Waking in an unfamiliar bed, Dark's senses jumped straight to full alert. Wakefulness was a flipped switch instead of a gradual shift, and every muscle in his body stiffened for a nanosecond. Then, Lymira's body next to him wiggled and she released a sleepy sigh.
Dark snapped his eyes open. Lymira's curly hair was tangled under his chin, her back to him while she slept on. Silas' side of the bed was neatly made. How early was it? Time was impossible to tell in this underwater cavern.
He carefully shifted away from Lymira, freeing his right arm from underneath her and strands of her hair from his stubble. She didn't move, so he swung out of bed and crossed to the stone basin with a spout of running water in the corner. A decorative silver mirror was anchored to the wall above it, serving as a vanity. He cupped his hands under the spout and splashed cold water on his face, willing the spike of adrenaline to subside.
It was his own fault. Lack of sleep the day before meant his mind was more prone to reacting like this. To unearthing buried memories and revisiting nightmares.
Sighing, he met his reflection's gaze, inspecting it. He was still tired, but he'd slept mostly undisturbed. Another night in this place would probably help. For one thing, being underground, it was quiet at night. During the day, the activities and conversations of the zora colony echoed in the smooth tunnels. At nighttime there was nothing. It was almost a little unnerving. He'd come to like sleeping under the stars every night these past few weeks.
"Morning," Lymira's low voice drifted over.
He turned to the bed, watching her sit up and stretch, her head a riotous mass of dark curls. He smiled when she sunk back into the covers, her eyes closed in half-asleep bliss.
"Sleep well?" she mumbled.
"As well as usual." Crossing the room, he dropped to sit on the edge of the bed. He reached over to brush a curl off her face with his fingertips. "You?"
"Mmmm." She sighed, warm and content. "Are you going to see your mother?"
"Soon," He murmured, distracted. He stroked his finger over her silky cheek, tracing the curve of her jaw.
"Let me get dressed and I'll come with you."
She wiggled past him and hopped out of bed, dragging out her rucksack and digging around for a fresh shirt and pants. Dark followed suit, stopping to check on Zara in her makeshift nest of linens and pillows, tossing her a few small fish a thoughtful zora servant had left in a chilled bowl.
"Where's Silas?" she asked, tugging her shirt on.
"Probably greeting the sun."
Lym snorted. "Is that code for something?"
Dark chuckled. "No, he's used to rising with the sun. He likes to go outside and enjoy the sunrise for a moment. A little daily ritual of his."
"How did I miss that in the weeks we've been traveling together?"
Dark shot her a smirk. "You were asleep."
She laughed, finger-combing her hair so she could braid it. Dark grabbed his rucksack and retrieved his clothes. He dressed in a simple tunic and fitted pants, yanking his boots on over top. It was nice to dress a little more comfortably after days on horseback in his armour. Not that he minded traveling. If everything went well, they could be on their way back to Hyrule in a few days.
Dark paused in the middle of tying his hair back. Surprising that he was anxious to get back to Hyrule, when he'd spent years avoiding it. For so long, he didn't even think of Hyrule as his home at all. He didn't have a home.
He was spared from overanalyzing his conflicted feelings by Lym and Zara. The young dragon looked up at him from where she slept in Lymira's arms, huge blue eyes blinking sleepily. Dark scratched the dragon under her scaled chin, laughing when her eyes closed, and a quiet growl rumbled in her throat.
Lymira smiled. "She's going to grow up far too fast for my liking."
"Dragons live for thousands of years," Dark assured her. "I think you have a friend for life, no matter her eventual gargantuan size."
Lym smirked. "Imagine scratching her chin when she's bigger than a mountain."
He was still laughing when the door opened, revealing Silas, already dressed and ready for the day. When he saw them, he gasped and stepped forward to rub a hand between Zara's tiny horns.
"I can't believe I almost missed baby dragon time!" Silas said, laughing in delight when Zara growled and butted her head against his hand.
"Come on, boys," Lymira said, still grinning.
Silas tapped his shoulder, and Zara leapt from her arms onto his arm, clambering up to ride on his shoulder.
"We all know who her real favourite is," Dark muttered to Lym as they followed Silas out the door and down the hall.
The trio wound their way through the underground tunnels, greeting the zora they met along the way. A few stopped to coo over Zara, slowing their progress. As soon as they neared Ruto's private chambers, though, Dark knew something was wrong.
Someone inside was crying.
Bracing himself, he pulled on the cord hanging outside the door. The cord was connected to a bell on the other side of the slim stone door. A second later, the door slid aside to reveal a grim-faced Sato.
"Now's not a good time," he said, though he still stepped aside to let them in.
"What's happened?"
Sato pointed behind them. A circular entryway divided the bedchamber from the private sitting room. Dark could see Shaiya sitting on the bed, her hands covering her face, her thin frame shaking. Ruto and her healer stood above her, speaking softly.
"What happened," Dark repeated, reaching Ruto's side.
The zora princess's gaze clashed with his, and the small bubble of hope he didn't realize he'd been protecting burst.
"Her mind is reverting to an earlier time," the healer explained patiently. "She is not aware of who, or when, she is."
