:)))))))))))
They walked into an argument.
Link sighed deeply, pushing a hand through his hair. Sunset peeked over his shoulder and scowled. "Oh great, Blue Fang is here."
"Of course they're here," Link complained, though it was with no anger at her. He couldn't stand Blue Fang, and the fact that their omega sneered at them, the toothpick, set Link's nerves on a knife's edge.
They'd asked where Impa had gone when he hadn't scented her at camp, and Talo had said she'd gone to another meeting between packs, all while staring at Spitfire, Sunset and Mania. So Howler had dragged them all here, away from prying eyes, to neutral territory, where all forest inter-pack matters were decided.
The table was so old it had grown into the grass, and the clearing was ringed by thick, ancient trees with trunks so wide they rivaled the Great Deku Tree's. Roots tangled around the table's legs, holding it fast--the better for it to weather all the arguments it had seen.
Now, it was bearing another argument--as always, between the main combatants: Impa and the alpha of Blue Fang, Dampe. The biggest shithead in the Deku Forest.
As they passed the table's edge, the omega sniffed at Spitfire's legs and she jerked away, hissing--but not before Link was in his face, snarling. "Stay away from her."
The omega cowered back, whining even in his human form, and Link leaned away. His hand found Spitfire's and pulled her away from the chicken bone of a wolf.
The bickering wolves at the head of the table paid them no mind, no matter how close Link's group got. The other alphas, however, did notice. Silver Scale's alpha had been leaning on an elbow, rubbing her temple, but she jerked upright when she saw Link. "H-Howler? What are you doing here?"
"Need to talk to Black Sage," Link said shortly, eyes scanning the crowd. Something was wrong. His hand tightened, and he felt her fingers curl more around his palm. Something in him, the bond probably, shifted and settled comfortably, pleased with her proximity. Hand holding was the only thing she allowed, though. She hated it when he put himself in front of her, as he'd done several times on the road, or when he tried to pull her away from one of virus-drained corpses they'd found with increasing frequency. And that was just his protective instinct as a wolf. She had no idea how hard it was to shut the bond inside him down, to tell it to shut up while Spitfire got within inches of a drained body. He trembled with the effort to keep quiet.
But aside from that, regarding everything else, he'd learned quickly what she liked and didn't like, and damn him, he'd done his damnedest to behave accordingly. That said, he was who he was--teasing was in his blood.
And seeing her get all annoyed and red-faced . . . it was cute.
Link still didn't understand how he'd gotten around to imprinting on the girl who'd tried to make him celibate, permanently, but there it was. The bond was strong within him, and it wasn't going anywhere--anywhere she wasn't, that is.
He couldn't decide if that was a blessing or not.
Though now, with Silver Scale's alpha staring at him like he'd grown another head and that missing piece nagging at him, Link figured he had more pressing problems.
The last time any of the alphas had seen him, he'd still been Black Sage's loyal beta. The last time Black Sage had seen him, she'd looked at him, sensed the bond floating around inside him, waiting for a tether, and she'd called him a fool. Promised to keep the packs off him . . .
"Oh shit," Link muttered. Unfortunately, that was enough to get Black Sage's attention.
She fixed her red eyes on him, and he stepped forward, clearing his throat. The other wolves had fixated on him as well, apparently waiting for him to speak. He could sense the anger rising, the growls sharpening into snarls, see hackles rising from the members of each pack. Link cleared his throat again and shifted, trying to put Spitfire behind him, to the Dark Realm if she hated it.
"Well well, if it isn't the runaway beta," Dampe sneered, leaning over the table. His eyes flicked between Link and Spitfire, and his nostrils flared. Link stiffened. Beside Dampe, Silver Scale's alpha glared at him. "Come back with your tail between your legs and a bitch--"
In a flash Link had shifted and leapt on the table, his jaws reaching for Dampe's throat. The fight was sudden and abrupt, and he heard Spitfire's shout of alarm and Sunset's sigh before the howls of the wolves around drowned it out.
Dampe's foot landed in his gut and his jaws clenched around Dampe's ear, earning an enraged howl--and then roots were breaking them apart, wrapping around Link's middle and hauling him away. Dampe was covered from muzzle to tail in them, and he writhed like a mad-wolf. His jaws chomped through the one over his muzzle and he snarled, to a completely ineffective degree, if the bored expression on Sunset's face was anything to go by.
