Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The last thing anyone would expect from a heavy rainstorm is a Hylian gliding down from the sky, looking like a crashing bird. Kass, fully unaware of the boy, was behind some cover under one of those ring-shaped rocks found in Ridgeland and while he was busy tuning his accordion, he heard or rather felt a loud thump near his hideout. 

He fully expected and was prepared for this to be an ambush by some bokoblins, but fortunately was instead met with a lump on the ground. An unconscious Hylian face first in the mud, fully armed with random pieces of weaponry mostly used by an average minion of the Calamity. What he found interesting was the equipment next to him.

A wooden contraption with some cloth sewn on top of the item. A symbol that represented the Rito village, Kass noticed. 

“This is rather interesting,” Kass spoke to himself. He rarely met with a well-equipped traveler these days, surviving out in the wilderness takes a heavy toll on everyone who dares to venture upon these lands.

The downpour intensified and Kass was brought out of his thoughts. He quickly picked up the cloak-covered Hylian and carried him to his abode. 

Goddesses, he is so light , Kass noticed. A healthy man his size should weigh at least twice as much, it almost feels like he is carrying a corpse that has been left well alone for a long time.

He gently put the Hylian down on a pile of leaves that were made as a substitution for a bed. Kass made the nest more comfortable for the poor kid and searched for a blanket in his pouch. He was concerned for his health, a sodden Hylian does not fare well against the cold of the night.

Kass found a thin blanket and put it beside the bed. Firstly, he needs to get rid of his wet clothes. He sat down and concentrated on what’s in front of him. The cloak was simple to remove, a simple twist of a button, and the sad, wet excuse of cloth was put against the rocky wall with a sloshy splat.

 The removal of the kid’s tunic was also necessary, but before Kass tried to get it off, he took a glance at the Hylian’s face.

Kass was almost awestruck; the Hylian wasn’t even of age to drink, let alone travel the world with such a ghastly body. 

Even though it was dark outside, he could clearly see the boy’s face. Tired, muddy, almost no sunlight absorbed, he almost looked like a relic from a time before Kass was even born. His hair was all wet and single strands struck out everywhere. But the most interesting part was not his face, but rather the object Kass felt pressed against thigh.

A closer look made him realize that it wasn’t just a piece of a shield he imagined it would be, but rather an object with a symbol of an eye engraved on it, gazing through Kass’ own eyes. That item definitely belonged to the Sheikah tribe, that much was sure. Kass did have a mentor who taught him everything from music to the history of Hyrule and of the Sheikah clan. 

This isn’t something everyone can get their hands on, Kass dwelled on this discovery. Something gnawed on his mind, that slate of curious nature, it felt vaguely familiar...

The Hylian shifted, clearly cold and in need of immediate warmth. Kass fell out of his stupor and quickly removed the kid’s tunic. The winds were blowing inside the little crevice of their hole, making Kass even more nervous than he already was. He was not about to let this kid perish because of some measly wind and rain, not when he could do something about it.

He finally covered the kid in his blanket and tried to make the nest more insulated. In the end, the kid ended up looking like an oversized egg roll, finished with the topping of a hairstyle of the damned.

Kass let out a long sigh and finally dared to stand up, stretching his limbs. He had a lot of questions running through his mind and not enough answers not to make him worried for the kid. Who was he? How did he even get here? Why did he come here? Where are his parents?

He needed some answers tomorrow morning.

But before he forgot, he went out into the storm -- seriously, how has it gotten even worse -- and picked up the now fully drenched contraption. Kass put it into a corner to dry, along with the Hylian’s clothes, and finally sat down to take a breather.

He wanted to travel the world to get new experiences and muster enough wisdom to finally complete the verses his mentor gave to him. Sure, he fully expected that someday he would be needed to tend to someone, but now? In the middle of the night, in the middle of the most massive cyclone Hyrule has seen since the day the world was fully covered in water. Definitely can’t predict this conundrum.

As Kass looked at the Hylian, who now looked a tad bit more at peace, he could find a strange piece of calm rush through his mind. He had possibly saved the life of a kid and Kass never was one for debts either, so this is a deed done purely out of his kindliness. Probably. Or maybe it was his instincts.

I guess I can never really stop being a parent, even when abroad, Kass thought idly. And as he thought back to his own family, the Hylian, seemingly sensing that Kass could give him fatherly attention, started shivering.

Kass let out another sigh, this time with a small smirk. This crevice was too small to make a fire, so his only option was to lay down a wing on the shaking breakfast dish. Pretty much instantly, the Hylian calmed down and the atmosphere went back to being a calm one.

