A/N: Hey everyone! It's been a while. This isn't a super long chapter but I hope you enjoy it anyways.
Thank you so much to all of the reviewers! You all have been great :) and I loved every one. I PMed the ones with accounts, as usual (I hope all of them? IF NOT PM ME AND I WILL RESPOND BECAUSE I AM SORRY), but I'll answer the other ones here.
I should also state my policy on flames, too, shouldn't I? I got one a few weeks ago, and a couple negative reviews since then. First of all, I'm okay if you don't like my story. As long as you keep your words somewhat civil and don't use inappropriate language like "kill yourself," I don't mind. As soon as you write trollish or bullying or hateful crap . . . I am a grownup, and in grownup land, that doesn't fly. You get fired for that crap and I will fire your review straight into the trash. Your review will be edited or deleted entirely. You have been warned. I know a lot of writers don't do it this way, but I do not tolerate disrespect on ANY level.
As always, thanks for the reads, faves, reviews, follows and etc. my wonderful readers! Have a great day!
Okay the rest is just responses to reviews, so feel free to skip if you'd like!
him: I actually don't remember if I responded to you in the last chapter, my gosh it's been a while . . . but anyway, thanks so much for the review and for reading my story! I can completely understand what you're saying so don't worry about the grammar or anything like that, I'm just so glad you took time to review my story! And yeah, I wanted Granny to be tough as nails, since eventually she kinda is in the games, and I really love Molly Weasley in the Last Harry Potter book and I kind of wanted to portray some of that with Granny. Plus Granny knows showing weakness will make Link worry, and right now she wants him at his best, so like in the game, she's gonna be STRONG like him and Aryll.
The reason you didn't see your previous review is because I hadn't moderated it yet :$ Usually I get to reviews pretty quickly, but it's been a crazy bunch of months for me. Sorry about that, thanks for trying twice!
Guest: No, I'm a smart 26-year-old college student who doesn't use tumblr because that thing is confusing. #noseriouslythoughIfeellikeI'meighty
What is virtue signaling? That's a new one. And believe me, I am an oppressor. I'm white and I'm pretty dang well off. Welcome to real life, kid.
And um . . . you must not know LoZ lore very well, because Gerudos ARE oppressed, and the fairies haven't been a huge part of the last few games. Logically, I took that in the direction of them slowly disappearing as Hyrule descends into a modern age which, like our own, tends to be less religious (and in this case, magical). And getting locked away into another dimension is pretty much the definition of oppression, soooooooo I don't know where you're coming from with Midna and the Twili, either . . .
Sorry my story 'triggers' your anti-tumblr and virtue signalling, er, things so much. I mean I don't really know what else to say.
A Random Faggot: Oh child . . . five months may seem a million years to you, but when you're my age, it passes like a waterfall into an abyss.
Chapter 44
The most delicious smell wafted underneath the door. It was a few more seconds before it reached Sheik's nose, and he opened his eyes. "Paaaaaaancakes?"
His mother's voice yelled through the door, "Up and at 'em, Sheiky poo!"
It was that moment Sheik realized he had forgotten to shut the door all the way last night, and with his room—or rather, who was in it—on immediate display, his mother pushed the door open with a foot and marched in, tray in hand. A pancake platter, eggs, bacon, orange juice, strawberry shortcake . . .
Sheik prayed to every God and Goddess he knew that his mother wouldn't be SO shocked by Groose that she dropped all that precious food . . .
It was too early in the morning to worry about what this looked this. Sheik leapt out of bed, dislodging Groose so powerfully that the giant cried out and fell off the bed. "DON'T DROP THE FOOD!" He glanced back at Groose's confused, sleepy head rising from behind the bed. Then he looked back at his mother. "IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! I MEAN—" It was exactly what it looked like, except they hadn't had sex.
His mother was silent for a moment—the tray still in her hands, goddesses be praised, then she grinned.
"You . . . you already knew?!" Sheik asked.
His mother laughed smugly, a sort of "ho ho ho!" sound as she set the tray on the bed, which Sheik could now see had settings for two. He blushed. "Gee, thanks, Mama."
"Hello Mrs. Harkinian!" Groose said sheepishly with a signature grin.
"Hello young Groose," Sheik's mother replied, giggling. "I expected to see someone in this room at some point, but I have to be honest, you were last on the list!"
Groose scratched his head. "Sorry . . ."
