#midna... did not turn out right at all

[yzafre]

An extremely messy drawing/coloring style experiment page. It got a bit ambitious, so everything's all in each other's space. I promise this isn't how I usually do art.

Featuring @sodaspons's Venus down there in the corner.

[tenderleavesbob]

"That's a dangerous way of thinking."

"Almost cost me my life."

Warriors's phrase haunted Twilight. He had been so glib about it even as his words rang with a terrible sincerity. He had grinned at Twilight and an all-too familiar darkness shadowed his brother's eyes.

His brother seemed transparent in the same way that Midna had seemed transparent. They acted like they were throwing everything they were out there for those around them to take it or leave it. Twilight thought he had learned better on his journey and was ashamed that he had bought Warriors's act so thoroughly.

Twilight cheated a little to get closer to Warriors. He would have felt guilty for it and did feel a little bad for lying about his identity, but...

But Twilight had started listening after that comment and he listened to Warriors make far too many jokes like that for his peace of mind. He talked like death, his death, was a joke. He laughed off a terrifying scar too close to his jugular and made comments about why he always wore his scarf.

He joked about suicide once. He cut himself off and Twilight had seen the look on Time's face. He was sure it was echoed on his own.

Rusl had a friend once. Rusl didn't talk about him a lot. Twilight saw him sometimes for dinner. He drank a lot of wine during those dinners and drank other stuff after. Twilight remembered Rusl receiving a letter and his silent, resigned grief. Twilight stood beside Rusl at the man's funeral.

He was terrified that he would stand beside Time and Wind one day at Warriors's funeral.

When Warriors slipped away from their camp to wander into the woods, Twilight didn't feel an ounce of guilt when Wolfie followed his brother. Warriors's glib comment echoed in his head when Warriors walked almost out of earshot of camp and slumped beside a tree. It wasn't a thick area of the forest, and when Warriors tilted his head back, the moonlight shone on his face.

He didn't look sad. That was a good sign, right? Twilight wished Rusl was there.

Twilight only realized he was whining when Warriors turned to him with a smile. He gestured at him to come closer. "Hey, Wolfie," he called softly. "Are you okay? I haven't seen you in a while."

Warriors didn't smell sad, either, but Twilight cuddled up against him. Just in case. Warriors laughed, which lightened Twilight's heart, and wrapped an arm around Twilight. He hugged him and rested his head on Wolfie's.

"I still don't get it about the moon," Warriors confided, "but Time has me leery about the it. Wild and his stories of the Blood Moon don't help. It looks innocuous enough, right?"

Wolfie huffed and looked up at the moon. It was full tonight. Maybe that was why Time wanted his camp in a cave tonight. Wolfie liked the moon himself. It always made him want to howl.

"That's what I thought," Warriors agreed. He sighed and let his weight rest on Wolfie. Twilight was always worried that his brother was too light. Was he eating enough? He had convinced Wild to give Warriors subtly bigger plates but Warriors still seemed so thin.

"You'll help me keep an eye on him, right?" Warriors asked quietly. "I worry about him sometimes."

Wolfie huffed and he wagged his tail. He always kept an eye on Time. He did his best to keep an eye on all of them.

Warriors smiled and rested against Wolfie. "Thanks. I knew I could count on you."

Did he? Did Warriors know? Did he know that he didn't need to be strong? Did he know that he could lean on Twilight just like he leaned on Wolfie now?

He remembered Warriors's casual words and pressed himself a little more into Warriors. He was there for Warriors. He didn't understand what was going on beneath Warriors's charming smiles, but he would always be there for him. He hoped that if Warriors didn't realize that now, Twilight could help teach him that soon.

Wolfie whined and nuzzled his brother. Warriors stroked his back and fell silent.

[majorproblems77]

LU Update! So welcome back to the analysis corner with me!

We have another LU update! Called Moving forward we see the heroes leave the town and make their way to the location that Sky found. With learning a little more about the team as a whole.

With 10 pages there's a lot of information to work through so I hope you are sitting comfortably

As always Linked universe (LU) belongs to @linkeduniverse and Jojo, I own none of the pictures I'm using and please give the original post some love. It's very well done and I love this comic so much.

You can find the comic here!

And as always there are spoilers abound for the most recent update!

Now sit back, grab some water and snacks and let's do this!

So before we get started im just gonna say that the brain cell is pinging around this lot so much that I'm bound to miss some stuff. But I shall try my best to get everything I wanna say said.

It was only some of you, captain, dont forget that.

(Oblatory look at my blorbo picture, he's so sweet. Blorbo blorbo blorbo)

Okay I'll behave this time

(No i won't)

I can understand the concern from the captain, as a captain from the army during a time of war secrets are dangerous. He's probably thinking if Twilight has concealed this what else has he concealed.

And then we get snarky wars again

I missed the snarky captain, he's wonderful.

Also the line about double duty, Come on captain, you know full well that patrol is an important part of a group dynamic like this.

This also confirms that the group have had encounters with monsters outside of what we've seen. As the line from wars about missing fights implies that they've fought a bunch of stuff. But we've only really seen wolfie in a fight back in the sunset arc.

Twilight fondly mentioning Midna, I'm so proud of him.

These two are the goddamn brothers ever and I love them dearly. Also, the knowledge we are about to be given about how this works is very exciting.

The brothers ever

All of them

Twilight thinking Wild had more than two brain cells. I love him. And the hug? The hug gives me life.

Also the captain, the captain is a point to talk about here. This feels like an accusatory sentence. The "You dont say?"

Me trying to figure out how time travel works in LU.

Legend, why are you so grumpy about this? Like he looks angry to hear this.

Four thinking about the implications of this sentence. I can literally hear the brain cell bouncing as it pings from hero to hero as they try to figure out this time travel thing.

Wind is a small bean as well look at him. The youngest I love the eyes.

Ahh, so thats the explanation. A spirit wolf that helped guide him on his journey which he trusted so much that he thought that the wolf he saw here was just another spirit until twi changed in front of him.

But this line from him is so sad. "Right after my resurrection" and "we both would have known the grave." This feels like as a person wild is at peace with it but doesn't want others to have to go through what he did. He's a chill dude and i love him for that to be honest.

Meanwhile, my blorbo Sky is out here trying to get actual work done. This is 10/10 the sksw dousing experience if you've not played it. You just swing the sword around while it pings at you until you eventually find what you are looking for.

Fi is trying her best.

Lads all of you need to remember that not all of you have had things that perform transformation magic. Im surprised (But also not surprised) That Time doesn't have anything to say about this. Like my man has used a tone of different transformation masks that change him into various different things and has one that turns him into a god.

The magic users ganging up on the non-magic users, like please behave.

Ahh Time, Time is the disappointed old man that has to coral a bunch of kids. And Wild is like the most kid of them all. (Tell me why I'd love to know! :D) (Which makes sense if we take LU to be at most a few months after the end of his game. Wild would be 18 at most.)

the sort of conversation you dont want to involve yourself in Time trust me on this one.

JUST SOME GUY WILD JUST DESTROYED TWILIGHT OKAY RIP

Feels bad for twi man he earned that title and to have it reduced to just some guy.

Wild is gonna get told off by Time if he ain't careful, that's his blood descendant right there and we all know he has a soft spot for him.

This is important, because I'm pretty sure most of them did at one point.

Another thing that appears to be a constant amongst the team is the need to conceal an identity. Either from them or them to others.

I'm not versed in all of their games so I can't go into full details but these guys ain't the only ones. Pretty much all of them have. The spirit of courage does love secrets, doesn't it?

Thats my blorbo and he's so sad help he

Blorbo blorbo blorbo

Give him a hug and reboot Fi and it'll be fine.

To echo the words of Time.

Curious.

Now this depends on what exactly Sky was dousing, was he dousing the portal, the helmet outside the portal? The postman even?

My money is on the helmet outside the portal, so that Dink came back into this timeline to retrieve it before leaving. But I may be incorrect on that account because Fi is able to track people as well as objects (Sksw would often have you tracking Zelda directly)

OHHHH

I was wondering how they were going to do it. But with Twilight able to track it they'll be able to use a combination of dousing and him sniffing out Dink's scent to be able to find him no matter where he might be.

It's so distinct, twilight you know by saying that you're gonna have some of these guys asking questions. Just wait for the next campfire story time it's gonna come up.

I can see Wind and Twilight having a conversation like this.

"What does Dink smell like?" "What?" "You heard me."

Oh he's so excited look at him!

Oh four.

I wonder if we are gonna have a four and Twilight conversation about this, with four's past he's understandably worried about the use of dark magic in one of his friends.

Oh come on legend lighten up, the child has never seen something like this before.

I'm glad Hyrule is coming in for his defence and all but 5 minutes ago Hyrule you were with Legend and saying to Wild that there's a load of items that do it.

Why is wind just so wonderful?

Look at him go!

Thats gotta be Wind, He's been so excited about this I can't see it being anyone else.

Bark Bark!

Wolfie beloved.

Im here for more brotherly content from the team, they are wonderful.

Now lets go find us a Lizard, or iron knuckle or whatever he transforms into next.

And thats all from me! I loved this update and there was so much to unpack I know I've missed stuff! But I hope you enjoyed it! :)

(Also apologies for spelling mistakes I'm sick rn but wanted to get this done)

Have a great day!

[yourlocaltreesimp]

Yan!Chain Headcannons

part 1(Hyrule and Legend)

This episode is dedicated to @mushroomwoods and our conversation on how we want to marry Twilight

Tw: Yandarism and it’s accessories, violence, obsession, cannibalism mentioned, Twi has wolf mannerisms, Time has FD living vicariously in his mind

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Twilight

Absolute gentleman when you first got to know eachother, one of the more willing ones to give you trust without falling head over heels. Became close friends before he realised your part as his guide.

Speaking of, there’s a lot of guilt to say with Midna. He never really got to know if she loved him back. All he knows is that he fell in love with his guide and then, they were gone. If you see where this is leading then you know.

When Twilight rather abruptly remembers that you were in fact his guide alongside Midna, he doubts his own feelings. Especially considering all of the protectiveness he’d had to repress from the wolf which still made its place in his mind. But… you came back. And you cared. So, he must’ve loved you, right ? He’d be blind if he didn’t.

Main love language is probably physical touch and words of affirmation. It’s what he grew up with in Ordon and it’s what’s comforting to him. So, it’s what he extends when caring for you.

He also has the tendency for acts of service while he’s crushing. Will drop whatever he was assigned to do so you can sleep, talk, have company. Or do things you didn’t ask for like mending your clothes, restocking your bag, killing a man.

Absolute sweetheart. Cuddle buddy. Guard dog. Will cannibalise someone who’s rude to you as Wolfie and won’t bat an eye. Your safety is the most important.

Speaking on Wolfie and guard dogs, I mentioned this briefly before. Twilight has some left over effects from his wolf form. Keener senses, sharper attention, as well as various other side effects he’s taken in. They all manifest as an extra voice in his mind. Not like a separate person per say, just a separate intelligence. Like when you’re panicking and that primal voice tells you to run. He just has it all of the time. Especially in regards to you. As far as that little voice is concerned, you are his. Not shared with anyone. Not part of any other universe. Not by anyone else’s side. His. His love, his deity, his light, his mate (such term of endearment making the little voice keen with happiness). All his. And he’d do anything under the stars to keep it that way.

He’d love to just keep you in Ordon, where the people are tight knit, and where you can’t wander off without him knowing. He’ll work so you can stay at home and rest, maybe even look after the kids he’ll stick you with. It’s a dream of his, actually. The only thing him and his primal side agrees on.

They also agree that kidnapping you is Ay okay if it means that picturesque comfy living is the end of it.

Preferred nicknames for you: Darlin’, Love, Sweet Heart, Sugar, Babe, Honey

Bonus: He and Warriors had a bet on who could make you the most flustered. He’s a bit of a flirt with accent of his, especially after he learns of its affect on you.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Time

Absolute last when it came to falling for you. He doesn’t even know why in hindsight, he’d always taken a shine to you. He just… never noticed. dense as mf Anyway- You were definitely friends, or at least reliable source of comfort and calm. You’d talk him off the ledge of his panic attacks, cradling him like he was so precious and in turn, you never really worked as a part of the chain. Well, He never forced you at least. You always did anyway.

The deity was the first to point it out, being the one to live in his head. Pointing out his Time would never let anyone else do what you did, never. But alas, the deity still regarded you as a weak spot in Time’s bleeding heart, and there was nothing he could do to change that.

The others were next, teasing him about it. They didn’t think their suspicions were real, however, until they saw the frozen look he had on his face.

He was the last aside from you to realise it, coming swiftly after remembering your guidance. He’d always thought your caring nature as a rouse. But seeing how you never gave up on him, growing up alongside him, keeping him safe from dangers he was forced into… he was a fool for you.

Love language is Quality time and Acts of service. Loves just simply being with you, enjoying one another. He has to repay the favours of what you’ve done for him. A nice massage, a rest day, a nap. Anything your heart desires.

That said, you not only have one overly protective mf on your hands… but two! FD, while originally seeing you as an oversight, fell like an angel from heaven. I’m scared for whoever throws disrespect on your name because they will be delt with, By both the Hero of Time and the Fierce Deity of War.

Time would court you traditionally. Flowers, Gifts, Poetry. Whatever he could truly accomplish given the circumstances. You are pampered more an any of the Zeldas in any of the timelines. So much as make a single comment of how much you like something and his wallet is open.

Might genuinely think you’re a deity, you’re the only one FD likes enough to seek out approval from, so that must mean you’re something.

Worships the ground you walk on. Kills any nonbelievers. That’s his motto

Would definitely kidnap you. Between him and the deity, you’re not leaving. But depending on how cooperative you are, he’ll be a little more lax. Might even let you get a job if you’re good enough, so long as he can walk you to and from home like a good partner.

Preferred nicknames for you: my Love, my Beloved, Dearest, Darling, anything classy.

Bonus: He’s definitely thought about how similar Twi and you can be, down to comparing what traits were passed down the lineage to his successor.

[smilesrobotlover]

First|| <-previous next->

AO3

Chapter 8- A Soldier’s Visit to Faron

Link woke up to the sound of talking. He rubbed his eyes and looked out the window where the sun was shining through. He listened more carefully and recognized his pa’s voice speaking outside and he frowned. What was he doing outside? Link stood up and shuffled over to the window, looking out to see Rusl speaking with Auru. His pa’s arms were crossed, and a serious look was on his face while Auru had a more concerned expression. Rusl started speaking again and Link opened the window to hear him better.

“...I only wish I was stronger,” his pa said softly. Auru tilted his head.

“Rusl–”

“I know! I’m only human, I’m weaker than most of y’all but… I… he’s my son. I should be protecting him but… I can’t.”

Link frowned. Was he talking about him?

“Rusl, even a Hylian wouldn’t be strong enough to fight against a mysterious shadow monster. Be kinder to yourself.”

Rusl sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “I know… I know… It’s just terrifying, you know? It’s terrifying to discover that you can’t protect your family. If that thing got closer to Ordon and took–” his breath hitched and Auru rested a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t think about that. The beast did not get to Ordon. It didn’t hurt Uli or Colin or Rela or anyone.”

“It did hurt Link though…”

“Well, fortunately it didn’t hurt him too bad, right?”

Rusl shrugged. “Not as bad as me… But I don’t want him to have the responsibility of saving me. Not again.”

Link’s feelings grew conflicted. Was his pa ashamed of having to be rescued by him? Link supposed he understood to an extent. Since becoming a father himself, he’s wanted nothing more than to protect Kori and Midna with his life. If Kori had to save him… he’d probably be ashamed of himself too.

“That’s what you get for raising a heroic boy, Rusl,” Auru joked, and Rusl gave him an annoyed smile.

“It’s not my fault he turned out that way.”

“Oh shut it, of course it is!”

“No it isn’t, Link turned out that way because that’s the way he is.”

“Colin and Rela are the same way though, I think it is your fault.”

“Spirits!” Rusl lightly punched Auru in the arm and the old man chuckled.

“Oh c’mere,” Auru pulled Rusl into a hug, which he melted into. “It sounds like you two went through a lot, I’m sorry.”

From Auru’s large frame and Rusl’s smaller stature, it almost looked like a child hugging his father from Link’s perspective. It made his heart ache for Kori.

He prayed to every deity on the planet to keep him safe from the shadow beast.

The two men pulled away and started to head inside, and Link pulled away from the window as well, letting out a sigh. He knew it wasn’t appropriate for him to eavesdrop on such a conversation, but he couldn’t stop himself. To get his pa to open up about things that bothered him was like trying to pry a deku baba’s jaw open after it closed. But Link didn’t know if he regretted learning how Rusl truly felt about everything. He felt guilty, sad, and mostly confused from it all. He almost wished he was the one to be attacked by the shadow beast, that way his pa wasn’t hurt and traumatized the way he was. Link had dealt with far worse in his life; it would’ve been no different.

He finally went to close the window until he heard shuffling beside him, and movement from the corner of his eye caused him to nearly jump out of his skin. A person was turning around on the bed opposite from the other one Link was in, and Link backed up in shock. How in Din’s name did he not notice this person? Based on the clothes, he recognized the person as Sheik, but when he saw their face, his heart stopped.

It was Zelda who was staring back at him with wide eyes.

“Oh–”

Zelda felt her face and her eyes landed on her discarded mark and headwrap on the floor, and a string of curses from her mouth left Link more shocked. He didn’t know Zelda was even capable of swearing. Zelda scrambled for the clothes and nearly tumbled out of her bed while Link remained paralyzed. She finally stood up, her face covered up, yet her stormy-gray eyes couldn’t hide her identity. How did he not know?

“You—” he started, but Zelda stopped him.

“N-no… no I—”

“You– you’re—” Link’s mind was racing, and he was finally able to string a full sentence together. “What are you doing in my room?”

“Th-this was meant to be my room! I didn’t– you– I–” Zelda let out another cuss word which felt like a punch to Link’s face. She never acted in such a way around him; she was always so proper and polite. He ran his hand through his hair and stared at the floor with wide eyes.

“I don’t believe it– oh Goddesses you–”

Rusl burst through the door, interrupting the two.

“Oh Sheik! Link! Glad you’re both awake!” He said cheerily, leaning against the door frame. Link and Sheik only stared at him in shock. “Ya know, Sheik. You scared the living daylights outta me when you came in last night. You poor thing—must’ve been exhausted!”

Zelda and Link continued to stare in shock, and Rusl frowned.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes, everything is fine,” Zelda—or Sheik—said breathlessly, before moving past Rusl towards the stairs. Rusl stared back at her for a moment before looking back at Link, clearly confused.

“What the heck happened there?”

“I… uh…” Link bit his lip, wondering what he should tell Rusl. Zelda had clearly kept this identity a secret for a reason—was it right to tell his father? “Uh… I was just surprised to see Sheik in here, that’s all,” he finally said, laughing nervously. Rusl stared for a moment before laughing slightly.

