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summertimemusician · 7 months

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Linktober Day 6

Mask(s)

Soft and sweet with just a hint of melancholic because 1.I'm tired and probably need a nap father than coffee, 2.I actually managed to make a pretty good mocha and the Anchorage LOZ animatic came onto my playlist before writing this and it kind of influenced my mood, and 3. I'm saving the usual Majora's Mask flare of angst for another prompt because I was having way too much fun dissecting the tragedy of the Hero of Time before sleep deprivation snatched the idea away which is usually my sign to pass the heck out and save the second option for when I have more energy lol.

For the Warriors fans, also Warriors is a disaster of an older sibling but we adore and appreciate him for it in this household, as always can be implied romantic or platonic between him and reader.

You were all but pinned down to the ground, brought down more effectively and unable to find the strength to get up.

Well, not literally, there were no enemies nearby, the chaos at camp had long since died down and there wasn’t anything much to do now that night had fallen, the heavens deigning to put all of it’s glittering jewels on display.

Were it any other day you’d probably focus more on appreciating it in full, the fire was crackling merrily, you were safe and had a full stomach and even with the ever present threat of the Shadow possibly deciding to ambush you all while most of your guards were down, you had your boys with you and the crisp autumn petrichor was a balm on your soul, weary from the journey.

Maybe it would be fine to rest for a little while.

And then the small figure clinging to you flinched, burrowing closer and holding onto your tunic like a lifeline. And awareness came to you like a smack over the head with a log, your fingers gently carding through blond locks as you hum gently. Weighting options and just how quietly you could move without bothering the precious Sprite at your side.

You had guessed Time had been a sweet kid, and you still wanted to lodge a formal complaint with the gods for writing such cruel fate for him because the man couldn’t catch a break and you’re not the only one to take it personally. But he was killing you here, this is how you die, with an adorable but oh so heartbreakingly sad little boy having fallen asleep leaning against you after telling you all sorts of stories about his extensive mask collection.

(You don’t know wether you want to cry, scream or laugh, Mask was so, so young. It breaks your heart, just a little.

Really, the deities of Hyrule must adore tragedies. Bastards.)

Sighing, you decide to compromise, gently keeping the Kokiri boy right where he is, fast asleep and with barely any nightmares as you hum and card your fingers through the spun gold strands, you brush your fingers through the last masks he fell asleep mid through telling the story of how he’d acquired. If you were careful surely you’d be able to reach his pack on his side so he wouldn’t worry later.

A pair of brown boots invade your vision, Warriors crouches down. You think you spot a flash of surprise on his eyes as he spots Mask napping on you, and then fond amusement of a big brother you knew he directed often towards Wind, tone low, “Well would you look at that, out like a light. It’s a rare honor for him to trust anyone like this.”

You chuckle a bit, shaking your head, “I can tell, he’s a good kid. I’ve barely met him for a day and I’d already take on an army for him.”

“Welcome to my world.”, comes Warriors dry response, though you both knew he was a hundred percent serious, his own mask quickly falling away as he gently picked up the Deku Sprout Mask to put it back in the small sprite’s pouch, hiding it’s confused, fearful sadness from your gaze (and it’s an effort, not to twitch, as your rage towards Majora gained even more kindling to burn) as the soldier handled it with the due solemnity of being one of the few Mask would allow to even touch the masks without his immediate supervision, “... I never thought I’d see him again, as...”

“I know.” Your tone was quiet, as you carefully picked your choice of words.

If there’s one thing you knew about any Link, is that they’re all really good elder brother’s and that they are too hard on themselves. Warriors specially, Mask and Wind were his everything, there wouldn’t be words that could describe how gutted he was, after confirming his suspicions with you, regretting not saying anything against Mask joining the battle field back then, loathing himself for not convincing him or Lana into letting him stay in spite of his bad feeling that as soon as the young hero of time passed through that portal he was unlikely to ever meet him again.

... You settle for something simple, instead, reaching a hand to softly pat his head, taking care not to mess his hair too much, “You did good, Wars, it’s not your fault. Mask also knows you did your best.”

