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mrneighbourlove · 6 years ago

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Cruel Red Sea: Ch 8. Party Blowout

Seer took a week to recover and had improved slowly enough to walk about. He was able to walk without getting winded and could do most of his chores without hassle. Bjarke chopped wood for the fire, since that was about the only chore that Seer could not physically do just yet. There was still the constant, dull pain, though he tried his best to ignore it. Rat, Borghild, and Revy stopped by one night with a big feast for everyone to share. The next night, Bjarke, Naira, and Bjarke's dad, Sten, arrived with a meal the next, trying to give Seer a break. Then, surprisingly, Seer received a guard at the door, saying the High King and Queen was stopping by to greet him. Once he relayed the news to the girls, he told them to get ready in their nicest clothes. Since it was hard to raise his arms above his head, he asked the twins to help him with his hair. He wanted to look presentable as well.

Lex was surprisingly happy helping Seer. To tell the truth, it warmed her heart to do dress up and makeup with her dad. "Your ponytail looks wonderful Daddy~ I found a ribbon at the market that goes perfect for you!"

Liz quirked an eyebrow. "Where did you have the money to buy that ribbon?"

"The money was lying around."

"Thank you, Lex, I appreciate your help. You and your sister do some of the best braids." Seer then groaned aloud when Lex announced how she 'found' the ribbon. "Please tell me you didn't take your sister's allowance again."

"No. I did not steal from Liz."

She was oddly specific.

Quickly changing the subject, she sat in front of Seer. "Can you comb my hair Daddy? I want to look perfect. Princess Kanisa helped me fashion my own dress, and this is the first time I get to wear it!"

"Hrm, no more stealing ribbons. Or anything else for that matter, Lex." Seer took the comb from his daughter and waited for her to sit in front of him. Carefully, his hands found her hair and started to comb through her beautiful locks. "Do you want braids? A bun? A tail like mine?" He chuckled and then said. "You and your sister will look amazing, you're both my two, beautiful girls. I might not be able to see, but I can tell that the both of you are going to be absolutely stunning women one day."

"It's hard to put all my hair into a ponytail. That department can rest easy in the hands of Revy and Liz."

Liz looked curiously at the shining earing Lex had on her left ear. "Hey, were did you get that earing?"

Lex smiled. It was a gift Adda stuck onto her in the water. A shining pearl taken from a water dragon's lair. "This? Just something Kanisa didn't want anymore."

"And now... the finishing touch." Seer gently fixed Lex's hair into a braided bun, connecting four braids together to make the actual bun. Once he was done, he carefully slid her flower hair pin inside the bun to hold it in place. "How's that look, sweetheart?"

"Beautiful! I'm royalty!" For the first time since Adda showed up, she turned and gave her dad a kiss on the cheek. "My knight!"

Liz giggled at her sister's compliments. They never saw the High King's Palace before. This trip was just what they needed. "Well Sir Knight, can you do my ponytail?"

"Of course I can." Seer patted the spot in front of him and started to work on Liz's hair. "Lex, make sure you get your heavy coat out of the closet, and Liz's too. I don't want you girls freezing in those dresses. You can take off the coats when we get there, all right?" Liz's pony tail was more so fancy than his, Seer placing a couple, thin little braids with pins shaped like flowers here and there. "Not too tight?"

Seer was so glad that Lex seemed cheery and so did Liz. Things were finally getting back to normal. "And when we're all ready, I have a surprise for you two outside."

"Really?" Both girls spoke at once. When they spoke in union, it was a rare and sweet treat for Seer.

A knock came at the door, and the sound of barking. Revy couldn't contain her excitement. "Mom, mom, mom! Hurry! I want to see if Lex and Liz are ready!"

She petted her dog, enjoying his company in such cold environments.

"Yes, a surprise for both my sweet girls." Seer pulled both of them in close and kissed their foreheads. "Coats! Go on, put on your coats. And I have to find my boots, are they still at the door?" Hearing Revy at the door, Seer went to open it for her. "Come on in out of the cold. Oh, have Boof with you?" He held out his hands and the snow dog nuzzled them. "So soft."

Revy motioned Borghild to join them. "Mom says she's impervious to the cold. But she needs to come in too!"