“Yeah, he must’ve been awfully tired, huh?” He chuckled, and Link nodded, forcing a smile. The two stared for a moment, Rusl’s smile fading more and more as Link’s fake smile grew bigger. “Well, Telma has some breakfast for us so… you can… come down–”

“Oh! Yes! Sounds great! Thanks pa!” Link said a little too loudly, and marched towards the stairs.

Breakfast was painfully awkward. Link couldn’t help but stare at Sheik, who looked terrified. She would glance at him and Link would look away, only for him to go back to staring at her. The others didn’t notice the tension between them, instead they were chatting happily with each other, unaware of the recent discovery Link made.

Did they know? Did Zelda want to keep it a secret from only him? Or were they just as oblivious as he was before? His mind wandered to Ashei, with their conversation about Sheik before. Did she know? She seemed to know about Sheik not being a man, but was it because she knew that Sheik was Zelda? His mind was racing as he thought about it, not paying attention to the other’s conversations.

“… and she just picked it up!” Rusl exclaimed, his hands gesturing in front of Link’s face, interrupting his staring. “I tell you, that girl was born to fight. We should start teaching Kori some sword fighting too, right Link?”

Link glanced at his father, then at everyone else staring at him.

“W-what?” He muttered, and Rusl raised an eyebrow.

“I was just telling them about Rela, and her first sword-fighting lesson! Kori is ten now, I think it’s about time he started learnin’ too!”

“Oh! Yes, right,” Link quickly said, going back to watching Sheik. Rusl continued to stare at him, the others doing the same.

“Uh, is everything alright, old boy?” Shad asked, looking between him and Sheik.

“Oh—“ Rusl adjusted himself in his seat and pointed at Sheik. “He just broke into our room last night and scared me stiff. I’m sure he must’ve shocked Link this morning.”

Link saw Ashei worriedly turn her head to Sheik, who remained unmoving.

“Oh my goddesses, Rusl,” Auru groaned, “did you take the first room? Sheik is always the one in there!”

“Since when did we have room assignments?” Rusl argued.

“It’s an unspoken rule! Sheik takes the first room. I take the third one, Ashei takes the second and Shad takes the room across, and you and Link take the room in the back!”

“But they ain’t labeled!”

“That’s—ugh, boy…. That’s why it’s unspoken!”

Sheik got up abruptly as the two argued and left the bar. Link stood up as well and followed. He had so many questions for her, and he wanted answers. He found Sheik right outside the bar, and she didn’t look surprised to see Link.

“Link,” she started, and he stopped right in front of her.

“Zelda.”

“Don’t… ah…”

“Oh—right. Sorry. Sheik,” Link pursed his lips and the two sat in silence. Every question he had was gone in an instant. It almost saddened him—they worked well together during the twilight invasion, yet their relationship was never strengthened. Zelda wanted him to be a knight and to be a representative for Hyrule, but Link didn’t want to be stuck with nobles doing useless things; much less being some trophy for the people to gawk at. It put a strain on their relationship, and he didn’t expect to be speaking to Zelda ever again.

Then again, they’ve been speaking for a while now, yet he didn’t know.

“Sorry my pa took your room,” he finally said.

“Oh… it’s alright.”

Link smiled awkwardly and nodded. Sheik nodded back. There was silence again between the two, and Link cleared his throat.

“So… Sheik. What—um—why?”

“Why what?”

Link huffed and ran his hand through his hair. “Why? Why didn’t you tell us? Why are you doing this? I just… I’m curious…”

Sheik’s brows furrowed together and she looked down. “I just… wanted to do more for my kingdom.”

Link frowned. “But you’re the queen. You do more for Hyrule than anyone else!”

Sheik shook her head. “Not enough.” She sighed and sat on a box, rubbing her eyes. “During the twilight invasion, I felt… helpless. I couldn’t do anything for anyone. I was a prisoner in my own home, and all I could do was trust you. I just… I never want to be out of control like that ever again. I want to personally save Hyrule myself if it were to come to it. I felt that… as Sheik… I could do that. I wasn’t a queen anymore I-I felt more like… I don’t know… a protector. I feel like I can actually make an impact doing this.”

Link gave her a sad look and joined her on the box, staring at the door that led to Telma’s bar. “You don’t give yourself enough credit,” he started softly. “You did so much during the invasion. You… you kept Zant from slaughtering everyone in Hyrule. You saved my life and you saved Midna’s life at your own expense. You helped me defeat Ganondorf,” Link looked up at her, but she didn’t meet his eyes. “I couldn’t have saved Hyrule if not for you.”

“But… I couldn’t do more—“

“Goddesses, Sheik, I thought you gave up your life for Midna’s! I thought you died! What more could you have done?”

Sheik finally looked up at him. “I don’t know.”

“Good!” Link crossed his arms and sat up straight. “Now you know. You’re good enough!” Link felt his face flush at the corny message, and he turned away. The two were silent again; the sounds of laughter and bottles crashing were the only sounds heard. Link let out a sigh and turned to Sheik again. “I can understand though, wanting to do things yourself. I guess if I had to give orders and then sit there and wait for it to get done, I’d lose my mind a bit too.”

Sheik looked up at him, and though he couldn’t see her expression well, he did see a glimmer in her eye.

“I’m glad you somewhat understand,” she said.

Link hummed and nodded, and he pursed his lips. “So… why didn’t you tell the resistance?”

“It defeats the purpose of a secret identity, doesn’t it? I can't go around saying that I’m the queen when I… look like this,” she gestured to her outfit. ��If they knew that I was not on the throne, they’d probably think me to be lazy.”

“Well, you’re not. You’re a good queen.”

Sheik’s eyes had more of a smile to them from that. “Thank you.”

Link gave her a smile. For once, they were having a pleasant conversation. No evil trying to destroy the world, no enemies needing to be defeated, and no heart broken from a love supposedly killed. They were just two people. Seeing Zelda as Sheik, he saw her in a different light. A simple woman who was trying.

“How did Kori come to be?” Sheik suddenly asked, and Link’s eyes widened. The resistance only met Kori a handful of times, and he didn’t think about how it would’ve affected Sheik. She and Rusl were the only ones who knew about Midna. Rusl found out about Midna’s return, but Zelda never did…

“Uh…. Well… I don’t know what you’re asking specifically but… Twili’s bodies aren’t too different from ours,” he mumbled.

Sheik’s face flushed slightly and she shook her head. “T-that’s not what I meant.”

Link cursed in his mind and laughed nervously. “Oh! Well… sorry.”

“No no, I should’ve been more specific. I meant… How is Kori here? Midna destroyed the mirror, there should be no connection to the twilight realm.”

“Oh… well…” Link stared at the ground, watching bits of dust move with the light breeze. He let out a sigh. “I have no idea. One night, Midna came to my door with Kori in her arms… and now he’s here.”

Sheik studied his face for a moment. “Is Midna still here?”

Link paused. Should he tell her that Midna visited whenever she could? Would Sheik feel left out if she knew that she only visited Link and his family? Did she even care? He didn’t know how close the two were during the invasion; he knew they were acquainted before he came along, but Midna didn’t seem to like her in the beginning. In the end, they were more like allies than friends. But was he wrong?”

“She… visits,” he finally said, and Sheik’s saddened look made him regret saying it.

“I see,” she whispered.

“I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t… you guys… I didn’t know you were friends and—“

“We weren’t,” Sheik said bluntly. “I suppose we never were.”

That stung slightly, hearing that about Midna. He wondered why she wouldn’t tell Sheik about everything, but he shouldn’t be surprised. If Kori never got hurt in the twilight realm, she probably would’ve never come in the first place.

“If it makes you feel any better, she never came back for me,” he started in a cautious tone, “she came back for Kori.” Sheik gave him a confused look so he elaborated. “I don’t know if you remember, but he has a scar up along his arm,” Link traced his forearm to show where the scar was, and Sheik watched carefully. “Apparently, when he was two, an advisor hurt him because… he was scared Kori would doom the Twili. There’s only one female Twili, and she’s meant to give birth to the heir, who will also be a female. But Kori… not only was he a half Twili, but he was a boy. And… They hurt him.” Link frowned. It was difficult saying it all out loud. The familiar rage that he thought he moved on from began to bubble in his chest, and he had to clench his fists to control it. If he ever met the Twili that hurt his son…

“So… you didn’t know about Kori?” Sheik asked, and Link nodded.

“She knew he wouldn’t be safe in the twilight realm, so she found a way back to Ordon. I still have no idea how she’s going back and forth though. She refuses to tell me, but I think she’s afraid of another invasion happening and… destroying the mirror to be a waste.”

Sheik nodded, but she still had a sad look in her eyes.

“Look, Sheik, she’s very secretive. Only my family knows and that’s ‘cause my pa knew her and… she’s never made herself known to anyone. So…. Yeah…. And she’s never left Ordon either.”

Sheik looked down at her fidgeting hands. “I see…”

Link frowned, the silence entering their conversation again. They sat for a long moment, until Link had an idea.

“You know, Sheik… I’m sure Midna would love to see you again.” She looked up, giving him a confused look. “If you ever wanna… I dunno… turn into Sheik and visit Ordon… We’d love to have you. I make great pumpkin soup.”

Sheik stared at him with wide eyes, before turning away with a small laugh. “I might… take you up on that offer,” she said softly, and Link’s heart swelled. They smiled at each other, and Sheik looked like she was about to say something, but they were interrupted by the door opening. Ashei poked her head through the door and gave the two of them a look.

“Is everything ok out here?” She asked.

“Yes, Ashei everything is fine,” Sheik said, giving Link a look. “He… sort of found out about… me…”

Ashei sighed. “I was afraid that was the case.”

Link glanced between the both of them. “So you did know about her?”

Ashei nodded. “Don’t know if you remember when we were investigating the rogue Bulblins, but our queen here got herself injured. It’s kinda hard to take care of an injured person with a mask covering their mouth, yeah?”

Link shrugged. “I guess so. It certainly explains a lot.”

Sheik nodded awkwardly and sighed. “It was difficult for me at the moment, but I am glad that I didn’t have to hide my true identity from at least one person. But now I guess it’s two people.”

Ashei made a face. “I have a feeling the rest of them will be finding out soon.”

An annoyed sigh escaped Sheik and she nodded. Ashei shrugged and gestured to the bar with her head. “Come on inside, yeah? We’re going to start planning.”

Link and Sheik stood up to follow Ashei inside, but Link stopped Sheik before they headed inside.

“You ready to save Hyrule again?” He asked, his fist hanging in front of her. She stared at it for a moment, then nodded, bumping his waiting fist with her own.

“I’m more than ready.”

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

“Kori! Pay attention!”

Kori looked up at Rela who had her wooden sword resting on her shoulder. She glared at him, one hand on her hip and one foot tapping impatiently in the Ordon spring water. Kori glanced at his own wooden sword, pouting at his aunt.

“Rela, I don’t wanna do this.”

“Shut it! You’re old enough to learn sword fighting, and my pa ain’t here to teach you. So it’s up to me to do it!” Her sword was swung to the ground and she held it up against Kori. “There’s a monster out there in Faron woods, so we need to be able to defend ourselves and Ordon!”

“Isn’t that why Colin and Beth and Talo are here though?” Colin and the others had been patrolling Ordon, searching for any dangers that could threaten their home. Kori didn’t quite understand what was happening; no one told him anything when he asked. His pa and grandpa left to castle town before he had a chance to think, so he was staying with his gramma, confused about what was happening.

“Colin may need our help if we are attacked,” Rela started to argue, marching back and forth as the sword swung in her hands. “If we’re able to help them, we’ll be heroes! Isn’t that what you want Kori? To be a hero?”

“Not really. I just wanna be a farmer,” Kori said simply. Rela groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Why are you being so boring?”

Kori felt a sting in his heart, but he ignored it. “I’m not being boring! I just… I just wanna play with my toys!”

“Well too bad! Now, block this attack!”

Kori gasped as Rela swung her sword at him. He quickly brought his own up and staggered back as she hit it. He glanced at his sword, then glared at Rela.

“Don’t hit it so hard!”

“You need to block better! Stand your ground!”

Rela swung at him again and he squealed as it smashed against his own. Rela got closer to him and he started to run away, but Rela quickly stopped him.

“Don’t be a coward! Face me!”

“Rela, you’re so much bigger than me! I’m scared!” Kori pleaded, but she only charged at him again. She knocked into him and he fell backwards into the water. He gasped and looked up to see Rela swinging down onto him. He quickly brought his own sword up and was barely able to block it. Scrambling to his feet, he clumsily blocked a few more attacks. Kori grew more focused with each attack, planting his feet so he could stay unmoving in the sparring. She hit his sword a few more times until Kori slipped up, and Rela’s smacked his arm. Kori squealed in pain and dropped his sword, holding his aching arm.

“Ooooow! Rela! You hit me!” He cried, tears forming in his eyes.

“Oh you’re fine. This is why we train with wooden swords, so we don’t end up killing each other!” She took a step forward, her arms crossed. “If it were the real deal, you would’ve lost your arm.”

Kori huffed angrily at her. “I’m telling Gramma!”

Rela’s eyes went big, her tough demeanor dropping instantly, and she quickly jumped in front of Kori as he went to leave the spring. “N-no no no! Please don’t tell my ma! I’m so sorry Kori!”

Kori ignored his aunt’s begging, trying to push past her.

“Wait! Kori! We can play with our toys now, ok? We can do whatever you want! In fact—here!” Rela grabbed Kori and put her sword in his hand. “You can hit me back! Just please don’t tell my ma!”

Kori glared at her as she kept grabbing his arm, then he bit her hand. Rela shrieked and pulled her hand back, giving Kori a horrified look.

“You bit me!”

“Well you said I could hurt you back!”

“I said you could hit me back, not bite me!”

Kori crossed his arms and turned away. “Well you wouldn’t stop grabbing me! I’m tired of playin’ with swords! I’m going back home!”

Kori marched through the water, feeling Rela’s glare at the back of his head. He suddenly felt water splash onto his head, and he gasped as his clothes and hair got fully drenched. He spun around at Rela and snarled at her.

“What? You were wet anyways,” Rela said.

“That’s it!” Kori screamed as he charged at the Rela, and the two started to grapple and become tangled with each other. Rela was much older and stronger than Kori was, so she easily pinned him down, but he kept biting her hands which caused her to pull back.

“Stop biting me!” She yelled.

“Well stop pulling at my hair!” Kori yelled back as she tugged at his hair. The two wrestled for a while longer until they were interrupted.

“What are you two doing?”

The kids stopped and looked up at Uli who was glaring at the two. She was panting and her hands were balled up, a fire in her eyes as she watched the two kids. The two quickly scrambled to their feet, staring at her guiltily. Uli relaxed a little, then glanced at the bridge past Ordon worriedly.

“You kids aren’t supposed to be out here,” she scolded, walking towards the two.

“We’re still in Ordon,” Rela sassed, but she quickly straightened herself out with a glare from Uli. “I-I mean… you said we had to stay in Ordon so… we are still… here… in Ordon.”

“No, you’re staying in the village itself. We’re not gonna be out by the spring or by Kori’s house, ok?”

Rela and Kori glanced at each other.

“Why?” Kori asked, trying not to sound rude or sassy.

“Because it’s too far from the others. If something were to happen, no one would know. Now come on,” Uli gestured to the village with her head, and Kori and Rela quickly followed.

“I hope you two have done your chores,” Uli started as they walked past Kori’s home, “it’s pretty early in the morning, is it not?”

Rela gave Kori a worried look, then looked down guiltily. “Um…. We did some…”

Uli sighed. “Why did you do some and not all?”

Rela huffed and jogged in front of her ma. “Because! I know there’s a monster out there hurting people! It attacked pa and Link! I just want to make sure me and Kori are strong enough for when it attacks again!”

Uli stopped and gave Rela a sad yet proud look. “Rela, it’ll be fine. Your pa and Link are taking care of it, while Colin and the others are protecting Ordon. You don’t have to be responsible for our safety.”

“But—“

“I know you’re excited to use your sword techniques your pa taught you, but it’s not enough. For now—just—focus on your chores, ok?”

Rela pouted and glumly walked to her house, her head hanging. Kori stood by his gramma, leaning his head against her leg. She chuckled and ruffled his hair.

“Did you do your chores today, Kori?”

Kori pursed his lips. Rela had lied about them doing some of their chores. They actually did none of their chores. But unlike Rela, Kori was a horrible liar.

“N-no… we didn’t do anything,” he mumbled, but then quickly added, “I mean, I didn't do anything! Rela did though!”

Uli gave him a soft smile. “You don’t have to cover for Rela, dear. I know she was lying.”

“Oh…”

Uli let out a loud sigh and rubbed her head. “Go and do your chores dear, luckily there’s not a whole lot for you to do since you’re not at home right now.”

Excitement swelled within Kori and he nodded. He heard his gramma giggle as he ran to the home, barged into his room, and ran past Rela who was grumbling to herself. He quickly picked up his area in his grandparent’s home, plucked the weeds in the gardens, and collected the ripe fruit, though there wasn’t a lot. There wasn’t much else for him to do—he couldn’t help Fado with the goats since he was too small, and he couldn’t clean up his home since he wasn’t allowed in there. So he started to wander around Ordon, watching the villagers go about their day. He couldn’t help but focus on Coro, the man who started staying with Fado. Kori had rarely talked to Coro before, and the man’s carefree attitude and animals that hung around enticed him. But Kori was too shy to approach the strange man—he didn’t know how Coro would react to him.

The best way for Kori to learn more about Coro was to sneakily follow him around Ordon. It was always easy for Kori to stalk the humans in Ordon; their round ears didn’t pick up on sounds like his and his papa’s did, so he followed the man around for a while without being noticed. He watched Coro simply sit by the pond for a long time, talking to his funny bird pet who chattered to him back. Smaller birds floated around his head, and even nestled inside it, and the cuccos trotted around him. Kori wondered if birds generally liked him, and how he could make birds like him as well.

Kori’s stalking didn’t go unnoticed forever, however, and Coro spotted him hiding behind a bush. The two made eye contact, and Kori ducked for cover, but it was already too late.

“Uh, hello,” Coro called out awkwardly, and Kori shyly popped up from the bushes. Coro smiled gently and gestured for him to come closer. “No reason to hide, tiny guy.”

Kori looked behind him and shuffled over to the strange man.

“Hi,” he greeted quietly, and the parrot resting on Coro’s knee squawked a greeting back. Kori jumped at the sudden sound and Coro chuckled.

“Trill, you don’t need to be that loud,” he said.

“Sorry,” the bird squawked, not any quieter than before. Kori giggled slightly and held his hand out to Trill.

“Careful, he might peck at you,” Coro warned, and Kori drew his hand back, giving Coro a guilty look. Coro reached up and gently grabbed the smaller birds in his hair and offered it to Kori. “These guys are much nicer.”

Kori smiled and offered his hand again, and the tiny bird peeped, hopping into it. Kori giggled at the tickling feeling of its tiny feet against his palm and gently stroked its little head.