“It’s been about fifteen minutes since I met you and already you constantly need my attention,” Kass quietly joked, running his winged arm up and down the now blissful Hylian. 

“You and I are going to have a serious talk once you wake up, you know.”

He needed answers. About that slate, that… glider? About the kid’s parents and his horrendous choice of traveling during a cataclysmic event.

At least the air was calming and so was the constant rubbing of the kid, it reminded him of home. He missed home. Taking care of the Hylian greatly lessened his homesickness

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The rain finally subsided and a few shining rays of the sun lit Ridgeland in a warm glow. The plentiful dew on the ground enhancing the already bright morning to a whole new level. 

Link hated it. Actually, he hated everything at the moment. All of his muscles ached, his head hurt, he was starving-- but at least he was warm.

Wait, didn’t he almost pass out from exhaustion during the storm?

Link forced his eyes open, his first mistake, and tried to look at his surroundings. He couldn’t make much progress, because he was trapped in a… blanket? He removed the blanket and tried to sit up, his second mistake, as his muscles refused to cooperate.

Okay, assess the situation, Link tried not to panic. I was walking through a storm, trying to find shelter, found a potential crevice to keep myself away from the brunt of the rain. That’s the synopsis. How did he get here though, did he really collapse before he got there? Is there someone else with him; who took care of him? 

Link finally stood up after an excruciating amount of pain he had to endure to move a singular muscle. He was sore all over, but his head finally started to clear up to form more coherent thoughts. 

Link only now noticed that he only wore his underclothes, which in hindsight does make sense if he was out in the rain for so long, but still, he felt like he woke up at home as a little kid-- he felt safe? He took a quick glance at his surroundings. He was in the crevice; the same one he laid his eyes in before, it seemed to be dry and unaffected by that raging downpour. All of his equipment was nearby, either drying out or standing by the rocks, waiting for him to return to them. His paraglider stood on top of a small cornerstone, fully opened up, the proud symbol reflecting the sunlight, making it seem almost hallow.

He needed to find this person and give him a big handshake, also a warm meal; he was more hungry than ever before.

He limped over to his traveling gear and dressed up as fast as he could in his state. As he put his almost broken bow over his shoulder, he heard a sweet noise. The melody of an instrument. Could this be his savior?

Link quietly walked to the sound of an… accordion, concertina? He didn’t really care, but the powerful notes were definitely enticing and made him feel excited. When he finally climbed on top of the damp grass, he inspected the rocky surrounding of the area and finally found the culprit of these amazing tones.

Link’s breath was blown away. Their back was turned to him, but he could tell they were no Hylian. It was a big person with teal-colored feathers, a leather vest, some music sheets on their belt, and a big concertina? Probably. And to top it off, two large feathers on the crown of their head. Simply put, they were eye-catching.

Sensing someone’s presence, the music stopped and the musician turned to face Link. Their, no, his, amber eyes met with Link’s blue ones. 

“Ah, I see you’re awake. I hope I wasn’t the cause for your abrupt awakening,” said the man with a smooth voice.

Link shook his head vigorously, mistake number three, almost losing balance and falling over.

‘Are you a... bird?’ signed Link after he recovered. He had no idea if he actually understood sign language, but he’d rather not get his trusty pen & paper to try to communicate.

“Have you never met a Rito before? Odd, ” responded Kass, surprised to see someone use sign language, not that he hasn’t seen it, but not in this dialect. It was different, more archaic like.

“ My name is Kass. As a bard, I spend my days traveling this land in search of ancient songs.”

Link was studying the features of this Rito named Kass. He was strong-looking, held himself with confidence, but still managed to seem friendly and warm towards Link.

“What might your name be, kind traveler?” asked Kass, observing the Hylian with curious eyes. 

‘My name is Link, it’s nice to meet you. Were you the one that dragged me to that crevice?’ asked Link with childlike wonder, eyes full of awe at the sight of such a magnificent, posh Rito. The way he talked was soothing and the air he brought with him was rather relaxing.

“That would indeed be true, Link,” Kass smirked. Link, the slate, his sign language, it was all so familiar, but he couldn’t just voice his thoughts to this kid, now could he?  Hey, you remind me of that legendary Champion of the Hylians that fell in battle against Ganon over 100 years ago? Are you by any chance related to him?

No, there’s no solid evidence… yet, but he had a feeling this boy will somehow surprise him rather soon with something unheard of for the last century.

‘Thank you so much,’ Link beamed at the Rito, ‘I want to repay you, but I don’t have much rupees on me.’

