Hey, those of you who comment on works? You seriously make the fuckin world go around. You make our fuckin world go around.
Like there are some days where I just go into a random fic I've written and re-read the comments because they just make me so happy. Y'all have no idea what it means to us writers fr.
Chapter 2 of All the Shades of Black: A Stardew Valley fanfic! You can find the full, in-progress fic here!
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Springtime in the valley had its ups and downs for the townsfolk. There were plenty of fish to be caught in the rivers, and the weather was warm enough for walking outdoors, but sudden cold snaps tended to hit the valley, freezing crops and stunning the local wildlife.
Stardew's newest addition to the town, the farmer girl, was recovering from one such snap, planting rows of parsnips and potatoes out by her house while her four hens watched, intrigued. She was toiling with the garden hoe, frantically tossing up dirt and clumps of dead plants in preparation for the next harvest. There was only a little over a week of spring left, and she wasn't even sure if half of them would be fully grown by then.
"Fuckin' weather around here. Won't stay put for two god damn days…" she was mumbling curses to herself as she buried the seeds in the ground and watered them. "Another cold front and I'll be out a couple thousand. Pierre sold me those seeds at a markup too. God fucking shitty cold weather-"
Several hours and a symphony of profanity later, the garden was finally complete. In a few days, hopefully, the plants would be ready for the spring harvest. The farmer wiped some sweat off her forehead with her sleeve, and stood back, hands on her hips, admiring her hard work. She nodded, content, before heaving the copper hoe over her shoulder and trotting over to the chicken coop.
The four of them, Cinnamon, Peachy, Angel, and Tiny, were huddled around the coop's little entrance door in a small, feathery pile. Thinking that they were just hungry, The Farmer didn't question anything until she heard their low growls and chitters, eyeing something in the coop.
"What is it, girls? Your feathers are all standing on end." She threw open the door, brandishing her garden hoe, ready to lash out and yell at either a fox or raccoon. Instead, she came face to face with absolutely nothing, and she sighed. "There's nothing even in here. What are y'all scared-" Then she saw it. "-of."
Sat in the middle of the coop, in a little thatch of golden hay, was the oddest-looking chicken egg she had ever seen. A little soot-black thing with red, glistening spots. None of her chickens laid that , and she bent down to examine it. "What on earth...?"
Meanwhile, while the Farmer was busy examining the strange egg that had appeared overnight, Shane and Marnie were having their own complications with their unruly barn animals.
It had started when Marnie had called Shane over to wrangle up some stray sheep that wouldn't cooperate for their shearing, butting them with blunt horns and knocking them over. While they were busy, one of their goats had, once again, managed to escape the pasture, enticed by fresh berries on the opposite side of the fence.
Covered in mud and dirt, Marnie sighed, continuing to shear the ewe she had caught. "Shane?" When he walked over, Marnie handed him a few cave carrots. "Could you call Sweetpea back to the barn, please? She got out again." She pointed over his shoulder where a young, black and brown goat was munching on the leaves of a blackberry bush out in the yard. "I don't know how the little devil keeps getting out, but it's driving me crazy!" The sheep squirmed and tried to butt her again, and she pinned it back to the ground, taking the shears to the wool.
Shane sighed and reluctantly took the cold, hard carrots from her hand. "You know, I don't really think she likes me very much."
"Oh, she's an old goat. She doesn't like anyone. Go on now." She said, now done shearing her sheep, and she darted off to catch the next one. He laughed as he watched her fail a tackle and went face down into the dirt, then bolted upright, red-faced, and went to chase after the ewe.
Sweetpea, despite her name, was an ornery thing who did what she pleased, which Shane thought was funny when he wasn't on the receiving end of her indifference. He bent down next to her, watching her snag some more berries off the bush, chewing loudly before she turned to look at him with an unimpressed expression.
"Don't give me that look. You know you're not supposed to be out here." When he pulled the carrots out from behind him, he watched her eyes go wide. "Yeah, you like this stuff, don't ya'? Only if you come back to the barn, though." He waved a carrot in front of her face, her head moving to follow it, and she took a step forward. "Yeah, come on now, let's get you back-" She suddenly jumped forward, snatching the carrot from his hand, and chewing it up in his face. "You little shit." He hissed, and she snorted at him smugly.
While she was busy eating, the bush shook slightly, and the two of them turned to look at it, intrigued. Shane thought that maybe there was a bird's nest in its center, and they had disturbed it. Suddenly, the bush rattled violently, and a noise that sounded suspiciously like a whine had both Shane and the goat jumping back, wide-eyed. Sweetpea, startled by the bush shaking, bolted past Shane, running back towards the barn without looking back, and Shane felt himself shake a little. "Did that bush just… yelp?" Shane bent down towards the bush, the squeaky sound and trembling leaves drawing him in. Slowly, he bent down onto his knees, reaching out to push up some low-hanging twigs at its base, peering into the sticks. "Hello?"
He jumped slightly as a small, wet snout poked out from between the leaves, sniffing at his hand before a little tongue darted out and licked at his fingers, and Shane's mouth fell open. "No way…"
From the bush emerged a small, black and white, sheepdog puppy, no more than a month old, at least, with sticks tangled in his fur, and a tear in his left ear. He yapped at Shane happily, tail swishing back and forth. "Where on earth did you come from, little guy? You look like you've been through hell and back." He said, plucking a burr from his matted fur.
The dog then began running at his feet, lowering its head to the ground, and eyeing him while doing so. It was only a puppy and it was trying to herd him! He stumbled backward, away from its sharp puppy teeth that just barely grazed the leg of his pants. "H-hey Marnie. Aunt Marnie!" Shane called out to his Aunt, who was working in the barn. "Marnie! Hey, I need your help with something!"
She stumbled outside a few seconds later, clutching a basket of eggs. She was still covered in wool fibers and dirt. "Gracious, Shane, what are you yelling fo-" Hearing her voice, the puppy lost interest in Shane, and bounded over to greet the older woman, yapping excitedly, and running in circles around her feet. Marnie put a hand over her mouth. "Oh, my goodness."
"Think he got dumped like the last one?"
"Oh, I'm afraid so. Look at him, he's all dirty and matted. He's lucky he's alive. Aww… Aren't you a good boy?" She patted him on the head.
Scratching the back of his neck nervously, Shane looked down at the puppy, a question bubbling in his mouth. "Can we keep-"
"No."
"Ah, worth a shot." He muttered. He had always wanted a dog, but Jas had a small fear of them, especially larger dogs. Marnie, holding the egg basket up where the pup couldn't bite at it, placed a hand on her cheek, and a pensive look spread across her face. "What 'chya thinking, Marnie?" Shane questioned.
She stayed silent for a moment, before snapping her fingers when an idea popped into her head, and she patted her leg, signaling the puppy to follow her. "I'm thinking that he needs a good home. C'mon, Shane. I do know who might be able to care for him!"
"Huh? Who?" His heart dropped when he saw the direction she was walking in: towards the Granger's farmstead. "Oh no…"
"C'mon now, you can't avoid her forever."
"Yes, I can."
"Shane-"
Oops, that was her serious tone. "Alright! Alright! I'm coming." He reluctantly trotted over to Marnie's side, twitching his feet as the puppy nipped at the ankles of his shoes. "I'm not gonna talk to her though." Marnie just shook her head.
Back at the farm, The Farmer had taken to a tank top and shorts as the sun began to crest in the sky above, bringing the daily temperature to its peak. Though it was cooler in the mornings now, the temperature had a habit of shifting a good twenty to thirty degrees in the afternoons, before dipping again when the sun went down. This meant long sleeves and pants during the mornings, and the bare minimum of clothing in the afternoons when sweat began to trickle down her face and neck.
She was inside, with the house door and windows wide open, letting in a breeze from outside since her years-old air conditioning unit left much to be desired. "If I don't fix that before summer gets here I'm gonna roast." She had been moving boxes of stuff that came from her old apartment: books, trinkets, silverware, stationary, and the like, she was almost completely done with setting up and furnishing her entire house. Soon enough, she would be able to bring Robin the materials needed for a couple of rooms to be added on. She could hardly wait.
She heard a knock on the doorframe, and turned to the sound of Marnie calling into the house. "Granger? Mrs. Granger! You home, dear? Your doors wide open!"
"Right here, Marnie!" She popped up from behind the veritable mountain of boxes and furniture, trotting over to the door. "Just letting a breeze in. Smells stale in this old farmhouse, ya' know?" She set a small box of photo frames on the counter, all of them being pictures of her and her family. "So, what's brought ya' here?"
"Well, about that." She smiled, a bit forcefully. "We had something, er, someone show up at our house, and we don't exactly know where to take him-"
The farmer gave her a questioning look. "Him?" Now, what did she mean by, "him?"
"I know you just got your chickens and all, and your hands have been full with the cold snap, but we thought maybe you'd-"
There was a sound of a bucket and tools being knocked over, as the muffled sound of someone talking around the corner from the corner of the house made them both look over. Shane hopped out from behind, kicking a metal pail off his foot, while eyeing something in the grass. "Uh… Marnie. Marnie! He's herding me again! Marnie!"
The Farmer watched confused about what had him stumbling. "What the-" Only when a little puppy, no more than a foot tall, bounded after him, did she smile wide. "Well, I'll be damned." Snapping at his pants, teeth digging into the fabric, the canine did his best to drag Shane towards Marnie. He stepped towards them to make the puppy think he had won so he could pry his sharp teeth off of him.
Seeing the farmer, the puppy immediately lost interest in terrorizing Shane and went to greet the young girl, trying his best to jump up the steps, which might as well have been walls for the pup. When he finally got to her, the Farmer bent down and scooped him up, bringing him up to her face. "Well hi there, little one." The puppy licked her nose. "What's your name?"
"He… doesn't have one. Yet." Shane locked eyes with the farmer, and rather than a scrunched-up face of disgust as he had expected, he was instead met with a gaze he couldn't quite decipher. She almost looked… a bit sad? Worried? He figured maybe fretted was the word, though he couldn't imagine why. "What?" He snapped when he felt like she had looked long enough, and Marnie scowled at him.
"Nothin'! Nothin'." She continued talking to Marnie like nothing had even happened. "No name then. Yoba… he's a stray. Where did you find this little one?" She said, bending down and stretching out her hand for him to sniff. "He's all matted and dirty!"
"Shane found him outside in a bush. We don't have any idea where he came from. No collar or anything, and there hasn't been word of a lost dog around town either." Marnie sighed. "I think he might have been dumped."
Shane dusted some puppy prints off his pants and shirt. "Yeah, besides the only dog I know around here is that mutt of Alex's." Shane added. "We've had people throw their dogs in the water upriver before, from Zuzu City."
Her face suddenly dropped, and she looked at the two of them solemnly. "Before?" She muttered, looking down at the dog, who was now chewing on her finger, his little paws wrapped around her wrist. "Sweet Yoba…"
"We understand if you can't take him." Marnie sighed. "We just thought it would be worth a shot, you know? He's clearly a farm dog and all-"
The farmer raised a hand, holding the pup in her other arm. "You won't have to worry. I'll take him. I have more than enough room, and I've always wanted a dog."
"It's not too much trouble?"
"Not at all, Marnie. So, sheepdog, huh?" The little puppy licked her nose, and she giggled. "We'll call ya' Shepherd, eh? How's that sound?"
"Shepherd! Oh, that's a lovely name! Right, Shane?"
"Whatever."
"This sweet thing's gonna have a nice home here, I know it." Marnie scratched Shepherd on the head, and the farmer set him back down on the porch, looking over at the chicken coop, where the hens were scratching and pecking at the dirt.
Shepherd hadn't seen them yet, so she gently picked him up, and turned him in their direction, watching his eyes go wide at the sight of the birds. His tail began to wag excitedly. "Go get 'em, Shep! Go get 'em! Go on!"
With a high-pitched bark, he vaulted down the steps, landing face first in the earth, making everyone chuckle, before scurrying off towards the coop. The three of them watched as the little dog began to run in circles around the chickens, who couldn't be less bothered by the sight but were curious about the new face. Shepherd lowered his head to the ground, stalking around the birds, who began to back up at the sight. He then bolted in the opposite direction, rounding up Tiny and Peachy from the other side. The chickens were now packed together, and the dog zigzagged towards them, backing them up to the coop door.
The Farmer whistled, a cue to stop, and the puppy lifted his head, and bolted back to the steps, immediately flopping over onto his back, allowing The Farmer to scratch his belly. "He's a natural. That'll make getting them into the coop at night a lot easier. He'll fit right in, Marnie."
"Wonderful! I was worried he wouldn't find a home here." She bent down to the puppy, scratching him behind his ear, making him shake his leg. "Be good to Miss Granger, little Shepherd. She's a hard worker." Behind her, Shane rolled his eyes. "I'll let Mayor Lewis know of the new addition. I'm sure he has some blank adoption certificates somewhere. Oh, and a collar! I wonder if Pierre has a blue one."
Shane was already walking down the steps, eager to get back home. Seeing The Farmer with her new pet made him miss his own. That and just seeing the girl drained his social battery. Getting the hint, Marnie followed close behind, waving goodbye to the Granger girl and Shepherd. "Good luck! Having a dog is a life-changing thing!"
"Thanks again, Marnie! Thanks, Shane!"
He had no clue why she was thanking him. Bringing the dog there was all Marnie's idea. "Hey." She bumped him in the side. "She said, "Thank you."
Sighing, he mumbled, "You're welcome," and Marnie nodded in approval. He could feel the girl staring at his back. He just knew and, sure enough, when he turned she was looking at him with that same expression from before and just like last time, he couldn't quite place the look. He simply shrugged, turning back towards the path and keeping his eyes forward. " Weird girl. At least she took the dog ."
"Hey! Hey, Shane! Wait up!"
" Oh no… " She was back, and running towards him. "What the hell does she want with me?" He tried to ask Marnie to take care of her problem but, before he could even ask, she turned and began swiftly walking towards the trail back to the barn. "Marnie! Don't-!" Too late, she started walking at a faster pace, leaving Shane to deal with the farmer, and he swore she was smiling. "Goddamn it-!"
"Shane!" The Farmer screeched to a halt in front of him, throwing up a dust cloud that he fanned out of his face. She bent over, placing her hands on her knees, and huffed, out of breath. "Before… you say anythin'… I don't wanna talk to you either."
"Then why are you?"
Straightening up, she took in a lungful of air before continuing. "Because… I have a problem-"
"Then get someone else's help."
"Look. It's somethin' with the hens. You're the only person knowledgeable enough about chickens to help me. I don't think even Marnie tops it."
His eyes suddenly had a glint to them. "A… chicken problem?" He didn't want to admit it to himself, but he was flattered. " Most knowledgeable! Hey… I've made something of myself! " He cleared his throat. "Yes. Well… I've raised them for years. I know a lot."
"Yeah. Yeah. Look, there's something in the coop I really want you to look at. I've never seen anything like it, and I have no idea where it came from, and I'm not getting close enough to it until I have some idea of what it is."
"Is this, "thing," gonna try to eat me or something? He grimaced. "What the hell is it?"
"Well… that's the thing."
Back at the coop, the egg remained untouched by both The Farmer and the other hens, who were now piled up in the corner, still eyeing the strange little egg with uncertainty. She and Shane were hunched down, both staring at the egg on the floor, perplexed, and even he had to admit that this was a new one. "What the fuck?"
"I know, right? It just… showed up. Scared the girls half to death. They won't go near it." She gestured to the pile of trembling feathers in the corner. "What d'ya think it is?"
"An egg, obviously, but it looks… burnt?" He reached out a tentative hand, brushing his finger along the hardened shell, before he gasped and abruptly pulled his hand back, startling her.
"What? What?! What is it?!"
"It's warm!"
"I mean, it was laid this morning, but-"
"No! no! I mean-" He picked up the egg, cupping it in his hands and pushing it towards her. "Feel it!"
She jumped back. "Are you crazy!? I ain't touchin' that thing!"
"I'm serious!"
"Ok. Ok… fine." She cupped her hands, and Shane slid the egg in, and her eyes widened at the feeling. "What the shit?! It feels like it's been microwaved or somthin'!"
"Exactly! How could a chicken even lay this?"
"Wasn't one of mine. I swear. They're terrified of the thing." The Farmer handed the egg back to Shane, who gently turned it in his hands, inspecting the way the red flakes glistened in the light. "It almost looks fake, but it feels so real. I really don't know what to tell you. Look, Gunther has some books on chicken breeds and stuff. You should try and get your hands on one and see if you can find a match in there. Maybe it's just… I don't know, an unusual breed."
They both went quiet, deep in thought as to what to do. It certainly wasn't normal, that was for certain. "What kind of chicken do ya' think would come outta it if it hatched?" They both gave each other a look of mutual agreement and trotted over to the incubator. Shane gingerly placed the little egg in the hay, watching as the little red speckles seemed to glisten slightly.
"I don't think I'll be able to look into it with a flashlight. That black shell won't allow it so I guess just wait and see what happens." He shrugged, not speaking any further than that. He seemed genuinely interested in the strange little egg. Hell, he seemed interested in anything that had to do with chickens, or farm livestock in general. Even though their first meeting was a bit rough, The Farmer smiled, happy that she had someone knowledgeable about animals as her neighbor. She might be a bit lost otherwise.
He glanced at her, just barely catching her staring, and she turned her head, pretending to be interested in a little feather on the floor. Shane cleared his throat, the quiet moment growing to be unbearable. "Well… um-" He shook his head, walking towards the coop door. "Just… let me know what becomes of it."
The Farmer raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to meet the other hens?"
He stopped momentarily in his tracks, a piqued expression on his face, but he ultimately ignored the feeling. "I've gotta get back to Marnie. She needs help shearing the sheep today."
"Ok… alright."
Shane closed the door behind him, not once looking back, and The Farmer sighed. "Well, better than nothing." She felt something soft brush against her leg, and she looked down to see Tiny huddled up against her leg. The other hens had moved from their pile and were now strutting around the incubator, purring at it quizzically. Angel, the smallest of the group, hopped up on its edge, cocking her head at the sight and trilled. "What? Is that your egg or somthin'?" Sure enough, little Angel hopped into the hay, and strutted a couple of circles around the egg, before plopping down on top of it, puffing up her feathers and clucking in contentment. "Well, I'll be damned. How on earth did you- ya' know what? I don't wanna know. You just keep doing your thing, Angel." She scratched the little hen on the head. "Let's see what happens, eh?'
Angel was undaunted by the sight of the little egg, that The Farmer learned quickly, as she refused to get off of it no matter what, and the little hen vowed to stay there no matter how long it took, even after spring began to draw to a close, making way for the summer season. The flower dance came and went like every year, hailing at the end of spring. While dancing with Emily, Shane watched out of the corner of his eye as Jas demonstrated a, quite wobbly, but pretty accurate flower dance that The Farmer watched intently, and tried to copy, which she ended up putting her own spin on some of the moves. "You made your own special dance!" Jas squealed, before tugging on her pant leg. "Can you be my dance partner for today, Mrs. Granger? I really want to try it before it ends!"
She was a little surprised but shook her head and laughed. "Of course, but I can't say I'll be perfect at it. I've never done this before."
"Neither have I!" She grabbed her hand and impatiently dragged her into the lines of dancers, pushing her to Sebastian, who was dancing with Abigail. "C'mon, C'mon! It's halfway done already!'
They both chuckled at the sight. "Aww. You got yourself a dance partner after all!" Abigail mused, and The Farmer got bashful, her dancing not exactly like everyone else's. Though he wasn't exactly fond of her, Shane was admittedly happy that Jas liked the girl, and the two seemed more alike than he had previously realized.
"It's good to see Jas finally join in." Emily said. "She never could get Vincent to dance with her. He always stepped on her toes."
Summer hit the valley at full force, blasting the town with record heat and turbulent rainstorms. Her spring crops died back, and the days grew more hot and humid. The Farmer had invested in hot peppers and melons, planting rows upon rows of them in front of the farmstead. Around the land, she grew beautiful golden sunflowers that made the farm look so much more delightful, and she would give them out to some of the townsfolk, Haley being the main beneficiary, as they were her most beloved flower.
At the Luau, The Farmer showed up with an enormous basket of giant, shiny, red habanero peppers, and Shane had to fight not to drool at the sight. " When did she start growing peppers?! Those ones are huge !"
Sebastian, Sam, and Abigail were at her side, observing her unusually large crops, and congratulating her on the harvest. Sam swiped one of the peppers from the basket and popped it into his mouth as a joke, but the farmer simply smiled knowingly as she watched his face form beads of sweat, and go bright red. He quickly excused himself to nearly drain the punch bowl. The three of them cackled at him the whole time, while Mayor Lewis shook his head at his antics. "At least he didn't bring-"
"Anchovies?" The governor laughed. "Yes, indeed."
Ascending the ladder up to the pot, she waved hello to Marnie, who was stirring the batch with a comically large wooden spoon ."You made it, and you brought those delicious peppers."
"Sure did! They're the best I've ever grown! The soil here is really somethin'." She looked at the governor, the basket tilted over the potluck. "This won't make it too spicy, will it?"
"No such thing!" He bellowed, and she dumped the basket full of peppers into the potluck. Later, the governor declared that year's potluck was one of the best he had ever attended.
Now, at the end of summer, word of the Moonlight Jellies' arrival swept through town as it did every year, and Jas, just like every year before, begged Shane repeatedly to take her to the docks, which he agreed to every single time. "I take you every year, you know. You don't have to beg."
At the farmstead, the Granger granddaughter got a letter in the mail alerting her to the event. " Join us at the docks around 10 pm for a rare and beautiful event! The moonlight jellies will be passing by Pelican Town on their long journey south for the winter ."
"Moonlight Jellies… I've never heard of such a thing." Curious, and wanting to see such a rare event for herself, she made it towards the docks at sundown, wanting to claim the best spot on the docks for herself. She was glad to see that everyone in town was already there, eagerly waiting for the lantern boat to launch. Mayor Lewis greeted her. "Glad you could make it! You definitely won't regret it. The moonlight jellies are a spectacle you shouldn't miss."
She had also spoken to Miss Evelyn and George. "We've never missed a single year. I've been coming to see the moonlight jellies ever since I was a little girl. I'm glad you get to see it all for yourself."
"Hmph. What's so special about these slimy little balls of goo anyway?" George huffed.
Soon, the sun had finally rested below the horizon, leaving the people of Pelican Town in near complete darkness, only illuminated by the one, small lantern, and the millions of stars in the sky, untouched by the blinding lights of the nearby Zuzu City. "Wow… you can see almost every single star out here. I could hardly see just the planets back home."
Mayor Lewis had untied the rope to the lantern boat, waiting for the signal to let it loose. "You think it's time to launch it, Miss Granger?"
"Absolutely!"
With that, he let the boat slowly drift out to the open water, and the docks were shrouded in opaque darkness. It was oddly quiet, the only thing being the murmurs of excitement in waiting for the migrating jellies to arrive. The minutes passed, yet there were still no signs of their arrival. "Does it usually take this long?"
Suddenly, Vincent grabbed onto his mother's sleeve, jumping up and down on the pier. "Look! Out there! Out there!" The still, clear water began to glow an eerie, white color, and the people on the docks began to "ooh," and "ahh," at the sight. One by one, little round jellyfish began to appear from the distant water, the glow becoming ever more bright the closer they got until the entirety of the beach was lit up like the fourth of July. They looked like stars in the ocean, glowing vividly against the deep backdrop of the sea, or snowflakes on a clear winter's night.
The Farmer stared in awe. "All my life I've never seen anything like this. It's beautiful." Nothing back home or nearby could compare to that moment of seeing the Moonlight Jellies, or Lunaloos, as the Wizard called them. She felt like he was right when he said they possess a magic aura stronger than other sea creatures. It could be felt just from watching them.
Abigail watched her smile wide as a trio of baby jellies came to the edge, along with one giant, basketball-sized parent. She placed a hand on her shoulder. "So… what do you think of your first Moonlight Jelly Festival?
"I know I 'aven't seen the other festivals yet but… I think this one is gonna be my favorite." She said, gazing out onto the water with a look of pure wonder and curiosity that reminded Abigail of a little kid. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, and Abigail pretended not to see when she ducked away to wipe them. "You know… it makes me kinda homesick. The ocean."
"You grew up near it, did you?"
"I did. Everything here reminds me of it, but this is so much better in every way." Bending down, she just barely stuck her fingers into the water, giving one of the jellies a gentle pat on the head, and the gelatinous animal seemed to glow brighter for a moment.
Sebastian stepped over to the two of them, watching some of the jellies gravitate towards The Farmer curiously. "They like you."
"Who wouldn't." Sam trotted over and ruffled up the hair on her head, making her smile as she swatted him away with her free hand. "Call it animal magnetism." Sebastian swatted him on the shoulder while she giggled. "What?" He whined.
Soon, the water was filled with jellyfish in every direction, spanning the entirety of the beach. Vincent was running up and down the waterline maddeningly, hoping to spot his elusive green jellyfish, Willy took a moment to cast a non-lethal line out into the bay for Dimitrius, who wanted to observe and tag a specimen to track its migration patterns, and though Linus kept his distance, The Farmer smiled as he waved hello to the jellies that came close enough for him to see.
Dimitrius and Robin were now curled up on the bench, hand in hand, watching the beautiful moment together with Maru leaning up against them. Alex had pushed George's wheelchair out to the edge of the dock, to which he kept responding "If you dump me in I'm gonna haunt you for sure," but he ever so slightly smiled at the sight of the jellies. Even he had to admit it was a breathtaking sight. Evelyn nodded a thank you to Alex and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Nana…" he groaned.
Elliot had rushed into his home to grab a journal, hoping to scribble down the memorable moment for a story one day, and even Pierre had abandoned his pop-up shop to sit with Caroline on the pier, to which Abigail beamed at.