She set the two wolves down, and Link stalked in front of Spitfire, snarling viciously at any wolf that dared to come close. Black Sage had put her face in her hands, sighing deeply, and set about calming the newly-shifted-and-now-screeching Dampe, but Link didn't care. He found he didn't care about much at all, when anything about Spitfire was threatened. He licked his chops and settled into a hunch, his tail lashing.
A hand settled into his scruff, soothing his frayed nerves, and he heard Mania say, "You couldn't have done that with me and Blazing Sun?"
He could almost hear Sunset's frown.
Link gave a canine snort, settling himself better to feel Spitfire's hand running through his fur. Blue Fang's omega caught his eye, and he let himself snarl, low in his throat, glaring at the toothpick. The omega cowered away, whining.
He almost didn't catch the words thrown at him. "You can smell it on him! He's a disgrace--"
"Oh, shut it, Dampe," Black Sage snarled, and some of her infamous temper showed itself. Her shoulders settled into a hunch, and she bared her teeth at Dampe. He glared at her hotly before snarling and turning his back on her. Once it was turned, Black Sage relaxed and rolled her eyes.
"Well then?"
Link jerked. Black Sage raised her brow at him. "I would suggest you hurry. The packs have never been very patient."
Didn't he know it. Belatedly Link realized the other wolves were staring at him, at Spitfire and Mania and Sunset, and he rushed to shift. "It's, uh--"
"Get on with it, cub," Dampe snapped. Black Sage boxed his ears.
"Shut it, Dampe. Howler, speak up."
Link screwed his mouth. "There's a lot," he warned, and felt his three companions stand beside him. "And . . . it's kind of unbelievable."
"We'll do our best," Black Sage said dryly.
Link told them.
They listened well enough, though it was like having two Manias in the room, with Dampe scoffing at every other word. He flipped his hair like a teenybopper, the long blue bangs covering half his face, the other side shaved to his scalp. Metal rings punctuated his nose, lip and ears, and even his brow.
And every time he scoffed, Link imagined himself tearing each piercing out of the asshole's face. It made the telling, and Black Sage's growing scowl, easier to bear.
"We left the pridelands a few days ago, and decided to come to familiar ground," Link finished, feeling as though he were finished, if the look on Black Sage's face was anything to go by. "It, uh, seemed like a smart decision."
He left it at that, amid Impa's stone-like face. "Yes, you've never been one for brains, have you?" she said, eliciting a snort from Dampe. Link flushed, opening his mouth, but suddenly Spitfire stepped forward.
"I'm sorry, but what would you have done?" she snapped, as all the wolves present stared at her. "He was only doing what he thought was best. Clearly, he considered you to be someone he could trust--why else would he come back?"
Link glanced at her, amused and nervous at the same time, as memories of the last time she'd stood up to Black Sage flooded his mind. Black Sage herself looked at the cheetah for a moment, eyes indecipherable, but Link knew she was remembering the same incident. He hunched his shoulders slightly, not wanting to threaten his alpha—more like being unable to, he thought wryly—but if she moved to assault Spitfire again . . .
"What was best was staying here, where he belongs," Black Sage returned, but her gaze was now on Link. "And I believe this is familiar ground. Or . . . perhaps not so familiar."
She could smell it on him. Of course she could. All of the wolves could, and it was a wonder that Spitfire couldn't. Link swallowed, meeting her gaze defiantly. A tiny smile curled the edge of her lips.
"Alphas," she suddenly called. "This meeting is postponed. No, Dampe," she added, turning from the table. "I am not sharing my prey. You wanted to overhunt, now you can pay for it."
Dampe rolled his eyes, turning away, but Link caught the look he sent Black Sage. not of hate, or even dislike. Link cocked his head, earning a snarl from the Blue Fang alpha.
He rolled his own eyes, following Impa back to Black Moon territory. She allowed no time for the other alphas to argue, though it was too obvious they wanted to, and it was with sighs of varying frustration that they simply did as she bid.
The way to Link's tribe was silent among the five of them, the dawn noise of the forest the only sounds. Spitfire walked with Sunset, Mania bringing up the rear, and for once, he emitted no snarls or growls. It made Link nervous: Mania was always blustering.
By the time they returned, Link was fairly sure he was going to get an earful. But Black Sage surprised him by telling them to stay put in the clearing, and disappearing into her den.
