated with it; six months after that, she was round and complaining, even though Nie Mingjue solemnly assured her that she was as beautiful as ever.

“This is your fault, you know,” she told him, and he blinked at her. “It is! Don’t get me wrong, your father’s a charming bull when he wants to be, and of course he fucks like a champion stud, but I stayed here for you, my little cabbage roll, my charming chunk of liver.”

She patted her belly.

“That means this here is all because of you. So you’d better take responsibility!”

Nie Mingjue considered the issue for a little. The argument seemed plausible, so he raised his hands and put them on her rounded stomach. “I will take care and watch over him for all my life,” he vowed, and the baby inside kicked his hand in response, sealing the pact.

“Oh you are so cute,” she said, pressing her hands to her cheeks. “My darling pork bun! My little fish cake! I could eat you right up, if only you were just a little bit older!”

When Nie Huaisang was born, she disappeared in a welter of blood, but Nie Mingjue’s oath remained.

The trouble started after that.

-

“You can’t raise a cub like that properly,” the winged lion argued, bating its wings as if that would help it make its point better.

Nie Mingjue glared at him. “Watch me!”

“It’s for your own good, little human. He needs his own kind –”

“I’m not listening to a treasure-seeker!”

The lion scowled at him. “I’ll have you know that most humans think I’m good luck!”

“You’re not trying to steal most humans’ little brothers, are you?!”

The winged lion sighed, a deep sound, so very noble and long-suffering that Nie Mingjue couldn’t resist the urge to lift his foot and kick the lion right in the paw.

“Brat!”

“Don’t care!” he shouted. “You leave my brother alone! He’s my responsibility, not yours! Piss off!”

“You can’t even feed him properly -”

“I’ll figure it out!” Nie Mingjue bared his teeth and wished he was old enough for a saber.

“You little…fine. Fine! I’ll bring you a book on how to feed a huli jing kit, and you keep to it, you hear me?”

“I will,” Nie Mingjue said. “But don’t you even think of taking him away!”

“On your own head be it,” the winged lion grumbled. “Not everyone’s as understanding as me.”

-

“Why are you wet?” Nie Mingjue’s father asked him.

“Water monkeys,” Nie Mingjue said shortly. “There was a nest.”

“Water monkeys? Don’t they normally stay away from people…? Or, I suppose, were these ones feral?”

“Thieves.”

“Ah. Well, nothing to be done about it, I suppose…bad luck for you to run into them here, of all places. But good experience! How many people your age can say that they fought water monkeys?”

“Can we go home?” Nie Mingjue asked, a little plaintively, and rubbed his nose. “How much can you really have to say to the Jiang sect, anyway?”

His father chuckled. “More than either of us would like, unfortunately. But if you’ve had enough of water, which no one can blame you for, maybe you and Huaisang can go shopping in the pier instead?”

That would work, Nie Mingjue thought, and nodded happily.

(Sect Leader Jiang was extremely embarrassed about the ghostly rats in the night-market – he claimed they’d never seen neither nose nor tail of them before the Nie brothers had accidentally tripped over their trap and had to flee from the swarm...)

-

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nie-er-gongzi,” the white-clad cultivator from the mountain said, smiling broadly and saluting deeply.

Xiao Xingchen had made himself famous during his first half-dozen night-hunts alone for his extraordinary grace, bearing and strength, and he said he was on a mission to help the world. He was beautiful, virtuous, and matched each ideal of gentlemanly arts.

Sects throughout the cultivation world were drooling at the thought of enticing him to join them, fighting for the opportunity to put in a good word with him.

Not all sects.

Nie Mingjue stepped forward, purposely putting Nie Huaisang behind him.

“Don’t you even think about it,” he said, hand on the hilt of his saber. “Buzz off, birdbrain.”

Xiao Xingchen might wear white, but Nie Mingjue knew a zhuque chick when he saw one.

-

“I found something for my aviary, da-ge!” Nie Huaisang, seven years old and delighted with his clumsy autonomy, announced.