"Oh don't be sorry, I'm just surprised, is all. You must have matured a lot to end up friends with my son."
This only made Groose's face flush harder and he half hid under the bed. "You knew about the crazy letters."
"Mm-hm!" Mrs. Harkinian said cheerily, which made it a thousand times freakier.
Groose gulped. Then he looked at Sheik, who was smiling bigger than he'd seen in a while. He thought about this, then realized, "Mrs. Harkinian, you called him son! Does that mean you support him?"
Mrs. Harkinian. "Of course I do. I'm his mother. That's what mother's do. We've never had a prince of destiny, but if he were going to be one he would have the mark by now, so it's clear he's simply a prince, haha!" You could hear the relief in her voice. Then she waved a hand. "I don't mean that badly, by the way, I just . . . why are you two looking at each other like that?" Suddenly she became serious.
Sheik said nothing and held out his right hand, palm downward so his mother could see the Triforce symbol with the Wisdom part filled in.
Mrs. Harkinian's mouth opened and she rushed over and took his hand, staring at the symbol in disbelief, then at Sheik. Her eyebrows crossed together while her eyes remained wide. "You are . . . the prince of destiny. And . . . have you sensed the others? Have the nightmares started?"
"Nightmares? No . . . I thought the hero must be Link, but it turned out to be Vio."
"Isn't that Shadow's boyfriend?"
Sheik nodded. "We don't know who has the Triforce of Power," he grimaced and glanced away, "but I think we have a pretty good idea."
"Ganondorf Dragmire," his mother spoke his thoughts, releasing his hand.
Sheik nodded. "But there's more."
"What?"
Taking a moment, Sheik furrowed his brow and paused. "There's . . . another Triforce. From Lorule?"
Mrs. Harkinian nodded.
"It showed up, too."
His mother paled. "At the same time?" She walked a few paces away with her hand over her mouth.
Groose knelt by the bed, head cocked to one side curiously, hair all over the place on his head.
"Who?" Mrs. Harkinian asked.
"That's the funny thing," Sheik replied. "Link turned out to be the courage holder, and his brother Shadow the wisdom holder, and of all things . . . Midna, the Twilight Princess was the holder of power."
"That's impossible . . . Midna isn't even Hylian, much less Lorulian."
"But they do share the Dark World—well, in a way. Neither of their worlds are of light."
"Do you think this has to do with our visitor from the Shadow Realm?"
"I know it does. It has to."
Mrs. Harkinian removed her hand from her mouth and turned half back around. "We need to gather the sages, as well as the leaders of all the other kingdoms—especially Lorule. Nothing but ill can come of this."
"Gee, Mama, you're starting to scare me—"
He was cut off by Mrs. Harkinian, who rushed and threw her arms around him. "You need to be brave. I love you, son, but I will not hide from you. This will be difficult, and you may lose everyone you care about, that's . . . what happened to my mother, and her mother before her."
"Everyone I care about?" Sheik repeated quietly, silently remembering he had no grandparents, or uncles or aunts for that matter, not from his mother's side. Shaking, his arms wrapped around his mother. I don't want to lose you, Mom. Suddenly he pulled away. "No!" He stood up from the bed. "I can't allow it! I WON'T!" He clenched his fists. "There's never been a time when both Triforces appeared simultaneously, and like you said, I'm the first Prince of Destiny, so . . . things have GOT to be different this time." His eyes flashed, and his voiced rumbled. "I will MAKE it so!"
Mrs. Harkinian clasped her hands together, but her eyes remained sad. "I will pray for it, Sheik, with all my heart." She paused, as the next few words were difficult for her to say. "We will need to tell your father."
Sheik's shoulders slumped as he deflated. "Do we HAVE to?"
Later, when Sheik and Groose were off to school, the senator's wife made her way to the estate's chapel. The inside was fashioned with dark red wood, and so were the pews, and a plush carpet led down the main aisle. At the back of the chapel was a large window that covered almost the entire wall in a half-moon shape. Light flowed from it, since it was still morning. The light was eclipsed by the statue of the Goddesses, each holding their tool of choice, Nayru with her harp, Din with her ribbons, and Farore with her rod.