“That one is named Chickie,” Coro started to explain, “he was born not too long ago.”

Kori’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yep! His family is here somewhere,” Coro started digging around in his hair, pulling out different tiny birds from the nest on his hair and showing them to Kori. He made a whistling sound and the birds floated over to Kori and landed on his arms and head. Kori froze, feeling the tiny talons lightly digging into his skin. Coro chuckled again. “They’re friendly! Don’t worry.”

Kori grinned and watched the birds hop around, giggling as they tickled him when they moved.

“Yeah, Trill here is nice enough, but you need to be careful. He can be a little aggressive if you freak him out,” Coro explained, petting Trill gently. “He’s had so many people steal from him, he has to be aggressive, you know?” Kori nodded seriously. “Apparently, a few years ago, some green guy kept stealing his lamp oil and red potion, no matter how many times he fought back! Can you believe that? What kind of horrible person steals from a bird?”

Kori nodded again. His pa always taught him to not steal, so he knew to take that very seriously. One of the birds flew back to Coro’s nest-hair so Kori allowed the others to return as well.

“Um, thank you for letting me hold your birds,” Kori mumbled, and Coro grinned.

“Of course! It’s easy to be scared of animals, especially birds, but I always think we should be more understanding of them. It’s best to learn young, anyway!” Coro lifted the smaller birds to his hair and gave Kori a look. “So… if you don’t mind me asking, tiny guy, what exactly are you?”

Kori thought for a moment. “A Twilian.”

Coro frowned. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that. Well, it’s nice to officially meet you, tiny guy.”

Kori nodded excitedly. “My name is Kori.”

“I’m Coro.” He offered his hand to Kori and he gingerly took it, letting Coro shake their hands. Coro pulled away and went back to petting Trill. “Do you like animals, Kori? I assume that’s why you decided to follow me.”

“Oh! Yeah, I love animals.”

“What’s your favorite animal?”

“I love kitties.”

Coro smiled warmly. “I think I saw kitties by Sera’s shop, did you see them?”

Kori nodded, but a sense of dread entered him when he thought about Sera. He hadn’t seen the kitties in a while.

“That’s good, they’re so cute and tiny,” Coro continued when Kori didn’t say anything. “But I’m more of a bird person myself. I forget how great the cuccos are here in Ordon.”

Kori nodded again and looked around him, spotting Rela who was stomping around the village. They made eye contact and his aunt began to angrily stomp towards him. Uh-oh.

“I think cuccos are misunderstood creatures,” Coro continued to ramble, not caring if Kori was paying attention or not. “As long as you respect them, they respect you. That’s why you should always treat animals with respect. Because respect is a two-way path and—”

“Kori!” Rela shouted when she got close enough and put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. “What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be doin’ chores?”

Kori glanced at Coro who was still rambling about animals. “I got them all done! There wasn’t a whole lot since I’m not at home right now.”

Rela huffed and said a bad word under her breath. “W-well, help me with mine so I can get done!”

Kori scrunched up his face. “I’m not gonna do your chores! You have to do them yourself!”

“But what will you do? You’ll be sooo bored.”

Kori gestured to Coro who finally stopped talking and was observing the two kids. Rela squinted her eyes and faced him fully.

“Weren’t you the guy who came here crying like a baby?” She sneered.

“Yes,” Coro said simply. “And if you saw what I saw, you’d be crying like a baby too.”

Rela seemed surprised at the response and she turned away, her arms crossed. “Well, Kori needs to help me with my chores so we can hang out—”

“No I don’t!” Kori shouted.

“Yes you do! You still need more training!”

Kori groaned. “We’ve been training all morning! I don’t want to do that!”

Coro glanced between the two. “Training? For what?”

Rela gave him a look but once again faced him. “Training to protect Ordon of course!”

Coro’s eyes widened and he nodded slowly. “Ok.”

“So I need to get done as soon as possible so we can keep training and—” Rela’s eyes widened and her hands shot up to her head. “Oh no! The swords!”

Kori raised an eyebrow and Rela suddenly grabbed his hands, pulling him away from Coro.

“H-hey, wha—Bye!” Kori called out to Coro, and the man waved back. “Rela! What’s going on?”

“I left the swords at the spring!” Rela cried. “They’re gonna get ruined in the water! And pa will be so mad if he finds out I left them soaked!”

Kori tried to pull free from her grip, but she was too strong. “But we’re not supposed to go to the spring!”

Rela stopped and spun around to face Kori. “We won’t be gone for too long, ok? We’re just gonna grab them and come right back! But I need to get those before they’re ruined forever!”

Kori frowned but was immediately grabbed and pulled behind Rela again. The two sprinted towards the spring, Kori feeling more and more anxious as he looked around the forest. Every bone in his body was telling him to leave and that he wasn’t supposed to be there. But he continued to follow Rela, not wanting either of them to be left alone in these woods. They made it to the spring and Rela sprinted to the water, grabbing the soaked wooden swords.

“Thank the spirits I remembered these!” She said, relieved. “Hopefully they’re not ruined…”

Kori stared at the wooden swords and sighed. “Can we go back now? We’re not supposed to be here.”

Rela rolled her eyes. “Ok, yes we can go.”

The two kids started to leave the spring, but Kori heard a strange noise. He frowned and turned his head to hear it better. It sounded like the trotting of a horse. He found himself wandering closer to the bridge, and he spotted something walking towards him and Rela.

“What is it?” His aunt asked, but Kori was frozen. Whether it was of fear or anticipation, he didn’t know, but he couldn’t move his eyes off of the moving figure. As the figure got closer, he recognized it as a rider on a horse, and he got filled with excitement.

“PAPA!” He shouted, running across the bridge and towards the horse. But as he got closer, he realized that the horse was not Epona, and the man riding the horse was neither his grandpa nor his papa. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the strange man with wide eyes, and the rider stopped, the five other horses and men stopping as well. The man stared back at Kori, his green eyes observing him. Rela caught up to Kori and quickly got in front of him, glaring at the man.

“Hello,” he greeted, “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“What do you want?” Rela spat, and Kori was surprised at her hostility towards an adult.

“Easy now, me and my men are just investigating some disappearances,” he explained. He hopped off his horse and took off his helmet. The man had brown hair that stopped beneath his chin, and Kori noticed his delicately pointed ears that labeled him a Hylian. His tan brown skin made his emerald eyes stick out and his mustache was curled up in a gentle smile. He bowed his head slightly with his right hand over his heart. “My name is Hoz, I am the captain of the Hylian guard. I just have some questions I need to ask the villagers near this area. May I speak with the adults there?”

Rela puffed her chest and crossed her arms. “You can speak to us.”

Hoz stared at her for a moment, then glanced at the soldiers behind him. “Uh… I’d prefer to speak to an adult. Where are your parents?”

Rela frowned. “We can speak just fine!”

Hoz began to look around, noticeably uncomfortable. “Right, well, is your village just down the trail?”

“I’m not telling you!” Rela yelled.

“Yes,” Kori answered softly. Rela spun around and shot him a glare while Hoz smiled warmly.

“Thank you. It’s quite a long walk isn’t it? Would you kids like to hitch a ride on my mount?” He gestured to his large speckled horse, but Rela quickly shook her head.

“My parents told me I shouldn’t ride with strangers.”

Hoz chuckled and bowed his head again. “Understood.”

“Hey now! You can’t go to the village!” Rela hopped in front of him as he started to move, pointing her wooden sword at him. “We’re on high alert right now! There’s somethin’ out in the woods, so me and Kori are here to keep it safe! You got that?”

Hoz’s eyes widened at the wooden sword and he gently redirected the sword and started to walk forward. “I promise we mean no harm to your village—”

Rela repointed her sword at him. Hoz took a deep breath and moved it again.

“We’re just investigating some disappearances and—” Rela insisted with her sword once again, and he gave up on moving past it. “Whatever information your parents may have will be useful for the protection of Hyrule.”

Rela squinted her eyes and Kori heard the soldiers behind Hoz groan.

“Will you just move, you little brat?” One of them called out, and Hoz shot them a warning glare.

“Listen, we don’t have time for this,” Hoz sighed, rubbing his eyes. “You said there was something in the woods, correct?”

Rela squinted her eyes, not saying anything. Kori walked up to Hoz and the captain glanced at him.

“I think my papa was attacked by a monster,” he said softly, and Hoz’s eyes went big.

“What monster?” Hoz asked, kneeling at Kori’s level.

Kori shrugged, staring at the ground. He heard more footsteps and he looked up, noticing Colin jogging towards the group.

“What’s going on?” His uncle asked, eyeing the soldiers with a threatening glare. Hoz stood up and gave him a slight bow, looking relieved.

“Hello my good sir, my name is Hoz. I am the captain for the Hylian guard.”

Colin's eyes widened and he nodded. “R-right, of course,” he turned his attention to the kids and grabbed Rela. “What are you doing out here? You’re supposed to be in the village!”

“I left the wooden swords in the spring!” Rela defended herself, gesturing to them.

Colin rolled his eyes and turned to Hoz. “I’m so sorry about my little sister and nephew, they’re not supposed to be out here.”

Hoz waved his apology away. “It’s no trouble. I’m just glad that…” he gave Rela a look, then cleared his throat, “I’m just glad that I can speak with an adult.”

Rela made an offended noise and Colin pushed her behind him.

“Of course! What do you need?”

Hoz straightened his posture and cleared his throat. “These men and I were requested by Queen Zelda to find information on disappearances that have been happening throughout Hyrule. I just wanted to ask if you knew any information on this.”

Kori watched the gears in his uncle’s head turning. Were these disappearances what Barnes was talking about? Colin ran his fingers through his hair and nodded.

“Yes, actually I think I do.”

Hoz’s eyes widened and his polite demeanor dropped instantly. He ran up to Colin and grabbed his arm. “You do? What did you find?” Colin leaned back slightly and Hoz quickly jumped back. “A-apologies. I just… I’ve been searching for a while and haven’t found anything.”

Colin smiled nervously. “I understand.” He glanced at Kori and Rela, then looked up at the captain. “My pa and brother were attacked by a monster a couple of nights ago.”

Hoz stared for a moment, almost looking disappointed. “A monster? Is that it?”

“It‘s not an ordinary monster,” Colin looked back at Kori and Rela again and stepped closer to the captain, speaking so softly that Kori could barely hear him. “Do you remember the twilight invasion, with the black beasts roaming Hyrule?”

Hoz’s eyes widened. “I do remember. They stormed the castle. I could’ve lost my life if Zelda had not surrendered.”

Colin nodded and Rela gave Kori a confused look, hoping he knew what they were saying. Kori almost wished he didn’t; black beasts roaming Hyrule… it sounded terrifying.

“My pa and brother were attacked by one in Faron woods a couple of nights ago. It could still be here, or it could’ve moved around,” Colin continued, looking around at the trees nervously. “But it’s what’s taking these people. I don’t know what it’s doing to them, but it can’t be anything good.”

Hoz nodded and smiled at him, resting his hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, young man. For once, we actually have a lead now!” He turned around to his men and nodded, gesturing to Faron. “We’ll investigate these woods, the rest of you should remain indoors—“

“No no no, wait,” Colin moved in front of Hoz, stopping him in his tracks. “I don’t think you should go hunting for it. It’s… it’s dangerous.”

“I know,” Hoz said, “I fought several of them and I don’t think I ever killed one. They were always revived before my very eyes.” Hoz glanced at the children. “But I think me and five other men can handle one.”

Colin shook his head, once again stopping the captain. “My older brother fought and killed hundreds of them. He couldn’t even defeat this one. It’s more dangerous; you need a plan.”

Hoz frowned. “Who is your brother may I ask?”

Colin fidgeted slightly and pursed his lips. “He—he’s the hero of Hyrule, sir.”

Hoz stared blankly, then he let out an exasperated sigh. “Alright.”

“I’m not lying!”

“I didn’t say you were lying,” he quickly defended, but his tone didn’t convince Colin. Kori’s uncle gave him a glare, clearly using his taller height to try to intimidate the man, but the captain didn’t waver. “Look, I know a hero of Hyrule existed during the twilight invasion; who else would’ve saved Hyrule if not?”

“Then what’s your issue?” Colin pressed, and Hoz finally began to shift uncomfortably.

“I–I… It’s nothing,” Hoz let out a sigh and looked around. “Show me where this monster was spotted. Me and my men will take care of it.”

Colin pursed his lips, the gears turning in his head as he thought of what to do next, but he finally relaxed and started moving towards Faron Woods.

“It was by a house in front of the caves where it was first spotted,” he started to explain, Hoz following on foot. Kori glanced at Rela who started walking with Colin, a determined look in her eye as she clutched her wooden sword. “It moved around as my older brother and pa fought it though, so I can’t promise it’s still there.”

“That’s quite alright, we can make do,” Hoz said, an excited gleam in his eye. The group was silent as they marched through the woods, and they stopped right outside a house. Kori had seen this place before, but he never visited it. He wondered if Coro lived here.

“Well… Uh… here it is,” Colin said awkwardly, gesturing to the home. “Faron Woods in general is where it was, but this place is where they found it.”

“Fascinating,” Hoz muttered, his eyes fixated on the home as he walked towards it. “Men, look around and let me know if you find anything.” He turned to Colin. “You may return home if you wish. We’ll handle this.”

Colin sighed and nodded, turning to Kori and Rela who stood watching. He began to nudge them back towards Ordon, keeping them from moving away from him.

“You two should’ve gone back home,” he scolded, his hand never leaving Kori’s back.

“But I want to help fight a monster!” Rela protested, but Colin shook his head.

“Trust me, Rela, you are not ready to fight this monster,” he said, a nervous look in his eyes. “I don’t know if these guys will be ready to fight it either….” Colin’s voice trailed off and he stared at the grass with a thoughtful look in his eyes. Rela grumbled and crossed her arms, glaring at the grass as well. Kori only stared ahead, spotting the Faron spring coming into view. But as he got a better view, he noticed something that made him freeze in fear.

A large, black creature stood out from the bright, colorful spring. Arms hung awkwardly on its back as it paced the holy waters, and it turned to the group, with its yellow teeth being the only visible facial feature. Kori felt Colin’s hand grip on his shirt, and he was slowly pulled backwards away from the beast.

“What are you doing?” Rela yelled, annoyed, but Colin shushed her, his eyes never leaving the beast. She squirmed in his hold and Colin gripped her tighter.

“Rela, stop moving!” He hissed, his voice shaking slightly as they backed away.

“Let go of me!” Rela began to shout louder, and Colin quickly put his hand on her mouth. The black beast began to move closer to them, moving just as slow as they were. Rela squealed as she was muffled, but it turned into a gasp when she noticed the monster. The beast got low, and Colin let go of the two, shoving them back towards where Hoz was.

“RUN! NOW!” He shouted, and Kori’s adrenaline spiked, causing him to sprint. He fell behind Rela quickly, and he felt like he wanted to sob, but Colin kept nudging his back. He heard crashing behind them, but he didn’t dare look. He saw Hoz who looked startled at the sudden action, and Kori gasped as he tripped over his own skirt. He felt Colin lean over him protectively, hugging him close to shield him from the monster. Kori twisted his neck to look behind him, and he saw the beast snarling down on them, black spit pouring out of its mouth. He curled into Colin who had his sword drawn, but his uncle was shaking uncontrollably.

“Good goddesses!” Hoz exclaimed, his own sword being drawn. Kori heard the men let out a battle cry as they charged the creature, and Colin finally scrambled to his feet with Kori in his arms. He was looking behind his uncle as he ran, and saw the black beast swatting away the soldiers as if they were annoying flies. Some of the soldiers who were hit got back up and ran away, soon leaving Hoz alone to fight the beast.

“Get back here, you cowards!” Hoz yelled as he dodged a swipe from the creature, and Colin reached Rela who was crying. He set him down next to her and gestured to the house.

“Hide yourselves in there, ok? I’m gonna go help him,” he said quickly before giving the two a quick hug. Kori felt himself freeze up again as he watched Colin run towards the monster distracted by Hoz. He didn’t know what to do; he was too scared to move. He just wanted his papa.

Rela grabbed his arm and ran into the home, trying to move the boxes in front of the door while Kori stood there shaking. She shifted the home around to the best of her ability, straining to move the heavy boxes to the door.

“Kori, help me!” She cried, but Kori couldn’t move. Rela was only able to move a couple of boxes to the door, with a chair under the handle, and she finally pulled Kori into a cupboard, hugging him close as they stared wide-eyed in the darkness. Kori heard the muffled shouts of men along with roars from the monster. He cried quietly with his head against Rela’s, the sounds becoming agonizing to his long ears. It felt like hours that they were in the cupboard, fear of being found making Kori feel sick, but it eventually went silent. He glanced up and stared, straining his ears to hear something, anything. But it was silent.

“What is it?” Rela whispered, her voice shaking. Kori continued to listen, and he screamed when he heard loud banging on the door. Rela slapped her hand on his mouth and the two whimpered and shook as the banging continued. Kori curled further into Rela, trying to keep himself from sobbing. There was one more loud bang, then a crash of Rela’s makeshift barricade, then groans from two men.

“Rela? Kori?” The two heard Colin call out, and they scrambled out of the cupboard, ramming into Colin’s legs. Colin melted to the floor and hugged the two, a sigh of relief escaping him. “Thank the spirits,” he muttered in Rela’s hair.

“W-what happened?” Rela asked after pulling away. “Did you kill that monster?”

Colin sighed and shook his head. “No, but we led it away.”

“One of my men distracted it further into the woods,” Hoz continued to explain, staring anxiously out the door. “Glad to know that they’re useful for something.”

Colin gave him a look and stood up. “Shadow beasts are terrifying, give them more grace.”

“They are terrifying,” Hoz growled, stepping further into the home. “I fought them when they first invaded the castle ten years ago. I know how they work and what they are. But it is my duty to protect Hyrule, and it is their duty as well!” He turned away in a huff and looked outside again while Colin remained quiet. “I will not give them grace. If they didn’t want to be soldiers of Hyrule, then they should’ve stayed in the comfort of their home.”

Colin sighed and stood up. “Well, we’re not safe here. Let me take my sister and nephew back to Ordon, and I’ll help you chase after it.”

Hoz’s eyes widened and he nodded. “Very well. These young ones do not need to see such action.” He gave them a sympathetic look.

“Yeah, I saw a shadow beast when I was about nine,” Colin muttered, ruffling Kori and Rela’s hair. “It’s terrifying… I know it.”

Hoz hummed. “Yet you still came to my aid when my own men abandoned me.” he let out a chuckle. “You are the bravest man I’ve ever met.”

“O-Oh! W-well… I don’t know about that,” Colin laughed nervously, beginning to nudge Kori and Rela out the door.

“No, without a doubt. Your courage exceeds most of the soldiers of Hyrule! Have you ever considered joining the guard?”

Colin let out a sigh and drew his sword, watching the trees with unease as Kori and Rela stuck to his legs. “L-look, there are more important things right now.”

