AN: I know it's late. Have a longer chapter for your trouble~ School started . . . I . . . will get to responses on Saturday, completely miscalculated how busy I'd be this week.
Aside from that, let's get ONE thing straight-THERE WILL BE NO LINKCEST IN THIS STORY! If you don't know what that is, I'm sorry to be the one to introduce it to you. The four "Links" are NOT the same person, THEY ARE NOT EVEN RELATED. In my headcanon they're not related and not the same person because THEN they don't have to merge altogether at the end! I might delve into them getting into relationships with each other, but even with them being unrelated that might be too weird considering all the . . . interesting fanfiction out there. For those of you who DO like that sort of thing . . . not going to find it here. That is one area I shall not explore. Ever.
Thanks to Kreignreign (I hope I spelled that right) for the review (glad you liked the last chapter so much! I liked it, too, one of my better, more organized ones. This one not so much, haha!)
Also, thank you guest, for the reviews!
Thanks to everyone for reading/faving/reviewing/just being here!
Chapter Le Teardrops
"Well . . . the library's closing soon, don't you have to get home?" Sheik was creeped out by Vio, but the guy was super exponentially helpful at deciphering ancient texts and thinking critically about a problem that was heretofore hypothetical. If he wasn't so desperate for help, Sheik would pepper Vio about why he was helping. Vio seemed to be getting absolutely nothing out of it, so what was his motive?
Vio shook his head. "No need to go home. You?"
Sheik smiled, bigger than the situation would normally warrant. "I'm the prince of Hyrule, I can stay here all night! . . ."
Vio's eyes flashed. "Could you . . . by any chance, extend that permission to someone else? Say, me?"
Sheik blinked. "If you like it so much here, why haven't I seen you here before?"
"I moved here recently."
He knew he shouldn't, but—but— "Wait, you said you're fifteen. How come you don't have to go home? What about curfew?"
Vio shrugged his shoulders. "In truth, I'm an emancipated minor. I have a card that lets me be out later than other teens. I even have a driver's license."
Sheik's jaw dropped to the floor. "No kidding?! But . . . emancipated minor. So you live on your own? No parents or grandparents or . . . adults at all?"
"Not exactly." Vio pulled out a violet smart phone and began scrolling through contacts. "I live with my band members, who are also emancipated minors. Before now we lived in Kakariko, but we moved here so Green can go to fencing school and because Blue got a job here. He basically supports all of us. He's the legal 'grownup,' so to speak, though sometimes I question that decision."
Sheik sat quietly as he processed all of this information. "So you do whatever you want?"
Vio nodded, then put the phone to his ear. "Hey Blue, Vio here." A loud, angry voice began yelling unintelligibly at Vio through the phone's speaker. "I know, I know, I forgot to tell you, but I can't come back yet, I'm on a date with the princess of Hyrule. I'll be back tomorrow—shut up! Okay, luv u bye!" He hung up.
Sheik flushed. "We are NOT on a date!" He sat bolt upright. "And I'm not a princess!"
"Don't worry, I always lie. He'll never believe me anyway."
"Yeah, but the MEDIA might."
". . . touche."
Sheik groaned. Let's just get back to work. "Okay, so where were we?"
Shadow and Link sat with their backs to the bookcase. Shadow flipped through a scientific book on animals that could transform, searching for pictures. He let out a tired sigh. "What time is it?"
Link opened his eyes and checked his phone. "1 A.M."
"Uuugh, are they every going to QUIT?"
"We could just go out there."
"No, Sheik didn't want us there, I wanna know why!"
"But we're already here!"
"SHH! What he doesn't know won't hurt him!"
Link slapped a hand on his mouth. Somebody's footsteps were coming in their direction. Before either of them could even begin to get to their feet quietly and run away, Vio came around the corner.
Shadow and Link froze, Shadow half crouched and Link halfway through shoving him while getting to his own feet. Vio merely stared at them. Then his nose twitched, and one corner of his mouth went up slightly, for just a second.
From the table, Sheik called, "What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing," Vio replied, stepped over Shadow and Link's legs, pulled out a book, and went back around the corner and to the table as though he hadn't seen anything.
When he sat back down, Link and Shadow finally relaxed. "That guy is SERIOUSLY scary!" Link commented.
"Yeah," Shadow agreed.
"Hypothetically," Vio began as he sat down, "If I stick around you, will I end up in the papers like your friends?"
Sheik looked up. Vio seemed amused about something, but he couldn't figure out what. "Well, yes," he answered, seriously. "Does that bother you?"
