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#hylia looked at that truck and said 'i want that'
arecaceae175 · 5 months
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Trick or Treat!!!!!!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN have a snippet that I'll probably never finish of Modern AU Chain going to Disney world!!!!
“Disney Disney Disney Disney!!!!” Wind yelled as he bounced on his toes.
“Is it going to be like this the whole drive?” Warriors asked, rubbing a hand over his temple. Twilight sighed deeply and nodded reluctantly. 
“I have little hope for our sanity,” Twilight said as he piled the last suitcase in the trunk of Time’s car. He shut it with a loud bang and a half-hearted glare in Wind’s direction, who was keeping up a steady stream of excited chatter. Wind didn’t notice, and Wild and Hyrule continued to bounce beside him. 
“Are you sure you’ll be okay? I don’t have to go,” Time said, a hand resting lightly on Malon’s arm. Malon gave him a soft smile and shoved him off the porch. 
“Yes, you do. They’ve been talking about this trip for months,” Malon said. 
“We need to leave now if we want to miss the traffic,” Legend said, eyeing his watch suspiciously. 
“Yeah, yeah.” Time waved a hand in his direction as he pulled his wife in for one last kiss. A chorus of gagging noises ensued. Malon chuckled and pulled away.
“Drive safe,” she said. Then, over Time’s shoulder, “You too, Warriors.”
“Will do, ma’am,” Warriors said with a salute.  
Time gave Malon one last wave then made his way over to the cars. “All ready?” He asked. 
“Yes!” Wind cheered, pumping his fist in the air. Time couldn’t help the way his lips ticked up in a fond smile. 
“Let’s get moving, then.”
“Disney here we come!!!!!” Wild yanked open the door of Time’s car and started to jump inside, but Time stopped him. 
“If you’re going to be loud the whole drive, do it in Warriors’ car,” Time said. His tone was serious, but his eyes glistened with mischief. 
~ ~ ~ ▲ ~ ~ ~
“How much further?”
“I swear to fucking Hylia, if you ask one that more time I’m going to strangle you.”
~ ~ ~ ▲ ~ ~ ~
As Warriors’ car finally pulled up to the rental, he let out a deep, deep sigh of relief. He put the car in park and let his head fall onto the steering wheel as screeches of pleasure echoed from behind him. Soon enough, though, the screeching left his car and barreled into the house. 
There was a light rasp of a knuckle on his window. Warriors flopped his arm onto his car door, landing on the window button on the third try. It squeaked as it rolled down, matching the sound of laughter from outside the car.
“How was your ride?” Time asked, voice light. 
“Why have you forsaken me,” Warriors mumbled into his steering wheel. Time chuckled deeply, patted the car twice, then went to unlock the door. From the passenger seat, Legend gave Warriors a hearty pat on the back.
“At least we weren’t bored,” Legend mumbled. Warriors cracked a smile.
“I’m telling the sailor you said that,” Warriors challenged, raising his head off the wheel to meet Legend’s eye. 
“Don’t you dare.”
~ ~ ~ ▲ ~ ~ ~
“Look, there it is!” Wild called, pointing out the window. 
Wind pressed himself against the window of the car, eyes wide with wonder as they passed underneath the Walt Disney World archway. 
“Woah,” Wind breathed. Warriors chuckled. 
“If you think this is cool, just wait until we actually get to a park,” Legend said, turning in his seat to watch the three in the back. 
“This is cool!” Hyrule exclaimed. Legend huffed a laugh and turned back around in his seat with a smile. Warriors held a matching fond smile.
“That way,” Legend said, pointing to the road signs for Hollywood Studios.
“I can follow a sign, thank you very much,” Warriors retorted. Legend raised his hands in surrender and leaned back in the seat.
“Alright, whatever you say, oh valiant captain.”
~ ~ ~ ▲ ~ ~ ~
“What took you guys so long?” Twilight asked as the remaining five members of their group met them in the parking lot. Legend threw a thumb over his shoulder to a slightly sulking Warriors.
“Someone doesn’t know how to read a sign,” Legend said with a smirk.
Warriors crossed his arms. “There was a truck in the way, I didn’t have time to change lanes!” 
“This has been going on the whole time,” Hyrule whispered to Sky. Sky brought a hand to his mouth to cover his chuckle. 
“Okay, we’re here, enough of the arguing!” Wind exclaimed. He hopped up to Warriors and hung off one of his arms. “We’re in the most magical place on Earth! No more fighting!” 
Warriors laughed and grabbed one of Wind’s hands. “I’ll try my best, promise.”
“I make no promises,” Legend said. He was promptly shoved by Wild.
“Can we go in now?” Four asked, a hand on his hip and a bored expression on his face. His eyes shone with fondness, though, to those who knew where to look.
“Yes!” Wind yelled, and charged forward with a triumphant fist raised. He still had a tight hold on Warriors’ hand and dragged him along. Warriors followed easily, and threw a glance over his shoulder.
“Keep up!” Warriors called. The others chuckled and followed quickly behind. 
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melonsap · 3 years
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Yet another way BoTW parallels Skyward Sword
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attllhak · 3 years
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Adoption AU - Sky and Time: The Story of The Family’s Most Unlikely Arrest
@tortilla-of-courage @ghostdragonace hey look I actually have a tag list now!
Also, most of the fics in the Adoption AU don’t have really long titles like this, but this is also not the longest I’ve titled these fics. There is one with a longer title sitting in my docs.
Regardless, here’s the one where Sky got arrested that was supposed to be fun until Sky and Time decided that feelings were getting involved. So now feelings are talked about, kinda. This is also the second of those intro fics that will probably never have more added. Enjoy!
-----------------
Time sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. He set the phone down and sat back in his chair, not eager for this in the slightest.
“Who was it, dear?” Malon called around the corner, still busy getting Wild to stay sitting so he didn’t injure his ankle further.
Time sighed again, opening his good eye to the ceiling and asking Hylia why he ever chose to take in so many kids.
“Captain Viscen,” he replied, more tired than he was before answering the phone. “I need to head down and pick up one of the boys,”
Malon tutted, giving up on Wild now that Four had shown up and sat on him. “Which one? Twilight hasn’t gotten caught racing again has he? Or do we need to pull out the first aid kit because Warriors got in a fight? It isn’t Legend, is it?”
Time shut his eye and laughed. “The fact you have each boy and their cause of arrest memorized worries me about our parenting ability,”
Malon scoffed at him and wacked his arm lightly. “Oh just let me know if I need to prepare for when you get back because one of our boys is bleeding,”
Time chuckled again, standing up to stretch. “No, no one’s hurt, but I don’t think a lecture is necessary either,”
“Oh?”
Time hummed, dropping a kiss to his wife’s head on his way past her. “Apparently I’m picking up Sky,”
“Sky?” The look Malon gave him was clear confusion.
Time shrugged, grabbing keys and heading out the front door. “I’ll ask when I pick him up, but I suppose we’ll just see then,”
Malon shook her head. “Just get back safe,”
“Of course,” Time smiled back at her, then shot a look at the boys on the couch. Wild gulped and Four snorted.
About twenty minutes later, Time was pulling his old pickup into the police station parking lot. It was a situation he found himself in a lot. With a sigh he stuffed the keys into a pocket and made his way inside. Better now than later.
When he walked in he was greeted with Sky’s loud friend, Goose?, loudly recounting the adventure that led to the arrest to his parents, who had also been called and were less thrilled than their son. Sky was sitting nearby, head down and shoulders hunched, trying to make himself as small as possible, and doing a fairly good job of it.
He was approached by the captain as he entered. “Link! Thank you for coming down,”
“Captain Viscen,” Time smiled and accepted the handshake. “Of course, I’m just curious as to why I’m here. Sky’s not exactly a troublemaker,”
“Oh he’s not,” Viscen agreed. “But his friend most certainly is. We caught him painting one of the walls of a bar in town, fled when we showed up. We wouldn’t have even bothered with your kid, he was clearly trying to talk his friend out of it, but he ran too,”
Time sighed, well aware of how Sky had a tendency to just accept other’s snap judgements over his own when panicked.
“Thank you, Viscen. I can just take him home then?”
“Yup, he’s all yours,” Viscen waved at the boy, who shrunk into himself further.
Time nodded and moved past the captain, stopping once he was standing in front of Sky. The boy shrunk down, his ears tinged red in what was likely shame. There were flecks of red paint on the shoulder of his shirt, which was far less than the splatters on his friend. He was white knuckled with his grip on his pants.
Time sighed heavily and Sky flinched. “Sky,”
There was a long pause as Sky pulled his head up to look at Time. “Hi dad,” his voice was small, and Time could easily see guilt in his expression.
Time sighed again, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Come on, let’s go home,” he reached out a hand to his guilt-ridden son.
Sky took it and stood, gluing himself to Time’s side as he tried to stay as small as possible. Time rolled his eye and wrapped his arm around Sky’s shoulders, leading him out.
“Excuse me, sir,” Time paused, turning around briefly to address the man flagging him down. Sky’s friend’s dad had broke away from his wife to approach them.
Time would admit he didn’t know the man or his wife very well, Sky was a newer addition to their apparently ever growing family and he and Malon hadn’t had time to meet all of his friends or their parents yet. This wasn’t an ideal time, but he wasn’t about to come off as unfriendly.
“Yes?” He raised a brow as the man approached. Sky shrunk further into his side.
“You’re Link’s father, correct?” The man glanced from Sky to Time. “The one who took him in after,” he trailed off.
“That’s correct,” Time nodded, not one to dwell on the reasons his boys had come to him either, especially the less fortunate members of their family.
The man cleared his throat then, shaking off whatever it was. He stuck out his hand. “I’m Zulos, Groose’s father. My wife, Esha, and I have been meaning to get in contact with you for a while now,”
“Oh?” Time accepted the man’s hand, grateful that he offered his left, though that might be because Time’s right was occupied holding Sky. “Well it’s a pleasure to meet you as well. Malon and I have been looking at meeting up with some of the rest of his friends’ parents as well, we just haven’t had the time,”
“Keeping you busy, eh?” Zulos laughed.
Time chuckled himself, shaking his head. “Actually, he’s one of the calmer boys. It’s his brothers that we’re running all over town trying to keep track of,”
Zulos raised his eyebrows, looking Time over. “Brothers, eh? How many you got?”
“Six right now, but that’s likely to increase as well,” Time smiled patiently, rubbing Sky’s arm, which didn’t seem to help. “Sky’s our most recent addition,”
“Sky?” Zulos seemed confused by that.
“Oh, right,” Time laughed, waving him off. “My mistake, I forgot you might not know. My name is Link, as is, amusingly, all of our boys. I didn’t plan that, so you know,”
“Ah,” Zulos laughed. “I see! Well, we’d love to chat at some point better than here,” a glance back at his son who had only gotten louder as his mother tried to quiet him. “I don’t suppose I could get your number?”