"We don't want to keep your father and the others waiting." Borghild came in out of the lightly falling snow. "Are the girls almost ready?"

"Yes, they're just grabbing their coats." Seer then suggested. "Revy, why don't you and Boof go say hello to the twins? Make sure they have their coats."

Revy ran in to their rooms, and was instantly amazed. "You two look beautiful!"

Lex smiled, batting her eyelashes in practice. "Thank you."

Liz smiled, giving a bow. Here dress wasn't like a perfect fairy tail like her sister, but it was beautiful. "I like your wild ponytail Revy. And your lipstick looks good too. Say Revy, why aren’t you in a dress?"

“My Gerudo mom, Scarlet, said that prettiness comes from the inside!”

“Oh…” Liz lost her smile. It seemed Revy had been growing close with her biological mother.

"Do you know the High King?"

"No. But they're a powerful clan."

Lex wanted everything to be perfect on her arrival. Revy was a little too loose. Walking up to her, she adjust her shirt and hair. "I hope they let you in."

"Well of course. You two look like Princess'. And every Princess needs a heroic escort. I'm escorting Princess Kanisa! What's two more gonna hurt~"

The girls all giggled, putting their fur coats on. Lex was so glad she was gifted the stylish coat she wanted. Walking outside, they waited for the adults.

As Seer walked with the girls, he oddly took them in the direction of Rat's house. Instead of going inside the cabin, he took Liz and Lex around the side to where the barn resided. Borghild and Revy followed, Boof running through the snow happily and wagging his tail. The snow dog followed Revy everywhere she went and was a good pet for her. As soon as Seer was in front of the barn, Rat walked out with two horses, one on each side. Both were huge plow horses, good for farming fields and trustworthy steeds to ride through the harsh weather.

"Liz, Lex... your birthdays are in a couple of weeks and I figured after the events that transpired, it would do you good to have your present early." Seer chuckled and motioned to the horses. "Liz, yours is the gray one with white spots. His name is Blizzard. Lex, yours is the white one with gray spots. Her name is Whiteout. Happy birthday, my sweets."

Both girls squealed with joy, running to their dad. "THANK YOU!"

Revy clapped in excitement. "Horses?! That's so cool!"

"Now, this comes with responsibility. Until our barn is finished, you'll have to come here and take care of your horses." Seer hugged his girls in return. "If you show me you can take care of your horse, and be a safe rider, then I might consider letting you stay out a little later. If you can take care of your horse, that means you're learning to take care of yourself. Does that sound fair?"

"The girls needed a way to get around Uskar when the snow becomes thick." Borghild booped Reveka's nose. "A trusty steed to help them get where they need to go. After all, it's almost time the girls start their apprenticeships."

Revy scrunched her face up at the boop and bared her fangs. “Moooom. Not the nose. So if Lex and Liz have horses, can I get a dragon soon?”

"The dragon chooses you, silly, not you choosing the dragon." Borghild laughed at Revy's question, picking up the girl. "And maybe you'll get lucky and one of Na'seema's hatchlings will choose you. If not, then there's always when we visit Hyrule. Besides, what's wrong with a good dog and a good horse?" That was her fear of heights talking. "It's a lot safer on the ground."

"That's my good girls." Seer nudged them to the horses. "Go on, say hi, don't be shy. Then we'll go to the High King. All right?"

"You sound like Klinge mom..."

Lex and Liz walked in perfect sync up to their pair of horses. Despite their social differences, when they tackled new challenges together, they do so without hesitation or emotion clouding them. Each reached out to their respective horse.

"Hey, he doesn't like dragons, I like them okay, I just don't like the idea of falling." Borghild told Reveka with another boop to her nose. "Besides, you have Boof, you don't need a dragon."

"What do you think, little ones?" Rat asked as the girls petted their horses. "Pretty, yes?"

"I had the crew help me pick out what they thought was best." Seer told his daughters. "I know very little about horses, so I asked for their help. Uncle Rat has graciously allowed us to use his barn until ours is done, Uncle Mojo and Juju named them, Uncle Bomba tested them for riding, Uncle Pockets made sure to help Uncle Corsaire get them here to Uskar, and Uncle Acrobat made your saddles. So the first thing you two girls need to do is write them all a thank you letter."