“Right,” Hoz cleared his throat and walked out of the house, his own sword drawn. “Let’s get these children home, then.”

The group quietly walked through the woods; despite it being light out, Kori couldn’t help but feel the danger of a shadow lurking in the corners. He kept his eyes sharp, looking for anything that moved. They reached the Faron spring and Kori hugged Colin’s legs tighter. It was uncomfortably silent, but from a distance, Kori heard the sounds of screams. Hoz seemed to pick up on it as well, and he looked around him, a worried look on his face. Colin and Rela seemed none the wiser, however, and they continued onward. A snap of a twig filled the air, and he felt Colin tense as a horse burst through the entrance with a distressed whinny.

“Penelope!” Hoz called out, and stopped her from charging, attempting to calm her down. But right behind the horse, a soldier came running before falling to the ground.

“C-captain!” He cried, and he screamed as he was pulled away. “Help me!”

Hoz ran to him, but he slipped from his fingers as the large shadow beast lifted the squirming soldier. Kori gasped when he saw other soldiers inside its abundant hands—one having two uncomfortably squished together. The shadow beast observed the soldier, but its gaze turned, and it fully faced Kori. Though it had no eyes, he could practically feel its gaze burning through him. He whimpered and hugged Colin tighter. Were they going to die?

The shadow beast dropped the soldier in its hand and charged at Kori. He let out a scream as Colin grabbed him and Rela and attempted to dodge the beast. They were successful in not being trampled, but the beast’s hand snagged Kori, and he laid in between the monster and Colin. He was frozen while laying on the ground, too scared to move and too scared to cry as the beast faced him again. It went in for another charge, but Hoz scooped Kori up and ran out of the way. Kori didn’t comprehend that he was being lifted onto the horse that charged through, and the captain dragged Colin and Rela to the horse as well.

“Young man, get to Castle town, tell Queen Zelda and King Edmund about this. I’ll hold it off.”

Colin climbed onto the horse with Kori in front and Rela behind, and he frowned at Hoz. “I can’t just leave you!”

“You must protect these little ones.” Hoz turned to see the shadow beast recovering from its second failure. The soldier it dropped earlier charged at it, and Hoz turned back to Colin. “What’s your name, young man?”

“I—Colin, sir.”

“I’ll never forget your courage, Colin. Now go! Tell her Highness about this!” Hoz hit Penelope’s behind and she took off running. Kori turned behind him to see Hoz draw his sword, facing the shadow beast with his one remaining soldier, the others remaining in its hands. Kori faced the front and let out a sob, wanting so badly to go back home to his stuffed animals with his papa and mommy holding him. Colin’s arms wrapped around him and he gave him a small peck on the head.

“It’ll be ok, Kori,” he said, his voice shaking as the horse ran through the woods, the trees looking like a blur of green and brown. Kori closed his eyes, praying to the light spirits and goddesses of Hyrule that he’d soon be waking up in his home, with this nightmare behind him.

[crazylittlejester]

maybe wars and twi talking about their interactions with midna?

I got a little carried away here, ngl 😭 I’m not sure if this is what you meant specifically, but here you go! (It’s 675 words)

It was a quiet evening, the rustling leaves and crashing waves consumed Twilight’s thoughts as he sat with his bare feet dangling in the river. He tried to let the sensations of the living world around him fill his mind so he didn’t have to focus on the ache in his chest where he felt something missing.

He’d stepped away from the group for a moment, overwhelmed by how loud they got when it came time to unwind from the day and tell stories, but he hadn’t been prepared for how far his mind would wander when he was alone. He almost wished he’d just stayed with his brothers.

“Twi?” A soft voice called and he jumped, whipping around to find the captain walking towards him. “Oh, there you are.”

Warriors had changed into his sleep tunic, and he looked a bit like he’d just woken up from a nap, his normally perfect hair was a bit messy and he blinked slowly like he was only half awake. He took off his boots before sitting down next to Twilight on the river’s bank. Twilight expected his brother to start rambling on about something, maybe to even start complaining about the frigid water they were both dangling their feet in, but the captain stayed surprisingly silent.

The absence of chatter allowed Twilight’s mind to drift further. Memories of his journey, his adventure with Midna came to the front of his mind, and he found himself fighting to hold back tears the longer he thought of her. He missed her so much some days his chest ached.

“Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?” Twilight whispered eventually when he was unable to bear the silence.

“Hm?” Warriors hummed softly, turning his head to look at him. Twilight couldn’t bring himself to look the captain in the eyes just yet so he kept his gaze trained on the water.

“They say it’s the only time our world intersects with theirs…”

“You talkin’ about the Twili?” Warriors asked, and Twilight’s head snapped so fast to look at him his neck hurt.

“You know about the Twili??” He choked out, eyes wide. The captain looked frustratingly calm, as if this were a very normal conversation for two friends to be having at dusk.

“Yeah,” the man shrugged. “I uh, I knew this one Twili girl. She absolutely kicked my ass once in a training ring, and I couldn’t look her in the eyes again for a week after because she bet me I couldn’t last five minutes in a fight against her and she was right...”

“Sounds like the one I knew…” Twilight said softly, looking back down at his lap. “

“Yeah, she rode around on this spirit wolf too,” Warriors continued. “Said it reminded her of someone she had to leave behind.”

He stared back up at the captain, unaware of how he’d stopped breathing. A spirit wolf?? Someone she left behind??

“H- How did you know her?” Twilight forced himself to ask.

Warriors let out a small sigh, leaning back and crossing his legs. “She came to help us fight a battle I don’t think we could’ve won on our own. She wasn’t the only one, a lot of people from across time came to help us.

“Across time??”

“Yeah,” the captain nodded, taking in a deep breath before he went on. “I… I know she was important to you, Twilight. I figured out it was you she was talking about all that time when I found out you were Wolfie.”

“You really knew Midna?” He whispered. Warriors smiled at him softly.

“Yeah, I did,” his brother told him. “She missed you a lot, I can only imagine how much you miss her too.”

Tears were blurring his vision, and Twilight had to look away, but when Warriors reached out to pull him close, he let himself melt into his brother’s side. He was glad the captain had come to find him, as much as he missed Midna, he felt a little less alone.

<- Prev. || Next ->

[lyrakeaton]

Chronicling The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - The Final Entry

Gosh, what a game huh?

I'm not even sure where I want to begin with this. The Final Entry. I have so much to say. So much I've been thinking about throughout this wonderful little game. Where do I even start?

Well, I suppose I'll start off by saying that I had a very wonderful time with this game. It's my first time playing a game with the secondary intent to analyze and write down my thoughts here on my blog. It's been a delight to do so, and I'm looking forward to analyzing other games in this manner going forward.

As for my thoughts on Twilight Princess: I think it's an excellent game, with a lot of heart and a commendable focus on story and emotional connections. This game has dealt me a few sour blows that stick out like an ugly blemish on an otherwise spotless surface. But those blemishes in turn give contrast to just how competent the rest of the game really was.

In fact, that's what I would love to call this game more than anything else. Competent. It was made by people who knew what they were doing, and were fucking excellent at doing it. It shows how much heart the people involved put into this title, despite how under cooked and rushed it felt at a few moments.

One of my favorite moments in the ending part of this game, which is also one of the clearest signs of how this game was developed, is what you see above.

Your allies come in to save you from a sticky situation. It's a lovely moment, showing the care and respect that these characters have fostered for you, after all the time you've spent working together for this common goal.

And yet, it also shows off how much this game wanted to do, but couldn't. What it tried to say, and what it left unsaid.

Because these people just show up. You don't tell them when or where you're going, and neither do they show up later to help you. They show up for this scripted event where they get to save you from a menial threat, so that they can show their appreciation for Link always having their backs. It leaves me wanting a bit more, and wondering what potentially was planned before or after.

And these moments aren't rare. There are many moments, that become more frequent as the game progresses, where it feels like the developers had more to say or do, but didn't have the time to implement it.

And I think no point shows this better than the presence of Ganondorf, and Midna's true form.

Ganondorf is name dropped once in the story, but isn't elaborated upon. Later, he shows up in this weird, incorporeal form, which Zant interprets as a god. This spectre then combines into Zant(?) to take over him as a sort of puppet. As such, Zant is kind of just thrown aside so that the player can have their badass final boss against Ganondorf. I was honestly a bit disappointed.

But not necessarily because it was yet another Ganondorf ending. But because there was so much more room to explore Zant and his relationship with Ganondorf, that I really wanted to see.

I think another sign of this was Midna's true form. Her true form was first shown in a cutscene, right before the second to last dungeon of the game. Before this, we have never even heard of Midna being anything but the imp we've known since the start of the game. And it makes me wonder a lot about what the developers wanted for Midna. Did they always intend for her to be this humanoid form? Or is their vision of Midna actually the imp we spend the whole game connecting with?

I ask this because Midna's imp form appears later in Hyrule Warriors alongside her true form, which makes me wonder if the devs couldn't decide which form they liked more. It's a bit of a weird moment for me because I love imp Midna a lot, but never got to see or interact with her true form self until after the journey was over.

What's more, Midna then destroys the Mirror of Twilight. This moment made no sense to me at all. I couldn't justify it, or understand how Midna would justify it. Why would she do this? Zelda just made a small speech about how their worlds are two sides of the same coin. Midna then says that as long as the Mirror exists, they may meet again, only to say "see you later" before destroying the mirror.

I understand this was likely thought of from the start, as Midna establishes that Zant could only fragment the mirror due to his incomplete power. But Midna, having regained her true power, is the only one capable of utterly destroying it. What I really wish though, is for the game to have explored why she feels the need to do this, because I think it would serve the game better if it were spelled out. It's a genuinely sad moment! I'll never get to see Midna again! Why is the credits continuing with the triumphant music!

It hurts, man. But it does make sense, after I thought about it. Because the mirror was what allowed the Twili to escape into the Light World and cause havoc, so, by destroying the mirror, that connection is severed, forever. No more evil forces invading each others worlds, causing problems.

Which makes Midna's words all the more tear-jerking. 'Cause she won't see us later. She'll never get to see us again. But she doesn't have the heart to say goodbye. So she says she'll "see us later."

I'm not sure how to feel. I think I feel sad, and a smidgen disappointed. I mean, all this time, we've been fighting to help Midna restore peace to her realm, and to prevent Ganondorf/Zant from wreaking havoc on the Light World. And then, only for Midna to get the reward she deserves so much, and yet she doesn't get what she seems to actually want, which is to stay with Link. She cries, knowing she'll never see him again.

I think that right there shows the beauty and magic of this game. No other Zelda game has grabbed a hold of me with its story, its characters quite like this. I felt emotionally invested throughout, and I truly wanted to make good for this world, and to help Midna. It even feels selfish to say that I wish she could have stayed an imp and gone on more adventures with Link. But I think narratively, it is not only perfect this way, but it also couldn't end any other way.

Because not all stories should end completely happy. I think it does a bigger service to showcase how meaningful these emotional connections truly are by taking something from us in this way, than it does if everything ended like a story book.

It hurts, because we care.

This is the best outcome, where everyone can be happy, with the clear exception of Midna's and Links relationship to each other. That meant something, which is made all the more clear because of them never getting to see each other.

In closing...

More than anything, I wish this game had a bit more time to fill in the empty rows before and after some of its more significant beats. But still, I am so grateful that what is here was fantastic from beginning to end. And I'm glad that regardless of what was lost before the print to disc, what was left was something forming a beautiful and complete whole. A whole that I love with my whole heart. Wholeheartedly.

Thank you Shiggy Miyamiggy for this wonderful game. Please don't shy away from this kind of narrative and emotional focus when making future Zelda titles. I want to cry when it's all over, they way Twilight Princess made me. What you've got here is truly special, and I'm so very glad I got to experience it.

[a-sin-to-be-rin]

When Shadow Meets Light

Midna knows very little about the Light world. She knows that it’s warm, almost insufferably so. She knows her eyes hurt if she stays there for too long. And she knows that any attack from a being of the Twilight would be devastating to a being of the Light. But she’s never known much more than that. She never needed to.

Until today. The Twilight is indeed devastating to her human, and she has no idea how to fix it.

---

Midna hates the Light world. She hates, hates, hates it with a passion. The Light is too bright, too hot, too intolerable on her skin. She’s relegated to shadows, restricted by the position of the sun.

So Midna knows how difficult - perhaps impossible - it is for a creature of the Twilight to live in the Light. She certainly can’t.

So it really can’t be her fault when she assumes that the monster that bites Link is simply a Deku Baba.

The monster jumps out from behind, catching Link off-guard. It clamps its jaws around Link’s sword arm. Gasping, Link grabs the sword in his right hand and slashes the demon plant’s stem. He pries it off and runs it through once more, just to be safe, but the damage has been done.

“Careful,” Midna warns. “Remember what happened last time?”

Link gives her a flat look, clearly uninterested in discussing the last time he was bitten by a Deku Baba.

“I told you it was venomous,” Midna says anyway. “But nooo. We aren’t going to waste a potion on that.”

Link sighs. Twists his lips. Glares at Midna for a minute. Then, resigned, Link digs a potion from his belt. He locks eyes with Midna while slowly, pointedly popping the cork from the bottle and downing the whole thing.

“Yes, very good,” Midna snipes. “You learned how to follow directions. Amazing.”

Rather than give her attitude, Link drops the bottle back in his pouch and brushes the monster plant goop from his arm.

And then they carry on. Link fights his way through the rest of the Forest Temple. Midna provides helpful hints and hilarious commentary. (Link seems to ignore her, but Midna tries not to take it personally. The guy clearly doesn’t understand comedy at all.)

Truly, nothing out of the ordinary happens until Link is saddled on Epona and headed for Hyrule Field. It’s subtle, the difference, but Midna notices it immediately.

“Link, what-?”

But Link must notice it too. He pulls on the reins, and Epona slows to a trot. He blinks a few times, but it does nothing to fix the paleness of his skin or the sweat running down his temples.

“Why are we slowing down?”

Link shakes his head. Reaches over to massage his left arm. He’s confused, and honestly? Midna is too.

“Did that giant plant guy get you? Or… Or did the monkey give you fleas or something?”

Another head shake, though Link brings Epona to a stop. Then he removes his left bracer and rolls up his sleeve.

And then Midna sees it. If she had a particularly strong bond to Link, she might feel scared. As it is, she’s just left curious.

Link’s arm reeks of death. Spiderwebs of darkness bloom in a crescent shape, lining up exactly with where the Deku Baba’s bite mark would have been.

“What is that?” Though Midna is pretty sure she already knows.

Link looks over at her. One eyebrow is arched in confusion. His eyes flick to his arm and then back to her again. He’s asking her.

“It’s not Twilight.” She’s certain of that. “But it’s obviously from the Deku Baba. Maybe it was actually a Shadow Baba? I don’t know how a Twilight creature could survive like that, but I’m not sure what else it could be.”

There’s a nod in agreement, though it’s not particularly enthusiastic. Midna doesn’t have to ask to know his next question.

“I’m not sure what could fix it, though. I’ve never seen a Light creature survive an attack from the Twilight.”

Link sniffs, turning away and grunting, digging his heels into Epona’s sides. The horse continues its easy trot forward.

“What, so you’re just going to leave it?”

He shakes his head. Points to the west.

“What is that? Your village?”

A sharp nod. But instead of raising his head at the end of the nod, like anyone else would, Link’s chin drops to his chest. He slumps in the saddle and topples over the side. There’s the stupendous crash of sword against shield as Link slams into the ground. Startled, the horse whinnies, taking off in a gallop. With its shadow gone, Midna has to rush to Link’s significantly smaller shadow.

“Wake up!” she yells. How is she supposed to find the fused shadows if her ride there is sleeping on the ground? “C’mon, you stupid, stupid wolf!”

She has no hands to shake him. No feet to walk herself away. She’s stuck in Link’s crumpled shadow.

“Link!” she shouts, thinking his name might rouse him. But his eyes are screwed shut, breathing halting and uneven. He’s paler than before, and it doesn’t look like he’s waking up any time soon.

Bold of Midna to assume anything about the guy, though. He’s dragging his eyelids open with his next breath, eyes hazy and confused.

“Ugh, don’t do that, you idiot,” Midna grouses. Because this really is Link’s fault. He shouldn’t have been distracted. That Shadow Baba shouldn’t have even gotten close enough to bite. “C’mon, use a potion or a fairy or something.”

Link’s good arm pats his belt, but all he finds are a few empty bottles.

“Well, I don’t know, can’t you just lick the inside of an old potion bottle? There’ve gotta be a few drops left in there.” Midna really is grasping at straws here.

Link appears to consider it. He turns a bottle in his hand before it slips from his grasp, his eyelids fluttering shut.

“Oh no you don’t.” Midna should be worried. But she doesn’t even know Link. No, she’s not concerned. She’s livid. “You wake up right now, you useless wolf! I am not going to just sit here and watch you die, do you hear me? If someone else comes along, I will abandon you!”

And then there’s a far-off shout. “Link!”

Midna freezes. Disappears completely within his shadow. With luck, whoever is looking for Link will find him. With extra luck, they’ll be able to fix him, and he’ll be back to finding fused shadows in an hour.

It takes a long time for the owner of the voice to finally stumble upon the glade. Midna had no idea voices could travel so far. That, or she had no idea humans could move so slowly.

“Link!” A man in strange, layered clothing hops off of Epona, rushes up, and kneels beside Link. “Hey! Wake up!”

Good luck, Midna thinks bitterly. He obviously doesn’t know what that means.

But apparently, Link does, in fact, know what “wake up” means. Because he’s groaning and reaching out for the stranger.

“It’s alright,” the man soothes, noticing Link’s injured arm and studying it with a thoughtful frown. “It’s alright. Can you stand?” Cautiously, he sits Link up and pulls Link’s good arm over his shoulders. They stand with a grunt from the man and a whine from Link. “Attaboy,” the man encourages. “Just to Epona, okay?” They hobble along, with the man doing far more legwork than Link, and Midna is forced to creep along at their excruciating pace.

“There you go. You’ve got it. Nearly there.” The man’s reassurances are endless and gentle. Part of Midna hates Link for getting himself into this mess. A bigger part of her hates him for having someone to get him out of the mess. Someone who seems to truly, genuinely care.

Midna hasn’t felt something like that. Not in a very, very long time.

“Okay, real easy now,” the man says upon arriving at the horse’s side. “One foot in the stirrup. And… There we go. Think you can stay awake ‘til we get to the village?”

Link’s response is to nearly fall from the saddle once more. The man hurriedly grabs Link’s shoulder, steps into the stirrup, and swings his leg over the horse’s back. He wraps one arm around Link’s middle, keeping him upright, and grabs the reins with his other hand. “C’mon,” he urges, nudging the horse forward. He doesn’t let her move any faster than a walk.

Once again, Midna is irritated by the fragility and speed (or lack thereof) of humans. Why is she trapped in this monotonous trudge forward? Would it kill them to go a little faster? Midna kind of has some very time-sensitive tasks on the agenda.