Nie Mingjue, less than a full year into his new role as sect leader, rubbed his eyes. “Oh?” he asked, only somewhat wanting to scream endlessly into the void, which was better than usual. “That’s nice, Huaisang…”

“Come look! It’s so pretty!”

“I’m a bit busy –”

“But da-ge!”

Nie Mingjue sighed and got up, following Nie Huaisang to the door only to come to a complete stop.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” he said to the fenghuang currently pretending to be a rooster in a cage, as if anyone would actually mistake phoenix flames for regular feathers. “Do you have no dignity left?!”

-

“You can’t adopt the bashe,” Nie Mingjue said to Nie Huaisang, who pouted. “It eats elephants; we’d be broke within three months.”

He turned to the giant python.

“You can’t adopt Huaisang,” he said. “I will literally murder you.”

-

“Why can’t I go watch the eclipse?” Nie Huaisang complained. “Everyone else is going!”

“I’m not risking a tiangou.”

“The…dog that eats the sun? Really, da-ge, is that even real?”

“You know what,” Nie Mingjue said, “you’re grounded just for saying that.”

Nie Huaisang grinned.

-

“Maybe I want to go and live among the qilin!” Nie Huaisang screamed, fourteen and hormonal about it.

“Well you don’t get a choice!” Nie Mingjue bellowed back.

“You’re not my father! I don’t have to listen to what you say!”

“I’m your fucking sect leader and yes you do!”

“I hate you!”

“I don’t care if you hate me! You still aren’t going to go live in a field with some magic pointy deer and that’s final!”

The qilin herd wisely chose to withdraw.

-

“Da-ge,” Jin Guangyao hissed, and Nie Mingjue looked up from his work at him – he hadn’t heard Meng Yao this upset since he’d shoved him into a closet to get him out of way during the whole dangkang boar hunt debacle. “Da-ge, there’s a dragon outside.”

“Again?” Nie Mingjue said, standing up to stretch and feeling oddly unbalanced. They’d just finished another session with the song of Clarity, so he really shouldn’t be feeling like this; he would need to write to Lan Xichen again about his fears that the treatment really wasn’t working. Lan Xichen would probably only say to give it more time, another chance, but still… “Let me go talk to them. Dragons are the worst.”

“No, da-ge, you don’t understand,” Jin Guangyao said. “It’s not a water-serpent or – or even a jiaolong – it’s a dragon.”

“A flood-dragon is a type of dragon,” Nie Mingjue said, following Jin Guangyao outside. “You know that, it’s in the name, what’s the big – oh, I see. It’s a celestial dragon.”

Jin Guangyao glared at him with an expression suggesting that he was under-reacting, but Nie Mingjue really didn’t have the capacity in him to reach with appropriate fervor at the moment. He and Nie Huaisang had been fighting a lot recently, every little thing escalating into a giant argument, and he was no longer sure if he was doing the right thing in trying to force Nie Huaisang onto the path of his ancestors. After all, unlike Nie Mingjue, Nie Huaisang had – somewhat different ancestors, on his maternal side.

And, he supposed, Nie Huaisang was old enough to decide otherwise, if he truly wished…

Still, Nie Mingjue was as stubborn as a mule and had no intention of giving up his baby brother without a fight, so he braced himself and went over to the frankly massive creature draped over the entrance gateway and much of the training yard that the entirety of the Nie sect was doing its utmost best to pretend that they weren’t seeing.

Nie Huaisang was sitting on the thing’s five claws – an imperial celestial dragon, apparently – because of course he was.

“Excuse me,” Nie Mingjue called up to the dragon, which turned its head to regard him, an entire production that took nearly a quarter ké to accomplish. “The brat there is mine, please return him.”

“Da-ge!” Jin Guangyao hissed again, but Nie Mingjue waved him away.

“You have raised him well,” the dragon said, which was…a good deal nicer than most of these interactions usually went.

