Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Malon didn't like any of that.

She didn't like the way Time kept pacing around the room. Neither how he kept his voice low, nor the frowny faces he had been giving. No, she didn't like it at all.

Her husband had spent almost an hour on the phone, talking to this unknown number and repeatedly blinking his blind eye, a nervous twitch he seemed to be unaware of, which didn't go unnoticed by Malon.

It all reeked of problems. And problems were something they had been carefully avoiding in those last few months.

Caressing the small bump on her belly, Malon could only pray that whatever was the issue Time had been dealing with, that it would soon be over and done for good. Usually she was the one to take care of the bureaucratic stuff regarding the ranch. Not that her partner wasn't good at it, it was just a preference of hers since Link seemed to be way too lenient with customers and providers alike.

Something about it, on the other hand, told her it wasn't the usual egg delivery complaint or scheduling the horseshoer.

"Yeah, I get it," she heard Time muttered to the talker. "Like I said, I need to talk to my wife first. Sure, sure. Thanks, I'll call you back."

Clumsily putting the wireless phone back on it's support, Time took a moment to inhale a deep breath and finally gather courage to glance back at Malon's piercing gaze.

"So? Will you tell me what was all that?"

Biting his lips and fidgeting on his hair made the grown man in front of her look much like the fairy boy she once met hiding in the stables. Malon immediately knew her lover was up to no good.

"Link…"

Upon hearing the barely used name, Time straightened his posture and cleared his throat, unable to hide his nervousness any longer.

"Malon, you remember I told you that I don't know much about my family, right?"

She frowned. That’s not what she had been expecting to hear. A thousand thoughts had run through her mind and not in a single one was his family mentioned. Yes, he had often said that he didn’t really know much of his family, but Malon could tell he had been keeping some secrets. The disappearance of his mother left many mysteries unsolved and his time on Termina had only made him even more secretive. The rancher liked to think she knew Time better than anyone else, but she would be lying if she said there weren’t times she felt like a complete stranger to her husband.

"Yeah, what about that?" Malon sat next to him on the couch.

"I just got a call about this cousin of my mother. I haven't met her, never even knew of her existence,” Time clicked his tongue, struggling to find the best wording for the news. “She uh… she had a stroke and passed.”

Malon tightened a grip in Time’s hand. He had spent so much time looking after his relatives, only to find one of them upon their death.

“I’m so sorry, Link.”

“It’s okay, I told you I didn’t know her,” he dared not look at her face yet. "They called me because she left a child.”

Oh . That’s why he looked so nervous.

“And since Tatl and Tael are living abroad it seems that I'm their only relative left in the country, so they asked me if he could stay with us. Well, technically they asked if I could be assigned as his legal guardian and to tutor his belongings while-"

“Wait, wait, wait,” Malon got on her feet to stop his little rant. “ What? ”

Time looked as lost and confused as her, but managed to breathe deep and organize his speech.

“He needs somewhere to stay and someone to look after his patrimony until he reaches adulthood. So the custody council asked if we could do it.”

"Sweet Din… And what did you say?"

"I said I'll think about it" Time let his head sink in his hands. “I don’t know what to do, Malon.”

Neither of them knew what to do, actually. Both were still young and inexperienced. Malon’s belly had just started to become visible and few people knew about her pregnancy. They were aware farmwork would only get harder from there on and both did not want Talon to get overworked as he grew older.

Time must have noticed the way Malon kept rubbing her stomach. Well, she was allowed to have her nervous habits too.

"He's just a baby,” he stated. “A year and something, they said.”

Her deep blue eyes got a lot bigger as she stared back at Time, caught unprepared once again by another surprise that night had reserved for her.

"I don't want to overwhelm you, dear, you've already got too much on your plate with our child on the way. But he's my family. Probably the only I have left. They said if we're not able to take him in, he'll be put to adoption. Of course, we could still keep touch with him in that case but I don't think that's right. Not while we can do something about it. It's up to us to decide and I know it will be hard. But we could at least try."

That was Time’s turn to squeeze her hand. Malon could swear there was some magic in those hands that made all her worries go away whenever he did that.

"Okay, of course. He's family, right?" She smiled. “We'll do whatever we can. Return that call and tell them he's staying with us."

It didn’t take long for Time to shut the phone, this time with a grin carved on his face.

“We’ll need to go to the court to have it all officialized, but they said it shouldn't take long since we’re both related,” he barely tried to hide a giggle as he spoke. “We’ll also be able to meet him in two days, when the social worker comes to check out the ranch. If everything goes well they'll let him stay with us until the verdict. That is, if we both are still up to it.”

"Great. That gives us some time to organize stuff” she said, making her way towards the phone.

"What do we do now?"

Malon turned around playfully and winked mischievously at Time.

"We call the expert."

Talon always wished he had more children. When younger, he often daydreamed of the ranch full of little redheads running around. Of course, that was before the early passing of his beloved.

Many times his daughter had asked him for a sibling and he truly wished he could give her that, but his grieving heart was never able to love a woman other than her mother.

Therefore, he couldn't be happier when she and Time brought him the news that he would be a grandfather. Consumed by excitement, he had impulsively bought a bunch of baby supplies, toys, clothes and even a brand new crib. Malon had scolded him for that. They wouldn't need it all so soon and he should keep his money to himself to better enjoy his eld.

Well, the tables had turned as now Talon watched attentively as the young couple followed his directions on how to assemble the crib he had bought.