Jas and Vincent both crowded around the edge of the pier, while Shane gripped the back of both their shirts, afraid that one of them would fall into the drink. "Easy you two. I'm not gonna be the one to fish you out."
"But I wanna see the babies!"
"You can see them close enough from here."
Only Sam could rival the kids' enthusiasm, grabbing the other's shoulders and pointing whenever a jellyfish came close, to which they would nod their heads and say "I see them too."
A faint, green light began to glow below the dock as a stranger-looking jellyfish swam out from underneath it. "Look! Look! Right there! Hey, Vincent! Come here! There's a green one! There's-" Before Sebastian could tell him to back up, Sam's foot slipped off the dock, and he let out a high-pitched yelp as he went face-first into the sea, sending up a giant spray of water, and Shane rolled his eyes as the jellies in the water swam away from the disturbance.
"Nice goin' Sam." Abigail shook her head.
The Farmer gasped, and jumped upright at the sight, shucking her jacket onto the ground. It was clear that she knew nothing of the moonlight jellies other than the fact that they were jellyfish and, jellyfish being jellyfish, that they probably sting. "No, wait! They don't-" Before they could tell her not to do it, she bolted forward and jumped into the water, sending up another spray of water that Sebastian shielded himself and Abigail from. "You've got to be kidding me." He mumbled.
"Why on earth did she jump?" Shane questioned.
Some of the people around the dock started howling with laughter while they were under the waves, and Leah piped up from the other distant dock. "So who's gonna tell her that Moonlight Jellies don't sting?!
"I have to admire her bravery."
"Did no one tell her?"
"Oh c'mon guys! Cut her some slack!"
"Hey! Here they come!"
Both Sam and The Farmer burst out of the water, Sam clinging onto her for dear life with a bewildered look on his face, his usually spiky hair now a blonde mop covering half his face, and The Farmer's clothes were now ruined with seawater. What caught everyone's eye, of course, was the moonlight jelly that sat atop her head like some sort of weird hat, its glow bouncing off the water's surface. She was confused as to why everyone was laughing at her. "What?! What is it?!"
Dimitrius huffed a breath of laughter and bent down on the dock to look at her, amused. "Moonlight Jellies can't sting you, Mrs. Granger. Sam was in no danger."
Shane and Jas giggled, while the others roared with laughter, as The Farmer's face went bright red, and she covered her face with her hand. "Oh, mon dieu…"
"Mon dew?" Sam questioned, only to find himself plunked back into the water as The Farmer swam over to where Jas was watching, and Sam doggy-paddled back to Sebastian and Abigail. "You could have carried me back!" He called to her.
"Your legs work! You can swim."
Sebastian was bent down at the edge of the dock, stretching a hand out to Sam for him to grab onto. "You know, it's a toss-up between this and the potluck, Sammy. We're not gonna let you forget about this either."
"Like I need any other embarrassments to my name." Sebastian was ready to hoist him out of the water but Sam had other ideas. With a swift yank, he pulled Sebastian into the water with him, the cigarette he had between his teeth being left behind mid-air, only to be extinguished by the water that splashed up afterward. The Farmer and Abigail cackled.
When they breached, Sam sported a dorkish smile at the sight of Sebastian absolutely drenched, clinging to his shoulders. His hair was plastered to his face like some sort of shaggy dog, unable to see anything except his mouth, which was pulled down into a frown. "You know I hate swimming."
"But we're swimming with glowing jellyfish!"
"That's even worse."
On the other side, Jas was bouncing up and down, while Shane kept a death grip on her hand so she wouldn't meet Sam's same fate. "Did you see any baby jellies under the water, Miss Granger?"
"Jellyfish were all I could see, Jas." She saw Shane doing his best not to crack up with laughter, and she glared at him with a displeased look on her face. "What are you gawkin' at?" She barked.
"I like the hat. Suits ya'" he said, gesturing to her head, and snickering, flashing a sharp-toothed grin.
She placed a hand on her head and felt the squishy jellyfish jiggle at the touch, making her grimace, and Shane laughed even harder, while Jas hid her giggles behind her hand. The Farmer about had enough, and she placed the poor jelly in her hand, leaning back and grinning. "Hey Jas, watch this."
When Shane opened his eyes, his fit of laughter almost finished, the wet, gelatinous creature was hurled right at his face, hitting its mark with a wet, sopping splat. The entirety of the docks burst into laughter, Jas probably laughing the loudest of all, as she doubled over at the sight of Shane with a jellyfish plastered onto his face. Behind them, Marnie shook her head. "Not again."
"Serves ya' right." The Farmer smirked.
Shane peeled the slimy blob off his unamused face and plopped the disoriented critter back into the water to join its family. " Good thing these guys are tougher than most jellies ." He strode up to the edge of the dock, eyeing The Farmer. "Right, you son of a-" Right before he could snatch her up out of the water to throttle her, she used one of the docks wooden beams to push herself backward, barely avoiding the swipe of his hands, and Shane panicked, flailing his arms about as he lost balance. "Oh no- no-! Ah! ope-!" With a giant splash, Shane was the next to go into the drink. The Farmer pointed and cackled at the sight, still swimming backward, hoping to not get strangled because of her little stunt. Shane emerged from the water, coughing and sputtering, his hair no longer spiked up in certain places, and droplets of water clung to the stubble of his face. "Holy shit! It's freezing! I should drown you!"
"What? You should thank me. You're swimming with Moonlight Jellies. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
"I could have gone several lifetimes without this."
"Speak for yourself." She splashed a spray of water in his direction. "You're smiling ." With that, she ducked back under the water, swimming away with a speed that impressed him.
It took a moment for her comment to register, but she was right. " I… I am smiling ." The water caressed his body, he only had to move his legs slightly to stay afloat, and though the jellies had scattered when he fell in, they now returned, wandering up to him and curiously floating around his legs and arms, glowing brightly. He reached his hand out to a little baby and allowed it to settle in the palm of his hand, and it felt like a little blob of jello. "Woah…"
On the dock, Jas unclipped the bow from her hair and gingerly set it down. "Me next! Me next! I wanna swim with the jellies!" Before Marnie could tell her not to, especially in her good dress, Jas jumped in next, nearly landing right on top of Shane.
The Farmer screeched, "Jas!" but calmed down after she appeared out of the water in front of her immediately after, her hair now loose from the twin buns, cascading into the water. The Farmer sighed in relief. "Oh… you can swim."
"Really well!"
"I see that."
Another loud splash came from behind them, and they turned to see that Abigail had also abandoned her jacket, and shoes, as she too had jumped into the water with a perfect swan dive, and a few onlookers clapped. She waved to Alex and his grandparents on the dock, since he seemed just as eager to do the same. "C'mon, Alex!" The boy tore his shirt off, tossing it to Haley, who just looked at him, disbelieving, and he sprinted down the dock, cannonballing into the water, nearly soaking poor Dimitrius and Robin.
"I didn't know this year's theme was "swimming with jellyfish." Lewis grumbled, rubbing his forehead.
"Oh, let them have their fun." Marnie giggled. Looking around before doing so, she threaded an arm around Lewis', watching Jas and Shane in the water with a warm smile. "It's been a moment since I've seen Shane and Jas having this much fun anyway."
Looking around the bay, the overall tone seemed to change from serene and quiet, to a magical, otherworldly feel as people laughed and splashed water at each other, being joined by the jellyfish who were all too curious to check out the new company. Shane had never seen them as anything remarkable, but the night had completely changed his way of thinking. He would be looking forward to next year's celebration. "Now look at what you've done." He said to The Farmer, gesturing at all the people in the water.
"I'd say I've made it better." A jellyfish swam up against her back, and she jumped, laughing away the fear. "Hey Jas, how long can you hold your breath for?
"Thirty seconds! That's half a minute!"
"Sure is." The Farmer ducked under the water, and popped up a few seconds later next to Jas, splashing some water in her direction. "Climb on my back!"
Doing as she said, Jas clung to her soaked shirt and puffed up her cheeks with a deep breath. The Farmer nodded in question, to which Jas held a thumbs-up, and with that, they both disappeared under the waves and into the cloud of jellyfish.
When she opened her eyes, she almost opened her mouth in wonder too. In every direction, left, right, up, and down, there was nothing except glowing white jellies. Unable to speak, Jas tugged at The Farmer's jacket, pointing excitedly at the babies that swam past them, little bubbles floating upwards from her nose. From their left, something bright green danced near the corals, and the two of them caught sight of the green jellyfish that started the entire journey.
It all ended too soon. She signaled her inability to hold her breath any longer with another tug to her shirt, and they both rocketed up out of the water, taking in lungfuls of air. "That was amazing! There were so many jellyfish! Shane, we saw a green jellyfish under the water!" Jas shook her hair, droplets of water flying in all directions. "You swim like an otter, Miss Granger! Where did you learn that?"
"I grew up 'round the water. Natural habit of mine. Though the jellyfish back home stung. Badly. Me and my friends used to do this when we were little."
Sam and Sebastian swam up to the two of them, absentmindedly chatting with them while observing the jellyfish, and Shane smiled at the sight of Jas grinning from ear to ear, enamored with the jellies. Abigail paddled up next to him. "Thinking of strangling her for pelting you with a jellyfish? You're lucky they don't sting."
He chuckled. "No. Jas thought it was funny. I guess it's alright." He huffed a breath, allowing himself to lean back into the water. "You know something? She's not so bad after all."
The Moonlight Jelly festival ended around midnight, when the water became too frigid to continue swimming, and everyone who had jumped in bolted home to change into warm clothes and huddle up around a cozy fire. The next day, the leaves began to change, sporting varying shades of amber, burnt orange, crimson, and gold. Geese could be seen in the sky, flying southward along with the jellyfish, in search of warmer waters.
It was The Farmer's favorite season. Free from the scorching grip that summer had on her, she was free to tend to her fall crops without working up such a sweat and doing so without Harvey constantly worrying about heat exhaustion. Pumpkins were her main crop, as she hoped to grow only the biggest and best for Abigail to use as a jack-o'-lantern, and for Evelyn as an ingredient in her Spirit's Eve pumpkin pies.
Flower-wise, she had taken to growing beautiful fairy roses for Jas. They came in shades ranging from baby blues to deep, violet shades, and light pinks. They were by far, the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen so, of course, she bought some seed packets from Pierre and began to grow them herself. When she heard that Jas had a special place in her heart for them, she planted an extra patch just for her.
Along with the seasonal changes, The Farmer found herself taking long walks at night with Shepherd, autumn's magical night air having called her into Cindersap Forest, where amber and hazel leaves coated the ground in a blanket of fall colors. Blackberries were growing in abundance now, and she had no shortage of them when she ventured out into the woods, snacking on them the whole way through. Once, a fox darted out onto the trail in front of them, and they got a moment to admire its beautiful red coat and plush, bushy tail before it darted back into the bushes. " Oh, if only I had a camera ."
Tonight, they were alone with the stars and crickets. She had wanted to sit out on the pond dock for a while and stargaze, hoping to see some meteorites that The Wizard had talked about earlier that week. " I feel an arcane power radiating from them ." He had mentioned.
A sharp click snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked up at the pond ahead of them. It was Shane sitting alone at the water's edge with a beer can in hand. Seems the dock was already occupied. " I should go ." Rather than leave she found herself taking a couple of steps forward. Shepherd whined, looking up at The Farmer as she stared out at the dock, eyes trained on the familiar figure. Unsure of what she was thinking, but following her gut instinct, she tentatively stepped forward, walking out onto the dock. Shepherd paced in a circle before lying down, not exactly fond of being above the water.
She found herself taking more careful steps out onto the dock, unsure if he was in need of company or not. Whatever the true reason, it felt like something was pulling her out there, begging her to stay, like someone was tugging her by a leash and, for some insane reason, she was obeying. When her foot hit a creaky plank, making him perk up, she froze. He looked back over his shoulder and, for a moment, she could have sworn she saw a slight smile, but he ducked back before she could confirm. She inhaled sharply and walked up behind him, fixing her gaze on the lake, not wanting to know of the look on his face.
"Up late, huh?" He questioned, and she finally stepped up beside him, looking out onto the water.
The final fireflies of fall had just begun to emerge, the nights nearly cool enough for them to disappear. They blinked their mesmerizing, glowing patterns in the night in search of other fireflies, painting the forest with little, golden flickers of light. Joining them was the chorus of crickets, vocalizing in unison with the whooperwhills to create nature's nighttime symphony. It was all so very beautiful.
A sharp click snapped her out of her thoughts and made the crickets go momentarily silent. Shane had opened another beer, but pushed this one in her direction, the earthy smell of wheat and rye making her mouth water. "Here. Have a cold one."
"Oh, bless." She said, taking the can from his hand. "Thank you."
"No problem."
She regarded the fish in the water below, taking an acorn that had fallen onto the pier, and tossing it into the water, watching as the fish swam up to it expectantly, and even a small turtle joined in. She giggled when the two would chase each other around.
Shane sighed, watching a bass snap at one fish that was much smaller. "Buh… life." That she could agree with. Life never showed her any mercy, that was for sure. "You ever feel like no matter what you do, you're gonna fail?" He sighed. "Like you're stuck in some miserable abyss and you're so deep you can't even see the light of day?" Her heart ached at the thought. It was a feeling she used to know all too well, and sometimes that same feeling would rear its ugly head in her most vulnerable moments. She nodded solemnly, looking over at him. He kept his eyes forward, not wanting to see the look on her face. " She probably thinks I'm mental… " Either way, he kept on. "I just feel like no matter how hard I try… I'm not strong enough to climb out of that hole."
Memories began to trickle into her mind, eating away at her hardened exterior as she remembered how she felt the same way before moving to Stardew Valley: the smell of alcohol and cigarettes, not showering or brushing her teeth for days, her messy, smelly room, pushing herself to work until she fainted, spiraling deeper and deeper into that pitch black abyss until everything collapsed in one big clusterfuck.
She shook her head and tilted back with the beer can, chugging its contents so fast she hardly tasted it. When she finished it, she let out a small, undignified burp. It was impressive, but it also worried Shane. "Fast drinker, huh? Woman after my own heart."
Her ears perked, and if the alcohol hadn't already done so, she definitely would have blushed from that. " Ain't I the same woman that tried to beat the shit outta you ?" She held her tongue on that one.
"Just don't make it a habit. You've got a future ahead of you still."
"Still?" She questioned. "Shane, you're as young as me."
He didn't reply, and instead took another sip out of his can, finishing it off. "Well… my liver is begging me to stop. Better call it a night." He turned to The Farmer, meeting her gaze for the first time that night. Partially illuminated by the light of the fireflies, he saw the look in her eyes: that same look she had when he stepped onto her porch weeks ago, in the spring. He couldn't decipher it, whether it was pity, fear, or anything of the sort, it didn't matter. For once he was just glad she wasn't looking at him with that face of hatred that she gave him on day one. Standing up, he dusted off his pants, extending his hand to take her empty beer can, when his fingers brushed her own ever so slightly, he could almost feel the warmth the alcohol was causing coursing through her blood. " Why did I give her that? What if she's like me ?" She caught his gaze right before he turned, sensing a faint air of guilt. "I'll see ya' around." With that, he took wobbly steps off the dock, patting Shepherd's head before heading back to the barn, leaving The Farmer all alone on the dock with her thoughts eating her alive. She never thought she'd see the day, but she found herself wishing he had stayed. Even if it did stress her, it was better than her own solitary company.
A wet nose pressed into her hand, and she stiffened, until she realized it was just her loyal dog, who had braved the terrifying dock just to be with her. Shepherd laid his head down on her lap, whining until she placed a hand on his head, scratching behind his ears, and a little smile appeared on his face. She sighed, tilting back to look up at the stars blazing bright above her.
Old memories bubbled up in her mind. Memories from long ago, when she thought all was lost. Now, she was seeing distressing similarities with Shane and his bad habits. He was going down that same, dark path that she had trekked herself, and unless someone tried to pull him off of it, there was no telling how he might end up. " Though I have a pretty good idea ." She thought, gazing out at the cliffs in the distance. A beer can still sat out in the grass from the months before, on that dreary night.
He might end up just like her. " Just like me …" A breeze blew through the forest, sending a chill down her spine, and that's when she decided to call it a night. "C'mon, Shep." Leaving the docs, she took one last look at Marnie's ranch, watching the last light go out as Shane headed to bed. From then on, she would be hoping, every single day, that he would wake up the next.
"There's more to ya' than what meets the eye, isn't there, Shane?"
This is only part of the fic. You can read the full, explicit fic on my ao3!
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Hyrule's vast plateaus, treacherous mountains, shimmering lakes, and dense forests were nothing short of breathtaking. Each morning, when the sun rose, painting the land in brilliant gold and tawny hues, and when the birds would wake from their slumber, chittering elaborate love songs, Link would take a moment to simply breathe.
He would take in the sights, sounds, and smells that made him feel at home no matter where he was, whether atop Death Mountain in the scorching heat or in the calm, cool water pools of Zora Domain.
Zelda was much the same, but now she tried to immerse herself in Hyrule's diverse nature more than ever. Having been cooped up in the castle for much of her childhood, and even in her teenage years, made her yearn for freedom, and to go where she pleased. Now, a hundred years later, she had it. She had that freedom, and that idea scared her.
She hadn't the slightest idea how she should go about it. How does one get in touch with the vast expanse of land that is Hyrule? She had Hylia's blood for heaven's sake, so it should come naturally, yet it evaded her. She had tried. Oh, she really did. She went for a walk one morning through some of the thick underbrush of the woods and spent a week covered in poison ivy blisters. Another time she had tried to study some local flora, and disturbed an enormous hornet's nest. She ran in circles around the woods screaming until she bolted back to Link's house, slammed the door behind her, and decidedly declared that she would be staying inside for the rest of the week.
Link had found her attempts endearing, and a bit humorous, but he was determined to let her have her fun. So, one early morning in Hateno, while the dew still clung to the grass, he brushed, fed, and tacked both of their horses, then tied them up out front, where Zelda was curiously watching.
She walked over to stroke her horse's nose and run her fingers through his blonde mane. "There's a good boy." She turned to look at her knight. "Link, where are we heading to this early in the day?"
Link was busy tying some sleeping mats and canvas rolls to his steed's saddle, along with their large travel tent, and pillows. "Wherever you'd like, princess. We're taking a vacation."
Her ears twitched as she tried to contain her excitement, and play it cool. "Oh? First I've heard of it."
"It's a surprise of sorts. You've been dying to get out and explore Hyrule, so we're doing just that." He gave his mount a pat on the neck, and a puff of dust rose up, making him cough. "Epona, you need a bath." He muttered, then turned to Zelda, who was now smiling warmly. "Grab anything you want to bring from the house. We'll be gone for a while. Oh, and I already tied your sleeping mat to Blanc's saddle" He said, walking over to the white stallion, and giving him the same pat on the neck. No dust, thankfully.
Touched by the gesture, Zelda rushed up to him, wrapping him up in a bone-cracking hug, in which she ignored Link wheezing out "Sweet Hylia, Zel… I can't breathe…" She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before letting him go. He sucked in a lungful of air, now free of Zelda's vice grip. "You are truly the sweetest man I've ever known." Hardly able to contain herself, she gave him two more kisses, one on the opposite cheek, and one on the tip of his nose. "I'll go get my things." She practically bolted inside the door of the house, eager to pack up and leave, leaving a blushing, starstruck Link in the front yard.
They were on the trail by the next hour, heading for Lake Hylia. Zelda had suggested they do some lakeside stargazing, before circling the large body of water and heading into Faron Woods. They still had yet to come up with a solid travel plan, but there was no rush. They had all the time in the world to spare, and they could simply make adjustments as they pleased.
They were halfway to the lake when they stopped to give the horses a much-needed break. Zelda removed the bridle from Blanc, and he opened his mouth wide, stretching his facial muscles. "We don't want to run them ragged, or we'll never make it." Zelda said, bringing a small wooden bowl full of water to Blanc's lips. He finished the entire thing in no time, then joined Epona, munching on tall, juicy stalks of grass in the field.
Zelda laid the bridle on top of their bags and grabbed her rolled-up blanket, laying it out over the softest patch of grass she could find, before plopping down onto her back, gazing up at the few clouds that traveled the sky. "I could just sit here and stare for hours, Link. We haven't even made it halfway through our first day." She giggled.
It was a sound that made Link's heart run in circles. "You'll see plenty more, Princess, I promise. I know the entirety of Hyrule like the back of my hand." He joined her on the blanket, sitting up with his head on his knees, looking out at their horses, grazing to their heart's content.
"With how much you ventured, I don't see how you couldn't. You've seen so much. All of Hyrule is so gorgeous, I can't imagine a place you didn't like."
Link frowned as he thought about that crazy flower lady who looked like she was going to throttle him for stepping on her precious flora. He didn't want to spoil Zelda's happiness. "Not really… It's all pretty nice." The smile on her face made it all worth it to Link. What he'd give to see that every day, so they sat in the field, talking to their heart's content until the sun began to dip low in the horizon.
They made it to Lake Hylia a few hours later. Zelda had wanted to set up the tent for them since she was in need of practice, and she wanted Link to go ahead and bathe in the lake since he had smelled like a dusty horse for most of the day. "And for the love of Hylia, take Epona with you. I just watched her roll in a mud puddle." She said, pointing at his steed, who covered head to hoof in brown, yucky muck.
Link screeched, and ran to snatch his horse out of the wallow, waving his arms at her frantically. "I haven't even taken her saddle off! Epona, no! No!" Zelda was laughing until she was breathless, watching him try to yank his unbothered horse out of her cool, and refreshing mud puddle. Link too found himself in the sloppy drink when she pulled her head back and dragged him in with her.
Zelda sucked in a long breath, almost on the verge of tears. "Oh, dear. Now he really needs one. Both of them do." Blanc trotted over, eyeing the two in the mud, then nickering low at Zelda, and she gave him a sweet kiss on his forehead. "Don't worry, my sweet boy, you're still as fresh as daisies." He whinnied warmly.
Link finally managed to pull Epona out and away from the puddle, and led her to the water. He had found a secluded spot, surrounded by dense bushes, and a large tree, where he could strip down and wash them both clean. He undid her saddle, which was now absolutely caked in mud and clay. "This is your good saddle too…" His clothes were the same way, though he didn't mourn them as much. They were nothing but simple hiking clothes and roughed-up boots. With a drawn-out sigh, he kicked the clothes aside, and led his horse, by her reins, to the crystal clear waters of Lake Hylia. Link shivered when he took his first step in, and Epona grunted in displeasure. "You wanted to roll around in the mud, now get in here." He punctuated with a tug, and she begrudgingly waded in, splashing at the water with her hoof. They didn't stop until Epona was submerged up to her neck, and now she was closing her eyes in contentment and pleasure. Link was swimming to stay afloat, ducking under to rinse his hair clean. When he came up, he splashed water at his horse's face, knocking off most of the dried mud, and she glared at him in displeasure.
They waded for a while until their ears perked up at the sound of footsteps approaching them. Zelda walked to the edge with a towel, and a change of clothes in hand, and she saw the two of them soaking in the waters. Link only had the top half of his head about the water, eyeing Zelda with a curious look, and his ears twitched slightly. "Hello!"
Epona exited the water to greet her, shaking herself off in a great spray of water that Zelda shielded the dry clothes from. "Hello, you two. I've brought a towel, and your night clothes." She said, laying them by the tree. She patted Epona on the neck before she pranced off to join Blanc in the field, leaving Zelda and Link alone. "Good to see you're both no longer painted brown." She chuckled.
Link rolled his eyes. "She'll be dirty again by tomorrow morning, probably. It's like she detests being clean. At least she's not bright white like Blanc."
"Oh, she probably will be. You two are just alike, you know. It's cute." As much as she wanted to sit and talk, she had to admit that she had begun to smell like a horse too, a smell she wasn't all too fond of. Not on her, at least. She clapped her hands together. "Alright, my turn. Out of the water with you, then."
Link sighed, and, instead of getting out, pushed himself out further into the water with a splash. "Yeah, but I kinda like it here. Might just stay. You're clean as it is, and you weren't the one covered in mud."
"I'm all sweaty from putting up your tent."
"Our tent."
"I smell like a horse."
"A clean horse."
She huffed with her hands on her hips. "Out with you."
"Hmm… nah." He splashed some water in her direction.
Zelda dodged the small spray that managed to reach her, and she sighed. "No, huh?"
"Nope." Link closed his eyes and sunk back into the water.
Zelda smirked, and began to step up to the water's edge, the edges of her shirt in hand. "Alright, Hero, have it your way." With one swift motion, she pulled the fabric off her body, and dropped it to the earth, leaving her in her pants and boots.
Link, hearing the ruffling of cloth, squinted his eyes open momentarily before practically choking on a gasp, then turning around. "Zelda!" He yelped, ears flushed red.
She unclipped her boots and kicked them off, one nearly landing in the water. "What? I'm taking my bath now, so you'd better move it." She undid her belt and allowed her pants to fall as well before toeing out of them. "Or you can stay right there, your choice." She said, and the sound of the final piece of clothing falling to the ground made Link's heart nearly stop.
"Alright! Alright! I'm getting out!" Link's ears, as well as the rest of his face, were now flushed red as he jumped out of the water, making Zelda cover her eyes, biting down on her lip as she tried not to cackle, and he headed for his towel, sighing at the warm, plush cotton enveloping his body. "Goddesses… Can't wait a moment can you?" He said, still turned away from the water.
She was now floating on her back, eyes shut, while the ends of her short blonde hair were floating up in the water. The water felt so cool and revitalizing, and she let out a groan as her muscles loosened. "Hmm, stay out here any longer and you'll get a sunburn, you know. Better head back." She said, ignoring his mocking.