So, naturally, Link panicked.
He didn't usually panic. But this was different. They had been attacked by a group of weird monkeys, all bearing that strange scent Night Vision had described, and Link had been shot by a strange figure--not to mention the disaster that had been the visit to Running Wind--and he kept remembering the shadow from the House of Skulltulla. There was something about it, something he wasn't recalling properly. It was important, he could feel it. His mind allowed for no other thought, even ones about Spitfire.
He'd been skinny, he remembered that. Stick-thin. Dressed in all black. And he'd said the virus was the will of the Anima Triumvae. Well, obviously that was absurd. As if the Holy Three would abandon those they'd spent all that divine energy saving, generations ago.
So what could it be? He wandered the clearing, not noticing the growing group of onlookers around Spitfire and Mania. At least, until Spitfire pushed through and seized his arm. "I know you're worried," she said, cutting him off. "But seriously. There's nothing we can do right now. The monkeys--"
Link grabbed her wrists. "That's it! The monkeys--I couldn't remember what it was about him, but now, oh it's so clear--"
Spitfire was staring at him. "Howler. What are you talking about?"
He faced her, his sudden excitement drawing attention from the wolves around. "I was trying to remember what bothered me about that shadow from the House meeting," he explained, trying to go slow. His mind was split between being clear about his discovery and pulling her closer. She was so warm, so soft, so close--
But she didn't know about him imprinting. If she did, she'd probably try doubly hard to make him celibate. So he tried to focus more on explaining. "And then you said the monkeys, and I got it. The shadow at the House had the same scent as the monkeys, Spitfire," Link breathed, and he saw the realization in her eyes. "They're one and the same."
"So the monkeys are spreading the virus," Spitfire murmured. "They also must have shot Night Vision, too."
"And me, and Blazing Sun," Link added. "To weaken the tribes. It's easier to fight an enemy while it's down."
"But why are they doing this?" Spitfire asked. "What's their motive?"
"I don't know," Link admitted. "But does it matter? We know who's doing it. Now we just have to--"
"Oh I'm sorry, were we not invited to the strategy meeting?" Sunset asked, crankily. Link blinked. "When did you get there?"
Sunset rolled her eyes. "We've been here the whole time, idiot," Mania said. "You just haven't been paying attention."
"Yeah, well, I highly doubt you'd understand any of it anyway," Link said snidely. Mania raised a brow. "I'm pretty sure we speak the same language here, wolf."
Sunset snorted.
Link's brows knitted, and he looked at Spitfire for help. She looked as lost as him, but when their eyes met, suddenly Link realized he was still holding onto her wrists. And she was close. Very close.
Spitfire seemed to realize it at the same time, and they leapt away from one another, clearing their throats. "S-So, um, we were talking about the, uh monkeys," Link stuttered, avoiding Spitfire's gaze, ignoring the flares of pain that shot down his soul as her warmth left him.
He told them about it, if only to forget about the pounding of his heart. Mania and Sunset both regarded him with minor disgust and rolled their eyes. "Whatever. I'm visiting Navi."
Sunset strode off, leaving Mania with Spitfire and Link. He glanced at the two of them, a flicker of something chasing across his face, and finally huffed and shifted, scaring the wits out of the cubs nearby.
Several wolves shifted and snarled at him, but Mania simply laid down in the middle of the clearing, shaking his mane. A few of the cubs crept out from behind their parents' legs and hesitantly approached. The troublemakers, namely Link's youngest cousins, saw Mania's tapping, tufted tail, and got that look in their eyes. They wiggled their butts right before pouncing, only catching a patch of grass.
Mania had moved his tail.
Link snorted. "Unbelievable."
"Is it really?" Spitfire wondered, just to mess with him. Link rolled his eyes, inevitably turning to Impa's den. Several of the older wolves were standing nearby, speaking quietly, occasionally glancing at Spitfire and Mania. Link could practically hear the words they were undoubtedly saying.
They may be safe now, but what happens after? When all is said and done, whose side are they really on?
Link sympathized, though he hated himself for it. When it was over, for better or worse, Spitfire would go back to Running Wind, never knowing that a black wolf had imprinted on her. She'd mate with one of her own kind, forgetting that Link existed, and he'd be expected to do the same.
