Chapter Text
"And this is Castle Town!"
Link had left Epona in the stables outside of town and the pair walked through the gates together. It had been a while since he'd been by, not since before the mask had broken, but not much had changed. He didn't like coming to town that often; there were too many people and spending so much time in Clock Town had made him realise he missed the quiet of the wilds. He knew he should check in with Zelda again sometime but he'd honestly been avoiding her a bit since Termina. The feelings had dulled and faded away over his years of being gone but he needed more time to not feel so awkward about it. There were other things to do though, games to play and Sheikah stones to catch up on gossip with, so he figured he'd go to the castle some other day.
Pulling the Mask of Truth out of his bags, Link glanced up at his father with honest curiosity. "Did you want to come with me? Or look around on your own?"
The Deity glanced around, noticing the mortals giving him long looks and a wide berth. It had been too long since he had been in any sort of town and his memories of ancient cities long gone were very different from this place. Still, a town was a town. He did not need an escort. "I could go on my own."
"Okay! Great! Can we meet up here later? If you go that way, you'll end up at the castle. That's where Princess Zelda and her dad live. Over that way is the Temple but, uh, I don't much like going there anymore."
Link looked uncomfortable for some reason the Deity could not fathom; he obviously held the blessings of the Mothers and a fraction of the Triforce as well. Surely he was not at odds with the Goddesses. Was there some other reason for his reluctance? He stared at the tall spires of the temple, wondering. His senses were still muted, too tightly wound, but he did not think any of his Siblings resided here. The mortals predominately worshipped the Mothers from what he had gathered. This temple must be for The Three but he was not sure he was comfortable facing them at this point. Failure rested heavy on his shoulders.
"Anyway, meet up soon, okay? Maybe an hour or two? Bye dad!" And then the boy was gone, disappearing into the crowds.
The Deity walked, not sparing the staring mortals any of his attention, still thinking of the temple and the Goddesses. The longer he was out of the mask, the more he realised he could sense none of his Family. There were other deities, of course, such as the Deku Tree Sprout and an aquatic presence in the area Link had called Zora's Domain. But they were young gods, not the ones he had been with at the beginning of the universe. What had happened to all the elder Protectors? Had his failure caused their deaths? What of his Sister? Link had called himself a Hylian, which seemed a fitting tribute for the goddess who had done so much to Protect them back then, but there was nothing left of her that he could feel.
A moment of desperate loneliness ran through him and he pushed it down deep. That was not an emotion he wished to explore at this time. There were others, more useful to him in his current duty, that he could unwind first. Being sad about his missing family wouldn't help him with Link.
As he wandered, he looked at the various shops and houses. Potions, games, clothing and furniture were all doing good business. They did need furniture for their house and he looked at one of the buildings, debating on whether he should try to make something or purchase it. Getting these things home would be time consuming but Link could use an actual bed to sleep on. Link's horse was perhaps not big enough to pull any large loads yet. His brows furrowed as he considered the options when he noticed a familiar presence passed him by in a horse-drawn cart, whistling cheerfully. It was Talon, the one who had been so helpful thus far. It only took a few strides to step up next to the driver's seat.
"Greetings, Talon."
The man's hands jerked on the reins and he gasped with shock. Every single time they had met this happened and the Deity wondered if he had somehow done something to the rancher. He didn't think so but his power was a little unpredictable at the moment. Maybe he had burned out the man's senses when they first met.
Or maybe Talon just didn't want to know. That was something to consider.
"Oh! Greetings! Ah, Link's father, yes…" The man groped around for words but eventually settled on an awkward silence. There was an empty place in the conversation where a name would reside but neither of them spoke of it. On some instinctive level, Talon knew not to ask.
Briefly, the Deity wondered if anyone here would think to name him. Were they even aware of his kind anymore? He had never been involved so closely with mortals before and wondered what he should say if any asked him his name. The Fierce Deity? That was giving far too much honour to Majora. Perhaps his old title of Protector would do. Protector of Link? Perhaps not. Protector of…the moon? No, not quite. He would remember. The memories would return. He would regain his duty and a name would present itself or the mortals would name him again.
