Chapter Text
Tick… Tick… Tick…
Rain starts to slowly fall on the skylight in Link’s house. It was the first rainfall after a long heatwave, much to the relief of both him and Ravio. The apples in his orchard would soon ripen, with the summer coming to a close. The Lorulian always preferred Autumn, refusing to let go of his multiple layers of clothing until he was ready to pass out from the heat.
But rain after a drought always brings a storm.
“Rav!” Link calls from the windowsill in the kitchen. There’s a distant noise of acknowledgement from the old living room. It wasn’t much of a living room anymore, just Ravio’s shop. Link started building a second one as soon as Ravio settled in Hyrule. “It’s going to storm! You’ll want to call Sheerow inside!”
Ravio shouts back. “Got it!”
A sharp whistle follows. It doesn’t take long before a blue winged bird frantically flaps through the window, straight into Link’s face.
"Dammit!"
He hears Ravio let out a laugh as he enters the kitchen, his long sleeve doing a bad job of hiding the grin on his face.
“Would you look at that! Record time.”
Link plucks a small blue feather from his faded pink hair. Sheerow perches on Ravio’s shoulder, picking at his ear, trying to get his attention. The merchant turns his attention to the bird’s foot, starting to unwrap a message tied up with a tiny blue bow. The rainfall on the skylight starts to increase, going from a slow ticking to a constant one.
“He can fly all over Hyrule and retrieve your Items, but you couldn’t train him to look out when he flies in somewhere?
“I have no idea what you’re talking about” Ravio starts picking at the tiny bow, unwinding it.
“Of course not.”
Link only ends up having a tiny scratch on his face. It will heal. Like the many other tiny scratches caused by Sheerow’s bullet time entrances. “What’s that about?”
“Maybe you should give him more treats?”
“No, not that. The letter.”
"Oh! Right." He squints his eyes to read it. “It’s from Zelda!”
The hero isn’t sure how to react. It’s not that he did not want letters from his sister, but most of them did not bring good news. His partner hands it over to him. If Zelda wanted a letter, she could have sent a proper one. One with all the royal extras that could have been delivered to him personally by a royal guard. Instead she chose a tiny note to tie around Sheerow’s foot.
The note was concerning. The princess mentioned monsters, which was not unusual. Link had made a habit of going out into the more remote and dangerous parts of Hyrule to rid of any remaining monsters. The part that was concerning is that there was an increase of them, in areas that were populated, on roads and places he made sure all traces of monsters were gone. Stronger, smarter. A moblin nearly killing a large group of travelers and a goddamn Lynel appearing. Just great.
This wasn’t his first time. Link could easily see the formula of the start of another damned adventure. He was wondering if he would have to kill Ganon for a 5th time. He wasn’t liking this, the frown on his face not being subtle.
“...Link?”
He lets out a groan.
“It’s nothing major… yet. Seems I didn’t get all the monsters in Hyrule because of course not! I’ll send a letter back to Zel. But I’m going tomorrow, I’m not going in the rain.”
“Of course not, Mr. Hero .”
“Ravio!”
The merchant cackles.
“You can get all your stuff together later. I see that look on your face, you’re a worse hoarder than me, Link. Go get the blankets already, we’re getting cozy with this weather.”
“Blankets? I’m going to collapse if I have any more layers!”
Ravio doesn’t listen to him, getting a treat for Sheerow before collecting a large pile of pillows and blankets as he moves into the living room. The rain continues to fall, a faster rhythm, dark clouds collecting in the sky. Summer storms were always harsh, unexpected. Threatening to overwater all his plants.
But he complies, leaving the letter on the counter to join Ravio on the couch. He grabs a book on his way, and settles between the large pile of pillows and blankets his partner had thrown onto the couch.
The second he sits down, a deep anxiety settles in his stomach.
Fuck
He shoots up, reaching for the bracelet Ravio gave him that was resting on the coffee table.
“Something’s wrong.”
“No kidding!” Ravio was fidgeting with his hands. “What is that? Even magic from Lorule doesn’t feel that dark.” He shoots up off the couch, moving carefully around all their stuff to reach the window. It’s difficult for him to see outside, the sky clouded, almost seeming like it was night already. The rain was not helping.
“Magic?”
“You don’t feel that?”
“Well- not like magic!” The hero frantically goes around the house grabbing his bags, pouches, putting on his rings before clumsily putting on his cap.
Ravio pulls his hood over his head. “Now hold on Mr Hero! If you’re going out there I’m coming with you.”
Link is climbing on one of the high shelves, reaching for his firerod. “Wait, what?"
“Well it’s just that- I wasn’t kidding when you gave me courage, you know?
“That’s- Okay” Link struggles to balance, the shelf threatening to tip. “That’s really sweet, thank you Rav but I’m not sure this is smart.”
“Wasn’t really asking, you know?”
"Okay, fine! Get your boots on already!”
The merchant does just that, readying himself and going for one of his own items that Link had bought from him, choosing the hammer.
He holds the door open while Link runs through the kitchen a last time, hopping on one foot as he puts his pegasus boots on. Then he runs through the door outside, through the pouring rain.
Link lets Ravio guide him, the bunny hood disguising his face as he tries to navigate through the rain by the single sign of magic.
It doesn’t take very long. Ravio goes straight ahead, and when Link tries to get a head start, using his pegasus boots, he almost collides into something.
Well, not collided. Gone through. Because in front of him is a portal. Dark, swirling.
Pulling.
He stares it in the face for a moment, expecting something to come through. It doesn’t.
Ravio moves his gaze to him.
Link turns around.
“No. Nope. Actually? Hell no. One adventure was already enough. Six? Sure! Why not! That’s all done. But seven? No! I’m not doing it!”
“Link-”
“I swear to Lolia if I have to kill that pig one more time!”
“Link!”
Link finally turns to him. His expression filled with both anger and anguish. The rain starts to soak his clothes. For the first time in a long summer, Link feels cold.
“I don’t want to leave, Rav.”
“Of course not."
They stand there, for a moment. Ravio grabs Link’s hands, squeezing them a little.
“How about we go back home? Not every sign of adventure needs to be yours, Mr. Hero. And standing here staring at it won’t do much. We can visit Zelda tomorrow morning and figure things out, okay?”
He didn’t want to. The anxiety didn’t settle, but he did not want to leave Ravio behind, or his home at all.
“We aren’t going through the main entrance of the castle.”
“Why would we ever? No main entrance, promise.”
Link nods, taking Ravio’s hand as he leads him away, back to their home.
“I think those blankets are a good idea. I'm soaked.”
“Zelda might send you out of the palace if you come smelling like a wet dog.”
“Maybe. Anything to annoy the guards, really.”
Ravio snickers. “Poor Zel!” He laughs, before he quiets down and lets go of Link’s hand, turning more nervous.
“Link?” Ravio is looking in the woods they just came from. “The… The portal is gone.”
“What?” He spins around to look in the same direction. When he does, the ground disappears from under his feet, seeing Ravio frantically trying to grab his arm, pulling on his sleeve.
His feet land on something. It’s metal, and he slips, the last thing he sees is Ravio with a frantic face. He falls through. Link hears yelling as his head promptly smashes against something.
He falls into unconsciousness.