He'd be expected to mate within the tribe, probably to Ilia, and have cubs with her. He'd have to forget about Spitfire, and Mania, as much as the lion infuriated him, and everything they'd gone through.
The thought made him sick. Apparently it showed on his face, because a slim hand turned his head around, and he found Spitfire's face inches from his. "Are you all right? You look upset."
Link tried to remember how to speak. She was so close, so close, just an inch or two away, and heat surged up his soul, making him shiver--
"Yeah," he croaked, then winced. Real convincing, there. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, clearer now, but Spitfire didn't look convinced. Link decided to distract her.
"Let me show you around."
He did so, introducing her to each of his family members: Talo and Malo, his cousins, Colin, his brother, Aryll, his sister, Rusl and Uli, his aunt and uncle, and on and on and on. The pack was huge, he explained, and it was one big family. Some of his relatives went off to form packs of their own, but most stayed within the pack and helped raise the new young.
Spitfire took it all in with enthusiasm, though he knew what weighed on her mind. It was the talk of the camp, all anyone could think about. The story he'd told, of leaving, and everything since then, and returning out of the blue with three foreign anima in tow. Somehow it had spread like a fire in thatch--quickly and without restraint. And then there was the encroaching virus. It may not have made its way into the heart of the tribe, but already, three more wolves had succumbed, and Harvest Moon's alpha's mate had died while hunting.
Tensions were rising. The wolf packs were getting more and more concerned, snapping at former allies, growing more violent to rivals. Blue Fang scoured the forest at all hours, scaring off other packs. Prey was scarce. Signs of the virus were everywhere: dead patches of grass, random piles of bones, once-massive trees withered to the thickness of a twig.
The monkeys don't have to do much, Link thought bitterly, only half-listening to Spitfire's chatter. The virus will destroy us without their help.
Link was in the middle of listening to Spitfire explain how wolves' lifespans had increased after the Merging, having been bolstered by humanity's lifespan. Now wolf anima lived to around forty years before dying, and actually never lost the ability to shift, as she'd thought before coming here.
Link smiled a little as she talked, but her excitement about the discovery was short-lived. Black Sage had emerged from her tent.
Link and Spitfire watched her, and the pups trying to catch Mania's tail dispersed. Mania stood and shook himself before shifting, and Sunset emerged from Navi's den, the heartbroken wolf under her arm.
"The four of you, in here," Black Sage commanded. "Now."
She vanished back into her den, leaving Link and his group to anxiously follow. They ducked past the tapestry with the Sheikah Eye and crammed into the den. Even as big as the trunk was, it was hard to find standing room with Black Sage's belongings around.
Black Sage herself stood before the fire, her back to them. "The Oracle has been silent on this matter."
Link tried not to let his chest deflate too much. He'd hoped . . . "Still?"
Black Sage's voice was quiet. "Still."
"Oracle?" Mania asked.
Black Sage turned. "It is our way of communing with the Holy Three," she explained coolly, such that Mania actually bit his tongue. "However, they have not answered my calls. I am left to believe that--"
She broke off at the green smoke emitting from the fireplace, her eyes widening. The smoke curled and coalesced into a vague shape, somewhat feminine, though with the shifting smoke, it was impossible to tell. When it spoke, its voice was raspy and hoarse.
"What can be given can so be taken away, and will be, if the anima do not stop. Humanity has created this problem, and so humanity must fix it."
The smoke dissipated, leaving the anima to stare at the place it had been. Link felt his hands hang uselessly at his side. Beside him, Spitfire wavered.
"Is . . . is it saying . . . we did this?" she whispered. "That we deserve this?"
There was a look in her eyes, a broken expression that tore a hole into Link's heart. He hated that look. He hated the fingers of pain that lanced up and down his soul at the sight of it.
His hands seized hers and lifted them. She stared at him, shocked, but she didn't pull away, and that was enough.
"We don't deserve this," Link said, heatedly. "We haven't done anything wrong. I don't know what the oracle is trying to say, but we'll find out how to fix everything. I promise, Spitfire," he breathed. "I won't let the virus destroy us."
Spitfire's eyes searched his, her body so close. It was like a drug, the sound of her near-silent breaths, the warmth she emitted, the gold of her eyes. Link raised her hands and pressed his lips to her knuckles, half-closing his eyes.
Her intake of breath made him look at her, and had to fight down a surge of pride. Her cheeks were flushed prettily, and her lips were parted. She swallowed as she looked at him, and nodded.
