C-Support
Link: Are you doing okay, Yarne? You're looking a little... frazzled.
Yarne: Oh, uh... Hiya, Link. Sorry you have see this pathetic sight... I'm shaking like a leaf over here, but yeah, I'll be okay. I just need a minute to steady my nerves.
Link: ...The stress of combat is hard for you to deal with, huh?
Yarne: Y-Yeah, of course it is! That's putting it mildly!... Honestly, I don't know how you all do it. People like you, Chrom, and Lucina can storm onto a bloody battlefield without a worry in the world. At least, that's the way it looks to me.
Link: ...Istill get nervous and tense up when it comes time to fight... The difference between us is that I'm able to push those fears to the side when it matters... No need to feel ashamed of it, though... It's one of my strengths, and one of your weaknesses... That's all.
Yarne: Still, this is a pretty glaring weakness to have for a soldier in an army! I wish Mother could have passed some of her bravery down to me... *sigh* No such luck, though.
Link: If fighting scares you so much, why not do something else? There's plenty of other ways to help the Shepherds, y'know... Risking your life on the front lines is only one piece of the puzzle... Granted, fighting is probably the most important piece, but... I think my point stands.
Yarne: Trust me, I'd love to. It's just... I can't... My friends, my parents, and all the people in the world are counting on me. They deserve my best effort, and I can't ignore that!
Link: Sure, but why does it have to be fighting?... You could forge weapons for us, or keep our funds and supplies in order, or help Robin with tactics... You can give your best effort doing any of those things.
Yarne: The problem is that, despite how cowardly I am, I'm pretty good at fighting. Y'know, once I work up the resolve to actually engage the enemy, that is. That's how it goes when you're a taguel. We're natural warriors, so killing is something we're suited for, unfortunately.
Link: ...Mmm... And you feel that your effort would be wasted in a different role.
Yarne: Y-Yeah, that's right. I'm the last of the taguel, and I'm a survivor of my apocalyptic home world. It's my responsibility to contribute in the most effective way I can, right? Even if I'm frightened out of my fur the whole time, I can't give up completely... I'd feel even worse about myself than I already do.
Link: ...Responsibility, huh?... It's easy for that feeling to control us, at times... I've often felt limited by it, even.
Yarne: Oh! Hey, while I've got you here, Link, there's something I need to ask you about!
Link: Hmm?
Yarne: That spell you use! The one where you cover yourself with that big, blue crystal? How does that thing work?
Link: ...Oh, Nayru's Love, you mean?... It's a protective spell... While it's active, I'm immune to almost any kind of attack... Fists, swords, arrows, magic, you name it.
Yarne: Th-That's mind-boggling! In that case, can I ask you for a favor? Please grant me that power, Link! Teach me how to do it, or bestow it upon me. It doesn't matter how, but I need that spell!
Link: ...You want me to cast Nayru's Love on you?
Yarne: I don't care whose love it is! If I didn't have to worry about kicking the bucket during battle, I'd be able to save the world no problem! Just leave it all to Yarne!... Oh, and maybe you could also cast the spell on me in every single battle afterward, too?... Possibly, maybe?...
Link: Sorry, but it doesn't work that way... Keeping the spell up drains my energy very quickly, so I have to use it sparingly... I might activate it for a few seconds to power through an arcthunder spell or to end a battle against an enemy commander with little risk... At best, I'd be able to keep you protected for a full minute.
Yarne: Ah, shoot... Makes sense, I guess. If you could keep that spell going all day long, you'd be invincible. I should have known it was too good to be true.
Link: I mean, I figured that'd be obvious...
B-Support
Link: Hey, Yarne. Nice work in the battle yesterday.
Yarne: Ah... Th-Thanks, Link.
Link: I've fought beside Panne for a good while now, but... I'm still in awe when I watch you two in combat... Your kind possesses a speed and reaction time that humans will never be able to match, I think... Your help was felt by everyone, that's for sure.
Yarne: Gee, that's real flattering! I'm just happy to be alive, really... but that does feel good. Knowing that other's appreciate what I've done makes the fear and trauma easier to put up with.