“No need for any of that, I’m glad to be--”

‘Good, I’ll make us some food then,’ Link signed quickly and started to unpack a bundle of wood-- from his pouch.

Kass was surprised but didn’t say anything in response, only nodding as Link brought out his ingredients. Didn’t have to wait long for surprises, it would seem.

He was silent the time Link worked on their breakfast, choosing to inspect the Hylian’s actions. The fact that the kid had a near-infinite supply of food up in his pouch didn’t do much to debunk his rather crazed theory. Nor his way of starting a fire, which was to shoot it with a fire arrow from 2 feet away. Who would ever waste an arrow just to start a fire?

But as the sun shone and the grass slowly dried, and Link’s cooking aroma surrounded his senses-- broth by the smell of it-- Kass once again slipped away into his erratic thoughts.

The evidence is almost irrefutable, but he always thought the Hylian Champion was a little less emotional. As much as he has heard, Link in his time was dubbed The Silent Knight, never showing much emotion and always seemed to act indifferent or even cold towards other people. This Link, however, seems to be the polar opposite.

The Hylian’s face was one of pure joy, it seems that cooking might be something most enjoyable for him. And no wonder he is so ecstatic; Link’s food looks surprisingly well cooked for something on an open fire. 

“Have you heard of the ancient songs of Hyrule?” Asked Kass to pass the time with the ulterior motive to get information about that joyous Hylian.

‘Ancient songs?’ Signed Link with one hand, the other was spinning around skewered bass on the fire.

“Ancient songs- songs that sing the praises of a hero who beat back the Calamity in an age past,” Kass informed Link, his voice now reminiscent of a true bard, loud but charismatic.

“I know a song about this place. Would you like to hear the ancient verse passed down in this region?”

Link nodded vigorously, his eyes full of endless curiosity and his attention fully enraptured by Kass.

Kass took out his accordion and started to sing about the shrine local to this area. His body was swaying along with the music and Link soon joined along. As he sang verse by verse, Link closed his eyes and started thinking about the meaning of this melody. 

It was clear Link’s wheels were turning, his brows were furrowed and his fingers started fiddling around with his tunic. Once Kass played out his final tunes, Link didn’t stop swaying around, but rather continued his movements, as to focus and not break his rhythm.

Kass kept his eyes on Link throughout the little song. The light reflected off the kid’s messed up hair and made him look young and bright. Not that he wasn’t young, Kass knew the Champion was a youngling, but he never really thought about it further than that. The fate of Hyrule rests upon his shoulders, heavy and full of unneeded death and sacrifices.

How terrible for a kid to never live out his childhood, but to constantly train and try to carry the burden of defeating the Calamity. Kass felt bad for him. Now that he was here again, he has to witness the scarcity of living people in Hyrule, a reminder of his-

Link snapped his fingers and stood quickly stood up. Kass was confused for a moment, but then he remembered. This song may have contained clues of trial for the Hero to complete.

The fish was completely forgotten by the fire and it was almost about to burst into flames. Link seemed to have also neglected his cooking, so Kass picked up the charred fish from their spots and put them aside.

Kass started to play a tune while Link hectically jogged around the curiously shaped rocks. He occasionally glanced to see Link’s progress and saw him almost trip on a small pebble. Kass smirked and closed his eyes. Dear Hylia, don’t let him die just after I saved him, I really wouldn’t want to write a comedic poem about his untimely death.

Some time went by, the sun rose higher, the winds blew harder, carrying his melody for all to hear. Birds and other critters ran about, possibly trying to avoid the feral looking Hylian.

Until suddenly, a single arrow was let loose. The whistle of the arrow pierced the air as it flew through the holes of two rings. Kass opened his eyes and was met with a beaming Hylian, a broken bow, and a rumble emitting from the ground. 

He couldn’t believe what he saw. A shrine was bursting through the grass, breaking the rocks and flowers nearby. It stood there, ancient and majestic design, reminiscent of the old age.

Link ran to the shrine and put his slate on the terminal in front of it. The whole thing turned to a deep blue as the entrance opened up. Link turned to face Kass, who stood a few feet away from the shrine and put on a more serious face.

‘I have to go inside the shrine now, I must face whatever trial the monks created for me,’ Link signed, his face now neutral, his burden caught up to him, ‘It might take a while, so you don’t need to wait for me.’

“No need to worry about me, but do try to keep yourself safe,” Kass said, his face sterner, “Try not to take too many unnecessary risks.”

‘I can’t promise anything, but I will do my best,’ Link replied with a small smile and finally entered the shrine.