He still, sighing, the mask falling away as he guides your hand to his lips, quietly thankful (really, like big brother like little brother, your wonderful, silly, caring boys. You make a point to cheerfully bat away the butterflies in your stomach, ), “... Feels hard to believe that, some times. Thank you.”

You hum, after putting the Zora mask away, Warriors takes Mask’s other side, pulls you closer and breathes.

(Just in case, he lies to himself.)

You quietly listen to his stories about his little brother, and Warriors is content.

#linked universe x reader #linked universe warriors x reader #will I ever post the original story I was gonna use for this prompt?#who knows certainly not my sleep deprived self lol #more implied than romantic if you ask me but frankly that's about what I expected when Warriors decided to show up on this prompt #man is the most charming of the Chain but you can't tell me he would know where to begin with any sort of romantic feelings #so lots of unspoken understanding happens here instead so it's up to interpretation lol #Reader: I've had Mask for a day and a half but if anything happened to him I'd murder everyone in Hyrule and then myself.#Warriors. Approving: I know this. And I love you (feeling unspecified).#The Rest of the Chain: And we support you #Is Warriors wanting to be close in reference to the Kohga prompt?#Does he just want Mask and Reader close because he is smart enough to infer what happens to him #Does he just want them there because like all Links he has several abandonment issues?#Who knows! I just know that he is rife with trauma tokens so you all can spin the wheel and decide #Mask is probably Warriors biggest regret and I am going to shake people about it if not stopped #You can't tell me that he wouldn't have wanted to take him in once he learned he was an orphan traveling all alone with his pony in the WoA #All Links are big sibling coded just on different wavelengths #The WoA was just Wars accidentally picking up several feral strays while a war happened in the back #ex Mask Wind Tetra Skull Kid and Linkle #summer writes linktober 2023 #summer writes

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skyloftian-nutcase · 1 year

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Secrets of the Shadows Pt 4 (Wolf Link Reveal story)

(@ludoluck @keestones @artisticgamer) (and re-tagging folks who wanted to be notified for this story originally since this is the final chapter sorry to bother you guys >_< @wolfwarden @indigoartistqueen @yogurtbear242 @telemna-hyelle @a-little-bit-of-ravioli @skyward-floored)

Summary: When Link goes missing shortly after his adventure, Rusl is worried. Preparing to leave and search for him, he stumbles onto a wolf. This has to be a sign of trouble, right? Rusl thinks it is, and the swordsman attempts to eliminate the threat... and then realizes that there is far, far more to this beast than he thought possible.

(Click here to read on AO3)

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4

The morning air was crisp as Rusl loaded up the wagon. He hadn’t really unpacked much, but Renado had given him some potions and herbs for Link to take back to Ordon Village. Rusl had thanked him over and over, unsure how else to repay the man for everything he had done for Rusl and his children.

Stretching, Rusl glanced towards the inn. He and Link had spent yesterday sharing stories of their adventures. Rusl had been hesitant to ask Link to talk about his journey, trying to give him time, but after the incident he’d pushed that consideration aside. He’d wanted to know what had happened, he’d wanted to avoid any other disasters, and he compensated by telling Link a little about his own journeys. The pair had talked over dinner before going to the hot springs for a refreshing wash and relaxation. Link had gotten a little too relaxed and Rusl had to carry the boy back to the inn, much to his amusement.

This morning Link seemed stronger, though Rusl imagined his stamina was still lacking. At least the rest, potions, food, and hot spring had seemed to finally eliminate any sign of the injury itself.

Which meant Rusl’s worries shifted from Link’s injury to other matters. Matters like rebuilding trust between them, helping Link through not only this mess but his entire journey as well.

Like that friend of his.

Link had been vague on the details, stating he had met a Twili and they had journeyed together. That they’d become very good friends. It was obvious even if he hadn’t specified, as his voice quivered whenever he spoke of her and didn’t dare say what had happened at their travel’s end. Having lost friends on journeys in the past, Rusl could relate, and he tried to offer support as much as possible.

The other matter that rattled Rusl was that of the Hero of the past. But Rusl had little time to ponder it, because the door to the inn opened and Link walked into the morning light, glancing around the village.