A cleared throat broke Link out of his stupor--she's going to be the death of me, he thought--and he lowered Spitfire's hands to find Black Sage watching him, eyes narrowed.
He felt dread settle in, but he paid it no mind this time. With Spitfire's fingers laced with his, her heat warming his side, he felt like he could weather Impa's calculating gaze.
After a moment, she huffed a breath through her nose. "I will think on the Oracle's message. The Anima Triumvae cannot mean for us to be destroyed. There must be something we're missing."
"Perhaps this is a test?" Sunset suggested. But Mania shook his head. "Why would they test us, though? And the Oracle said that we created this problem."
"But what's the problem?" Sunset argued. "The virus? We didn't create that."
"As far as we know," Link cut in. "The monkeys--"
He froze, prompting the group to look at him. Spitfire squeezed his hand. "Howler?"
"That's it," he breathed, and sought Sunset's gaze. "That's--"
"Howler, what--" Black Sage started, but he cut her off.
"Do you remember that tribe that tried to take some territory here, a while back?"
Impa blinked, then realization cleared her gaze, at the same time that Sunset swore. "The monkeys. They're the same--and the scent--"
"It's the same," Link agreed, meeting Spitfire and Mania's gazes. "They've been preparing this for much longer than we thought."
"But how do we know they were here for that?" Impa asked. "Is this out of a preconceived plan, or is it happenstance that they are one and the same?"
"Somehow I don't think that's it," Spitfire said, and Link could practically see the cogs in her mind turning. "They're a breed of monkeys that are historically violent. Their behavior at the jungle cemented that. And when they invaded here, were they driven off? Were there battles?"
Impa regarded her closely. "Several."
"Then they may be doing this with malicious intent," Spitfire said. "They may have remembered who you were, and manufactured the virus to take revenge on you."
"But that doesn't make sense for the rest of Hyrule, though," Sunset said, brows drawn together. "Why would they attack Night Vision and the Zora if their beef is with us?"
"Your tribes may not have been the only ones to drive them out, though," Mania said. "Consider it. They're attacking you because you drove them out. Who's to say the same hasn't happened across Hyrule as they searched for a home, a territory, and now they're taking the same vengeance on the other tribes?"
A morbid silence fell at that. "That makes sense," Spitfire murmured, subdued. "It explains why the Oracle said we created this problem."
"And now we have to fix it," Link added, sighing. "But how?"
"We cannot just carve out a territory out of nowhere for a new tribe," Impa said, shutting down any suggestions. "Territory is scarce, and they cannot live in some atmospheres anyway."
Link opened his mouth, but Spitfire and Sunset both said, "Wait."
The three looked at them. "Haven't they found a territory, though?" Spitfire said.
"They cornered us at the jungle," Sunset reminded them. "And they followed us in, too. When we left, they didn't follow."
"So they live in the jungle now?" Mania said. "Then that solves the territory issue."
"But not the virus issue," Impa reminded them. "If they are indeed attacking us with the virus because of a lack of territory, then the attacks should have stopped by now. But anima are still dying. And there's another problem, too."
The four anima looked at Black Moon's alpha.
"Where did they get the virus?"
Not really sure about this chapter; something feels off, but I'm not sure what it is. Maybe y'all can enlighten me in the reviews? *winks unsubtly* thanks everyone for reviewing, I love them. :)
Review replies:
To Queen Emily the Diligent: THANK GOD, bc I'm immensely proud of how Empire came out lmao. And I'm not too sure about how this pairing is doing so far, but I feel like it's good so far. Right??
To StJames1: *bows* thank you, thank you. And before I forget, like I keep doing, I wanted to reply to the review you left on Empire's final chapter, about Zelda's character arc. I personally feel that it ends when she sacrifices herself to save Hyrule, but honestly either way works. And I didn't even notice that it came full circle haha. Like when I was writing it I wanted saving Hyrule to be a deeply personal thing, bc she's always loved her country and to see it under Ganondorf's yoke hurts her inside. So I wrote the Takeover accordingly. But then I read your review, and thought about her journey through the story, and I was like ????? She actually did come full circle??? Which was cool AF to see, especially considering I wasn't even trying to do that lmao. But thank you! It provided me with another angle with which to view the story :) (and I suppose I should thank you for all your ranty reviews along the way lol)