Of course, Link had named him 'dad' but that didn't seem right for anyone else.
The silence was too long again and Talon's eye was twitching almost imperceptibly. Finally the man cleared his throat and jiggled the reins nervously. "What brings you to Castle Town today?"
"We are shopping."
"Ah! For your house? That's great! What did you need?"
The Deity frowned. "Everything."
"Wow, yeah. That's…where's your cart? Maybe I can help get things out there?"
"We do not have one."
There was another silent beat where a variety of emotions flitted across the rancher's face and the Deity gazed at him in studious interest. Somehow he always managed to surprise the mortal in everything he said and did. Talon finally appeared to make up his mind about something and nodded seriously.
"Well, you're in luck! I'm done with deliveries for today. I can help you out! Let me just get this parked somewhere and I'll show you around and find out what you'll need."
"My thanks, Talon."
The rancher was an invaluable guide for the Deity. He knew every store, every shopkeeper, and knew where to go for the best deal for the money spent. The Deity was not particularly concerned about money but from the information he had gathered, it was more of an issue for mortals. It was important to remember these things for later. Raising a mortal boy was more involved than he realised and he had much to learn about these Hylians and how their society worked.
By the time Link found his father again, hours later, he was surprised to see the god in the company of the rancher, tying down several furniture items into the cart. He stared in a sort of mute wonder at how many things there were and the easy way his old life was integrating with his new one.
"Hey dad! You know Talon?!"
"Yes."
Talon chuckled nervously. "We've met a few times. How are you doing, Link? Excited for your house?"
"Oh yeah, totally! Wow, is this all furniture for us?"
"It sure is! We should get going though. It's going to be dark and Malon will be wondering where I went."
The trip back to Lon Lon Ranch was filled with Link's cheerful chatter as he rode Epona next to the adults but the Deity was utterly silent. Talon was not entirely comfortable being so close to the man, sitting next to him on the seat, but he did his best to remain calm. Certainly Link's father had never said or done anything wrong to the rancher but there was something about him that gave Talon a disquieting feeling at literally all times. He'd never met someone so off-putting before. It wasn't even a bad feeling, like danger or fear. Maybe more of a terrified awe. He didn't understand what caused him to react that way to the white-haired man, though the eyes and facial markings were certainly a start.
He didn't like it. It didn't fit into his quiet life of taking care of horses and cows and cuccos. It belonged in a temple or the castle or the deepest, darkest woods where nameless things moved quietly. Instead it was here, sitting next to him and buying furniture. Strange beings did not walk around buying furniture!
So Link's father must not be one of those.
Right?
By the time they got to the ranch, it was getting dark and Talon fretted over thoughts of stalchildren and other night time monsters. He didn't want to leave his neighbours without their purchases but it wasn't safe to travel at night. He pulled up to the entrance and worked up the courage to offer the pair a place to sleep.
"Well, it's getting mighty late and Malon will be worried. Why don't you–"
"May we borrow the cart?" The tall man was staring at Talon evenly, no sign of meaning behind his question. The cart? The farmer stuttered a bit, at a loss for words. That would be a neighbourly thing to do, lend them the horse and cart, and it would probably be okay. Maybe.
"Ah, do you have a place for the horse then?" Talon was not in the habit of lending out his horses but Link had always treated Epona with the utmost respect and despite how the rancher felt about his father, he was absolutely positive the man would treat his things impeccably. Still, he knew they couldn't have much done at their house yet. Did they even have a stable? Or fences?
"I only need the cart."
"E-excuse me?"
"We will return it in the morning."
"Oh, uh, I mean, there's no rush but…" Talon stared at the tall man for a long moment and then, despite his misgivings, slid off the seat and unhitched his horse. He looked over at Link but the boy was completely unconcerned at what his father was suggesting. "Just be careful of the stalmonsters, you know?"
"Thank you, Talon." With not even a second thought, the Deity stepped to the front of the cart, lifted the poles off the ground and began walking for the forest. A burden that no man should have been able to lift on his own. Link waved cheerfully to Talon as he trotted Epona off after the heavy load, pulling out a bow as they reached the field. Talon watched, open-mouthed, until the pair disappeared over a hill into the twilight, then continued to stare for several moments longer.