Smiling warmly, Rusl approached him with Epona. At the sight of the pair, Link’s face lit up and he immediately ran to his horse. Rusl held back the sigh and words don’t run, and instead, he just watched Link greet his steed with a cheerfully whispered, “Good morning, girl.”

“There’s breakfast for you in the wagon,” Rusl said. “We should be home by lunchtime.”

Although it was clear Link wanted to ride Epona, they both knew that wasn’t feasible since she would be pulling the wagon. Instead, Link nodded, walked to Renado and thanked him again, said goodbye to Luda, and climbed to the front of the wagon, awaiting Rusl. The swordsman chuckled at the sight and at the boy’s stubbornness and knew better than to comment on it. Instead, he climbed to the front of the wagon as well, taking the reigns and handing Link his breakfast, and the pair waved their goodbyes to the villagers as they left Kakariko.

Link ate heartily, and the trip was amicably quiet. An hour or so after finishing breakfast, the boy’s eyes started to droop and he nearly fell face forward before Rusl wrapped an arm around him, startling him awake.

“Go lie down in the back, Link,” he ordered gently. Link was a stubborn boy, but also too polite to put up a fight over something like this, and as expected, the boy climbed into the back (though he pouted about it a little, garnering a chuckle out of the swordsman).

Hyrule field was bright and cheery, with a piercing autumn blue sky glowing above them. As before, Rusl picked off the occasional bokoblin or the one bulbin archer he saw in the far distance. It was a fairly uneventful trip, so uneventful that none of the brief skirmishes woke Link.

Until they had almost reached Faron Woods.

They crested a small hill, and Epona neighed loudly, pushing back against the wagon. Rusl leapt to his feet, bow and arrows at the ready, and immediately saw three bulbin archers and two bokoblins lingering together. Not ideal, but not the worst thing to happen. He just wished he wasn’t so exposed—

A screeching sound from above caught his attention and he saw several guay flying in circles overhead. Those creatures were usually harmless unless they got too close, so he prioritized the ground forces first.

Rusl took down the bulbin archers, yelling and ducking when one of them managed to loose an arrow in his direction. The three fell nonetheless, and Rusl had to direct his attention upward when a guay got too close.

And that’s when one of the bokoblins decided to grow bold and leap onto the wagon. Its blade was a breath away from Rusl’s throat, the swordsman unable to compensate in time, and—

A snarl roared by Rusl, forcibly shoving the bokoblin off him and nearly knocking himself off the wagon entirely. He heard squealing and growling, and he quickly rightened himself, nocking an arrow in preparation to fight when the sight before him made his blood freeze.

A massive, oh so familiar wolf had pinned the bokoblin to the ground, its maw clamped on the beast’s shoulder. Another bokoblin came up behind the wolf, who sensed its approach and whirled around in time to pounce on it. The wolf’s claws tore into the bokoblin’s chest, leaving deep gorges of red rivers. The monster grew motionless, and the wolf spared no time in crushing the first bokoblin’s throat between its teeth.

The wolf. Link.

Rusl stared, terror and horror and so many emotions slamming into him all at once. He knew logically this was his boy, he knew that, but seeing how he fought, seeing the wolf again after what had happened two nights ago…

The wolf—Link—huffed and looked up at Rusl, and his ears immediately peeled back, body cowering subtly in fear and submission. The sight reminded Rusl so strikingly of two nights ago that he almost got ill.

Dropping his bow and arrow immediately, Rusl stumbled off the wagon, landing hard on the ground. His knees protested, but his mind was too numb to register it. He held out an appeasing hand. “Link… Link it’s… are you okay?”

It was the first coherent sentence he could string together given the circumstances, and his worry over Link’s recovering body and general well-being won out over the absolute whirlwind of feelings he couldn’t even put words to.

Shadows encased the wolf just like back at the spring, and Rusl flinched a little. Then they coalesced into the figure he knew so well, and Link was crouching on the ground, blood staining his chin, neck, fingers, and chest. Rusl’s heart skipped a beat and he lurched forward before freezing when he realized none of it was Link’s.

“Spirits,” he muttered. “You… certainly do make a mess in that form.”

Link swallowed, eyes wide, body tense like an animal being cornered.