But whatever. Midna endures because she has no other option. They eventually make it to the village. A few women stand near the entrance, anxiously shifting from foot to foot and fiddling with their hair. The moment they spot Epona, they rush up, escorting the horse into the village.

“Rusl, what happened?”

“Is he… Is he alive?”

“Yes,” the man - Rusl - confirms. But there’s no comfort in his voice. It’s all tension and gritted teeth. “We need to move quickly.”

They wind down the path, passing a few small homes and shops. They stop at one of the last cottages, and Rusl slides off the saddle, quickly pulling Link down with him.

Link still hasn’t awoken, and though Midna has told herself she doesn’t care, the concern of the villagers makes her tense.

“Uli!” Rusl calls, dragging Link’s limp form into the house. “Get water and bandages!”

Suddenly, the tiny home is full of people, all bustling about. The women prepare supplies, while a large man helps Rusl carry Link to the bed.

“Should’ve told me,” the large man says. “You’re still hurt. I could’ve gone after him.”

“Not now, Bo, okay?”

Bo seems to respect this. “What do you need?”

“For now? Space.”

Two women set the supplies on the bedside table, and Rusl nods, dismissing them and Bo. Only the pregnant woman stays, hovering beside Rusl.

“Help me get his shirt off,” he asks.

The woman begins to cut the shirt off with a knife, but she pauses when she finds the chainmail underneath. “Rusl…”

Rusl doesn’t slow for a moment, wrenching Link’s uncooperative arms free and ripping the mail off. It looks uncomfortable, but Midna supposes Rusl understands just how severe an injury like this is.

Once the last of Link’s many layers are removed, Rusl wipes down Link’s arm. The decay seems to have grown, its tendrils branching up to nearly his shoulder and down past his elbow. “Looks like… The skin looks dead, Uli.” He looks up at the woman, fear shining in his eyes.

Uli looks herself, setting a lantern on the table to see better. But she seems to come to the same conclusion, grimacing. Then she places a hand on his forehead. “It’s killing him, Rusl. I… I don’t know if we should… if we can save his arm.”

Rusl swallows hard. Begins to wash the decaying area more thoroughly. “Tell Bo to go to the spring. Send Sera and Pergie too. We… I’ll hold off as long as I can, but until then, the best thing they can do is pray.”

They’re so serious about the whole thing. But humans die so quickly… die so easily. Why are they so bothered about losing this one? It’s bound to happen eventually.

It occurs to Midna that she knows nothing about humans and their sickly sweet sentiment. Truly, they’re bigger fools than she ever realized if they worry about something so trivial as another human’s death.

Uli disappears. Rusl tends to the wound, pouring different liquids and salves on it, which usually results in Link yelling or groaning or kicking Rusl in the gut. (Okay, so he only kicks Rusl once, but Midna still thinks it’s pretty funny.)

By the time Uli has returned, Link is stirring again.

“I’m here,” Rusl assures him. “Uli’s here too. You’re safe.”

Link’s eyes flit around the room. He winces, hand shaking as he reaches for his injured arm.

“No, no, don’t look at that,” Uli scolds, taking his free hand in hers. “We’re taking care of it, okay?”

Link looks up at them with something Midna has never seen in his eyes before:

Complete and utter trust.

“Just rest, Link. We’re not going anywhere.”

Oh. Midna feels… something. She’s not sure what exactly it is. “Jealous rage” comes to mind, but “grief” might be the more accurate descriptor.

“Think you can drink a potion?” Rusl holds up a canteen. “Might help.”

They had a potion? All this time, lamenting and worrying and whining, and they had a damn potion this whole time?? Midna nearly flies out of Link’s shadow. She can’t handle the incompetence much longer.

Link doesn’t seem to process the pair’s words anymore, but he’s compliant as Rusl helps him sit up and presses the canteen to his lips.

But it’s the strangest thing. After drinking the potion and settling back, Link doesn’t look any better. He’s still sickly and confused and gross. Did Rusl know the potion wouldn’t do anything? Midna supposes he’s right, because after Link was bitten, the potion only stopped the bleeding. But she really had hoped the potion would do something.

Because it would be inconvenient if her traveling companion died. That’s the only reason. She doesn’t care about him at all.

(She doesn’t care about him at all. She does not care, and maybe if she keeps telling herself that, she’ll actually believe it.)

Link’s eyes close, and Uli brushes the hair from his forehead. “You’re safe,” she repeats, over and over. All the while, Rusl watches Link’s arm. Midna wonders when he’ll give up and cut it off. It has to be soon, right? The deadened area must be close to his shoulder by now. What are they waiting for? A miracle?

“Rusl!” The door slams open, and Rusl is on his feet, sword in hand and standing protectively in front of Uli. Midna has never seen a human move so quickly. Not even Link.

But then Rusl realizes who it is. That big man from before. Bo or something.

“What?”

Bo is in a frenzy, shoving a glowing bottle into Rusl’s hands. “There was a… a fairy at the… spring.” He’s panting hard.

Rusl moves with purpose, striding back to Link’s side and opening the bottle above Link’s arm. All the while, he murmurs prayers under his breath. “Goddess, protect him. Goddess, heal him. Goddess, save him.”

The fairy - a ball of Light that makes Midna cringe as it approaches - circles around the wound. It takes a long, long moment, whizzing about like it has somewhere else to be. Midna wonders if this really will work. Finds herself wishing that it will, though the likelihood that a fairy can reverse decay is… low at best.

Finally, the fairy zips out the window, forever lost. Rusl leans over to check the wound, and Midna finds herself doing the same.

“It’s gone,” Rusl says, and he’s right. The dead skin is gone, once again healthy and unmarred.

“He’s still warm,” Uli notes, patting Link’s cheek in an attempt to rouse him.

Link is far quicker to wake up this time. His eyes still have a feverish shine to them, and he falls asleep shortly after, but the pallor of his skin is gone.

Midna is relieved. Because she doesn’t need to find a new adventurer, not because he’s looking healthier.

“The infection must still be in his system,” Uli suggests. “I guess even fairies have their limits.”

“How did you find the fairy?” Rusl’s expression is still grim, but his eyes belie his relief. “I’ve never seen one at the spring.”

Bo shakes his head. “I’m not… It must have…” He sighs. “The goddesses must have something big planned for him. Sera and Pergie and I went to the spring to pray, and all of a sudden, there was this fairy in my face. Just-” He holds a hand close to his face. “-like that. I never seen a fairy do that before. It was just…” He shakes his head again. “Link is favored by the goddesses.”

Rusl must know this already, and Midna wonders just how important this guy really is to the goddesses. He’s not all that special, really.

“We’ll watch him tonight,” Uli offers. “I imagine he can recover, but in case he gets worse…” She doesn’t finish the sentence. It must be unthinkable. 

“Good idea,” Rusl says softly, squeezing Uli’s hand.

---

The night passes uneventfully. Midna is bored the whole time, though she does listen to the humans occasionally.

“If Link is here, do you think Colin is…”

“I’m not sure. We can ask him when he wakes.”

It sounds miserable, this little village. The humans speak of missing children - Colin and Beth and some other names Midna doesn’t care to remember - and attacks from dangerous, boar-riding monsters. They talk about the fear of never seeing their son again. They cry and whine and…

They comfort each other.

Midna stops listening.

---

Link wakes the next morning. He looks better than the night before, though that’s a poor standard, because before, he looked dead.

“Link, you’re up!” Uli sounds surprised, and she looks like she desperately wants to say something. But whatever it is, she doesn’t say right away. “Are you feeling okay?” She presses her hand to Link’s cheek. “Your fever must have broken.”

Link smiles. Gives a thumbs-up. It makes Uli laugh, though it’s a sorry, broken little laugh.

“Link, I’m sorry to ask so soon, but I need to know. Colin, the others, did you… Where are they?”

There’s a heavy pause. Link looks at her with regretful ignorance. Sorry, I’ve got no clue, Midna bets he’s thinking.

“Oh. Weren’t you taken with them?”

Link shakes his head.

Uli swallows hard, nodding slightly. “Oh. Okay. So I… I guess you haven’t seen them.”

His expression is mournful. Earlier, Midna had been surprised at how much the villagers cared about Link. And now she’s realizing that Link cares about them just as much. She’d assumed that Link was… no one, really. Someone who was a convenient solution to her problem and nothing more.

Apparently not.

---

Link is fully healed and ready to leave the next day. Rusl and Uli help him pack, talking about missing children, important quests, dangerous monsters. At one point, Uli suggests Link stay in the village, so they don’t lose him again.

Thankfully, Link doesn’t seem to agree with this plan, though there are promises made to find said missing children. Midna hopes he doesn’t plan on looking for them before they’ve found all the fused shadows.

Link leaves the village on foot, unhitching Epona on his way out. It’s not until they’ve reached the bridge that Midna makes her presence known.

“Ugh, finally,” she groans, because she doesn’t want Link to think she was worried about him. (She was not worried, thank you very much.) “I thought you were gonna sleep all day.”

The slightest of smirks curls his lips. He shakes his head and puts a foot in one stirrup. But Midna speaks before he can hoist himself up.

“Hey, um… Back there… Those people really cared about you. I mean, I don’t know what’s to care about, really,” Midna adds quickly, folding her arms. “You’re a stupid wolf who got himself hurt and delayed us getting the fused shadows.” And then she hesitates, voice softer than before. “But… maybe there’s a reason they like you so much. Guess I’ll find out?”

Link tips his head. Considers her for a moment. Then shrugs.

“Yeah,” Midna hums. “Guess I’ll find out.” She disappears in Link’s shadow, and he mounts Epona, setting a course for Hyrule Field.

[sasoop]

Retribution

HW Link/Ravio

Summary:

“Can I kiss you?”

Link’s first thought is, ‘I’m pretty sure we’re doing this whole maybe-relationship thing in the wrong order.’, and his second is the realization of, ‘He took off his hood.’

Read on Ao3

Or read below ↓

“Mr. Captain Hero, sir?” Ravio’s voice sounds behind him. Link startles minutely before quickly turning around to face him, nearly knocking over his bottle of ink onto the reports he’d been reviewing. He must be especially tired to not have noticed someone entering his tent, he’s getting careless.

“What’s wrong, Ravio?” Willing his voice to not reveal how much he was just caught off guard, he lets himself calm down at the presence of the other. There’s no need to straighten up or stand at attention for an uncaring individual like Ravio. Although he finds himself growing concerned when Ravio lets the flap of his tent drop as he enters with a glaring lack of skip or bounce in his step.

“Nothing much,” The rabbit says with far less enthusiasm than what Link has gotten so used to, “Just wanted to try something.”

Link frowns and slowly places his quill down, now giving Ravio his full attention.

“This isn’t like you, did something happen?” He vocalizes his thoughts aloud. Ravio chuckles nervously, but shakes his head.

“No, my cowardice is trying to get the best of me, is all.”

Link gives a noncommittal hum. For a self-proclaimed coward, Ravio rarely shows any fears in social interactions. Unless he’s speaking to a particularly powerful individual whom he feared retaliation from like Impa or Midna, he has no qualms about pestering someone—or overall being a general pain in the ass. Seeing the ears of his rabbit hood lowered so far down and pressed against his back is an odd, unfamiliar sight.

Link decides he doesn’t like it at all.

“Well, I’m willing to hear you out, at least.” He offers, admittedly curious about what exactly has Ravio acting in this manner. Ravio has come up to him countless times with absolutely absurd requests that he had no shame asking him to do, to the point that Link had nearly believed him to be shameless.

Yet here he sits and watches how that very same man stands before him and wrings his hands together, the repeated glances at the entrance barely noticeable under his hood. Link isn’t too sure what he’s worried about, especially considering the fact it’s usually Link himself that’s the one worrying about people coming in, not Ravio.

“My meeting was not too long ago, and considering how late it is, nobody should come inside, sans an emergency. Anything important enough would’ve been told to me during the meeting.” Despite feeling like this situation is awfully backwards, Link attempts to reassure him. It doesn’t do much, judging by how Ravio’s shoulders are still so stiff.

“Right.” Is Ravio’s equally stiff response. Then it falls silent for so long Link half wonders if Ravio is just testing his patience. Regardless of the quite honestly uncomfortable silence, Link continues to wait instead of pushing him. It is rather difficult not to shuffle around, though.

“Can you close your eyes?” Ravio suddenly blurts out. Link stills and turns his attention away from a random crack on the ground back to Ravio.

“What?” Befuddlement leaks into his voice before he can stop it, but in spite of that, Ravio doesn’t give further clarification behind his request. Instead, he continues to wordlessly wring his hands together.

“I…” Surely Ravio notices how suspicious of a request that is, especially with the way he’s acting? He’s never doubted Ravio before, and he certainly doesn’t want to now. But the Rogue Forces have been growing in number as the war drags on longer and longer. Citizens and soldiers alike are tired of the war. Ravio is tired of the war.

He wouldn’t join the Rogue Forces, right?

“... Alright.” Link manages to say through his heart threatening to leap out his throat. It aches with betrayal that hasn’t even happened yet—with betrayal that won’t happen. He’s tired and being stupid, Ravio would tease him and point out this fact, demanding that he chill out and then help him do exactly that.

Yet the Ravio here only gives a sigh of relief and steps closer. Link reminds himself not to stiffen up because this is Ravio and Ravio wouldn’t betray him for some Force that he always complains about, and even if he did, he would never try to hurt him in such a dirty way after everything they’ve—

“You can’t open your eyes, okay?”

Link doesn’t trust his voice enough to verbally respond, instead he simply closes his eyes to obey Ravio’s request. More horrible silence before the faint rustle of fabric is heard. Despite his internal mantra of ‘Don’t flinch’, he does, and his eyes fly open to snap up to Ravio again. Ravio stands frozen before him, arms raised with aborted movement. The rabbit looks startled, but apparently Link isn’t doing as great of a job of looking calm as he thinks he is, because understanding quickly reflects on Ravio’s face.

“Oh.” Is Ravio’s breathed out response. Slowly, carefully, as if he were allowing Link to track his every movement, he lowers his hands to instead hold them out for Link to see.

“You’re jumpier than me right now, Mr. Captain Hero, sir. I’m sorry that I’m the one to have caused that this time.” Ravio softly murmurs as Link takes in the sight of the other’s completely empty hands. He’s both grateful and incredibly ashamed that he feels relieved by something that should be so obvious.

Nonetheless, Ravio’s voice holds no malice nor blame. Just as slowly as before, Ravio raises his hands up until he’s cupping Link’s jaw and tilting his head up to meet his gaze. Or rather, the hideous gaze of that horrible hood of his. Link snorts at the ridiculous sight and leans into the gentle touch.

“... It’s fine. Sorry for opening my eyes.” He’s still not sure why exactly Ravio wanted him to do this, but he has nothing to worry about. This is the same Ravio as always. If he couldn't trust Ravio, he couldn't trust anyone—and quite honestly, Link never wants to reach that point.

A chuckle, “Just listen to me this time.” Ravio playfully places a hand over his eyes to block out his vision. Link decides to play along with a huff and closes his eyes again, letting Ravio have his way with his little idea. But the hand doesn't retract and Link can feel Ravio’s heistance even without being able to see him.

“I will.” Link says, then upon realizing that there was probably too much of a gap between Ravio’s statement and his own, he clumsily added, “Listen to you, I mean.”

The giggle Ravio lets out sounds genuine, and Link tries not to frown like a child would pout, as he’d undoubtedly be called out for it. But his unintellectual response serves its intended purpose of relaxing the unusually nervous rabbit. Ravio finally pulls away but doesn’t step back. Instead, the faint rustling of fabric is heard again.

“Mr. Captain Hero, sir?”

“What?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Link’s first thought is, ‘I’m pretty sure we’re doing this whole maybe-relationship thing in the wrong order.’, and his second is the realization of, ‘He took off his hood.’ Link resists the urge to take a peek of the face Ravio so resolutely hides with all his might. Ravio has never broken his trust before, and Link absolutely refuses to be the one to be the one to break it instead. He pours so much determination into keeping his eyes shut that he’s late to notice he hasn’t given a response to Ravio’s request.

“Yeah, sure.” He nods, completely and totally smooth. It isn’t as if this is his first kiss, and he’s not the type to get nervous over something as minor as kisses. But also the thought of Ravio finally trusting him enough to remove his hood—even with the condition of him not looking—has him feeling like a teenage boy sitting alone with their crush for the first time. It doesn’t help that he’s pretty sure what he feels for Ravio has long since exceeded the mere casual interest he had before.

He's hyperaware of Ravio’s every following action. Fingers lightly graze along his jaw until his cheek is being caressed again—yet this time, it’s impossibly more gentle. He’s not used to such careful treatment and it only causes his nerves to intensify. He finds himself gulping as Ravio’s fingers bury into his hair, lightly scratch his lower scalp, and ultimately give their all to build up the most nerve-wracking kiss Link has ever felt in his life.

Which is over before he can even fully process the fact that it's happening.

It's quick and light, nothing more than a chaste peck and completely unlike what he was expecting from someone like Ravio. It also leaves his face beet red.

“Oh, if I'd have known I could've made you blush from something like this, I would've done it ages ago!” Ravio's voice is embarrassingly giddy and clearly more than eager to tease him. Link instantly realizes that Ravio is not going to let this go for a very, very long time.

“Alright, alright, laugh it up.” He groans, pulling away from the cradle his face is being held in, “You've had your fun, can I open my eyes now?”

“Absolutely not, I'm not done kissing you yet.” Ravio grabs his face again and forces it back up, Link grunts but doesn't fight it despite his put-on frown.

“You asked for a kiss, singular.” Link points out with a quiet grumble. Lips peck his forehead briefly to silence him.

“And now I'm taking more.” Says his rabbit in a singsong. Link’s lips quirk up in a smile to match the one he cannot see but can hear.

“Scammer.”

Ravio tsks lightly at his fond insult.

“How many times must I tell you that my business is honest and true, hm?”

“Absolutely nothing about your business is honest or true.”

Ravio gasps in mock offense, “I cannot believe the so-called Hero would do such a cruel and vile thing as slandering a good-hearted and honest man! I demand retribution!”

“Oh? And how exactly are you going to obtain that?” Link cocks his head to the side, brow raised in question.

“Well,” Ravio's hands free his face, only to slide over his shoulders as the rabbit settles down on his lap, “You can't slander me if your lips are too busy being kissed.”

“Hm.” Link hums as if pondering the statement, “I suppose that's true.”

“It is. So you're going to sit right there while I get my rightful retribution.” Ravio rests his forehead against his own. Link has long since stopped trying to fake a frown, instead he smiles and gently nudges back in an affectionate headbutt of sorts.

“I could live with that.”