"Maybe he'll need a proper bed. You know, I think I still have Malon's old one somewhere in-"

"Dad, no ." Malon huffed. "The crib is enough. I won't have you dwelling in dusty junk for something he'll take years to actually use."

"If you say so…" Talon sighed. "You'll probably need to get a car seat as well."

"We've already got one."

"By the time our baby arrives he'll probably need a different model, so there's no rush to get two of the same type, right?" Time smiled. He really didn't want those two to have an argument.

He knew both of them had good reasons for disagreeing but, like father like daughter, their stubbornness sometimes clouded their judgment.

"Sure," he seemed satisfied with Time's reasoning. "By the way, what's his name?"

"Warriors."

It was a strong name. Powerful. Names were supposed to stand as an omen to their bearers. Nothing more fit than a solid name to guide the beginning of a young life. Or so Time thought, because the weird looks Malon and Talon had been giving him were enough to make him doubt his thoughts.

"What?"

"You Kokiri come up with some peculiar names, huh…" his in law sighed, resigned.

Malon snickered as she hugged Time from behind.

"Do you think dad will like the one we chose for our little one?" She teased, prompting Talon to immediately get up from the chair he had been sitting on.

Ignoring the stinging on his sciatic caused by the sudden movement, the old farmer tried his best to look threatening.

"I swear to the three golden goddesses if you name my grandchild 'Clock' or… Or 'Ocarina'! I will disown you!"

"Just tell him already," Time giggled. He really liked to mess with Talon but he was afraid the poor man would lose his mind if they kept him guessing any longer.

"Wait a second," Malon rushed out of the spare room they had been preparing for Warriors and soon returned with a fine kerchief folded in her hands.

The white fabric was soft on the touch and decorated with delicate flowers embroidered by hand. The vines framed a dark wine-colored cursive word in the bottom right corner of the material.

Twilight .

"Oh that's… That's acceptable." Talon nodded, taking some time to admire the details.

"That's it?" Malon forced a gasp. "We've been working our heads out to choose a perfect name for the baby and all you have to say is 'acceptable'? How dare you!'"

"Well, the stitches are a little off-"

"Dad!"

"Alright, alright! I'm just joking. It's beautiful!" Talon's laugh echoed in the room, filling the house with joy and warmth.

If earlier that day he couldn't wait to spoil his grandchild, now one could say his excitement had doubled.

They didn't expect everything to go smoothly at first, but there was no denying the couple was hit with a sting of despair when they caught the glance of Time's little cousin crying in the baby car seat.

"Don't worry, he's just upset because a speed bump startled him awake," the counselor must have noticed their uncomfortable looks. "Would you like to carry him?"

"Can I?" Time shyly approached them, still trying to figure how to hold the child.

It would probably be easier if Warriors didn't keep squirming and wailing in his ear but Talon assured them it wouldn't take long for him to get tired and calm down. His thin blond hair was wet against Time's shirt and smelled like soft neutral shampoo. They had obviously tried to make him look presentable with the hair combed to the side and a matching outfit. 

As she guided the social worker around the ranch, followed by an uneasy Time and the baby, Malon had an idea while passing near the hen house. Hopefully that would ease the chaos.

"Hey Warriors, look!" She pointed at the fluffy white chicks pecking the floor of the coop. "Look at the cuccos!"

The trick seemed to have worked because their ears were finally spared from the high pitched yells.

"Cucco?" The boy frowned, pointing at the birds and looking back at Malon expectantly with his teary eyes.

"Yeah, those are cuccos," she nodded. "Can you see them?"

For the first time they heard Warriors sweet giggle as he joyfully clapped his little hands in awe while watching the animals. Time sighed in relief, realizing the counselor seemed pleased with Malon's solution. Although he had to admit he was impressed with his cousin's genuine interest in the birds. He would be a natural on the ranch.

Seeing a cucco curiously approaching them, however, before any of them could get the chick away, Wars curled back into Time's chest, warily of the animal.

"Oh, he knows when to avoid them. He's smart," he laughed. "Aren't you smart, Warriors?"

The boy nodded seriously, cackling a laugh from all of them.

"You can see he's very humble too,'' Malon joked next to her husband. Her red hair immediately caught the kid's attention, prompting him to grab a handful of it and yanking it down towards himself.

"Ow!"

"That's what you get for mocking his humility" Time snickered.

"Might you remember I'm not the only one liable of hair pulling in this ranch," she teased, softly tugging he husband's ponytail.

"Well, I'm definitely cutting mine shorter after that," Time announced. He liked to think his long hair had some sort of charm, but he wouldn't be risking it near the baby anytime sooner.

"Aw, I'll miss it!"

Housing a baby, as they quickly realized, wasn't an easy task. Time and Malon had spent the afternoon clearing the house out of anything dangerous for little hands, rearranging furniture and objects close to the floor as requested by the counselor, while Talon kept the boy entertained with some makeshift toys.

Wiping the sweat out of her forehead, Malon smiled at the sight of her father finally being able to pamper a child, even if it wasn't hers. Talon must have noticed she was done with organizing because, as soon as he saw her, the old rancher tried to bring Warriors' attention to her 

"Hey, Wars! Look who's there!" He motioned towards her. "It's auntie Malon, say hi to her!"

The baby seemed to carefully consider the request, eyeing Malon for a couple of seconds before shaking an open hand towards her, at the same moment his cousin walked into the room.

"Oh goddesses, he waves!" Time beamed at the sigh.

"Yes he does, apparently," Malon sat next to them on the sofa. "Warriors, can you say hi to Time?"

