The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga: Side Stories
By Queenie Z

Admiration
Duo x Light

Duo was considered one of the most friendly of the Heroes; and that was saying quite a bit, given the kind nature they all shared. Yet it wasn't always that way. When he first arrived, the Hero of Holodrum and Labrynna took a long time to adjust to his new life after death. He was soft-spoken and nervous, often feeling overwhelmed by the presence of the preceding Links, as though he could never match up to their great deeds. It was frustrating, to be honest; he had desperately wanted to befriend them, yet he simply couldn't bring himself to think of them as anything but superior to him in every way.

This, naturally, concerned the other Heroes - were they not all brothers who shared a common destiny in life? There had to be some way to reach out to the timid boy and make him feel welcome. Though they all made attempts to make him comfortable, it was Light, who had lived just before his time and who shared quite a lot in common with him, who was the most successful.

Through sharing tales of their experiences and Light's guidance and patience, Duo quickly learned not to fear his predecessor but rather to look up to him greatly. The others followed suit, and the rest, as they say, was history. Yet through all the eons he spent with his new family, he maintained his special fondness for Light, who had helped him gain the confidence he needed to enjoy his well-deserved eternal rest.

So, one day, he decided to thank the elder Hero by means of a gift. With the small box in his hands, Duo nervously fidgeted as he waited for Light to answer the door. He quickly hid his present when the door opened.

Light beamed when he saw who it was. "Morning, Duo!" He moved aside and motioned him in.

"I hope I'm not bothering you," replied Duo as he stepped inside. "I just wanted to drop something by real quick."

"No, no, you stay as long as you want. Time gave me some of his milk stash; you can help me finish it up if you want!"

"That sounds nice!" Duo dropped his gaze to the floor, however, prompting Light to tilt his head in confusion.

"Something wrong?" He cocked an eyebrow. "You look, um, off."

"Uh-uh, nothing's wrong! I just..." He brought out the tiny red box again and held it out. "...I just wanted you to have this, Light. I-It's a thank you present, for helping me get along with everybody."

The other Link stared at the box for a long time before finally taking it gingerly. "Wow... Duo, you know you didn't have to - "

Duo shook his head. "I did, though. You were always really kind to me, ever since I got here. You're..." he swallowed. "...You're my favorite person here, Light."

A spot of red appeared on Light's nose when he said the words "favorite person". Laughing bashfully, he flipped open the lid of the box and inspected its contents closely.

"Is this," he muttered, "a ring?"

"It's a Blue Joy Ring! It brings love and good luck to anyone wears it!" Duo preened. "It helped me out a bunch on my journey."

Light took out the ring and held it up to the light. It was a nice ring, but he couldn't help but snicker.

"Duo," he said, "are you proposing to me?"

"W-What!" The younger Hero shook his head furiously. "N-No, no, that's not it at all! I just thought you'd like it...!"

After slipping the ring onto his right hand, Light laughed, taking Duo's head in his arm and hugging it close.

"I'm joking, I'm joking! ...I really do appreciate it, though. Thanks."

Duo held his breath, wondering why on earth his heart had begun to beat so quickly. Nevertheless, he was happy - he was so happy that the person he admired the most had liked his gift. He laughed along with him, returning the one-armed embrace.

"No," he said between snickers, "thank you, Light. For everything."