"Yes! Thank you Daddy!" Both girls gave Seer a deep hug, super glad for the generosity the crew provided.

Revy gave a fun bite at the finger her mom booped her with. "This dragon bites!"

"You can ride them tomorrow," Seer told his girls with a smile. "For now, let's go before we're late."

The High King and Queen had invited Seer's family, Rat's family, as well as Bakura and Scarlet to a small gathering. It was a simple feast for everyone to eat and celebrate. Since everyone had a role in scaring away Adda's ships, it was a way of showing thank you. Originally, it was just going to be the High King and Queen, yet Halvar decided to come along as well. He did not want to stay with his older brothers or sister for a night of babysitting.

Scarlet felt awkward, staying in her armour to keep warm. She didn't know why she felt lonely in a room full of people.

Bakura gave a formal bow to the King and Queen, both hands together. "Your majesties. May I have a request?"

The High King and Queen sat at the head of the table as their guests arrived. Both instructed Halvar to be on his best behavior if he wanted to stay with them. When Bakura approached them, Torbjorn acknowledged him.

"Speak your request."

"I am the biological father to Lex and Liz. I wish to become a resident and, if I must to do so, a servant for the people of Uskar, so that I may be closer to my daughters."

"A citizen of Uskar... it's very rare for a stranger to wish to stay here in this frozen land we call home." Torbjorn pondered over the foreigner's request. It was not an unreasonable one. Besides, he did save little Lex from the crevice and fought against the pirate. "What do you think, my queen?"

"I believe we should honor his request." Brigritta nodded her head to Bakura. "He has shown to be a good fighter and only wishes to become part of his girls' lives. As long as he upholds our laws and traditions, I don't see why not."

Bakura nodded respectfully. "Thank you. I don't wish to be rude, but I have another request. I wish to know what you will do with Adda."

"Adda? The pirate captain?" Torbjorn stated. "If she comes into our waters once more, we plan to face her head on, and take out her ships. However, with the size of her army, we have asked for help from Hyrule."

“I want a bounty on her. She can’t keep moving about freely with no care for others.”

‘No care for you.’ Bakura’s alternate thought.

"Very well. We will communicate this to Hyrule, who will in turn speak to Danjur and Al-Daida. We will make sure that Adda has no where safe to go."

"Thank you."

At kids gathered around, taking their coats off. Revy was amazed by the architecture of the palace, looking around and waving to Direnor kids. Liz was attractive, but Lex was a knock out in her dress. She saw Halvar, and gave him a wave. Once she got his attention she flew him a wink and a nudge to come over.

Halvar turned the darkest shade of red when Lex displayed such a flirty nature. He awkwardly waved back in return, but did not leave the table, sinking down in his chair. His mother and father ordered best behavior and he was not going to get in trouble by starting up something with the twins. He had seen them bicker before and had no desire to get in the middle of that.

"Please, sit and enjoy the food." Torbjorn gestured to the table and then saw Seer approaching with his daughters. "Erling! How are you recovering?"

"I am doing much better than I was, thank you for asking, my king." Seer pulled out the seats for his daughters and then took one himself. "Just a scar now."

"My brother is a fighter!" Rat boasted at the table. "Nothing will take him down so easily."

Lex sat beside Halvar, smiling with charmful glee. His youngest sister was nowhere in sight. Her plan would go smoothly with just a little luck. "Hello Halvar. How are you doing this evening?"

"Good." Halvar spoke very quietly, focusing intently on his plate. He was rather uncomfortable with Lex's flirty ways, but tried his best to still be polite. "I hope you like the food."

"Bakura, since you are staying in Uskar, we would like to offer you the position as one of the scouts." Torbjorn told the assassin. "Your skills are noteworthy in combat, but we also need someone to go beyond the walls and look for potential hunting areas as well as those which are not safe. You may decline if you wish."

"I'd be honoured." Bakura took his seat beside Seer. Brushing his hair back he craved into his fish.

Lex nodded in agreement. "So Havlar, I heard you wanted to read Kanisa's book on Gerudo history. Do you like Gerudo girls?"