Kass knew the trials might prove challenging and dangerous, but he couldn’t stop the little seed in the back of his mind from taking root, making him worry about Link’s safety.

All he could do now was to wait so he picked up his part of the burnt breakfast and started humming a tune, thus starting the waiting game.

Please don’t be too reckless

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It didn’t take long for Link to come out of the shrine and he didn’t sustain any major injuries within it neither. Thank the Goddesses for that. Although he seems to rub his knees every few seconds or so.

Link noticed Kass and was surprised. He didn’t expect Kass to stay, no one really cared for his wellbeing as much as they cared for theirs. Understandably so, but it still made Link smile, because he enjoyed being in the Rito’s presence. He finally found someone who had no need of a favor and could just talk to for a while.

“You didn’t hurt yourself now, did you?” Kass pointed towards Link’s knees. 

Link was confused for a moment, but then realized what Kass meant and smiled sheepishly.

‘No, not really. I just accidentally tripped and fell into a chasm, but that’s about it,’ Link nervously fiddled with his hands and avoided Kass’ judging eyes.

Kass narrowed his eyes and Link quickly added, ‘Really, it’s no big deal, the monk in charge of that shrine already healed me to tip-top shape.’ Link made a few flashy jabs in the air, showing Kass he was not injured.

Kass sighed but was ultimately grateful he didn’t receive any serious wounds. If this was our champion then we have a long way to go before he could face the Calamity.

Link’s stomach suddenly grumbled and he had a faint blush. Kass grabbed Link’s portion of the fish by the now extinguished campfire and gave it to him. Link smiled at him and quickly snatched the fish, digging into the overcooked meat. He didn’t mind it being overdone, as soon as the fish was in his hands, it was consumed in a matter of seconds.

‘Thank you for keeping the fish warm for me, I forgot to eat it after I found the shrine,’ Link signed as he chewed on the final bits of meat from the bones. Kass continued his stream of music and gave Link a small acknowledging nod.

The only sounds that continued for a good while were the sounds of Kass’s concertina and Link’s occasional humming. Kass never had an audience for that long, especially as lively as Link’s, but he wasn’t appalled by it one bit. In fact, it reminded him of his daughters. So lively and cheerful, always eager to sing along and to have his attention.

He was homesick, Link was a good distraction for a while, but he knew both of them had a mission to complete. Kass played his final notes and looked at the Hylian who almost dozing off.

It was about noon by the time he stopped playing, the rays of the Sun gracefully landing and lighting Link’s blonde hair. Kass wished the moment would last a little bit longer. Link looked so peaceful, trying his best to stay positive in this world.

“Link,” Kass said, lightly nudging the kid. Link came out of his trance and looked up towards Kass, his eyes curious. “It’s time we both head on our separate ways. I know you have a difficult task ahead of you, it would be unwise to linger here more than necessary.”

Link’s eyes lost their shine and a stony mask replaced them instead. He knew he had to face the Calamity someday, Hyrule’s castle is still being held by Zelda and he knew her powers were at her limits. The people were aware of the inevitable day Ganon would finally wreak havoc over the remains of Hyrule. Everyone he talked to had a begging glint in their eyes, hoping that someone would save them from its wrath.

Link hated that he was the Bane of All Evil. What little memories he had were not happy ones. He couldn’t be selfish and do what he wanted to do for himself. His conscience was getting heavier by the day, he had no one to lean on.

Except maybe…

“Kass, wait!” Link used his voice, it sounded raspy and raw, almost hurting his throat.

Kass, who was ready for takeoff, stopped his movements and spun towards Link, eyes wide. He never knew he could speak, let alone speak to Kass of all people.

‘Can I… Are… Will we meet again someday?’ Link nervously signed, his eyes were were anxious as he fiddled around with his cloak, but a small glint of hope also flickered in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe…

Kass looked into Link’s eyes for a while, they were almost reminiscent of his daughters’ when he promised to take them on a small trip outside Rito village. Kass smirked, he knew Link would find him one way or another, after all, it was fate that brought them together.

“Of course we will, much sooner than you would know,” Kass said to Link and finally took off into the distance. He had a feeling Link was going to be a constant in his life from this point onward. Call it a hunch, or a fatherly instinct, who knows.

Link, who was gaping at Kass’s diminishing figure, also felt that this was only the beginning of these two. It was the first time since he woke up at the Shrine of Resurrection that he felt so alive. With a spring in his step and a grin on his face, he went forward in search of another shrine. He couldn’t wait for their next encounter.

He almost tripped on another rock.