"I lost him!" Shaiya cried from the bed, lowering her hands. Dark winced. Her eyes were rimmed red from crying. Worse than that, the confusion and heartache in her gaze tore at Dark's own heart.
Shaiya continued to cry, her wails of anguish indistinguishable. The healer attempted to comfort her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Shaiya jerked back, swiping at him madly.
"Don't touch me!" she screamed. "You can't hold me here! I need to go find him!"
She leapt to her feet, pushing aside the zora healer with surprising strength in her malnourished body. Shaiya spun, bolting for the exit. Dark caught her, gripping her arms in a firm grip. She was so thin in his grasp, but he held on tight. She fought him tooth and nail, her tortured cries shredding him.
"Stop." She ignored him, but he kept hold of her. "I know you're afraid," he continued, "But we are trying to help you. I know you've lost your son."
Ruto's eyes widened. Dark didn't look at her. He was possibly the only person left who remembered that awful night. He was the only person who understood what Shaiya was going through—or rather, what memories were causing her such pain.
Shaiya stopped struggling at his words, the cautious hope in her eyes its own kind of torture. "My son?" she repeated in a whisper.
"Yes. You lost him, right? In the woods?"
Fresh tears coursed down her face. "I was running away. I lost him…I let go of his hand…"
Dark's heart lurched. She wasn't talking about Link. She was remembering him letting go of her hand. He went back to the house to search for his father.
"Your son is safe," he soothed, hoping whatever platitudes he came up with would be enough to get her through this panicked episode. "He's safe. I promise."
"Where is he!?" Shaiya demanded, beating her fists against Dark's chest. "Why are you keeping me here!?"
Shaiya's increasing sobs cut off her next words as the fight left her as suddenly as it came. She collapsed in his arms, as delicate as a glass figurine. Dark murmured more soothing nonsense, keeping hold of her arms.
"You should rest now," the zora healer said, urging Shaiya away from Dark and back towards the bed. "Your body needs time to recuperate from your ordeal."
Shaiya obeyed, letting him guide her back to the bed. Her gaze wandered over the room, sliding right past Dark. The pain had receded, but there was nothing there, now. No flicker of recognition.
"You should go." Dark jerked, glaring at Ruto, who had spoken. Her gaze was laced with sympathy. "Trying to force her to recognize you could have the opposite effect to your intentions. You might make the situation worse," she explained. "Let her rest and give her memories a chance to come back on their own."
A part of him wanted to resist Ruto's words. To grab Shaiya's hand and tell her that her son was right here, that she hadn't lost him. That he would never abandon her again.
As he watched his mother sink back onto her pillows, confusion and agony etched on her face, he couldn't do it. He spun around, marching right past a concerned Sato, Silas and Lymira. He didn't stop moving until he'd reached an empty corridor, far from anyone else. Dark stopped and leaned against the wall, catching his breath though he wasn't breathing hard. He closed his eyes, resting his forehead against the cool, damp rock.
He wasn't surprised when Silas and Lym's hurried footsteps sounded, echoing off the stone. He opened his eyes, but didn't lift his head.
"I won't tell you everything is going to alright, since I imagine you hate those useless platitudes as much as I do," Lymira said, coming to stand behind him.
"Her memories are there," Silas reasoned. "Maybe we just need to wait for them to catch up to the present."
"She may have locked them away," Lym replied. "She's been through a great deal…"
Dark's gut twisted at her words. His mother had suffered so much. Being separated from her family. Leaving Link behind in the Lost Woods. Did she think he was dead? Or did she remember leaving him in the care of the Great Deku Tree? And then she'd been alone. Until she'd been kidnapped by pirates. How long had she been their slave? Years? Decades?
"—anything like her son she'll recover. Ruto is right, maybe she just needs time." Silas was still talking.
Dark squeezed his eyes shut again. If anyone would have faith in Shaiya recovering her memories, it would be Silas. He'd been there to witness Dark's own lowest point. Watched him crawl his way back from the depths of darkness with Silas's help. But he wasn't Silas. He wasn't sure he had the strength to help bring his mother back. But he had to try. He owed to Link, at the very least, to try.
"I don't know how to help her without making it worse," he admitted. His voice sounded croaky and hoarse, rusty as an old blade. "If I try to tell her the truth…she might not believe it."
"What is the truth?"
Dark raised his head, turning to Lymira. "What?"
"Will you tell us what happened?" she asked. "It might help to talk about it."
There was a strange vulnerability in her question. He didn't know why it was important for her to hear this. Silas watched them, curious but holding back his own questions.
"It's not a night I like to talk about," Dark finally said after a beat of silence. "But I will."
He started with the pieces he could remember. Details of the village where he'd been born, and the far-away war his father was fighting. He vaguely remembered his father returning home, injured in an unnamed battle. Not long after, the village was attacked in the night.
Dark dredged up the painful memories of his father urging his mother to flee, her hand in Dark's. His infant brother in her arms. But Dark, concerned for his father, turned back. He'd left his mother and gone back to the house, only to come upon the Gerudo leader, Ganondorf, fatally wounding his father and leaving him to die.
Years later, he'd learned of Link's fate and his belief that their mother had perished in the Lost Woods after seeing him to safety.