Rusl took a step back towards the wagon, turning away briefly to grab a cloth. It gave himself a moment to breathe as well. Despite everything that had happened, despite knowing Link could turn into a wolf, having witnessed it and been told about it last night, it was still…

It was still unsettling. Just another reason Link wouldn’t have told anyone about it.

Goddesses, get yourself together! He berated himself. He’s terrified!

After squeezing the cloth a moment, Rusl steadied himself and turned back towards Link, walking to the teenager. Link was still crouched by the bokoblins. Their bodies were dissipating into the malicious ashy smoke that always disintegrated the beasts, but not fast enough that Rusl didn’t catch sight of the grisly wounds Link had inflicted on them.

Rusl tried to ignore the fact that his stomach was in knots. He was no stranger to battle, no stranger to horrific injuries and desperate, nearly barbaric fighting tactics. It wasn’t like Link had many options in that form outside of being downright brutal. But Link was such a gentle soul…

Rusl brushed it aside. Gentle as his boy was, Rusl had trained him and saw how capable he was of being a very aggressive fighter.

By the time the swordsman reached Link, his boy had started to regulate his own breathing and look a little less nervous. Still, he shifted a hair’s breadth away from Rusl when the elder crouched in front of him.

Reaching forward slowly, Rusl started to wipe the blood off his face and neck. “Thank you for saving me.”

Tears quickly formed in Link’s eyes, but the teenager cleared his throat and rapidly blinked them away. He nodded in acknowledgement. The pair was silent as Rusl continued to clean him up, but after a while the swordsman had to ask, “Does… does it hurt?”

Link shook his head immediately. “Not like it used to. I’m okay, Pa.”

Not like it used to. Goddesses. It broke Rusl’s heart that Link had to endure all of this alone on his quest.

Well. Not quite alone. It was no wonder the loss of that friend of his had torn him up so much. Rusl wished he’d known, wished he could have better supported him during his journey, but there was no point in crying over spilled milk. He had to focus on what was happening now.

Looking at Link’s arms, Rusl wet the rag with some water out of his flask and continued cleaning him up. Link didn’t flinch away, instead watching him work with mild apprehension. The movements became more fluid, gentler, and massaging, and Link finally started to relax. As Rusl cleaned, he saw a mark that he had noticed earlier in the last few days but had been too preoccupied to question. It was a reddish scar on his left wrist, large and thick in size, wrapping around the circumference of his arm. It had been a low priority earlier, but now looking at it, Rusl started putting the pieces together.

The wolf had a chain on its front left leg. Link had said he was captured when he had first turned into a wolf.

Rusl traced the mark with his thumb. “When we get back, we’ll get that chain off you.”

Link looked at him, horrified. “We—you—you want me to turn into a wolf in the village?! No, no—”

“Link, Link, relax,” Rusl said hastily, grabbing the teenager by his shoulders as the bloodied rag fell to the ground forgotten. “I meant at home, not outside.”

“B-but—Colin and Ma—”

“Uli already knows,” Rusl assured him, though the words had the opposite effect.

Link paled, and the tears returned. “She—she—”

Rusl remembered her screams of terror that first night when the children had gone missing. He imagined Link remembered it too.

“Link,” he said firmly, interrupting the boy’s stammering. “It’s okay. She was worried about you. She doesn’t think you’re a monster any more than I do, I promise you. It’s going to be okay.”

Link hiccupped, looking down and letting his hair cover his eyes as he tried to get a hold of himself. Slowly, Rusl’s hands slid under Link’s elbows to push him upwards into a standing position, and the pair quietly walked back to the wagon as Epona nickered impatiently, nibbling at Link’s hair as he passed. The motion distracted him, and he gave a quick little smile to his horse before climbing back onto the wagon.

As they traveled farther into Faron Woods, Link grew steadily more tense. Rusl wrapped an arm around him, pulling him to his side. By the time they’d reached Ordon Village, Link had almost dozed off once more. Rusl stopped the wagon by Link’s house, not wanting to attract too much attention in the village. Instead, they would leave the wagon here and unload it in the evening.

The change in momentum jostled Link, who raised his head from Rusl’s shoulder. He looked around at the familiar surroundings, blinking blearily, and then stiffened, waking fully. He looked uncertainly at Rusl, eyes alert and anxious.