Link was ruffling his hair dry with the towel, and he came out of it looking like some spiky-feathered baby bird. He tossed it around a low-hanging branch and began to dress in his soft night attire. "I'm gonna serve you charcoal for dinner. Making me leave my nice comfy bath." Zelda only giggled, and Link left to set up supper.
The first stars of dusk were just beginning to pop up in the sky by the time Zelda was done bathing. The water had started to cool to the point where she was getting goosebumps, so she decided it was time to get out and see how far Link had gotten with their dinner. Zelda found him setting up some plates on a blanket in the grass, where they could gaze at the stars as they began to slowly fade into view in the sky. The smell of freshly cooked mushroom skewers and pork on rice drifted around her, and it smelled lovely, enough to make her stomach gurgle. When she got there, she also saw he had made fruit cake as well. "You remembered it's my favorite!"
"I'd never forget, Zel. You hardly ate anything else for dessert." He chuckled, and Zelda held that beautiful, fluttering sound close to her heart. She got closer, and quickly ruffled his hair, then smoothed it down, and he gave her a confused look.
"It's still all spikey from the water." She smiled.
The food that Link cooked rivaled that of the royal cooks in the castle a hundred years ago, and Zelda wondered why the hell her father didn't make him the head chef instead of her personal knight. She couldn't complain, but all those delicious dinners, lunches, and desserts he could cook just made him all the more admirable.
Both of them had been hungry, and most of the food was quickly scarfed down, along with the fruit cake, which Link was able to grab a small piece for himself before she consumed it.
Now, full and happy, they both lay back on the blanket, looking up at the sky. Zelda let out a small, undignified burp, and Link chuckled, happy to see her losing some of her formality in his presence. They gazed up into the obsidian sky above, watching the stars twinkle their hellos as the final, dimmest stars appeared in the sky, and Link listened intently as Zelda began to point out and list the planets in the sky above them.
A sudden, faint memory rose at the back of Link's mind. "Remember the constellations you showed me before? In the castle gardens?" He wasn't all too familiar with the constellations, but he remembered being out in the gardens one night with Zelda, listening to her name each of the patterns in the sky, and pairing them with strange, and magical stories. When he looked up, he saw only stars, dotting the sky with their beauty and wonder, and he pointed to a small cluster above them. "Anything up there that you know of?"
Zelda pointed up too, tracing out a pattern in the sky. "Talios, the great bull. His story says that he ran nonstop across the land for ten years searching for his son, Letrus, who is… right over there, to his right." She pointed out another to the left. "Oh, and Septera, the serpent. That's one of the largest constellations in our sky!"
Her knowledge of these little things made Link smile happily. He was no longer looking up, but he had rolled into his side, watching Zelda point and chatter happily about the stars in the sky. Before the calamity, she had been much the same, filling up those silent moments with her knowledge of absolutely everything, and Link was relieved to see that she had not changed one bit. She was the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, after all.
She kept on for a moment until she glanced over and saw him watching her with a smile on his face. "There's also the rabbit, Lepus, and I think over there is- what? What are you smiling at?" She blushed.
"You. You seem happy to be out here. Like, truly happy."
She glanced away, wondering if it was possible to get any redder. "It beats sitting cooped up in Hyrule Castle, only able to read books about how gorgeous the land is. It's nice to be able to see it without having something on my shoulders for once." Zelda rolled onto her side too, mirroring him. They were now so close that their body heat seemed to warm the small space between them, that or the heat from their constant blushing. Zelda got lost in those deep cerulean eyes of his before she cleared her throat and spoke. "Link? Thank you for, well, all of this. You have no idea how much this means to me. It's more than I could ever ask for."
"You're welcome, Princess. This won't be the only time, I assure you."
"Truly?!" She squeaked.
"Without a doubt." Link's ears twitched slightly as a low rumble made the crickets in the grass go silent, glancing up, he saw the stars on the horizon begin to disappear behind a dark curtain of clouds. Rain was on its way. "Ah. So much for stargazing. Sorry, Zel."
A cool breeze washed over them, chilling the air, and Zelda hugged her arms together for warmth. "We'll have more chances for stargazing, don't worry. I think this was a fabulous first night." She shivered slightly. "Oh, it is getting colder. We'll both need our heavy blankets by midnight."
Something instinctive began to run through him, something protective, yet loving. Without thinking, and running purely on a joyful high, Link languidly extended his arms, moving himself a bit closer to Zelda, and began to curl himself around her, searching for any sign of discomfort. The last thing he wanted was to make her dream trip uncomfortable.
Zelda was a little startled by the sudden gesture, but that warm and comforting aura surrounding Link was all too inviting, and she quickly scooted right up to him, nudging her head under his chin, and wrapping her arms around his torso, letting out a heavy, content sigh. "Thank you. I was starting to shiver."
"Anytime, Princess." Both of them closed their eyes, and the tension in their bodies faded as they melted into each other. Link reached up behind her and placed a hand in her hair, scratching slightly at her scalp, and she let out a pleased groan. Her hair felt like silk to him, so fluffy and soft, and he momentarily wondered if that was the reason all his shampoo at the house had been running empty twice as fast.
Zelda looked up at him. "Yeah. Yeah. I've been using your stuff. I can't help it, it smells nice." Link just huffed a small laugh as he gazed at her, and saw she was looking intently. His ears twitched in question, and Zelda answered. "Your eyes are the most gorgeous blue. I've never seen anything like it." She admitted.
Oh, how he loved hearing that from her. "And yours the most beautiful green, Princess." Link kept his gaze fixed, then let out a little hum of wonder.
Zelda questioned what had him transfixed. "Hmm?"
"Your eyes… if you look closely enough, they're blue too. Just around the middle, like turquoise."
"Oh wow, I thought I was the only one who noticed. You… are the first to come close enough to find out, I guess." Her voice got quieter to the point where she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. "Careful, look any deeper and you might start reading my thoughts."
Whatever space was left between them, Link began to close in on, scooting forward until their bodies were pressed together. "Yeah? And what would they be saying?"
She broke their held gazes for a moment, looking mildly somber. "That we might be in over our heads."
"But we're happy." Link breathed, and inched ever so closer, eyes darting down to Zelda's lips, and back. "Finally happy, right?"
Zelda felt their fingers interlace. His hands were callused, worn from use, yet so gentle. "More so than I've ever been, Link." He just gave her a content smile and a silent moment lingered between them, before Zelda rolled her eyes, having had enough. "Oh, c'mere you-" She reached around, and with a swift tug to his scruffy hair, brought them crashing together, and all their concerns faded in a rush of euphoria and they both thought to themselves "Goddesses, finally…"
Link cupped her face in his hands, and kept her close, terrified that if he lost her, he would wake up from some cruel dream, and she'd be gone. Zelda wanted him to hold on, for the same anxiety-driven reason. She would tell herself over and over, in the late hours of the night, she'd do it all again if it was all for him. She let out a quiet moan that spurred him on all the more, and he let his tongue barely cross her lips before he pulled back, watching her breath heavy. "Easy, Zel, we've got all night."
Zelda suddenly sat up, and he tried to do the same, before she placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back to the ground so she could jump on top of him, and straddle him. "That we do." She breathed before pressing her lips back into his, and he groaned loudly. Zelda was positive she felt her heart skip several beats.
She began to kiss him on every spot she could manage, placing feather light pecks down his jaw, the column of his throat, and pushing his tunic down ever so slightly to reach his collarbone, where she began to leave marks with heated, open-mouthed kisses. Link could hardly take it, practically a groaning, panting mess by the time she had left a second mark, sure to bruise in beautiful violet shades. He breathed shakily, "Zelda-!" and she pulled back, smiling at how disheveled he looked at that moment.
The marks on his neck were just turning a deeper shade, and his hair was tousled, the band keeping his little ponytail in place long since fallen out, letting his blonde hair float free. Zelda was just about to make a smug comment about it before she was abruptly cut off by the feeling of something moving slightly between her thighs. Link suddenly blushed furiously, his whole face, and ears, turning crimson. "Uh…" She almost didn't realize she was holding her breath, amazed at the effect she alone had on him. Oh, how the night was going to turn in a whole new direction. Zelda gave him a shit-eating grin, and snickered lowly, making Link more turned on than he ever had been in his life. "Sweet Hylia." He covered his face with his hands, unsure of how long he was going to last if this kept up.
Zelda bent down, ready to kiss him senseless again, but something cold and wet suddenly hit her nose: a little water droplet, which dripped off the tip of her nose, and onto Link's tunic, and they both looked up at the sky, which was now completely overcast with dark gray rain clouds.
"Oh no…" Their ears both pricked as the distinct sound of the pitter-patter of a rain curtain crossing the lake kept getting louder and louder, and they froze as they both realized that it was about to start pouring. "Shit!" Zelda scrambled off of Link, who was still doing his best to not completely lose his mind, and they rushed to gather all their plates, and the blanket before they got soaked.
Zelda tried to stack the plates in her hands and carry them all at once. She dropped two of them and fought to keep her balance. She barely kept from dropping one more. "The blanket… the blanket, Link!" The rain had already reached them at this point, and Link was doing his best not to drag it in the dirt. He flinched as he heard something else crack behind him, and he eyed Zelda. "Sorry!" She yelped.
Blanc and Epona were watching their riders panic from a distance, nestled underneath a large, dense-leafed oak tree, and Epona nickered slightly as the sound of the rain lulled them both to sleep. Zelda and Link, on the other hand, were not having such a peaceful experience.
"Shit. Shit! Shit, shit, shit-! They gave up and ditched the blanket, now making a run for their warm, sheltered tent, as it continued to rain down, with no sign of stopping. It was a crazed experience, and halfway to their tent, they began to burst out in disbelieved laughter, and Link nearly tripped, making Zelda snort.
They burst into the tent, sending water flying. They were drenched and disheveled, and they took a glance at each other before descending into laughter again, breaking through the sound of the rain on the fabric of their tent. Zelda ran a hand through her soaked hair. "Well, we almost had a romantic evening."
"It's never a normal day with us, is it?" Link added, as he wrung the water out of his shirt, which hardly did anything.
"Well, at least it's not boring, hmm? She shook her hair, which was now curling up at the humidity, and Link laughed as he got sprayed. She kicked off her mud-laden boots into the corner, then walked over to Link, who was about to rid himself of his shirt.
She pushed his hands up, and grabbed the edges of his shirt, tugging it slightly. "Now, where were we?" Link smiled and gave her a quick kiss before she pulled up, and took the soaked garment off of him. Free of his tunic, he too shook his head, discomforted by his wet hair, and Zelda shielded herself and squeaked as he sent water droplets in every direction. "Link!" Link just giggled shyly.
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This is the end of this part! See my ao3 for the full fic!
On a sunny winter day in Dueling Peaks, Zelda, bundled in winter attire and sat by a warm campfire, was languidly petting the stable dog, and watched as Link chatted with one of the merchants passing the Dueling Peaks Stable. Well, she wasn't sure if "chatted" was exactly the word for it. They were using a language that Zelda found so foreign, yet so intriguing: Hylian Sign Language.
They had stopped at the stable for a good night's rest, and to let their horses refuel on delicious hay before setting out for Hateno Village. They were on their way back from a trip to Zora Domain to see Vah Ruta where Zelda had fixed a slight misfire of one of the enormous machine's conduits which was causing the beast to shut down at random intervals, but it was now as good as new, thanks to her perseverance and love for Sheikah technology.
Now, homeward bound, her attention was focused on her knight. Moreso, his animated and energetic gestures that were responded to in kind by the merchant, who signed with graceful yet swift movements that reminded Zelda of a ballet dancer. It was all so wondrous to watch, and yet, she felt like she was missing out on so much.
Link could talk. He knew Greudo on top of regular Hylian and its signed equivalent, but his spoken words were nothing like the unique gestures she saw now. He seemed more enthusiastic, open, and more "vocal," per se. At times like this, he seemed to break out of a hundred-year shell.
Link could talk, but she knew how difficult it was sometimes for him to express himself in spoken words, no matter what language he was using. There were days when words either eluded him or stressed him so much that he would stay silent for hours on end, only nodding in agreement, or murmuring the occasional, "Yeah," "No," or "I don't think so." Zelda remembers a few months ago when some miscommunication ended in a verbal fight with a Rito merchant, and Link nearly didn't speak for three days straight.
Link could talk, but sometimes, it seemed like he didn't want to. It was a welcome sight, seeing him enjoying himself like this. He was known to become visibly excited when he stumbled across someone who knew the language, replying in movements so fast and elated that the other person would have to ask him to slow down.
Zelda suddenly wondered what more she could know about him if she knew it. She never learned it, since she never had a reason to. The deaf or mute staff in the castle had a translator, one of which was the cook, who Link was friends with, but what if she didn't need one? Surely someone had some books on the subject.
She left her thoughts behind when she noticed that the merchant was now waving goodbye, as he turned his horse and began to ride away from the stables. Link trotted back to Zelda, arms now full of veggies and fruits. He smiled warmly. "I got us dinner!" He chirped, heading over to the nearby fire and tossing some of the food into the pot.
It already smelled wonderful, and Zelda's stomach growled. "What did you talk about?" She asked, curious. "Your conversation seemed very lively."
"Oh, him? I've met the guy before. His name's Angus! Carries all sorts of stuff, but mostly veggies. Saved my life one day when he found me wounded near a bokoblin camp."
Zelda thought for a moment. "Oh, dear. I think I remember seeing that. I'll have to give him my thanks one day." She smiled when Link handed her a bowl of curry, and they both laughed as her stomach growled again, loud enough for the both of them to hear it. They spent that night talking about Link's unfortunate rescue with the merchant.
The next day, they both strolled into Hateno on horseback, waving enthusiastically as the other villagers said their hellos and a gaggle of little kids came up to see their horses, chattering a mix of, "Can I feed her a carrot?"
"Where did you two go?"
"Mr. Link! Are you gonna teach me how to use a sword now?"
"Link! Princess! There's bokoblins in the barn again!"
They eventually got home, practically collapsing on the couch the second both of them and all their travel gear were inside. Zelda lay on the couch, rubbing her forehead, trying to stave off a potential headache while Link placed all their collected food on the counter, then immediately joined Zelda on the couch. He leaned back into the pillows and rubbed his sore shoulder. "Aye… remind me to get Sidon's help next time we head up there. I think I tore something."
"Well turn this way then." Zelda said. "Can't have you grouchy the rest of the day because you're hurting, hm?" Link listened, and turned his back to her, slightly leaning against her, allowing her to massage the aching muscles on his body, and he let out a loud, undignified groan that made Zelda chuckle. "That bad, huh?" Link just nodded and they sat together in comfortable silence, becoming warmed up by the evening light pouring through the window, illuminating the room in golden hues. The sunlight began to warm up some of the dried herbs hanging from the cabinets and shelves, filling the room with lovely, herbal scents.
Zelda's mind kept flitting back to the exchange at the stables, and she allowed her curiosity to surface. "That sign language of yours is interesting. May I ask where you learned it?" Zelda said, kneading at his back muscles and pulling another pleased groan from him.
Link leaned back into her touch, yawning wide. "My father had a friend who taught me. I knew the basics thanks to him, and then I met some fellow knights who would use it to communicate. Learned from them too."
"Well, you seem like you had a good teacher." She brought her hands down, watching as he rolled his shoulder, tension now gone. "Could you teach me?" She blurted out.
Link's ears twitched, a sign of excitement that Zelda caught on to. "You… want to learn?" He turned around to look at her, legs crossed on the couch.
"I mean, just the basics for now, but if you'll show me I would like to speak it fluently."
Link chuckled. "Speak it?"
Zelda playfully rolled her eyes, and biffed him lightly in the arm, making him laugh. "Oh, you know what I mean."
"Alright then. Why not start now?" Link propped himself against the armrest. "What's the first thing you want to learn?"
"Oh, right now? Ok, what about…" She looked at the bowl of fruit that was sitting on the counter. It was a perfect starting point. "Apple!"
Link looked at the bowl, clenching his hand into a fist and then bringing it up near his mouth, before biting like it was a real fruit. "Like this! This one is one of the first words I learned too."
Zelda tentatively brought her hand up, copying the same shape and movement Link did. "Like that?"
Link smiled, radiating pure pride and happiness. "Just like that."
Zelda repeated the motion three times, links smile growing on each one. "My first word in Hylian sign." She chirped, radiating joy. "What was your first word, Link?"
Link brought his open hand up to his forehead, lightly tapping it with his thumb. "Dad." That was my first word. But his friend would call him this." He made a quick, fluid motion, starting at the top of his head. "He never told me what it meant, just that it was his name. It looked like it had "sun" in it."
Zelda had met Link's father once before, when she was a little girl. Even though she wasn't sure what the sign meant, it seemed to fit a bright, brave man like him. She cocked her head to the side. "How do I say my name?"
"Well, you'd just spell it really." Link signed each letter out in front of him, slowly enough for her to follow. "Z-E-L-D-A"
"Oh, I see. I guess I wouldn't have a signed name then." She sighed. "No one ever gave me one." She noticed that the link went quiet for a moment. "Hmm?"
"I… actually already have a name for you, you know." Link's ears twitched. "Like, not spelled out, but a real signed name."
"Really?" Zelda straightened, excited to see what the link's name for her was. "And what was that?"
Slowly, Link brought his hand upwards, starting with his fingers touching then letting his hand unfold as it came upwards, before swirling it and ending in a Hylian "Z."
Zelda recognized the movement. "You've used that before when talking to Purah!" She chirped, excited she spotted the similarities.
"This sign-" Link mimicked the first movement again, "is the one for the Silent Princess flower. That middle part," he repeated the swirl that ended in a "Z." "Is for… beautiful, then it just ends in a Z." At this point, he was growing red in the face, waiting for Zelda's response.
She was looking at him with an expression of pure starstruck wonder until she realized her dazed silence was making him uneasy. "This," she copied the movement a little stiffly, but correctly, "-is the name you gave me?"
Link beamed at the sight of her using her own name. "I gave it to you a long time ago. Some of the maids had names for you, but I didn't have one so… that just felt appropriate." Link smiled at Zelda's agape expression.
Her ears twitched bashfully. "You thought I was beautiful."
"Of course." He said, honestly.
Zelda could feel herself turning red, and she leaned back, clearing her throat and doing her best not to stammer as she changed the subject. "Do you have a sign name?"
"Oh, several." Link chuckled, adding in the sign for "many." Link signed a very swift and broad movement that made her laugh a little. "I've seen this used once or twice."
Zelda raised an eyebrow. "-and what does that one mean?"
"Literally? It means "crazy bastard." "Saw that one a lot whenever I got in trouble."
They both laughed hard at that. "Any other fitting names your friends made you?"
He counted off on his fingers. "Bomb guy, hero, blondie, nutcase, loony sword swinger- there's a few."
"Oh I'm sure you earned every single one of them, Link." They both laughed and chatted throughout the rest of the day. Zelda did her best to follow along with Link. She learned "apple" "hello" "blue" "flower" "horse" and "princess" by the end of the day. By the end of the year, when snow began to coat the village, she had learned hundreds of different phrases through Links teaching, and could now comfortably hold a conversation with him.
"What is it, Link?"
"Let's go together!"
"Are you ok?"
"You did great!"
"You want to come with me to Purah's?"
Despite all these phrases, and all the colorful and expressive words she managed to learn, there was one phrase she had never said, never been taught, one that she so desperately wanted to learn, but she just didn't have the courage to ask him. Instead, she thought it would make a nice surprise, so she enlisted the help of a friend instead.
Purah knew Hylian sign language too. Zelda had even picked up a few phrases from her, some more colorful than others, that she would use when an experiment went awry, which Zelda found herself using when her own experiments would do the same. While Link was gone to pick up some food for lunch one day, Zelda hiked up the hill to her lab, heaving and out of breath when she reached the top. She gave the door a swift few knocks.
Symin answered the door, a little humored by her current state. "Hey, Zelda! Here to see Purah?"
She was hunched over, hands on her knees, cursing at that massive hill that Purah just had to stick her lab on top of. "Yes…" Zelda huffed. "Is… is she here?"
"Right here, sweets!" A high-pitched voice came from behind Symin, and he moved back behind the door for Pura. "My, what brings you waddling up here in weather like this?" She questioned, gesturing to the thin sheet of snow on the ground.
"I didn't… waddle here!" She said hoarsely, before standing up straight and clearing her throat. "I actually needed some help with something, if it's not too much trouble."
"Oh, don't be so modest! I can tell 'ya anything. Come in! Come in!" Zelda dodged paperwork and scientific utensils scattered on the floor the whole way in. Purah, on the other hand, absentmindedly swiped some papers off the table before sitting down. She leaned forward, chin on her hands, and eyes Zelda. "So what is it you're wanting to learn, princess?"
Later that day, Link came back from the market with a basket full of apples, carrots, mushrooms, and other random foods, plus a bag slung around his shoulder. He burst through the door, making Zelda jump about three feet off the couch, and dropping the book she was reading, before kicking it closed behind him with his boot. "I'm home!"
"I heard," Zelda mumbled, before switching to sign. "What did you get?"
He dropped the items onto the counter, some carrots rolling off to the side. "Carrots, mushrooms, pork, beef, and some herbs! Gonna make stew! I got you something too!"
"Something? What something?"
"You'll see!"
Zelda rested her book on the nearby table and got up to help Link with dinner, taking a pot from his hands, and grabbing a wooden spoon. "Let me help!"
Link sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. "I'm not gonna have to chip the food out with a fork again, am I?"
"Wha-! The food was just fine!" Zelda squawked. "Just a bit crisp around the edges!" She swatted him lightly on the shoulder with the spoon, making him giggle.
It had been like this for months: comfortably switching back and forth between the two languages, using whatever benefited them most at the moment. Link still had his days where he found it better to remain silent, but Zelda no longer felt powerless when they dawned. She could talk to him, understand him, and comfort him if needed.
When he bumped his bag into the counter he seemed to panic and Zelda wondered if he had some eggs in it. She took the loose veggies from his hands. '"Careful. I'll take some." Link opened the bag, checking inside, making sure whatever delicate item he was carrying was ok before swiftly closing it when Zelda tried to look into it. She placed the food on the counter. "-and you didn't carry this all in your bag, why?" She questioned.
"Well," Link reached into the pouch, gently rummaging through it until he found what he was looking for. "-because I didn't want to ruin this." He said, softly.
From the pouch, Link began unwrapping something delicate in a thin cloth, and Zelda gasped when she saw what he had gotten. Inside was a little paper flower, which she instantly recognized the species of: A silent princess. "This sweet old lady was selling them at her booth. It reminded me of you." He said.
Oh, it was beautiful. "Link-"
"I know it's hard to get a real one since they don't last very long once picked," he handed her the paper flower, taking her other hand and guiding it to hold the gift, before pulling back, the short distance between them making his heart leap. "-so I thought this would be better. The lady said she's made them for years."
The paper was so thin and fragile, Zelda worried it would turn to dust if she even breathed on it, but it was breathtaking. She turned it in her hands, watching as the sun bounced off the baby blue and yellow hues. The paper even had a slight gloss to it. Tied to the stem of the flower was a little yellow bow, perfectly bringing its beauty all together. "Oh, Link… it's gorgeous."
A sudden thought made her heart leap. Right then. She needed to say it right then or she might as well just spontaneously combust on the spot. Never has a moment rendered her so excited and terrified at the same time. Feeling like she wouldn't get the chance again, she inhaled sharply and made up her mind.
Just like she practiced. She sat the delicate little flower on the counter, and Link watched curiously as she began to sign. She brought her hands up, bringing them to her chest, crossing them, signing with the most honesty and certainty she could manage without words, and looked Link in the eyes.
It took him a moment to process what she had just said to him, and he stood there, eyes wide and mouth open mid-gasp. Link wondered if he was dreaming, the realization that he was wide awake hitting him a second later. "You-!" He started, speaking before slowly bringing his hands up. "You know what that sign is right?"
Zelda smiled. "Yes. I do."
A smile slowly began to grow at the corners of his mouth. "You… you said you loved me."
"Sure did."
Link's brain ran through multiple questions at once, his hands going through some half-movements that Zelda just considered a stutter. "Where did you learn-?"
"Purah." She interrupted. "Purah taught it to me this morning. I… had wanted to tell you, but I never saw you use it."
Link mentally chastised himself for not using it sooner, but better late than never. "And you really mean it?"
"I've meant it for over a hundred years, Link. I just never knew how to say it until now." The words came to her so easily, and she truly meant it. A hundred years was more than enough time to think of all the things she wanted to say to him once they were together again.
Link attempted to sign something, but ultimately failed so, at a loss for both words and signs, he resorted to running across the space separating them, nearly stumbling, taking Zelda's face in his hands, and tilting her down as he kissed her wildly, making her squeak in surprise. She was pushed up against the counter behind her. Euphoric and overjoyed, she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning into him so he wouldn't have to stand on his toes.
It had started a bit frantic, slowing down to where both of them languidly moved their lips against one another, sighing in bliss. She went to cup his face in her hands, but the feeling of something wet and warm made her open her eyes. Link was crying. "Oh, Love-"
He wrapped her up in a tight hug, burying his face into her neck, the smell of jasmine faintly lingering somewhere on her. His throat suddenly felt tight, and a faint sob escaped him, worrying Zelda, and she brought a hand to run up and down his back soothingly. "Hey, what's wrong?"
He pushed back, signing. "The last person to say that to me was my dad, more than a hundred years ago. It… took me a second to recognize what you said. I never thought-
"Shhh… Link." Bringing him back to her, arms around his waist, she gently ghosted kisses over his forehead, down to his lips, then to the tip of his nose. "You know I will say it as many times as you need to hear it."