“Of course,” Time pulled out his phone, rattling off the number as Zulos plugged it into his own phone, then added the number Zulos gave him to his own.
“We’ll be in touch,” Zulos waved, walking back to rescue his wife.
Time waved, then steered Sky out of the building and back to the truck.
Sky was silent as Time climbed in and pulled out of the lot, keeping his eyes on his hands in his lap. Time let the silence sit for the first half of the drive, willing to give Sky time to start talking on his own. When it seemed clear Sky was waiting for the same thing, Time sighed and took the initiative to break the silence. 
“Sky,” he paused, not sure how to go about this. Sky wasn’t in trouble, so he couldn’t approach it the way he did the other boys.
“I’m sorry,” Sky said, eyes down. Time glanced at him and saw the boy hunched up again, ears drooped and voice small. “I didn’t mean to get in trouble, I swear. Groose just heard that Legend and Ravio did murals sometimes and wanted to do one too. I tried to talk him out of it, but then the cops showed up and,” Sky paused in his mini rant, voice wobbling now.
Time cast his eyes over the boy, who so clearly felt awful about this and was beating himself up over it. Time sighed. “Sky, that’s not,” he paused again to collect his thoughts.
“I’m sorry,” Sky said again, now a shaky whisper. “I really wasn’t trying to get in trouble, and I didn’t mean to bother you to have to come get me, and I,” and that was the sound of tears.
Time sighed, pulling the truck over in order to deal with this without his attention drawn away from the boy in question. He knew Sky felt bad about getting caught, but tears weren’t something he thought would pop up. None of the other boys ever cried after getting caught and having Time collect them.
Sky was sniffling, and trying very hard to prevent himself from crying. Pulling over seemed to have made it worse, the boy curling in on himself a little and starting to shake.
“Sky,” Time tried for his gentlest voice, aware of how fragile Sky was right now. “Can you look at me, please?”
Sky shakily raised his head to look at Time. He was biting his lip, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
“I’m sorry, I really am. I swear I’m not usually this much of an issue, I, we just,” Sky broke eye contact, looking away but not moving his head.
Time reached out and gently wiped away one of the tears that had broken free, fully aware of how Sky flinched away. “Sky, what is this about? It can’t be the arrest, so what’s got you so upset?”
Sky darted his eyes back to Time, anxiety or fear swimming around in the light blue. “I’m sorry, I just,” he paused to swallow, dropping his head down to his lap again. “You won’t send me back, will you?”
Time pondered that for a moment, then felt like he was hit with a sledgehammer. Sky was worried about getting sent back into the system again. There were a few heartbeats where Time felt furious at everyone who had ever said or done something like that to this wonderful boy to make him so scared of that. He quashed it down quickly, however. Anger, even righteous anger on Sky’s behalf, wouldn’t help here.
“Sky, we’re not sending you back,” Time put all the conviction he could into his voice, and his heart broke when Sky looked up at him again, eyes suddenly showing hope.
“You’re not?”
“No, of course not,” he reached out one hand to set on Sky shoulder. “We would never do that to you,”
“Even,” Sky’s voice wobbled again, and a hard set of blinks sent a pair of tears running down his face. “Even though I got arrested?”
Time had to remind himself that Sky hadn’t been around long enough to have seen his brothers get picked up. “Sky, this is not the first time I’ve had to pick up one of my boys from the police station. Twilight and Warriors both end up there every few months, and Legend only doesn't end up there more often because he’s gotten good at not getting caught. And besides, you’re not even in trouble,”
“I’m not?” Sky sniffed again, confused.
“No, of course not,” Time reached over with his free hand to wipe away a few more stray tears. “You didn’t do anything wrong except end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. You’re not going to get in trouble for trying to keep your friend out of trouble,”
Sky looked down again, grappling with this information.
“So, so you’re not mad at me? And, and you won’t send me back?”
Time’s heart broke again when Sky looked back up at him. No kid should ever have to look so broken or grateful to not get kicked out of the house. Especially not someone who was only 15.
“Of course not,” he leaned over the console to pull Sky into his arms. “You’re a part of the family Sky, and we’d never willingly give you up. We’d all fight tooth and nail to keep you around, you never have to worry about that with us. Nothing could make us so upset with you that we’d ever let you go. That I swear to you,”
It took a second, but he eventually felt Sky grab his shirt, and seconds later he could feel the shaking that came with crying. Time held Sky close, ignoring the twinge in his lower back from the uncomfortable angle and whispering a few soothing words and reassurances to his newest son. He made a note to call his lawyer when he got home to see about speeding up the adoption process for Sky. Getting that piece of paper might help set the boy’s nerves at ease somewhat.
Eventually, Sky calmed down from his bout, leaning back out of the hug to wipe at his eyes and croak out another apology. Time felt another lash of anger for this boy, who was so sweet and kind, and all of the awful things he must have lived through in the year since his parents died.
But anger wouldn’t help here, so he pushed it aside to deal with later, when he had Malon to rant to.
“Better?” Time asked, eye running over Sky’s face.
Sky nodded, eyes red and face flushed. “Sorry about that, I just,”
“Hey, no,” Time reached out to pull Sky’s face back to look at him. “You never have to apologize for being scared. Not to us,”
He held Sky’s gaze until he nodded, then leaned back.
“Can we go home now?” Sky asked, looking more tired than Time had ever seen him.
Time nodded, then glanced at the building he’d pulled over in front of. He jabbed his thumb at it. “Would you like some ice cream first? You can say no,”
Sky looked up, glancing between Time and the shop, then nodded. Time smiled, climbing out of the car with Sky following.
(---)
Time opened the door to let Sky in past him, then made a sharp motion at Malon warning her not to ask about what happened. Malon raised one eyebrow, but thankfully said nothing.
“Hey Sky!” Wild waved a hand to get his brother’s attention. “Can you hand me the remote? I don’t think I can take another hour of the documentary channel,”
“What’s wrong with the documentary channel?” Four squawked in offense.
“It’s boring,” Wild shot back.
“It is not boring!”
An argument broke out, and Time sighed heavily. He’d used up his emotional reserves already, and what was left was set aside for an angry rant at Malon later.
“I like the documentary channel,” Sky offered.
Wild squawked and Four cheered. Sky quickly looked like he regretted throwing his hat in the ring as he was pulled into the argument.
Malon wandered up to take his arm, smiling at him. “Everything went well?”
“I need to call our lawyer,” Time said. “The sooner we get that piece of paper saying he’s ours, the better,”
Malon gave him a curious look, but didn’t press. She’d hear it all later anyways. For now, Time was content to watch his sons bicker and argue like the kids they were.
That was a blessing well worth the pain that led them here.
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senor-cummies · 2 years
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Hyrule Vet
sorry this is a bit late 😅. my youngest is sick (it's just a cold, thank the gods) but ive been pretty busy as of late and just got the time to edit this one after he went to sleep. happy early thanksgiving, and happy post a wip saturday! this entire au, actually, is inspired by the show Bondi Vet, which my youngest actually loves watching with me because he likes the animals, and I saw this one vet on there and just went "No, yeah, that's Twilight. Hundred percent." so you get a small bit from the larger au of that.
Hope you enjoy it and sorry for this being late!
--
It might have been, just a tad, unprofessional to admit; but Twilight got even more worried when he pulled up to that ever too familiar bungalow, with an overgrown yard of wild flowers he'd told that poor kid to cut every time he was called over there. Grass undistinguishable from the tall, fenced in, garden of growing rice.
He didn't know how many times he'd have to tell this kid to hire somebody to come and lay a perimeter around his house, considering how openly against extermination he was. It's why he called Ordon Pest & Critter Control. They were very openly, very strictly, catch and release.
But Twilight was a hairsbreadth from changing that policy if he got one more call from this damn address.
He grabbed his bearings, cutting the engine and slamming the door to his faded pick-up a little too hard. He frowned at the almost completely gone logo painted across the back two doors.
How long had it been? Since he and Fado had started this little company?
"This truck was bought brand new when we did," Twilight laughed to himself as he had to fight with the tailgate to grab his tools.
Just a snake pole and a bag, unless there were anymore spiders that wild animal was "keeping as a pet" under a Tupperware bowl. Sweet golden goddess, did Twilight think the call to animal control was for /him/ when he first got to the place.
He knocked on the oak door, listening to how his raps echoed through the mortuary silence of the bungalow.
"come in," a tiny voice cheeped from inside, and that was all Twilight needed to turn the handle.
The sunlight shone through, lighting the room much better than the floor lamp next to the forest green couch the kid sat on, shaking like a leaf.
Twilight raised an eyebrow, flicking on the overhead.
"You didn't even turn on the lights?"
Faron shook his head, golden threads of it whipping him in the face.
"I haven't left my spot on the couch since I saw it," he whispered like he was hiding from the snake, his tenor voice barely above a breath's volume.
"Did you see what kind it was?" He nodded.
"Poisonous?" He nodded again.
Twilight adjusted his grip on the snake pole. He cleared his throat as to not let his next sentence shake with concern.
"Do you know where it is?" His drawl still bent a bit, mid sentence. He wanted to see him nod, to see those bangs and curled hairs bounce as he flung his head hard enough to give himself whiplash.
Instead, he shook it. Slowly, cautiously, gauging Twilight's response as he gave his deafening, resounding, No.
"Great. Fantastic. Well, what was it?" Faron gulped.
"Horned Breakneck. Er-- Viper, I think. I...I was trying to catch it while it was in the garden but it was too fast. I didn't know it went into the house until about an hour later." Twilight stared at him in angered disbelief, eyes wide.
"You tried to catch it? Why??"
"It gets lonely," he said with an embarrassed frown.
No wonder everyone calls him 'Wild'
"Alright," Twilight stood tall. Hefting his snake pole in hand and his bag in the other. "Get your slippers on, lets catch this thing." Wild paused, staring at Twilight in concern.
"As in... Together?"
"Yes, together! It's your house and your fault the snake's in it. I'd have a bit more sympathy if it had just found its way in like that Tunneling Ironback the other day or...Hylia, the Thunderwing hornets nest you had Groose handle last month." Wild bit his lip, looking a little ashamed at how often he'd called Ordon Pest recently.
"But this was brought in here 100% by you, and I'm doing a favor by doing 90% of bringing it out. Now come get this bag, and help me 'round your house."
"It's your job to get it out," Wild grumbled, yet still slipped on his shoes, and grabbed the bag from Twilight's hand.
--
Also, sorry if it's bad, im really tired lmao. i hope you liked it! please let me know what you thought or if you wanna see more in the hyrule vet au
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deiliamedlini · 3 years
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WIP Wednesday
This is a piece of a long oneshot I was working on that I actually just went back to so I could change the era this took place in to use for something else! So this is is the modern meeting of small-town Link and big-city-moving-to-small-town-for-work Zelda. 