Rusl gave him the most reassuring smile he could. “It’s going to be okay, Link. Help me grab some things and we’ll head to the house.”

The words help me were enough of a trigger to motivate Link into motion, and he was already carrying the majority of their items before Rusl had gotten Epona disconnected from the wagon. He didn’t bother arguing the point with the teenager, though he did relieve him of some of the belongings so Link could at least see where he was going.

Link bade Epona goodbye and the pair walked into the village. Rusl noticed the occasional odd stare, but no one stopped them. The mayor in particular paused in the middle of his conversation with Ilia, but he pulled her back to their talk before she could approach them. Rusl supposed it was a bit of an unusual sight seeing Link dressed in his guardian’s clothing and hauling supplies from a trip, but not odd enough to cause a stir.

Rusl opened the door to his house slowly and looked around for Uli, finding her and Colin and Hana all settled on the couch. Uli, who had been knitting while Colin doted over Hana in her little cradle, dropped what she was doing and shot to her feet.

“Link!” she gasped in relief, rushing over to him and pulling him into a hug. “Oh, honey, I’m so glad you’re okay!”

Colin immediately looked worried. “Mama, why wouldn’t he be okay? You said he and Pa went on a trip, why wouldn’t he be okay?”

Link sank into Uli’s embrace, clinging to her for dear life, temporarily unaware of Colin’s concerns, and so Rusl ruffled the young boy’s hair in reassurance. “It’s okay, Colin.”

Spirits it was good to have the entire family together again in one piece. It felt like it had been a lifetime since they'd last been like this. The last two days felt long enough to last a lifetime.

Giving Link the space he needed, Rusl distracted Colin some more. “How’s Hana?”

As his son pulled him to the cradle to look at his beautiful little daughter, he heard Uli and Link both sniffle and whisper softly to each other. He glanced sideways to catch his wife kissing Link’s cheeks and wiping his tears away. Link trembled, visibly shocked and so, so relieved, his lips wobbling as he tried to get a hold of himself. Rusl smiled and felt his own throat tighten, and so he returned his attention to Hana and Colin.

The distraction could only work for so long, though, as Colin was no fool and fairly observant. The child wandered back towards his mother and brother. “Link? Are you okay? Why are you crying?”

Link sniffled, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand. Uli scoffed affectionately at him for it and went to grab a handkerchief. “I just missed Ma is all. And you too.”

Link yanked Colin over playfully, giving him a tight hug as Colin giggled at the affection. Rusl picked Hana up from her cradle and rocked her as she grew fussy over all the noise. Uli returned with a handkerchief and cleaned Link’s face before kissing him on the nose.

Walking towards the group, Rusl said, “Now, it’s time we take care of that issue with your wrist, Link.”

Link’s cheer immediately vanished as his smile fell. He looked down at Colin and then Uli, and then back to Rusl, eyes pleading. “Pa, I—it’s okay, really it is.”

“What’s wrong with Link’s wrist?” Colin asked. Uli reached out and took Link’s hands, examining his wrists as their middle child spoke. Colin peered up at the sight and pointed to the reddened skin. “Link, you’re hurt!”

Turning on his heels, Colin rushed to the cabinet where their first aid supplies were and pulled it out before grumbling, “All the bandages are gone!”

Uli and Rusl exchanged a look.

Link shook his head. “Please, please it’s okay, I promise it’s okay.”

“Honey, what is it?” Uli asked softly.

“It’s his wolf form,” Rusl explained as Colin started to tear the house apart in an attempt to find more medical supplies. “There’s a chain on his arm—his leg—his—”

Rusl paused, biting the inside of his cheek. Link’s fear was temporarily replaced with amusement at his guardian’s blundering attempts to describe wolf anatomy in the context of a Hylian. Rusl sighed and grabbed Link’s hand and held it up so the mark was visible. “Here.”

“But only when he’s a… a wolf?” Uli asked, bemused.

“But it’s okay, I promise,” Link interrupted.

“Link, it’s scarring you.”

“Pa, I—”

“Sweetie, we don’t want you to get hurt every time you go into that form. Do you transform a lot? That mark looks like it hurts.”