Mimicking the young woman, Wars giggled waving back at his very fluttered cousin. So far, the baby had shown himself quite sociable. The couple had soon noticed he loved the attention and already managed to have everyone in the ranch wrapped around his little fingers.

"Does he walk?" Time wondered, approaching them.

"Let's see," Talon sighed, positioning the infant sitting on the middle of the mat.

Wars didn't seem to understand what was expected of him and just kept staring at the three adults looking at him in expectation. He still needed some incentive to figure out what to do.

"Come here, baby!" Malon sang while kneeling in front of him. "Here with auntie!"

To their disappointment, Warriors only managed to crawl towards the nearest sofa.

"Eh. That's good enough" Time said, unimpressed.

As if on cue, the baby grabbed the sofa padding with his chubby hands and clumsily pulled himself up. On his feet, he began walking towards Malon while supporting himself in the furniture.

"Are you kidding me?" His older cousin laughed, immediately getting a hold of Warriors' hands and guiding him to his goal.

"You do walk, Wars!" Malon beamed at the sight, prompting the baby to let out a loud laugh. "Good job!"

"Technically he doesn't walk by himself," her husband added, pointly.

"Boy, you should be thankful he doesn't walk yet," Talon tapped his shoulder, snatching the baby from him to carry in his arms. "You're both not ready yet to have a child running around this house. Be patient."

"So? About his things?" Malon asked, giving the boy sitting in Time's lap a spoonful of pureed vegetables. That had to do while they didn't have a highchair.

"I talked to his prosecutor. His mother had only a car and few savings to her name. Thankfully she left no debt besides this month's credit card bill," he explained. "Her landlord gave us until the end of the month to take her things away if we get to keep him."

"Water," Wars stated, more focused on his food.

"You want water, huh? Ok, be nice to aunt Malon while I get you some," Time kissed his forehead and transferred the baby to his wife's lap.

Malon couldn't just get enough of the kid. He looked exactly how she pictured Time younger. With luck, their child would inherit some of that fairy-touched cuteness as well. They had the same ocean blue eyes and vivid blond hair, although Wars' was wavier, given the twirls starting to form in his locks.

Few minutes had passed when she noticed Time was taking way too long to fetch the water. The kitchen was right next to the dining room, what could have been keeping him from returning all this time?

"Babe? Aren't you getting water?" She called for him.

Her answer came with a Link awkwardly holding a glass of water.

"We need plastic cups."

Not wasting any more time after the judge decided in their favor, the couple agreed with Talon to retrieve Warriors and his mother's remaining belongings as soon as possible. With the things moved to the ranch, they would be able to sort it out better later.

Upon unlocking the old apartment's door, the child soon realized where they were getting to and beamed.

"House!"

"Yes, sweetheart. You used to live here, didn't you?" Time tickled him, prompting a giggle as he squirmed in his arms.

"Mama!" He shouted, looking all over with his attentive eyes.

The three of them shared a look. None had thought on how he would react while visiting the place he used to live or the memories that would resurface there.

"Mama!" He repeated, now louder than before.

"Baby, let's look after your toys, shall we?" Malon nervously took the baby from her husband's arms and disappeared into a room, prompting him and Talon to start working on getting the things to their truck.

"So, what do you plan to do with all that stuff?" Time's in-law raised an eyebrow.

"Me and Malon have discussed it and we've decided to keep some of her things to preserve her memory. Pictures, jewelry… That kind of stuff." He shrugged. "The rest we're planning to sell and put the money in a savings account for the kid."

"That's good," Talon nodded.

She didn't have much - only her and the baby lived in the apartment, after all - but carrying a bunch of furniture down the stairs and into the truck was quite a workout to the pair. While removing the last fitment from the kitchen, after clearing out the living room and bathroom, Time and Talon were stopped by a shrill screech coming from the house's single bedroom.

"What's wrong?" Time ran to the room where his wife had been trying to distract the baby.

"Mamaaa!" Wars berated at Malon, demanding her the only thing she would be never able to provide him.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry," she tried to reason. "I'm sure she would love to come and play but… Mama can't."

"No! Mama mine!" The infant threw himself on the ground with a loud thump and cried harder, flailing his arms and legs unrhythmically and letting his emotions out the only way he could.

It was truly an ugly sight: the baby shrieking on the floor, his face red as a beet and nose dripping with snot, surrounded by the dusty remains of a routine he used to know and the mother he used to have, both now forever robbed of him at such a young age.

Carefully, Malon scooped the sobbing child off the floor and into her arms, resting his head on her shoulder as she tried to at least ease him with her deep breaths.

"It's okay. You can cry, Wars." She rocked him gently. "I know you miss her."

"Bad mama."

"Mama's not bad, baby. Mama loves you. She's watching you from above." Malon shot a  defeated look at Time. They still had a long way ahead.

Back in the warmth of their bed, the couple rested from the busy day. Splayed amongst the sheets and pillows, Time noticed his wife's red mess of a head adjust in the softness, her troubled eyes giving away the insecurity they both now felt.

"It doesn't seem real to me." She mumbled, closing her eyes.

"Me neither".

They remained silent for a while, both due to the fatigue of carrying in and out a bunch of furniture and the loss of words to describe their conundrum. Malon, again, was the first to speak up.

"We were counting the days to have a baby of our own and suddenly it just dawned on me how not ready we are…" Sighed the rancher. "A week ago I didn't even know how to change a diaper. How are we supposed to raise a child? A grieving child, above all?"

