Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The scent of creamy radish soup wafted through the air. The links ate in peace and silence until Wind brought up the topic of family, chatting about his younger sister Aryll and his grandmother. Then, Wild spoke up saying he recently got a memory of his father telling him how he and his mother met, followed by Time's tale of how he was born during a war and how his mother brought him to the Great Deku tree. This lead to Warriors ranting about his 5 sisters and his father being in the army as well as Hyrule and the great fairies to Legend's uncle. Then, eyes fell on Four.

"What about your family, Four?" Wind excitedly chimed. "You've said your gramps is a blacksmith?" 

Four smiled. "Yeah, Gramps is a Smith. My dad's also in the Hylian Military. And my mom..." Four's smile fell somber. "I knew my mom 'til I was four years old. Then one day she... Disappeared...," Tears pricked at his eyes as he recalled memories of his mother.

He took a deep breath and continued. "I don't know what happened to her. Dad said she was gone but I didn't understand what he meant by that. Was she dead or did she leave? And why? What happened?..."

The group turned to each other. "I'm... Sorry to hear that Four. Are you alright?" Hyrule said to his friend.

Four shakily smiled, a tear slowly tracing his left cheek. "Y-yeah. I'm fine! I still have my dad, gramps and the other knights so it's OK!"

The conversation was dropped then and there and wasn't brought up weeks after that.

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About a month later, the group teleports to Four's Hyrule. Convieniently, near his house.

They get there, greet Four's grandfather and hang around for a bit. Wild begins to prepare a meal for everyone just as Four's dad arrives and greets his son with a great, big hug and a kiss on both cheeks. The atmosphere was light as everyone ate and passed stories around. About their adventures and work. About fighting techniques and recipes.

Eventually, it was time for bed. The links all begin to unpack their things in the spare room (with Sky already fast asleep) when Four's dad comes in and requests Four to come out for a talk.

Four leaves the room, telling the others he'll be back in a moment and gently closes the door.

"What's up, dad? What do you need?"

His dad fidget a bit. Something he never does unless he's anxious or needs to bring up a heavy topic.

"I think... I think I time I tell you about your mother, Link."

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Four looks straight at his father's old, worried eyes. He's gonna tell him now? About what happened to her? Every part of him spoke in hushed voices inside his head before they all composed themselves.

"W-what happened to mom?"

His father stood there, his fingers squirming, hands opening and closing as if he was trying to pray inconspicuously.

"When you were younger, she dealt with many... Problems. She would say things that weren't true and see things that weren't there," Four's father began. "It got to a point where she could hardly control herself anymore. So, she was sent to... To bedlam,"

Four's head was filled with confusion. "Wait. She's in an asylum?"

His father looked at his son with glassy eyes. "Yes. One day when you were asleep, she grabbed a-a kitchen knife and walked to your-your room and tried to- h-hurt you. So sh-she was taken away," 

His father was crying now. Something he'd never seen before. Not even when telling him his mother was gone.

Four didn't know what to say or do. His dad is clinging to his 16 year old son as if he was going to disappear too. Four's mind raged with Red bawling and Blue angrily yelling while Vio was left more clueless than ever and Green forced to comfort the others and keep the body composed.

Finally, their father let them go. "If you want to, Link, we can all go see your guys' mother tomorrow. B-but only if you want to,"

Did they want to? Yes. Of course! But would they be okay? What would they tell her? Would she try to hurt them? Would she be the loving, caring mother they once knew? They didn't know. But they did know one thing.

"Yes. We want to see mom,"

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Four went back into the room. The lights were off and the only two still awake were Time and Hyrule.

"What did your father say?" Time asked the teen.

"Are you alright Four? You seem upset?" Hyrule cautiously asked Four. 

"I..." He didn't know what to tell them or how to word it. "Tomorrow, I'm going to see my... My mom,"

Both their ears perked up in curiosity. 

"That's a good thing, right? You finally get to see your mom after who knows how long!" 

Oh, Hyrule, bless him. Always trying to find good in any situation if possible. 

"She's not... The same,"

"How so?" Time questioned. 

Four felt like there was too much but he really, really wanted to say something. 

"She's in bedlam. An asylum. She... Tried to hurt me when I was little. At least that's what dad told me." 

It felt a little better to share that. 

He now just has to prepare for the big day tomorrow. 

"I'm gonna go to bed now... Gotta get ready for tomorrow...," 

The two exchanged glances, faces filled with worry.

"Alright then, Four. Goodnight. We love you." Time said quietly. 

"Love you too! G'night....,"

Will she still love them, however?