I might still go back to this one specifically, especially since most of this info can’t transfer to the earlier era I’m changing it to. I also haven’t edited it, since I’m just in the process of hijacking bits and pieces, so please excuse my dear Aunt Sally. No, wait... that’s not writing... 
~~~~
“I just can’t believe they sent me here,” Zelda said into her phone. It was tucked between her cheek and her shoulder as she drove down a dirt road. On one side, there was farmland: an extensive few acres of it, from what she could tell. On her other side, trees.
Zelda loved trees. She did! They were a big part of her job, and she had nothing against them. But goddess above, she’d never seen so many trees in her life. Glancing at the clock, she realized that she’d been surrounded by trees for nearly an hour now, overwhelmed by the sight.
A city girl through and through, her entire life had been spent in the bustle of Castle Town: the largest, busiest, most innovative and thriving city in all of Hyrule. She’d gone to the best schools there, and worked at an exclusive corporation.
But they needed her to go somewhere else.
For the sake of the research, she reminded herself as she tried to focus on the phone and not all the trees. Or the mountains that replaced skyscrapers and castles. Or the farms that replaced parks and streets.
On the other end of the receiver were two voices. One was Midna, Zelda’s best friend. The other was Tetra, her older sister. The three of them together were incredibly close, and Midna had even offered to uproot her own life to join Zelda on this rural adventure. But Zelda had told her to hold down the fort; this move wasn’t permanent, and she’d be joining Midna back in their three-bedroom apartment that they all had shared in the heart of Castle Town.
“Are you almost there?” Midna asked, loudly typing something into her computer.
“She’s got to be,” Tetra muttered.
“I think I am.” Zelda looked around, but there were only… more trees. Shocker. “If the moving truck could find this place, then so can I.”
“Does she start work tomorrow?” Tetra asked, clearly directed at Midna.
“No,” Zelda answered for her. “I start Monday. They’re going to send me all the information ‘once I get settled.’”
“At least you know how much they value you,” Midna tried, but it was clearly a forced compliment and a poor attempt to make Zelda feel any better about taking this position. But really, when her boss asked her to take on a special assignment, one that paid double her old salary, she couldn’t resist, no matter how uprooted her life became.
“I know, but it’s—”
Suddenly, there was more than just trees.
A goat stepped into the road, much faster than Zelda ever thought goat could move. She dropped the phone, let out a high-pitched noise of absolute panic, and swerved around the goat. But she swerved off the dirt path, heard a thud, felt the car shake, and immediately slammed the breaks, rearing forward into the steering wheel.
“Sweet Goddess Hylia and all things holy!” she hissed, breathing heavily. Her chest hurt where she’d bounced into the wheel, but it hadn’t nearly been hard enough to cause the airbags to deploy.
Quickly putting the car in park, she shakily unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped outside, shaking out her hands and letting out some nerves before reaching into the car to grab the fallen phone.
“I’m okay,” she said quickly, brushing her hair from her face. “I almost hit a goat.”
“Goddess!” they both breathed. “We thought you were dead! My heart, Zelda!”
“I know, I’m sorry! Look, I hit something. I don’t see any dead animals in the road, but I’m going to hang up so I can look. I’ll call you later.”
The three of them were notorious for never saying ‘goodbye’ on the phone. Really, they didn’t do it in real life either. Even when Zelda left, the last thing Tetra had said was ‘I’ll come up to visit  real soon’, and Midna had said, ‘find me a hottie, or some other excuse to move up there with you.’
So, Zelda hung up with just a promise to call them back, and she hurried down the road to where she’d heard the thud.
It didn’t take much investigating to figure out what had happened: there was a broken fence, splintered and thrown wildly around the area after her apparent impact with it, and a frayed rope on the ground. And a sign that said “fence broken”. Helpful.
Zelda glanced back at the goat, unmoved by anything that had just occurred. It was meandering through the road, boredly exploring an area that it didn’t seem interested in. Perhaps the trees felt familiar to it.
Zelda groaned and took a picture of the fence before trying to get the internet on her phone so she could look up the local police number to report that she’d damaged property.
No internet connection.
“Great,” she muttered, turning to take a picture of the goat before it could move. Then, she headed back to her car, just to make sure there was no innocent animal underneath. She flipped the flashlight on and ducked down.
Zelda groaned, but not because there was a dead animal. No, it wasn’t an animal that was dead; it was her tire. There was a giant piece of the broken fence impaled into the rubber, and thanks to her rolling a few feet away, it was in there good.
“Of course. Of course!” Zelda yelled into the abyss, not even earning a curious glance from the goat.
Grabbing her phone, she was blinded by the light she’d left on and turned it around so she could look up the tow company immediately but was met by the same message. No internet connection.
Rolling her eyes, she scrolled to Midna’s name and pressed call.
Silence. Not even ringing.
Zelda checked the corner of the screen, struck first by her red battery life, and second by the device bars desperately looking for a connection.
“I was just talking to them!” she yelled at the phone, as if it cared that she’d had service moments ago. It gave her the urge to throw the phone, but she wasn’t that angry yet.
Instead, she turned her camera on, took a picture of her impaled tire in case the insurance company would need it, and then took several pictures of the goat just for fun, praying that it didn’t charge at her or whatever goats did.
She continued observing the goat without anything else to do until a car headed down the road. She stood and began to wave her arms wildly, but the car drove right past her.
“Jerk,” she muttered, pushing her hair back and returning to sit. But it wasn’t long until a pickup truck slowed down before she could even get back out of the car. She breathed a sigh of relief when they stopped and rolled down the window.
“Everything alright, Miss?”
“Not really,” she sighed, looking at her car sympathetically. She gestured to her tire.
“Got a spare? I got a jack if you need it.”
His voice was accented with the local dialect, which made her feel a little at ease. At least this was someone who’s likely be familiar with the area and could tell her how far away she was.
She had to admit, she’d spoken to one of her coworkers on the phone and had also become enamored with her accent, though it wasn’t from around here either. Zelda had a feeling she was just a sucker for anything that wasn’t the harsh poshness of the Castle Town accent, where every letter pronounced, every syllable attempting to be heard. It was a hard accent, and a cold one. The ones around here was warm and inviting.
Of course, it would make her stick out anytime she opened her mouth, which she didn’t really want.
Castle Town was posh, for sure. A town for the rich and the well-off, or those in school or at work. So Zelda knew a thing or two about stranger danger, and the deeply rooted nerves she felt when she saw the man unbuckle his seatbelt from her peripheral vision bubbled up. She had an escape route planned: toward the broken fence. She wasn’t being kidnapped on her first day in town. But he didn’t get out. He just leaned across the seat to the open window.
Finally, she looked at him, and her breath caught. Well, he certainty matched his voice. Something tired and alert all at once. His blonde hair was long and tied back into a ponytail, falling out in the front so his bangs messily framed his face, bringing her attention to his piercing blue eyes.
Oh yeah, this was the kind of guy they warned you about in Castle Town. Too pretty for their own good. She’d have talked to him in a crowded bar for sure. But out here…?
She glanced back at her car, breaking her distracted trance, trying to remember what he’d asked. “Oh, uh, no. I took everything out of the car to fit my things. I figured I’d take my chances for not getting a flat, but surprise, surprise, a goat wants me dead.”
“Where you going? I can give you a lift if you want. You can get Daruk out here tomorrow morning to tow it wherever you need to go.”
“Oh,” she breathed. Don’t get into a car with someone you just met unless someone knows who they are or where you’re going. “Yeah, I was actually just going to ask if I could borrow your phone? Mine isn’t getting service. I can just call my tow company that I’m enrolled with.”
He nodded and reached across his passenger seat before handing her a phone out the window. She half expected it to be something old and rustic, like this whole place, but it was new and modern and almost exactly like hers. She’d just assumed the small town didn’t have the newest phones. What a stupid assumption.
“Mind if I just look up their number first?” she asked before randomly clicking around on a strange man’s phone.
“Go for it.”
She did and listened to all the automated options. The man was bobbing his head to some music she couldn’t hear. A car came down the road, stopping and honking, despite the fact that they could clearly go around him.
The man rolled his eyes and backed into the breakdown lane behind Zelda’s car, though she was thankful he still didn’t get out
It was only when Zelda’s eyes widened in either shock or horror at whatever she’d heard over the phone that he leaned his head back out the window curiously.
She walked up to him and handed the phone back. “Thanks.”
“So?”
“Three hours to get out here.” Zelda’s misery was palpable.
“Where are you going, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Some little village called Ordon”
He smirked and leaned back in his seat. “I’m headed there as well. Want a ride? We can get Daruk out here sooner to just tow your car in if he knows he’ll just be headed back into town. It’s not far.”
“Oh, I don’t know… not that I don’t appreciate it, but I don’t know you.”
He reached his hand out the window. “Link. I live in Ordon. Work too. Nice to meet you”
“Zelda,” she said, taking his hand.
“Here,” he said, pulling out his wallet and handing her a business card. “So you don’t think I’m lying. But I do have to get to work at some point, so if you want that ride…”
“I just don’t want you to be a kidnapping murderer and kill me, you know?”
He grinned, suppressing a chuckle.
Zelda crossed her arms. “Don’t laugh at my potential murder.”
Gesturing to his phone still in her hand. “You can keep that with you the whole ride so you can call the cops on me if you think I’m kidnapping you.”
Toying with the phone, she took another look at her car. “Okay. Just let me grab my bag.”
36 notes · View notes
alderoo · 3 years
Text
Captain’s Orders
Fiiiiiiiinallllllllllllllllly it’s only been years since I’ve written this fic (jk i just re-edited it five seconds ago) but here’s to me posting something at the relatively same time I posted something on A03!
Description: 8 times that Warriors helped the Links and 1 time they helped him in return. Time is first!
A03 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28908288/chapters/70922934
Not a day went by on his new and strange adventure that Warriors didn’t appreciate Wild’s cooking. From breakfast to dinner, the meals that they ate were all guaranteed to be luxury. Whether it was the uncommonly sweet desserts that he made or the spicy risottos that he somehow managed to season, whenever Wild had access to a cooking pot, the meals the heroes ate were always cooked to perfection.
“By Hylia, sometimes you act as if Wild’s starved you,” Legend poked fun from his spot across the inn table. Warriors had scarfed down his meal, savouring every bite of the pumpkin stew that Wild had whipped up for them. Warriors simply finished his bite and grinned at the veteran hero, who raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“Not everyone had access to food like this every day, Legend. Sometimes I’d find myself living off of rations for weeks during the war,” The captain answered nonchalantly, ignoring the shudders from the heroes that still sat at the table. Warriors, Twilight and Legend had come for dinner later than usual, the three previously engrossed in a game of cards. “Not that you’ve never had to do that, but every once in awhile I’ve got to remember how much of a luxury this is,”
“Luxury, eh? Don’t you eat like this back at your castle? I’m sure the princess would love to cater to a pretty boy such as yourself,” Twilight remarked from where he sat.