“Ma—”

“Son, don’t argue. We’re getting rid of it.”

Colin burst back into the room. “I found some more supplies! Don’t worry, Link, I’ll fix you up. Luda and Renado taught me some things in Kakariko.”

Before Link could protest any farther, Rusl said, “Colin, you can look over his wrist once we get the band off that’s causing the problem. Best have those supplies ready, then. In the meantime, go grab my blacksmith tools, will you? They’re in the bedroom, I have them all in the box – remember where it is?”

Colin scrunched his nose in confusion, but he still nodded. He hastened into the hallway once again, and Link looked at his guardian pleadingly.

Rusl stopped any argument before it could start. “We’re a family, Link. He should know as well. The rest of the village doesn’t have to, but Colin should. He’s good at keeping secrets, you know that.”

Uli gently brushed Link’s hair out of his face with her fingers before she played with the tip of his ear. “It’ll be okay, sweetheart. We're all here to help and support each other. You're going to be okay.”

Colin returned just as Link sighed heavily and looked down at the floor. He examined his older brother’s body language and looked worriedly at Rusl, who smiled reassuringly. Rusl held out this hands and Colin gave him the box, and then Uli kissed Link again and whispered something to him. Sighing heavily, Link took a step away, eyes darting between the three, but especially lingering on Colin.

Link opened his mouth once, closed it, and tried again to speak, but no words came out. He stood there spiraling for a moment longer before Rusl saved him. “Colin, there’s something we need to tell you. During Link’s journey, he was given a gift from the goddesses.”

“A gift?” Colin repeated, intrigued and entranced at the thought. Link also watched Rusl keenly, his fear morphing into something more akin to surprise. Rusl himself wondered if Link viewed it more as a curse than a gift, but the way the teenager had been discussing it with him last night, he at least found it a useful ability to have.

Uli pulled Link into a hug, smiling at him. “Yes, a gift.”

“He’s going to show you now because he has something we need to fix,” Rusl explained.

Link blew out a measured breath, stepping away from Uli. Closing his eyes, he started to crouch down and reached for something in his tunic as darkness spread out from a point at his chest, slowly encircling him and obscuring him from view. A soft hiss emitted from around him, and then the shadows shriveled into the form of a wolf. Colin gasped, frozen in place, but Rusl took the lead and approached the wolf, who had immediately let out a small whine. It seemed Link couldn’t hide his emotions at all in this form, and it made Rusl’s heart hurt at the sight and sound.

Uli beat him to it, however, immediately kneeling beside Link and hugging him, encircling her arms around his neck and tucking her cheek against the top of his head.

The motion unlocked Colin, and the boy scurried forward to face the wolf. “Wow! You—can you still understand me? Do you talk too? Is…”

Colin reached forward hesitantly and rubbed his hand against Link’s head. “You’re so fuzzy!!”

Rusl burst out laughing.

As Colin and Uli fussed over Link, Rusl glossed through his tools and reached forward, shifting between his wife and boys to kneel directly in front of Link. He held out a hand invitingly, waiting for Link to respond. Slowly, his eldest raised a paw, the chain attached to the shackle clinking at the movement. Uli and Colin watched in silence as Rusl gently worked with the shackle, first fiddling with the lock before slowly breaking through the metal.

The shackle and chain fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Massaging Link’s paw and leg, Rusl put the tool down and smiled. “There. See now, Link? You’re free.”

Link immediately let out a small whine, ears pinned to his head, and the entire family engulfed him in a hug. Rusl held his boy so tightly, nose tickled in the fur, until the wolf under him moved and slowly reshaped back into the familiar teenager he knew. Uli and Colin hugged him more tightly, and Link buried his face in the crook of Rusl’s neck.

Rusl gave the boy a kiss on the head, and peace filled the home. “You’re free.”

#the end!! :D #I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter for the most part #I finally got that dang chain off the poor kid #can't imagine it's comfortable #anyway #hope everybody enjoyed the story :)#whumptober #wolf link reveal fic #secrets of the shadows #I hope Colin's characterization was ok I admittedly didn't give him a very big role in this #but clearly he's still important #twilight princess #twilight princess link #tp link #rusl #uli #colin #writing

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