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They got up early that morning and quickly got dressed into something more comfortable than their hero wear. Wild and Warriors were already awake and chatting over bread and coffee. They walk over to the counter and grab the coffee from the stove. They weren't very hungry and ignored the bread. It still smelled great though...

"We heard about what happened last night from the old man. Are you gonna be okay?" Warriors said quietly to them.

"Yeah, this is a lot to take it at once. Finally seeing your mother again after she....," Wild butts in, his eyebrows creased with worry.

They were too tired for this. They didn't wanna have to think about their mom until they actually met her but this is what was happening so there's no escaping it.

"We'll be fine, guys. It's just a short visit," Four insisted.

"Well, alright then. You should eat something before you go, by the way,"

"'M not hungry..."

Four silently sits away from the two, who were now quietly conversing with hushed voices and hands to mouths.

Eventually, Four' s dad finally wakes up and comes down to the kitchen to grab some coffee as well. The three chimed good mornings and hellos to the old man.

Finally, they finished their coffee.

"Are you ready to go, Link? It's okay if you need more time,"

The longer they stay here, the harder it'll be to leave.

Drawing in a shaky breath and rubbing their eyes, they gave their final answer.

"Yeah. Let's go."

Chapter Text

The walk was silent. They held hands and walked as slowly as they could, afraid of what they would find if they went.

Eventually, however, they arrived to the asylum. The two nervously stood in front of the large, iron bars before finally pushing the gate and walking into the building.

They asked the receptionist where to go and directed the two to the second basement floor.

They slowly descended into the dimly lit hallway where ominous noises like scratching and screaming could be heard. Father and son squeeze their hands tighter as they walk to the last room down the hall.

Inside, a petite, blonde woman sits on the floor. She wore a white gown and had her stringy, long and matted hair covering her face.

Four's dad swallowed. His Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he reached out to knock on the cell.

Four held his breath, afraid that a single noise might trigger something.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The woman looks up at the two. Her eyes an angry red lined with intense, black bags underneath. She slowly pushed herself off the floor and approaches the two.

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Four subconsciously steps back. His heart was pounding in his ears in fear. What was she gonna do? Is she gonna scream or attack? 

"... Link? Alfred? Is that you?" the woman. No. His mother asked.

"Yes, love. I-it's us. We've come to visit you...," His dad said to his once beautiful wife. "Are you alright my dear?" 

"As okay as I can be, sweets,"

She looks down at Four. "Link, honey, where have you been? You've never come to visit mommy before now, " She waves her hand in her direction. "Come, come,"

Four cautiously steps forward to her. He was scared, no, terrified. 

He reaches the bars of her cell. 

His mother lets out a skinny arm and gingerly places it on Four's cheek, stroking it. 

"How old are you now, Link? You look rather small," She asks in her raspy voice. 

"S-sixteen now, mom," Four can feel tears forming. It was hard to get a single word out without breaking down in front of her. 

"I'm so sorry my baby... I'm sorry for trying to hurt you. I was just trying to get rid of the evil shadows surrounding you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," 

His mother continuously repeated these same words to her son as she broke into tears. Four gripped his mother' s pale, skinny arm and cried with her. 

Neither let go.

Chapter Text

The two return back home where Four's grandfather and the other links worriedly are sitting at the dinner table, awaiting their arrival.

Twilight looks up and aggressively taps Sky's shoulder, causing the Skyloftian to look up and gasp. The Two stand up and rush over to Four, getting down on their knees to get to the right level to coddle him.

"OH MY GODDESSES, FOUR ARE YOU ALRIGHT!"

"Your eyes are so red honey, did she hurt you, are you okay?!"

Four wave the two off, where they gladly stepped back.

"We're fine guys! Calm down! It was just a little family reunion, 'sall,"

Four's grandfather approaches the two and gently hugs them both, lifting Four from the ground.

"How was she? Is Alyssa alright?" He whispers to the pair.

Four's dad just gently pat his back in reassurance. Both their eyes were swollen and red rimmed from crying. Four could still feel his mother's clammy, bony hand on his cheek.

The two take a seat and explain what happened. Twilight, Sky and Wind all piled as close as they could with Four.

It was a struggle to retell what had occurred. The story was told through tears and choked voices. Eventually, they had finished their tale. The group of Links and  Four's grandfather silently and patiently sat through it all. Some with tears in their own eyes.

"Are you okay now Four?" Hyrule asked once more.

Four genuinely smiled. His face still traced with tear-tracks.

"Yeah. I think...."

"I think I'm okay now...,"