Time didn't have the answers for such a question, but he knew there was nothing he couldn't do with her by his side. Malon had always pushed him ahead when he found himself paralyzed by his self-deprecating thoughts. To see her so distraught was somewhat new to him, a kind of intimacy he never experienced before 

"I think you handled it wonderfully in his house." He managed to speak out.

"Really, Link?" She scoffed, supporting her head up with her elbow. "The kid was having a breakdown!"

"And you helped him through it." Time held her other hand tightly. "He doesn't understand death yet, so you did the only thing you could while I just stared like an idiot."

The young man sighed in defeat.

"I wished I could do the same. I'll try to. For him."

Silence filled the bedroom as the couple contemplated the situation. Were they doing it right? What is even the right thing to do in such circumstances?

"You weren't really well today either" Malon spoke up after a while.

"Yeah" he admitted. "I found a photo album. His mother looks so much like my mom they could pass as sisters."

"I see" Malon nodded. She'd very much like to see said album later.  "How did you get over it? Her death?"

"I never truly did" Time shrugged tiredly. "I just kept waiting for her to miraculously appear. Until I stopped waiting."

"I'm sorry, babe." That was all she could say.

Stillness grew to the point Malon was almost falling asleep when her husband caught her attention once again.

"We're both the same, right? Wars and I."

"Why do you think that?" She frowned at the comparison.

"How old were you when your mother passed? Eight? You knew she wouldn't come back." Time admitted. "I'll never even know if my mother truly died, Malon."

Uncomfortable silence filled the air while both pondered the meaning of those words, when Time realized he shouldn't speak so lightly about his mother in law's passing.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to say you had it easy but-"

"I get it," Malon stopped him. "You don't need to apologize. I have no idea what it's like to have a missing relative. But Time, he'll understand it as he grows."

His wife squeezed his hand tighter.

"I just wish we could be able to make him happy." He sighed.

Their breaths slowed as the minutes passed. Not a sound could be heard in the ranch, as if even the crickets decided to give the family a break after such a long day. That is, until Malon decided to disturb the calmness for one last time, before drifting to their well-deserved slumber.

"Time…"

"Hm?"

"Do you believe in heaven?"

"This is heaven" He pulled her closer and enveloped her in his embrace. "How could I not believe in it?"

Chapter Text

Nighttime was a blessing in the Lon Lon Ranch. Not only because it meant the daily work was done, but also because it was the time of the day in which everything was silent.

The horses wouldn't trot. The cuccos wouldn't cluck. The buckets wouldn't clank and the pitchfork was laid to rest. But most importantly, the children would sleep soundly so Time and Malon could finally be able to run their errands regarding the management of the farm finances and their own personal lives.

It helped Time to concentrate. Their nightly routine was essential for the couple to sort out the most boring parts of owning such a business.

With Malon having finished all her notes and calculations for the day, Time was left struggling with his numbers in the dim lampshade of their room, while she rolled under the bedsheets, trying to find a good position to fall asleep.

Not long after she fell under a light nap, a muffled noise coming from the kitchen downstairs told Time that one of the kids was assaulting the fridge. Not in the mood to interrupt his train of thought, he opted to ignore and deal with it in the morning.

It didn’t take too long after that when he heard the sound of a loud bang, startling him and jolting Malon awake. It sounded unmistakably like the noise of the warehouse door being shut. Same warehouse which Time made sure to lock with a pad and chain every night before dinner.

“You heard that too? Dad will be spending two more weeks in Castle Town, this can’t be him” Malon startled herself up. “Sounds like the-”

“The warehouse.” Time nodded while getting up hurriedly. “Just give me a sec. I'll get the lantern and check if everything's alright.”

Not wasting time on changing clothes, the couple slipped their shoes and quickly walked down the stairs when the man suddenly stopped in a halt.

“Stay here.”

“You're not going alone!” Malon scoffed. “What if it's a robber?”

Ever ready to fight, the redhead wouldn’t just let her husband fend for himself while she could be of help. However, Time had other plans.

“If that’s the case, someone needs to protect the kids and call the police” he pleaded with his eyes.

Apprehensively, Malon thought for a moment and decided to stay, muttering an inaudible prayer after landing a soft kiss on Time’s forehead, hurriedly making her way towards the children’s bedrooms.

Stepping into the darkness of the kitchen, Time tried to make the most out of the room in the dim moonlight that bathed it through the open door. Open door? Never a good sign.

Silently he opened the first drawer beneath the sink and drew a freshly sharpened knife out of it and turned on the lights. Whoever decided to mess with his family was surely about to regret it.

Scanning the room for anything out of place, Time noticed a cabinet door open and some cooked rice grains littering the table. If there ever was a robber there, the only thing they had apparently taken were some leftovers.

Somehow it calmed his heart. Knowing none of his family nor his animals were hurt was enough for Time to let his guard down. Partially. Someone had managed to open his door despite the two locks that secured it safely. Some hunger-driven food thief was nothing to worry about, the real problem was the fact that his house was easily invaded and anyone could have taken advantage of it.

It was then that Time heard what could only be described as a terrified shriek coming from upstairs.

“TWILIGHT!”

Making his way up the set of stairs as quickly as he could, Time found his wife screaming for their child in the room he shared with Warriors.

“She’s not here!” Malon cried, trembling while trying to dial the emergency number. “Someone took Twilight!”

Sitting on his bed, Warriors confusedly stared at them, still half asleep but slowly figuring out their current situation, tears threatening to spill at any moment.

“Sky and Four?” Time asked, worriedly.