“…thanks?” Nie Mingjue said suspiciously, ignoring Jin Guangyao’s splutters of “It talks?!” “I think?”

“I have chosen to grant you a boon,” the dragon announced.

“…right,” Nie Mingjue said. “If this ‘boon’ is that you’ll take him off my hands, I’m afraid I’m going to have to refuse. He may be trouble, but he’s still my brother.”

“Da-ge!” Nie Huaisang exclaimed, indignant. “Don’t be rude. I asked him for this!”

Nie Mingjue frowned at him, unable to resist the feeling of hurt even though he’d already told himself to expect something like this. “…you want to leave?”

“No, da-ge, don’t be ridiculous. I asked him to improve your health!”

Ah.

“Huaisang –” he started to say.

“Don’t you ‘Huaisang’ me!” his little brother shouted. “I know you’re trying to hide it, but it’s getting worse, isn’t it? San-ge told me so! He said I should get ready!”

Nie Mingjue made a mental note to strangle Jin Guangyao, who had no right to say something like that to Nie Huaisang even if maybe it wasn’t the worst idea in the world to emotionally prepare Nie Huaisang for the upcoming bereavement and inheritance he would need to face.

“Anyway, he said to get ready, so I did!”

“You can’t just ask a divine dragon to fix me, Huaisang. That’s not how this works.”

“Uh, it totally does, and I did, and he agreed. So there!”

Nie Mingjue crossed his arms and glared. “And what did he want in return?”

“The boon is a reward for your past merit, not a trade for the deeds of the future,” the dragon said, not even slightly hiding how its whiskers were shaking with suppressed laughter. “You have travelled a difficult road, and borne the weight of it well. And besides…”

“Besides?”

“If you were to die, he would undoubtedly petition the creatures of the underworld to return you.”

“Well, fuck,” Nie Mingjue said, having not considered that. “Fine. Whatever. Heal me and I’ll try to keep an eye on my health going forward.”

Maybe more Clarity? He could try to free up his schedule, get in a few more sessions…

“I just give up,” Jin Guangyao said behind him. “I just fucking give up.”

Nie Mingjue, assuming that he was talking about Nie Huaisang’s nonsense, agreed whole-heartedly.

[dinfeanoriel]