Link squirmed a bit as he brought his hand up between them, a bit squished from the close proximity. "Say it now?" He watched her face as he patiently waited for an answer, those curious blue eyes making his princess melt.
She released him, smiling as she moved her hands. "Link…" his ears perked upwards. "I love you."
He was back on her like white on rice, once again pushing her back against the counter, capturing her lips with his, and snaking his hand up into her hair. She giggled into the kiss, tangling both her hands in his own hair, and making his loose ponytail fall out. They kept on until a sudden thought made Link hastily pull back, leaving Zelda balancing against the counter with a lovesick smile, dizzy with glee.
"Wait...wait. I need to-" he paced for a second, Zelda watching, a bit confused before he breathed in and turned and stood in front of her with a beaming smile on his face. "I… I love you too, Zel." He breathed out a breath he had been holding. "I've wanted to say that myself for years."
Still in a slightly lovesick trance, Zelda jumped forward, wrapping him back up in a tight embrace before peppering his face with kisses, making him giggle and laugh, before going back to passionately kissing him slowly. In all her life, she never thought she could be so lucky. They spent their time kissing in the rays of warm sunlight pouring through the windows, happier than they had ever been in their lives, and Zelda was glad she had signed it when she did, and she never went a day without telling him "I love you" ever again.
Chapter 2 of All the Shades of Black: A Stardew Valley fanfic! You can find the full, in-progress fic here!
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Springtime in the valley had its ups and downs for the townsfolk. There were plenty of fish to be caught in the rivers, and the weather was warm enough for walking outdoors, but sudden cold snaps tended to hit the valley, freezing crops and stunning the local wildlife.
Stardew's newest addition to the town, the farmer girl, was recovering from one such snap, planting rows of parsnips and potatoes out by her house while her four hens watched, intrigued. She was toiling with the garden hoe, frantically tossing up dirt and clumps of dead plants in preparation for the next harvest. There was only a little over a week of spring left, and she wasn't even sure if half of them would be fully grown by then.
"Fuckin' weather around here. Won't stay put for two god damn days…" she was mumbling curses to herself as she buried the seeds in the ground and watered them. "Another cold front and I'll be out a couple thousand. Pierre sold me those seeds at a markup too. God fucking shitty cold weather-"
Several hours and a symphony of profanity later, the garden was finally complete. In a few days, hopefully, the plants would be ready for the spring harvest. The farmer wiped some sweat off her forehead with her sleeve, and stood back, hands on her hips, admiring her hard work. She nodded, content, before heaving the copper hoe over her shoulder and trotting over to the chicken coop.
The four of them, Cinnamon, Peachy, Angel, and Tiny, were huddled around the coop's little entrance door in a small, feathery pile. Thinking that they were just hungry, The Farmer didn't question anything until she heard their low growls and chitters, eyeing something in the coop.
"What is it, girls? Your feathers are all standing on end." She threw open the door, brandishing her garden hoe, ready to lash out and yell at either a fox or raccoon. Instead, she came face to face with absolutely nothing, and she sighed. "There's nothing even in here. What are y'all scared-" Then she saw it. "-of."
Sat in the middle of the coop, in a little thatch of golden hay, was the oddest-looking chicken egg she had ever seen. A little soot-black thing with red, glistening spots. None of her chickens laid that , and she bent down to examine it. "What on earth...?"
Meanwhile, while the Farmer was busy examining the strange egg that had appeared overnight, Shane and Marnie were having their own complications with their unruly barn animals.
It had started when Marnie had called Shane over to wrangle up some stray sheep that wouldn't cooperate for their shearing, butting them with blunt horns and knocking them over. While they were busy, one of their goats had, once again, managed to escape the pasture, enticed by fresh berries on the opposite side of the fence.
Covered in mud and dirt, Marnie sighed, continuing to shear the ewe she had caught. "Shane?" When he walked over, Marnie handed him a few cave carrots. "Could you call Sweetpea back to the barn, please? She got out again." She pointed over his shoulder where a young, black and brown goat was munching on the leaves of a blackberry bush out in the yard. "I don't know how the little devil keeps getting out, but it's driving me crazy!" The sheep squirmed and tried to butt her again, and she pinned it back to the ground, taking the shears to the wool.
Shane sighed and reluctantly took the cold, hard carrots from her hand. "You know, I don't really think she likes me very much."
"Oh, she's an old goat. She doesn't like anyone. Go on now." She said, now done shearing her sheep, and she darted off to catch the next one. He laughed as he watched her fail a tackle and went face down into the dirt, then bolted upright, red-faced, and went to chase after the ewe.
Sweetpea, despite her name, was an ornery thing who did what she pleased, which Shane thought was funny when he wasn't on the receiving end of her indifference. He bent down next to her, watching her snag some more berries off the bush, chewing loudly before she turned to look at him with an unimpressed expression.
"Don't give me that look. You know you're not supposed to be out here." When he pulled the carrots out from behind him, he watched her eyes go wide. "Yeah, you like this stuff, don't ya'? Only if you come back to the barn, though." He waved a carrot in front of her face, her head moving to follow it, and she took a step forward. "Yeah, come on now, let's get you back-" She suddenly jumped forward, snatching the carrot from his hand, and chewing it up in his face. "You little shit." He hissed, and she snorted at him smugly.
While she was busy eating, the bush shook slightly, and the two of them turned to look at it, intrigued. Shane thought that maybe there was a bird's nest in its center, and they had disturbed it. Suddenly, the bush rattled violently, and a noise that sounded suspiciously like a whine had both Shane and the goat jumping back, wide-eyed. Sweetpea, startled by the bush shaking, bolted past Shane, running back towards the barn without looking back, and Shane felt himself shake a little. "Did that bush just… yelp?" Shane bent down towards the bush, the squeaky sound and trembling leaves drawing him in. Slowly, he bent down onto his knees, reaching out to push up some low-hanging twigs at its base, peering into the sticks. "Hello?"
He jumped slightly as a small, wet snout poked out from between the leaves, sniffing at his hand before a little tongue darted out and licked at his fingers, and Shane's mouth fell open. "No way…"
From the bush emerged a small, black and white, sheepdog puppy, no more than a month old, at least, with sticks tangled in his fur, and a tear in his left ear. He yapped at Shane happily, tail swishing back and forth. "Where on earth did you come from, little guy? You look like you've been through hell and back." He said, plucking a burr from his matted fur.
The dog then began running at his feet, lowering its head to the ground, and eyeing him while doing so. It was only a puppy and it was trying to herd him! He stumbled backward, away from its sharp puppy teeth that just barely grazed the leg of his pants. "H-hey Marnie. Aunt Marnie!" Shane called out to his Aunt, who was working in the barn. "Marnie! Hey, I need your help with something!"
She stumbled outside a few seconds later, clutching a basket of eggs. She was still covered in wool fibers and dirt. "Gracious, Shane, what are you yelling fo-" Hearing her voice, the puppy lost interest in Shane, and bounded over to greet the older woman, yapping excitedly, and running in circles around her feet. Marnie put a hand over her mouth. "Oh, my goodness."
"Think he got dumped like the last one?"
"Oh, I'm afraid so. Look at him, he's all dirty and matted. He's lucky he's alive. Aww… Aren't you a good boy?" She patted him on the head.
Scratching the back of his neck nervously, Shane looked down at the puppy, a question bubbling in his mouth. "Can we keep-"
"No."
"Ah, worth a shot." He muttered. He had always wanted a dog, but Jas had a small fear of them, especially larger dogs. Marnie, holding the egg basket up where the pup couldn't bite at it, placed a hand on her cheek, and a pensive look spread across her face. "What 'chya thinking, Marnie?" Shane questioned.
She stayed silent for a moment, before snapping her fingers when an idea popped into her head, and she patted her leg, signaling the puppy to follow her. "I'm thinking that he needs a good home. C'mon, Shane. I do know who might be able to care for him!"
"Huh? Who?" His heart dropped when he saw the direction she was walking in: towards the Granger's farmstead. "Oh no…"
"C'mon now, you can't avoid her forever."
"Yes, I can."
"Shane-"
Oops, that was her serious tone. "Alright! Alright! I'm coming." He reluctantly trotted over to Marnie's side, twitching his feet as the puppy nipped at the ankles of his shoes. "I'm not gonna talk to her though." Marnie just shook her head.
Back at the farm, The Farmer had taken to a tank top and shorts as the sun began to crest in the sky above, bringing the daily temperature to its peak. Though it was cooler in the mornings now, the temperature had a habit of shifting a good twenty to thirty degrees in the afternoons, before dipping again when the sun went down. This meant long sleeves and pants during the mornings, and the bare minimum of clothing in the afternoons when sweat began to trickle down her face and neck.
She was inside, with the house door and windows wide open, letting in a breeze from outside since her years-old air conditioning unit left much to be desired. "If I don't fix that before summer gets here I'm gonna roast." She had been moving boxes of stuff that came from her old apartment: books, trinkets, silverware, stationary, and the like, she was almost completely done with setting up and furnishing her entire house. Soon enough, she would be able to bring Robin the materials needed for a couple of rooms to be added on. She could hardly wait.
She heard a knock on the doorframe, and turned to the sound of Marnie calling into the house. "Granger? Mrs. Granger! You home, dear? Your doors wide open!"
"Right here, Marnie!" She popped up from behind the veritable mountain of boxes and furniture, trotting over to the door. "Just letting a breeze in. Smells stale in this old farmhouse, ya' know?" She set a small box of photo frames on the counter, all of them being pictures of her and her family. "So, what's brought ya' here?"
"Well, about that." She smiled, a bit forcefully. "We had something, er, someone show up at our house, and we don't exactly know where to take him-"
The farmer gave her a questioning look. "Him?" Now, what did she mean by, "him?"
"I know you just got your chickens and all, and your hands have been full with the cold snap, but we thought maybe you'd-"
There was a sound of a bucket and tools being knocked over, as the muffled sound of someone talking around the corner from the corner of the house made them both look over. Shane hopped out from behind, kicking a metal pail off his foot, while eyeing something in the grass. "Uh… Marnie. Marnie! He's herding me again! Marnie!"
The Farmer watched confused about what had him stumbling. "What the-" Only when a little puppy, no more than a foot tall, bounded after him, did she smile wide. "Well, I'll be damned." Snapping at his pants, teeth digging into the fabric, the canine did his best to drag Shane towards Marnie. He stepped towards them to make the puppy think he had won so he could pry his sharp teeth off of him.
Seeing the farmer, the puppy immediately lost interest in terrorizing Shane and went to greet the young girl, trying his best to jump up the steps, which might as well have been walls for the pup. When he finally got to her, the Farmer bent down and scooped him up, bringing him up to her face. "Well hi there, little one." The puppy licked her nose. "What's your name?"
"He… doesn't have one. Yet." Shane locked eyes with the farmer, and rather than a scrunched-up face of disgust as he had expected, he was instead met with a gaze he couldn't quite decipher. She almost looked… a bit sad? Worried? He figured maybe fretted was the word, though he couldn't imagine why. "What?" He snapped when he felt like she had looked long enough, and Marnie scowled at him.
"Nothin'! Nothin'." She continued talking to Marnie like nothing had even happened. "No name then. Yoba… he's a stray. Where did you find this little one?" She said, bending down and stretching out her hand for him to sniff. "He's all matted and dirty!"
"Shane found him outside in a bush. We don't have any idea where he came from. No collar or anything, and there hasn't been word of a lost dog around town either." Marnie sighed. "I think he might have been dumped."
Shane dusted some puppy prints off his pants and shirt. "Yeah, besides the only dog I know around here is that mutt of Alex's." Shane added. "We've had people throw their dogs in the water upriver before, from Zuzu City."
Her face suddenly dropped, and she looked at the two of them solemnly. "Before?" She muttered, looking down at the dog, who was now chewing on her finger, his little paws wrapped around her wrist. "Sweet Yoba…"
"We understand if you can't take him." Marnie sighed. "We just thought it would be worth a shot, you know? He's clearly a farm dog and all-"
The farmer raised a hand, holding the pup in her other arm. "You won't have to worry. I'll take him. I have more than enough room, and I've always wanted a dog."
"It's not too much trouble?"
"Not at all, Marnie. So, sheepdog, huh?" The little puppy licked her nose, and she giggled. "We'll call ya' Shepherd, eh? How's that sound?"
"Shepherd! Oh, that's a lovely name! Right, Shane?"
"Whatever."
"This sweet thing's gonna have a nice home here, I know it." Marnie scratched Shepherd on the head, and the farmer set him back down on the porch, looking over at the chicken coop, where the hens were scratching and pecking at the dirt.
Shepherd hadn't seen them yet, so she gently picked him up, and turned him in their direction, watching his eyes go wide at the sight of the birds. His tail began to wag excitedly. "Go get 'em, Shep! Go get 'em! Go on!"
With a high-pitched bark, he vaulted down the steps, landing face first in the earth, making everyone chuckle, before scurrying off towards the coop. The three of them watched as the little dog began to run in circles around the chickens, who couldn't be less bothered by the sight but were curious about the new face. Shepherd lowered his head to the ground, stalking around the birds, who began to back up at the sight. He then bolted in the opposite direction, rounding up Tiny and Peachy from the other side. The chickens were now packed together, and the dog zigzagged towards them, backing them up to the coop door.
The Farmer whistled, a cue to stop, and the puppy lifted his head, and bolted back to the steps, immediately flopping over onto his back, allowing The Farmer to scratch his belly. "He's a natural. That'll make getting them into the coop at night a lot easier. He'll fit right in, Marnie."
"Wonderful! I was worried he wouldn't find a home here." She bent down to the puppy, scratching him behind his ear, making him shake his leg. "Be good to Miss Granger, little Shepherd. She's a hard worker." Behind her, Shane rolled his eyes. "I'll let Mayor Lewis know of the new addition. I'm sure he has some blank adoption certificates somewhere. Oh, and a collar! I wonder if Pierre has a blue one."
Shane was already walking down the steps, eager to get back home. Seeing The Farmer with her new pet made him miss his own. That and just seeing the girl drained his social battery. Getting the hint, Marnie followed close behind, waving goodbye to the Granger girl and Shepherd. "Good luck! Having a dog is a life-changing thing!"
"Thanks again, Marnie! Thanks, Shane!"
He had no clue why she was thanking him. Bringing the dog there was all Marnie's idea. "Hey." She bumped him in the side. "She said, "Thank you."
Sighing, he mumbled, "You're welcome," and Marnie nodded in approval. He could feel the girl staring at his back. He just knew and, sure enough, when he turned she was looking at him with that same expression from before and just like last time, he couldn't quite place the look. He simply shrugged, turning back towards the path and keeping his eyes forward. " Weird girl. At least she took the dog ."
"Hey! Hey, Shane! Wait up!"
" Oh no… " She was back, and running towards him. "What the hell does she want with me?" He tried to ask Marnie to take care of her problem but, before he could even ask, she turned and began swiftly walking towards the trail back to the barn. "Marnie! Don't-!" Too late, she started walking at a faster pace, leaving Shane to deal with the farmer, and he swore she was smiling. "Goddamn it-!"
"Shane!" The Farmer screeched to a halt in front of him, throwing up a dust cloud that he fanned out of his face. She bent over, placing her hands on her knees, and huffed, out of breath. "Before… you say anythin'… I don't wanna talk to you either."
"Then why are you?"
Straightening up, she took in a lungful of air before continuing. "Because… I have a problem-"
"Then get someone else's help."
"Look. It's somethin' with the hens. You're the only person knowledgeable enough about chickens to help me. I don't think even Marnie tops it."
His eyes suddenly had a glint to them. "A… chicken problem?" He didn't want to admit it to himself, but he was flattered. " Most knowledgeable! Hey… I've made something of myself! " He cleared his throat. "Yes. Well… I've raised them for years. I know a lot."
"Yeah. Yeah. Look, there's something in the coop I really want you to look at. I've never seen anything like it, and I have no idea where it came from, and I'm not getting close enough to it until I have some idea of what it is."
"Is this, "thing," gonna try to eat me or something? He grimaced. "What the hell is it?"
"Well… that's the thing."
Back at the coop, the egg remained untouched by both The Farmer and the other hens, who were now piled up in the corner, still eyeing the strange little egg with uncertainty. She and Shane were hunched down, both staring at the egg on the floor, perplexed, and even he had to admit that this was a new one. "What the fuck?"
"I know, right? It just… showed up. Scared the girls half to death. They won't go near it." She gestured to the pile of trembling feathers in the corner. "What d'ya think it is?"
"An egg, obviously, but it looks… burnt?" He reached out a tentative hand, brushing his finger along the hardened shell, before he gasped and abruptly pulled his hand back, startling her.
"What? What?! What is it?!"
"It's warm!"
"I mean, it was laid this morning, but-"
"No! no! I mean-" He picked up the egg, cupping it in his hands and pushing it towards her. "Feel it!"
She jumped back. "Are you crazy!? I ain't touchin' that thing!"
"I'm serious!"
"Ok. Ok… fine." She cupped her hands, and Shane slid the egg in, and her eyes widened at the feeling. "What the shit?! It feels like it's been microwaved or somthin'!"
"Exactly! How could a chicken even lay this?"
"Wasn't one of mine. I swear. They're terrified of the thing." The Farmer handed the egg back to Shane, who gently turned it in his hands, inspecting the way the red flakes glistened in the light. "It almost looks fake, but it feels so real. I really don't know what to tell you. Look, Gunther has some books on chicken breeds and stuff. You should try and get your hands on one and see if you can find a match in there. Maybe it's just… I don't know, an unusual breed."
They both went quiet, deep in thought as to what to do. It certainly wasn't normal, that was for certain. "What kind of chicken do ya' think would come outta it if it hatched?" They both gave each other a look of mutual agreement and trotted over to the incubator. Shane gingerly placed the little egg in the hay, watching as the little red speckles seemed to glisten slightly.
"I don't think I'll be able to look into it with a flashlight. That black shell won't allow it so I guess just wait and see what happens." He shrugged, not speaking any further than that. He seemed genuinely interested in the strange little egg. Hell, he seemed interested in anything that had to do with chickens, or farm livestock in general. Even though their first meeting was a bit rough, The Farmer smiled, happy that she had someone knowledgeable about animals as her neighbor. She might be a bit lost otherwise.
He glanced at her, just barely catching her staring, and she turned her head, pretending to be interested in a little feather on the floor. Shane cleared his throat, the quiet moment growing to be unbearable. "Well… um-" He shook his head, walking towards the coop door. "Just… let me know what becomes of it."
The Farmer raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to meet the other hens?"
He stopped momentarily in his tracks, a piqued expression on his face, but he ultimately ignored the feeling. "I've gotta get back to Marnie. She needs help shearing the sheep today."
"Ok… alright."
Shane closed the door behind him, not once looking back, and The Farmer sighed. "Well, better than nothing." She felt something soft brush against her leg, and she looked down to see Tiny huddled up against her leg. The other hens had moved from their pile and were now strutting around the incubator, purring at it quizzically. Angel, the smallest of the group, hopped up on its edge, cocking her head at the sight and trilled. "What? Is that your egg or somthin'?" Sure enough, little Angel hopped into the hay, and strutted a couple of circles around the egg, before plopping down on top of it, puffing up her feathers and clucking in contentment. "Well, I'll be damned. How on earth did you- ya' know what? I don't wanna know. You just keep doing your thing, Angel." She scratched the little hen on the head. "Let's see what happens, eh?'
Angel was undaunted by the sight of the little egg, that The Farmer learned quickly, as she refused to get off of it no matter what, and the little hen vowed to stay there no matter how long it took, even after spring began to draw to a close, making way for the summer season. The flower dance came and went like every year, hailing at the end of spring. While dancing with Emily, Shane watched out of the corner of his eye as Jas demonstrated a, quite wobbly, but pretty accurate flower dance that The Farmer watched intently, and tried to copy, which she ended up putting her own spin on some of the moves. "You made your own special dance!" Jas squealed, before tugging on her pant leg. "Can you be my dance partner for today, Mrs. Granger? I really want to try it before it ends!"
She was a little surprised but shook her head and laughed. "Of course, but I can't say I'll be perfect at it. I've never done this before."
"Neither have I!" She grabbed her hand and impatiently dragged her into the lines of dancers, pushing her to Sebastian, who was dancing with Abigail. "C'mon, C'mon! It's halfway done already!'
They both chuckled at the sight. "Aww. You got yourself a dance partner after all!" Abigail mused, and The Farmer got bashful, her dancing not exactly like everyone else's. Though he wasn't exactly fond of her, Shane was admittedly happy that Jas liked the girl, and the two seemed more alike than he had previously realized.
"It's good to see Jas finally join in." Emily said. "She never could get Vincent to dance with her. He always stepped on her toes."
Summer hit the valley at full force, blasting the town with record heat and turbulent rainstorms. Her spring crops died back, and the days grew more hot and humid. The Farmer had invested in hot peppers and melons, planting rows upon rows of them in front of the farmstead. Around the land, she grew beautiful golden sunflowers that made the farm look so much more delightful, and she would give them out to some of the townsfolk, Haley being the main beneficiary, as they were her most beloved flower.
At the Luau, The Farmer showed up with an enormous basket of giant, shiny, red habanero peppers, and Shane had to fight not to drool at the sight. " When did she start growing peppers?! Those ones are huge !"
Sebastian, Sam, and Abigail were at her side, observing her unusually large crops, and congratulating her on the harvest. Sam swiped one of the peppers from the basket and popped it into his mouth as a joke, but the farmer simply smiled knowingly as she watched his face form beads of sweat, and go bright red. He quickly excused himself to nearly drain the punch bowl. The three of them cackled at him the whole time, while Mayor Lewis shook his head at his antics. "At least he didn't bring-"
"Anchovies?" The governor laughed. "Yes, indeed."
Ascending the ladder up to the pot, she waved hello to Marnie, who was stirring the batch with a comically large wooden spoon ."You made it, and you brought those delicious peppers."
"Sure did! They're the best I've ever grown! The soil here is really somethin'." She looked at the governor, the basket tilted over the potluck. "This won't make it too spicy, will it?"
"No such thing!" He bellowed, and she dumped the basket full of peppers into the potluck. Later, the governor declared that year's potluck was one of the best he had ever attended.
Now, at the end of summer, word of the Moonlight Jellies' arrival swept through town as it did every year, and Jas, just like every year before, begged Shane repeatedly to take her to the docks, which he agreed to every single time. "I take you every year, you know. You don't have to beg."
At the farmstead, the Granger granddaughter got a letter in the mail alerting her to the event. " Join us at the docks around 10 pm for a rare and beautiful event! The moonlight jellies will be passing by Pelican Town on their long journey south for the winter ."
"Moonlight Jellies… I've never heard of such a thing." Curious, and wanting to see such a rare event for herself, she made it towards the docks at sundown, wanting to claim the best spot on the docks for herself. She was glad to see that everyone in town was already there, eagerly waiting for the lantern boat to launch. Mayor Lewis greeted her. "Glad you could make it! You definitely won't regret it. The moonlight jellies are a spectacle you shouldn't miss."
She had also spoken to Miss Evelyn and George. "We've never missed a single year. I've been coming to see the moonlight jellies ever since I was a little girl. I'm glad you get to see it all for yourself."
"Hmph. What's so special about these slimy little balls of goo anyway?" George huffed.
Soon, the sun had finally rested below the horizon, leaving the people of Pelican Town in near complete darkness, only illuminated by the one, small lantern, and the millions of stars in the sky, untouched by the blinding lights of the nearby Zuzu City. "Wow… you can see almost every single star out here. I could hardly see just the planets back home."
Mayor Lewis had untied the rope to the lantern boat, waiting for the signal to let it loose. "You think it's time to launch it, Miss Granger?"
"Absolutely!"
With that, he let the boat slowly drift out to the open water, and the docks were shrouded in opaque darkness. It was oddly quiet, the only thing being the murmurs of excitement in waiting for the migrating jellies to arrive. The minutes passed, yet there were still no signs of their arrival. "Does it usually take this long?"
Suddenly, Vincent grabbed onto his mother's sleeve, jumping up and down on the pier. "Look! Out there! Out there!" The still, clear water began to glow an eerie, white color, and the people on the docks began to "ooh," and "ahh," at the sight. One by one, little round jellyfish began to appear from the distant water, the glow becoming ever more bright the closer they got until the entirety of the beach was lit up like the fourth of July. They looked like stars in the ocean, glowing vividly against the deep backdrop of the sea, or snowflakes on a clear winter's night.
The Farmer stared in awe. "All my life I've never seen anything like this. It's beautiful." Nothing back home or nearby could compare to that moment of seeing the Moonlight Jellies, or Lunaloos, as the Wizard called them. She felt like he was right when he said they possess a magic aura stronger than other sea creatures. It could be felt just from watching them.
Abigail watched her smile wide as a trio of baby jellies came to the edge, along with one giant, basketball-sized parent. She placed a hand on her shoulder. "So… what do you think of your first Moonlight Jelly Festival?
"I know I 'aven't seen the other festivals yet but… I think this one is gonna be my favorite." She said, gazing out onto the water with a look of pure wonder and curiosity that reminded Abigail of a little kid. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, and Abigail pretended not to see when she ducked away to wipe them. "You know… it makes me kinda homesick. The ocean."
"You grew up near it, did you?"
"I did. Everything here reminds me of it, but this is so much better in every way." Bending down, she just barely stuck her fingers into the water, giving one of the jellies a gentle pat on the head, and the gelatinous animal seemed to glow brighter for a moment.
Sebastian stepped over to the two of them, watching some of the jellies gravitate towards The Farmer curiously. "They like you."
"Who wouldn't." Sam trotted over and ruffled up the hair on her head, making her smile as she swatted him away with her free hand. "Call it animal magnetism." Sebastian swatted him on the shoulder while she giggled. "What?" He whined.