Link: Y'know, when I see you in action, I'm reminded of a weird legend that I heard while traveling back in my world.
Yarne: A legend that reminds you of me?
Link: Mmhmm... It's said that one of Hyrule's many past heroes had the ability to transform from a human into a wolf.
Yarne: Tr-Transform? Into a wolf? That sounds an awful lot like a taguel!
Link: Doesn't it?... Makes you wonder, huh?
Yarne: Do you think it's credible? Mother and I take the form of giant, beast rabbits when we transform, but she's told me that there used to be other kinds of taguel, and even whole different races of shape-shifters. Wolves, tigers, foxes, birds... All sorts of crazy stuff.
Link: If the story is true, then I'm probably one of their descendants. Supposedly, the goddess always ensures that a hero from the chosen lineage is available to fight evil, or... something like that... And I'm the latest of that line of heroes, I'm told.
Yarne: Whoa, hold up! If this wolf-hero is your great, great, great-grandparent, then maybe you can also transform! Maybe you're actually a taguel! Just like me!
Link: C-Come on, let's not get carried away... I don't even know if that story is true to begin with.
Yarne: We gotta try it! Here, here, hold my beaststone!... Now close your eyes, and focus... Try to pinpoint some sort of primal energy deep within you.
Link: Yarne, are you being serious right now?
Yarne: Oh, man! I wonder what kind of form you'll take on! I guess the easy answer would be a wolf just like your ancestor, but you are a pretty special case. Maybe it'll be something totally unique! Like a big, red lizard that can swim through a raging current! Or a bear that has wings! Maybe a, uh... A bird! A green bird that can shrink itself down to the size of an ant and infiltrate enemy camps! What about a kangaroo with... with boxing gloves!
Link: ...Where the heck are you getting these wild ideas from?... Have you been hanging out with Owain too much?
Yarne: S-Sorry, sorry... I'm just excited, is all!
Link: …
Yarne: Well, uh... Feel anything yet?
Link: ...Nothing... Just feels like I'm holding a rock.
Yarne: *sigh* It's probably no good, then. If you're really a taguel, you'd be able to feel some sort of power from the beaststone. It wouldn't be difficult for you to sense it.
Link: Heh... Well, it was a fun thought, anyway.
Yarne: Haha! Yeah, it was! I'm a little disappointed, but that's my fault. I shouldn't have gotten so hyped over some outlandish tale in the first place... It would have been nice to have another shape-shifter to spend time with, though. I can't deny that.
Link: Don't get discouraged. I'm positive that there's more of your kind just waiting to be discovered out in the world. Take the manaketes, for example... They may not be taguel, but you can relate to them, can't you?
Yarne: D-Don't tell them I said this, but... manaketes are pretty scary if you ask me... Dealing with Nowi would be an ordeal even if she couldn't transform into a giant, fire-breathing dragon.
Link: Y-Yeah... Actually, forget what I said.
A-Support
Yarne: Good gods, Link! You're terrifying!
Link: ...Terrifying?...Where's this coming from?
Yarne: I don't mean to sound disrespectful or anything! We might have just won a battle against twelve of the strongest warriors I've ever seen, but I'd fear for my life and whatever comes next if I ever got on your bad side. Brrr...
Link: ...Did I do something strange? Validar's lackey, Aversa... She called them "Deadlords", so I knew we were in for a challenge... Are you saying I should have held back?
Yarne: That's not what I'm saying!... Th-That paladin! The one who was giving us all that trouble at the start!
Link: ...What about them?
Yarne: Do you have no idea how stupid that move was?! We had a whole bunch of us trying to take that guy down... His armor was bulky enough to shrug off the few hits we landed, and he was able to outrun any of our mage's spells thanks to his mount. We weren't able to turn the tide until he was dealt with.
Link: ...Yeah... I know... That's why I took him out.