True to Lymira's words, Dark felt lighter. Some more of the shadows were chased away by his soul-baring in this dim, damp tunnel under Lake Hylia. Dark looked at Lymira and Silas, two of the people he trusted most in the world. Silently, he asked for their understanding, their compassion, their love.
Before he could say another word, Silas was bear-hugging him, one hand cupping the back of his head.
"I'm so sorry," Silas murmured into Dark's neck. "I'm so sorry you went through that."
A million deflective or reassuring things went through Dark's mind, but he chose not to voice them. Instead he just returned Silas's hug, squeezing tightly. When Silas released him, Lym wedged herself in between them, winding her arms around Dark's waist for a hug of her own. Silas shifted behind her, wrapping his arms around them both.
"Thank you," Lymira said, muffled by Dark's shirt.
He nodded, pressing his mouth against the crown of her head. They stayed motionless for a moment, standing together in the middle of the tunnel where anyone could happen upon them.
"I'm afraid I'll make it worse if I tell her everything I know," Dark said. "But I don't know what will make it better. I can't stand not being able to do anything about this…"
Lym stiffened in his arms, wriggling in their hold. She drew back, looking up at him. "You know what always helps me when I feel like I can't do something about a situation? Which, to be clear, I also loathe."
Dark's lips twitched at the flash of annoyance on her face, as though she just remembered the last time an impossible situation vexed her. "What's that?"
"I distract myself. There's nothing any of us can do for Shaiya right now, so we do something else. I found a neat little secret grotto when I was exploring the lake yesterday. You should take Silas there to see it. I'll stay here with your mother and let you know if anything important happens."
Her words tumbled out so fast he couldn't catch them all. He raised an eyebrow. "You want me to go explore the lake with Silas?"
Lym cast him a loaded look. "Yes. I'll stay here and you can go explore by yourselves."
Her expression was completely innocent. Dark suspected she had another motive for getting them outside than just distracting him from his misery. Perhaps she had a point, though. He and Silas hadn't talked alone since their conversation on the ship, several days ago now. Eventually, they would need to talk about their relationship again, or risk letting the words they left unsaid fester between them.
"Fine. We'll try your tactics," Dark said, looking down at Lym. He narrowed his eyes. "But when we get back, you and I need to have a conversation, too."
Lymira stared right back, pretending indifference. Silas glanced between them.
"A conversation about what?" he asked, perplexed.
"Never mind," Lym said, freeing herself from their embrace. "You two go have fun. I'll call if anything changes, promise."
Dark sighed, resistant to leaving his mother alone but knowing Lymira was right. He looked to Silas. Silas's mouth curved in a smile.
"After you."
Lymira sat at Shaiya's bedside for hours, waiting for her to wake. To pass the time, she'd walked around the private bedchamber and quickly grown bored, so she'd grabbed the leather-bound journal she kept and started scribbling in it. Halfway through a rambling paragraph on her feelings about Dark and Silas, Shaiya stirred.
Setting aside her journal, and turbulent thoughts, she leaned forward into Shaiya's view. "How are you feeling?" Lym asked gently.
Shaiya's startlingly familiar blue eyes opened, focusing on Lymira with faint confusion.
"You're still in the zora's home," Lym explained, leaning to the side to reach the pitcher of water and a cup left on a side table. She poured a cup, offering it to Shaiya.
She shifted into a seated position and drank deeply, before asking, "What happened?"
Lymira hesitated, but decided to be honest. It's what she would want, if she were in Shaiya's position. "Some of your memories started to return. Not good memories, I think," she added. Her heart cracked when she saw the sorrow cross the other woman's face. "You were upset, so the healers gave you something to help you sleep."
Shaiya frowned, her hands tight around the cup. "It worked. My sleep was dreamless." She glanced at Lymira. "Sometimes when I dream, I think they're really my memories, trying to come back."
Lym took the cup back, refilling it, considering her words. "How far back do you remember?"
"Not far," Shaiya answered, her voice soft. "I remember being taken by the pirates. Before that, it's usually a blur."
She sighed, taking a second cup from Lymira's hands. "Sometimes, I would get a feeling, or something would happen. I'd have…episodes." She waved a hand vaguely in front of her. "I would be in a waking nightmare, unable to recognize anything or anyone around me. They would confine me, and the next day, I would be as normal again."
Surprised by pleased at Shaiya's openness, Lymira decided to press further. "Do you remember anything of these episodes?"
Shaiya said nothing for a very long time. Lym was about to repeat herself when the other woman turned to her, tears tracking down her face.
"I don't know if it is worse to try and remember those bad memories, or to stay like this forever," she admitted.
Lym frowned. "Like what?"
Shaiya turned away. "As though I've been hollowed out. As though I'm missing something so important, but it's on the other side of this endless darkness. And I'm too afraid to face it."
"It's okay to be afraid," she assured Shaiya, daring to reach out and take her hand. "Do you want your memories back?"
Shaiya met her gaze with surprising intensity. "Yes. I know I need them back. I want them back." Her gaze softened. "But I'm afraid of what I will see."
"I can't promise there won't be bad memories," Lymira hedged. "But I think there are many happy memories buried there, too. Memories of your family."
Shaiya blinked. "My family?"