“They’re in their bedroom sleeping” Malon sobbed. “But Twilight’s- Hello! Please, someone took my child! Malon. Malon Lon. I heard some noise coming from the warehouse when…”

While Malon talked to the respondent on the phone, Time rushed out of the bedroom, searching for their child in every possible room, nook and cranny in the ranch house. Once he was about to retrieve the lantern again in order to check the stables, the small figure of a certain pajama-clad five year old padded into the kitchen with muddy boots, a bowl of cooked rice in hands and the telltale face of someone who knows is in big trouble.

Time didn’t think twice before finding himself tightly hugging the kid, letting out a breath he didn’t even realize he had been holding during the whole ordeal. His baby was safe. That was all that mattered.

“I’ve found her!” He yelled loud enough to be heard anywhere in the house. “She’s fine!”

The sound of rushed footsteps echoed as Malon and Warriors made their way down the flight of stairs. Before both arrived, Time managed to put on a stern face as the thrill of his emotions settled a little.

“Apologize to your mother,” he warned him. “She was dead worried about you.”

As on cue, Malon’s frame quickly made a beeline to Twilight, embracing her child as if he was an illusion, soon to dissipate at any moment.

“Are you hurt?” she asks, already checking for bruises.

Twilight softly shook his head, still trying to organize his thoughts after the whole getting caught ordeal. Almost giving his parents a heart attack was not on his plans for tonight and Time’s piercing gaze behind his back reminding him to do as he told.

The guilt and shame started to build up to unbearable levels when a tear timidly sled down his cheeks. Followed by another, and another, until Twilight couldn’t hold back anymore.

“I’m sorry, mom!” He cried. “I didn’t wanna scare you!”

“Twilight, don't you ever get out at night like this, you hear me?” Time joins their shared hug, making sure his tone was not too harsh.

“We thought you were gone!” Malon added. “We thought someone might have taken you! There are bad people out there who take advantage of children, how many times do we have to remind you that? What could have happened to you?!”

It took a while for their spirits to calm down and climb the stairs back to the children’s bedroom. Once Twilight was back on his bed, cuddled by his parents and a still very confused Warriors, they tried to better understand why their always well-behaved child would do such a dangerous thing out of sudden.

“I just wanted to feed the puppy…”

“What puppy?” His cousin tilted his head, curiously.

“You know we don’t keep dogs on the ranch, Twilight” Time added.

“I found it yesterday,” the boy explained. “He was a stray and starving… And it's already autumn! He must have been cold, so I brought him to the warehouse to keep him warm.”

It was a given fact that Twilight had a way with animals. Not only the horses, but critters of all kinds seemed to be somehow driven to him.

“Why did you hide it from us, darling?” Malon gently asked.

“Ingo said you would be mad if I brought him home,” he frowned. “He told me to leave it on the road… But it didn’t feel right! I was scared he could get ran over!”

“We’re not mad, Twilight. We could never get mad at you.” Time hugged him closer, making a mental note to have a talk with Ingo later. “But we were worried. We were scared we might have lost you.”

“I know, I'm sorry.”

The breakfast on Lon Lon Ranch had never been such a chaos. As soon as Twilight mentioned last night’s ordeal, the kids couldn't stop begging to skip their meal and meet the puppy instead.

After a lot of patience and convincing from Time and Malon, the plates were clean and Twilight guided them towards blocks of hay in the warehouse.

“I hid it behind these” the child explained while pushing and pulling the hay blocks until they formed a path to a corner of the room.

“Where did she even get all that strength?” Malon muttered to her partner.

From behind the blocks, a small gray furball started wiggling it’s large tail and whining towards the hylians surrounding it. The other kids rushed to pet the puppy, squealing in excitement.

“He's so fluffy!” Sky beamed as he ran his small hands on the fur. “Does he have a name yet?”

“I still haven't thought of one” Twilight admitted. “I didn’t think we would be keeping it.”

“Are you sure that’s a dog?” Warriors giggled. “It looks like a wolf pup.”

“What about Wolfie, then?” Twilight lifted the dog in his arms, prompting the animal to bark for the first time since it was brought to the ranch. “Look, he agrees!”

Time watched the scene, trying to absorb each little detail into his memory. The scare of last night was over and his rational self had processed that well. His emotional self, however, was still alert as if this moment could vanish at any moment, just as they thought Twilight had.

Lost in his contemplation, he barely realized that Four had been wiggling awkwardly in his arms, stretching his hands towards the dog the others had been playing with.

“Oh, you wanna pet the doggie, Four?” Time chuckled as he landed the toddler on the ground. “Go for it. Be kind.”

Before their youngest could barely touch the puppy, it began sniffing his extended hand. For some reason, the dog seemed intrigued with the kid’s scent and kept nosing his palms until it decided Four’s hands smelled delicious and proceeded to lick his hands, prompting him to yelp and run back to his father’s arms.

“Daddy, the dog eat me!” He cried.

As much as he adored his son’s childish conclusion of being licked by a dog, Time tried his best to assure him that's what dogs do to show hylians they appreciate them and his hands were fine.

As the other kids laughed at the whole interaction, Malon crouched down to pick up the dogin her own arms.

“Sweet Din, aren't you the cutest puppy in Hyrule?” She fawned over Wolfie.

“Mom, can we keep it, please?” Twilight stepped up, eyes as wide as the actual puppy’s.

“Please, mom! Please!” The other kids chanted.

We don't know how big it will get. it might scare the horses…” She tried to reason. “Not to mention he could hurt the cuccoos.”