“Golden Goddesses, Twi, do you have a rock for a brain? I didn’t suddenly finish my job as a captain after the war was over. I simply got back to work and started undoing the damage that was done,” Warriors said. He finished his stew with a clink as he set his wooden spoon back into the now-empty bowl, pointing a finger at Wild, who had entered the room as the heroes at the table sat in an uncomfortable silence. “That, Wild, was another amazing meal as always,”
“Thanks captain,” Wild said back with a smile, gratefully retrieving Warriors’ empty bowl from his now empty seat. The captain stood, his knees cracking as he stretched, and excused himself from the table. The champion sat down next to his mentor before continuing. “I actually came in to ask if you can ask the Old Man for his bowl back. He, Hyrule and Wind brought their meals to their rooms and I still haven’t seen Time since,”
Warriors nodded and saluted him lazily, bidding goodnight to the three heroes that remained in the dining room. The rest of the inn was silent except for the clicks his boots made against the floor, suspiciously quiet from the room where Sky was sleeping. Warriors grinned to himself, wondering what prank Hyrule and Wind were probably scheming to use against the poor chosen hero when he woke up. Four was nowhere to be found, as per usual for the small smithy, who had politely excused himself after dinner to do Hylia-knows-what. At the end of the back hallway, Warriors knocked twice on the door that led to the room he shared with Time. After the second knock, he opened the door to see Time asleep on the bed, an open book loosely grasped in his hand.
“Hey Old Man?” He said again, but was only answered by Time’s light snoring that confirmed the older hero was still asleep. Warriors wondered for a second if Malon would like a picture of that moment, before dismissing the thought, turning his attention to searching for the champion’s bowl. He found it quickly, for it was sitting on the bedside table, still half full of now-cold pumpkin stew. “Damn, Time, did you eat any of this?” He muttered to himself. The old man rarely showed any weakness, but for a moment Warriors felt his heart flutter in concern for the eldest hero.
The captain grabbed the bowl, and empty its remains into the trash and before setting it back down on the table that it had originally laid on. Warriors quietly slipped the book from Time’s hands, folded the corner of the page and gently placed it down on the bedside table. Time’s ear flicked, and Warriors froze as he waited for any sign of the old man waking up. After he was satisfied, the captain pulled the covers over his friend, before grabbing the bowl once again. With concern eating at his mind, he decided to check on Time in the morning.
It wasn’t that he doubted Time’s ability to take care of himself, but merely the fact that the old man was still one of them, a Link. Warriors himself knew the great lengths that one of them would go to hide their injuries or illness, and the last thing he wanted was a painful reminder that Time still fell under that category as well. With too many thoughts on his mind, Warriors left the room of the inn to return the bowl to Wild.
**********
When Warriors woke that morning, he laid for a moment, before sitting up and stretching his arms high up in the air. He sighed in relief when his back cracked in a particularly satisfying way and stood from the bed silently to prepare himself for the trek that the group of heroes would make that day. The sun had barely risen, a sliver of golden light just barely visible on the top of the trees.
The captain hero turned to the other bed in the room, only to find that Time was still out cold, his chest rising and falling in the same rhythm that it had the night before. Worry blossomed in his chest, as the old man was never one to sleep in, but he pushed down the thought once again to simply let the elder hero sleep in a little longer while the captain readied himself.
He started by cleaning himself up, gladly taking extra time to perfect his hair. As vain as the veteran called him, it was always a boost of confidence for the captain when he knew that he looked in tip-top shape. After changing into his usual armor and tunic, Warriors took a moment to scrub the mud from the previous day’s truck off of his boots before he left the bathroom and entered the inn bedroom again.
With a particularly loud clack of his boots, Time started to stir. The old man huffed and pulled himself up onto his elbows, taking in his surroundings in a half-asleep state.
“Morning, Old Man,” Warriors said with a smile. Time nodded, before pulling himself out from under the covers. He shivered, pulling a blanket from the edge of the bed and wrapping it around his shoulders. “Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes, I’m just having a bit of trouble waking up this morning, is all,” Time insisted, stifling a yawn. Warriors frowned, the concern he felt earlier bubbling back up in full swing. The captain played it off, however, and made his way over to the old man. He stood there for a moment, taking in the elder hero’s appearance before asking his question once more.
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay? You should tell us if you’re sick,” Warriors pressed. Time’s face held an unnatural pallor to it, and dark circles stained the skin underneath his eyes. “You don’t look too good,”
“As I said, I’m fine,” Time said, standing up. Warriors instinctively lifted his hands, and they hovered in the air as the captain worried himself.
“Hey, take it easy,” He caught himself whispering. Time looked down at him with a frown before moving to grab his bag. It was only by luck that the captain caught the slight shake to the old man’s hands as he picked up his supplies.
“You’re shivering,” He said, not in an accusatory tone nor one of surprise, but just a statement of a fact. He grabbed Time’s hands and motioned for him to head back to bed. “You’re pale and shaking and you’re starting to worry me, please sit down,”
Time looked at Warriors expectantly before sighing and letting the captain drag him back over to one of the two beds in the bedroom. The old man wore an impatient expression while Warriors looked him over with observant eyes. It was only until the captain placed the back of his hand on Time’s forehead that he realized what was wrong.
“You’re burning up, how long have you been feeling this bad? Be honest with me,” Warriors wondered. The nearly unshakable old man seemed to wither under his gaze, and the sight made the captain’s face contort with concern.
“I’ve had a headache since yesterday morning,”
“And?”
“And believe me when I tell you that I didn’t feel bad yesterday,” Time’s attention suddenly turned to the sun rising over the trees before he continued. “Why didn’t you wake me up earlier? We should’ve all been ready by now,”
Warriors frowned at the comment. He scoffed and grabbed one of the blankets from the edge of the bed to wrap around Time’s shoulders. The old man, who didn’t protest, looked at him in confusion.
“What are you talking about? You can’t travel like this. We’ll stay here for the day and then talk about why the hell you think that you should torture yourself so we can keep walking an a random direction until we find some sort of new information,” He mused, ignoring the way that Time’s eyes widened in surprise. Warriors instead started taking his armor off, not very keen on keeping it on when there was no need for it. When he turned back around, Time was looking up at him with one exhausted eye, trembling slightly under the blanket that he clutched tightly.
“What about the others?” The old man asked, steeling himself and straightening his posture now that the captain was looking at him.
“The others will be fine with a day off. If anything, I’m sure that Sky is still asleep,” Warriors told him, hoping to reassure his leader. “If it’s the others you’re worried about, Twilight is perfectly capable of making sure that none of them do anything too stupid,”
Time averted his eye back to the window, giving Warriors the impression that that wasn’t what the older hero was really thinking about.
“What’s really going on then? You wouldn’t go as far as to try and hide how you were feeling for no reason,” He pressed, crossing his arms now that he was finished un-readying himself. Time attempted to level him with a glare, but Warriors had thrown caution to the wind the minute that the old man said he was going to travel in the state he was in. “Does it have something to do with us?”
“I-“ TIme faltered, and Warriors realized that he had hit the mark. “I don’t like being weak in front of you all,”
“So that’s it,” The captain said, taking a seat next to Time on the bed.
“I’m sure you know how it is. When there’s people that you have to care for, you’ve got to stay strong for them,” The old man explained, running a hand through his hair. That seemed to be a mistake, however, since once the blanket slipped from his shoulders a shiver shook his body, and now that his neck was uncovered Warriors could see the beads of sweat that were forming on the Time’s neck.
“Yeah, I do know more than most. But we’re not just your subordinates, we care for you. The others won’t look down on you if we need to stay here for a day because you’re not feeling like yourself,” Warriors insisted, placing a hand on Time’s shoulder in support. The old man’s lips quirked up into a smile as the captain continued. “And, if you want to think about it in a more practical sense, if you work yourself to the point of exhaustion then we’ll be stationary far longer than we would be for you being sick for a day,”
“I understand the logic of it, Malon made sure of that years ago,” Time paused and shifted his position to lean against the headboard, now facing Warriors head on. “I find it hard to accept that I have people looking to be for leadership. I’ve messed up so many things by just existing…”
The room fell silent as Warriors considered his next few words. Time pulled his knees up to his chest, and Warriors’ heart warmed at the pang of nostalgia that hit him.
“You’re talking to the man who accidentally started a war by simply existing. I had trouble with the same thoughts that you have. Hell, there was even a kid that fought with us, and sometimes I put up a facade for him. An illusion of strength and bravery even when I didn’t feel very strong or very brave. It was until I broke down that he finally made me understand that I didn’t have to pretend to be strong for him,” The captain explained. The sun was now fully risen, the blinding sphere fully visible from the window of the inn. “And you know, they call you Old Man for a reason. You make them feel wanted and understood, like a father to them. After meeting everyone, I can safely say that none of us would have it any other way,”
Time smiled, genuinely, which seemed to be a rare sight for the elder hero. Now that he had finally relaxed, Warriors could see that Time was slumped against the headboard, that he clutched the blanket around his shoulders. There was exhaustion in his one blue eye that made his entire form just seem a little bit weaker.
“Why don’t you stay put while I get you some water and tell the others what’s happening? I’ll make sure that none of them come and bother you so you can get some rest then, too,” Warriors told him before standing and walking to the door of the bedroom. “Oh, and by the way, if you move even an inch I’ll sic Twilight on you later,”
With a satisfied feeling at the small laugh that Time let out, Warriors traveled the short hallway that wrapped around the back of the inn. When he turned the corner he saw the seven other heroes gathered around one of the dining tables with varying levels of concern.
Twilight was the first to notice his arrival, and nearly jumped out of his seat, startling everyone into attention.
“What took you so long? Where’s the old man?” He asked, his voice betraying the somewhat-schooled expression on his face. Legend looked at him expectantly as well, eyeing the way that he was only dressed in his simple shirt and trousers.
“I’m going to preface this by saying that everything is perfectly fine-“ In the middle of his sentence, Warriors received a very pointed glare from Twilight, “-and Time isn’t feeling great this morning,”
“Oh, is he okay?” Hyrule wondered, standing from the chair that he occupied. Warriors nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking back and forth on his heels.
“He’s fine, just a fever. He needs to rest, that’s all,” The captain, hoping to reassure his comrades. “If you do head in there, though, be sure that you don’t mention it. I get the feeling that he doesn’t like being sick all that much,”
The table seemed to breathe a sigh of relief before resuming a causal chatter as the heroes began to plan what they wanted to do with their day off. Twilight approached Warriors silently as the captain approached the kitchen.