In Memoriam II

At long last, the second to last part of In Memoriam! I may have strayed a little from canon (you’ll know where) but there was a purpose behind it. 

~~~~

“We meet again,” The clipped, but no less meaningful, greeting resonated across the ethereal world. The first thing to meet Link’s ears after he watched the Golden Wolf howl and transform into his proud and tall, skeletal, mentor. 

A moment passed in which the Hero Shade critically scrutinized Link before nodding to himself in approval. 

“You have a little more of the look of a hero than you did before…” 

Link’s expression flat-lined. The Hero Shade certainly knew how to boost one’s confidence. 

Link could have sworn the Hero Shade smirked but...given the form he was in, it would be impossible. Perhaps he’d merely sensed it? 

His wolf senses did pick up subtle, less-than-noticeable, things humans couldn’t. Shifts in demeanor, genuine feelings, and ulterior motives. Ripples of joy, coils of anger, and stabs of pain. He could hear the steady beating of hearts, listen to the melody carried by the wind, and the rustling and scurrying of the smallest critters across the forest floor. 

At first, everything was far too overwhelming for him, but he’d soon adjusted. He’d had to. Besides, honing his wolf senses came in handy. “Do you feel ready to learn your next skill?” Hero Shade’s cool and steady voice broke through Link’s thoughts, scattering them. 

Link frowned, face set and eyes flaring with determination. He’d mastered the last Hidden Skill and had grown more experienced with handling a blade. It came almost naturally to him. As though he’d been born with the inherent ability of mastering the sword. 

He was ready to learn a new skill.  

He met the Hero Shade’s gaze, feeling eyes watching him although the skeletal being had none. 

“I do.” Link answered, voice echoing his resoluteness. 

“Very well,” Link could practically feel the ‘but’ incoming, “But-” 

And there it was. 

“-before we begin, I must test you to ensure you have mastered the last skill I taught you...the Ending Blow.” 

Link’s heart thumped once against his chest and sunk slightly. 

What exactly did the Hero Shade have planned? 

“Now then,” The Hero Shade’s voice thundered, startling Link, “Come at me!” It was a thinly veiled order. A not so concealed challenge. Already, the skeletal being had his sword and shield drawn in preparation. 

Well...Link was never one to back down, and he felt prompted to follow through with his mentor’s command. He wasn’t quite sure why he was so inclined to do as the Hero Shade told him. He supposed it hardly mattered. 

Link swiftly drew the Ordon Sword from its sheath and slid his shield from his back. Twirling the blade expertly in his calloused hand, Link reaffirmed his grip and watched his mentor lift his own sword up along with his shield. 

Faster than one could blink, Link shot forward and leapt into the air. He swung the Ordon Sword in a downward strike. The blade cut across the Hero Shade’s chest and the skeletal being flew back from the physical force gathered behind the blow. He struck the ground and Link immediately jumped high into the air and viciously stabbed the Hero Shade through.

The Hero Shade grunted as Link slid the Ordon Sword from his translucent form and gracefully flipped backwards. 

For a moment, the great warrior remained on the cool ground before bringing himself to his feet. 

“Excellent,” The Hero Shade approved, and Link couldn’t explain the abrupt burst of pride that filled him at the praise, “It appears you are certainly capable of performing my lost art.” 

His lost art? 

Link curiously inclined his head. These skills he was learning...were those the Hero Shade had developed himself? Then why had the Hero Shade chosen to pass his teachings to him? A Ranch-Hand-turned-Hero? 

“Very well,” Decision made, Hero Shade’s tone implied Link needed to listen closely and carefully to his next words, “My second skill is…”

Ah. A dramatic pause. 

Why did Link get the feeling his mentor had done so on purpose? He was purposefully goading him on, but Link couldn’t deny the thrill of excitement and willingness to learn from this ancient being. 

“...the Shield Attack!” 

Link perked up. This skill sounded intriguing. 

“Let it be hewn into your mind!” 

And so the lesson commenced!

“No matter how well-tempered a blade is, if a foe is clad in armor and bears a shield, the sword will do no harm,” Hero Shade briefly explained, “When facing such a foe, you must lock onto them and thrust your shield against the defenses of your enemy.” 

Made sense…

“Lock onto me, then try it!” The Hero Shade said, “You have learned much, so I am sure you will know the moment when you can do a shield attack!” He assured Link. 

They brought their swords together and Link executed the Shield Attack with hardly any trouble. 

The Hero Shade staggered back from the blow before recovering. He curtly dipped his chin, approval and a hint of pride evident in his voice, 

“Excellent! Open a hole in your enemy’s defenses and use your sword to strike without hesitation!” Hero Shade went on to add, “The Shield Attack I have just taught you can also be used to repel an enemy’s projectile attacks.” 

He hadn’t missed how Hero Shade subtly emphasized the word ‘repel.’ As though it were a forewarning of what was to come. 

“Would you practice?” Link was given no time to answer. The decision had been made for him. “Then repel my magical attack with your shield attack!” 

Link sent the glowing orb back after the Hero Shade had projected it. He’d almost miscalculated but narrowly managed to salvage his slight falter. 

“Perfect!” The Hero Shade declared, “When your enemies assail you with projectiles, this is how you will defeat them with ease!” 

A slight grin curved Link’s lips. 

“Done!” The Hero Shade concluded their lesson, “You have learned the second of my hidden skills, the Shield Attack! But I have five more secrets to teach you...in time. The path to becoming a true hero is a long one, but once you have grasped all of the hidden skills, you shall be worthy of walking it. You must persist on the lonely path of the sword to obtain true courage and earn the strength to conquer the great evils of the world!” 

He spoke from experience. This Link recognized. Hero Shade was...sorrowful and understanding. 

“Do not forget your discipline with the blade before we meet again!” 

And those were the words of wisdom Hero Shade left to echo in Link’s ears as he was drawn back into reality and away from his Mentor’s world. 