"It's inevitable."
"Okay . . ." that wasn't an answer! "Seriously, why do you have that creepy grin?!"
The look was wiped off Vio's face like a power-washed wall. "You think I'm creepy?"
"Uh—I didn't mean that. Um—" What was he talking about? He DID mean that! "It's just . . . you come off as kind of . . . I dunno, strange."
Vio's eyebrow rose ever so slightly, his mouth pursed.
"Sorry." Sheik bowed his head, sort of abashed, but not really regretting anything. "I mean, you dodge questions, you don't react to things, and you act like . . . like you're above it all."
"Well I can't help that," Vio snapped, before opening the next book, putting his forehead on a hand and tapping the table with the other hand. "Whatever, let's just work this out."
"I didn't mean to offend you, Vio. I'm really sorry . . . I really appreciate your help."
"Hm."
A loud, exasperated growl emanated from one of the bookshelves, followed by another voice saying, "Link, what are you—?!"
None other than Link appeared from behind the bookcase. "Zelda, what are you DOING? It's the middle of the night, before a school night, and you're studying. With a guy! What's going on?"
"I told you!" Sheik replied defensively. "I have a project due . . . tomorrow!" He didn't sound as convincing as he wanted, and he huddled behind his book as though that would lend more credibility to his story.
"Well we're worried about you!" Link continued. "Your dad walked out on you! You can't tell me you're FINE!"
Feelings Sheik had been staving off all day threatened to return, but he shook his head fiercely and slammed him book down. "I'M FINE! What are YOU doing here? I'm trying to get this done and you're ANNOYING ME!"
"Stop lying."
"I'm not—I can't think about that right now! Don't you know I have to study! I HAVE TO! And Vio's been helping—Vio?!"
The strange youth was already several paces away, carrying a few books in his arms on his way to the exit. "Wait! Vio, come back!" Sheik's eyes caught a sticky note sticking to the books in front of Vio's books. On it was written a note:
555-0347
call me tomorrow
Still anxious that he'd pushed Vio away, Sheik was relieved to see that maybe Vio would give him another chance . . . if this wasn't a dummy number, that is . . .
"Link," said Sheik, his voice finally breaking. He put on his face. His Royal face. "I don't want to talk about it."
Link shrugged. "Okay . . . but won't you let us be with you at least? You're pushing us away, and I don't like it."
Sheik frowned. "But . . ."
"You can kick and scream and yell. I won't care. You can even yell at me. It won't hurt me. Just don't tell me to leave you like this. Please?"
He hadn't realized, but now he did. He HAD been pushing his friends away, and not just Link and Shadow. He'd closed up. He still didn't want company, but at the same time he did. He didn't know what he wanted. He had to THINK, but everything was so confusing. He couldn't just tell Link no . . . "What about Granny?"
"We said we might stay over." He glanced around the library. "Technically we didn't lie."
"I don't . . . I don't wanna bother you. Just . . . just go home."
Link's eyebrows curved downward. "No."
Shadow wanted to say, 'we can't, it's past curfew,' but the tension in the room told him he'd better sit this one out.
"I'm not leaving you alone," Link continued.
"Why? Just, Why?!" Sheik looked like he was going to protest more, but he kept choking up. He sat down, putting his arms on the table and hiding his face against them. "I just wanna be alone," he growled. "I deserve to be alone. I reserve that right!"
Shadow hugged his knees to his chest. What was Link gonna do? What was HE gonna do?
Link strode the rest of the way to the table and leaned on it. "Why?! So you can sulk and feel bad all on your own? Why are you shutting me out, Zelda?!"
Sheik stood, putting his fists on the table. "You can't even remember my name is Sheik!"
Link was taken aback, and bit his lip. "I didn't mean to."
"Yeah, well I don't want to be around anybody who doesn't mean to hurt me. I don't want to be hurt AT ALL!" He pushed the chair back and started away from the table, away from the others. Suddenly his whole body seized, and he ripped at his hair, and then shouted to his right, "SHUT UP!"
Link wondered in confusion who Sheik was talking to. Him? He hadn't said anything.
Sheik looked back at him, a slight blush on his cheeks. "I'm just . . . I can't explain what I'm going through right now to you guys, okay?" His eyes glassed over, and his chin trembled. "Just stay away from me!" He ran away as fast as he could.
"I will NOT!" Link shouted back and ran after him.
Shadow was left alone, since he couldn't run yet. He didn't know what to do, either. He pulled out his phone. His finger hovered over the contact titled, "Worst Dad of the Year." After a second of contemplation, he tapped the call button and put the phone to his ear.