Impossible. Utterly, absolutely inconceivable. Talon walked like a man stunned back to the stables, took care of his horse with automatic movements, his brain not able to really settle on what it had just seen. He knew how heavy that load had been. There was not a single person in Hyrule who could have lifted and pulled that cart even a short distance, much less all the way to the Lost Woods.
That night, he stared up at his ceiling blankly, not able to sleep for a long while. Impossible.
When he woke the next morning and went outside to see to the cuccos, the wagon was waiting patiently for him by the stables, a messily-scrawled note in Link's handwriting thanking him for the use of it.
The Deity knew he should try to blend in more with the mortals. His child was mortal and it would be best if he could exist with the others in a way that didn't terrify them. He also knew that due to his nature, he could never truly hide what he was.
But he could try.
A few days later, he made his way back to Castle Town on his own. He wandered the streets, whispers following in his wake, until he found a small store he had noticed earlier. The sign had the characters for "Tailor" etched onto the wood and the Deity recognised them instantly. He was certain some of his knowledge came from Link but he had always been able to pick up written and spoken languages easily. As he pushed the door open and ducked inside, he noted the small sign with the Golden Three Triforce hanging in the window. There was another behind the counter and it was an unusual display of devotion from what the Deity had observed. It was no surprise then when the woman who walked out from behind a curtain stopped, looked at her new customer, then bowed deeply.
"Exalted One, it is an honour. I had heard rumours but didn't know if they were true."
"Formalities are not needed. I merely wish for clothing such as what average people wear."
The Deity noticed the look of surprise on the woman but her face smoothly slipped into a professional demeanour as she gestured towards the back. "Certainly. We would be humbled to assist you. I'll have to take measurements, of course, if you don't mind."
"Whatever you need is fine. I have no objections." Mortals always did have trepidations over touching deities. He understood this; those moments of contact gave them perhaps too much of a look into what he was. Link had never minded but the boy had also been him several times. Perhaps he was used to it. The process was quick and the Deity did his best to rein in his aura as much as he could. The woman did not even flinch once and the Deity began to wonder if perhaps he was not the only one left; for a mortal, she seemed quite familiar with dealing with godhood.
"Our mother was a priestess of the Three." The woman was writing numbers down on a pad of paper. She anticipated the Deity's thoughts very well. "None of her children took up that calling but I suppose a little of that lingers around us. Now, if you'd like, I can show you fabrics."
The rest of the transaction went well and the woman told him a date to return. She never asked for his name and he did not offer one. It wasn't needed. He was impossible to mistake for anyone else.
The Deity knew very little of caring for mortal children. Even before having the whole of himself shoved into a wooden mask, he did not engage in the day to day lives of mortals. The Protectors had a job to do and they were not to interfere more than needed. He was sure he had observed children, though his memories still came slow to him, and he knew of the general needs of mortal creatures. In many ways, it was good that Link knew how to take care of himself and the Deity observed him near constantly to set his expectations correctly. The child needed meals frequently, at least three large ones at equally spaced moments through the day, and the occasional snack in between. He needed sleep every night, though there were times when he said he was not tired through much yawning and drooping eyelids. And he needed time outside to explore and burn off excess energy. Because Link had a near endless supply of it and could become unbearable should he be cooped up inside for long periods of time.
So the Deity observed and learned and, because he knew one child was not enough data points, he would often do so for other mortal families in Hyrule Field or Castle Town. He watched how children interacted with each other and their adults. He identified the small hints that they would give off during certain behaviours; a look in the eye, a tense silence, an excited jiggling of the foot. He saw fear and anger and happiness.
And he began to notice when things were going wrong.
He could hear when Link and the Kokiri girl would play outside, the mischievous giggles when they were up to something. There were the pauses after loud noises, always followed by excuses and apologies. When Link was alone, the Deity heard the shhhhfft of clothing against a tree the boy was climbing, then the thud and crunch of broken twigs when he would fall. Link never complained of injuries but he knew exactly where to find fairies when he needed them. The Deity noticed the absence of sound, something that was more worrying than any actual noise the child produced.