[mushroomwoods]

deep woods… [m.list]

last update : oct. 31

the chain…

Fear(less)

after a few months of travelling together it was only to be expected that they would catch onto your little habits, especially if it was one that put you in harms way so many times.

or... you tend to get in trouble

time…

like fallen leaves

they fell and left him behind, for he knew that no amount of time would ever be enough for him or you to remain.

twilight…

the works ran away like midna, oops…

warriors…

Alive and Breathing

the warrior was used to this setting, something that usually seemed so harmless, dragging things he cherished out of his hands, this time though, he wouldn't just watch as death tried to take what's his, not matter the cost or the amount of blood he had to bathe in, it would never take you away from him.

wild…

my my, it's a wasteland just like his hyrule.

wind…

by the shore...

A calming vacation in Wind's timeline, seashell picking, storytelling, braiding and the navigation the sailor waited for so long. The only downside? A vacation never last forever. 

never say goodbye

The sailor finally learned of a secret that roamed among the group and he wasn't happy about it, after all, who, if not him, would even dare to get so close to you? He would make sure it wasn't that wolf.

hyrule…

One Year, Eleven Months and Twenty Days...

Chapter 1 —

When Hyrule set off into yet another unfortunate journey, he didn't expect a sudden, skittish and nosy you to throw yourself into his life, much less for you to hang around him long enough for him to get attached. He believed he didn't need any company for as long as he lived as the hero, however as you proved him wrong, he started to fear for the possible time limit he could to have around you.

legend…

when the dawn comes

legend had always been overly suspicious, a little bit anxious and maybe a tad paranoid, but somehow, when you opened you finally opened your eyes at the break of dawn, he felt as if, for at least that moment, he could feel safe again.

alone

legend has always been keenly aware of what should happen, yet he still feared to be left alone most of the time.

four…

if you can't see, it must've turned into a minish.

sky…

Soft.

the inherently good guy, the one who'd sacrifice his whole life if it meant saving those he cared for, the one who'd turn into someone else entirely if that's what his love wished for. that's who sky was, and even when some said it was too overbearing, he'd rather say it was just the soft spot he had for you.

wounded bird

Sky is nothing short of loving, especially when his loved one comes down with a sickness.

Love me, Love me not

For the hero that you once thought that you knew, was never who he portrayed himself as, but really, did you expect that if the chains that bound him to good were to break, he would stay as the same old him?

fierce deity...

amidst the lonely nights

he would always remember your presence, and somehow it never got better like you said it would.

first…

devout

for all of those that you once loved and all of those that he would have to end with his own hands, he knew that a sinner like him would never be worth a chance of salvation.

silly offer

is that offer for a hug still up? because i think i need it right now...

calamity…

the calamity hasn't yet begun…

koridai…

the prettiest?

the hero of koridai, clingy, dramatic and very much comical. still, he was the prettiest in the world for you... not that you would ever tell him, but hey, it's not like your eyes didn't already say as much.

courage…

well, excuseee me, but there's nothing yet.

[darthpastry]

Incorrect Quotes of the Kingdom Pt. 5 ( ft. FNaF but now also AtLA)

Link: Your kneecaps are a privilege, not a right!

Ganondorf: *laying on the ground sobbing* All I said was your hat looks stupid.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Judge: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Ganondorf: No.

Judge: Wait.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Link: Good morning to everyone except those who talk to introverts who clearly want to be left alone. I hope your ankles spontaneously combust.

Yunobo: ... I just asked if you wanted coffee.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Sokka: What if time zones were divided up into minutes instead of hours?

Vanessa: That'd be so annoying.

Link: What if they were divided up into seconds?

Sidon: Why would you-

Toph: WHAT IF THEY WERE DIVIDED UP INTO MILLISECONDS?

Katara: Toph no.

Toph: Toph yes.

Gregory: ZEPTOSECONDS!

------------------------------------------------------------------

Link: ACHOO000!

Ghost Mipha: Bless you.

Link: *jumps and turns around* Hylia?

------------------------------------------------------------------

Midna: *sitting in court for murder* Wow. Hylia forbid women do anything.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Zelda: Everything is so funny when I ignore the dread.

*one hour later*

Zelda: NOT FUNNY NOT FUNNY THE DREAD IS HERE!

------------------------------------------------------------------

*in a bus Zelda rented and Vanessa is driving after watching the Barbie movie*

Link, Aang, and Sokka: *sitting in the back sobbing*

Toph: Don't worry guys, I did research. *tosses back 'I am Kenough hoodies to them*

Gregory: I don't get it, why are they crying over the pink existential crisis movie?

Sokka: BECAUSE SOME OF US HAVE FEELINGS!

Gregory: You guys are so weird.

Zuko: *silently pondering the movie and it's meaning*

Sidon: I thought it was a fantastic movie.

Yunobo: What if the patriarchy really is about horses?

Riju: You're an idiot. I thought it had fantastic casting and was visually gorgeous. Overall, all at least 4 stars.

Gregory: Boo. I still think we should've watched Oppenheimer.

Vanessa: And I still think you're too young for that.

Aang: Well I think that-

Tulin: We should all go watch Oppenheimer next week!

Zelda: Tulin, you're also pretty young...

Tulin: Hmph. Hey Gregory, wanna sneak out tomorrow night?

Gregory: Heck yeah!

Link: I can already guarantee you two won't be successful.

Katara: *listening to Aang talk about how the movie is important to society and the impact it will surely have.*

------------------------------------------------------------------

*in a bus after watching Oppenheimer (Gregory and Tulin pointed out they'd already been through traumatic events and the movie couldn't be worse)*

Gregory: So... that was not expected.

Vanessa: You wanted to see it.

Gregory: Yeah, but I didn't want to watch a bunch of people talk and think about how actions have consequences!

Zelda: Link, I'm sure you have takeaways.

Link: I do not.

Aang: Toph, I'm guessing you don't have any takeaways either?

Toph: I do not.

Zuko: It's interesting how we can learn from the past today.

Sokka: Meh, I thought Barbie was better.

------------------------------------------------------------------

*pulling up into restaurant in the bus*

Vanessa: Hey Link, can you go get us a table while I finish parking?

Zelda: Oh, I don't think-

Link: On it!

*five minutes later*

Link: *runs out* START THE ENGINE START THE ENGINE!

------------------------------------------------------------------

*at the next restaurant (they sent Zelda in with Link)*

Waiter: Would you like a table?

Zelda: Ye-

Link: No, not at all. We came here to eat the floor. Carpet for 13 please.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Revali: On my way. What should I bring?

Urbosa: A good mood. Nothing salty.

Revali: I'm not coming.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Link: Next step is to... beat three eggs?

Gregory: Probably in hand-to-hand combat

Link: Makes sense.

Toph: Pfft, I can solo them all.

Tulin: But like... what if we used weapons?

------------------------------------------------------------------

Vanessa: Where's Tulin, Link, Gregory, and Toph?

Zelda: Doing stuff.

Vanessa: That doesn't sound good. Where's Glamrock Freddy?

Zelda: Trying to stop them from doing stuff.

*Tulin, Link, Gregory, and Toph crash through a wall in a go-kart, all wearing 8-bit sunglasses*

All four: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!

Glamrock Freddy: *chasing them* COME BACK! THIS IS NOT A SAFE PLAY IDEA!

------------------------------------------------------------------

Tulin: Onions rings are vegetable doughnuts.

Gregory: Your stomach thinks all potatoes are mashed.

Sokka: Your teeth are the only part of your skeleton you brush.

Link: Lasagna is spaghetti flavored cake.

Toph: Lobsters are mermaid scorpions.

Riju: Oh no. Now there's five of them.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Sokka: *on the phone* Um. Aang? We need your help?

Aang: Is the building on fire?

Sokka: Well no, but...

Aang: Then it's not an emergency. *hangs up*

Gregory: Well? What did he say?

Tulin: Yeah, what do we do about the portal to the spirit realm that opened up?

Sokka: *shrugs* He said it's not an emergency.

Link: *smacking a spirit with his sword* HOW IS THIS NOT AN EMERGENCY?!

------------------------------------------------------------------

Zelda: Has anyone seen Link and Tulin?

Purah: They went outside. Something about a very important conversation.

*outside*

Link: At my funeral you have to leave my casket closed and play Pop goes weasel-

Tulin: *nodding and writing it down* Sounds good. What else?

Link: Take the bouquet off my casket, throw it into the crowd, and whoever catches it you have to say you're next.

Tulin: Like the opposite of a wedding?

Link: Yep!

Tulin: Perfect.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Tulin: Okay. There are three ways. The legal way, the illegal way, and the Link way.

Toph: Isn't Link's way illegal?

Gregory: Yeah, but it's faster and he gets away with it.

[berriethewizard]

let me lose on losing dogs - Hyrule Warriors fic

Sprout (oot/mm link) did not return from the latest battle, and Link heads out to find him. What he finds, instead, is something else. aka, obligatory Fierce Deity angst fic. Wordcount: 4102

(for more detailed description, or preferred reading location, ao3 link here)

----

Captain Link Bennett, Observation Log, Date: 02/xx/1692

Sailor dropped Sprout off at our tent today. He was carried off the battlefield, awake but exhausted. Once I got him tucked in, Sailor then pulled me aside and detailed what I had missed in hushed tones – I’ve never seen him more serious. 

The Fierce Deity, Proxy managed to weasel out of Sprout. Sailor described him being possessed by it, the spirit seemingly locked inside that mask he carries. A powerful thing, decimating all that was in its path, the battlefield cleared within moments – the soldiers I asked confirmed what Sailor saw. The soldiers that weren’t caught up in the violence, that is. He also said the spirit seemed… reluctant to return Sprout to normal, afterward.  

Sprout seemed the same as ever once he was up again. Physically healthy, happily listening to Sailor and Midna talk around the campfire and eat his soup. But the kid is an expert at hiding what he wants nobody to see, and I know it hurts him. Nothing with that much power comes without cost. Nothing. 

He’s asleep in my bed right now, because neither of us would have anything different. Sailor is curled up in his own bedroll, snoring loudly. I suppose it’s time for me to crawl into the bed and get my own sleep, and see if he is willing to tell me more in the morning. Sailor said if he’d tell anyone, it’d be me. I really hope so. 

~

Couldn’t sleep. Tried to investigate the mask, because there was something about it keeping me up. It felt like flesh in my hands, for a split second. I will be asking Sprout about this in the morning. 

Goodnight – if I can manage it.

----

Sprout is missing. 

Link steps over the ruins of the latest battle. He had led the remaining weary soldiers of his platoon back to camp, sending each to their tents to recuperate. A few from the other groups had greeted them as the last to return. And then Ravio had loitered by his side, once the rest had passed to return to duties, and anxiously asked, “Sprout isn’t with you?” 

He steps over the body of something, a lump covered in the flag of the nation of Hyrule, and doesn't have the stomach to check if it was an ally. Doesn’t have the stomach to check if the meagre dignity of the tarp covering their corpse is a cruel symbol of anything, or a sign of their hollow victory. 

A lot of people died today. Good people. Honourable people. And, goddesses above, he hopes his boy isn’t among them. 

There was a part of Link that didn’t want to get close to those that were pulled through from the other eras. A group he knew would be leaving him, so why bother? Why set his heart up to be broken? But then he met them, more of them than those he met in their own domains. Those across the timeline that Lana deemed ‘useful’, their stories far behind his and yet affecting him profoundly – he couldn’t turn away. At first, it was in awe – the sailor, two heroic quests under his belt and many more smaller adventures in between, only sixteen years old. Ravio, someone who insisted he wasn’t brave, yet not only stepped up at every chance to aid them in other ways, but also did his best when caught up in the battle anyway. The tinkerer, and his mastery over a machine Link has never fathomed before in his life, seamlessly integrating his knowledge into that of the Gorons in their company, almost always guaranteeing their victory.

And Sprout. Brave, young Sprout. His Sprout.

When he had first met Sprout, something in him switched. Beyond the urge to rip shreds into Lana for willingly bringing a child into this horrific war, regardless of who that child was. (Which he did, for the record, in front of every one of his superiors. He still doesn’t know if they saw it as a conviction of values or an unwillingness to face his own fate in the matter.) For the first time since the valley: he was going to make it. Just to look after these people. Ravio and the tinkerer will have the resources they need to make what they want. Sailor will tell his stories and Link will learn the songs that come along with them. Sprout will get to be a kid. War be damned, destiny be damned, they will get to live their lives during, and after this. He will see it through (regardless of his broken heart at the end of it all).

Link steps over discarded weapons, limbs of friend and foe, sundered barricades and bomb craters. All the while, his eyes are trained to pick up a bright green among the dull of the land – a tunic way too small to be present in such a place, his own a mockery of it, dressed up for war. He skirts around a still smouldering pile of wood and ash in his path; the sky is clouded, but the rain has yet to dampen the carnage. Sprout wasn’t in his group – as much as it pains him to be unable to protect him, strategy dictates separating those with unique abilities to assist on different fronts – and he is crossing over into territory he didn’t fight in. It looks like everything else: ruined. 

But he knows something happened here. The soldiers retreated too early, joining his own ranks and those of Zelda and Impa’s – nothing on their lips but a frightened: “Something helpful arrived, but it can’t tell who’s the enemy.” When nothing followed them, neither monster nor this mysterious something, they wrote it off as a random portal-related phenomenon to be investigated after the dust had settled. But Sprout has not returned. And as Link walks through the ruins of the battlefield, he has a sinking, gut-churning suspicion as to why. 

“There’s some deal, or sick game, the spirit has with Sprout,” Sailor had murmured, tone severe, “It kept its claws in him for too long – like it didn’t want to give up the fight.”

Rounding the corner past a hill has him coming upon a massacre. 

Monsters’ bodies are slow to fade into smoke, sometimes. Especially when there are so many in such a small area. But the littering of monster corpses across the battlefield does not disguise the sheer amount of Hylian bodies. Nor does it distract from the oppressive presence of the figure standing in the middle of it. 

It stands over seven feet tall. Its armour shines under an invisible sun, gleaming brighter than should be possible – like it's not quite on this plane of existence. The large helix sword is idly resting in one hand; it weighs nothing in the warrior’s grip. Even with its back turned to him, Link feels as though its eyes are on him, weighing down upon his shoulders, a condemnation. A judgement.

And then it turns to meet his gaze, and that sick mockery of his kid’s face is staring back at him.

Link knew, of course, the resemblance. The shape of the hair, a cool white in place of soft blonde. The point of the nose, grown to fit a larger face. The same mouth and eyes, blankly staring instead of crinkling with a smile. And he knows the legends – he knows Sprout has seen his own adult face, forced to grow up too fast, and then back again without any say in his own autonomy. That’s precisely why it feels so wrong to have this… spirit match him in such a way. His visage twisted and into one used as a weapon, a cruel mirror of everything Sprout was forced to become under destiny.

Under the weight of its stare, Link’s voice falters. “W-where is he?” This is not Sprout. The spirit has taken him away, locked him up in a prison of his own body, breaking it to suit its needs.

The Deity just watches. Observing – Link feels like he’s being stripped back under its scrutiny, bare and vulnerable even in all his layers. His very soul is being witnessed, in this moment, ripped out of his chest and held in the balance; to be saved or shattered. He fears for the version of it Sprout holds.

He tries to ask again, voice small and meek and falling away from him. “...Where’s my son?” 

The Fierce Deity takes a step towards him. Adrenaline rushes through Link’s system, all-enveloping, immediately forcing him to take a step back. It cocks its head at the action. Takes another step. He desperately tries to resist the urge to flee, but he steps back again. A third step forward – Link forces his legs to still.

“Give- give him back!” His voice cracks, not used to raising it, Proxi woefully absent to do it in his stead (but he wouldn’t want her to see this spirit corrupt someone she is so fond of anyway). It stops then, still watching him, Link frozen against its gaze. It looks like it’s going to say something, and he waits with his breath held.

“Hero… you care for this vessel?” Its voice is in multiple tones, deep baritones clashing and echoing against a melody, almost surrounding him despite the single source. Once again, like it is not grounded to the earth. But it is not just the way it sounds, but the words itself that give him pause. 

Vessel… Sprout is a conduit to this spirit. It says it so impersonally, like his personhood doesn’t matter, only worthy as a tool. It’s sickeningly similar to everything else in their joint experience. Vessel of destiny. Holder of the triforce. Hero, not by choice, but by burden of prophecy. Someone coming along, pulling them into a war, because they will be useful. And questioning if, why, he cares for Sprout? How could he not? This bright, brave young boy, too much hurt in his past and too much ahead of him, once again treated like a tool before a child in this war – it is his responsibility to, not just because it is his fault that this is all happening in the first place, but because he wants it to be. Link lies awake each night, Sprout curled up against him in the bed, and hopes he feels a fraction of the love he’s trying to pour into him. He knows it won’t make up for everything else, but someone has to give it. He deserves it more than anyone.

The terror still grips his throat, but anger curls up against it; the longer it keeps using Sprout, the more it builds. 

“I-I do. And I want him back.” He isn’t above fighting. He isn’t above begging. He’ll do anything to ensure his kid’s safety, whether this spirit is that of a god’s or not. 

“This vessel wears my mask willingly.” The same stare, the same lack of emotion. The same disregard for Sprout as a person and his circumstances. Of course he does it ‘willingly’ – in the same way someone ‘willingly’ cuts their hand off to escape binds in captivity. He looks at the bodies strewn about the battlefield. Nobody chooses this. 

“And he should be allowed to take it off willingly.” Link stares back into the eyes of the Fierce Deity. As he tries to find even the smallest glimmer of Sprout within them, a tiny crumb of an inclination that there’s some resistance, it takes another step forward.

Then it rushes him.

Link doesn't have time to react. It moves fast, faster than possible, faster than any mortal could – all he can do is throw himself to the side in hopes of dodging the attack. It’s fruitless, but instead of a blade meeting his body, his arm is grabbed and squeezed. The Fierce Deity holds him in place and leans in, their faces inches apart, pure terror striking through Link’s veins as the overwhelming power of its presence bears down on him. 

Link stares into its face. The face that is Sprout’s but also so very not in the same breath, a face that is wrong and marked, a face he shouldn’t be seeing for many more years. (And isn’t that a thought? Getting to watch Sprout grow up? A fruitless fantasy, only possible in this one twisted moment.) Holds his breath, heart pounding in his chest, unable to do anything but stand held and wait for the spirit’s next move. 

It squeezes down harder on his arm, almost to breaking and definitely to bruising, like its next words are urgent. And they are. 

“Will you look after this vessel?” Its voice is faded and wispy. Instead of the harmonies of its power before, it's now a hush, a tremor in the land, fuzzy and distant. Like it's being pulled away somewhere. Like it’s losing its grip. 

“Y-yes, of course…?” Link stammers out, perplexed. 

“Good.” Suddenly, light pours out from the Fierce Deity’s eyes, forcing Link to close his own against it. Then, the grip on his arm slackens and disappears entirely – and Sprout’s small body is falling to the ground. 

Link reaches out to catch him immediately, body hitting his arms and sending him to his knees. Whether it’s just because of his weight, or that the oppressive force of the Fierce Deity is no longer present and his body is faltering as a result of the relief, he doesn’t know. He is shaking as he pulls Sprout closer to his chest.