Lymira glanced around the small room, filled with only the necessities, bare stone walls drab and uninspiring. "Why don't we take a walk outside? Get some fresh air, look out at the lake. I think it will help more than staying in this little room."
Shaiya's eyes brightened, but her mouth tightened. "Don't I need to stay here?"
Lym tugged on the hand she held. "You're not a prisoner here. You can come and go as you please. And if the zora healers try to stop us, they'll have to deal with me. Trust me, they don't want to," she added, grinning.
Shaiya smiled back, letting Lym lead her out of bed. She waited at the door while Shaiya pulled on one of the simple, clean dresses that had been left for her. Together, they made their way to the exit tunnel and asked the zora guards to take them to the surface.
The guards left them on the island in the centre of the lake, saying they would return in an hour. Shaiya found a sunny spot on the grassy bank and sat down, tucking her feet under her. Her golden hair was loose around her shoulders, floating in the breeze. It made her look younger, less burdened. Lym could almost imagine her as a carefree young nobleman in Castle Town, her whole life still ahead of her.
Lym sat down next to Shaiya, her thoughts swirling once again. It was strange to think that she and Dark's mother had something in common. At a young age, their future had been cruelly ripped away. Shaiya had lost her husband, her children. Lym lost her parents and her entire clan.
Lym was able to cope with the tragedy in her own way. She knew it was a wound that hadn't healed. Wouldn't heal until Alatar was gone for good. But Shaiya's heart bore its own wounds, and she didn't know why they were there. How could she heal from a tragedy she didn't remember?
Peeking at Shaiya's profile, she wished there was some way she could unlock her memories without sending her into one of the episodes she'd described. Just catching a glimpse of one was enough.
An insect buzzed around their heads, and Lym swept a hand under her hair to chase it away when it buzzed obnoxiously near her ear. Her fingertips brushed the leather cord of her pendant, and a spark of inspiration struck. They'd used her pendant to track Shaiya across Hyrule, 20 years in the past. The proof of their success was sitting right next to her.
Lymira unwound the pendant from around her neck, holding the blue time stone in her palm. It was a powerful relic. Capable of peeling back the layers of time itself to reveal the truth of ages past. Why not the planes of memory?
But even she admitted her plan, still in its infancy, came with substantial risk. She could inadvertently trap Shaiya's mind in the past or unearth painful memories which caused renewed trauma. It may not even work at all. The mind was a strange thing. As malleable as the flow of time proved to be, manipulating it was not without consequence. And here she was, considering manipulating a woman's memories.
Lym chewed her lip, the weight of the stone growing in her hand. No matter that it was for a good cause, could she live with the consequence of this action? Would Dark or Link want her to do it?
She knew the answer already. Dark would refuse, out of noble concern. Lymira stared at Shaiya, still watching the lake, her expression relaxed but troubled. Remembering her words from earlier, Lym decided. The only person's whose opinion on this counted was here.
"Shaiya." She cleared her throat. The other woman turned to look at her in question. "If there was a way to return your memories—all of them—would you do it?"
Shaiya's brow furrowed for a moment, then she said, "Yes, of course. Why?" Her eyes trailed over Lym's face with heartbreaking plea. "Do you know something?"
"I think I may have a way," she said carefully. "But I'm not sure if it will work. And it could be dangerous."
"Dangerous how?"
Lym took a deep breath, then held out the time stone, explaining how she had used it to track Shaiya in the past, following her from the Lost Woods all the way to the pirate camp in Termina. Shaiya listened intently, her expression flickering between surprise and awe.
"I'm not sure, but it's possible the time stone could…uncover your memories. It might help them return."
"Why did you use this stone to find me?" Shaiya asked.
Stunned, Lymira wavered. "What do you mean?"
Shaiya glanced out at the lake again. "I must be important to you, if you used this magical object," she gestured at the pendant, "to try to find me and go through the trouble of rescuing me."
Lym couldn't help but smile. "You are important to someone I care about very much. It was no trouble to me at all."
Shaiya's gaze landed back on Lym, focused and curious. "That man who was with you earlier. The one with black hair."
Lymira nodded, her throat suddenly dry. "Yes."
She frowned again. "When I look at him, I remember…him. Someone. He doesn't have a face, but his..." she trailed off, frustrated as she searched for the words. "His presence is familiar. But my mind won't let me remember."
Sighing, Shaiya dropped her chin. "I want to help you," Lymira said. "But using this stone to try and retrieve your memories could be dangerous. I'm not sure what will happen, but its power lies in uncovering the past, and I suspect this affliction you have is magical, so…"
"I want to try," Shaiya said, surprising her. "If there is a chance it will help me remember what I've lost, I want to know."
Lym gave her a sympathetic look. "Even if it's painful?"
Tears glimmered in Shaiya's eyes. "It cannot be more painful than knowing I have forgotten myself and everyone I loved. If there is a chance…I want to take it."
She clenched her hand around the pendant until the skin tightened over her knuckles. "Okay. We can try. We'll start with a test. I'll see if the time stone can bring back a more recent memory and we'll know if this is even possible."
Shaiya met Lym's eyes with an expression of determination that was strikingly familiar.
"I'm ready."