Silences spiked anxiety in the god and he did not know why.
It was quiet that afternoon. There had been sounds, he had heard them, but now there was a waiting silence. Even the faint chiming of fairies had stilled. The god paused in his work on the house, then followed the silence through the trees, trying to find the boy. He had not gotten far when he heard shouting.
"...going to hurt someone!"
"--not the boss of me! I'm gonna–"
Despite the god's excellent hearing, the words were scattered and broken, interrupted by trees and wind. As he stepped towards the edge of the forest and in sight of Hyrule Field, he could see the green tunic of his son through the gaps, heard a guttural sort of yell and saw Link throw himself forward. The Deity stared for a moment, perplexed, as he watched his son fight with another boy in the grass. There was a thud, a yelp of pain, and the other child ran off further into the Field. The god's eyes narrowed slightly. Had his son been fighting? Why would he be fighting another child? That didn't seem right. Was there something about Hylians he had missed in his observations these last weeks?
He stepped forward as Link slowly backed up into the trees. The boy did not see or sense his presence but he felt the god as he ran into his legs. "Oh, uh, hi…dad. Er…"
"What are you doing?" The boy seemed nervous, guilty. That much was obvious even to him.
"N-nothing…it's…I mean…" And then he took off. Yes, that was guilt. Link was not supposed to be fighting and the Deity was quick to catch up to him. He reached out a hand and snagged the back of his son's tunic and there was a moment of real panic in the child's eyes. He tried to squirm away, lashed out with his hand to get free of the grip on his clothes. But the Deity was surprisingly gentle, his own hands quick to hold Link steady as he picked the boy up.
"Let me go! Let me go! I didn't do it!"
"I saw you hit that boy."
Link thrashed wildly and the Deity tucked him under his arm, keeping several of the boy's limbs imobile. The child continued to shout, looking both guilty and panicked; they had not dealt with any sort of discipline since the mask had broken and neither Link nor the god had any idea what punishment should be like. Link, at least, seemed to have real fear of his fate but the god wasn't planning on hurting him; one did not hurt the things they protected. But what should he do to punish a wrong action? This didn't seem like something he should be asking his son. Perhaps he should go speak to another adult again.
Almost without thinking, the Deity turned his feet in the direction of Lon Lon Ranch. Thus far, Talon's advice and help had been very useful. Perhaps it would be so again…
"What do you do for fun?"
Link always had such unusual questions for him. He remembered… no, he didn't. Another frustrating blank. What sort of things did he do, before the mask? Did deities do things simply for entertainment? The impression of always being busy lingered in his past. This was now though and he knew he would have to consider the matter soon. The work on the house was almost done; the doorways now fit his height and most of the rooms had basic furniture. He was running out of things to do. He knew he couldn't spend all of his time with Link and perhaps some of these hobbies his son was speaking of would help him.
"Oh! Horse riding! We could get you a horse! We could ride together! Oh, you're probably too big for the horses. Never mind.”
Link loved horses very much, the Deity knew this. He had a thought, a memory of riding horses a very, very long time ago. But the boy was correct; all the ones he had seen now would not hold up to his size and weight. But perhaps, maybe there was some of the ancient, larger breeds still around. If he–
“Oh! We should go fishing! I said, you know, before…that you could go fishing sometime when I used the mask but now we can do it together!”
The boy switched topics very quickly and he shifted over from thinking about horses to fishing. He remembered the impression of fishing, the mask leaning up against the boy's leg. He wasn't sure why Link liked it so much but he would be willing to give it a try. He nodded and the boy looked so excited. Were there supplies needed for this? He would have to check. He had observed other Hylians trying to catch fish in the river by Castle Town so it must not be too difficult. So a horse and fishing. Those were things he could certainly do with his child.
A hand plucked at his sleeve; after his first order of clothing had come in, he began to wear it immediately. Link had commented on it, sounding surprised at the Deity wearing anything as normal as a grey tunic and pants, but it was not a bad sort of surprise and the boy had looked rather pleased.