“I know what you’re going to say,” Warriors interrupted the rancher. Twilight huffed, rolling his eyes, but the fur-clad hero didn’t deny the statement. The captain turned to face the rancher after filling the cups. “I promise that he’s fine. He just needs to let himself rest,”
Twilight sighed and nodded, the captain putting a reassuring hand on the rancher’s shoulder before starting to walk back to the bedroom.
“You might want to get going, though,” The captain called back, catching the rancher’s attention as he had started to head to find his protege. “I think I hear Wild talking about exploring,”
Twilight’s ears perked up in concern before he quickly excused himself from the conversation to make sure that the champion wouldn’t get himself into too much trouble.
Back at the room at the end of the hallway, Warriors knocked twice again before opening the door. This time, however, Time appeared to be asleep against the head of the bed, his chin resting on his knees that had been pulled up to his chest.
“Are you actually asleep?” Warriors asked, and Time’s eye cracked open, a small smile gracing his face.
“I’m just resting my eye,” He insisted. The captain handed him a glass of water, letting him take a sip before placing it on the bedside table.
“You’re playing a dangerous game,” He commented as he sat back down on Time’s bed. “But, I’ve told the others that we’re staying here for the day, and everything’s fine. I’d imagine that Hyrule will be in here at some point, but other than that, you have the day to yourself, old man,”
“They’re all alright with it?”
“Why wouldn’t they be?” The captain said innocently. Instead of responding, TIme stifled a yawn, rubbing at his scarred eye. “You really should consider resting, though,”
Time nodded lazily, before pulling himself under the covers and ending up with his back facing the captain, who was suddenly reminded of all the times during the war when he would reach over and grab the blankets to tuck a certain little hero into bed. Despite the smaller Hero of Time’s adventures, Warriors never imagined that the kid would outgrow him. Yet here he was, older and wiser than he was before. Even though Time was older now and didn’t seem to remember him, Warriors saw nothing but the little boy that he had fought with during the war.
Nostalgia struck him when he remembered the cold nights in the military tents, and all the times that the young hero would be awake, trying to do anything but sleep. Old habits die hard, Warriors decided as he gingerly removed his scarf from his shoulders and placed it around Time, who startled slightly.
“Might as well be comfortable,” Warriors reasoned in a mix of wanting to take care of the elder hero but not wanting to treat him like a child. “Now go to sleep. Captain’s order, old man,”
“Did you just pull rank on me?” Time asked, muffled from beneath the blankets. Warriors didn’t grace the question with a response, merely shrugging it off as he settled against the head of the bed once more.
The captain ended up staying by Time’s side until the older hero’s breaths fell into an even rhythm. Hyrule would want to make sure he was alright at some point, but the old man looked so peaceful in sleep that Warriors didn’t know if he’d have the heart to wake him. Time’s ear flicked in his sleep, and Warriors huffed in gentle amusement. Oh well, he supposed, he’d made sure to wake Time up before dinner.
29 notes · View notes
katedoesfics · 4 years
Text
Shadows of the Yiga | Chapter 8
Talon wasn’t around when Link and Aryll got to the ranch, but they made their way into the paddocks, anyway, each retrieving their favorite horse and bringing them into the barn. The old, battered farm truck pulled up in front of the barn as they brushed and saddled the horses. Talon stepped out, grunting and muttering under his breath as his stiff joints cracked. He stretched his arms over his head, then mosied toward them with his rifle in hand. He spat at the ground before entering the barn, acknowledging Link with a nod and tipping his straw hat to Aryll.
“It’s yer day off, Kid,” he said in a gruff voice. “Fact, shouldn’t she be in school?”
“We’re playing hooky,” Aryll said with a wide grin.
“You know,” Link started, “you’re not supposed to announce it to everyone you talk to.”
Aryll rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I’m telling my teachers.”
Talon smiled and nodded. “Right, then. So, yer cleaning dem stalls afta, hm?”
“Link said I could do it,” Aryll said, still grinning over her horse’s back.
“I dun care who does it,” he said. He thrust the rifle into Link’s arms. “Dem bears ‘ave been out ‘n about, yanno. Shoot ‘em ‘fore they get at my cuccos ‘gain.”
Link shrugged and secured the rifle onto the saddle. It wasn’t the first time he had to shoot a bear or two that had wandered onto the property. Link would have allowed them to take a cucco or two, mainly out of revenge, but it would have only made them come back more frequently, and then he’d never hear the end of it from Talon.
“You trust this idiot with a gun?” Aryll said, frowning.
“If ‘e can defeat the great Ganondorf with a sword, I think ‘e can handle a rifle.”
“He can’t shoot himself in the foot with a sword,” Aryll pointed out.
Talon grinned. “Would you ratha I give ‘im a sword, den?”
Aryll seemed to consider her options for a moment.
Talon slapped Link on the back with a wrinkled hand and tipped his hat at them once more. “‘Ave fun, now.” He shot an invisible rifle. “Shoot ‘em dead.”
“Poor bears,” Aryll said as Talon mosied back into his truck. “All they want is dinner.”
“They’ll eat you for dinner,” Link said.
“Beats peanut butter and banana sandwiches,” she said with a shrug.
They brought their horses out of the barn where they both climbed into their saddles. Aryll took a moment to coo to her horse, reaching down to scratch the gelding’s ears as Link and his steed started onward. Her gelding trotted to catch up to his companion, slowing to a walk as he reached his side. His ears and tail flicked happily as they walked.
They followed the path around the open pastures, along the tree line, and eventually into the woods, where they continued to follow various trails as they twisted this way and that. When the path widened and flattened, they broke into a gallop, racing one another. Most of the time, Link let Aryll slip passed him.
She stood in her stirrups, thrusting a fist in the air and whooping loudly in an attempt to rub her victory in Link’s face.
Before long, the trees thinned, and they eventually stepped out of the forest and into a clearing. Rolling hills stretched out into the countryside of Hyrule and to the horizon. To their right, the land sloped downwards toward a dirt road. Beyond the road lay a thick forest, and the mountain range seemed to spring up from the trees. To their left, the land stretched on until it met the edge of Lake Hylia. The lake was far too wide to see beyond it, but somewhere, the highway stretched over the lake, busy with passing motorists oblivious to the landscape that Aryll and Link enjoyed.
It was like a secret only she and her brother knew about, and it quickly became Aryll’s favorite place to escape to. They often rode out to it, letting their horses stretch their legs, galloping along the ridge of the hills, without a care in the world. It didn’t matter who won or lost; it wasn’t a race, but an escape from their own realities.
This time, however, they did not run away from their lives. Instead, they looked out over the landscape as the horses grazed quietly. A gentle breeze blew through their manes and tails and Aryll sighed. It felt like the first time in a long time where she felt relatively at peace. Despite all that had transpired, she and Link had both come out on top, and she was reminded that over the years, they always did. No matter what life threw at them, they always prevailed, and she felt comfort in that. Link would never let it be otherwise. And neither would she.
She turned to her brother, who was no longer enjoying the peace that came with the view, but instead had his nose in his phone, his fingers flying along the screen as he texted. Aryll took out her own phone, flipping through the filters on her camera until she settled on one with dog ears and a tongue. She held it out at arm’s length until Link was in the picture. He glanced up with an annoyed look on his face, and she snapped the picture.
“Mipha says hi,” Link said dryly as he turned back to his phone.
Aryll glanced at him. “You’re texting her?”
“She called Saturday asking about you.”
She pinched her lips together. “Whatcha talkin’ about now?”
“How many kids we’re gonna have.”
Aryll frowned. “I know you’re being a jerk, but I’d be okay with that.” She watched as he snorted and otherwise ignored her comment, recalling the end of the conversation she overheard in the hospital. Link and Kit were talking about some kind of Yiga Clan. She hadn’t thought anything of it then, or the days that followed, but the more she recalled the moment, the more intrigued she became. It seemed a serious topic, or, at least at one point, but Link had blown it off completely.
“So,” she started, keeping her gaze on Link, hoping to catch a reaction from him when she continued. “What’s the Yiga Clan?”
Link’s fingers paused, but his gaze did not move off the screen. He continued the message after a moment, then slipped the phone back in his pocket. He turned his gaze to the horizon. “The Yiga Clan?”
“Yeah,” Aryll said carefully. “I heard you and Kit talking about it in the hospital.”
His brows furrowed. “You mean his crazy conspiracy theories?”
“I thought the Yiga Clan was real,” she said. “Dad mentioned them once or twice, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, the cult of losers, sure.”
Aryll hesitated. “You said they were rogue Sheikah.”
Link’s gaze met hers. He was angry and suspicious with her. After a moment, he turned away. “They’re nothing to worry about.”
“I don’t know,” Aryll said slowly. “Rogue Sheikah sound like a big problem. What do they want? To bring Ganondorf back or something?”
Link hesitated. “There’s nothing they can do to bring him back,” he said. “Not without breaking Zelda’s seal. And there’s no way to do that without…”
“Without?” Aryll pressed.
“Without the Master Sword,” he said simply. It was the truth, anyway. But he was sure that if it came down to it, they could do whatever they wanted if they had another piece of the Triforce to aid them.
“Oh.” Aryll turned her gaze away. She sensed her brother was hiding something more, but she didn’t press further. “Well, that’s good, then. I don’t want you to be a hero anymore.”
“It’s not exactly a job I can quit,” Link muttered.
“Well, if there’s no danger, then there’s no need for a hero, right?”
Link shrugged. “Sure.”
“You have no sword anymore, anyway,” she continued. “You’d be useless.”
“I don’t need a sword to be useful,” Link said.
Aryll glanced at the rifle on his saddle and bit her lip. “I guess,” she said. “Either way, you don’t stand a chance against a rogue Sheikah.”
“Nope,” he said with a sigh.
Aryll frowned. “Are you sure? That they’re not… a problem?”
Link glanced at her. “Don’t you think if we were in danger, I would have done something about it by now?”
“I guess.”
“Don’t listen to Kit’s shit,” Link said. “The war’s been over for ten years. Everything’s fine.”
Aryll nodded. Of course she was being ridiculous. She got herself nervous over nothing. If the world was in trouble, Link would know about it. And he would fix it.
It was just after noon when they returned to the barn. Once the horses were untacked and back grazing in their paddocks, Link and Aryll turned to the task of mucking stalls and otherwise cleaning the barn for Talon. Talon moseyed into the barn a couple hours later as they were finishing up, and he had his hands on his hips as he inspected the barn with a nod.
“Guess I gotta pay ya for the day,” he said gruffly. “Even though ya came in on yer day off.”
“Nah,” Aryll said with a grin. “I did all the work today.”