He’s out cold, but breathing evenly. A collection of small cuts and bruises litter the skin Link can see, no doubt more underneath his tunic. There’s a slight stain of red in his bangs, and when Link brings a shaking hand up to push them back, he can see a half-congealed cut across his forehead. And that the roots of the front of his hair are white.

He glances down at where the mask now rests on the ground by his knees, and swallows a shaking, hollow breath.

Nothing without a cost.

Link pulls Sprout impossibly closer, trying so very desperately not to lose himself entirely in this moment. Waves of grief overtake him for a boy that still lives in his arms. Breathing evenly, simply asleep, protected by a spirit from the horrors around him when it became too much. But the cost… the cost of all of this. He shouldn’t even be here. Link is kneeling on a battlefield of his own creation, holding a child who shouldn’t even understand how to hold a sword. The twisting of fate sinks into his stomach like a knife – when he was Sprout’s age, he dreamed of being a hero.  A foolish one, he of course now knows, but at least he got to have that childhood of fairy tales before it was all ripped away. 

It’s been a mantra, in his head, this whole time. The little voice in his mind that sounds like himself as a child. It isn’t fair! it cries. A voice that mirrors Sailor’s after a bad nightmare, shaking and bitter. Midna’s raging through a tent stacked with crates, infuriated, curses throughout. Ravio’s after a harrowing day helping chase supplies to and from the infirmary, scared and exhausted. It isn’t fair! He’s never heard Sprout say it, and that quite possibly hurts him more than every inconsolable night holding him tight in their bed. Does he even know what is and isn’t fair, when so much of his life has been this? Does he know? How much better he could have it, if the world loved him enough?

The first raindrops fall in tandem with Link’s tears as he curls around Sprout’s unconscious body. He knows he should get up and start moving – it will do neither of them any good to stay shivering on the battlefield in the rain, and Sprout still needs medical care. But his legs are numb, unwilling to follow his commands, and the rest of him just wants to hold Sprout for a moment. Ignore the death and pain around him, and just… hold his son close to his chest. 

He knows his love isn’t enough, either, but he holds him anyway.

An hour later, soaked to the bone and finally stumbling back into camp, Sailor and Proxi are the ones that lead them to their tent. Link lost himself, in the chill of the weather, and he sits numbly on the floor watching Sailor wrap the cuts and scrapes on Sprout’s little body while Proxi flits about his head and frets. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t have to – Sailor took one look at the boy in his arms and his face turned to stone. On the walk back, the entire front of Sprout’s hair had turned white. 

When they’re both dry and tucked into bed, Sailor sinks to the floor cross-armed to lean against it. Link feels bad, how often it seems that Sailor is the one looking after him, even though he’s the older one. In many of the same ways he sees Sprout as his son, he sees Sailor as a little brother. Also more experienced beyond his age, also burdened in the same way he is, but keeping it all hidden behind a carefree and mischievous air. It’s only in moments such as this that Link faces how truly wise he is to all of this.

“Do you want me to take it? The mask. We can stop him from using it again – I’m pretty good at hiding things.” 

Link stares up at the tent ceiling. Hesitates. “Will you look after this vessel?” The Fierce Deity’s words echo in his mind. Was it self-preservation, that the spirit asked that of him? Was it the simple need to keep the tool that allows it freedom in working order? Or was there something more? Is there truly just a mutually beneficial deal here – Sprout winning any battle, and the Fierce Deity revelling in it – or is there something else fighting in his kid’s corner, however unorthodox?

The traitorous part of his mind is refusing to let go of how clearly powerful the mask is. The strategy of using it, this maybe-god trapped in a mask, as one of their strongest weapons against the darkness yet. Maybe if the burden was no longer on such a small body…

“We don’t have to hide it away. As long as Sprout is not the one using it—”

“Swapping the burden onto yourself won’t erase its weight.” 

Link’s thoughts halt in their tracks. Sailor doesn’t look back at him, silence hanging heavy in the tent, almost letting the words sink in. Then he groans, throwing his head back onto the bed. 

“Look at this, you got me talkin’ like the old boat, this is bullshit. I’m supposed to be the fun one, here,” he glances up at Link – staring back at him wide-eyed – and when it becomes apparent he doesn’t know what to say, Sailor sighs. “He doesn’t want you hurt just as much as you don’t want him hurt, you know that right? You’re not the exception to the rule here just because it’s your quest. We care about you, I care about both of you – and if I have to chuck that mask into the Great Sea just to stop it from bein’ used, I will.” 

He reaches out and gently clasps Link’s shoulder, squeezing it. Link still doesn’t say anything. His brain struggles to catch up with the conversation. It… doesn’t work like that, normally. It is his job to take on the burden. From the very moment he wrapped the scarf around his neck, it was his to carry.

But this is Sailor’s third time doing something like this, and a part of him does recognise that what Sailor is doing right now is exactly what he does for Sprout. Tries to take a little off his shoulders, soothe the worries and give him a carefree moment when he can. He doesn’t quite know how to feel about it. 

Sailor takes his silence for refusal to agree, and sighs again, before standing. “We’ll talk more about this later, when Sprout is awake again. For now, it’s time you took a good nap with the lad, alright?” 

Link takes it for the out it is and nods. Sailor reaches over and ruffles his hair, and he can’t help but scrunch his face up and huff. “Yknow, you’re supposed to be the younger brother, here,” Link jokes, trying to break the tension from the deep conversation, brief as it was. 

“What? No way! I’m the older brother back home, and that is not changing just because you happen to be older than me. I’m infinitely smarter and more cleverer than you, anyway.”

Link raises an eyebrow. “‘More cleverer,’ huh?” Sailor just crosses his arms again. 

“Whatever. I’m going to go get some food. Rest well, little bro.” 

Sailor leaves the tent and Link settles back into the pillow properly, taking a deep breath. Sprout snuffles faintly in his sleep, curling closer against him, and he turns onto his side so he can press him directly against his chest. Hold him, safe and warm.

Sailor mentioned back home. He tries not to think about it, most days. About how when the war ends, he’ll have to send everyone off back to their own eras. It hurts too much to imagine saying goodbye.

The grief returns tenfold now the dust has truly settled – Link pulls Sprout even closer to him. What is he going to do, when he has to say goodbye to Sprout? When he has to send his son back through that portal, never to see him again? He can feel the hole in his chest already. This war, there is no part of this that is fair to any of them. But…

No, Link doesn’t have an excuse. Just a small, selfish dream to watch his kid grow up while he’s there to love him through it. To watch him come into adult features naturally over time – the soft blonde hair, maybe grown out and tied back into a ponytail, to match Sailor’s braid. The point of his nose, perhaps in an awkward phase where it grows before the rest of his face grows to match it. Watch through the days as Sprout smiles and laughs and grins, wrinkles forming at the edges of his eyes, instead of the indentations of a frown. 

Link can’t love him enough to replace the horrors of the world around him. But if he had a way to keep protecting him from some of it, take the burden and the loneliness off his shoulders, he’d do it in a heartbeat. 

He gets an idea.

“Hey, Proxi?” She flutters awake from her place on the pillow, paying attention. “Why do you follow me around? Do you have a… mission?”

The fairy hums, thinking for a moment. “It’s so I can help you! Give you a voice when you don’t have it during this war. I do also just like you a lot, though.” Link knows she also likes Sprout a lot, too.

“And, when the war is over? Is your mission over?”

“I suppose you could see it like that – unless you don’t want it to be? Why? Got a new one for me or something?”

“I do.” He looks down at Sprout. He mentioned, once, how he had a fairy of his own. The past tense of the conversation clearly upset him, and Link didn’t push for more. Link takes a deep breath, choking up at the mere concept of talking about this out loud. “Would you go with him, when the war ends? I can’t… I can’t look after him, when he goes back home. But you can go anywhere you want, right?” Tears water in his eyes again. A lump in his throat. “I don’t want him to be alone ever again. Please make it your mission to look after him, and protect him, when I no longer can.”

He sniffs, and Proxi comes to settle herself against his cheek. “Oh, Link… I will do my very best.” 

Link curls around Sprout, pushing his face into the top of his head – the white hair appearing against his eyes even as they’re closed – and tries to silence the sentence repeating over and over and over in his mind. 

It isn’t fucking fair…

He falls asleep like that, weight piled onto his shoulders, a hole of grief slowly cracking open in his chest. 

[aurathian]

Dawn to Dusk: 2. Dusk

AO3 | Written for @zelinktines24 #13: dusk. Reblogs appreciated if you enjoy :) Fandom: Twilight Princess

Ship: Link/Zelda

Rating: G

Summary: It is dawn when she leaves, but it is dusk when she brings them together.

Read below or on AO3.

Many dawns had passed since that day the princess of Hyrule spent in Arbiter’s Grounds where her family had so long ago banished its prisoners. Zelda had taken many baths since then in an attempt to clean herself of the dirt and dust and blood–and sin–from that dark place, but it would be something she’d carry with her forever. Sometime between now and then she had formally greeted Link as he arrived at the castle with all his belongings: a humble bag filled with his few clothes and sentimental knicknacks from Ordon. He promised to show her them later. Now, he lived in the castle and was preparing to serve on her counsel and advise her in national military matters. Link was not only a good fighter, but profoundly smart, and had good relations with many of Hyrule’s peoples. He would be a valuable asset to her court, her kingdom, and–though she would not admit–her sanity.

On most nights, when the sun had just set and the sky was that ominous shade of blue-purple, and dusk veiled the land, Zelda stayed inside by the fireplace in her room, knitting or reading or looking over papers or doing anything to distract herself. If she could survive the twilight, she would see tomorrow. She kept her curtains drawn and turned the clock on the mantle around so that there was not even an allusion to the time of day present.

Midna was nearest at this hour, the rims of their worlds barely grazing the other, but never did they overlap because only the mirror would allow such a feat. The mirror which shattered with a single teardrop. Princess Zelda figured that she shattered with it, too. What was the Twilight Princess doing right now? Such a thought plagued Zelda’s mind frequently. Did Midna ever wonder about her or Link? Perhaps she was too occupied with her own people to spare even a moment for them, but somewhere deep within her heart Zelda hoped.

That night, just before the sun dipped below the horizon and she was reminded of all things horrible and gone, the princess gripped the edge of her curtains and stared out at Hyrule Field, a sprawling landscape colored a deep blue from the coming night. There was life out there, even in the twilight. Birds and bugs and wild animals and even people, hurrying to find their way to shelter, things unaffected by the hour in which day and night blended together. Maybe Zelda could be one of them.

She left her curtains open and exited her quarters. 

Clicking the door shut softly behind her, she didn’t care that she was in a nightgown. Many of the servants had gone down to their chambers for the night and the only remaining people in the halls were the guards, sworn to secrecy about any ��funny business” (as Ashei would put it) they witnessed from the princess, their soon-to-be queen.

Something was tugging her along down those winding halls and spiral staircases. It took her hand, gentle and warm, and led her outside. Zelda paused at the door to the gardens, hand hovering over the knob. Part of her wanted to turn around and go back to her bed, but something–or someone–was out there, waiting. In her wildest dreams she hoped it was Midna.

She stepped outside with her eyes closed, and then opened them. The last bits of golden light were receding behind the garden wall. It was warm, a soft summer breeze ruffling the hedges and the leaves of the trees. There were no specks of twilight in the air, those dark bits that had lingered all around for so long that she had forgotten what the world looked like without them.

Something else plagued her mind as she walked. Did Link take to the twilight well? He never spoke of it around her even though they were more open than when they first met. One night, they ate dinner together in the great hall with all of the curtains shut and candles illuminating the room. He did not ask why. They spent that night talking about anything and everything that came to mind, from the stray cats of Castle Town to the strange chicken flying game at Lake Hylia (which Link suggested she should give a try, but she laughed it off and hid her quiet fear that he would one day bring her there). The Hero of Twilight recounted some of the grandest tales from his adventure to the most mundane, and it was in the mundane that his eyes lit up.

“Twilight is quiet,” he had said. “It was twilight when it was the most peaceful.”

Twilight is quiet. She focused on this, calming her mind and beginning to discover the same peace as she paced through the gardens. It was only her and the flowers and the wind and her breathing.

It had been a long while since Zelda walked these gardens. She could see them from her tower but they were covered in a thick fog and she’d imagined all the greenery had shriveled up and died anyway. Did Midna have gardens like these in her realm? Perhaps there were strange breeds of flora that bloomed only there, and the petals were fiery like her hair and stems pale blue like her skin.

The light had faded from the sky now, only the moon shining down on her path. It led her to one of her favorite spots since she was a child: a stone bench situated underneath a great weeping willow who swayed with the breeze. She froze at the sight of a silhouette sitting on her bench.

“I’m sorry,” it said, hurriedly standing. “I didn’t mean to…”

Her shoulders relaxed at the sight of her Hero, Link. He came into the pale moonlight dressed down in a white shirt and brown pants. When he arrived at the castle he had worn his green tunic, but now he preferred to leave it in his closet. Perhaps for similar reasons as to why she would shut her curtains all the time.

“No, stay,” she sighed, moving to the bench and sitting down amongst the hanging, swaying leaves.

“I’m intruding,” he argued. He was backing away from her now and scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I insist. I would quite like your company.” The princess patted the spot next to her where he had been sitting only moments before, and he approached, though hesitantly. Slowly he lowered himself beside her. “Do you come out here often?”

He shook his head. He was quite handsome without that silly hat, Zelda thought. Not that he wasn’t handsome with it, but– well– she stopped thinking about it before she could fluster herself and inspire a blush on her cheeks.

“Not usually. But tonight I wanted to. Like something… never mind.”

Like something brought him here, she finished in her head. She smiled knowingly. Silence lingered between them then, as it usually had when they would rendezvous, but more and more Zelda didn’t find it awkward or uncomfortable. They could say everything they needed to in that silence, looking either at each other or something far off. That silence was always about the same thing, the same person. Zelda wondered if there would ever be a day where that silence could be about each other.

“I used to come here often,” she softly spoke. “Almost every night, starting since I was a little girl. I used to watch the stars until a guard on patrol caught me and made me go inside. Then I would just watch them out of my window.” Her gaze turned from him to the ground. “I don’t think I can look at the stars anymore.”

“We are very similar,” Link said. “I watched them on the ranch, you watched them here… do you think…” he trailed off and looked away before inhaling. “Do you think Midna watches them too?”

To hear her name was like being punched in the gut. Neither had spoken it since that morning in the Arbiter’s Grounds, even when they alluded to her in conversations or in meaningful eye contact. But, wiping away the tear that had slid down her cheek, it was wrong to leave her name there in that desert prison. To speak it here was to free it from that place of death. To speak it was to remember.

Zelda looked up at the sky through the branches of the weeping willow and the stars shone more brilliantly than she could ever remember. That warm, guiding hand that had brought her here–perhaps it was Midna from the other side of that starry sky.

“Yes,” Zelda breathed. “Yes, and I think she brought me here. To you.” Her eyes met his.

Softly, Link said, “I think she brought me here too.”

Gently, his hand found hers on the bench, more than the accidental grazing of fingertips they would have walking the halls, more than the shy eye contact they made, more than their shared silences. Turning her hand over, she gave his a squeeze.

It was dusk when Midna brought them together. To calm herself, Zelda focused only on this. It was dusk when she and her Hero first held hands. It was dusk when for the first time in ages, they knew everything would be alright.

[dumpster-lizard]

Everytime I see a bad take about Ganondorf because he (insert thing that Hyrule already did) i wanna start biting.

He is, by far, the most justified out of all the Villains in the series and im prepared to defend that.

Ghirahim: Gleefully served a demon king than nearly wiped out Hylians. Is cruel both toward his own servants and his enemies... and clearly the latter brings him immense joy

Vaati: Disatisfied with his place in the world, compensated with a god complex. Has no regard for others, and goes out of his way to be cruel to those he has a personal grudge against. (Rarely addresses Link directly in minish cap, except for the final fight)

Zant: Usurps the throne of his own people and turns the citizens into Twili beasts. Tries to leverage his position to make and advance on Midna, and attempts to kill her when rejected. Clearly had issues before Ganondorf even got involved.

Yuga: Similar to Vaati? Obsessed with perfection, sought to fuse with Ganon to acheive that. Cared little about Hilda's plan to restore Lorule. Not much else is said about his motives, but with how Hilda trusted him, he clearly played the long con.

Cia: Tore space, time, and herself apart cause she was a simp.

Astor: Death cult member who has no qualms killing his allies, sought to use the calamity for his own ends, even trying to command it til it got tired of him.

Chancellor Cole: Didnt play much spirit tracks, I get the sense hes similar to Ghirahim

Of all the baddies in TLOZ?? Ganondorf and the Yiga are by far the most justified (and, in many cases? In the right). Go for the others if you want more outwardly evil/more "black and white" bad guys

[getvalentined]

A-Z ask game: O(tailored) bc I would like to slide you a song[String Theocracy, Library of Ruina], R, U please!

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

I looked up the song and I'm assuming it's this!

I was gonna say that I was getting huge A Turtle's Heart vibes off this, then I realized it was the same person so that explains it. I'm not a huge fan of the track itself* but those lyrics!

I'm going with Genesis, for sure, specifically Genesis to Zack.

Cut it off, cut down your loss All that stubborn loyalty is gonna get you killed In a world built on convenient theories For the puppets on TV There is comfort in the strings If you're gonna control me At least make it interesting theatrically [...] Cut it off, you've already lost All that precious bravery is gonna get you hurt In a world that feeds on the minority May that self-centered belief lead you to peace If you're gonna replace me At least have the audacity to kill me thoroughly

I'm not sure there's anything I could say to explain that interpretation that these lyrics don't already say loud and clear. Thank you for sharing it with me!

* I'm not generally a fan of jazz, and this song is really jazzy; also the way Mili mispronounces words to fit a rhythm that they could have fit anyway is pretty egregious in this track, and that's the thing that keeps me from listening to more of her music. The combination of the two makes me a bit "ehhhh," but that's just me! It's a really solid track, just not my vibe. THOSE LYRICS THOUGH, GODDAMN.

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

Answered here! A little convoluted because for me, all ships are friendships regardless of whether there's a romantic context.

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Oh this is a fun one!

1. Vincent Valentine (FFVII) is my favorite character in all of fiction and I've explained the why of that a couple times over the years, but suffice to say there is just nothing like finding a character with whom you resonate so intensely that you can love them even more after over a quarter century than you did when you first discovered them as a child.

2. Harle (Chrono Cross) is way up there! I love her entire character arc, starting as an agent of human destruction who falls in love with the very person she was created to kill, and holding that love so tightly that the horrifying superweapon she was fused into uses magic to sing him the song he needs to save the entity responsible for the destruction of her own people. Harle is my favorite female character ever, even moreso than Miyazaki's Nausicaä, which is saying a lot coming from me.