Mrs. Harkinian stepped closer to the altar upon which the statue stood, her steps slowing until finally she fell to her knees before it, hands clasped to her mouth, her whole body trembling as tears fell down her face. "Most loving Goddesses . . . you know I have tried so hard to obey you, to serve you, to keep order, to rule wisely . . . I have never once complained, but . . ." She lifted her head upward. "Why? Why my child? Why must he go through this, on top of everything else?!" She bowed and placed her palms on the ground. "I'm begging you . . . why . . . please . . . every god of Hyrule and any willing to listen, please . . ." She lifted herself into a kneeling position again, hands beneath her chin, looking up at the ceiling, but staring beyond it to the sky. "Protect my son. Protect my baby . . . please." She closed her eyes and two more tears fell down her cheeks.
She slumped into a heap, face in her hands, and the sobs wracked her body uncontrollably.
Shadow had slept over at Vio's. He hadn't told Grandma or Link, but he shrugged the thought away and decided he would just tell Link at school. It's not like they didn't know where he was or anything, and it's not like they were his dad and could control him or anything or tell him what to do. He gasped with a flutter of excitement. Today's visitation day! I get to talk to Dad after school!
He flipped down the book he'd been reading and got ready for school. His hair was a mess and he didn't have time to do anything with it, so he just put it in a messy ponytail. He sighed. "I really should dye you again." There was still some purple at the very base that hadn't grown out or been entirely washed out yet, but it was a sad, pale color, almost pink.
He grabbed his bag and ran downstairs. "Vio! I'm headed to school, then I visit my dad after, can we meet up after that?"
No one answered, so Shadow assumed Vio was in his lab. He looked around to make sure no one else was in the house, then went into the secret basement. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he found Vio in his purple lab coat, staring at the glowing symbol on his hand. He had been very quiet the night before, and now he had a very intense expression, almost inhuman. "Vio?"
Vio glanced at him, and most, but not all, of the tension left his face. "Oh. Hello, Shadow. Did you sleep alright?"
Shadow grinned. "You know I sleep well when I'm next to you."
Vio's face softened some more, and he gave a small smile. "Me too."
Even more cheerful than before, Shadow said, "So I was just gonna ask if you want to meet up after I meet my Dad this afternoon, since it's visitation day—"
"We should skip school."
"Huh?"
Vio had a strange look on his face. He approached Shadow and caressed the side of his head, then undid his ponytail. "You need to fix this mess. I'll do it for you," he added before Shadow could say anything, and Shadow just stood quietly as Vio laced his fingers through Shadow's hair, brushing through it methodically. It was soothing, and Shadow would have closed his eyes except that he was transfixed by Vio's concerned, beautiful face. As he finished the ponytail, Vio said, "I want to protect you."
Shadow tried to grin, but only managed a half grin. "Don't worry about that, I got the smarts piece of the Triforce!"
"Yes, and those holders always get kidnapped." Vio stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Shadow. "I don't want you getting hurt. I don't want . . . but my . . . my brain . . . I want to protect you. I think you shouldn't be around me right now. You should be around Link, or Sheik, or—or—"
Shadow was taken aback, and he pulled away from the embrace. "What? Why?"
"Because I'm . . . I'm different, you don't know everything about me. I mean I used to hurt animals for fun, and I've been having the most terrible thoughts about—"
"Shut up! I'm not staying away. We're skipping school." Shadow left no room for argument as he turned toward the stairs and began to march up them to the main floor.
Vio took in a deep breath, let it go. The voices inside his head were getting louder and louder . . . he had promised Shadow he wouldn't hurt any more animals, but . . . his curiosity was getting the better of him, and he would do anything to protect Shadow . . . or so he kept telling himself. He also had this need, a nagging feeling of withdrawal, and while normally he could fight it easily, with the unsettling information about the Triforces, he was beginning to lose control.
A feeling crept inside of him that had never been there before. He was afraid. Me? Afraid? Impossible . . . but . . . I am. Not of being the Hero, not of losing Shadow. No, that's a different fear. This fear is . . . I . . .
I am afraid of myself.
"This was a GREAT idea!" Shadow laughed as he nocked an arrow. "I had no idea you were so good at archery!"
"It's a hobby of mine," Vio stated calmly. He watched as Shadow shakily pulled the string back. "Hold up."
"Huh?"
Vio came up behind him and placed his hands over Shadow's. "Hold your arm like this. Keep your eye level with the arrowhead. Your other arm should be like this."
"Gosh this is heavy," Shadow commented. His limbs were beginning to shake from the effort of holding the string back.