“Babe, we both know nothing can hurt those creatures” Time smirked. “Besides, it’ll help us improve the security here.”

Of course Time had already fallen in love with the puppy, that was the boy Castle Town dogs would follow endlessly when they both were kids. Now he had the perfect excuse to actually adopt a dog and he surely wouldn’t waste the opportunity.

“I've lost this battle, haven't I?” She sighed trying to look dramatic to the children. “Okay then, let's get him some real dog food and call the vet. Let’s hope he doesn’t treat only farm animals”

“Why do we have to call a vet if he's not sick?” Warriors tilted his head.

“Well, we still don't know if he doesn't have any disease.” She tried to reason. “And he needs to have his vaccines just like the cows and horses.”

“That's okay, I'll stay by his side so he doesn't get scared.” Twilight assured them. “I’ll stay by his side forever.”

Chapter Text

Trying to wake up Sky was useless. At this point, it had already become a habit.

Every friday night the children would rent a VHS for the family to gather in the living room and watch it. Part of the ritual involved Sky somehow falling asleep halfway through the movie.

The film they had chosen for the day was a famous one they had seen two times already. Unsurprisingly, Time noticed that Sky was a goner during the first half of the movie. Using his father's lap as a pillow, the boy drooled all over his cotton sweatpants while the others nibbled at the popcorn, too entertained at the story being played to bother with their brother’s sleep.

As soon as the movie was over and Malon was making sure the kids were having their teeth brushed, Time hurried to carry Sky to the child's bedroom, ready to wrestle the unconscious boy into his pajamas. He was taken back, however, by the sight of an ugly purple bruise on the upper part of his son's left arm, exactly where the sleeve of his shirt would cover it.

Cautiously examining it, he realized the shape of the sore area was oddly similar to a bite mark. A child's bite mark.

Had Sky been hurting himself and gone unnoticed? Why would he even do that to begin with? Or could it be someone else's bite? A thousand thoughts raced through his mind until his second youngest barged into his and Sky's shared bedroom.

"Night, dad!" Four exclaimed, jumping on his bed and tossing over his blanket.

Brought back to reality, Time finished dressing Sky into his night clothes and kissed the kids goodnight, rushing to tell his wife about what he had just found.

"It was exactly where a t-shirt would cover it, like it was thought of, you know? Maybe- maybe I should check it again to see if the angle coincides with something he would do to himself or if someone else did-"

"Babe, listen," Malon's firm grip on his hand stopped Time from getting back on his feet.

His wife, thanks the goddesses, was always there to ground him when he got too carried away on his worries. Time didn't consider himself to be easily consumed by emotions, but messing with his family was the one thing that drove him off the rails. It was certainly uncommon to see him so fidgety and uneasy. 

"There's nothing we can do now that he's sleeping besides applying some salve," Malon kept holding him tightly in reassurance. "He is going to be okay. We'll talk to him tomorrow, don't lose your sleep over it."

"We'll figure it out," Time tried to sound confident. It sounded more like a question

"We'll figure it out."

A mosquito bite.

It itched so badly that Sky thought biting it away would ease the sensation. Or at least that's what he claimed. But of course they wouldn't fall for that.

It was so unlike him to both do it and lie that Time and Malon began to piece together the recent small changes in his behavior. They did notice that Sky looked more apprehensive lately, getting easily startled by small things. He also took a habit of biting his nails and picking his skin. However, no matter how much they insisted, the boy always refused to give a concrete answer.

"If we don't figure it out by ourselves we'll have to seek a therapist," Malon pondered. 

"You think it will be necessary?"

"Time, those are textbook signs of childhood stress," she sighed. "Four also told me he's been having nightmares every other night."

"I think it could be something to do with school," Time suggested. "Have you seen how he's been more anxious every morning before we drop him off?"

"Yeah, and now that you've mentioned it.” Malon wided her eyes. “He did try to play sick yesterday in order to skip school."

Sky had always been a sleepyhead but he had never tried dirty tricks to avoid classes. In fact, he used to be always eager to go to school, his will to learn often commended by his teachers.

"The only reason why I believe that is because you’re telling me."

Time woke up with a tug on his shirt. It was hard to see in the darkness of the bedroom, but through the shadow shapes he could easily guess that the one in front of him was Sky. He managed to hear soft crying noises, prompting him to light up the lampshade by his bed.

"Sky? What's wrong?" He sat up, worried, but still groggy. “What happened, dear?"

"Accident.”

Releasing a long sigh, Time pulled his son closer and hugged him. 

"That's okay, it happens.” He assured.

On the other side of their bed, Malon was stirring awake with the sudden light and noise. Her messy hair curtained most of her sight as she too sat up.

“Hm, what's going on?" She muttered yet too sleepy.

"Sky had an accident.” Time explained.

"Sorry, mommy!” The child only cried louder.

Malon and Time, now more awake than ever, exchanged looks. Lately Sky had been having some “accidents” that were starting to raise the couple some questions. It was his second only this month. They had heard it was a normal occurrence for kids his age but Sky had already been fully potty trained years ago. Something wasn’t adding up.

"That's hardly your fault, love.” Malon comforted her son, kissing him on his scalp. “You can sleep with us tonight while I wash your blankets.”

"Nuh-uh.” Time cut her off. Washing bed sheets in the middle of the cold night was always the worst part of having an “accident” at home. He didn't want to overwork his wife more than she already was with farm and housework. "You washed them last time. Leave it to me and you shower him instead.”