Yarne: R-Right, but... the way you went about it was insane! You rode your horse straight at a deadlord, jumped off your horse, and slammed that huge, metal hammer right into his chest! You knocked him to the ground, and he never got up! He was dead!
Link: ...Why are you telling me all this? It only happened a few hours ago.
Yarne: Because I don't think you realize just how deranged you are in the head! You're a lunatic, Link! How could you just throw yourself at an opponent so dangerous?
Link: Well, hey... It worked, right?... This lunatic was the one who got the ball rolling. After I handled the paladin, we were finally able to go on the offensive... I'm not asking you to fill this role, but there are times in war when you have to be willing to take a gamble... I could tell that the enemy would gain the advantage if things kept up... I could tell that this army needed a lunatic that could "tip the scales", as Robin would say. So, I stepped up.
Yarne: Yeesh... You told me a while back that you feel scared on the battlefield just like anyone else, but I don't think that I believe you anymore. You've got more courage than all the Shepherds combined!... It doesn't make any sense. Aren't you supposed to be part of a sacred lineage?You should be more scared of dying than me!
Link: ...You're probably right that I don't feel fear like a normal person would... I've been blessed by the goddess of courage, so I never should've compared the two of us.
Yarne: Is... Is that just a saying in Hyrule? Or do you mean that literally?
Link: No, I mean it. This mark on my hand shows that I'm the wielder of the Triforce of Courage... I'm not exactly sure what kind of effect that has on me, but I'd wager that I'm more willing to take risks than your average person.
Yarne: Holy cow... Yeah, that definitely clears things up... Maybe you could talk to this goddess and ask her to lend a bit of that courage to me? Heh heh... Naga knows I could use it...
Link: You want my opinion?... This mark on my hand doesn't matter. You don't need to be blessed by a goddess to gain courage. It's only a decision, plain and simple... When the moment to act arrives, will you take the chance or will you run from it?... It isn't a skill like strength or smarts that needs to be built upon and honed. You just need the will to act... Anyone can do it.
Yarne: I-I don't know about that... I've spent my whole life running away. It's not as easy for me as it is for you!
Link: ...Maybe not... but you're hardly as cowardly as you say.
Yarne: What? Yes, I am! I'm the biggest wimp in all of Ylisse and everyone knows it!
Link: Grima was just resurrected, and we'll be fighting against it for the fate of the world... Are you gonna be there fighting alongside me or not?
Yarne: O-Of course I will! It's not even a question worth asking!
Link: Then how can you call yourself a coward if you're willing to battle the fell dragon?
Yarne: ...I... I don't-
Link: You're very courageous, you just don't believe yourself to be... If you still can't understand that, then the issue isn't that you're a wimp, it's that you're stupid, like me.
Yarne: ...Heh... Hahaha! You know, you're right! I guess I've been overthinking things too much!
Link: Glad you're getting it. Now let's get going... We have a lot of preparing to do, and we're gonna need you... Especially for the upcoming clash.
Yarne: Yes sir! I'll show you just how courageous a taguel can be!
A/N:
In response to reviews: Including Wolf Link was something that was requested, but because this is OoT Link and not the one from TP (and also because if he was wolf, he wouldn't be able to speak), a reference is as far as I'm willing to go. Sorry! I realize that TP comes after OoT, so this 'legend' doesn't fit into the timeline correctly, but I don't care. Including this in Yarne's chapter felt like such an obvious opportunity for it.
Some reviewers have requested and asked about possible follow-ups I could write. I can say with confidence that I won't be doing a re-write of Awakening's main story but with Link in it (I feel it'd be too redundant), a version of this fic with a Link from a different game like BotW (Again, too redundant. There's no way I'd have enough fresh ideas to make it worthwhile), or anything involving games that I haven't played (FE Heroes, as an example). If anyone decides that they would like to write those kinds of stories themselves, please do! I have no problem at all with another writer trying something similar to what I've written here. I'd love to read them myself!
There are some suggested ideas that do appeal to me, but I'll give my thoughts once I'm finished with this (Which could be me finishing a chapter for each character as I planned, or me discontinuing this at some point).