Smells of damp earth and moss filled his nose as he half-walked, half-slid through the underground passage. The cave wasn't directly under the lake like the zora's temporary haven but branched down into the cliffs around Lake Hylia. Water dripped from the ceiling in places, cool and fresh.
Finding the entrance to this place wasn't easy. Lym's directions were spot on, though. They'd scaled the shores of the lake until they reached a spot hidden by a pile of boulders, and the cave mouth just beyond.
"How did Mira even find this place?"
"There are secret grottoes like this one all over Hyrule," Dark explained with a shrug. "You just need to know where to look."
Silas chuckled. "Why am I not surprised you know so many of Hyrule's secrets."
"It's not the only secret I know," he said, aiming a flirtatious smirk over his shoulder.
He was gratified when a flush of crimson bloomed on Silas' face. Keeping his attention on where he was walking, he continued down the slope, ducking under hanging vines. Despite his teasing, there was a tangle of nerves in the base of his stomach. Clearly, Lymira was angling for the two of them to have some time together to work things out. There was nothing like your mother returning from the grave with amnesia to rearrange your priorities. But it meant since their brief conversation on the ship, they hadn't spoken of their relationship and badly needed to.
Just like this agonizing situation with Shaiya, they needed a clear path forward. To decide on next steps. He didn't want to push Silas too far, but…it would be nice to confirm how Silas felt about him. And how he envisioned their future.
All too soon, the earthy passage flattened and opened into a wider, oblong cavern. A mound of dirt created a soft ledge which tumbled into a pool of dark water. It was chilly and damp; no doubt the water would be cold. Dark slid down to the water's edge, reaching out to test the temperature with his fingers. Cool, but pleasant.
Standing, he searched for a good spot to stash the torch he carried, cramming it between the dirt wall and a rock. Then, he summoned a little magic to create floating orbs of pale fire, commanding them to hover near the ceiling and light the way.
When he turned around, Silas was stripped to the waist and removing his boots. He dangled his toes over the water, wriggling them experimentally. Why that gesture made Dark smile, he couldn't say. Happy with the results, Silas reached for his belt and stripped down to his underpants. He was never one to shy away from a bit of discomfort, so he hopped right into the chilly water, cupping his hands and dousing his face and hair.
Dark pulled off his own clothes, folding them and laying them next to Silas's untidy heap. Sliding into the pool, he watched Silas float backwards, his arms outstretched, his gaze taking in the floating fires above his head. The longer Dark stared, the harder it became to banish the sharp teeth of fear in his heart.
He loved Silas. He was his closest friend. It seemed to be his fate to fall helplessly in love with his best friends. If Silas didn't feel exactly the same, he would respect it. It would still hurt.
"She's going to be okay, Dark. She's going to get better."
Dark blinked and met Silas's concerned face. He'd misinterpreted whatever was showing on Dark's own face.
"I wish I had your eternal optimism," he said, shuttering his other thoughts.
Silas smiled. "Optimism is something you practice, not something you have."
Dark grunted noncommittally. "Are you cold?"
"A bit. But it's kind of nice, too." Silas's smile widened. "Remember taking a dip in the pond last winter? We didn't freeze then."
Dark laughed. By some miracle, they hadn't frozen to death. Though it'd taken several hours in front of the fire to thaw, even for him. A side effect of his connection with the element of Fire, he usually ran hot. Even now, in the cold water, his skin retained most of its heat.
He eyed Silas, still floating in lazy circles, treading water. It was so deep in one section of the pool even they couldn't touch the bottom standing up, and Silas had a few inches on him in height. Kicking his feet, Dark swam backwards until he reached a spot where he could stand flat-footed. He slicked his hair back from his face, dampening it, then paused with his hands on the back of his head when he caught Silas's stare.
His heated skin shot up a degree or two. There was definite interest in Silas's sky blue eyes as they traced the lines of Dark's triceps, forearms, down the length of his chest. He let his hands drop slowly, letting them drift over the surface of the water. He didn't move closer, but he felt the invisible string tied between them, tightening ever so slightly.
For all that he was nervous, he could almost see Silas's tension like smoke in the air. Dark could turn on the charm, but it didn't feel quite right. His seductive charm was fake, really. A tool he used to pretend interest, to hide his real feelings. It was like playing a part. Wearing a mask. He didn't mean it, but he needed it in order to be intimate with someone.
He didn't need a mask with Silas. Didn't want one. But without a character to portray, he realized somewhat belatedly how out of practice he was. Honesty had always worked well for him, and it was a trait Silas appreciated. He would have to ask the question burning inside him sometime.
Inhaling his courage, he lifted a hand out of the water towards Silas. "Come here."
Silas's eyes flared subtly, but then he was moving towards Dark, closing the distance inch by excruciating inch. Pulled by a magnet. He floated to a stop a few feet away. Dark circled to his right side, placing his hands on Silas's shoulders and turning him so his back was against the wall. Then, he lifted Silas's unresisting hands in his own, holding them out between them. Gently, Dark pressed their palms together, then moved their hands out and back towards Silas.
It forced Silas to recline against the wall, his arms bent and propping him up. The movement caused his chest muscles to expand and lift. Dark released his hands, their interlocked fingers sliding free of one another.