“So, I gotta pay you?”
Aryll put a hand on the old man’s shoulder and winked. “This one’s on me since I took your horse out.”
“Ah, he could use a lil’ work,” Talon said. “He’s been gettin’ fat out there on that grass all day.”
“Any time,” Aryll said as she dusted her hands together. “I can drive now. Link said I could take his car whenever I want.”
“The actual phrase was ‘over my dead body,’” he reminded her with a sly glare.
“We’re still working on it,” Aryll said with a nudge to Talon. “Someday.”
“Guess I’ll see ya this weekend?” Talon said, tipping his hat to them. “Don’t  work too hard there, Kid.”
Aryll let her brother drive on the way home, and Link opted to stop to treat them both to ice cream sundaes before making it home for the evening. Both of their sundaes were much larger than necessary, which made up for the fact that they hadn’t eaten lunch, and it seemed reasonable enough to label it as their dinner, too, as neither of them would feel hungry for the rest of the night.
When they got home, Aryll plopped herself down on the couch, letting her legs hang over one end as she lay against the couch on one side. While Link busied himself with the mail, Aryll flipped through the channels on the tv. After finding nothing of interest, she let it stay on a channel that had soap opera reruns playing and instead occupied herself with her phone.
Still, nothing on it caught her interest, and when Link finally sat beside her with a sigh, she took his phone and decided to flip through his apps.
“There’s nothing weird on here, right?” she asked carefully. She opened his social media apps, and finding nothing of interest, chose to send suggestive emojis to Revali insead. She then moved on to searching the internet, particularly searching for an obscene image to plaster on Link’s background. After saving to his phone a variety of images, from fat, naked men, to pink unicorns, She opened the gallery to select one to make as his new background. She scrolled through the albums in search for the images she downloaded, but a few particular albums caught her attention instead.
One album in particular seemed to have images from years ago. Some of them included Link and Mipha together, while others ranged from Link and Riju posing with laser guns and Revali flipping the camera both middle fingers. Among these were even a young Aryll, and a few of her and her father together. It seemed even then, she felt the need to steal her brother’s phone and put ridiculous pictures on it.
A particular video caught her attention, and she opened the file to play it. A six year old Aryll held the phone out in front of her, making faces at herself and giggling. It shifted and moved violently as she skipped about the room. Her face returned, and her tongue stuck out at the corner of her mouth as she concentrated. The image on the screen flipped to her father leaning against the counter. He looked up from his phone and grinned.
“Stop playing with my phone,” came Link’s voice from somewhere off screen. The camera turned to her older brother, standing in the doorway, his brows kit together in annoyance. Aryll giggled from behind the camera and the video jolted again as she hurried out of her brother’s grasp.
“Argh!” came Link’s voice once more. “What the hell? Stop it!”
The video spun around, revealing Link’s head in his father’s arms as Rusl proceeded to dig his knuckles into his son’s skull. Link squirmed in a desperate attempt to get out of his father’s grasp.
“You’re an immature weasel!” Link shouted.
“No evidence!” Rusl shouted, throwing his hand out in a playful attempt to block the camera. Link took advantage of his dropped stance and freed himself. He rubbed his head with his hand and frowned as Aryll giggled.
“I think he lost some brain cells,” Aryll’s voice said.
Rusl grinned. “How can he possibly lose any more? There’s nothing in there!”
The camera dropped and Aryll giggled as her father scooped her up, and the video ended. Aryll held her gaze on it for a moment with a smile, then closed the gallery, completely forgetting her mission to plaster ridiculous images all over her brother’s phone. She let it drop to the couch and sat up, pulling her knees to her chest.
“I’m glad you let me steal your phone all the time,” she said. “And you kept everything.”
Link had been watching her at the corner of his eyes. He turned his gaze back on the tv. “That’s not true,” Link said. “I deleted all the poop emoji pictures you downloaded.”
Aryll grinned. “I forgot I was obsessed with those.”
“You were a weird child,” Link said. “It was mildly concerning.”
Aryll threw a pillow at him. “That’s because I grew up in a weird family.”
“For the record, I was completely normal.”
“Yes, because having the spirit of a hero and a magic triangle on your hand is totally normal.” She rolled her eyes.
“And I still managed to barely skate by in high school,” he reminded her. “Totally normal.”
“Totally lazy.”
“I saved the world. How does that make me lazy?”
“Is that on your resume?”
“Right between barely passed high school and college dropout,” Link said dryly.
“Employers must have been throwing themselves at you.” She sighed and got to her feet. “Speaking of passing high school. I do have finals next week I need to study for.” She offered him a crooked smile. “Thanks for today.”
“Sure.” Link watched his sister leave the room. When she was gone, he trudged into the kitchen, pulling a beer from the fridge. He popped the top, tossed the bottle cap on the counter, and dropped back onto the couch to zone out in front of the tv.
*****
Kohga stood on the cliff just outside of the hidden base, overlooking the vast, empty desert. He had heard Dorian’s approach, but offered the Yiga soldier no greeting. Dorian stood a few yards away from the Yiga leader in silence, making no effort to move any closer, waiting for him to speak. And he did.
“The ward remains over the city,” Kohga said. “All these years it has held strong. But I’m not surprised. Even in her aging years, Impa has remarkable abilities.” He glanced over his shoulder at Dorian. “I would have preferred it if you had killed her when I asked, but I can’t say I didn’t understand your resilience. You’ve gathered a lot of intel from within the city walls. And it seems you were right, afterall. My patience has paid off.” He turned to look back out over the desert. “I knew it would be next to impossible to get my hands on Zelda, but it seems Link has finally come out from the shadows, just as I hoped he would. The ward is strongest inside the city. Every time he leaves those boundaries, it grew weaker around him. My men have found him at last. We can finally get our hands on the great Chosen Hero and his little piece of the Triforce.”
“Zelda will look for him,” Dorian confirmed with certainty. “I cannot promise she will be alone, however.”
“I am not concerned about those Champions,” Kohga said, blowing him off with a wave of his hand. He looked over his shoulder at Dorian once more and grinned. “Are you?”
“Of course not.”
“Good,” Kohga said with a nod. “I know you will be able to finish them just as you did Rusl. They will hardly be a hindrance in our plan. It’s only a matter of time before we have the Triforce in our possession. I am confident we will be able to use it to its full potential and revive Ganondorf once more. And I will have much pleasure in turning Hyrule’s Heroes against them.” He turned to face Dorian completely. “You have done well, Dorian. Keep up your appearances with Impa and Roham. Should anything more of note transpire, do be sure to let me know, hm?”
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jdc1717 · 5 years
Text
Speak child!
Basically: Legend loses his voice and had to find other ways to speak.
I, like a genius, forgot to post this. Let’s see how this goes...
-<>-<>-<>-<>-
It was a bad week for Legend. Starting with him being soaked in the rain. Then it was him getting sick from the rain. And of course, it wasn’t over yet, he lost his voice because of the sickness.
The group assumed that they would be safe from the rude remarks if their friend.
They were terribly wrong.
Day 1: Warriors was undoubtedly the first to fall victim to Legend’s nonverbal way of saying snarky things.
He had been walking along the back of the group, with Legend and Hyrule walking behind him. They were walking along a path in the forest, branches and bushes were everywhere. The branches were what started the mess.
Warriors had been walking, not really paying attention to branches when he felt a sudden and violent tug pull him back. Warriors gasped in surprise as he stumbled backwards.
Finding his footing, the captain instantly went on alert. He looked around to see his scarf stuck on branch. It took a few moments for him to release the scarf from the branch. Warriors was really hoping no one saw that.
A snicker from behind instantly got rid of that hope. Warriors turned and saw Hyrule trying, and failing, not to laugh and a very amused Legend.
“This didn’t happen.”
Legend moved his hands, about to sign something. But Warriors didn’t want to deal with that so he turned around and started to walk again.
Only to run into another tree branch and hit his head. Next thing Warriors new he was on the ground groaning.
Both Hyrule and Legend were standing over him. One can guess their expressions to that was.
Legend once again moved his hands in front of Warriors to sign.
I was trying to tell you about the branch, idiot.
Warriors sighed.
Day 2: Four was next. It was a simple mistake, anyone could have made it. The hero had been walking around the clearing that they made camp in. They weren’t sure who’s Hyrule they were in and Four wanted to look around.
They walked a bit away from camp(after saying that weren’t going far) and enjoyed the calm forest.
As they were walking, something caught their eye.
Was that a portal? Are Minish nearby? Red asked.
Blue asked, Are we in our Hyrule?
It’s a possibility. Vio answered.
Green was thinking.
Can we go see the Minish? Red exclaimed.
The group may need us. Vio argued.
Please! It’ll only be for a minute!
Green wanted everybody’s opinion. Blue?
I want to go too.
What’s the decision Green? Vio asked although they were pretty sure they already knew the answer.
Let’s go. We won’t be there for long though.
Yay!
The hero walked towards the tree truck with a star shaped crack. Standing on top they prepared to shrink when a crack sound.
Uh oh
The top of the truck broke revealing it to be hollow. Four was dropped into a small space, his shoulders were held captive in the inside of the truck and he couldn’t get out.
Uh oh indeed.
Didn’t need that Vio!
Don’t be mean!
Don’t tell me what to do!
Before this argument could go on much longer footsteps were heard.
Is it one of the others?
Could be a monster.
Don’t say things like that!
Soon enough the footsteps made it right in front of Four.
It was Legend.
Look, we were both right!
Four smiled weakly, “Could you help me out?”
Legend closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He gestured to Four in a “how did you manage to do this?” Sort of way.
Oh yeah, lost his voice.
“Well I… was standing on top of this tree trunk.
Legend didn’t look satisfied.
“Don’t judge me! Help me out!”
The hero of Legend looked around and found a stick. He grabbed it and write into the dirt.
“Just because you’re short doesn’t mean you should stand on every tall thing you see.” Four read. “Hey!”
Legend shrugged and walked away.
“Where are you going?”
He soon came back with the others.
“Thank Hylia. Please help me out.”
It took a few minutes for everyone to stop laughing.
Day 3: Wind suffered the next day. The group had set camp for the night and he and Warriors had been playing catch with an apple(they didn’t have a ball).
Warriors had thrown it a bit too high and it went into the forest behind them.
“Sorry!” Warriors called from his distance.
“Don’t worry, I can get it!” Wild wasn’t sharing any more apples so they had to make do with the one they had.
Wind turned to the forest in which the apple went.
He searched for a while and was starting to think that it was a lost cause when he saw the shiny red thing. It was caught in some branches and vines that were above him.
Wind jumped up trying to reach it and only missing it by a few inches. He tried and tried but it wasn’t working. He looked around trying to see a tree to climb, but he didn’t think he’d be able to get up them.