~~~~

Twilight started when his memory of the Hero Shade was interrupted by the rustling of the bushes behind him. 

He turned, teeth bared in a snarl as he crouched low and prepared to attack should the disturbance prove to be a monster. He only hesitated since he didn’t sense any ill intentions, malicious or dark auras. 

It hardly mattered. It paid to be cautious. 

Instead, a blue-clad figure came hurrying through, long, wheat-colored hair somewhat disheveled and blue eyes snapping onto his wolf form. 

Twilight relaxed upon recognizing Wild only to tense slightly at the unnerved expression he wore. 

“Twilight!” Wild breathed, jogging towards him. Twilight transformed into his Hylian form at once, worry creasing his brow. 

“Cub? What’s wrong?” 

“I’m not sure,” Wild admitted, peering past his shoulder and briefly scanning the area behind him. When he didn’t find whatever he was looking for, Wild looked back to Twilight, “Time’s looking for you.” 

The statement, for whatever reason, was ominous. The tone his Cub had used, the words, and how cornflower blues cautiously darted this way and that told Twilight something was off. 

“He is?” Twilight murmured and moved to swiftly make his way past Wild, “Then I’d better see what he needs.” 

He didn’t get far when Wild caught his arm. Twilight turned to him inquisitively. 

“Twilight, he’s acting...strange.” Wild said to him in low tones, locking their gazes together so his predecessor could see the seriousness behind his words, “He heard you howling that song. I don’t know what it was, but he reacted strongly to it. Almost daunted.” 

Twilight’s eyes widened by a slight margin.

“Oh, Hylia,” 

The Song of Healing. 

He’d sung it to commemorate Hero Shade and, consequently, the Hero of Time. Twilight’s ancestor. 

He’d sung it, both knowing and oblivious to the fact that Time might recognize it. At some point during his adventure, Time had to have learned the song. Twilight was unaware of the circumstances concerning his learning of the haunting melody, but he could infer from Wild that it must not have been pleasant. 

“He asked how you knew the Song.” Wild omitted the part where Time had opened both eyes to reveal one blue and one completely white. A sight he would never forget seeing. No injury, no wound, or scar was capable of ridding someone of an entire eye, leaving it unnervingly white and blank. He might’ve accepted mutilation as a possibility if he knew it wasn’t so. 

Twilight cursed himself for his stupidity. He raked a hand through his walnut colored hair, exhaling deeply. 

“I have two options.” The older teen muttered. 

Wild watched him closely, “And they are?” 

“Face Time willingly… Or face Time unwillingly.” Came the reluctant reply. Twilight pinched the bridge of his nose, scowling. He might as well get it done and over with. “How to explain Hero Shade without explaining Hero Shade…” 

Wild glanced at him in confusion. 

“Hero Shade?” 

“My mentor.” Twilight distractedly clarified. “Or...was. He rests now.” 

Wild clicked his jaw shut and sealed his lips together. He hadn’t known this. Twilight never before mentioned a mentor to him.

“He taught me all that I know. Without him, I wouldn’t have succeeded in defeating Ganondorf.” There was sorrow in his eyes and wistfulness seeped into his tone. He chuckled somberly, “He was brusque and short-clipped in the beginning...But in the end…” 

“Although I accepted life as the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that life to those who came after.” 

This particular statement had stuck to Twilight. Not because the Hero Shade had admitted to him his one greatest and lingering regret he had eased at long last, but because it told Twilight there were other Heroes before him. Heroes who fought against whatever evil had risen in order to defend and protect Hyrule and her people. 

Hero Shade had chosen to pass down his teachings to Twilight. His lessons had become all the more meaningful to the Ordonian and Twilight swore then and there to honor his mentor and ancestor, predecessor and leader, in all he did. 