"Hrm 'ello? Shadow?"
"Hi Dad! What's up? Can we chat?"
A long pause. "It's three in the morning." Another pause. "Where are you?"
"Oh! We're at Sheik's. Hanging out. Sleeping over."
"Okay. So why are you calling?"
Shadow slowly started walking in the direction his friends had gone, reluctantly. "Well . . . Link and Sheik are having a fight."
"Oh."
"Will you talk to me?"
There was another small pause, before Ganondorf responded with warmth, "Of course."
"Would you like more honey in your tea, Shadow?" Mrs. Harkinian asked.
Shadow, who sat at the Harkinian kitchen counter, shook his head politely. "No, thank you!"
Mrs. Harkinian nodded and began searching the kitchen, hunting for something. "Ah, here they are!" Mrs. Harkinian climbed down from the footstool holding a box of cookies. "I knew I had some of these stashed somewhere."
She placed them in front of Shadow, who examined them while sipping tea—then made a noise with his mouth full, and swallowed. "I love these! Thanks Mrs. Harkinian!"
"No problem, dear." The queen looked tired, and it was the first time Shadow had seen her without makeup or her hair done. Shadow thought she still looked elegant. Mrs. Harkinian was really nice. Shadow liked her a lot and wondered why they hadn't done more things with her.
"Heard anything from Link and Sheik?" Shadow asked. Link and Sheik had been up all night shouting at each other. Mrs. Harkinian had been woken up by it, and at the base of the stairs to Sheik's room she found Shadow, staring up the stairs despondently. Which is why the queen had invited him to tea. About an hour ago the shouting stopped, and Mrs. Harkinian found the two fast asleep in Sheik's bedroom, Sheik on his bed and Link sprawled on the floor in what looked like a very uncomfortable position.
Mrs. Harkinian sighed and shook her head. "Still fast asleep. I think they're going to miss school, but perhaps that's a good thing . . . What was the fight about, if I may ask?"
Shadow stared into his tea cup. He wasn't used to being honest. Not with adults. Was it okay to tell Mrs. Harkinian . . .?
"Is it a secret?" she asked.
Shadow shrugged.
Mrs. Harkinian put her chin on a fist. "Part of me wants to trust you. After all, my . . . Sheik told you about his secret long before he told me. However, I AM his mother, and as his mother I refuse to let you keep that secret."
Shadow smiled slightly. "You're as bad as Link." He sighed. "Anyway, Sheik wanted to be alone, but Link wouldn't let him because Sheik is super upset about . . ." He suddenly blushed. He was talking about something the queen's husband did!
"About Johannes walking out on his performance," Mrs. Harkinian guessed. Then she covered her face with her hands. When she removed them, her face was more collected. "Thank you for telling me, Shadow."
"You're welcome. Is Sheik going to be okay?"
Mrs. Harkinian smiled. "With friends like you and Link, I'm sure he'll be fine."
"What are you gonna do? Aren't you mad?"
"At my husband?"
"Yeah."
She smiled, a real smile. She patted him on the shoulder. "That's between me and Johannes. Don't you worry about it. Johannes loves Sheik, he's just . . . having a bit of a tantrum at the moment. It's hard for him. He didn't grow up with all of this knowledge about acceptance that you kids have. It'll take him a while, but I'm sure he'll come around. He's got to."
"That makes me feel better. I mean you GOTTA know, right?"
Her smile tightened, but she said nothing.
Shadow helped himself to some cookies, anxiety gone.
The kitchen door opened and a tall, skinny man with a greying black beard and a red coat came in, looking rather irritated.
"Oh!" Shadow exclaimed before his excitement deflated completely. "Mr. Harkinian. Hi."
Sheik's father looked at Shadow strangely. Sheik's mother interjected quickly, "Shadow and Link are staying over. Shadow couldn't sleep."
Shadow smirked. True enough. "Thanks for staying up with me, Mrs. Harkinian," Shadow said politely. "I really like talking to you!"
Mrs. Harkinian looked tickled pink. "It's no trouble, dear."
"How is Zelda?" Mr. Harkinian asked. Shadow cringed.
"Why don't you go see for yourself?" Mrs. Harkinian asked, making Mr. Harkinian bristle.
"I suppose you're making me sleep on the couch again?" he asked.
"Not in front of Shadow, dear."
"I will speak wherever I like under my own roof!"
"Nobody can keep a home when they're so upset they've lost all sense of decency." Mrs. Harkinian was remaining remarkably cool.