"You really should exercise your arms more," Vio commented as he helped Shadow pull the string all the way back. "Now aim," he breathed into Shadow's ear. Shadow tensed. "Get ready . . ." He suddenly let go. "And fire."
Shadow held the position for just long enough to aim again, then let loose. The arrow flew across the field and lodged into the haystack with a target painted on it—not on the target, but in the haystack. Shadow whooped and pumped a fist in the air. "Haha, yeah!" He leapt off the platform to collect his arrow.
Vio felt safe here, at the range. It was where he came to focus when his mind just got too unbearable . . . or when Blue and Red got too damn annoying. He walked over to his own bow, picked it up, and nocked an arrow, expertly pulling it back and releasing.
There was a high-pitched yip by the target. Vio had shot the same target Shadow was headed for. Shadow turned around. "Are you crazy?! Are you trying to kill me?! Oh my gosh! Wait until I get back, stupid!"
Vio stood frozen, eyes wide. What did I just do? He shook it off. Just a mistake. It was just a mistake. He watched Shadow as he reached the target, and smirked when his skinny body had trouble pulling the arrow out. He sensed rather than caused his arms to nock another arrow and brought his bow up, calculating. I could stick his head right to the bullseye. He gasped, and dropped both his bow and his arrow. "Shadow," he said, his voice shaking. "Get off the range . . . now."
Shadow finally freed his arrow. "Got it!" He trotted back and hefted himself back onto the platform. As soon as he reached Vio, though, Vio violently took several steps back until he hit the wooden wall of the platform. His eyes were wild, mouth steeled shut. "Vio, what's wrong?"
"Stay away. Just go."
"What?"
"I'm going to hurt you. You need to leave."
Shadow's own face steeled. "We talked about this. I know you're different, we both know this, but you can't go through this alone." He began walking toward Vio.
"Stay back!"
"Vio, let me help you!" Shadow reached up to take Vio's face in his hands.
Vio's hand flew up and grabbed Shadow's wrist so hard that Shadow cried out. "I SAID GET AWAY!" He threw Shadow away from him, and Shadow landed hard, nursing his bruised wrist.
"Ow, Vio, what's gotten into you?"
Vio turned and backed toward the door.
Shadow clambered to his feet. "No, you stay here. We need get work through this. Together!"
A decided look came upon Vio's face, and suddenly he ran away, out of the shooting range.
"VIO!" Shadow ran after him. They got to the street, but Vio was already well ahead of him. "Vio! You know I can't run! STOP! V—" He halted, hand over his still-healing heart, coughing. Vio disappeared around a corner. Shadow whispered brokenly after him, "I can't run after you . . ."
Link waltzed through the front door of his house. "Grandma? Have you heard from Shadow?" He hadn't been there when Link woke up, which didn't worry Link until Shadow didn't show up to school. Is he still with Vio? He recalled Granny and his conversation the previous night about Shadow getting into trouble. I guess he is under a lot of stress. I wouldn't be surprised if he skipped school, but he's already so behind. I should be a better brother. Sheik hadn't heard from him, either, though Link noticed he and Groose seemed especially chummy. Midna was subdued, but Nabooru was happy to see him. She flipped her hair a lot. Link liked that.
"What's that, dear?" Granny responded from the living room. "No, I haven't. How was school?"
Link headed straight for the fridge. "It was good."
"LINK LINK LINK!"
He grinned. "ARYLL ARYLL ARYLL!"
"Are you headed to work soon?" Granny asked.
He collected bread, mayo, cheese, meat, and anything else that looked decent to make a sandwich with and piled it onto the counter. "No, Linebeck gave me the day off so I could catch up on homework. I have a test coming up."
"Oh, well, let me know if there's anything I can do to help, Dear."
"I will, don't worry, Grandma."
"Dinner's at six!"
"Got it!"
A few minutes later Grandma and Aryll went on a walk, and Link sat with his masterly crafted sandwich, although considering its size it should be called a grandwich. He pored over his homework, chomping away when the door opened and Shadow came in. Link looked up. "Oh THERE you are! Where've you been?" Link picked up immediately that something was wrong. Shadow looked confused, dazed, out of it. And upset.
This is it. Being a better brother starting NOW. Link set down his sandwich and got off the stool and ran over to Shadow. "You didn't text me back."
Shadow flinched at his voice.