Soon, the water was filled with jellyfish in every direction, spanning the entirety of the beach. Vincent was running up and down the waterline maddeningly, hoping to spot his elusive green jellyfish, Willy took a moment to cast a non-lethal line out into the bay for Dimitrius, who wanted to observe and tag a specimen to track its migration patterns, and though Linus kept his distance, The Farmer smiled as he waved hello to the jellies that came close enough for him to see.
Dimitrius and Robin were now curled up on the bench, hand in hand, watching the beautiful moment together with Maru leaning up against them. Alex had pushed George's wheelchair out to the edge of the dock, to which he kept responding "If you dump me in I'm gonna haunt you for sure," but he ever so slightly smiled at the sight of the jellies. Even he had to admit it was a breathtaking sight. Evelyn nodded a thank you to Alex and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Nana…" he groaned.
Elliot had rushed into his home to grab a journal, hoping to scribble down the memorable moment for a story one day, and even Pierre had abandoned his pop-up shop to sit with Caroline on the pier, to which Abigail beamed at.
Jas and Vincent both crowded around the edge of the pier, while Shane gripped the back of both their shirts, afraid that one of them would fall into the drink. "Easy you two. I'm not gonna be the one to fish you out."
"But I wanna see the babies!"
"You can see them close enough from here."
Only Sam could rival the kids' enthusiasm, grabbing the other's shoulders and pointing whenever a jellyfish came close, to which they would nod their heads and say "I see them too."
A faint, green light began to glow below the dock as a stranger-looking jellyfish swam out from underneath it. "Look! Look! Right there! Hey, Vincent! Come here! There's a green one! There's-" Before Sebastian could tell him to back up, Sam's foot slipped off the dock, and he let out a high-pitched yelp as he went face-first into the sea, sending up a giant spray of water, and Shane rolled his eyes as the jellies in the water swam away from the disturbance.
"Nice goin' Sam." Abigail shook her head.
The Farmer gasped, and jumped upright at the sight, shucking her jacket onto the ground. It was clear that she knew nothing of the moonlight jellies other than the fact that they were jellyfish and, jellyfish being jellyfish, that they probably sting. "No, wait! They don't-" Before they could tell her not to do it, she bolted forward and jumped into the water, sending up another spray of water that Sebastian shielded himself and Abigail from. "You've got to be kidding me." He mumbled.
"Why on earth did she jump?" Shane questioned.
Some of the people around the dock started howling with laughter while they were under the waves, and Leah piped up from the other distant dock. "So who's gonna tell her that Moonlight Jellies don't sting?!
"I have to admire her bravery."
"Did no one tell her?"
"Oh c'mon guys! Cut her some slack!"
"Hey! Here they come!"
Both Sam and The Farmer burst out of the water, Sam clinging onto her for dear life with a bewildered look on his face, his usually spiky hair now a blonde mop covering half his face, and The Farmer's clothes were now ruined with seawater. What caught everyone's eye, of course, was the moonlight jelly that sat atop her head like some sort of weird hat, its glow bouncing off the water's surface. She was confused as to why everyone was laughing at her. "What?! What is it?!"
Dimitrius huffed a breath of laughter and bent down on the dock to look at her, amused. "Moonlight Jellies can't sting you, Mrs. Granger. Sam was in no danger."
Shane and Jas giggled, while the others roared with laughter, as The Farmer's face went bright red, and she covered her face with her hand. "Oh, mon dieu…"
"Mon dew?" Sam questioned, only to find himself plunked back into the water as The Farmer swam over to where Jas was watching, and Sam doggy-paddled back to Sebastian and Abigail. "You could have carried me back!" He called to her.
"Your legs work! You can swim."
Sebastian was bent down at the edge of the dock, stretching a hand out to Sam for him to grab onto. "You know, it's a toss-up between this and the potluck, Sammy. We're not gonna let you forget about this either."
"Like I need any other embarrassments to my name." Sebastian was ready to hoist him out of the water but Sam had other ideas. With a swift yank, he pulled Sebastian into the water with him, the cigarette he had between his teeth being left behind mid-air, only to be extinguished by the water that splashed up afterward. The Farmer and Abigail cackled.
When they breached, Sam sported a dorkish smile at the sight of Sebastian absolutely drenched, clinging to his shoulders. His hair was plastered to his face like some sort of shaggy dog, unable to see anything except his mouth, which was pulled down into a frown. "You know I hate swimming."
"But we're swimming with glowing jellyfish!"
"That's even worse."
On the other side, Jas was bouncing up and down, while Shane kept a death grip on her hand so she wouldn't meet Sam's same fate. "Did you see any baby jellies under the water, Miss Granger?"
"Jellyfish were all I could see, Jas." She saw Shane doing his best not to crack up with laughter, and she glared at him with a displeased look on her face. "What are you gawkin' at?" She barked.
"I like the hat. Suits ya'" he said, gesturing to her head, and snickering, flashing a sharp-toothed grin.
She placed a hand on her head and felt the squishy jellyfish jiggle at the touch, making her grimace, and Shane laughed even harder, while Jas hid her giggles behind her hand. The Farmer about had enough, and she placed the poor jelly in her hand, leaning back and grinning. "Hey Jas, watch this."
When Shane opened his eyes, his fit of laughter almost finished, the wet, gelatinous creature was hurled right at his face, hitting its mark with a wet, sopping splat. The entirety of the docks burst into laughter, Jas probably laughing the loudest of all, as she doubled over at the sight of Shane with a jellyfish plastered onto his face. Behind them, Marnie shook her head. "Not again."
"Serves ya' right." The Farmer smirked.
Shane peeled the slimy blob off his unamused face and plopped the disoriented critter back into the water to join its family. " Good thing these guys are tougher than most jellies ." He strode up to the edge of the dock, eyeing The Farmer. "Right, you son of a-" Right before he could snatch her up out of the water to throttle her, she used one of the docks wooden beams to push herself backward, barely avoiding the swipe of his hands, and Shane panicked, flailing his arms about as he lost balance. "Oh no- no-! Ah! ope-!" With a giant splash, Shane was the next to go into the drink. The Farmer pointed and cackled at the sight, still swimming backward, hoping to not get strangled because of her little stunt. Shane emerged from the water, coughing and sputtering, his hair no longer spiked up in certain places, and droplets of water clung to the stubble of his face. "Holy shit! It's freezing! I should drown you!"
"What? You should thank me. You're swimming with Moonlight Jellies. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
"I could have gone several lifetimes without this."
"Speak for yourself." She splashed a spray of water in his direction. "You're smiling ." With that, she ducked back under the water, swimming away with a speed that impressed him.
It took a moment for her comment to register, but she was right. " I… I am smiling ." The water caressed his body, he only had to move his legs slightly to stay afloat, and though the jellies had scattered when he fell in, they now returned, wandering up to him and curiously floating around his legs and arms, glowing brightly. He reached his hand out to a little baby and allowed it to settle in the palm of his hand, and it felt like a little blob of jello. "Woah…"
On the dock, Jas unclipped the bow from her hair and gingerly set it down. "Me next! Me next! I wanna swim with the jellies!" Before Marnie could tell her not to, especially in her good dress, Jas jumped in next, nearly landing right on top of Shane.
The Farmer screeched, "Jas!" but calmed down after she appeared out of the water in front of her immediately after, her hair now loose from the twin buns, cascading into the water. The Farmer sighed in relief. "Oh… you can swim."
"Really well!"
"I see that."
Another loud splash came from behind them, and they turned to see that Abigail had also abandoned her jacket, and shoes, as she too had jumped into the water with a perfect swan dive, and a few onlookers clapped. She waved to Alex and his grandparents on the dock, since he seemed just as eager to do the same. "C'mon, Alex!" The boy tore his shirt off, tossing it to Haley, who just looked at him, disbelieving, and he sprinted down the dock, cannonballing into the water, nearly soaking poor Dimitrius and Robin.
"I didn't know this year's theme was "swimming with jellyfish." Lewis grumbled, rubbing his forehead.
"Oh, let them have their fun." Marnie giggled. Looking around before doing so, she threaded an arm around Lewis', watching Jas and Shane in the water with a warm smile. "It's been a moment since I've seen Shane and Jas having this much fun anyway."
Looking around the bay, the overall tone seemed to change from serene and quiet, to a magical, otherworldly feel as people laughed and splashed water at each other, being joined by the jellyfish who were all too curious to check out the new company. Shane had never seen them as anything remarkable, but the night had completely changed his way of thinking. He would be looking forward to next year's celebration. "Now look at what you've done." He said to The Farmer, gesturing at all the people in the water.
"I'd say I've made it better." A jellyfish swam up against her back, and she jumped, laughing away the fear. "Hey Jas, how long can you hold your breath for?
"Thirty seconds! That's half a minute!"
"Sure is." The Farmer ducked under the water, and popped up a few seconds later next to Jas, splashing some water in her direction. "Climb on my back!"
Doing as she said, Jas clung to her soaked shirt and puffed up her cheeks with a deep breath. The Farmer nodded in question, to which Jas held a thumbs-up, and with that, they both disappeared under the waves and into the cloud of jellyfish.
When she opened her eyes, she almost opened her mouth in wonder too. In every direction, left, right, up, and down, there was nothing except glowing white jellies. Unable to speak, Jas tugged at The Farmer's jacket, pointing excitedly at the babies that swam past them, little bubbles floating upwards from her nose. From their left, something bright green danced near the corals, and the two of them caught sight of the green jellyfish that started the entire journey.
It all ended too soon. She signaled her inability to hold her breath any longer with another tug to her shirt, and they both rocketed up out of the water, taking in lungfuls of air. "That was amazing! There were so many jellyfish! Shane, we saw a green jellyfish under the water!" Jas shook her hair, droplets of water flying in all directions. "You swim like an otter, Miss Granger! Where did you learn that?"
"I grew up 'round the water. Natural habit of mine. Though the jellyfish back home stung. Badly. Me and my friends used to do this when we were little."
Sam and Sebastian swam up to the two of them, absentmindedly chatting with them while observing the jellyfish, and Shane smiled at the sight of Jas grinning from ear to ear, enamored with the jellies. Abigail paddled up next to him. "Thinking of strangling her for pelting you with a jellyfish? You're lucky they don't sting."
He chuckled. "No. Jas thought it was funny. I guess it's alright." He huffed a breath, allowing himself to lean back into the water. "You know something? She's not so bad after all."
The Moonlight Jelly festival ended around midnight, when the water became too frigid to continue swimming, and everyone who had jumped in bolted home to change into warm clothes and huddle up around a cozy fire. The next day, the leaves began to change, sporting varying shades of amber, burnt orange, crimson, and gold. Geese could be seen in the sky, flying southward along with the jellyfish, in search of warmer waters.
It was The Farmer's favorite season. Free from the scorching grip that summer had on her, she was free to tend to her fall crops without working up such a sweat and doing so without Harvey constantly worrying about heat exhaustion. Pumpkins were her main crop, as she hoped to grow only the biggest and best for Abigail to use as a jack-o'-lantern, and for Evelyn as an ingredient in her Spirit's Eve pumpkin pies.
Flower-wise, she had taken to growing beautiful fairy roses for Jas. They came in shades ranging from baby blues to deep, violet shades, and light pinks. They were by far, the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen so, of course, she bought some seed packets from Pierre and began to grow them herself. When she heard that Jas had a special place in her heart for them, she planted an extra patch just for her.
Along with the seasonal changes, The Farmer found herself taking long walks at night with Shepherd, autumn's magical night air having called her into Cindersap Forest, where amber and hazel leaves coated the ground in a blanket of fall colors. Blackberries were growing in abundance now, and she had no shortage of them when she ventured out into the woods, snacking on them the whole way through. Once, a fox darted out onto the trail in front of them, and they got a moment to admire its beautiful red coat and plush, bushy tail before it darted back into the bushes. " Oh, if only I had a camera ."
Tonight, they were alone with the stars and crickets. She had wanted to sit out on the pond dock for a while and stargaze, hoping to see some meteorites that The Wizard had talked about earlier that week. " I feel an arcane power radiating from them ." He had mentioned.
A sharp click snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked up at the pond ahead of them. It was Shane sitting alone at the water's edge with a beer can in hand. Seems the dock was already occupied. " I should go ." Rather than leave she found herself taking a couple of steps forward. Shepherd whined, looking up at The Farmer as she stared out at the dock, eyes trained on the familiar figure. Unsure of what she was thinking, but following her gut instinct, she tentatively stepped forward, walking out onto the dock. Shepherd paced in a circle before lying down, not exactly fond of being above the water.
She found herself taking more careful steps out onto the dock, unsure if he was in need of company or not. Whatever the true reason, it felt like something was pulling her out there, begging her to stay, like someone was tugging her by a leash and, for some insane reason, she was obeying. When her foot hit a creaky plank, making him perk up, she froze. He looked back over his shoulder and, for a moment, she could have sworn she saw a slight smile, but he ducked back before she could confirm. She inhaled sharply and walked up behind him, fixing her gaze on the lake, not wanting to know of the look on his face.
"Up late, huh?" He questioned, and she finally stepped up beside him, looking out onto the water.
The final fireflies of fall had just begun to emerge, the nights nearly cool enough for them to disappear. They blinked their mesmerizing, glowing patterns in the night in search of other fireflies, painting the forest with little, golden flickers of light. Joining them was the chorus of crickets, vocalizing in unison with the whooperwhills to create nature's nighttime symphony. It was all so very beautiful.
A sharp click snapped her out of her thoughts and made the crickets go momentarily silent. Shane had opened another beer, but pushed this one in her direction, the earthy smell of wheat and rye making her mouth water. "Here. Have a cold one."
"Oh, bless." She said, taking the can from his hand. "Thank you."
"No problem."
She regarded the fish in the water below, taking an acorn that had fallen onto the pier, and tossing it into the water, watching as the fish swam up to it expectantly, and even a small turtle joined in. She giggled when the two would chase each other around.
Shane sighed, watching a bass snap at one fish that was much smaller. "Buh… life." That she could agree with. Life never showed her any mercy, that was for sure. "You ever feel like no matter what you do, you're gonna fail?" He sighed. "Like you're stuck in some miserable abyss and you're so deep you can't even see the light of day?" Her heart ached at the thought. It was a feeling she used to know all too well, and sometimes that same feeling would rear its ugly head in her most vulnerable moments. She nodded solemnly, looking over at him. He kept his eyes forward, not wanting to see the look on her face. " She probably thinks I'm mental… " Either way, he kept on. "I just feel like no matter how hard I try… I'm not strong enough to climb out of that hole."
Memories began to trickle into her mind, eating away at her hardened exterior as she remembered how she felt the same way before moving to Stardew Valley: the smell of alcohol and cigarettes, not showering or brushing her teeth for days, her messy, smelly room, pushing herself to work until she fainted, spiraling deeper and deeper into that pitch black abyss until everything collapsed in one big clusterfuck.
She shook her head and tilted back with the beer can, chugging its contents so fast she hardly tasted it. When she finished it, she let out a small, undignified burp. It was impressive, but it also worried Shane. "Fast drinker, huh? Woman after my own heart."
Her ears perked, and if the alcohol hadn't already done so, she definitely would have blushed from that. " Ain't I the same woman that tried to beat the shit outta you ?" She held her tongue on that one.
"Just don't make it a habit. You've got a future ahead of you still."
"Still?" She questioned. "Shane, you're as young as me."
He didn't reply, and instead took another sip out of his can, finishing it off. "Well… my liver is begging me to stop. Better call it a night." He turned to The Farmer, meeting her gaze for the first time that night. Partially illuminated by the light of the fireflies, he saw the look in her eyes: that same look she had when he stepped onto her porch weeks ago, in the spring. He couldn't decipher it, whether it was pity, fear, or anything of the sort, it didn't matter. For once he was just glad she wasn't looking at him with that face of hatred that she gave him on day one. Standing up, he dusted off his pants, extending his hand to take her empty beer can, when his fingers brushed her own ever so slightly, he could almost feel the warmth the alcohol was causing coursing through her blood. " Why did I give her that? What if she's like me ?" She caught his gaze right before he turned, sensing a faint air of guilt. "I'll see ya' around." With that, he took wobbly steps off the dock, patting Shepherd's head before heading back to the barn, leaving The Farmer all alone on the dock with her thoughts eating her alive. She never thought she'd see the day, but she found herself wishing he had stayed. Even if it did stress her, it was better than her own solitary company.
A wet nose pressed into her hand, and she stiffened, until she realized it was just her loyal dog, who had braved the terrifying dock just to be with her. Shepherd laid his head down on her lap, whining until she placed a hand on his head, scratching behind his ears, and a little smile appeared on his face. She sighed, tilting back to look up at the stars blazing bright above her.
Old memories bubbled up in her mind. Memories from long ago, when she thought all was lost. Now, she was seeing distressing similarities with Shane and his bad habits. He was going down that same, dark path that she had trekked herself, and unless someone tried to pull him off of it, there was no telling how he might end up. " Though I have a pretty good idea ." She thought, gazing out at the cliffs in the distance. A beer can still sat out in the grass from the months before, on that dreary night.
He might end up just like her. " Just like me …" A breeze blew through the forest, sending a chill down her spine, and that's when she decided to call it a night. "C'mon, Shep." Leaving the docs, she took one last look at Marnie's ranch, watching the last light go out as Shane headed to bed. From then on, she would be hoping, every single day, that he would wake up the next.
"There's more to ya' than what meets the eye, isn't there, Shane?"
Chapter one of All the Shades of Black: A Stardew Valley fanfic!
You can find the full fic here, or on my ao3!
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There are plenty of stories about the valley, passed down from generation to generation, only recorded in books and through the memories of those that have lived there for decades. Stories about the people's homes, tales of the dwarves of the underground, historical records of the town's mining era, and novels written by beloved writers who called the region home. These stories became books, and the books became artifacts, before landing in the local library. A tome of ancient history collecting dust, waiting to be opened.
All these stories have one major thing in common: deep roots that tie into the magic surrounding the valley. Some have lost touch with it, while others believe in it truly, with all their heart, and some even take it a step further: studying and mastering it like an art. Regardless of its current state, the spirits and guardians of Stardew Valley are very much alive and thriving, and a new presence within the old farm has stirred them.
The Farmer was new in town, a move-in from Zuzu City center who had claimed the land to the east of town. Mayor Lewis had mentioned she was the granddaughter of Mr. Granger, who had passed years ago, leaving the land to overgrow, and the buildings to rot. When she first saw the state it was in, she about fainted with the realization of the work that needed to be done.
"Whoa. Woah, young Granger." Mayor Lewis said with a hand on her shoulder. He was showing her around the place, with Robin at his side. "I know it's a little overgrown, but nothing that can't be taken care of in a single season. I can give you a set of tools to make the work easier. Consider it a housewarming gift."
"Yeah, and I've already patched up a couple of holes in the roof and replaced the door. If you see anything else that needs tending to, you can just call me." Robin chimed in.
The farmer visibly relaxed a little. Not having to do all the backbreaking work alone lifted some tension off her shoulders, and she happily accepted the farming equipment from Mayor Lewis. "Thanks, you two. I just hope my first year goes smoothly."
"We'll make sure of it! Wouldn't want to scare you off a few months in, would we? First things first, we need to set you up with some crops and livestock." Lewis pointed in the direction of town, along the dirt path that the farmer walked down when she exited the bus. "Pierre's shop is the brick building right next to the clinic. He sells seeds you can use, and other stuff of the sort, and Clint, down by the river, will take care of all your equipment needs."
"And I can upgrade your house and add buildings!" Robin chirped. "I've already got a small chicken coop in the catalog. I live up in the mountains with my husband Dimitrius, and the kids."
Lewis snapped his fingers, remembering something else. "Oh, and your neighbor is Miss Marnie, sweet as can be." Robin smirked knowingly and Lewis hid a blush behind with a cough behind his elbow "She'll supply you with all the animals you can dream of: Chickens, cows, sheep, all that. She's open most days too."
They all turned and looked at the land in front of them. It was overgrown, with bushes, rocks, and sticks scattered everywhere, but the real eyesore was the remnants of some building near the woods. Only wooden beams and broken glass remained, surrounded by tree stumps and vines. Behind that, the farmer swore she saw some sort of tombstone or shrine, and she felt unusual goosebumps travel up her back. "It'll be a lot of work, but I'm happy to be back. Last time I was here was when I was a little girl." She turned back to Lewis and Robin. "Thanks for lookin' after it as best you could while we were gone. Grandpa would be happy to see it's still livable."
"It was no problem, Mrs. Granger. This farm was once the pride and joy of Stardew Valley, and hopefully, it'll be just that once again." They exchanged some more chatter and banter before Lewis signaled Robin to walk with him, and they began to turn to the dirt path leading out of the pasture. "Oh, and one more thing!" Mayor Lewis turned on his heel. "I showed you where the saloon is, right? Stop by tonight! I let everyone know you're coming, and they're all dying to meet you."
The farmer shook her head and smiled, not exactly a social butterfly, but still happy to get to know everyone in town. "Which means I have to show up, eh?"
"Yep!" Lewis chuckled. "We'll see you tonight Mrs. Granger!"
Robin waved bye, and the two of them headed down the dirt path, and away from the farm, leaving the farmer all alone in her big, open field.
It was so open, so quiet, and so unfamiliar. No clucking chickens, no pitter-patter of rain, no barking from her grandfather's old farm dog, and no beautiful notes from the guitar he loved to strum in his rocking chair. Only the rustle of the wind in the trees, and the crickets in the grass. No animals, no crops, and no one else. She suddenly felt quite lonely, almost out of place, like she didn't belong there.
She shook her head, driving her hammering thoughts far, far away. This was a new life, and for god's sake, she was gonna make good on it. She kicked aside some pebbles in the dirt, looking around at all the fallen trees and overgrown grass.
She placed her hands on her hips and huffed. "I'm gonna make this place the most beautiful farm everyone in this valley has ever seen." With that, she rolled up her sleeves, took a few large sticks off the ground, and began making a burn pile in the middle of the field. It was time to work hard.
By the time the sun had begun to set low in the sky, painting the valley in brilliant orange and yellow hues, the burn pile was about as tall as she was, filled with sticks, brush, and old logs, and yet only about a third of the land had been cleared. "At least there's enough room for a hen house now." She huffed, tossing the last few sticks into the pile.
She rustled her sleeves slightly, revealing a watch on her wrist. "7:40. They're probably already at the Saloon." She muttered. Hoping to get there by 8:30, she resorted to a quick shower and a change of clothes that weren't mud-stained and threadbare, that being some blue jeans and a simple short sleeve, but she still wore the same boots. Granted, she did wash them off.
By the time she was done, the clock read, "8:23," and she realized she didn't pace herself right, "Again," so she headed down the road at a swift-paced walk.
Stardew Valley was unlike the dull, dismal small town she grew up knowing, and so much quieter than Zuzu City, where she worked for a while. It seemed brighter, and more alive despite its small population. At first, she had only seen the old bus stop, where an unfortunate vehicle lay, gathering dust and debris while the oil leaked out of the bottom of it. A sticker faded and worn, was stuck to the top of it. Calico Desert, it read.
While that part was pretty forgettable, the entrance to the town was the opposite. Beautiful, blooming cherry trees, dressed in shades of fuchsia and rose, were dotted throughout town, showering the stone walkways in flurry petals, and coating people's roofs in a soft, pink blanket. The buildings were older, but not worn. They were all different, some being brick and mortar, such as Pierre's shop, and others built with wood that appeared to be aged, giving it a homely feel.
The saloon was one of The Farmer's favorites, built with brick that had been weathered by the wind from the ocean, its roof the same way, and one side covered in beautiful, violet morning glory, wrapping its way around the building. A large, oak sign painted with maroon letters hung next to the door. "The Stardrop Saloon."
"I like the name." Tilting her head back, and letting out a shaky exhale, she steeled her nerves, unsettled by the idea of walking into a group of tight-knit individuals as a complete stranger. What if nobody likes her? What if she was too different? What if she was too much the same?
"No. Screw it!" She was new in town, and she was gonna walk in there like she owned the whole damn county. Fuck anyone who thought rudely of her, she was the Granger's granddaughter, and she had every right to be there.
Shaking her head again, she wanted to laugh at the thoughts she was fighting with. Maybe nothing would happen at all, and the townspeople would be completely uninterested in a newbie like her. She sighed, placing a hand on the wooden door, listening to the muted sounds of conversation coming from just behind it. "Forget it. No turning back now."
She stepped through the door and was greeted by the savory smells of fresh-cooked dinners, intoxicating liquors, and greasy pizza. She felt her stomach rumble with the anticipation of good food, and ale. The wood floorboards creaked slightly, giving it a certain homely feel she couldn't place, and the low, warm lights cast a comforting glow onto everyone. For a split moment, she swore it felt like home.
There was a bubbly, blue-haired girl behind the counter, who was happily chatting with another, larger man working the register, until she caught sight of the farmer, and smiled widely. "Hey, guys! She's here!" She yelled, and the whole saloon turned and looked her way.
The farmer smiled awkwardly and waved, "Hi everyone," and she found herself almost immediately overrun by patrons wanting to see her, greeting her, and introducing themselves and their friends. She had never seen such a polite and lively community, and it was all very comforting to not be such an outcast on day one.
"You're the Granger's granddaughter?"
"My, you look a lot like him!"
"Wait… you live in that old, haunted farmhouse?"
"He used to make wine up there, ya' know."
"Are you from Zuzu City?"
A loud clap silenced everyone as Mayor Lewis pushed his way through. "Easy, everyone! We're trying not to scare her off. One at a time!" He patted the farmer on her shoulder. "Welcome to the Saloon! Gus, over there, will get you a drink for ya' while you introduce yourself to everyone." He pointed at a large man with a bushy mustache, who waved at her happily from behind the register.