The sailor thought about it. How to get that apple...
Someone snapping their fingers snapped him out of his thoughts.
“Wha? Legend?”
Legend raised an eyebrow as he walked to where Wind was, grabbed the apple, and handed it back to the sailor.
“...thanks.”
Legend shrugged and did a quick sign before leaving.
You’re welcome, shorty
While Wind may not know that much sign, he could recognize enough to understand. “Legend!”
Day 4: Sky was starting to panic. Where was it? He had had it as he went to sleep. Where was it? He had it while he slept against a tree but when he woke it was gone. Where was it?
Maybe it fell off. He searched around the tree.
Maybe one of the others put it in his bag. Sky searched his supplies.
Maybe one of the others was borrowing it. He looked around the almost empty camp.
Time, Twilight, and Wild were out fishing. Warriors and Wind were playing a game some ways away. Four, Hyrule, and Legend were actually in the camp. They were playing some game that had them sit in a circle and hit another’s hands while singing a song.
Sky walked over. “Have any of you seen my sailcloth?”
The three of them looked at Sky, each other, Sky, behind Sky, back at each other, and back to Sky.
“Sky, it’s right there.” Four gestured behind Sky.
The chosen hero turned to look, but didn’t see it.
“Where?”
“Right there.” Hyrule pointed but Sky still couldn’t see it.
“Where?!”
“For the love of…” Four muttered.
Sky looked to Legend who had yet to say anything.
The hero pointed up. A highly amused smile on his face.
Sky turned around and looked up.
There it was hanging on a branch above where Sky had been sleeping.
“Sorry.” Sky said.
“It’s my fault. I put it up there because I cleaned it and decided to hang it up there to dry. I should have asked you.” Hyrule said.
“I would have liked it if you had asked, but thank you.”
Hyrule nodded and camp went back to normal.
Day 5: Hyrule was, as usual, lost. He could have sworn that camp was a left turn away. He and Legend has taken stroll to get their mind off things and now they were lost. Hyrule sighed and looked around. Which way was North?
Legend tapped his shoulder and reached for the sketchbook Hyrule had in his bag. The boy was about to panic when Legend opened to the last page and wrote, lost?
Blushing a bit, Hyrule nodded.
Legend nodded too and returned the book. He pointed in a direction, obviously trying to get Hyrule to go that way.
The two walked for a bit before returning to an area that Hyrule recognized from their walk.
“This was where we took a break!”
Legend nodded and gestured around them. Where to?
“Uhh that way?”
Legend smiled and put a hand on Hyrule’s shoulder. Yes.
When they were close to camp Legend spoke in a hoarse voice. “Tell no one.”
Hyrule nodded. He was so gonna tell Four about it.
Day 6: “Everyone, my voice is back!”
“Thank Hylia!”
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katedoesfics · 4 years
Text
Shadows of the Future | Chapter 12
They had returned from their patrol when Rusl’s phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number, but he answered it, regardless. “Yeah?”
“Rusl.”
He didn’t quite recognize the voice, but there was a familiarity behind it. His brows furrowed as he searched his memories to place the voice. “Yeah? What?”
“It’s Karsen.” His voice sounded hesitant; unsure.
Rusl smiled, genuinely surprised that Karsen was calling him. “What’s up, Idiot?”
“Rusl.” Karsen hesitated. “There’s, uh, something I gotta tell ya.”
Rusl frowned and his heart raced. “What?”
“It’s Telma,” he continued. “She died.”
Rusl’s heart dropped. “What? What do you mean? When?”
“Really early this morning,” Karsen explained. “She didn’t really tell any of us, but we could tell something was wrong the last couple of months. I guess… she had cancer or somethin’. Diagnosed a little after you left, I guess.”
“Shit,” Rusl spat. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “What… what’s going on there? With you?”
“Camilla is here for now,” Karsen said. His voice sounded pained. “I guess they’ll split us up. Pawn us off on someone else. You know.”
Rusl bit his lower lip. He did know all too well what would be in store for him and the other kids under Telma’s care. As Karsen so delicately put it, they would be sent to other foster homes, and who knew what would happen to them after that. They weren’t exactly an easy group of kids to handle. Rusl knew that first hand. “Karsen -”
“Whatever, man,” Karsen said quickly. “I don’t care. We’re used to this shit. We’ve all been bounced around. It doesn’t matter. I’ve just got a few years left of this shit, anyway.”
“Sure.” Rusl hesitated. “I’ll be there tomorrow, alright? Maybe… maybe there’s something I can do.”
“Right,” Karsen said dryly. “Whatever.” He hesitated. “There’s like, a service at the end of the week. Camilla already has the ranch for sale. Packing up some shit. I’ve never seen the place so damn empty.”
“Yeah,” Rusl said softly. “Look. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Whatever.” The call ended.
Rusl looked at his phone for a moment before slipping it into his pocket. He stared at the ground, not even noticing when Dorian approached.
“What’s got you?” Dorian asked with a teasing grin.
Rusl hesitated, but did not regard Dorian. “I have to… go. Tomorrow.”
Dorian’s brows furrowed. “Go where? You have a patrol to do.”
“Telma died,” Rusl said quickly.
Dorian was quiet, his face softening. “Oh.” He cleared his throat. “Alright. Take all the time you need.”
*****
It was early in the afternoon when Rusl pulled into the drive. He hadn’t seen Telma since he left to join the service, and now he regretted not finding the time to visit her. He couldn’t even remember the last time he spoke to her, and now she was gone.
He stepped out of his car and looked around. Despite everything, he loved that place. But it wasn’t as he had remembered. The barn looked as if it had been falling apart. There were box trucks and trailers scattered around the property, and movers gathered up boxed items from the house and barn, either to ship to storage or to be sold off.
Rusl spotted a few younger kids he did not recognize clustered together on the paddock fence. They were watching the movers with frowns on their faces. Their gazes turned to Rusl for a moment, but they blew him off, assuming him to be no one special. Rusl turned his attention to Camilla as she stood on the porch, barking at a few of the movers who were less than careful with one of the boxes. She noticed Rusl, then, and offered him a sad smile.
“You came,” she said as Rusl approached her.
“Karsen called me. I’m really sorry to hear.”
“Yeah, I know. She was my Mum, but I swear she liked you more than me.”
“I seriously doubt that,” Rusl said.
Camilla sighed and put her hands on her hips. “I can’t keep everything. But you know how she was. She loved you kids and kept every damn thing she could. She made me promise I’d hang on to everything. But if you want anything, please take it off my hands.”
“Hold on to it for me?”
Camilla smiled. “Sure. Only if you promise to come back for it.”
“Maybe my kids will.”
“Telma did want to meet them.” She gestured with her chin toward the house. “Make yourself comfortable. Karsen’s around somewhere. He’ll be happy to see you.” She turned her attention back to the movers, scolding them for being careless.
Rusl watched the movers for a moment, then made his way to the barn in search of Karsen. He found Karsen in the hay barn with two other boys around his age. They were sitting on hay bales, smoking cigarettes, when Rusl entered.
“You’re going to burn the whole damn place down,” Rusl scolded them.
Karsen met his gaze and grinned. “Whatta twat,” he said. “I thought the army would make you cooler.”
Rusl narrowed his gaze on Karsen. He made his way to him, then snatched the cigarette from his hand.
“Wow,” Karsen said dryly. “Look who’s a cool, big adult, now. Fuckin’ Hylik’s gettin’ a big fuckin’ head.”
Rusl pressed the burning end of the cigarette into Karsen’s arm. He yelped, jumped to his feet, and swung a fist toward Rusl. But Rusl blocked the blow, catching his fist in his palm and twisting his arm around violently, sending Karesen down on his knees.
“What the fuck, man?”
Rusl bent down to hiss in his ear. “Call me Hylik one more damn time.”
Karsen grinned and pulled out of Rusl’s grip, though he knew Rusl had let him go. “Alright,” he said, raising his hands defensively in the air. “You’re not as lame as I thought.”
Rusl held his gaze on him a moment before turning away. “You’re as pathetic as I remember,” he said over his shoulder.
“Whatever.” He snapped his mouth shut before the slur slipped out of his mouth. He hesitated, but when Rusl stepped out of the barn, he called to him.
Rusl paused and met his gaze over his shoulder.
“We’re all leaving tonight.”
Rusl held his gaze on Karsen for a moment. “Where you going?”
Karsen shrugged. “I dunno,” he said. “Lanayru.” He perked up momentarily. “Maybe some place on the beach.”
Rusl snorted. “Keep dreaming.”
“Whatever,” Karsen said. “It’s just for a few more years. Then I can do whatever the fuck I want.”
“Like what?”
Karsen frowned and his brows furrowed. “I dunno, man, jeez. Who cares? Anything. Like. I dunno. Fucking wander around or something. I got time to think about it.”
Rusl smiled. “It comes quicker than you think.”
Karsen shrugged. “Well, if they took your ass into the army, maybe they’ll take me.”
“I doubt it.”
“I didn’t want to do that, anyway,” Karsen sneered. “Look what it made you.”
Rusl nodded. “Yeah. Tell me about it.” He turned his back to Karsen. “Let me know whatever you decide.”
Karsen rolled his eyes. He took another cigarette out of his pocket. “Whatever.”
Without another word, Rusl left them alone in the barn and made his way into the house. He wandered the rooms aimlessly until he came upon the den. There were several boxes stacked in the center of the room, each one with a name on it. He found his and opened it curiously. He looked through the various pictures taken over the years and smiled. Despite her nagging, Telma always meant well. He found his mind wandering back to his future children, and in that moment, he came to a decision. He pulled out his phone, opened the camera, and started to record a video.
“Hey, Kid,” he started. “You’re not around yet. Who knows when you’ll come around.” He grinned. “I don’t even have a girlfriend. So, you know, that’s going well.” His face turned serious. “Unless you’re like, really young when you’re watching this, then use protection and shit.” His face softened. “But hopefully you’re not young. Because you shouldn’t be seeing this until after I’m gone.” He hesitated, then cleared his throat. “Look, this is where I grew up.”
He stepped outside, turning the camera to give them a view of Telma’s farm. “I promised Telma I’d let her meet you. I guess this is as close as it gets.” He turned it back to face him. “Anyway. Going through all her shit made me realize she wasn’t as crazy as she seemed, sometimes. And, I dunno. I felt like I should leave you with something. Because one thing’s for sure; there’s a lot you’re not gonna know. About me, about you. About this fucked up destiny that’s been thrust upon us.” He sighed. “I’m not telling you any of it. You don’t need to know. You have enough shit to deal with then to know the truth about me.” He shrugged. “But I guess I can’t leave you with nothing, either. Unanswered questions and shit. I know that would drive me crazy. But you need to understand that there’s a reason I couldn’t tell you this before, when I’m… was… alive. Because if you’re anything like me, you’ll try to stop it. You’ll try to save me. And that can’t happen.” He paused for a moment before continuing.