Shadow slowly edged off his seat, but Mrs. Harkinian stopped him. "It's alright, Shadow. You needn't leave."
"Oh, so YOU would also keep him here as we fight?" Mr. Harkinian challenged.
"No," his wife replied. "You will leave. Or you will behave. One or the other. I won't 'fight' with you. When you're ready for a discussion, you may come back."
Face turning bright red in anger, Mr. Harkinian nevertheless clenched his fists and stormed out of the kitchen, the door slamming behind him.
"So sorry you had to see that, Shadow," Mrs. Harkinian said, her smile back on her face instantly.
Shadow shrugged. "It's not your fault, Mrs. Harkinian." He grinned. "I wish my mom were alive so she could talk to MY dad that way!" His eyebrows crossed. "Are all fathers that way?"
Mrs. Harkinian frowned at the question. She poured Shadow another cup of tea and also one for herself. "No, not all of them are. And Johannes is normally much more mild. I've never seen him this angry for so long." She sat on the bar stool next to him and smiled sweetly. "Don't worry, Shadow, you're not destined to grow up into an angry, sour-faced old man."
Shadow grinned back, with some relief. He hadn't realized at first, but that was exactly what had been bugging him. He held his mug of tea close to him so the scent and heat could waft into his face. This is what having a mom is like!
"Tell me about your father," Mrs. Harkinian asked.
Shadow shrugged, a little shame-faced. "I dunno. He's kinda cool, I guess. But he's MEAN, you know?" Shadow fiddled with the elbow-length fingerless gloves he always wore, then folded his arms, hugging them to his body. "He treats animals like dirt. I'm fine with Link and Sheik and most people because at least they don't, you know . . . torture animals and they don't know any better—no offense."
"None taken. Sheik's told me you're vegan."
Shadow nodded, filling up with quite a bit of excitement that somebody, an adult, was listening to him. "But that's what dad does. He tortures them." He suddenly stopped. "B-but you know, I think he's starting to get it. He . . . buys me all sorts of vegan snacks now! And he doesn't bug me so much about eating dairy or meat or other animal products."
Mrs. Harkinian had suddenly appeared very concerned, more concerned than Shadow thought was needed, and it had made him uncomfortable. Maybe . . . maybe she's vegan, too!
"It's sad that people can treat other living things so poorly," Mrs. Harkinian replied, sipping her tea. Then she changed the subject. "How do you like living with the Knights? Who would have thought you'd become best friends with your own twin brother without even realizing it?"
Shadow grinned, glad for the change of subject, even though he couldn't identify why. "I know! It's been great!" He tapped his foot against the backside of the counter, relaxing. "I get along with Aryll really well, and Granny's always got food ready. I'm happier than I've ever been in my entire life!"
"I'm glad." Mrs. Harkinian took one more sip of tea before setting her cup down. "Shadow, if you don't mind me asking, why do you wear those gloves?"
Shadow's hackles raised, higher this time. "Oh . . . you know . . . I like them."
"You're not covering anything up?"
"No!" Shadow shook his head violently. "I . . . I mean . . ." He stared into his mug, twiddling his thumbs. "It was an accident. A long, long loooong time ago."
"What happened?"
Shadow tried to shrug nonchalantly. "Oh, I got burned when I stuck my arms into a fire."
"Why on earth did you do that?"
"It was when I was little."
She nodded, and he continued, "There was a lot of damage, and I go to the doctor regularly for, like, skin checks and . . . I have skin grafts, so . . . so they're really ugly and, and I don't like looking at them."
"Oh, Shadow," Mrs. Harkinian sighed sympathetically. She reached out and covered his hands with hers. "That sounds awful. I want you to wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, but you needn't be ashamed. Any time you feel like you want to take those gloves off—they're too hot, they're dirty—"
Shadow laughed. Only a mom would think of something like that.
"—or if you just want to take them off for a day . . . I'm here for you. Okay?"
"Thanks, Mrs. Harkinian," Shadow replied shyly. He was really starting to feel uncomfortable, so he said, "Um, do you think I could sleep downstairs? Until morning?"
Mrs. Harkinian nodded. "Of course. Let me just get you some blankets and a pillow." She winked at him as she stood from her seat. "Our couch is extra plush and fancy. The Tingle Salesman told me so."
Shadow laughed.