Filled with determination to buy a washing machine, as the couple had been planning for a while, Time scrubbed the fabric of the soaked and bubbly blankets and pajamas between his knuckles until he deemed complete the dull task on the laundry tub.

Upon returning to his bedroom, he met with Malon and an already showered Sky cuddled on the double bed. Turning the lights off and throwing a duvet over the trio, Time hugged his son while drawing circles in his hair.

"Sky, you know you can tell us anything, right?" He took his shot at the opportunity.

A yawn was heard alongside with a phrase that shook them to their bones:

"I don't want Wars to die.”

"Have you noticed anything different about Sky?"

Time and Malon had barely had a minute of mental rest since they were left with the confusing clue their child had given them last night. Sky wouldn’t explain what exactly he feared regarding Warriors’ life and they realized that the more they pressured the boy, the more nervous he’d get.

Now, they were in the kitchen inquiring Warriors in order to figure out what was going on with their second oldest, who seemed just as confused as his cousins regarding such matters.

"Not really.” He tilted his head, still unaware of the seriousness of the conversation. “Did he get a new haircut?”

“No, no…” Malon hurried to clarify what they meant, kneeling in front of him. “We’re asking you if you’ve seen him acting in a way that he wasn’t used to or just if something about him feels odd to you, dear.”

“Does anything at all come to your mind?” Time added.

“I don’t think so…” The kid frowned, taking his time to ponder and recollect his memories. "Except… Yesterday, and also last week, I saw him talking to a classmate of mine. I couldn't see his face but Ghirahim seemed a little angry. I tried to approach them but the bell rang and Sky didn't want to tell me what they were talking about, so I didn't insist."

Now, that was something new. Sky and Warriors were four years apart. What kind of business did Sky have with an older child that wasn’t even friends with his cousin? They surely had never heard the oldest mention of any “Ghirahim” before.

"Did I do something wrong?" Upon noticing the strange looks exchanged between Time and Malon, Warriors couldn’t help but get a strange feeling from all of that talk.

“Not at all, love.” Malon forced a smile at him. “You can go play with your cousins now. Just ask Sky to come here, please.”

It didn’t take long for Sky to show up in the kitchen. When confronted with the questions of who was Ghirahim and what was he like, the boy fell apart, frantically begging for them not to talk about him or do anything regarding Wars’ classmate. Nothing the couple said seemed to ease his heart.

They had gone through something similar last night, but the mention of Ghirahim’s name almost drove Sky into a panic state. Now, more sure than ever that whatever this kid had said to their son was the reason behind all these behavioral changes, Time and Malon had made up their minds and decided to involve the school.

“Please, don’t do that or we will all be killed!”

"He obviously wasn't being literal."

Sitting on the opposite side of the principal’s office, Ghirahim’s father seemed to dismiss the severity of his son’s actions. The tall man’s body language displayed his lack of concern towards the damage inflicted in Sky. His dress shoes tapped idly on the floor as he took a glance at his designer golden watch.

"That's not about what your son meant.” Time fumed, glaring at the man. “Sky is five. Of course he'd take it to heart when someone double his age threatens to kill him and his family.”

Ghirahim’s father, Demise, came from a traditional family who was said to own a law firm and multiple businesses all over Hyrule, granting him close ties to people in various sections of society: from politics to the media, his influence was on par with very few families in the country. None of that held Time or Malon from demanding accountability, however.

"Listen, what do you want me to do about it?” Demise clicked his tongue impatiently. "I already said I'll discipline Ghirahim but you honestly can't blame all of your child's issues on a bite mark and some vague words."

As the adults discussed the situation, outside of the principal's cabinet, Sky and Ghirahim were asked to wait in the anteroom. Unsupervised, it went as well as one could have expected.

"You hear that, brat?" Ghirahim pulled the little boy's ear, yanking his head down as he forced him to look him in the eyes. "I thought we had an agreement.”

Trying his best to make as little noise as possible to not be heard from the cabinet, Sky quivered in fear as his eyes silently watered, dreading for what was to come.

"I'm sorry!" He whimpered. "I didn't tell anyone, I swear!"

"Then how did your parents find out?" Ghirahim hissed.

"I don't know!”

The older kid slapped the back of Sky's head with such strength that his right ear started to buzz. He felt dizzy and tried his best not to fall, only to be caught by the collar of his shirt and once again forced to look at Ghirahim.

"Now my father will beat me because of you, idiot!” He snarled and raised a fist, ready to throw a punch at the smaller child’s face.

The impact, however, was never felt.

It took a moment for Sky to figure out what was happening before his eyes as Ghirahim and Warriors, of all people, wrestled on the floor.

"Get your hands off him!" Wars yelled as he tried his best to manhandle his classmate, who struggled while trying to twist the other’s arm in an unnatural angle.

Taking his opportunity when Warriors looked away to check on Sky, Ghirahim landed a fist in his nose, unbalancing the boy on top of him so once again both were pushing and pulling each other’s hair locks in a brutal brawl.

Alerted by the sound coming from the anteroom, the adults rushed out only to witness such an ugly view, as the older kids fighted, ignoring Sky’s painful pleas to stop it.

"Ghirahim." A low voice echoed in the room. It was powerful enough to stop the commotion. "You will not embarrass me any further with such foolish behavior."

The two boys widened their eyes, their veins still filled with adrenaline, separating themselves and getting on their feet, as if unable to disobey the command.

"Yes, father." Ghirahim lowered his head, avoiding the gaze of any of the adults.