"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Blue eyes stared at him, looking interested in whatever the Deity had to say. It was unusual for the god, any deity really, to be observed so closely by a mortal but he had grown used to it.
"You will see."
Later that night, after a dinner that was much like every other dinner they had since the kitchen had been finished, the Deity left the house in his armor, Link's words of a bed and dreams still echoing in his ears.
"Good night. Son."
The words rattled around in his head even as he moved swiftly through the dark night, heading deeper into the forests, following a feeling. It was the first time he had called Link his son out loud. The boy had been calling him dad for weeks now but he had never returned the sentiment. He knew Link was his son. Why did saying it out loud feel so different?
Son.
He had a son.
A mortal boy that needed him.
Something deeper than his innate desire to Protect stirred in him. He would make sure nothing happened to Link. He would keep him safe. He would try to make the boy… happy. Yes, that's what felt different. He wanted to provide a life that his son would enjoy, even if sometimes there would be punishments and discipline and teaching moments that would be difficult for both of them. Even to what little of himself he had regained in the past weeks, it felt different. But also right? Was he supposed to be doing this? Though he hadn't tried to speak with the Mothers, it didn't feel wrong. Would he know after being trapped for so long? Should he trust these strange, new instincts?
Soon he was in a field, far from home, and some knowledge in himself said this was the place. It was quiet and the moon was bright overhead. Nocturnal animals shuffled around, not fearful of him, knowing him for what he was. A sudden, sharp memory of an ancient field, the scent of demons on the night breeze and the hunt beginning. Night, that was his domain. He protected the mortal lands at night, watching when the other deities would be resting, strong enough to take on many foes by himself. He had been the Protector of the Night, beholden to The Three.
A quiet sound distracted him from those thoughts and he held still as a shining animal entered the clearing. A lone horse, much larger than the ones the Deity had seen at the ranch, was awake and wandering in the moonlight. Where had it come from? The god moved forward and the horse did not run away. It was white and grey, a mottled mix of the colours, and there was intelligence in her eyes. A beautiful, impossible mare in the middle of the night.
A gift.
He could almost hear her, Mother Farore, a faint whisper that didn't quite connect. He was scared, worried, still half imprisoned in his own head and he could not hear Her as he should. But this felt like a present, a sign that he was doing right. As the horse walked up to him and put her nose in his hands, he released a breath. Soon, he should try to speak with the Mothers soon. Once he had established things more with Link. But the horse settled a small part of his heart; even if he had lost favour with Nayru and Din, perhaps Farore still held him in high regard.
As he rode home on the steed that had found him, that thought was a comfort.
Link pulled open the fishing hole door, an enormous grin on his face. He had rode horses with his dad to come fishing with his dad and this was absolutely the best day he ever had in his life. He was practically vibrating with excitement as he bounced up to the counter. The man smiled at the green-clad child, remembering him from earlier visits. It had been several weeks but he knew he'd see the boy again; the kid was about the most enthusiastic fisher he had ever met.
"Hey there, kid! Back again for more fun?"
"Yeah! Me and my dad!"
"Dad? You have a da–?"
And then the Deity walked in. The fishing man felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of the white-eyed giant. He looked down at Link, still smiling wide, then back up at the new addition. The strange marks on the skin made the fisherman shudder with some deep emotion long forgotten. It was an old memory of childhood, standing in the temple and staring up at the statue of the Golden Three, the fear and awe of the divine trembling through him. He felt that now, his eyes locked on the tall figure before him.
Link slapped his hands on the counter in excitement, breaking the man's reverie. "I get to go fishing with my dad! Isn't that great?!"
The fisherman could barely take his eyes off the Deity to glance at the boy. "Y-yeah kid, that's great. If you don't quiet down, you'll scare them all away though. Seriously!"
"Okay okay! But c'mon! We need fishing poles and stuff!" Link slapped some rupees down on the counter, determined to pay this one time at least. After all, it was his idea and he wanted to show his dad how everything worked! The fisherman handed over supplies, one of the poles the biggest Link had ever seen and even then it was a little small in the Deity’s hands, then the boy cheerfully whistled as they walked around the pond to his favourite spot. Nothing much ever changed here and he showed the Deity the log he usually stood on to get to the bigger fish in the deeper waters.