Gus was a happy-go-lucky man, with a bright, wide smile, and a rumbling laugh. He had given her a pint of his best ale on the house, "Consider it a welcome gift, kid!" and she chatted with him about the farm before running off to greet the next person. Getting to know everyone was quite the learning experience, and the farmer did her best to memorize every one. They were all just so different and unique that it was hard to forget: Marnie was a complete animal-loving sweetheart, just like her niece, Pierre was quick to give her a discount on seeds if she showed up at the shop tomorrow, Abigail was a soft-spoken, yet spunky young woman, Sam, and the farmer became fast friends, bonding over their love for music and guitar, and her and Sebastian over the keyboard.
Harvey gave her solid advice on staying hydrated during summer, worried she might overwork herself in the field, Elliot, who couldn't hold his liquor for shit, might as well have been a twenty-first-century Shakespeare, which she found his poetic way of speaking endearing, Willy was an ocean-loving man who gifted her a fishing rod when his tales of legendary fish piqued her interest, and Gus made a mean shrimp po-boy that she would kill to eat again for the first time.
Pam was sloshed out of her mind, but still managed a slurred, "Welcome to tha' valley, kid." Clint was a quiet, and reserved man, but still offered his services if her tools ever broke, Leah and the farmer immediately hit it off, both having a love for visual arts, and Emily asked if she could get some wool delivered if she happened to have sheep one day, which the farmer happily agreed to. All were kind, all were interesting, and by nighttime, she had memorized almost everyone.
Then there was Shane, Nephew to Marnie and Godfather to Jas. He was a complete asshole.
She had first seen him lingering around the fire, on what must have been his third pint since she walked in, looking a bit weary and worn, in a shaggy-looking Joja jacket and shorts, despite the slight early spring nip outside. His dark, inky hair was pushed off to one side, sticking up like porcupine quills in some spots, his eyes had dark marks under them, which she couldn't fault him for. She had the same marks under her own, and his knees were riddled with bruises and scratches, a telltale sign of a hard worker who was constantly up and down the whole shift.
While looking at him, she had realized he never came up to greet her. The farmer had been chatting with Marnie, poking some fun at her for ogling Mayor Lewis, making her flush red. "Hey Marnie, ain't that your nephew you were talking about? I 'avent talked to him yet."
She frowned slightly, swirling a wine glass in her hands. "Oh yes, Shane. I don't know, he's a bit-"
"Hold on, I'll be right back." The farmer, pint glass in hand, darted off to meet the stoic-looking man before Marnie could finish her warning.
Some of the other patrons saw her head to him, and Sebastian, seated in a booth with Sam, grimaced. "Uh oh. New girl's gonna try to talk to Shane. Should we stop her?"
Sam hastily wolfed down a large bite of pizza before answering, mouth slightly full. "Hey, she got along fine with old man George, and didn't tick off Pam, maybe they'll get along." He was optimistic, thinking that the girl's lively nature could get through to Shane.
Abigail heard them from a distance and chimed in. "Ah, let her learn. I'm eager to see how this goes. A rude jerk with a perky dude like her?" She just wanted to see it all unfold. Sebastian groaned, while Sam sat up out of the booth slightly, eyeing the soon-to-be exchange, as did a few others.
Marnie waddled over to Lewis, wine glass in hand. He smiled warmly, but when she cocked her head towards something behind him, and he turned to see the Granger girl happily waltzing towards Shane, he quietly groaned. Marnie eyed him, worriedly. "Think they'll get along?" Not wanting to jinx anything, Mayor Lewis kept quiet, taking another sip from his glass.
Shane was halfway through his third pint when he eyed the girl walking toward him, and he looked around to see who else she could possibly talk to before he realized she was heading toward him, and he inwardly groaned. "Marnie probably sent her this way." He mumbled. The man looked at her, expression tight and weary, with a hardened frown, the dark patches under his eyes, matching her own.
"You Shane?" She wore a beaming smile that Shane found obnoxious. That, and she practically radiated a perky, energetic nature. He felt himself begin to shrivel up at something so blinding. "I'm the Granger girl. Moved into that eastside farm this mornin'."
From her extrovert nature, and her deep country accent, Shane saw that she may have been a city girl, but she didn't grow up nearby. Nobody in Stardew Valley sounds like that. "Charmed." He mumbled as he took another sip from his glass. "So, why are you talking to me? I don't know you."
The farmer raised an eyebrow, finding his attitude more curious than anything. "Was hoping to fix that, since you're my neighbor 'n all. Was gonna buy some of y'all's chickens." She drank some of her pint, setting the glass on the bar counter, and leaning back with her arms up on the ledge. "I heard your aunt raises the best in the valley."
"Just keep your hands off Charlie. She pecks." He tried to stop the conversation there, going silent, but the girl hung around, looking at him, confused, and Shane sighed. "Why are you still here? I want to be alone." He snapped.
A hiss was heard from Sebastian, who overheard, while Abigail and Sam gave each other a worried look as The Farmer's face dropped into an angry glare. "Oh Yoba, there he goes. His whole, "I'm drinking alone for a reason," act." Sebastian mumbled.
Abigail rubbed her fingers against her head and groaned. "Would it kill him to be a bit… welcoming? Not a very good first impression."
"Oh well, at least she tried." Sam leaned back, shoving another slice of pizza into his mouth.
Rather than be deterred by his demeanor, The farmer gave a disbelieved huff. "I- 'scuse me? I was trying to be your friend, but I'm starting to see why you ain't got any." She shot back.
Everyone at the booth gave each other a wide-eyed look, and Shane coughed into his glass, some droplets of beer landing on his stubbled chin, and he shot a look at her. "Hey, fuck you! I'm surprised you're even trying. Haven't I been rude enough to you yet?"
"Apparently not."
He rolled his eyes. "Wait… did Marnie put you up to this?"
"She didn't do shit!" She defended. "I came here of my own accord."
"Yeah? You sure ain't leaving of your own accord! Let me drink in peace!"
That last sentence was loud enough for half the saloon to overhear, and heads began turning in their direction. Marnie whispered worriedly to Lewis, who placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Leah and Elliot were betting on how the exchange would end, and Sam was holding Sebastian back from getting between them. "Just let it play out, man. It's not serious."
The Farmer took another gulp from her glass before continuing, needing the liquid courage boost. "Hey! I'm your neighbor! You know you're stuck with me, right? I'm trying to get to know people here!"
Shane had set his glass down on the bricks of the fireplace. "Well hooray for me. Don't you have work to do on that farm of yours? Why don't you do that and leave me out of it!" He stood a bit taller, ready to shoulder his way past her, and he just barely bumped her before she pushed him back.
"Fuck you, asshat! I was trying to be nice."
"Don't fuckin' push me!"
"Then don't run into me, fatass!"
"What?!" He returned a shove, her back hitting a barstool, and rattling the glass on the counter.
"You heard me! Don't fuckin'- she reared back, pushing herself forward on her toes, grabbing his shoulders, and with a massive heave, sent him stumbling backwards, off balance.
The Farmer was no pushover, and she was stronger than Shane by a long shot. The other patrons let out unanimous gasps as Shane lost his balance and landed right on his ass, his back hitting the edge of the fireplace, and he let out a yelp of pain. The farmer began to shift on her feet as she watched him push himself up, eyeing her with pure hatred, before he launched himself forward grabbing her collar and hoisting her forward. "You little bitch-!"
She did the same, snagging his shirt and spinning him back. "Let me go, chicken shit!" She growled.
Sebastian, Abigail, and Sam had mentally agreed that they had seen enough as they bolted out of the booth to the two of them. The Farmer let go, and raised a fist, ready to strike, but Sebastian was able to grab her right before she landed a hook at Shane's nose, while Abigail wrapped an arm around her chest and waist to help Sebastian pull her back. Sam pried Shane's hands off her now wrung-out shirt collar and pulled him back. "Calm down, dude! Calm down!"
"Calm down?!" Shane yelled, trying to break out of the grip. "She tried to punch me!"
Marnie had joined Sam, pushing Shane away from the girl. "Enough! Please! We don't need a fight on her first day!" She looked back at the farmer, who still looked more than happy to knock Shane upside the head.
Sebastian and Abigail were doing their best to calm her down. "Easy! Easy! Easy!" Even with their combined strength, they both struggled to keep her in place, but eventually dragged her out of punching range.
At this point, the whole saloon had gathered around. A few whooped, some shouting for the two of them to cool it, while others yelled for them to take it outside.
"Keep it out of my restaurant!" Gus thundered. "Both of you!"
"My, they're like animals," Elliot murmured to Leah.
On the back corner, nestled in a chair, Marlon lowered his head to drink a pungent-smelling liquor out of his glass, hiding a slight smirk. "Well… seems the new lass is more capable than I thought. I'll have to talk to her."
A safe distance from the scrap, Mayor Lewis rubbed his temple and sighed, placing his wine glass on the table. "-and Shane's done it again."
Abby ducked and barely dodged an elbow as continued to pull her back. "Have some self-control, please!" She hissed at the farmer. Shane was aghast at the way she was still willing to fight, and in the back of his mind, he was suddenly very glad that the others pulled them apart. If the strength she had in a single shove alone could knock him on his ass then a punch would have sent him to Harvey's in a heartbeat.
Slowly, they both lost their energy. Shane yanked his arm out of Sam's hand and shoved his hand back into his jacket pocket, before swiping up his now chipped pint glass, the beer having spilled on the floor. "Alright. Alright. I'm done. Let me go." He muttered, red-faced from embarrassment.
Abigail and Sebastian slowly began to let go of the farmer, who glared at Shane, before sighing and rubbing her head. He swore he heard her whisper quietly to herself, "Not again…"
Sebastian still had eyes on her like a hawk, wondering if she was truly done. "You good?" He questioned, patting her twice on her back.
"Yeah. Yeah…" She muttered, and her features twisted into a face of what seemed like guilt or displeasure, as she looked at the ground solemnly. "I think I should head back before I cause any more trouble."
"We'll walk you." Abigail offered, gesturing towards the exit. "No need for you to walk home alone."
"You don't have to-"
Sebastian interrupted her. "We insist. You've only been here for a minute, so you don't know about the things that lurk out there after dark.
"Things?" The farmer gulped, unsure of what exactly he meant, but she found it better not to question. "Ok. Ok. Alright."
Abigail nodded, then made her way over to Marnie, giving her a quick apology on the girl's behalf so she would have to get any closer to Shane again.
Marnie responded in kind. "Just make sure she gets home safely, please," Marnie asked. "She's still not entirely used to the place yet."
"Of course, Miss Marnie." Abigail gave her a quick, goofy salute that made her smile and ducked towards the exit. "Way to make a new friend," Abigail muttered as she walked past Shane.
He just rolled his eyes, placing a twenty in the chip of his pint glass before passing it to Gus, enough to buy himself a new one. "Shut up, Abby."
Shane glared at her as they walked away. The Farmer saw out the corner of her eye, turned back, and flipped him off. Sam whacked her on the back of her neck as they exited, "Leave it." and the farmer gave him a bashful grin.
Willy chuckled. "Ornery little thing, ain't she? Like a triggerfish, that one."
"Tell me about it." Clint agreed. "I think that's the most action this town has had since Sam put anchovies in the potluck."
Chatter about the confrontation bubbled up inside the saloon the second The Farmer was out the door, the patrons immediately looking for something to gossip about, so that the night wasn't completely boring, but when the table next to him began to loudly talk about the topic right next to him, Shane found it best that he cut his night short and go home without an extra pint.
He waved a meek goodbye to Gus and Emily, before promptly heading out the door, making sure the Farmer and her new gaggle of buddies was nowhere in sight. The telltale beginnings of a headache reverberated in his brain, and he rubbed his temples the whole way home. "I have a sixteen-pack in the fridge." He thought. "It's not raining, and the cliffs seem nice right about now. There's nothing better to do."
Meanwhile, halfway out of town, Sebastian, Sam, and Abigail escorted The Farmer, who was now profusely apologizing for her behavior, back to her property. "I did kinda lose it back there. Thank y'all for… ya' know, keeping me from doing anything too stupid. Not exactly the first impression I wanted in this town. Oh, and sorry for almost elbowing you, Abigail."
"Oh, don't beat yourself over it." Sam chided. "You're not the first person to start an argument with him. Definitely won't be the last either. Just ask Marnie. Though you were the first to try and fight the guy." Sam added, earning him a glare from Sebastian. "What? I think he had it coming!"
Sebastian shook his head. "Look, Shane's known for being like that. Honestly, no one's gonna be shocked by this. Whatever reputation you're hoping to have is still intact, I assure you."
Abigail flashed her a toothy smile. "Hey, having an attitude like that will keep you alive around here. Don't wanna go into the mines without it!"
"We have mines?" The Farmer questioned. She looked at her feet hitting the ground on each step. The stone path was beginning to turn to dirt as they neared the farmhouse. "At least it's good for something, I guess."
Sam placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her slightly. "It's only day one and besides, gossip runs dry pretty quick in this town. Just break a leg or accidentally set something on fire and it'll be forgotten about immediately."
"Or put anchovies in the potluck." Abigail giggled.
"Yeah, yeah. I put a pound of fish in the potluck. Not that big a deal." He muttered, going pink in the cheeks, before changing the subject. "Hey, the three of us are playing a gig next Friday. Why don't you join us? You can bring your harp!"
"Yeah! We can show you around town afterward! I know all the best secrets around this place." Abigail boasted. "There's more than just a few levels in that mine, you know."
"It's right behind my place," Sebastian added. "You can stop by at any time you'd like. Not gonna go into the mine myself though, but if you've got the guts-"
The farmer smiled wide, showing off sharp teeth. "I've got guts!"
"That Shane seems to hate." Everyone, including the farmer, laughed at that. It was a nice change in tone compared to the rest of the evening.
They were now at the end of the dirt trail, the farmhouse only a few hundred feet away, and they all came to a dead stop to say goodbyes and part ways. "If the mines interest you, you should see Marlon at the nearby guild. Odd guy, but no one goes in there more than he does. He's pretty knowledgeable." Abigail waved. "We'll see you tomorrow, farmer girl!"
"Yeah, and don't get into any more fights!" Sam added on.
"No promises!" She heard them all giggle, and she was soon left with just the wind in the trees.
The breeze carries a chill that snapped her back into her previous thoughts. Her new friends- she hoped anyway- had been a good distraction, but the second they left, her thoughts came back to torment her with a constant mantra of, "Maniac. Maniac. Maniac."
She turned on her heel, making a beeline to the front porch. "Leave me alone." She muttered, wondering if talking to herself would somehow calm her irritated brain, but to no avail.
"Danger. You're a danger."
"I'm not a danger. I was defending myself."
"You tried to hurt him."
"He tried to hurt me."
"Coward. You're a Coward."
"Not a fuckin' coward."
When The Farmer entered the house, she felt numb. There was no other word for it. Numb to the temperature, numb to everything that just transpired, numb in general, as she kicked her boots off by the door. Numb as she made her way to the bathroom, shucking her now alcohol-stained shirt and tossing it in the nearby hamper on the way there, leaving her in her pants and socks. Numb. Completely numb.
Halfway to the bathroom, she got angry. How dare he talk to her like that? Like he's hot shit? What a prick. All she did was try to help, and yet, he treated her like she was the problem, and he made her fight him all on top of that. What an asshole. Damn him. A jerk, a prick, bastard, twat- does he treat Marie like that? Does he treat Jas like that? Screw him. She should have beat him senseless.
Outside the bathroom door, all the anger dissipated into guilt. She could have done something different. She could have done anything differently. She should have left him alone, she should have listened to him and left, she shouldn't have pushed him, and she shouldn't have tried to punch him. Why did she even go to the saloon? Hell, why did she even come to this barren town anyway?
The thoughts bounced around in her head, each one getting louder and louder until she was practically drowning in the deafening sound of nothing at all. On edge, she pushed the bathroom door open and stepped inside.
The hot shower steamed up the room, coating the mirror in a thin layer of condensation, and she wiped a streak into it to get a look at herself, ignoring the fact that she felt like she was looking at a stranger in the reflection.
Oh, she was tired. The dark circles under her eyes were solid proof of that, and the way her eyelids tugged downwards didn't help. It wasn't just the look, she felt like she was dragging bricks behind her on a rope, the nylon cords digging into her skin, deeper and deeper, sucking her life until they cut through her in painful slashes. She sighed, stepping back from the vanity, step by step, until she heard the faint sound of her back gently hitting the wall.
Then she was crying. First, it was just her eyes watering up, then a tear fell, then another, then another. Her throat began to feel tight, and soon a choked sob made its way out of her throat as she slid downward, wanting to hit the floor before she got dizzy.
The thoughts returned with newfound vigor and relentlessness. "So fucking emotional. Emotional. Emotional. You'll be a blight on this town. Coward. You're a coward. They're scared of you, you fucking Maniac."
Just like all the times before, she brought her knees up to her chest, resting her forehead on them, and let the episode play out, knowing it never lasted long. By the end of it, the thoughts would quiet, having beat all the strength out of her violently. Body shaking, tears flowing, snot dripping, and breath panting like a scared rabbit, it was all familiar territory, yet fucking terrifying each time.
"You should be used to this by now." Her mind chided.
She sniffed. "Shut up."
"What would people think if they saw you like this?"
"They won't see me like this." The minutes blurred together and she continued her back-and-forth conversation with her mind, doing her best to calm her nerves: taking deep breaths when possible, leaning back, stretching her legs, and whatnot. By the time it was over, the shower water had turned cold, and her thoughts were now much kinder, yet still stern.
"Alright. Now get up." She stood on wobbly feet. "Go splash water on your face. Go on. One foot in front of the other. Go do it." Standing at the sink, she turned the handle to the coldest setting, gasping in shock when the icy cold liquid hit her face.
"Good, now go take your shower before you waste your savings on the water bill." It was freezing, all the hot water being used up while she sat weeping on the tile floor, so she scrubbed herself up as fast as humanly possible, teeth chattering the whole time. As uncomfortable as it was, it roused her from her sullen state, snapping her back into reality.
Stepping out onto the bath mat, she shook her now soaked hair, some of the water droplets landing far from the shower, on the walls and tiles, and she gave it a quick blow dry before putting on some clean pajamas.
"Now, you need to take your meds before you freak the fuck out again." That she did. Said medicine was somewhere on the kitchen counter. She felt her mood begin to shift the second she stepped into the room, dark and empty. "Fuck me." She said, flicking on the floor lamp. Now it was back to numbness. Somehow, no emotion at all felt better than whatever the hell she experienced earlier. In the kitchen, she grabbed the little orange pill bottle, turning the label to read its contents: Jojapharm: Lithium Carbonate Compound.
The farmer turned on the sink, and ducked under the tap to get some water, before tossing the pill into her mouth, tilting her head back, and swallowing quickly. She coughed, wiping the water off her smooth with her sleeve while staring through the window in front of her, into the pitch-black wilderness outside.
"I should sleep." The farmer thought to herself, but her feet stayed firmly planted on the floorboards, looking out the window until the minutes blurred together. The nighttime darkness was just too captivating, the way the leaves blew in the night breeze, and how the stars twinkled over the horizon of pines at the property's edge lured her into a sense of peace.
Her ears perked at the sound of a whippoorwill nearby, its song echoing across the field, like the nights she would spend here with her grandfather when she was a younger, and for the first time since she got there, she felt alright.
Something darted out from behind a nearby bush. Something big. Something… different, and her heart leaped at the sight of it. Too slim to be a bear, too round to be a deer, and too big to be a dog, it was something unusual, and unique. Her eyes tried to adjust to the little light there was, but against the dark curtain of night, she could just barely make out its features. It looked animalistic but, and she was certain of it, it looked like it walked on two legs. Bipedal like a human, but ever so animal in nature.
She shifted on the counter, and her hand hit a glass near the sink, toppling it over, and she froze as the creature jolted slightly, then turned to look her way. If it had heard that, despite the distance and walls between them, then that meant its hearing was phenomenal. "What the hell is that thing?!" Her mind rushed back to Sebastian's comment about "things," and she wondered if this was what he meant.
Two pinpoint white eyes glowed in the night, looking at her as if there wasn't a thick pane of glass separating the two, boring into her, bright and unsettling as the creature studied her. All she could do was stare back, the ticking of the clock being the only thing heard during their tense visual exchange. Her heart beat erratically, wondering if the creature was having the same problem, the fear of being seen by something, someone, so different eating them both alive.
An idea popped into her head, and she slowly began to raise her hand, not wanting to scare the creature away, but also making sure she didn't aggravate it. Smiling slightly, she waved a slow, and tense hello to see how it would react. "I wonder if it even knows what I'm doing?"
The creature blinked, watching the movement of her hand back and forth, then looking right into her, making her breathing stop. It then bolted on swift, heavy feet, disappearing into the woods, and left the farmer in a state of pure confusion. Wherever it was, it was gone now.
She could only stare at the spot where it stood, now empty. Her heart was beating madly, in an erratic rhythm. Maybe it would be back tomorrow, but was it dangerous? Maybe it really was just an animal, and the darkness twisted her vision, or maybe it was a person, who was used to trespassing on the land, shocked at the sight of someone now living in the old farmstead.
Slowly shaking her head, she backed up from the counter and walked towards the bed. "Just seeing things." She assured herself. "Just seeing things. Just seeing things." She continued her reassurance all the way to her bedroom, where she quickly snatched the curtains to her window shut.l, not checking to see if anything else was outside. "Just seeing things. Just seeing things."
Turning out the bedroom lights, "Just seeing things," knowing that her medicine would have kicked in by the time she saw it.
Stripping herself of her clothing. "Just seeing things." Knowing that whatever was out there looked too real to be a hallucination.
Slipping into bed and pulling the covers up over her shivering body, but no cool air to raise goosebumps. "Just seeing things."
"I'm just seeing things."
Sleep did not come easy that night, for both the farmer and the creature, who was praying, from his dark and dreary abode, that the girl waved him off as a bear nosing through her trash.
A few weeks later, when the weather began to warm up in the late afternoons, the farmland had been completely cleared, save for a few large stumps and logs she couldn't break with her axe. She was outside, admiring her work from the front porch, gazing out onto the open, forested land. The trees directly in front of the house had been cleared, and now there was a nice, empty patch out front where she had planted some flower seeds. Next to the house was a cleared space for a hen house, which the farmer was ecstatic about.
She had to contain herself and keep from straight sprinting to Marnie's in excitement, so she restored to a sort of trot the whole way there. "Gonna get my chickens! Gonna get my chickens!" She repeated over and over in her mind until she got to the front door, smiling at the calves that greeted her at the fence. "Mornin' little ones!"
A little bell jingled when she opened the door, and Marnie greeted her with a joyful grin. "Well hello, Mrs. Granger!"
"Mornin' Marnie! I just came to buy some-" She just barely caught a glimpse of jet-black hair and a scruffy blue jacket, and had to do a double take when the signals in her head clicked.
Shane was standing there in the kitchen, coffee cup in hand, looking at her wide-eyed. "You!"
"You…" The farmer muttered back. They both seemed ready to start right where they left off, but a gasp stopped them halfway, as they slowly turned to see Marnie and Jas staring at them. Tense seconds ticked by as they all stood there, hairs and hackles raised in anticipation.
Their eyes darted between each other, The Farmer to Shane, then to Marnie, then to Jas. Shane looked at Jas, who had her hands hugged to her chest in fear, and it made him ache. He didn't want to have her see him angry, so he and the farmer turned to one another. "Another time?" He asked.
"Yeah." She agreed. "Some other time."
Shane let out a huff, trudging past her and over to the front door. He took his jacket off the cost rack and slipped it on. "Goin' to work, Marnie."
She lowered her shoulder, relieved that the two of them had learned a better way to end their interactions. "Alright. Have a good day Shane."
Jas ran up to him, clinging to his leg in as tight a hug as she could manage. "Buh-bye, Shane!"
He bent over slightly, ruffling up her untied hair, making her giggle. Marnie hadn't put it up in twin buns yet, so she looked like a crow with puffed up feathers. It was cute. "See ya, kid. Behave for Mrs. Penny today, ok?"
"Ok!" She chirped.
Shane didn't seem to believe her, and he raised an eyebrow at her. "I mean it! No more lizards in her pockets!"
Jas let out a giggle after Shane closed the door, then bolted back to her room, shutting the door behind her. The farmer looked at Marnie. "Lizards?!"
She groaned, then buried her face in her hands, the tips of her ears turning red in shame. "Please don't ask. Oh, that poor girl puts up with too much."
"Right, right." The farmer fiddled with her hands, a bit embarrassed. "Sorry for almost arguing again. Especially in your own house, and sorry for that night. I should have just left him alone."
Marnie looked up at the young girl, her features plastered in pure shame, and she knew she didn't mean to agitate him. "Don't worry about it, dear. He's a bit hotheaded and all, but he won't cause you any more trouble. I'll make sure of it." Marnie's comforting words made her smile. She clapped her hands together. "Now, how many chickens are we getting today?"
Back at the farm, and the brand new hen house, the farmer smiled at the sight of her four new little hens checking out the small, but cozy coop they would be living in. She picked one up, holding it to her chest and scratching her head, and the little chick closed her eyes in contentment. "I think I'll call you… Cinnamon. How's that sound, little one?" She looked up at the other three, pointing to each one and giving them a name. "We'll call you Peachy, you'll be Angel, and you'll be… Tiny!" Oddly enough, Tiny was twice her sisters' sizes. The Farmer bent down to the ground, smiling as the three other baby chicks ran to her, peeping loudly, and she let Cinnamon join them in checking out the coop.