"I... I think they're good fighters." Halvar still spoke barely above a whisper. "I like reading about their fighting styles."

"Lex, don't let your food get cold. I'm sure you, your sister, Reveka, and Halvar can mingle after we eat." Seer reminded his daughter. "Liz, make sure you finish your greens."

"Here sweetie," Borghild placed a good portion of smoked meat on Reveka's plate. "Eat up. And don't push what you don't want under the table to Boof."

"Whaaaat? I'm not gonna-pffff." Revy just finished giving Boof her Broccoli.

Lex started to eat the food presented to her delicately. Liz nodded in respect to her dad. "Yes Dad. Can we share a story around the hall after dinner?"

"Of course you can." Seer then told his twins. "Do not leave the Grand Hall without me. We'll go home after we mingle. I don't like you girls out by yourself when it's dark."

Boof happily ate the broccoli. He pretty much ate whatever the girl gave to him except a couple of vegetables. He did not like radishes or turnip greens. Impatient, he pawed at her leg under the table for more.

"Uh-huh. Here's some more broccoli, you eat it this time." Borghild put some on her daughter's plate. "You too, Scarlet." The pregnancy hormones were making her a little assertive and overprotective at the moment. "You need your vegetables. Eat up."

Scarlet snapped out of just looking at everyone celebrating. She wondered how her band of sisters were doing without her. "Oh? Of course. T-thank you."

Revy barely ate the broccoli. "Mom. It's not cooked. It's so hard to eat."

Scarlet looked over with a small internal sigh. "Eat your food Revy. It'll help you swing an axe."

Revy looked over to Scarlet. "Really?"

"Yep."

Revy took a deep breath and started to eat the broccoli faster.

"Huh. I should have thought of that, then I wouldn't be finding Boof eating all her veggies under the table." Borghild took a bite of her fish. "Thought about what you would like to do here, Scarlet? We could always use another blacksmith."

"Bakura," Seer decided to start a civil conservation. "If you like, we can talk about the twins after dinner."

"I'm not a good smith..." Scarlet slowly ate her food, sighing seeing Rat so happy.

Bakura was surprised, looking at the blind man in curiosity. "I don't see the problem with doing that."

Lex patted Halvar's leg. "You want to go talk somewhere after dinner?"

"Well, what do you like to do?" Borghild asked. "We can always use help somewhere."

"Even babysitting." Rat shrugged his shoulders. "If you wanna work with kids, you can a-help parents out who have to work and watch the children."

"We can all go talk." Halvar jumped when Lex touched his leg. "It'd be rude not to include Elizabeth and Reveka."

"Good." Seer carefully took a sip of his drink, bring the cup to his lips. "I'm sure you have questions."

"I-I'm sure I can figure something out." Scarlet took more slow bites of her meal.

Lex shrugged her shoulders. "Don't you want some alone time?~"

Liz, not realizing what her sister was doing, nodded in agreement with Halvar. "That'd be cool. What has your family been up to Halvar?"

"You can let us know. It's good for a person to have something to do." Borghild gestured to Rat. "He's a good fisherman, I work in the forge, and Reveka's showing to be wonderful at training horses and dogs."

"Papa and Mama have been working on the trading routes with the witch queen!" Halvar perked up at Liz's question. "I mean, the Lorleidian queen. She's sending some more dragons next week with more supplies, but the blizzards have been a pain. We've been working on trying to select the best days for optimal weather!" He started rambling. "The wind dragons can push away the clouds with their magic, but it's hard for just a select few to counter a whole storm, so if they come in bigger numbers, then we can get more supplies and..." He continued to rant about weather patterns and how cool the wind dragons were for nearly a solid minute. "Oh! And the queen is sending in new saddles too! For a few to learn how to ride dragons!"

Lex quirked an eyebrow. "Do you want to learn how to ride a dragon?"

"YES!" Halvar nearly shouted and his earned a look from his parents. "... yes, I do want to learn. It would be so cool to fly!"

Lex thought about how to win Halvar over. Than she got an idea. She got a wonderful, awesome idea. "You know, I'm close friends with Na'seema. I could convince her to give you a ride."