"Stay there," he murmured.
"What are you going to do?"
Dark looked up from Silas's hands, trying to read his expression. "What do you want me to do?"
Silas tugged the corner of his mouth between his teeth. "Will you kiss me again?"
Dark inched closer until there was barely a sliver between them, his fingers curling in the dirt to brace himself. Their mouths hovered, sharing breath. Silas remained still, the black of his pupils swallowing the blue. Tilting his head, Dark pressed a chaste kiss against Silas's cheek, then his jaw, the hollow below his ear.
Silas shivered, his breath escaping in a gasp. Dark placed more kisses down the side of his neck, under the curve of his jaw where his pulse hammered like a hummingbird's wings.
"Okay?" he asked, letting his lips brush over Silas's skin.
Silas nodded slowly. "What are you doing?"
"You wanted me to kiss you."
Silas let out a nervous chuckle. "I meant, you know, on the mouth."
"Later," Dark muttered, leaving a kiss in the hollow of Silas's throat where it met his collarbones, then a second, open-mouthed suck that made earned him a surprised moan. "I'll kiss you everywhere else, first. Then your mouth."
Despite the heat racing through his veins, he decided not to dunk himself underwater. He kept his exploration to the exposed, chilled skin of Silas's chest, arms and neck, warming him with his touch. He let his mouth drift down over his chest, his tongue circling Silas's pebbled nipples. Silas gasped and bucked, but he kept him in place with his body weight, his hands on the other man's shoulders.
Despite Silas's intimidating, tough appearance, every inch of skin he touched was soft against his lips. There were callouses on Silas's hands, little scars scattering his body from a lifetime of manual labour. But his skin was addictive. Dark traced his tongue over the curve of Silas's jaw, the stubble there tickling. He tasted clean and earthy from his swim, but underneath was the scent and taste of Silas, reminding Dark of cool nights under a naked sky. Fresh straw. Damp earth. Wood smoke. Peace.
When he paused in his kisses to latch his mouth onto his throat, sucking the skin gently between his teeth, Silas groaned. He seized Dark by the shoulders, forcing him backwards until he could meet his eyes.
Silas's lips were parted, slightly swollen and red as though he'd bitten them. He swore he could see them throb, ache with the need to be kissed there. Desire made his eyes heavy and intense. His fingertips gripped Dark so tightly they would leave bruises.
Giving in to the silent demand, Dark lowered his head and pressed his mouth to Silas's, swallowing his groan of relief. As he molded their lips together, letting Silas's hands slide up to cup his face, Dark sank into the simple pleasure of kissing. It'd been so long since he'd just kissed someone at all. His past conquests, if they could be called that, weren't really interested in being wooed, in being kissed. They were interested in owning his body, in satisfying their curiosity. And then nothing.
The other night, he'd kissed Lym over and over again, unable to stop. Pouring his love for her into her lips, her skin. She'd kissed him back, saying without words that she loved him, too. He'd taken each of her kisses greedily, wanting more, needing more. Now, with Silas, he did the same. Asking with each fervent kiss. Answering back.
Silas's hands slid into his hair and Dark groaned, pressing their hips together. They both wore their underpants, but the friction of their bodies through the fabric was almost enough, causing them both to moan. Close was no longer close enough. Silas tightened his hold. Dark plunged his tongue into his mouth, trying to drown him in his desire.
With a gasp, Silas pulled back, breaking the connection. "Wait," he panted, then swallowed. "Shouldn't we talk first? You probably need to…"
Dark bit his lip to stifle a laugh. "Silas."
"Hmm?"
"I don't want to talk right now."
Silas nodded slowly, then tilted his again so they could better align their searching mouths. They said little more after that.
Lym was waiting in the communal dining hall, dressed in borrowed clothes of a long, blue skirt tied at her hip, a matching piece of fabric wrapped around her torso and leather sandals. Somehow, they suited her as much as her habitual armour.
She sat on a stone-carved stool, one leg crossed over the other, sandaled foot bouncing up and down. In front of her were silver plates heaped with fried fish, steamed crab and rice with palm fruits. At their approach, she turned with a wide, close-mouthed smile.
"How are you, boys?"
Silas immediately sat down and busied himself building a heaping plate of food. He pretended very hard not to notice the palpable vibrations from Lymira's questioning stare. Lym glanced instead at Dark with a raised brow. He nodded slightly, taking the seat next to her, across from Silas. Lymira's smile grew until it was downright smug.
"Have fun?" she murmured to Dark.
He grunted, reaching for his own plate. "How's Shaiya?" he asked, redirecting.
Lymira clicked her tongue, but said, "Better, I think. She rested. We went outside for some fresh air. Oh, I may have found a way to get her memories back."
Dark paused in spooning rice onto his plate. "What?"
She took a deep breath through her nose. "I found a way to use the time stone to try and…encourage her memories to come back. I think I've made some progress."
Dark nearly dropped his plate. He whirled on Lym, trying to keep his voice low. "What are you talking about? You used magic on my mother!?"
Her eyes narrowed, her blue eye sharpening to ice. "I had Shaiya's full support to try it. And I was reasonably sure it would work. It's not like I haven't used the time stone before."