"Okay, fishing is really easy! You just put your lure on right here, then swing the pole backwards and flick it towards the water. If you do it just right, it'll land perfectly in the water!" Link demonstrated the technique and the Deity watched with his usual, intense concentration. That particular look from his dad was when he was learning something; once was always enough for the god and Link never had to repeat instructions.
With a practised wrist motion, Link's lure flew into the air and landed right in the spot he hoped for. A little bit of wiggling and reeling soon had a fish on his hook and he pulled it in little by little, his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration. The fish thrashed as it got closer but soon the boy had yanked it out onto the shore and held up the squirming creature with a proud smile.
"First try! Great! It's a good one too! I bet it's ten pounds at least! All right, let's give it a try with you, dad!"
It had started fine. There were no issues with the lure or the fishing rod. But when he pulled his arm back and released the line, well, the Deity had never used one of these before and was not used to how well it would respond to his strength. The hook and line sailed out over the pond in a lazy, easy arc and snagged onto the fisherman's shirt. The man was startled out of whatever thoughts had been occupying him and looked up in indignation, expecting it was the child pulling a prank. Instead, it was the tall father, staring impassively, having just hooked him from the opposite side of the pond. The man's face paled, the sense of being trapped very strong, and desperately fumbled to get the hook off of him.
"Oh sorry! Dad doesn't know his own strength sometimes!" Link tried to hide the grin on his face but he doubted he was succeeding. They couldn't have planned that better if they tried.
"N-n-n-no worries! Just be careful!"
The boy was laughing to himself as the god rewound the line. "Oh man, if he was wearing that hat now, you definitely would have snagged it. Guess he doesn't care since he hasn't gone bald yet."
The Deity nodded quietly, the oddness of the word "yet" lingering in his mind. He didn't say anything but he filed it away for later. Every so often, Link would say something strange like that, like he knew what was going to happen without a shadow of a doubt. It was more than just a child's certainty. Something from Termina rose in his mind. Link, on the moon, the feeling of time that clung to him…
He turned his mind to fishing again, storing the thoughts away. The next cast went much better, though Link sounded disappointed at the position of the lure. The pond was calm, the sun warm and the wind through the trees a pleasant murmur in the ears. The Deity suddenly felt something he hadn't in quite a long time; peace. He sat on the ground and closed his eyes, feeling the gentle tug of the water on the line, sensing the fish as they swam past. For several minutes, he continued to sit, legs crossed, body relaxed.
When he opened his eyes once again, Link was giving him a curious look. "You okay, dad?"
"Yes."
The boy sat next to him, a small frown on his lips. "You're not having fun, are you?" The Deity blinked in confusion and looked down at the top of his son's head, saying nothing. Link sighed a little. "Well, we don't have to stay if you don't like it."
"I did not say that."
"Well you're just sitting there!"
"I like it. This. I like this."
"Oh!" The boy looked up into his father's eyes, still blank and white but he was starting to understand the looks in them, the strange movement of power and the way emotions floated to the surface. With a little shrug, he scooched up closer so he could lean against the Deity's leg and tossed his own line back into the water as well. "Okay, well, this is good too!"
Link was used to being more active while doing just about anything. Even fishing was something he worked at to get his line in just the right place and attract the perfect fish. He had never just sat before. Sat and listened to the water lapping gently against the edges of the pond, to the wind whistling over the earthen barrier that kept the area so private. It was nice, actually, and that surprised him. Nice sitting next to his dad and just existing for a bit. A peaceful stupor settled on his small shoulders.
Before he realised it, Link's head drooped onto his father's knee and he was dozing peacefully. The Deity looked down, an emotion settling on his spirit like a warm blanket. He raised a hand tentatively, unsure, then slowly lowered it onto his son's head. For many moments, the two sat like that, the only sounds the water and the breeze and Link's gentle snores.
For the first time since he had been imprisoned and released, the god smiled.