"Apologize to the boy, then we can discuss your punishment." Demise gritted his teeth as he made his way out of the room, visibly irritated with the whole ordeal.

Ghirahim was left glaring daggers at Sky. His words full of venom before he also left, following his father’s trail

"Sorry, Sky."

…

It took a while for anyone there to feel comfortable to speak, still too shocked and processing the scene.

"Am I in trouble too?" Warriors winced, breaking the ice cold silence.

"No, dear.” Malon felt like she was waking up from a dream. They never had any problem with the children regarding physical fights or violence, so it was still strange for her to intervene in such a situation. “We understand you were trying to protect Sky. But remember that we don't resort on violence to solve our problems.”

“But he was hurting Sky!” He replied. “I had to do something.”

“Of course, we’re so grateful for what you did, my little warrior.” Time explained, checking on the red bruise left on his nose and right cheek. “But the way you were fighting could put you both in danger. We’ll figure out a way you can better help yourself and others in case that happens again, okay?”

Warriors nodded.

“Right now we need to talk about what’s been going on between you and Ghirahim.” He turned to Sky, who meekly fidgeted with the brim of his shirt, eyebrows almost touching in a worried frown.

"We talked to Ghirahim's father.” Headmaster Gaepora took the lead. “Soon your teachers will also know about it. You can tell us what happened, Sky, he can't do anything to you now.”

"Really?" The boy looked at his parents for confirmation.

"I promise." Time assured him. “Me and mom, your headmaster… And Wars! We’re all here to protect you if he tries something with you again.”

Sky still looked afraid and not knowing what exactly he was expected to say. He drew his hand closer to his face and proceeded to nervously bite his nails.

"How about we start from the beginning?” Malon tried, sitting on a chair and bringing Sky to her lap. “Can you tell us how you've met Ghirahim for the first time?"

The boy nodded and began his explanation: "Wars had lent me his scissors for my art class.”

“When was that?” Mr. Gaepora produced a notepad to better register the details.

“I dunno…” Sky shrugged.

“That was a few weeks ago.” Warriors explained. “Why are you bringing that up now?”

“‘Cause I went to your classroom to try and give you back the scissors during lunchtime, but…” Reviving that moment seemed to be quite painful for the boy who started to softly sob. "No one was there, only Ghirahim, and I saw him…”

“It’s okay, take your time.” Malon caressed his teary cheeks. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”

Drawing a breathfull of courage, Sky confessed what he had been keeping a secret for all those arduous days.

“That day I saw Ghirahim putting s-salt in the fish tank.”

It took a while for them to fully click what Sky had just said and when it sank in, they finally could understand the horror behind those words. Warriors had indeed told them about some class project in which the kids were supposed to look after freshwater fishes. Something about responsibilities and conservation. The fish had all died about a month ago for unknown reasons.

"When he noticed that I was there, he told me that if I told anyone he would kill me and Wars. And then I had to do everything he said or else he would kill all our family!”

"Oh dear, we would never let it happen." Time hugged him closer. “You’re safe, love.”

“I believe the school will do something about it, Mr. Gaepora.” Malon stared at the headmaster. “My baby has gone through enough abuse from that.. That menace.”

“It is not a decision I can take on my own, but since that’s not the first time Ghirahim is caught mistreating other students, I can discuss a more severe penalty for his actions.” He promised. “Considering that’s his fifth strike, the school board is allowed to vote for him to be transferred.”

“No!” Sky cried, confusing all around him. “Please, don’t do that!”

“Dear, it is better if you both attend different schools.” Time tried to reason. “This way he won’t be able to get near you.”

“But if he gets transferred, then Fi will also have to go!”

“Fi?” Malon frowned. “That girl friend of yours? What does that have to do with Ghirahim?”

“She’s Ghirahim’s little sister.” Warriors explained, leaving the couple in complete awe. “It’s true. Even if it’s hard to believe.”

It didn’t make sense to them how the sweet little girl Sky always mentioned could be related to such a terrible boy.

“Sky, that decision is not up to us.” His father justified. “Whether or not she attends this school depends only on her family’s decision, regarding or not Ghirahim’s attendance.”

Sky seemed to ponder for a while, still trying to process all that had been happening around him in the last few hours. 

"Did he bite you, Sky?" Malon asked the question she had been holding back.

Sky nodded, lifting up his shirt’s sleeve to show the bruise Time had found last friday.

"And he hit me too.”

They couldn’t sort out what emotion exactly they had been feeling when their sweet little boy admitted the abuse he had been enduring. Anger. Sadness. Disgust. All those sensations brewed in their chests and told them to do unimaginable things. But they knew that right now their feelings didn’t matter.

What they needed to do was to make sure Sky felt safe and loved, knowing that no one had the right to threaten him and his family without facing the consequences for it. That he had his cousin and siblings to count on and parents who would never allow anyone to hurt even a single hair of his.

"Sky, look at me. We will never, ever, let someone lay a hand on you again, alright?” Time vowed. “You don’t need to be afraid of telling us anything.”

“But sometimes I get scared”.

“I also get scared sometimes.” He admitted. “But do you know what happens when we share our fears with someone else?”

The boy shook his head.

“They shrink.” Sky’s father smirked as he tickled him. “They get so small, smaller than a picori. And all that weight on your shoulders gets so light that you can finally put it down. My fears used to be as big as a goron. But now that I share them with your mom they are as light as a fairy.”

Sky’s happy laugh filled the room with life again. It could take them a while, but their joyful and carefree boy would soon go back to being who he was before.

“Dad, you’re a liar!”