"You still used untested magic on my mother!" Dark seethed under his breath. "You had no way of knowing what would happen. You could have erased her memory entirely!"
Silas was staring at them wide-eyed, a bite of fish halfway to his mouth. Dark tried to soothe the shock, anger and fragile hope churning in his chest.
"I spoke with Ruto's healers a few minutes ago," Lym continued. "She was much more lucid. They seem optimistic."
"This is good news, then, right?" Silas said, looking back and forth between them.
"Very good," Lym agreed. "The healers are confident her memory will return. She was already asking questions when I came out for dinner."
Dark turned back in his seat, his fists clenched on his knees. The hope was drowning his anger and anxiety, but he was scared to let it rise too fast. A hope was a far cry from a cure.
"Thank you," he muttered, spearing a fried fish onto his plate.
"There's the words you were looking for," she said wryly.
He grunted again. "You can't blame me for being upset at the thought of you experimenting with magic on my mother," he said.
Lym huffed. "I'm sorry, but I thought under the circumstances I should at least try. And I asked for Shaiya's opinion beforehand, seeing as hers is the only one that matters anyway. They're her memories."
"It sounds like it's working, though," Silas pointed out. "I mean, the time stone helped us find her in the first place, why couldn't it find and return her memories, too?"
"Exactly!"
Dark sighed. "Okay, you can both stop now."
"And now she can get her memories back," Silas said. "She can be reunited with you, with Link. You can be a family again. She'll have more family than she knows what to do with!" He grinned at Lym across the table. "Can you imagine us all together next Yule, celebrating as one big family?"
Lym choked on a bite and spit rice all over her plate. Dark barely noticed, having frozen in place at Silas's words.
You can be a family again.
Jerking back to his senses, he reached out to slap Lym's back. She waved him off, regaining her breath and grabbing the pitcher of water to drink straight from it.
"Sorry," she wheezed.
Dark watched her avoid both of their gazes. He couldn't blame her. He had mixed feelings about the idea of being "one big happy family" too. He replayed the conversation with Silas in the grotto once again, wondering if there was truly hope for the three of them, too. They were trapped in this strange limbo, not voicing their deepest thoughts, avoiding the questions that still needed to be answered. He knew eventually, they needed to find a way forward. One way or another.
It was very possible their budding relationship had a time limit.
Dark looked at his plate of food, mostly untouched. His appetite was vanishing in the sea of uneasy hope and spiking anxiety.
"Excuse me," he muttered.
He stood from the table and walked out of the dining hall.
Lake Hylia at sunset was a sight not to be missed, Dark thought.
Even in the winter, the patches of ice floating on the surface added to the effect of sun on water. A shattered mirror of colours and light.
The very first time he'd ever seen the lake's beauty was years ago. He and Sienna had run away from the orphanage for the first time. They'd hitched a ride on a wagon leaving Castle Town and managed to stay hidden for an entire day. After the wagon driver chased them away, they'd slept in the forest all night, then wandered by foot all the next day. Following the main roads, they'd landed at Lake Hylia. Neither of them had seen a beach before. They spent all day laying in the sand, swimming in the crystal waters.
When the sun set on the lake, it stole his breath. The deep blue changed to golden orange, then faded to a mirror of red and magenta under an indigo sky.
Their beautiful night was ruined by the bounty hunter sent to retrieve them catching up, but the memory was a happy one he'd held onto. Now, sitting on a bluff overlooking the lake, Dark let memories of that day play through his mind once more.
Sienna had been his first real family after the death of his parents. When he lost her, he'd left Hyrule and only other family he had in Link. Even now, having built a small circle of friends, having reunited with Link, a part of him was afraid of the idea of having a real family.
He didn't know how to be in a family. He didn't know how to keep one together. He didn't know if he could survive losing another one.
The idea of his mother getting her memories back was incredible, but terrifying. The idea of creating a family with Silas and Lym was amazing, yet he was afraid.
He felt foolish for being so afraid, because there were no guarantees, were there? There was nothing keeping Lym in Hyrule once Alatar was defeated. Would she return to her home in Labrynna? And what about Silas? Didn't he want to return to his farm, his entire life, in Ordon?
He couldn't shake the sense that this entire situation was only temporary. That soon he would move on, like always. But for the first time in years, he didn't want to.
"May I join you?"
Startled, he jerked around to see his mother standing a few feet away, the wind whipping tendrils of hair across her face. She looked…focused. Aware. Was it possible that Lym's efforts actually worked?
"Of course," he stammered.
Shaiya knelt on the grass at his side, twisting to face him. He felt her watching him, mapping his features. She kept her hands folded in her lap, her shoulders back and relaxed, but for all her outward calm there was an undercurrent of nerves, of uncertainty.
"Queen Ruto tells me that you're my son."
Dark swallowed, forcing himself to keep his gaze on her. "Yes."
A glimmer of affection flashed across her face. "I would have thought so, even without her telling me. You look just like your father."
Dark chuckled. "I wouldn't know."
Sorrow drowned out the tentative joy in her eyes, and Dark inwardly cursed himself. Why did he have to bring that up? Idiot.
Shaiya's eyes darted all over his face, a kaleidoscope of emotions warring within them. "You must hate me," she whispered, dropping her head.