She took one last loving glance at them before heading back outside. Though she had made plenty of progress, there was still work to be done. Shane's words reverberated in her head. "Don't you have work to do on that farm of yours?!" She shook the thought away, clearing her head of that night before she could drown in the thoughts.
"Yeah. Yeah. Gotta work. Gotta work." Rolling up her sleeves, she stomped out into the field with a newfound sense of fortitude. "Watch me. I'll clear all that shrubbery by sundown!"
On the opposite side of town, at Jojamart, Shane was not doing anything that warranted a boost of confidence. He swore he had fixed the same shelves three times over. Someone, Shane figured a little kid, had been taking all the merchandise off the shelves and sticking them in the wrong spots all around the store, making him want to bang his head against the wall. "When I find that little shit I'm gonna throw a cola at their head." He muttered. The rest of the day was spent stocking, unloading, stocking, and unloading, until his back began to crack in pain, and his arms cramped up. Afterward, Morris had roped him into staying an extra couple of hours to do inventory that wasn't even necessary. At least, that's what he thought. "I just redid this same aisle four hours ago!"
Now, at eleven-thirty at night, he trudged his way out the door, almost letting it hit him on the way out. It was too late to head to the saloon, but his body still ached for the feeling of alcohol rushing through his blood, so he resorted to the next best thing: a twelve-pack that he had stashed outside, in a bush by the barn, in hopes that Marnie or Jas wouldn't stumble across it, and throw it away again. He had paid extra overtime money for it, too.
Out by the cliff's edge, sitting in a patch of dew-damped grass under an oak tree, Shane tossed an empty beer can to the side, wasting no time in grabbing another from the pack next to him, and popping it open. He was surrounded by empty cans, and he was more than wasted, not having any other coherent thoughts other than, "just some drink more. It can't hurt."
"It can't hurt." He slurred.
Jojamart had properly whooped his ass that day. It was bad enough having Morris breathe down his neck twenty-four-seven, making sure he was doing the same work he had been doing since day one, but working overtime made it even worse. He was supposed to have that day off, and he wanted to spend time with Jas too, but it had all been thrown down the drain. Hopeless.
The wind whipped up, shooting up the cliff's edge like a giant wave, pushing up the spray of tangy seawater into the air, before the little droplets fell back down to the earth, dappling his hair and jacket like little moonlit crystals. It smelled of the sea, of the vast and open ocean, smelled of salt and sand. It smelled like freedom.
"Fuckin Morris. He's a bigger pain than that fuckin' farmer girl." He muttered to himself. "Stock this here, put that there, don't do it like that, hey, you need to greet customers with a smile- blah. I work there- hic- stocking shit, not babysitting people." Angry and inebriated, his mind was far from fine, and as he slurred his words, his body also swayed back and forth, trying its best to stay upright.
He stood up, wobbling on unsteady legs. Taking a few empty cans into his hands, he walked up closer to the edge of the cliff, crumpling a can in his fist, then chucking it into the ocean below. "Fuck Morris," He threw another one, "fuck that shitty market," another can flew, "-fuck- hic- fuck everyone that walks into that store," he tossed the final can, and it bounced off the earth before falling over the edge, "-and fuck that mean-ass farm girl." He heard the metal hit the rocks below seconds later, faintly, the metallic sound echoing across the waves below until it was drowned out by the sound of seafoam hitting the beach. He let out another loud hiccup that carried across the woods and, staring out onto the horizon, where some storm clouds had begun to gather, he saw small flashes of purple lighting light up the sky in the distance. Shane got momentarily lost in its beauty.
Oh, what it would feel like to be a bolt of lightning. To live such a short life, and yet, for those mere seconds, create one of the loudest sounds known to mankind, shattering peace for miles, and causing so much change where you landed, All in the span of mere seconds. Yet here he was, with years of a doomed life ahead of him, with not even a clap of thunder to his name.
Another flash of lightning went off in the distance, and he felt himself gravitate toward its captivating light. Mind hazy and consciousness unclear, Shane found his body inching ever so slowly over to the cliffs' unceasing drop-off. Pulled by a force he found it best not to fight. Step by step, breath by breath, kicking an empty beer can to the side, he found himself at the edge. When he looked down, he swore he could see oblivion.
He was now so close that the dirt began to crumble underneath his feet, and the rocks that fell would keep going, going, going, until a faint crack was heard seconds later at the very bottom as they shattered into pieces. It wouldn't even hurt. He wouldn't even know. Everything would be over in half a heartbeat anyways, so why should the sounds of stone breaking deter him?
One step closer, he felt his heart slow. With another step forward, he dropped the half-full can in his hands, letting the beer seep out into the grass. Another step, and tears began to flow down his face, his eyes burning where they flowed from. One final step, and he felt the earth give out underneath him, and he closed his eyes tightly.
Tomorrow, he was sure Morris would be calling his phone over and over, wondering why he didn't come in. Tomorrow, Gus would question why one of his best patrons never showed up, and he would set out a pint of beer anyway, in case he happened to show up late. Tomorrow, Marnie would walk past his closed door, thinking he was just sleeping in after another exhausting shift. Tomorrow, everyone else would go about their day, not wondering where Shane was.
Tomorrow, Jas would wonder where he was, and the day after, Marnie would have to tell her he was never coming home.
"I don't want to die."
Something grabbed him. Something strong. Something warm, like bright sunlight on a late spring day, as it wrapped itself around his hand and arm. Everything stopped moving so fast as he was jerked, no longer falling, and when he looked down, he was his feet dangling off the edge. Below, sharp, pointed boulders arose from the ocean, and the waves smashed into them wildly, spraying salty seafoam into the air.
Shane let out an involuntary yelp but shortly found himself being hauled back up onto the grass. Someone had a hold of his arm, and shirt collar, and was grunting hard as they heaved him back up to safety. Once they were sure he was far enough away from the cliff's deadly edge, they let go, huffing in exhaustion.
Shane was far too gone to make out what was happening, everything was too blurred and too dark. He had been crying, then standing, then he had been falling, and now this shadowy, dark figure, who smelled of sweat and pine, felt of leather and cloth, was now shaking him madly, causing the blistering ache in his head to become worse. He squinted at the figure, trying to speak, to ask what was going on, but he could only manage a mumbled, confused noise as he felt himself slouch over, stomach churning from the adrenaline rush and alcohol mixed together.
It was a person. That he was sure of. "What has gotten into you!? You can't even stand straight!" The voice, though stern and somber, still flowed like warm honey. He had heard that voice somewhere before, somewhere that now felt far away, but he couldn't place it. He would much rather continue to drown in it than try to decipher it in his drunken state. "Can you even hear me? Hey!" They snapped their fingers in front of his face.
Shane groaned again, clutching his stomach as the figure went silent for a moment, trying to figure him out. He found himself being shaken again, a bit more gently, and he grumbled. There was a few seconds of silence, before the person sighed, now seeing the extent of his current state. "Oh… shit. You're drunk outta your mind, man. " They said, kicking a beer can to the side, and pushing him back onto his knees.
There was a sigh. "Oh, fuck me. Why do I do these things," was the last thing he heard before he found himself being leaned back into open arms. "C'mon. If I don't get you back to Marnie and Jas, they're gonna freak."
"Marnie and Jas." His mind focused. "Marnie and Jas. Marnie and Jas. Marnie and Jas." He faintly remembered being lifted off the ground, weightless, like all his burdens had been left in the dirt while this figure carried him to wherever it pleased. His mind flashed back to his mother, who would carry him like that as a child when he would fall asleep in the car, then he would find himself the next morning in his own comfy bed.
He might as well have been half asleep the whole way back, seeing nothing, but hearing everything. The sound of whooperwhills in the trees, the shuffle of leaves in the wind, the breathing of the person carrying him, heavy and fast.
The smells were even more potent. His beer-splattered jacket, the fresh air of the valley at night, that slight aroma of the ocean on the breeze, and a distinctly earthy smell that engulfed him the whole way home, like fresh rain on warm concrete in summer, like the smell of home. There was the smell of leather cleaner, like what he used to use on his favorite jacket in high school.
There was the sound of boots hitting the earth, then a door opening, slowly and quietly, then another door, then the comforting sound of sheets shifting and moving with his weight. His bed. He was home. Not on the edge of a cliff, not lifeless, floating around in the ocean like he had wanted before, he was home, and he didn't know how to feel about that.
He heard a groan from the person as they stretched, now free from carrying his dead weight through the woods for Yoba knows how long. "Uuugghhh-! Sweet fuck that was brutal. Why do y'all have to live at the top of this hill?"
He felt his body begin to shiver, despite the alcohol in his veins. Maybe it was starting to wear off. There was a shuffle, then he swore the figure had pulled his blanket up over him and he found himself trying to ask who they were. What came out was "-ourge ahr ya?" and then everything started to get hazy as sleep tugged at his mind, dragging him into slumber.
Footsteps, and the click of a door. They were leaving, but before they closed the door, leaving him all alone, he heard them pause in the doorway. "Honestly, you're an asshole of a man Shane, but not even you deserve something like that." He made out a faint, yet low chuckle. "You won't even remember this."
The world began to swirl and dip, and he felt his eyes drag shut, not before catching the last of the words falling off the figure's tongue.
This is only part of the fic. You can read the full, explicit fic on my ao3!
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Hyrule's vast plateaus, treacherous mountains, shimmering lakes, and dense forests were nothing short of breathtaking. Each morning, when the sun rose, painting the land in brilliant gold and tawny hues, and when the birds would wake from their slumber, chittering elaborate love songs, Link would take a moment to simply breathe.
He would take in the sights, sounds, and smells that made him feel at home no matter where he was, whether atop Death Mountain in the scorching heat or in the calm, cool water pools of Zora Domain.
Zelda was much the same, but now she tried to immerse herself in Hyrule's diverse nature more than ever. Having been cooped up in the castle for much of her childhood, and even in her teenage years, made her yearn for freedom, and to go where she pleased. Now, a hundred years later, she had it. She had that freedom, and that idea scared her.
She hadn't the slightest idea how she should go about it. How does one get in touch with the vast expanse of land that is Hyrule? She had Hylia's blood for heaven's sake, so it should come naturally, yet it evaded her. She had tried. Oh, she really did. She went for a walk one morning through some of the thick underbrush of the woods and spent a week covered in poison ivy blisters. Another time she had tried to study some local flora, and disturbed an enormous hornet's nest. She ran in circles around the woods screaming until she bolted back to Link's house, slammed the door behind her, and decidedly declared that she would be staying inside for the rest of the week.
Link had found her attempts endearing, and a bit humorous, but he was determined to let her have her fun. So, one early morning in Hateno, while the dew still clung to the grass, he brushed, fed, and tacked both of their horses, then tied them up out front, where Zelda was curiously watching.
She walked over to stroke her horse's nose and run her fingers through his blonde mane. "There's a good boy." She turned to look at her knight. "Link, where are we heading to this early in the day?"
Link was busy tying some sleeping mats and canvas rolls to his steed's saddle, along with their large travel tent, and pillows. "Wherever you'd like, princess. We're taking a vacation."
Her ears twitched as she tried to contain her excitement, and play it cool. "Oh? First I've heard of it."
"It's a surprise of sorts. You've been dying to get out and explore Hyrule, so we're doing just that." He gave his mount a pat on the neck, and a puff of dust rose up, making him cough. "Epona, you need a bath." He muttered, then turned to Zelda, who was now smiling warmly. "Grab anything you want to bring from the house. We'll be gone for a while. Oh, and I already tied your sleeping mat to Blanc's saddle" He said, walking over to the white stallion, and giving him the same pat on the neck. No dust, thankfully.
Touched by the gesture, Zelda rushed up to him, wrapping him up in a bone-cracking hug, in which she ignored Link wheezing out "Sweet Hylia, Zel… I can't breathe…" She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before letting him go. He sucked in a lungful of air, now free of Zelda's vice grip. "You are truly the sweetest man I've ever known." Hardly able to contain herself, she gave him two more kisses, one on the opposite cheek, and one on the tip of his nose. "I'll go get my things." She practically bolted inside the door of the house, eager to pack up and leave, leaving a blushing, starstruck Link in the front yard.
They were on the trail by the next hour, heading for Lake Hylia. Zelda had suggested they do some lakeside stargazing, before circling the large body of water and heading into Faron Woods. They still had yet to come up with a solid travel plan, but there was no rush. They had all the time in the world to spare, and they could simply make adjustments as they pleased.
They were halfway to the lake when they stopped to give the horses a much-needed break. Zelda removed the bridle from Blanc, and he opened his mouth wide, stretching his facial muscles. "We don't want to run them ragged, or we'll never make it." Zelda said, bringing a small wooden bowl full of water to Blanc's lips. He finished the entire thing in no time, then joined Epona, munching on tall, juicy stalks of grass in the field.
Zelda laid the bridle on top of their bags and grabbed her rolled-up blanket, laying it out over the softest patch of grass she could find, before plopping down onto her back, gazing up at the few clouds that traveled the sky. "I could just sit here and stare for hours, Link. We haven't even made it halfway through our first day." She giggled.
It was a sound that made Link's heart run in circles. "You'll see plenty more, Princess, I promise. I know the entirety of Hyrule like the back of my hand." He joined her on the blanket, sitting up with his head on his knees, looking out at their horses, grazing to their heart's content.
"With how much you ventured, I don't see how you couldn't. You've seen so much. All of Hyrule is so gorgeous, I can't imagine a place you didn't like."
Link frowned as he thought about that crazy flower lady who looked like she was going to throttle him for stepping on her precious flora. He didn't want to spoil Zelda's happiness. "Not really… It's all pretty nice." The smile on her face made it all worth it to Link. What he'd give to see that every day, so they sat in the field, talking to their heart's content until the sun began to dip low in the horizon.
They made it to Lake Hylia a few hours later. Zelda had wanted to set up the tent for them since she was in need of practice, and she wanted Link to go ahead and bathe in the lake since he had smelled like a dusty horse for most of the day. "And for the love of Hylia, take Epona with you. I just watched her roll in a mud puddle." She said, pointing at his steed, who covered head to hoof in brown, yucky muck.
Link screeched, and ran to snatch his horse out of the wallow, waving his arms at her frantically. "I haven't even taken her saddle off! Epona, no! No!" Zelda was laughing until she was breathless, watching him try to yank his unbothered horse out of her cool, and refreshing mud puddle. Link too found himself in the sloppy drink when she pulled her head back and dragged him in with her.
Zelda sucked in a long breath, almost on the verge of tears. "Oh, dear. Now he really needs one. Both of them do." Blanc trotted over, eyeing the two in the mud, then nickering low at Zelda, and she gave him a sweet kiss on his forehead. "Don't worry, my sweet boy, you're still as fresh as daisies." He whinnied warmly.
Link finally managed to pull Epona out and away from the puddle, and led her to the water. He had found a secluded spot, surrounded by dense bushes, and a large tree, where he could strip down and wash them both clean. He undid her saddle, which was now absolutely caked in mud and clay. "This is your good saddle too…" His clothes were the same way, though he didn't mourn them as much. They were nothing but simple hiking clothes and roughed-up boots. With a drawn-out sigh, he kicked the clothes aside, and led his horse, by her reins, to the crystal clear waters of Lake Hylia. Link shivered when he took his first step in, and Epona grunted in displeasure. "You wanted to roll around in the mud, now get in here." He punctuated with a tug, and she begrudgingly waded in, splashing at the water with her hoof. They didn't stop until Epona was submerged up to her neck, and now she was closing her eyes in contentment and pleasure. Link was swimming to stay afloat, ducking under to rinse his hair clean. When he came up, he splashed water at his horse's face, knocking off most of the dried mud, and she glared at him in displeasure.
They waded for a while until their ears perked up at the sound of footsteps approaching them. Zelda walked to the edge with a towel, and a change of clothes in hand, and she saw the two of them soaking in the waters. Link only had the top half of his head about the water, eyeing Zelda with a curious look, and his ears twitched slightly. "Hello!"
Epona exited the water to greet her, shaking herself off in a great spray of water that Zelda shielded the dry clothes from. "Hello, you two. I've brought a towel, and your night clothes." She said, laying them by the tree. She patted Epona on the neck before she pranced off to join Blanc in the field, leaving Zelda and Link alone. "Good to see you're both no longer painted brown." She chuckled.
Link rolled his eyes. "She'll be dirty again by tomorrow morning, probably. It's like she detests being clean. At least she's not bright white like Blanc."
"Oh, she probably will be. You two are just alike, you know. It's cute." As much as she wanted to sit and talk, she had to admit that she had begun to smell like a horse too, a smell she wasn't all too fond of. Not on her, at least. She clapped her hands together. "Alright, my turn. Out of the water with you, then."
Link sighed, and, instead of getting out, pushed himself out further into the water with a splash. "Yeah, but I kinda like it here. Might just stay. You're clean as it is, and you weren't the one covered in mud."
"I'm all sweaty from putting up your tent."
"Our tent."
"I smell like a horse."
"A clean horse."
She huffed with her hands on her hips. "Out with you."
"Hmm… nah." He splashed some water in her direction.
Zelda dodged the small spray that managed to reach her, and she sighed. "No, huh?"
"Nope." Link closed his eyes and sunk back into the water.
Zelda smirked, and began to step up to the water's edge, the edges of her shirt in hand. "Alright, Hero, have it your way." With one swift motion, she pulled the fabric off her body, and dropped it to the earth, leaving her in her pants and boots.
Link, hearing the ruffling of cloth, squinted his eyes open momentarily before practically choking on a gasp, then turning around. "Zelda!" He yelped, ears flushed red.
She unclipped her boots and kicked them off, one nearly landing in the water. "What? I'm taking my bath now, so you'd better move it." She undid her belt and allowed her pants to fall as well before toeing out of them. "Or you can stay right there, your choice." She said, and the sound of the final piece of clothing falling to the ground made Link's heart nearly stop.
"Alright! Alright! I'm getting out!" Link's ears, as well as the rest of his face, were now flushed red as he jumped out of the water, making Zelda cover her eyes, biting down on her lip as she tried not to cackle, and he headed for his towel, sighing at the warm, plush cotton enveloping his body. "Goddesses… Can't wait a moment can you?" He said, still turned away from the water.
She was now floating on her back, eyes shut, while the ends of her short blonde hair were floating up in the water. The water felt so cool and revitalizing, and she let out a groan as her muscles loosened. "Hmm, stay out here any longer and you'll get a sunburn, you know. Better head back." She said, ignoring his mocking.
Link was ruffling his hair dry with the towel, and he came out of it looking like some spiky-feathered baby bird. He tossed it around a low-hanging branch and began to dress in his soft night attire. "I'm gonna serve you charcoal for dinner. Making me leave my nice comfy bath." Zelda only giggled, and Link left to set up supper.
The first stars of dusk were just beginning to pop up in the sky by the time Zelda was done bathing. The water had started to cool to the point where she was getting goosebumps, so she decided it was time to get out and see how far Link had gotten with their dinner. Zelda found him setting up some plates on a blanket in the grass, where they could gaze at the stars as they began to slowly fade into view in the sky. The smell of freshly cooked mushroom skewers and pork on rice drifted around her, and it smelled lovely, enough to make her stomach gurgle. When she got there, she also saw he had made fruit cake as well. "You remembered it's my favorite!"
"I'd never forget, Zel. You hardly ate anything else for dessert." He chuckled, and Zelda held that beautiful, fluttering sound close to her heart. She got closer, and quickly ruffled his hair, then smoothed it down, and he gave her a confused look.
"It's still all spikey from the water." She smiled.
The food that Link cooked rivaled that of the royal cooks in the castle a hundred years ago, and Zelda wondered why the hell her father didn't make him the head chef instead of her personal knight. She couldn't complain, but all those delicious dinners, lunches, and desserts he could cook just made him all the more admirable.
Both of them had been hungry, and most of the food was quickly scarfed down, along with the fruit cake, which Link was able to grab a small piece for himself before she consumed it.
Now, full and happy, they both lay back on the blanket, looking up at the sky. Zelda let out a small, undignified burp, and Link chuckled, happy to see her losing some of her formality in his presence. They gazed up into the obsidian sky above, watching the stars twinkle their hellos as the final, dimmest stars appeared in the sky, and Link listened intently as Zelda began to point out and list the planets in the sky above them.
A sudden, faint memory rose at the back of Link's mind. "Remember the constellations you showed me before? In the castle gardens?" He wasn't all too familiar with the constellations, but he remembered being out in the gardens one night with Zelda, listening to her name each of the patterns in the sky, and pairing them with strange, and magical stories. When he looked up, he saw only stars, dotting the sky with their beauty and wonder, and he pointed to a small cluster above them. "Anything up there that you know of?"
Zelda pointed up too, tracing out a pattern in the sky. "Talios, the great bull. His story says that he ran nonstop across the land for ten years searching for his son, Letrus, who is… right over there, to his right." She pointed out another to the left. "Oh, and Septera, the serpent. That's one of the largest constellations in our sky!"
Her knowledge of these little things made Link smile happily. He was no longer looking up, but he had rolled into his side, watching Zelda point and chatter happily about the stars in the sky. Before the calamity, she had been much the same, filling up those silent moments with her knowledge of absolutely everything, and Link was relieved to see that she had not changed one bit. She was the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, after all.
She kept on for a moment until she glanced over and saw him watching her with a smile on his face. "There's also the rabbit, Lepus, and I think over there is- what? What are you smiling at?" She blushed.
"You. You seem happy to be out here. Like, truly happy."
She glanced away, wondering if it was possible to get any redder. "It beats sitting cooped up in Hyrule Castle, only able to read books about how gorgeous the land is. It's nice to be able to see it without having something on my shoulders for once." Zelda rolled onto her side too, mirroring him. They were now so close that their body heat seemed to warm the small space between them, that or the heat from their constant blushing. Zelda got lost in those deep cerulean eyes of his before she cleared her throat and spoke. "Link? Thank you for, well, all of this. You have no idea how much this means to me. It's more than I could ever ask for."
"You're welcome, Princess. This won't be the only time, I assure you."
"Truly?!" She squeaked.
"Without a doubt." Link's ears twitched slightly as a low rumble made the crickets in the grass go silent, glancing up, he saw the stars on the horizon begin to disappear behind a dark curtain of clouds. Rain was on its way. "Ah. So much for stargazing. Sorry, Zel."
A cool breeze washed over them, chilling the air, and Zelda hugged her arms together for warmth. "We'll have more chances for stargazing, don't worry. I think this was a fabulous first night." She shivered slightly. "Oh, it is getting colder. We'll both need our heavy blankets by midnight."
Something instinctive began to run through him, something protective, yet loving. Without thinking, and running purely on a joyful high, Link languidly extended his arms, moving himself a bit closer to Zelda, and began to curl himself around her, searching for any sign of discomfort. The last thing he wanted was to make her dream trip uncomfortable.
Zelda was a little startled by the sudden gesture, but that warm and comforting aura surrounding Link was all too inviting, and she quickly scooted right up to him, nudging her head under his chin, and wrapping her arms around his torso, letting out a heavy, content sigh. "Thank you. I was starting to shiver."
"Anytime, Princess." Both of them closed their eyes, and the tension in their bodies faded as they melted into each other. Link reached up behind her and placed a hand in her hair, scratching slightly at her scalp, and she let out a pleased groan. Her hair felt like silk to him, so fluffy and soft, and he momentarily wondered if that was the reason all his shampoo at the house had been running empty twice as fast.
Zelda looked up at him. "Yeah. Yeah. I've been using your stuff. I can't help it, it smells nice." Link just huffed a small laugh as he gazed at her, and saw she was looking intently. His ears twitched in question, and Zelda answered. "Your eyes are the most gorgeous blue. I've never seen anything like it." She admitted.
Oh, how he loved hearing that from her. "And yours the most beautiful green, Princess." Link kept his gaze fixed, then let out a little hum of wonder.
Zelda questioned what had him transfixed. "Hmm?"
"Your eyes… if you look closely enough, they're blue too. Just around the middle, like turquoise."
"Oh wow, I thought I was the only one who noticed. You… are the first to come close enough to find out, I guess." Her voice got quieter to the point where she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. "Careful, look any deeper and you might start reading my thoughts."
Whatever space was left between them, Link began to close in on, scooting forward until their bodies were pressed together. "Yeah? And what would they be saying?"
She broke their held gazes for a moment, looking mildly somber. "That we might be in over our heads."
"But we're happy." Link breathed, and inched ever so closer, eyes darting down to Zelda's lips, and back. "Finally happy, right?"
Zelda felt their fingers interlace. His hands were callused, worn from use, yet so gentle. "More so than I've ever been, Link." He just gave her a content smile and a silent moment lingered between them, before Zelda rolled her eyes, having had enough. "Oh, c'mere you-" She reached around, and with a swift tug to his scruffy hair, brought them crashing together, and all their concerns faded in a rush of euphoria and they both thought to themselves "Goddesses, finally…"
Link cupped her face in his hands, and kept her close, terrified that if he lost her, he would wake up from some cruel dream, and she'd be gone. Zelda wanted him to hold on, for the same anxiety-driven reason. She would tell herself over and over, in the late hours of the night, she'd do it all again if it was all for him. She let out a quiet moan that spurred him on all the more, and he let his tongue barely cross her lips before he pulled back, watching her breath heavy. "Easy, Zel, we've got all night."
Zelda suddenly sat up, and he tried to do the same, before she placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back to the ground so she could jump on top of him, and straddle him. "That we do." She breathed before pressing her lips back into his, and he groaned loudly. Zelda was positive she felt her heart skip several beats.
She began to kiss him on every spot she could manage, placing feather light pecks down his jaw, the column of his throat, and pushing his tunic down ever so slightly to reach his collarbone, where she began to leave marks with heated, open-mouthed kisses. Link could hardly take it, practically a groaning, panting mess by the time she had left a second mark, sure to bruise in beautiful violet shades. He breathed shakily, "Zelda-!" and she pulled back, smiling at how disheveled he looked at that moment.