Link stepped closer and asked cautiously, "Are you okay?"
Some of the emotions cleared from Shadow's face. He nodded. "Yeah, I'm . . . okay." He slowly walked past Link to the kitchen.
Link wracked his brains for an idea of what could possibly be up. "Did you and Vio have a fight?"
"Yeah . . ." Shadow somberly crawled onto a kitchen stool, shoulders slumped, rubbing his wrist in a weird way.
Now Link thought of ways of cheering him up. "Are you hungry? I made a sandwich? You want half?"
Shadow shook his head. "Do we have ice cream?"
"Yeah!" Link got to the fridge in a flash and supplied Shadow with a tub of caramel ice cream, which he opened, and a spoon and sat next to him. He watched Shadow pick up the spoon and try to scoop out some ice cream. He grimaced. Then he glanced at Link to see if he'd noticed, and switched hands.
Link wasn't fooled this time. Better brother. "Is your hand okay?"
"Yeah, it's just . . . a little bruised. Vio and I were doing archery and I guess I strained myself."
Having just eaten quite a lot of food, Link's lie detectors were quite strong. His eyes narrowed. "Injured doing archery, huh? I'm got some muscle relaxing oil that helped strained muscles, you wanna—"
"No. No, it's fine."
If Link had an antenna, it would be beeping wildly. "Why aren't you telling me the truth?"
"I am, I swear." There was an edge to his voice.
"Why aren't you letting me help you?"
Shadow took a sharp intake of breath. He looked at Link, glassy eyes full of guilt. He looked down. "It . . . I . . . I don't know."
Link scooted his stool closer and cautiously placed a hand on Shadow's back. He leaned close. "It's okay, Shadow, you can tell me."
"We WERE doing archery . . . but then Vio got really weird, and I tried to talk to him about it, but . . ." He didn't seem able to form the words.
Crossing his eyebrows, Link thought hard about what Shadow had revealed so far, then asked carefully, "Did Vio hurt you?"
Shadow was nursing his bruised wrist again. "He . . . threw me on the floor."
Link felt a stabbing sensation in his heart, but he forced himself to stay silent.
"And he yelled at me. 'Stay away!' And then he ran off and I couldn't follow him very far."
"Because of your heart."
"Yeah."
"Well I'm glad you didn't try to keep running. I'm glad you took care of yourself. I'm glad you came home. I'm really really glad you're home."
Shadow finally opened up, everything he'd learned about Vio, from the coldness, the disconnections, the violence toward animals. "Link . . ." he said when he finished. "Why won't he let me help him?"
Pausing to consider, and because he really didn't want to say something the wrong way and hurt Shadow, Link placed a hand on his bruised wrist gently. "I think this is why. I don't know what it is, but there's something going on in Vio's brain that's really destructive, and he wants you out of it."
"But I can help."
Link shook his head. "No, Shadow, it's not worth . . . it's not worth you getting hurt. He needs a doctor, a parent, guardian, a—an adult. You can't help, you're too weak right now, and it sounds like he's much stronger than you. We need to tell Grandma."
Shadow teared up. "No Link, please? Keep this between us?"
Link set his jaw.
"Please," Shadow begged. "It was just an accident . . . I know it was just an accident . . . please don't tell anybody else. Promise?"
And so Link made a decision that twisted his stomach, because he was honest, but he knew if he said the wrong thing, Shadow would run away, and right now Link wanted him right here where he was safe. So he lied. "I promise."
A/N Okay so by now ya'll gotta know how I am with mental illnesses/disorders and representing them. Sociopathy has always fascinated me, and I don't feel we treat it correctly, I don't know if there's a way to yet. Again, if you see anything off or whatever about how I represent it, let me know. I'm writing Vio as though he is aware there is something different and aware that it is not part of him, or at least not everything he's made of. I figured there's no way for him to do what he did in the manga of Four Swords, helping Shadow destroy Hyrule, unless he had a stone cold heart . . . or was a sociopath. Or a really really good spy! I chose sociopath for this story.
AND ALSO, IF SOMEONE PHYSICALLY HARMS YOU IN ANY WAY, FIND AN ADULT OR SOMEONE YOU TRUST AND GET HELP IMMEDIATELY! You can call the police or the Domestic Violence Hotline which will be confidential, meaning they don't have to know who you are: 1-800-799-7233
Cheers!