“I…” Wild began, trailing off awkwardly. Sorrow swelled in his chest and he grasped Twilight’s arm, “I get it.” 

And he did. 

Twilight spared him a small, soft, smile, eyes no longer as fierce but undeniably warm. 

“I know.” 

The two teens stood in reverent silence, commemorating their fallen friends and mentor. Twilight gazed wistfully at the tranquil moon, mind distant and eyes faraway. 

“He’d come to me as a wolf.” 

Wild inclined his head curiously, “Hero Shade?” 

Twilight nodded with the shadow of a smile, “A Golden Wolf. With one red eye.” He said, unaware of the slow dawning look of recognition and bafflement stealing across Wild’s features. “Incredibly distinguished and proud. He would wait patiently for me to find him.” 

Wild pursed his lips tightly together, glancing past his shoulder then back to Twilight with stunned disbelief. 

“Um...Twi?” 

Twilight’s ears twitched at the cautious tone his descendant used. He looked to find Wild with a finger raised in the air, gesticulating vaguely towards where he’d come from. 

Wild?” He asked when the younger teen waved his finger in the general direction of the trees then back at Twi. 

“I thought I might’ve been imagining it but…” He met Twilight’s quizzical gaze, “When I was heading down the path to find you, there was a flash of gold to my right-” 

Twilight looked sharply at him. 

“I wasn’t sure what it was. I was calling out for you and when I reached the bend, I saw a wolf.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “He was Golden and-” He tapped beneath his right eye, hurrying on, “Only one eye. A red one-” The Hero was cut off when Twilight lunged forward and grasped his arms, asking breathlessly and voice shaking with undiluted hope, 