“See… we all serve a purpose in this life, I guess. And mine is to bring you into this world… and leave. As long as I’m alive, you will never be able to access the full power of the Triforce.” He shook his head. “For reasons D tried to explain to me. Hylia’s power is weakening, blah blah blah. I’m sure you’ll learn some of this. I’ll tell you as much as I can, when I can. I won’t leave you in the dark about everything. But the point is, if you’re going to be able to save the world, I will need to die. I’ve known this for a while. Well, I’ve had my suspicions, anyway. I’ve accepted it. Because even though you don’t even exist yet, and I don’t even know when you will.” He hesitated. “I love the crap outta ya. I will do anything and everything for you, especially to give you as normal a life as possible. I never got that. Not that I was born a hero destined to save the world or anything. But you deserve better than the crap I went through. You know, a father who’s actually around. I’ll give you everything that I can. I just want you to understand why things will happen - or, happened - the way that they will, or did, or something. I’ll give my life for you, kid, hero or not. It doesn’t matter to me who you are. That’s why I can accept this, I guess. Because I’d do it in a heartbeat. Again and again and again. Anything to give you the life you deserve. Hopefully, a life of peace and happiness. And I know you won’t accept it. That’s why I can’t - couldn’t - tell you. I’m sorry that this is the way it has to be, but I know you’ll be fine. If I can survive this shit, you can, too. You’ve got a lot more going for you than I do, anyway.” His gaze moved beyond the camera as he looked over the farm.
“I guess she was right. I need you. I just hope everything I do will be enough.” His gaze moved back to the camera, and he shrugged. “Alright, well, I guess that’s it, then. You know the truth. Don’t be mad at me. I did what I had to do. Just know that. Everything I’ll ever do in this life is for you.” He smiled. “And that’s all I’ve ever wanted, really, so it’s okay. Okay?” He paused. “I love you, kid. I’ll see you soon.”
He stopped the recording and stared at his phone. After a moment, he slipped the card  out of the device and dropped it into a bag with some of the photos. He placed the bag back into the box, then closed it back up.
0 notes
katedoesfics · 4 years
Text
Shadows of the Future | Chapter 5
Rusl drove straight through the afternoon and well into the night, with no particular destination in mind. All he knew was that he needed to get away from the ranch. He needed to get away from Regan’s constant reminders that he was just another fucked up Hylian. He needed to get away from Telma’s constant watch and her pity glances. He needed to get away from the nightmares that haunted him and the voices that seemed to try to convince him he was something more. None of it made any sense, and he simply couldn’t take the war waging in his mind any longer.
It was near midnight when he finally stopped driving, pulling over to the side of the highway. The land stretched away from the road, moving endlessly toward the horizon. The Gerudo Desert was the largest desert in their world, and for a moment, he contemplated setting forth, getting himself lost in the wasteland. He couldn’t help but to wonder what could be beyond the lifeless desert, or even what secrets were held in its sands. If the legends were true, there was a lot of history within the desert, waiting to be uncovered..
But he didn’t believe the legends. Hylia, Demise, princesses and Chosen Heroes; it was all bullshit. Dreams. Nightmares.
He stepped out of the truck, leaning against its old, rotted frame as he looked out over the desert. How could he believe any of it? If it were all true, than that only meant that he was nothing more but a pawn in war. That his life was predetermined, and he had no control of any of it. For years, he had no control in what happened to him. And just when it seemed he could finally get out of that life, he was whisked away. Forced to live out some destiny, to live, to have a son that would be Hylia’s Chosen Hero. And then simply to die, like none of it mattered. Like he didn’t matter. Like his sacrifices were nothing more than a job that had to be done.
Not only that, his son would be forced to face the same reality. That he, too, would be just a tool to be used in war. He would have no control over his own life, just as it seemed Rusl had no control over his. And he would be damned if he brought a child into that fate. No, he wouldn’t let his son suffer the same fate he had to. No son of his was going to put his life on the line for a world that despised the Hylian race. The Hylians would die out, and none of it would matter, anyway. So, what did it matter, then, if a hero came to save Hyrule? It would all be for nothing.
Besides. What the hell did he know about being a father? It wasn’t like he had a good father in his own life, or any role models to even look up to. It was comical, really, to expect him to be a father and raise a hero. If she were real, Hylia sure did like a good laugh at his expense.
A light breeze blew at his hair, and he looked up, then, noticing a dark figure walking down the road toward him. As a car passed, Rusl noticed the distinct shape of the figure’s ears, suggesting that the figure was Hylian. After a few more minutes, another car passed, and Rusl noticed then that the figure’s hair was much too light to be a Hylian. Sheikah, perhaps?
His pulse quickened. What was a Sheikah doing way out there? And why was he coming toward him?
The Sheikah had his eyes cast to the ground as he neared, pausing when he was just a few yards before Rusl. He looked up, meeting Rusl’s cautious gaze, and smiled. The Sheikah, he realized, was no Sheikah man, but a Sheikah woman, and she regarded him with tired eyes.
“Lucky I ran into you,” she said. “My car broke down a mile or so back. Do you think you can help me out?”
Rusl’s gaze narrowed on her. “Help you? With what?”
She shrugged. “Drive me to get some oil or something? To be honest, I’m not even sure what’s wrong with it.”
“Can’t you just poof yourself wherever you want to go?” he asked carefully.
She grinned. “Ah. You know of Sheikahs, then?” Her grin faded, and she hesitated. “You’re not, like, going to kill me or something, are you?”
Rusl raised a brow. “I wouldn’t stand a damn chance,” he said.
Her smile returned. “Well, yeah, sure. But that doesn’t stop people from trying. We’re not very popular, you know.”
“Neither am I.”
“Seems we have a lot in common, then.” She sighed. “So? Damsel in distress. Aren’t you gonna help a gal out? I’d rather not draw any more attention to myself than necessary.”
“Alright,” Rusl started. “Fine. Get in.” He watched as she moved to the side of the truck, slipping in to the passenger’s seat, before moving around to get in behind the wheel.
“So,” she started as he started the ignition. “What’s your deal?”
“My deal?” Rusl echoed. He pulled back out into the road.
“Can I buy you a drink as my thanks, or would I get my ass arrested for that?” She studied him a moment. “You look too young to be guessing ages here.”
“If you bought me a drink,” Rusl started, “I definitely wouldn’t be advertising it to anyone. I don’t need to get my ass arrested, either.”
“Ah.” She looked disappointed. “Would I get my ass arrested if I thanked you… some other way?”
“Again. I wouldn’t be advertising it to anyone.”
“How fucking old are you?” she finally asked.
Rusl grinned. “Don’t feel like taking any chances?”
“Hmph.” She turned her gaze out the window.
“So, where is this car of yours, anyway?” he asked. His eyes searched the side of the highway as they drove. They had already gone almost a mile, and there was no car in sight. When the woman didn’t answer, he slammed on the breaks and snarled at her.
“Where is it?” he said between his teeth. He was starting to believe that there was no car at all. What the hell did she want with him?
The woman turned to him and met his gaze with a grin. “Not much further.”
At the corner of his eye, Rusl noticed then the glint of the moonlight reflecting off of a blade in her hand. He pushed the door of the truck open and stumbled out in a panic, but the woman was quick to follow suit, running around the car and stopping him in his tracks.
“What the fuck?” he hissed. “What are you doing?”
“You know you don’t stand a chance,” she said with a grin. “So stand down and don’t give me any trouble now.”
Rusl pulled out his knife, though it was pathetic in comparison to the curved blade she wielded. It was almost archaic, really. Not that he ever suspected Sheikah of wielding any kind of blade when their own powers were so deadly.
“What do you want?” Rusl growled. He couldn’t understand what a Sheikah would want with him, or why she would want him dead. “Who are you?”
“Well, if you still think I’m a Sheikah, you’re stupider than you look.”
“Who are you?” he sneered.
“Just a woman with a job,” she said. “Let’s just say the Yiga Clan need some… new recruits.”
“The Yiga Clan? The fuck is that?”
“Oh, you’ll see soon enough,” she said. “Unfortunately for you, you’ll join the rest of our test subjects.” She shrugged. “You probably won’t survive. But I suppose I could have some fun with you until Kohga disposes of you.” Before Rusl could ask any more questions and prolong his apparent kidnapping - or death - the woman raised her arm to attack.
Rusl threw his own arms up in defense, as if he could block her attack, but to his surprise, her attack seemed to bounce off of an imaginary force field that surrounded him. He looked around in shock before turning back to the woman. She seemed equally as surprised, but she quickly scowled at him.
Before she could think to attack again, however, Rusl felt a familiar sensation pulling through him; one he hadn’t felt in eight years. It burst out of him violently, bringing him to his knees as the force of the attack shot forth, lighting the highway for a brief moment before the darkness of night consumed them once more. He was on his hands and knees in the middle of the road, heaving for a moment before he found the strength to look up, and his heart stopped.
The woman lay lifeless on the ground, her eyes still open wide with shock. Rusl scrambled backwards against the road until he hit the truck. His pulse throbbed in his ears as images flashed back to him. Once again, out of his own control, he had killed someone.
He didn’t have time to fret on this, however, as he noticed then red and blue flashes against the night sky. He scurried back to his feet, moving clumsily over to the truck and pulling himself inside. His body shook violently as he fought to start the engine. It took a moment before it turned over, but as soon as he did, he threw the vehicle into reverse and slammed on the gas. The truck spun around, teetering dangerously on two wheels before coming back to the pavement, where he threw it into drive.
The police were in sight now, and if it wasn’t apparent that he was guilty of some crime, it would have been in that moment as he sped away from the woman he had killed. He knew the old truck could not possibly outrun the cops, but he wasn’t about to give up now. He pushed the pedal as far down as it would go, and the truck crept up in speed, faster and faster. He ignored the sounds of strain as the truck climbed closer toward the triple digits. But as it neared the nineties, it gave up completely, immediately overheating, the engine smoking. Rusl had no choice but to stop the vehicle, no longer able to see through the thick smoke. He slammed on the breaks, not bothering to throw it into park. He threw open the door and stumbled out, but by that point, the cops had him surrounded.
He looked around, panicked, as the cops stepped out with their weapons drawn. They stayed behind the doors of their vehicles as they shouted at him. Rusl looked them over, a mixture of Hylians and Humans, but he didn’t think he had won any sympathy points from any of them. To them, he was a murderer.
He raised his hands in the air slowly, then dropped to his knees. He let them rush him, let them pull his arms behind his back. He felt the cool metal of the cuffs clasp around his wrist, and he was jerked upward and pushed toward the vehicle.
Telma was going to kill him.
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