Work Text:
"What do you mean your name isn't Link?" Feathers asks. Forest raises an eyebrow.
"You mean yours is?"
"Yes?? Why wouldn't it be?"
Forest and Faerie share a glance. Spear groans.
"This is a fae thing, isn't it."
Faerie grins, sharp teeth digging into his lower lip. "Of course it is, my dear friend- why would it be anything else?"
"But then, what are your actual names?" Clover asks, wide-eyed. "Have we been calling you the wrong thing this whole time?"
He tears up, lip wobbling. "I'm so sorry!"
"Hey, it's okay!" Forest says, reaching over the table to pat Clover on the head. "We do it on purpose!"
Faerie nods. "In my era, it can be dangerous to go alone. Not all fae are benevolent, and with so few people it can be hard to know whether you speak to friend or foe."
"Mm!" agrees Forest. "I've seen the forest children trick too many people off the paths to let just anyone know my name!"
He pulls a face at Spear, making Rudder giggle.
"Lemme guess- old argument again?"
"You know it!"
Rudder and Forest high-five. Spear looks like he's ready to send them both to bed without dessert until Feathers speaks up again.
"Okay, but we've been traveling together for over a month- I think it's pretty obvious by now nobody's gonna steal your names!"
"Speak for yourself, sky-knight," Faerie smirks. Forest jerks a thumb in his direction.
"Yeah, this one's an actual fae, he could actually take it."
Faerie smiles brightly and not at all reassuringly over his folded hands. "I won't, though!"
"Do you promise on the Triforce?" Spear asks flatly. Faerie giggles.
"Ooh, someone's got practice! Yes, dear, I promise on the Triforce I won't steal any of your names."
"What just happened?" Thistle frowns. Forest shrugs.
"It's a fae thing."
"Fae only have to keep promises that are made on something permanent." Spear sighs. "This one," and he jerks his head towards Forest, "used that loophole way too many times before anybody clued in. So now I make him swear on the Triforce if I want him to actually do what he says he will."
"It's such a drag," Forest whines, kicking his feet up onto the table and leaning back, arms behind his head, "but at least I got a few good ones in before Mr. Partypooper figured me out."
"So then, what are your names if they aren't Link?" asks Feathers. There's some awkward shifting around the table before Faerie laughs and leans forward.
"I'm Aster, lovely to meet you. It means 'star'."
Clover gasps. "Oh, that's so cute!! My name's just embarrassing, Aster is so much nicer!"
Forge coughs. "Your name's not Link either?"
"No?" blinks Clover. "I never said it was."
Feathers drops his head onto the table, clutching it between his palms "Argh! How many of you aren't actually named Link??"
There's a round of glances around the table and slowly, everyone but Feathers, Spear and Thistle raises their hands.
"Most of us?!" Painter gasps. "Seriously??"
"How did this happen?" cackles Forge. Rudder laughs.
"Think about how we made our introductions! The fae and the knights went first, and then everybody else just went along with it- oh, this is great, I can't believe it took us this long to figure things out!!"
Spear groans and rubs his temples. "I need a drink."
"You've needed a drink since you were sixteen, old man." Forest snickers. "I don't see that changing anytime soon."
"Link, I swear-"
"Not my name, grandpa!"
"I am twenty-seven-"
"So what is your name?" Clover asks, so excitedly that the sparkles in his eyes are almost literal. "Is it something cool?"
Forest shrugs. "Depends on your definition of 'cool'."
Clover nods, bright eyes somehow widening even more. Forest gives up on trying to talk his way around the bush. He sighs, and drops his feet back to the floor, rocking his chair back onto four legs.
"I live in an elm tree so my name's Elowen. It's not that exciting."
"Are you kidding?? Of course it is!" beams Clover. "That's super pretty, can I call you that when I don't call you Forest?"
Faerie chuckles softly. "Well, you may certainly call me Aster if you'd like. But let's stick to the nicknames around strangers, alright?"
"Okay!!"
Fuzz takes a sip of his tea and looks to Forest. "So, um. Where did you get 'Link' from?"
Forest blinks. "Well, I grew up with the fae so I wasn't exactly gonna go around handing my name out to everyone and their mother when I left the woods. The Deku Tree called me the Kokiri's 'link to the outside world' so I just used that when somebody asked me."
"Oh, it was a little more complicated than that." Spear snorts. Forest's eyes widen.
"Don't you dare-"
??? Years ago
"So if I gotta leave and go talk to the Hylians, doesn't that mean I'm part Hylian?" Elowen asks. The Deku Tree creaks, amused.
"You were Hylian once, yes...but the forest has claimed you as her own. Changed you, even; you have become a child of both worlds. My son...you will be our link to the world beyond. Go, and do not falter."
On the way out of the forest Elowen turns to his new fairy, a questioning frown on his young face. "Navi, if I'm part faerie does that mean I gotta be careful 'round the folks in the kingdom?"
Navi pulses, thinking. "I don't know! I've never met a boy like you before!"
Elowen nods. "I should probably avoid names, then."
"Okay!"
The pair continue through the woods and the fields beyond. Elowen darts every which way, exploring with wide-eyed excitement at the new world around him.
"Navi, what's that?"
"A horse!"
"And that?"
"A cow!"
In the distance, Elowen spots something even more incredible. Her voice carries over the fields, pure and sweet.
"Then that must be the princess!"
"Um, Elowen, I don't think-"
"Come on, we gotta greet her!"
The young boy takes off, stumbling over his too-big boots. Navi follows, calling for him to wait, but he's already rushing up to the girl when she catches up.
"HI!!" he cries. "Your song is so pretty- are you the princess of this kingdom??"
The girl takes a step away, taken aback by his abrupt arrival. She says something, green eyes wide with worry.
"Navi!" Elowen gasps. "I can't understand her!"
"Of course you can't, silly! That's what I'm here for!" Navi chimes. She says something to the girl, who looks between them a few times and relaxes, smiling when she responds.
"She says her name's Malon. She also want to know your name."
Elowen stares at the girl, awestruck. "Are all princesses this pretty?"
"Hey! Listen!"
"Huh?"
"She wants to know what to call you!" Navi groans. Elowen blinks.
"Um...I'm representing the forest, right? So...I'm a link!" He pulls his cap off and bows. "It's an honor to meet you, Princess Malon!"
Navi relays it to the princess, who giggles. Elowen straightens up and puts his cap back on with a confused frown that only deepens when Navi translates again.
'Oh, I'm not a princess.'
Another voice calls from across the hills and Malon gasps, calling back over her shoulder before taking one of Elowen's hands in hers with a bright smile. 'I have to go- but it was lovely to meet you, Link! Safe travels!'
Now
"-and then he just had to stick with it!" Spear finishes. Forest seethes in his seat, so brilliantly red he's in danger of bursting into flames.
"Shut up!" he snaps. "At least I'm not the one who named himself after a spear twice!"
Faerie chuckles. "My story is much less cute. I got my name from my mother- she said after the last half-fae she met, I was a sunny afternoon."
"Not a walk in the park?" asks Forge. Faerie's smile drops.
"No one takes walks in our parks."
And then he's right back to smiling. "Thistle! Is there any more bread? I'm afraid I'm out."
"Yeah, let me grab it for you."
Feathers leans forward in his seat. "Clover, don't think I've forgotten that your name isn't Link either. You gonna spill the beans?"
Clover blushes and stuffs a mouthful of bread into his face.
"Well, I guess we got our answer." Fuzz jokes. "We'll get it out of you one day."
Clover just glares while the rest of the table laughs.