Liz gave a chuckle. "You sure about that?"

Lex shot her sister a look to not ruin this. Things were going well so far. "Duh. Of course I can."

"Oh! I've ridden on Na'seema's back before, but just not flying." Halvar sighed sadly. "She's not going to ride with anyone right now though. She thought she'd have eggs for sure this time, but it was a false pregnancy. She's really sad. Hopefully, maybe next time she'll have eggs."

Lex, Liz, and Revy went silent from laughs, plots, and fun. This was news to them. Liz turned to her dad, looking for a confirmation, and hoping it would not be true. "Dad? Is that true?"

"I... I didn't know." Seer admitted to his girls. "Rat? Did you know?"

"I did, but I didn't want to spoil dinner." Rat frowned. "Na'seema was checked by Naira this morning since her eggs never came. Evidently, her body was readying to have eggs, but there were no eggs. It happens sometimes when a female really wants a baby. Her body just... fooled itself into thinking she was pregnant."

"Will she be all right?"

"Yeah, Na'seema is a strong dragon, she's just needing some a-time alone."

Revy felt really sad by that. She promised she'd go see and comfort her after dinner to herself.

Bakura cleared his throat. "Why don't the four of you kids go hang out with the other children?"

"They're at a party with their friends, but we can hang out in my room." Halvar volunteered. "I know it's time for 'adult talk'." He nearly rolled his eyes. "Come on, girls, Boof, let's go in my room and we can play a game of checkers!"

"Awesome!" Lex took Halvar's hand, letting him lead her away.

Bakura nudged Rat and whispered to him, noticing Scarlet look sadly as Revy walked away. "She needs something to fill her life."

"Aye, me's agreeing with ya, but unless she takes that first step forward, I cannot force her." Rat made a seesaw motion with both his hands. "She has to want it for herself."

"My king, my queen, I thank you for the feast." Seer finished his food and gave a polite bow. "I must speak with Bakura. Please continue to enjoy yourselves."

Bakura gave everyone a nod at the table and followed the blind direnor to the outside of the hall. "The air is chilly tonight."

"You ought to be here when a blizzard comes through the land." Seer knew the man had not experienced the horrid weather of Uskar just yet. "I know you wish to speak to me, and have questions about the girls, their life, your new life here. I'll do my best to answer them."

Bakura silently agreed. "How have they been growing up? How did you manage in my absence?"

"Lex is the demanding one." Seer chuckled at the recollections of the girl's temper tantrums if she did not get exactly what she wanted. "She wants it, when she wants it, how she wants it, and wants it right then. She's a little self-centered, but I can tell she really does love her sister and Reveka. And she's obsessed with looking girly-girly, hates to be in pants and a shirt. Loves dresses, jewelry, the works." He then switched to Liz. "My sweet Liz, goodness, she has a heart of absolute gold. She's the polar opposite of her sister, but she worries too much for others sometimes. She always seems to be putting others before herself, though she has this awful habit of moving things around. I keep telling her to put it back where it goes so I can find it. I don't know if she's doing it on purpose to mess with me or not. Maybe, she's good for pranks that way." The blind man smiled to himself. "It was difficult managing twins at first. I had to find them a wet nurse, and a babysitter while I worked in the palace of Hyrule as a cook. I felt bad because I honestly did not know what to do. Though as time went on, I could tell the difference between their cries for food or to be burped, if they wanted to play, or needed a diaper change, or just wanted to be held. As they grew, goodness, I can't tell you how many times I stumbled over their toys or accidentally put on their clothes backwards. Not to mention, if one got sick, the other followed. Having them both sick at the same time was a nightmare." That was something he did not care to repeat, especially with puke or diarrhea. "Though I'd do it all over again, because I live for their smiles, their laughter, their happiness... I may not be able to see them, but I can sense them. Blood or not, they're my girls. I'd give my life for them."

Bakura looked down to the ground. He felt shame that he could not do what this man did for him. "Thank you Seer. They needed a father to look after them."

"Look... I'll admit that I might have overreacted when you first came here. I was terrified you were going to take them away from me. I honestly don't know what I'd do without them." Seer would at least admit he was mistaken over this one issue. "I should have let you talk to them, yet I let my own selfish desires get in my way. You are their biological father and you have a right to know them."