The marks on his neck were just turning a deeper shade, and his hair was tousled, the band keeping his little ponytail in place long since fallen out, letting his blonde hair float free. Zelda was just about to make a smug comment about it before she was abruptly cut off by the feeling of something moving slightly between her thighs. Link suddenly blushed furiously, his whole face, and ears, turning crimson. "Uh…" She almost didn't realize she was holding her breath, amazed at the effect she alone had on him. Oh, how the night was going to turn in a whole new direction. Zelda gave him a shit-eating grin, and snickered lowly, making Link more turned on than he ever had been in his life. "Sweet Hylia." He covered his face with his hands, unsure of how long he was going to last if this kept up.
Zelda bent down, ready to kiss him senseless again, but something cold and wet suddenly hit her nose: a little water droplet, which dripped off the tip of her nose, and onto Link's tunic, and they both looked up at the sky, which was now completely overcast with dark gray rain clouds.
"Oh no…" Their ears both pricked as the distinct sound of the pitter-patter of a rain curtain crossing the lake kept getting louder and louder, and they froze as they both realized that it was about to start pouring. "Shit!" Zelda scrambled off of Link, who was still doing his best to not completely lose his mind, and they rushed to gather all their plates, and the blanket before they got soaked.
Zelda tried to stack the plates in her hands and carry them all at once. She dropped two of them and fought to keep her balance. She barely kept from dropping one more. "The blanket… the blanket, Link!" The rain had already reached them at this point, and Link was doing his best not to drag it in the dirt. He flinched as he heard something else crack behind him, and he eyed Zelda. "Sorry!" She yelped.
Blanc and Epona were watching their riders panic from a distance, nestled underneath a large, dense-leafed oak tree, and Epona nickered slightly as the sound of the rain lulled them both to sleep. Zelda and Link, on the other hand, were not having such a peaceful experience.
"Shit. Shit! Shit, shit, shit-! They gave up and ditched the blanket, now making a run for their warm, sheltered tent, as it continued to rain down, with no sign of stopping. It was a crazed experience, and halfway to their tent, they began to burst out in disbelieved laughter, and Link nearly tripped, making Zelda snort.
They burst into the tent, sending water flying. They were drenched and disheveled, and they took a glance at each other before descending into laughter again, breaking through the sound of the rain on the fabric of their tent. Zelda ran a hand through her soaked hair. "Well, we almost had a romantic evening."
"It's never a normal day with us, is it?" Link added, as he wrung the water out of his shirt, which hardly did anything.
"Well, at least it's not boring, hmm? She shook her hair, which was now curling up at the humidity, and Link laughed as he got sprayed. She kicked off her mud-laden boots into the corner, then walked over to Link, who was about to rid himself of his shirt.
She pushed his hands up, and grabbed the edges of his shirt, tugging it slightly. "Now, where were we?" Link smiled and gave her a quick kiss before she pulled up, and took the soaked garment off of him. Free of his tunic, he too shook his head, discomforted by his wet hair, and Zelda shielded herself and squeaked as he sent water droplets in every direction. "Link!" Link just giggled shyly.
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This is the end of this part! See my ao3 for the full fic!
You can read this fic, and all my others, on my ao3!
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The nights in Hyrule had gotten to a point where, come morning, the trees, grass, and whatever flowers were left would be coated in a thin sheet of icy frost, as the seasons began their final change of the year. Grasses shriveled up, most fall crops were dying, and Hyrule's local waterfowl were beginning to leave for the warmer southern waters. Next spring, they would return and nest in the nearby ponds and springs.
Zelda was home alone at Links abode in Hateno, dumping what was left of the slightly damp firewood into the furnace. It was sappy wood, so now and again, she would jump from the sound of a loud crack as the heat made the wood pop and crackle viciously.
Link was supposed to return from a trip to Rito Village soon. Kass had asked for some help reaching his destination on a three-day trip, and the only path they could take ran through Lizalfos camps and Lynel territory. Link was more than happy to accompany him, always ready to lend a hand to a friend. That was four days ago, but Zelda hadn't the slightest worry. Sometimes his trips took a little longer than expected, especially when unsavory weather, monsters, or villagers needing help popped up unannounced. He was capable, that she knew of, and never doubted.
Originally, she had planned to go, but Link insisted she stay home and have some time to herself to do what she pleased, whether that be reading, writing, practicing archery, or putting together another one of her weird science experiments, as long as he didn't come home to a blown up house. She thought about it and realized she had been tagging along so much that she never made enough time for her own interests. "Actually, that's not a half-bad idea. There are some potion recipe parchments I gathered from the library. I'd like to try them and… Oh! I have to read those books too!"
Zelda was curled up on the couch reading said book. She had snatched it from Hyrule Castle's worn-down library during a scouting trip with Link. It was still intact and readable, and she took it, along with multiple others she found interesting, such as some fantasy novels, and romantic literature. This particular one was about native flora and fauna and she flipped through its pages, enamored with the scientific sketches and drawings. "Some of these flowers don't even exist anymore!"
Living in Hateno had swiftly become one of her favorite things about her new life. Though she was a princess a hundred years ago, she hadn't missed all the formalities, like those itchy ceremonial dresses, early mornings rushing to etiquette practice, or spending hours on end in freezing spring waters trying to access a power she wasn't even sure she possessed. Here, she could come and go as she pleased, spend hours indoors without someone banging on the door, rushing her to some diplomatic meeting, and, best of all, she had Link with her all the time, and there were no maids around to spread "scandalous rumors" about the pair. The worst she heard around the village was "Hey, are you Link's girlfriend?" Which she'd proudly announce "yes" to.
It was peaceful above all else. A warm fire, fuzzy lynel skin blankets, books to read, food to eat, and houseplants galore, a show of Link's green thumb. It was all she needed to be content. The only thing that could make it better was if he'd hurry on home.
Whatever pleasant thoughts she had were interrupted by three forceful knocks on the front door. She froze up and dropped the book to the floor, momentarily angered by the fact she had lost what page she was on. She really needed to invest in a bookmark.
A voice came from outside. Link's voice, albeit a bit hoarse. "Zelda? Zelda! Open up. It's me."
The moon was at its highest point in the sky. What was he doing back at that time of night, and in such cold temperatures? She pulled herself from her comfy seat, tossing the blankets to the side. "Great heavens, Link. It's midnight!" She strode towards the door. "What are you doing back at this hour-" her words were cut off by a loud gasp when she flung the door open. Instead of her knight jumping into open arms as she had hoped, she found him in a much worse off state.
First was the blood. So much fucking blood. He was covered head to toe like he had gone swimming in it. Some of it was dried, some fresh, but it was all a horrific sight. Then there were the bruises, two on his arm, one on his leg, another on his face, and there were some hidden under the torn clothing he was wearing. Some looked like they were beginning to turn blue, and Zelda worried about broken bones.
Lastly, he was paler than snow. His lips had lost their pinkish coloring, as did the tips of his ears and fingers. He looked like walking death. She noticed that his eyes were starting to dilate, as he did his best to hold her gaze, and she grew worried, knowing that usually, that happens right before…
"Sweet Hylia! Link!" She saw him begin to sway forward, and she lunged, grabbing him under his arms and hauling him upwards, and he garbled something unintelligible.
"Huh? What?"
She gave him a few seconds to come back to. "Bandages… and there's elixirs by the sink." He swayed again and she held him steady. "The table. Please."
"Right, right. Here, arm over my shoulders." She helped him lift his left arm over her, and slowly, they made their way to the kitchen table, where she plopped him down in a chair and only went to fetch his requested items when she was sure he wouldn't collapse again.
She came back only moments later, and Link mumbled again. "Can't see…"
"It's alright, I'm right here." The biggest gash was on his outer right thigh, and she immediately went to work wrapping it as tightly as she could manage, earning several pained noises from Link. "All this blood…"
"Most of it's not mine." He grumbled.
"I'm unsure whether that's better or worse." She finished off the bandaging and popped open an elixir for Link to take. "Here. Don't chug it all at once or you'll vomit. Little sips."
He did as he was told, slowly taking little sips at a time, while Zelda got to work on some of his lesser wounds. A cut on his shoulder, a bruise to his stomach, a puncture in his arm, a slash across his top lip, a lesion to his shoulder blade, the list went on and on, but Zelda was quick. What felt like a month's supply of medical bandages later, she was sure she had every single one cleaned and dressed, and some were starting to heal at the edges thanks to the healing elixir. Link had already opened his second one and was starting to drink it too, and she had to remind him again to go slow.
She was wetting a washcloth in the sink when Link tried to stand, but stars clouded his vision as soon as he did, and his body suddenly felt like lead. He landed back on the chair with a heavy thud, making Zelda panic, and rush over.
"Don't try that! You've lost far too much blood. Besides, I'm still working on these." She pointed to a cut with stitches that she had worked on. "Try to raise your arms. I need to get these filthy clothes off of you."
He languidly hoisted them upwards, and Zelda took extra caution in maneuvering the fabric around all his wounds, worried about infecting them. She tossed the ruined shirt to the floor, then crouched down, undoing his belt. "Pants too." A little bit of color returned to his face as he froze.
"Link-"
"Yeah! Yeah…" He snapped out of it and lifted his hips so she could get the garment off. It was safe to say that everything he was wearing would be tossed out or burned, and he was left sitting in his boxers.
Zelda backed up and finally took a good look. He looked like hell had swallowed him whole, chewed him up, and spat him back to earth. The injuries were all dressed, but he didn't look any better. He looked defeated. She squeezed the washcloth in her hands, and strode over, gingerly wiping some dried blood off his collarbones. "Oh, Link. What happened out there?"
He said nothing. Instead, he just looked over at the wall, clearly not wanting to say. Zelda wiped more blood and gore off of him before pressing for an answer. "Link." She brought a finger under his chin and gently, but firmly, pulled him to face her. "What? Happened?" She punctuated each word.
Beat, he sighed roughly, like a balloon losing all its air, and pressed a hand to his forehead. "Yiga."
"Fucking hell, Link."
"I know, I know. Don't berate me, the wounds were a lesson enough." He coughed wetly. "Shit."
Finished with her work, she took the blood-stained cloth and tossed it on top of the ruined clothing. "How many were there?"
He held up his fingers to count and then dropped them. "Ten? Twenty? I don't know. They just kept appearing. It felt like an ambush."
"I don't see how it couldn't have been an ambush. Are they all dead?"
"Yes-" he caught himself. "No. Wait. No. I… well… I got some of them but I- I just-" It pained him to even say it.
"You did what?" She questioned. He looked at her for a moment, trying to calm his nerves, which were becoming more frayed by the second. Zelda knew what he had done. He wouldn't have been there had he not, but she knew just how much it bothered him, so she placed a hand on his. "Ran away. You ran for your life."
She felt his body tense at the fact. "I- I ran. I ran as fast as I could." His voice broke and Zelda swore she heard her heart shatter into a million little pieces. "I took down a few, then more came for me. I got overrun, and… one of them cut my arm, then another. I just- there were too many." He brought his head up and looked straight at her, and Zelda suddenly realized she was witnessing something she had never seen before. "I just ran. They chased me but I ran." Tears were now flowing, dripping onto the bandages.
"I was scared, Zelda. I was so fucking scared."
Those few words made him feel more bare and seen than he had ever felt before, and his breathing got more erratic as every silent second passed by.
Zelda stood, taking both his hands in hers, and tugging. He stood up, still jaded, but a little confused as she slowly led him towards the couch, and the warm, but dimming fire. She sat down first, never letting him go, then guided him to follow. His breathing was still labored, and she worried he would pass out again. "Come here, love."
Moving hurt him, from every part of his body, and he would hiss in pain every time a wounded part of him would hit the side of the couch, or he would put weight on the wrong leg. Slowly, he eased himself down on top of Zelda, until he was able to wrap his arms around her shoulders and release some of his body weight. He let out a long breath of relief.
She shifted slightly to grab a blanket off the floor, and he whined. "Sorry." She dragged the blanket up over them both, covering him just below his shoulders, and he shifted to get more comfortable. He looked at her, and she looked like she was thinking hard. Gazing upon his battered body and teary face with a judging look, as she did with those weird experiments of hers.
"Zelda. Say something. Anything."
She looked like she had been pulled from a trance, and she sighed, letting her hands drift under the blanket as she rubbed up and down his sides and back. He felt like he could fall asleep at the first touch. "My dear, sweet knight. Of all the courageous, boar-headed, and downright crazy things I've seen you do," She brought her hand to his face, "I think this is, by far, the bravest thing you've ever done."
"But-" Link couldn't believe his ears, and he perked them, curiously. "But I ran!"
"You did, you ran for your life. You ran as fast as you could go and because of that you are alive, Link. You came home to me because you ran."
He was starstruck, and Zelda's patience was wearing paper thin. She leaned forward, pulling him in and kissing him as hard and fervently as ever, making him squeak, but she slowed as she felt him melt, like wax over flame. She kept telling herself to be gentle, not breaking him any more than he already was.
He tried to mumble something, and she pulled back, letting him catch his breath to speak.
"It's not right. That wasn't courage, that was fear. I was frightened." Tears returned anew, though not as much as before. "It's not right. I'm supposed to be a hero, courage incarnate. Not whatever the hell this is." He gestured to himself, placing his hand on his chest.
She took his hand and wrapped him back around her shoulders. "Link, true courage is knowing when to run. If you didn't, you wouldn't be fighting another day." She frowned. "You never would have come home. To me."
Link sniffled, and buried his face in her neck, trying and failing to get closer when there was no more air between them, and Zelda curled around him, sheltering and warming him until his whimpers and cries got quieter and quieter, until all she heard was heavy breaths. He finally peeled himself away from her, sitting up a little straighter. She put her hand back to his cheek and he all but melted at the touch, pushing closer to her. She smelled like pine and chamomile, and Link wondered for a moment if he really had died and made it to heaven.
He glanced at her lips and leaned forward. "Kiss me?" And Zelda fought back a smirk.
Oranges. She had been eating oranges because he tasted the faint citrus flavor every time he kissed her. Maybe some strawberries too, but mostly the oranges. She pressed harder into the kiss, pushing her tongue into her mouth and making him moan. He had surrendered, too tired to take control, but more than willing to let her take charge.
It went on until the embers in the fire started to die out, and Zelda pulled back, nor before placing a kiss on the tip of his nose. "I love you, Link, but now I want you to rest, ok?" He nodded, sad they had to stop, but his yawn told him she was right. "Lay down. I'm not going anywhere."
She saw the way he looked around them, out the windows, and at the door. The horrors of the ambush are still fresh in his mind, so she had to remind him that he was safe. "Link, no one is going to get you." She lifted her hand to him, and a faint glow of the Triforce shone just under the skin. "Not while I'm here. Now sleep, my knight."
He felt so lucky to have her, and he smiled widely, taking her hand, still faintly glowing, and pressing a kiss to it, before settling down, and laying his head on her chest. "I love you too, Princess. More than you'll ever know." He was out within minutes, breathes coming in slight wheezes from the injuries, but comfortable other than that.
Zelda watched for a while before she felt herself grow weary and fatigued. She scooted down, careful not to wake him, and snuggled closer. "Goodnight my love."
Seeing him in such a state pained her. Images of red-clad warriors with curved blades and white masks danced in her head, filling her with seething, fiery rage. Like hell, they were going to take someone else she loved out of her life. Not a chance. Not with her alive and kicking. She'd kill Ganon a hundred times over to protect him, so some Yiga ambush was nothing.
"Link, I promise you. I will find them, and I will destroy… Every. Last. One." With her promise sealed, she allowed herself to drift off.
An arrow whizzed through the air, striking the hay bale target with a distinct "thwack" before it fizzled with a slight crack of electricity, then stopped.
Zelda had wanted to learn how to use the shock arrows properly since, as Link learned the first time he used them, firing them wrong can result in the user becoming just as damaged as the target. That, and she felt like they were the type she should use. She found she had a knack for the electrically charged arrows, and they made her think of Urbosa.
Link had worried about her using such destructive ammo when she was still new to the bow, but he was able to craft a shock arrow that was far less devastating for her to start with. He watched her pull another from her quiver and load it. "You're a quick learner. Last week, it would have hit the pond." He pointed at the small body of water that was just behind the target.
Zelda shook her head at the memory. "Goddesses… all those poor fish. Serves me right for forgetting that electricity conducts rather well in water."
"It happens." He flinched slightly at the sound of another charged arrow hitting its mark, and crackling with electricity. "I promise you whatever mistakes you'll make with that thing will be nothing compared to what I managed to do with mine."
"Have you forgotten I kept watch?" She giggled. "I saw some of the ludicrous things you managed with those bomb arrows of yours. I'm surprised you came out of it all unscathed."
"Mostly." He pulled up his right sleeve and pointed at a small patch of skin that was warped and hairless compared to the rest of his arm. "That's what happens when you mix up your bomb arrows with your regular ones, then fire at close range. Kind of surprised this is all I walked away with."
Zelda sat the bow down in the plush grass, and walked over to him, looking at his arm. "I'm shocked your eyebrows didn't come off with it. I remember that fight. You were trying to dispatch a bokoblin, right?"
"Yep." Link cringed at the realization that she had seen that. Of all the things she had seen him do, it had to be that.
The encounter had originally terrified her, but now she did her best not to laugh whenever she thought of it. She could still perfectly recall Link's high-pitched screams of terror. "You scared me to death, you know. Still do. I've probably got gray hairs from keeping watch over you." She placed a finger on the scar, feeling the formed ridges. "How have you walked away alive from most of these instances?"
" Most ." The memory of the guardian's laser gnawed at him before he shook it away. "Experience, pure luck, and a lot of healing elixirs."
"And plenty of calls to Mipha's power, I'm sure."
"I'm sure she's getting sick of saving my ass."
"Goddesses, I miss that woman." Zelda took another arrow from the quiver and set her sights back on the target. One final shot before resting. She fired and watched as the arrow hit the small, central dot in the center of the target. Bullseye. "What other scars have you collected from your various… excursions?"
"Misadventures?" Link corrected.
"Scuffles, if you will."
He had to think for a moment. Sure, there was no shortage of scars on his body, but he had forgotten the stories behind most of them. After a while, all the bokoblin bites and lynel scratches just blended together. He thought about the prominent one on his left eyebrow, which sliced right through it. "Got this one swimming with Sidon, one day."
Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yeah. He had me on his back, and I thought it would be funny to try and stand up. You know, like a surfboard. I guess…"
Zelda sheathed the bow, biting back a grin. "I think I missed this one. Do tell."
Link lowered his head, and his ears twitched, slightly abashed. "I… slipped off of him and got sent careening right into a rock. Got knocked out cold and he had to fish me out of the water." He blushed slightly. It wasn't one of his finest moments. The red hue deepened when he heard Zelda snort. "I could have been concussed, you know!"
"Nothing your brain hasn't already been through I'm sure."
"Hey-!"
"And this one?" She said, pointing to a cut in his ear. She used the tip of her finger to trace it slightly, and it made his ear twitch.
"Careful, it's sensitive." He perked them slightly. "Hate that one. Yiga scar. I was fighting one and his blade just barely scathed me, but I was left with… this. Makes it harder to hear out that side." The blade had taken out a sizable notch in his ear. Hylian ears were designed in such a way that they could hear the slightest movements. "Now I mostly just rely on my sight, and gut instinct."
Zelda's own ears mimicked his movements: a habit that had grown on her since the calamity. "I… definitely don't remember that one. I would have tried to help. Somehow."
He could see her slight frown. She probably couldn't have stopped it even if she wanted to, but, Zelda being Zelda, of course, she would still feel guilty. "Hey, It's alright. Just another scar. Believe me, there's worse and better." He said, pulling the collar of his shirt down slightly, exposing yet another blemish, and he started to talk about a lynel that had caught him off guard while he was riding away from the stables.
She learned very quickly that he was absolutely riddled with scars. She must have been busy when most of these happened because only a few of them jogged any memories. What had he gotten into? "My word… There are so many! How did I miss all of these?"
Link pulled his shirt back down over his torso, covering himself, and all the little imperfections, back up. Zelda mourned the loss. "You were pretty busy, you know, saving the kingdom and whatnot. I'm not the only one with scars. You got your fair share too." He gestured at her thigh. Beneath her pants, Link knew of a large mark she had earned when she launched herself between him and a bokoblin's mace. She couldn't walk for a week, and it had barely missed a major artery.
"That I did, but mine pale in comparison. You've been through… so much." She lightly grazed her hand over the covered mark on her thigh, the memory burning in her mind. Link had scolded her for what felt like hours for charging to his rescue like that. No matter. She would gladly do it again.
Link took a few tentative steps closer, close enough to catch her hand in a gentle cradle, rubbing his fingers along the back of it. "We both have. No more one than the other." Feeling bold, he brought her hand up to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles, making her smile and blush. "We've come a long way, princess."
"That we have, Hero."
It was more than just the physical and mental scarring. Link was Link, he had always had his fighting spirit, but after Ganon's defeat, Zelda had accompanied him on pretty much every journey, hike, and battle he had gotten into. Though she was more than winded after the first few, she quickly learned to keep up. She had mastered her way with a sword, even finding her own technique, and was more than skilled with her power, now that she had a hundred years of usage on it. She was turning into a knight of sorts too.
It was more than her skills. Her body had changed too. Her physique closely matched that of Links, she just wasn't as skinny, and scars were starting to make themselves plenty. Hell, she had a new one forming on her calf from falling off her horse a week ago, and her hair was cut short, something she did immediately after a Yiga clan member had yanked her to the ground by her long ponytail. He had nearly sliced her in half while she lay there.
Her hand still in his, he gently pulled her towards a nearby tree, its orange, and amber-colored leaves just beginning to fall. A telltale sign of the season's change. He spun her around slowly before placing his other hand on her waist, bringing her close. A little trick he had learned a hundred years back, waltzing in the ballroom. She admits that was the first time he had, literally and figuratively, swept her off her feet. "You were once a princess without a single scrape on your body. I'd call you fit to be a warrior now, or the most beautiful knight I've ever seen."
She giggled, still pressing close. "Only because of you. You kept me safe all those years ago. You still do. Though, I don't think I'd quite recognize myself now. All bruises, bumps, and muscles."
Link had let go at this point, stretching his arms as far as they could go, then leaning back against the tree's rough-barked trunk. "Man, what would that young princess in Hyrule Castle think if she saw you?" He said, referencing a young, less experienced Zelda.
"I think she'd faint."
"In terror or joy?"
She leaned back with him. "Both, and you? What would that little countryside farm boy think of you?"
"Oh, he would drop dead ." They both laughed at that. "The Princess' royal knight, hero of Hyrule, and I can talk now? He wouldn't believe it."
It was true. Before the Calamity, Link was best known by his fellow knights for being unusually silent. Even the princess had commented on it a few times before she had grown fond of him. " You never even chirp. You can't always let your sword speak for you, you know. Part of being in the royal family is having quick wit, and a sharp tongue."
"Like watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly." Zelda took a seat under the tree, with the ground covered in once near-extinct silent princesses. She patted the dirt next to her, silently asking Link to sit next to her. "You've come a long way, hero. You should be proud, and I think it should be commended. If I could see to it that a ceremony be held, I would. I guess my praise will have to do for now."
Link smiled. "Your praise is more than enough."
"Yeah? Guess I'll have to say it more often."
"We should both be commended. I mean… look at you."
"Look at me." She copied, gesturing to her body.
"Oh, I am." He punctuated it with a cheeky wink.
"Ugh, you are truly awful." She gave him a light biff to his arm. "If only my father could see me now. I look like I could lift a bull, I probably could, and if he heard my profanity now, he'd fucking gasp too." That earned a chuckle from Link, but he watched solemnly as her smile faded, and she looked at something on the distant horizon. "I feel like I've lost half of what makes me a princess."
Lost it? She seemed more like a Princess now than she ever was. Fit to be queen, if Link could have a say in it. "Zelda." The sudden change in tone made her tense. "You are still very much a princess to me. You haven't lost a single bit of your charm or beauty, and if anything, I'd say you've gained a whole lot more."
"You think so?" Her eyes were still focused on the distant hills.
Aiming to shake her from her downcast state, he silently scooted up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, making her squeal in surprise. He pulled her back into his body, and placed little, feather-light kisses along her neck, making her chuckle and sigh. "I do think that, Zel."
"Zel…" she turned and cupped his face in her hand. "Now there's a name I haven't heard in… a long time."
"You'll hear it more. I promise. I remembered how much you liked it." Lifting his head, he saw that the sky had begun to take on a slight pinkish glow. Night was on its way and, as much as he'd like to stay right there, all night, a snug, shared bedroll in their tent was much more enticing. "Sun's setting, love. Wanna get a move on?" He held out a hand for her to take, and pulled her up off the ground.
"Alright, but I choose where we set up camp this time." She began collecting their things and went to pull her used arrows out of the hay bale.
"What? What was so bad about last time?"
That earned him an eye roll. "You may be used to sleeping on sharp rocks, but I'd at least like a nice patch of grass under the tent. With my luck, you'd stick us over a mud puddle."
Link gestured defeated, though he would admit he was used to just picking random spots and setting up camp. Zelda had a much better sense of comfort than he did. Good thing she was royalty. "Alright. Alright, I'll get the horse."
He returned a few minutes later with a blood bay stallion in tow. Zelda took her time tying everything snug onto the saddle before she took his hand, and he lifted her up with him.
She wrapped her hands around his waist, leaning into him. "Let's go, Hero."
"As you wish." With a click and a light boot to its side, the horse reared slightly, and they sped off toward the forest, leaving their cozy little archery spot behind.
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