“Where?” 

~~~~

“We meet again...It appears your efforts have begun to return vigor to Hyrule, but it is far too early to relax…” “My third hidden skill is...The back slice! Let it be hewn into your mind!” 

The unmistakable pride in Hero Shade’s voice. The gradual softening of the rough and disciplinary conduct. 

He ended his lessons with a single phrase that filled Link with hope. 

“May we meet again.” 

He always looked forward to finding the Golden Wolf. 

Hero Shade would greet him the same. 

“We meet again.” 

Link found himself waiting to hear the familiar echo of those words. 

“This next is the greatest of the hidden skills I have taught you to this point, and it may test the limits of your endurance.” 

Hero Shade would issue a challenge after his brief description of the skill he wished to pass on to Twilight. 

“Do you still wish to master it?” 

Link would respond in favor of learning. A curt dip of his chin, a fire blazing in his eyes, and words laced with conviction. 

Hero Shade would then test to ensure Link had mastered his previous skill. 

“My fourth hidden skill it…” 

The dramatic pause Link knew was incoming. He enjoyed the thrill of anticipation. The wonder of what skill Hero Shade would give for him to master. 

“The helm splitter!” 

Link would practice with Hero Shade until his mentor was satisfied with his progress. Hero Shade concluded their lessons with a reminder to train daily. 

“Do not neglect your daily sword training…” 

Link never did. 

It was the fifth meeting Link should have known. There was a phrase Hero Shade used he hadn’t thought to delve deeper into. A sentence bearing a blatant truth. 

“At last, the skills I have to teach you have entered the realm of true secrecy. They are forgotten ways that do not leave our bloodline…” 

Link hadn’t caught the blatant truth Hero Shade had shared for he was swiftly distracted.  

“My fifth hidden skill is...The mortal draw! Let it be hewn into your mind!” 

It was in the sixth session Link found himself weighed down by reluctance and sorrow. A burden weighed heavily upon his shoulders, threatening to crush him. He listened to the Hero Shade but without the usual excitement, anticipation, and willingness to learn. 

“...There are but a few hidden skills for me to teach you.” 

Link could not quell the onslaught of sorrow and unwillingness to proceed. The words tore apart his fragile defences, breaking down the neutral façade he wore, and cracking apart the mask of ferocity, strength, and resolve he’d crafted long ago. 

He’d known the day would soon come but he valiantly fought against the painful reminder of having to bid his mentor goodbye sometime in the nearby future. 

Hero Shade took notice of his hesitation and wandering mind. The golden-armored stalfos took it into his own hands to draw Link back to attention. He drew his sword back and struck forward. 

Link came close to being skewered. He noticed Hero Shade’s movements a second before the strike would hit. The Ordonian leaped back, shocked and startled. He staggered, feet tripping against one another, and he fell back. His sword fell from loose fingers, clattering loudly to the ground, his shield following close behind. 

Ashamed and sorely disappointed, Link bowed his head and bit his lower lip hard. He clenched his shaking fist, pressing it to the cold ground and listened as Hero Shade drew near. 

He waited for the rebuke he knew was to come. The reproach and urging to stand and face him. 

“What ails you?” 

The unexpected words drew Link to lift his chin and meet the Hero Shade’s glowing gaze. 

It could have just been him, but Link swore he sensed a tendril of concern emanating from the proud and distinguished Hero Shade. 

“Hesitation in the midst of battle can cost you dearly. A lethal price to pay. Stand,” 

Link did so. He drew himself to his feet, keeping his head low and gaze averted. 

“Speak.” 

The invitation disguised as a thinly veiled order garnered a baffled reaction from Link. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, debating whether or not to tell Hero Shade of what troubled him so. 

Hero Shade merely cocked his head, “I have watched you from afar. You have shown great reluctance in finding the Howling Stone and learning the melody carried by the wind. You are slow to seek for me and to learn the Hidden Skill I have yet to pass on to you. Why is this?” 

“We are on the sixth Hidden Skill.” Link found himself saying, inexplicably drawn to answering his mentor- to explain the conglomeration of emotions warring within him. 

“We are.” 

Link deflated, grief-stricken eyes meeting the Hero Shade’s single one. 

“There is only one left.”

There was no need for Link to clarify what he’d left unspoken. Hero Shade heard and understood what was implied behind those four syllables. 

“Oh child of mine...” Hero Shade stepped forward, reaching with a skeletal hand to grasp his shoulder. His glowing gaze softened, an air of comfort and understanding wrapping soothingly around Link, “An acquaintance once told me, ‘Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow.’” 

There was an odd, sorrowful, intonation in his quiet voice. Link’s wolf spirit curled within itself, howling mournfully, expressing what Link could not bring himself to. 

And then Hero Shade said these words that remained freshly engraved in Link’s mind, 

“‘However, that parting need not last forever...Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time...That is up to you.’” 

Link took those words to heart. 

~~~~

When Wild pointed, Twilight bolted away. The Ordonian tore through the woods, effortlessly ducking beneath low-branches and maneuvering around the obstacles barring his way. There was a trace of desperation, a billowing of hope, unrestrained yearning, and a multitude of other indescribable yet profound emotions surging rampantly within the Hero. 

He sprinted without slowing, his heart thundering in his chest and ears pulsing. The timing of his breaths echoed in his mind, like a countdown of sorts. 

His feet grazed the earth and his tunic blended into the undergrowth and shrubbery. 

He knew he was nearing the bend when a familiar panting caressed his ears. Raspy, deep, breaths Twilight had memorized long ago and longed to hear again. A tell-tale sign he was nearing the Golden Wolf waiting patiently for him to arrive. 

He burst free from the foliage, skidding into the path and drew unmistakably wide eyes swirling with a myriad of emotions to find Wild’s words rang true. 

For across from him, seated regally and patiently, was the Golden Wolf Twilight had last seen two years prior before Hyrule Castle. 

“Surely you can restore Hyrule to its stature of yore as the chosen land of the gods. Farewell! Go and do not falter, my child!” 

Twilight’s features contorted, eyes stinging, and he whispered tremulously, 

“Hero Shade.”