"Thank you for admitting your faults." Bakura gave a smile at that. Even he with his formal speech, wasn't above making playful jabs.

"Hmph, don't get used to it, I just don't want my girls mad at me." Seer definitely was not above teasing either. "Hard to cope when two precious girls are pouting."

"Wise words regarding little ones." Bakura felt the bark of the tree, getting a sense of the land and grounding himself. "Is there anything you wish to know of me?"

"Hrm, not sure what all you'd be willing to tell me." Seer turned his head in Bakura's direction, his blind eyes blinking a few times. "I can sense you, but not see you. I can tell you are a deadly fighter, that there's another side of you, yet you won't hurt the girls, but do not necessarily care for others. It's part of what I am, a Direnor, that allows me to sense these hidden things about you. Whatever you wish to tell me, I will listen."

"Do you think me a threat because I could switch into a murderous personality?"

"In some ways, yes. In other ways, no." Seer was honest. "It does make me uneasy. I don't want the girls to see that side of you; to be afraid of you if you want to be in their lives. However, I know that you can use it to protect them as well, if necessary. It's a mixed feeling."

"Seth does what he desires. His unpredictability to be calm or beyond savage even scared Adda."

"... did this other personality of yours, Seth, as you call him... did he do something to Adda to make her doubt your capability as a father? Is that why she left the twins with me?"

Bakura felt uneasy bringing this topic up. "...Yes."

"Do you mind elaborating so I'll know what not to do in the future?"

"We happened to be raiding another pirate vessel together when an enemy with magic used a spell of confusion. It had different effects on me, such as bringing Seth to light. He mocked her abilities... and killed some of her crew for making fun of him. Maybe I deserved what she did to me."

"No one deserves to lose a child." Seer said quietly, feeling bad for the other man. "Losing a kid... it's like a piece of your soul is stolen."

"I was broken before... And I was a threat. After that, I came to my senses. I tried to justify my actions. That the crew I killed was just hired help. But she didn't care. She was had a reputation to uphold, and that I could have killed on of her girls. We spat words at each other, which ended with me calling her a filthy whore. With that, I believe she set her plan in motion to get back at me."

"You never know what Adda is thinking, or what she will do. I fear she may return for the girls or our lives; she gets rid of us, nothing is stopping her from trying to take the girls except for the ones who love them here." Seer shuddered at the thought. "I don't want them with her, in danger, on the sea where the unpredictable can happen, will happen. I want them here, with me, with their family who loves them."

Bakura gave a chuckle. "What do you think of Adda? Because can I tell you a secret? A part of me still loves that sailor."

"We had a spark a long time ago and I fancied her simply because she was willing to look past the fact that I could not see." Seer laughed. "That, and she had a way with words."

"She does, doesn't she?"

"I didn't let that work on me this time." Seer rubbed his chest where the scar was forming. "I knew what she wanted; I could sense it. I was not going to let her use me, and then take away the most precious part of my life."

"Hmmm... it hurt to see her again."

"I didn't see her, I punched her." Seer snorted.

Bakura sighed, almost like he was ashamed of himself. "I don't know if I could. She's my deepest hatred... and yet I still find in the corners of my mind why she was my closest love."

"Love is fickle sometimes, Bakura. Part of the reason the girls don't have a mother; I don't have a wife." Seer shrugged his shoulders. "I couldn't stand the thought of the twins getting close to someone to have them leave."

"Hmmm. Very true. Very true." Bakura scratched his hair in contemplation. "Where would I be now if not for her I wonder."

"Still killing people that piss you off?" Seer jested in good humor. "Creeping along silently in the night?"

"I'd probably be very lonely. Or incredibly dead."

"Let's keep you alive for a little longer," Seer reached out and found his shoulder, giving it a pat. "After all, you have nearly thirteen years to catch up on. You have to get to know the twins, so let's keep you breathing."

Bakura took his hand, giving it a small squeeze. "Thank you for allowing me into their lives Seer."

"Don't make me regret it." Seer told the man. "Make them happy and keep them that way."

"Of course. As long as you do the same."