3. Turo (Pokemon Violet) will be my third. Not Professor Turo, mind you, the other Turo, the one who actually gave a shit about the safety of others, who loved the son that wasn't actually his so much that he gave everything to make sure the world he lived in would be safe. I have a soft spot for characters willing to give themselves up for love, and familial figures determined to set things right even if it means they won't get to live with the family they're saving will make me sob every single time. I'm not normally into mainline Pokemon titles (I like Arceus, Gale of Darkness, Snap, etc.) but Turo is literally what sold me on this one and it turned out to be one of the best story experiences I'd had in years (even outside his part).

I wanted to include a Zelda character, but I realized that's basically impossible because I love too many of them to choose one as a favorite. I managed to narrow it down in my head to Midna, King Rauru, or Nabooru, and then I thought of Mipha for .027 seconds and literally burst into tears because I love her so much and I can't not talk about her if I'm talking about favorite Zelda characters—and I decided I couldn't do that so I set that franchise down for this one.

[ for the A to Z ask game ]

[occasionallyprosie]

Devotion - Chapter 6: "In A Minute"

Dev reunites with one person from his past, and watches another from afar.

Meanwhile, instead of getting therapy himself, he gives it to his new kids AKA Captain Link, Mask, and Tune.

Read on AO3

First Chapter, Tumblr

"I know you," Ravio said near instantly.

Dev shakily inhaled—a useless habit—and nodded.

Ravio walked over, noticing Tune curled up and asleep with his head in Dev's lap, then his gaze raised back to Dev's face.

It visibly clicked. "Link," Ravio breathed. "Mr. Hero?"

"Ravio." Dev reached toward him and Ravio moved closer. Ravio took his hands but steered them, both Dev's and Ravio's both, to hold Dev's face.

"Look at you," Ravio whispered, studying his face. "You look like I did when we first met. Wrong eye color though, and not pale enough... Why so different?"

Dev blinked and his form quickly changed.

Lately, he had been using a form that better reflected his sword form, or rather a sort of mix between the Golden Sword and the Tempered Sword. He had violet hair that barely reached his shoulders but tied it up in a green ribbon, another green strand wrapping around a bit of hair by his face. He'd given himself a darker tan, one he had when he'd spent months at a time working in his orchard when he was still human, it turned out the sun couldn't tan sword spirits. Then he wore a pale, golden-yellow jerkin over a faded, burnt orange undertunic, the fabrics and style more reminiscent of a dream long ended than his once-favored red mail.

Suddenly, he was paler, still freckled but distinctly paler and those blemishes harder to notice as they nearly faded. Purple hair turned golden blond and a pink streak on the same side as the green ribbon, which remained. Gold and orange became dark green and red.

Ravio smiled almost blindingly. "There you are. How long, Mr. Hero?"

"Over three thousand," Dev managed. "Oh goddesses, Ravio."

Ravio squeezed his hands and pressed their foreheads together. "It's alright. You've done so well, Mr. Hero. You've gone so far. You're so incredibly strong."

Dev couldn't help but let out the small laugh that bubbled up. "Don't do that."

"But it's true. You've lived so long and I can't imagine you just hid from everything the whole time. You've must've saved the world so many times, met and lost so many people, and you're still making friends." Ravio nodded toward Tune's sleeping form. "You're so strong."

Dev closed his eyes and just relished in it. In Ravio's touch, his voice, he committed it all to memory.

"I remember this," Dev whispered. "It was while I was first—After we did the ritual, during that first year or so, right? You disappeared, stopped visiting for a while and I panicked so much. Then you came back and told me about this war and-and all these people you met and you had changed and I was so proud of you."

Ravio smiled at him. "Then I guess I don't have to worry too much about not going back home."

"You will," Dev swore. "I'll make sure of it."

"You haven't changed, Mr. Hero," Ravio laughed. "Not a bit."

Dev chuckled. "Maybe a bit. I don't fight with a sword anymore."

"Oh really? How do you fight?"

"If all goes well, I never will again. I... I've had to, but I don't want to fight anymore. Not myself."

Ravio smiled. "You know, that is different."

He did. He did have to fight.

A battle later that month went south. Mask got hit and downed, and Tune was with him, across the battlefield, desperately trying to protect him. Soldiers were spread thin across it, other displaced individuals fighting for their lives. Ravio would basically be playing wack-a-mole with the monsters, as more kept appearing no matter which he hammered into the ground. Midna was handling herself but that's as far as she could do.

Link got isolated and was getting overwhelmed.

"Dev, no," Fi intervened, her spirit wreathing around Dev's in a way to sort of stop him though they both knew it was ineffective. "We should not interfere."

"I'll interfere if I want to," he snapped at her. "They're going to die!"

She went silent at that.

Link brought tried to parry some attack and was disarmed, the Master Sword flying through the air as Link frantically brought his shield up as his only defense.

A huge, axe-wielding monster was about to break that shield in half, and Link as well. Fear shone clearly in his eyes.

A wall of flames suddenly exploded and Dev was standing between them. His hand held up, catching the giant axe, and looked like golden crystal and unbothered by the sharp blade. He held a fire rod in his other hand and a vicious grin was on his face.

"Don't touch my kit," he snarled and shattered the axe with a blast of magic.

He'd done some practicing since his sprite.

Flames roared around them as he turned to Link, pulling the Magical Sword from his pouch and offering it to him. "Get to the boys. I'll help clear the way."

Link just nodded, clearly a little bit awestruck and there was an odd warmth to his face that Dev couldn't quite place.

Dev burned his way through the battlefield, slashing and burning everything down around him. The bottoms of his fire rod had a sharp stiletto at the end and he used those to take down monsters and usurpers alike. He pulled out his tornado rod to help expand the reach the flames had.

Link made it to Tune and Mask's side, Dev trusted him to keep them safe as he began to thin the herd.

He couldn't let another hero die on his watch. Not another one, goddesses please.

His own magic helped the flames curve around soldiers and allies, shielding them even from the brunt of the heat no matter how close it came to them.

In minutes, the tide of the battle turned and Dev was standing back as the young ones finished the fight in favor of Hyrule. He let out a sigh and was about to return to sword form when he was assaulted.

"Mr. Hero! That was amazing!" Ravio gushed as he appeared beside him, robes torn and clearly exhausted yet alive with adrenaline. Dev offered him a red potion the moment he noticed the blood. "You know, I've said it a thousand times, but you do look like a dancer when you fight!"

Dev laughed lightly, attention flicking across the field to account for everyone as Ravio drank the potion.

"You have, and every time I've said that you should see Cadence," Dev reminded him and Ravio grinned.

"Dev! Ravio!" Link walked over to them, Mask unconscious on his back, arms loosely hung around his neck. "We're going back to camp. You... You know each other?"

"You called him, Mr. Hero," Tune said, half leaning on his sword. He was clearly exhausted, Dev guessed the kid, even for his alleged two adventures, was not used to fighting for hours on end, days at a time.

Dev chuckled. He went over and picked the pirate hero up. "Did he, bunso? I dunno..."

"I have no clue what you're talking about," Ravio declared.

It took no time after he picked the not-quite-a-teenager up, that Tune slumped into his chest. "Y'er warm," he muttered, clearly about to fall asleep.

"That's what happens when you burn things, you tend to be a bit warmer. Proximity to fire and all that."

Ravio snorted beside Dev as Link gave a long, suffering groan. Midna yelled for Ravio to join her and Linkle, and Ravio soon ran off to join the other dark-worlder.

Link smiled at Dev, offering his sword back.

Dev shifted Tune to his back and took the Magical Sword, letting it disappear into his pouch.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine," Link assured, his voice a bit softer than usual as they fell into step. "You know, you're scary when you're protective."

"Hmm?"

"When you appeared. You looked ready to burn the world to the ground... just to protect me," Link explained, looking down. "I don't get it. You also called me your kit."

Dev blinked, then he chuckled softly. "You are mine, you know that? The moment you pulled me from the pedestal, I adopted you. That's just how it works. And... And well, I would."

"You would what?"

"I would burn down the whole world just to keep my kids safe. You, these two..." his Sprite, "I'd do anything for you."

Link looked surprised, but he didn't continue the subject any longer. Instead just falling silent as they headed back to the camp.

"Come on! There's another new person, she's so cool! She knows the same language we speak on Outset!"

Tune dragged Dev through the field of tents, Mask perched on Dev's shoulders.

"We're coming! You don't have to run," Dev teased, one hand on Mask's leg as the kid rested his chin on top of his head.

"Hurry up then!"

"He's always in a rush to meet people," Mask grumbled. "It's weird."

"Maybe, but you're weird for hating them," Tune responded cheerily.

Dev chuckled amusedly. He tagged along and as they finally came up to the mess area where a bright voice was singing some jittery tune alongside the slamming of mugs and stomping of boots.

He knew that voice.

Standing atop a table, shaking and hitting a tambourine, was the girl from his dreams.

Marin.

Dev didn't breathe, he didn't have breath, but even so it felt like his was stolen. Tune laughed and went up to join the singing and dancing, Mask even lightened up a bit in the cheery atmosphere. Dev watched Marin dance on the tabletop, he saw her pull Tune up to join her. He hadn't noticed it before, but the two had similar energy, similar warmth and enthusiasm, they had the same bright smile too. Dev found himself smiling.

She looked happy... He'd let her live this. If she recognized him, then he'd talk, but if not... He wouldn't bring up old wounds, because she was older. She looked to be at least in her twenties and they'd been sixteen when Link--when Dev had washed up on her island.

If it was a dream for her too, then... Then best she live on and forget about some boy she knew in a world they'd never get back.

He was far too old and much too immortal to let her dwell on that.

"Kit," Dev sat down on the castle wall beside the Captain, who glanced up at him, "what's wrong?"

"You know, why do you call me kit?" Link asked, the nickname apparently distracting him from whatever turmoil was in his mind.

"You remind me of a lion, a prideful, protective, ferocious, fierce lion. So kit," Dev gave him a soft look, one that generally got his kids to talk in the past, "what's got your mane in a mess?"

Link rolled his eyes with a soft laugh. "I... I'm tired, Dev. I know you probably wouldn't get it, being an immortal spirit and all, but..." he looked up at the moonless night sky. "How... How am I supposed to keep fighting when I'm leaving them all behind? There's... It's my fault. If I just gave myself over to Cia, this wouldn't be happening. They wouldn't be dead. Everyone around me is dying, Dev," he choked a bit, "how am I... Why can't I save them?"

Dev sighed softly. "I do get that, actually." Link looked at him. "I'm immortal, kit. I'm young in comparison to Fi, she's had many other wielders than you, like Mask and Tune, but I only had one and I existed for centuries before he was even born. I... I helped the royal family for a while, helped raise the princesses, hide the princes, saved the country a couple times by telling the ruling body to use some common sense. I raised those kids into great kings and queens, Link. They all died. My wielder, he died too, bled out in my arms, I half raised him too."

Link was silent.

"Then there was a mage, a long time ago, multiple but that's not the point. This one mage wanted this specific child, two of them actually but more specifically he wanted the Princess. If, theoretically, we had given him that girl, it wouldn't have mattered. He still would have destroyed all of Hyrule and killed its people."

Dev looked over at Link. The teenaged war captain was still watching the stars, but clearly listening.

"If you gave yourself to Cia, it wouldn't end this war, kit. All it would do is make our side lose you, our captain and leader, our friend and ally, our brother." Link looked at him at that last one. "She isn't alone, those monsters wouldn't stop attacking. She has ancient evils on her side, evils that the heroes of the past had to fight off. All that would happen if you gave yourself to Cia, is exactly that. You'd be with Cia. The war would not end, peace would not be won or bought, everything else would continue, they would keep attacking, and you'd be trapped in the heart of it at the whims of a madwoman."

Link flinched a bit, tugging his sleeve slightly. Impulsively, Dev set what was now his signature purple cloak around his hero's shoulders.

"I know it's hard, people are dying around you and you believe you're responsible for saving them." Link nodded slightly to Dev's words. "But this is war, Link. This is bigger than just you, even if Cia is obsessed with you, that's not how this works. Something else would have been corrupted, someone else, Lana maybe, maybe some random mage who decides to raise an ancient evil, something would have happened. Maybe you would've had to travel across all of Hyrule to gather some magical items from dungeons deep in the ground to come back and fight them alone. But I speak from experience when I say the death toll would not have been better. Without the armies to protect them, monsters would've flooded villages, flooded the castle even, or maybe the armies themselves would've been mind controlled and men you know and trust would be turning against you."

Link grimaced. Dev knew he already hated having to kill the men who had willingly betrayed the crown, to kill men who had done it unwillingly was...

"Frankly, there are dozens of other ways this could have played out," Dev continued. "But it played out this way, and when I look at our status, the statistics from battles, how you're managing your men when you're barely an adult yourself," Link flinched at that, "you are doing incredibly, Kit. Better than I would have ever done, even if I were my age and not your age."

Link tugged the cloak more around his shoulders. He let out a long, shaky sigh and silence lingered for a good few minutes. Dev just stayed at his side.

"Thanks," Link whispered into the air. "Thanks Dev."

He hummed softly. "Of course."

Dev crossed his arms as he stood in the entryway of a certain tent, Link was leaning over at table, scarfless. Dev knew that both Mask and Tune were curled up on their bed in another tent with the scarf wound around and over them both.

"You faked them out," Dev said and Link startled, reaching for a weapon only to raise Dev's own sword form against his intangible spirit form.

Link sighed, sheathing the Master Sword. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"The boys are out cold with your scarf around them. You got them to sleep and then left. You know they hate it when you don't sleep too," Dev chided. He moved over to look at the map on the table.

"I have to finish this, and finish that report," Link said as he gestured to a stack of papers on the nearby desk. Dev moved over to it and flicked through them. "I don't have time to rest."

Dev sighed. "Goddesses... you have no idea how often I told myself that."

Link made a confused noise, looking at him.

"Just—When I was younger, I had a lot to do and little time to do it. I was right of course, I didn't have time to rest, but the difference was," Dev placed a hand on Link's shoulder, "I didn't have people who could take my burdens from me."

Link looked confused and Dev chuckled softly.

"Let's finish those reports together and then you need to get some rest. What helps you relax?"

"I... doing things with my hands. Knitting, training, braiding my sister's hair, stuff like that," Link said quietly. He unsheathed the Master Sword and set it out. It disappeared in a slight flash and Dev let himself become tangible and he picked up the reports.

"Well we're currently out of yarn," Dev noted, "and training is absolutely out of the question..." he hesitated and sighed. "Fine. Sit."

Link looked a bit confused but he sat on the edge of the bed and Dev sat down on the ground in front of him. A bit of magic had the papers floating in front of and around him, and he changed his form a bit.

The green ribbon fell into his hand while his violet purple hair grew out to his mid-back. Link startled and Dev combed one hand through it.

"If it helps you relax," he said softly.

Link made a small noise, something a bit strangled but deeply touched. Fingers slid through his hair and Dev worked on the reports, murmuring what he was reading and doing to Link while the young captain braided his hair.

"When'd you have long hair?" Tune asked after a battle.

"Because Link needed to calm down and he said braiding hair helped," Dev answered, cleaning the blood off Tune's face with a rag. "Goddesses, bunso, you either gotta clean up your act or you're joining me for training after this."

Tune grinned. "Can I braid your hair?"

Dev shrugged. "If you want, sure. Not now though. Later."

Tune lit up.

After that, Dev just kept his hair long, usually braided by either Tune or Link, and then he became Mask's practice as the fairy boy wanted to learn how to as well.

It was the nature of all things to end, and war was counted among them.

Dev pulled Ravio into a tight hug, as the merchant was one of the first to go back home.

"I'll see you in a minute," Ravio joked weakly.

Dev wanted to cry. "Bye, Ravi."

"Bye, Link," Ravio whispered, his words unheard by everyone else. "Be happy."

Dev tightened his hug before finally letting go. Ravio squeezed his hands before he gave another boisterous goodbye to everyone. Declaring they'd get discounts if they ever visited his shop.

Then he was gone.

Dev stepped back beside Link.

"You knew each other," Link said.

Dev gave a strained laugh. "You could say that."

Midna had insulted them all on her way out. Marin left with a promise to never forget them.

One by one, everyone returned home, then it was just four three heroes remaining.

Mask did the best at staying strong. Link pulled them both into tight hugs, Tune clung to him but declared that Link would be alright and now Tune had plenty of stories to tell Aryll when he got home.

Mask had quietly told Link that he better take care of himself from now on.

"You hear me?" The little fairy boy glared weakly at Link. "You take care of yourself! You eat every day and sleep properly! We-We—We won't be here to make you do it anymore, so you—You gotta do it."

Link was in tears. "I will, Dev's still here to be annoying. I'll be alright, Sapling. Just—Go home and be happy, okay? Promise me that you'll find something to be happy about."

Mask's facade broke and he was in tears, crying against Link's chest.

Tune stepped away from them and he turned to Dev. He approached and hugged the spirit, and Dev wrapped the young pirate in a tight hug.

"How... How do you and Ravio know each other?" Tune asked, his face against Dev's shoulder.

Dev smiled into the boy's hair as he tilted his head. "I was just like you once," he admitted in a quiet whisper, so quiet that neither Mask nor Link could hear him. "A hero. I was younger than you, maybe even younger than Mask, when I first started."

Tune's eyes widened and he stared at him as he pulled away. Dev gently brushed his hair from his face, keeping eye contact.

"I saved Hyrule so many times, bunso. One of those times, I met this merchant... You may never visit this place or hear of it again, but there's a land called Lorule, and it's the opposite of Hyrule."

"Ravio said he's from Lorule," Tune recalled.

Dev nodded. "He is. But just as Lorule and Hyrule are mirrors, so are its people. Ravio is my mirror, he is my Lorulean counterpart. If you ever saw him without his hood, you would've seen the resemblance."

"But if he's from your past then... He's died," Tune realized. "That's why you were crying."

Dev chuckled softly. He kissed the top of Tune's head before mussing blond hair and dislodging the green cap.

"I've seen a lot of loved ones die, bunso," Dev admitted. "Ravio was one of the first, but he didn't die during my adventures, nor while I was Hylian. He died of old age. That's better than some fates I think we've both seen."

Tune nodded. "You're... you're a hero?"

"Not anymore. Now I guide the hero so they can succeed. If I have my way, I'll never have to raise a sword again... Magic rods are okay though."

Tune laughed wetly and he hugged Dev. "Love you, Dev," he muttered. "Thanks for being my big brother."

Dev hugged the kid as tight as he could. "No, thank you."

They pulled apart and Dev squeezed his shoulder.

"Now go conquer that ocean of yours, little pirate. And tell Aryll and Tetra hi from me and Fi."

Tune nodded rapidly. He hugged Link and Mask one more time, telling Mask he better take care of himself or he'd time travel just to make him do it. Mask had laughed wetly and teased Tune that he better tell Tetra he had a crush on her. Despite the prompt argument, they went through the portal holding hands, only letting go at the very last moment.

Dev spent that night talking with Link and hugging the young hero until he passed out from crying and losing the two kids he adore.

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