"Hate you?" Dark asked, blinking in confusion. "Why would I hate you?"
Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over. "I remember some of that night," she admitted. "I lost you…I couldn't find you. And I had to leave, I was holding your brother…"
Dark looked out over the water, old pain and grief gnawing on a secret corner of his heart. "It wasn't your fault. You needed to protect Link. I was the one who turned back. I wanted to find my father." He paused, debating how much to reveal. "He died protecting me," Dark finished. "He died a hero."
Shaiya's eyes widened. "You were there when he died?" His expression must have confirmed it, for a tear escaped. "I'm so sorry, Kai, how awful." She lifted a hand and laid her palm on his forearm, then seemed to think better of it and pulled away. "I'm so sorry."
Dark stared at the spot where she'd touched him, however briefly. "Kai?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
Shaiya tilted her head. "It's what we named you. Oh," she shook her head. "They gave you a new name, didn't they?"
"They did, but I never used it." He huffed a laugh. "A…friend of mine gave me the nickname 'Dark', and it's stuck."
"Dark," she repeated, smiling. "I'm happy to see you made a family of your own, despite what happened." Sobering, she glanced away, then her gaze once again riveted on him. "I am thankful to you and your friends for rescuing me, but…I understand if you don't want or need a relationship. I must seem like a stranger to you and—"
Her words were choked off when Dark lunged at her, yanking her into a tight hug before he'd consciously thought to do so. He held her tight, her frame thin and fragile in his arms.
"You could never be a stranger," he murmured, wincing when he felt the warm dampness of her tears soaking into the shoulder of his coat. He tightened his grip. "Never," he repeated. Slowly, tentatively, her hand cradled the back of his head, stroking his hair in a gesture of maternal affection and comfort. Dark swallowed past the tightness in his throat, closing his eyes.
He held her for a long moment, feeling her shoulders tremble with silent sobs, unsurprised when tears slid down his own cheeks. For his entire life, he'd thought both his parents were gone. He'd mourned them. Missed them. As a child he'd wished for a world where his family hadn't been torn apart so cruelly. Nothing would make him throw away this chance.
When she pulled away, trying to blot the wetness from her face, she offered a tentative smile. "Queen Ruto said I should start regaining some of my memories over time, but I have to admit, I'm more eager to put all those behind me and start anew."
Dark nodded in understanding. "As soon as you're well, we'll leave for Castle Town. I promised Link we would return as soon as we found you."
Shaiya's blue eyes widened in shock. "Link? He's alive? But in the forest…" She trailed off, her brow furrowing. Dark could almost see the pieces of scattered memory trying to stitch themselves together in her mind.
"It's a very long story," he agreed. "One I'm sure he'll be more than happy to tell you when he sees you. He's going to be very excited to see you again."
Shaiya's smile broadened. "I can hardly wait to have both my sons together again, myself." She raised a hand to cup his cheek. "Do you both live in Castle Town, then? It must have changed so much over these years…"
"Link lives in Kakariko. I live in Ordon, but I came back to Hyrule to see Link. He's asked me to come and stay…for his wedding." Dark grinned at the slack-jawed shock on his mother's face at this pronouncement.
"He's getting married?" She pressed a hand to her heart, her smile beaming. "How wonderful!"
"They'll be married in the spring. Link and Princess Zelda."
If it were possible for a woman to look more stunned, Dark hadn't seen it. He barely suppressed a laugh at having revealed these surprises.
Shaiya shook her head in disbelief. "My son is a prince? I could never have imagined." She let out a short laugh, then fixed Dark with a curious expression that was so like Link's his heart flipped in his chest. "What about my other son?" she asked.
"A mere peasant, I'm afraid," he teased, laughing at her fierce frown. "I've done many things, but most recently I've been helping my friend Silas run his farm in Ordon." He thought of Taver's offer and added, "I am thinking of becoming a blacksmith."
"You are not a mere anything," she countered, eyeing him with motherly disapproval. "Queen Ruto tells me you're an accomplished swordsman and tradesman. These are things to be proud of."
Dark shrugged. "My purpose has not been so clear as Link's. It's been…harder for me to find my way."
She laid a comforting hand on his arm again, her warmth and love seeping through to his skin. "Being lost or uncertain is not a weakness," she told him. She smiled. "It's an opportunity to take a new path."
Sliding his hand over hers, he looked over the icy waters of Lake Hylia again. At the moment, he had a clear purpose in defeating Alatar. His mother still needed to be warned of the danger, but that could wait until they reached Hyrule Castle. If he was successful in setting everything right, what then? He was considering Taver's offer to stay in Kakariko, but what of Silas? And Lymira was a question mark, too. There were so many uncertainties. His heart was being pulled in many directions. It was easy, now, to push aside worries of the future when there were more important things to focus on in the present, but he knew eventually those decisions would have to be made. He'd have to choose a path forward.
Would he choose the right one?
Sensing his inner turmoil, perhaps, Shaiya shifted in the grass, turning to look out at the water with him, their hands clasped.
For long moments, they sat on the bluff overlooking the lake, contemplating the future, until the sun's dying rays arced across the water and vanished in the indigo twilight.