Lex jumped on the bed beside Halvar, holding onto his arm. If only she was alone with him. "You have a really nice bed Halvar. Is your pillow made with cotton?"

Revy was looking around, trying to see what kind of toys a prince would use, while Liz looked through his book collection. "You collect stories?"

"Um... yeah, my parents got it for me from Hyrule. It's supposed to help with my allergies, I think." Halvar shrugged his shoulders. "The healers say I can't have feathers. Oh! Papa and Mama gave me those books, and a few are from Princess Kanisa and Queen Zarazu." Halvar saw this as an excuse to be descriptive and hopped off the bed to point out which titles were new. "And this one is my favorite! It's a book of Hylian fairy tales! Princess Kanisa gave it to me." He flipped it open to a tale about a hero defeating darkness. "If this hero can defeat evil, then my people and I can too!"

Revy got really excited. "I know this one! That's Link defeating the Demon King Ganon! He had the whole triforce at the time! It looked like he would escape from the sacred realm and plunge the world in darkness, but the hero put a stop to him!"

"Yes!" Halvar exclaimed with a nod of his head. "I absolutely adore stories of good fighting the battle against evil and winning! And this hero, Link, had so many friends to help him! There's the Gorons, the Sages, the Fairies, oh! And he could even turn into a wolf one time and had the... the..." He paused and looked at the book again. "Twi... Twili? Twili princess help him! Her name was Midna!"

Lex gave a sigh. "Midna's so pretty. Too bad Twili aren't so easy to meet. Impossible even..."

"Yeah, the last time the King and Queen of Hyrule were here, he told me how they had to destroy the overall entrance to make sure nothing dark could ever take advantage of that power again." Halvar thought back on the story from Covarog. "That was a big fight between him, Vul'kar, and the queen."

Lex leaned against the door, giving a small pout to herself. Revy and Liz were taking all of Halvar's attention away. "We were just born before that happened. Lucky to be alive when you think about it."

Revy gave a nod of agreement to the prince. "Real shame. I hope to be a hero myself one day and fight an evil as big as Vul'kar! When I hit eighteen, I'm going to start learning how to defeat the Frost King!"

Liz gave a roll of her eyes. She loved Revy at times, but sometimes worried about her ego with battle. Lately though too, something about Revy was slowly making Liz… mad. "Sure, and then you'll sweep all the boys of their feet."

Revy was taken a little aback. She recognized Liz's snark, but it was never positioned her way. "So? That's not what being a hero is about."

"If you want to be a hero, I'd say go for it. Though, I'm not sure if your father or your mother would like that." Halvar shook his head. "You're going to be a big sister soon, so they'll probably want you to look after your kid sibling. My older brothers and sisters look after me." He was just thinking aloud. "Besides, heroes have to go through a lot of stuff. Look at how much my parents go through, the King and Queen of Hyrule go through... Link doesn't really seem to do a lot of fun stuff or have good endings sometimes." He frowned. "It seems like he just wants to sleep and forget."

"But it's about standing up to evil. Showing that good CAN be on top!"

Liz shook her head and gave a huff. Revy was so bright, so pretty, so damn happy all the time. She never had any hardships in her life. Something about her started to really annoy Liz, but she didn't know why. "Halvar's right. You're being too optimistic and dumb about going about being a hero."

Revy knew something was up now. "Ok, what's going on with you?"

Liz immediately got defensive and her snark went way up. "I don't know. Why don't you fill me in, Miss perfect life."

"Liz, you're being super aggressive."

"What? Can't handle a little aggression?"

"I want to know why you're acting so mad all the sudden!"

"How about because you think you’re some hotshot with two loving moms, a dog, and a dad, with a brand new sibling on the way!"

Revy took a step away from Liz. "...you're jealous of-"

"HARD NOT TO BE WHEN YOU ACT LIKE YOU'RE THE HERO OF EVERYONE AND YOU DON'T HAVE A PSYCHO MOM! Look at me, I'm Revy, did you know my birth mom's an iron knuckle? WOOOOOOW!"

Lex flinched from that. "L-liz. Our mom's not-"

"Ooooo yes she is. I don't want to hear another word about her from you Lex."