The sun was just beginning to rise as Vio walked past the dilapidated gate to his house. They hadn't gotten around to fixing everything up yet. They'd just moved in, after all. Like, a week ago. That hadn't stopped Red. A bright, hand painted "Welcome!" sign decorated with sentient, colorful foods hung just beneath their address number. Vio walked up the steps to his house and opened the door and went inside.
From the noises, everyone was already up, getting ready for work and school.
A loud, brash voice called from his right. "Vio?! If that's you, you are SO dead!"
"Hello, Blue," Vio replied calmly as a larger boy, roughly eighteen, stomped to out of the kitchen and to the entry way. He wore an apron and his hair was neatly styled.
"Where the h- have you been?!" Blue demanded, fists on his hips.
"I was out."
Blue slapped his forehead. "I know THAT. Where were you? I almost called Pat!" Pat was their social worker. "Seriously, Vio, what were you thinking staying out all night past curfew?"
How would I know you care if I didn't? "You stay out past curfew."
"Well, duh, I've got a job—don't turn this into another argument, we've already had a ton of those! WHAT were you thinking?"
"VIO!" At least Red was still happy to see him. The shortie bounded from the kitchen and bowled into Vio, not even reaching his shoulder in height. "I missed you!" His eyes filled with tears. "I was worried about you! I mean not REALLY worried cuz you're strong and can take care of yourself, but I didn't know where you were and I missed you!"
"Thanks, Red."
Red bounced back. "Are you hungry? I made blueberry pancakes, your faaaavorite!"
"No, I'm not hungry. I'm just going to go to bed."
"What about school?"
"Not going."
Blue fumed, but he said, "I guess there's no way around it. Next time you want to go out all night, don't do it on a school night, please?"
"Yes, mother," Vio responded noncommittally as he climbed the stairs. Snoring came from Green and Blue's room. Vio peeked in to see Green's spiky blond mess of hair sticking out of the covers. Still asleep, as usual. He walked past the room and into his own. Purple walls on his side of the room, purple bed covers, purple bedposts, purple stuffed elephant with darker purple paisley patterns . . . he was kind of obsessed with the color purple. Eventually he'd convince Blue to let him make the carpet purple. And of course, his trusty purple, ancient desk he'd brought from the foster care center. It had so many dents and nicks that it was a wonder the drawers worked at all and the thing still stood somewhat level. It was due for a repaint, however. The desk's chair was a boring brown, as his purple one had broken several days ago. He'd made quite a fuss about it. He sat down and opened the thick book that sat on the desk. He shoved his face against its pages and breathed in deeply. He loved the smell of old books. Only after a few minutes of this did he finally raise his head to see which page he'd ended up on—literally. "Hm. Parasites." He closed the book and stood up, making his way to his bed. He crashed onto it, grabbing his purple elephant and staring into its emotionless, dead eyes. "You don't think I'm creepy, do you?"
The elephant didn't answer. Thank goodness.
"It's just . . . you come off as kind of . . . I dunno, strange."
Of course it bothered him. He didn't feel strange. Just because he wasn't like other people, just because he didn't . . . get other people . . . that didn't make him creepy, did it? So he liked things most people found appalling. So he didn't cringe when people got hurt, or understand when people got angry at things he said. Different, okay. Serious, yes. Strange? No. That word offended him.
He didn't want to be seen as strange.
Flipping onto his back, he sighed and stared at the lights on his ceiling that imitated stars-yes, they were purple, too, but lots of different kinds of purples. They shifted softly on and off, back and forth from bright to dim to nothing and back again. He thought about Sheik's friends in the library. He bit his bottom lip. He rolled over and grabbed his copy of the local tabloid paper. He flipped through to the full story, pictures included, of the cross-dressing princess and her dark-haired and light-haired friends and their wayward adventures. The dark-haired one, Shadow, still had remnants of purple at the ends of his long locks. Beautiful, luscious purple . . .
He's even hotter in person, Vio thought excitedly. I have to see him again! Maybe I can get his number from Sheik. Maybe I can switch schools-no, no, his school is too expensive. Where does he hang out? His address isn't in the school's registry! Darn rich people and their privacy . . . oh well. He's bound to be hanging around Sheik at some point, if I just wait patiently. He screamed into his pillow. Oh my goddess! I've never felt this way about anybody before!
"Vio?"
Vio suddenly sat up, his face stone cold. Blue stood in the doorway, his bushy eyebrows trying very hard to stay separate as well as frown. Vio was always shocked at how . . . square his head was.
"Are you okay? I thought you were going to sleep."
"Can't sleep yet," Vio replied.
Blue rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Soooo . . . fun date?"
Vio smiled evilly.