Revy was utterly shocked. She knew Lex and Liz had been dealing with their mom showing up roughly, but while Lex had thrown the odd tantrum, it seemed like Liz was holding it together. However, it was clear now she had merely been bottling it up. And to be truthful, while not boastful about it, Revy was vocal about being happy with three loving parents now. "Liz-"

"Why don't you take your beautiful hair, your two moms, your fluffy dog, and your dad back to Hyrule if you're so happy!"

Lex started to pout. "Liz, you're being mean to Revy! You should go!"

"Yeah? So you can try and hook up with Halvar? We aren't even Direnor! We come from a lowly assassin and a bitch Pirate Queen! We will never be anything special!"

A moment of stunned silence filled the room as Liz got the last of the bile that had been filling up inside her out. Seeing Lex tear up, regret started to take shape in Liz. Before she could say anything to Lex, her sister stormed out of the Prince's room. To her embarrassment, servants to the Queen and King had been listening in.

Revy looked at Liz, pain on her face. "....You're in a lot of pain. But you have no reason to be mean. If you still want to be friends... we can talk later...."

Trying her best to not get emotional, Revy quietly left the room. Liz knew her mistake, and wondered if she as vile as her mom. Sitting on Halvar’s bed, she held herself, rationalizing in her mind her actions. Why was she so toxic against her sister and closest friend?

Halvar watched the argument go down and winced. He and his siblings had their share of spats, sure, but it was not this. It was not so full of hate. What was going on with Lex and Liz? There was a lot of unresolved issues between them and the new family members. This Captain Adda sure stirred up a lot of emotions with the twins. Bakura seemed to be trying to take part of the 'new dad' role slowly, not wanting to overstep his bounds. Scarlet wanted to be a part of Revy's life, but seemed reluctant to do so. All of this was so new to the twins, but also scary. As Liz sat down with a flop, the young prince was quiet for a moment. Then he carefully placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Liz?" Halvar spoke softly. "I'm sorry that you're sad but... maybe it would help if you'd just tell someone else how you felt instead of getting mad at your friends?"

She didn't look at Halvar as she yanked her shoulder away, but she didn't move from the bed either. "How can anyone know how I feel. How can you? You're a prince. You have a loving family of misfits who can take care of each other. I have a blind father with a cardiac condition now. As well as a sister who's obsessed with the finer things in life, which I know will be her down fall. Your mom isn't... you're mom didn't leave you all these years with questions and wrath built up inside you. She didn't make you so cold to those that only wish the best for you. At least Lex can get ahead in life by looks and street smarts. Give it five or ten years. I bet she'll have some noble around her finger.. Revy's gonna do great. Big, beautiful strong Revy. Hero Revy. And what will I have? Nothing but this rage against a woman I know almost nothing about."

"You're right, I don't know anything about that." Halvar had a good family who loved him and loved each other dearly. There were troubles here and there, a fight or two, but nothing that could not be fixed. "I know that it might seem like the world is falling around you, and there's nothing you can do about it. But... isn't it good that your dad still loves you? That no matter what, he'll still be there for you." He tried to give her a smile. "I'm your friend. I'll be there too."

Liz didn't reply, simply resting her head on his shoulder. "...I feel like I'm broken..."

"Well... that's okay. Broken stuff can get fixed." Halvar told Liz as he gave her a hug. "Just cause it's broke doesn't mean it's no longer good."

Liz buried her head into Halvar's shoulder. He couldn't say she was a crybaby if he didn't see or hear her sob.

Halvar said nothing when he heard her sniffling. He just continued to hold her, letting Liz get in control of her emotions. After a moment or two, the young prince suggested, "Would you um... feel a little better if maybe we read a little bit? You can pick out whatever book you like. Or would you like to maybe..." He stopped and looked around the room. "Hey! What about tobogganing?"

She took his hand to stop him from running about. "...Reading is ok."

"I got a book on Lorleidian culture you might like. The very first ruler, Queen Lorleidi is a good read."

“…Ok…”

#crossover #ridersoftheapocalypse #Seer #Liz and Lex #Revy #Borghild #Scarlet #Bakura Saibot #Captain Adda #Rat #Direnor #Gerudo

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