All Things Overcome

Even now, years after Link had gone through rounds of exposure and healing, visiting the Kakariko doctor’s office sent a shiver down his spine that had- well, almost- nothing to do with the stethoscope pressed to his back. He would’ve been more than happy to avoid the place for the rest of his life, but Zelda still pushed him to make infrequent visits for his mental and physical health. The next nearest doctor was too far away to be convenient, even if it represented less traumatic memories.

Link wondered if it had been this very room, where that group of callous adults had overpowered him in the name of efficiency. He imagined that he could still hear his own terrified screams.

The nurse’s ear twitched in the same direction as his, and he realized that, while they were not his, the screams were very much real.

“The walls are so thin,” the nurse sighed, then reached for an empty space on a side table. “Oh, for Nayru’s sake- I’ll be back in a minute, Link, I forgot your files.”

Link nodded, barely registering the words as all he could hear was the commotion from the other room. It was a kid for sure, growing more frantic by the second. Link’s heart twisted with sympathy and fear, and his hand absently went to the golden bracelet on his wrist.

If he walked out the door, the nurse would herd him back in an instant. He hadn’t planned on going back to old habits, but if he just sat around while the kid-

A crash and an adult’s shout answered that question before his mind had even formed it, and a flash of magic flattened him into the wall. He shimmied down the hallway and around a corner, popping back out in front of the door where the yelling was loudest.

Link took a deep breath- he only had time for one- and knocked on the door. The screams didn’t abate in the slightest, but a deeper voice called permission. It was all that Link needed, and he entered the room with a show of confidence that he belonged.

Just as he suspected- no less than four adults were crowded around the examination table, leaving just enough room for a nurse who wore a fresh bruise on their cheek and held a syringe in their hand. Link could barely make out the kid pinned under too many hands, gasping for air during the unexpected respite. Link tore his eyes away; he had to deal with the others first.

It helped that he was an adult now, too.

“Hey,” Link said with a little wave, all too casual. “Sounds like you need some help?”

The nurse glared suspiciously at him. “We have this under control, it’s a routine procedure. Aren’t you a patient as well?”

“Indeed I am,” Link replied. “I also happen to be the Hero, and I wanted to offer assistance in the way of magic.”

He pulled a simple ocarina from the pouch at his belt, holding it like it wielded great power.

“Why pick a fight when you can simply put them to sleep? All I have to do is play a short tune and your day will be so much easier,” Link said smoothly.

The kid gave another panicked cry, but Link kept his gaze on the nurse.

“He is more trouble than he’s worth,” the nurse agreed slowly. “All right, play your magic song and get this over with.”

“Gladly. Mind stepping out of the room for a minute? I can’t control the range of the spell and I assume that you would rather be awake to do your part,” Link explained.

The nurse shrugged and nodded, then gestured for the rest of the adults to file out of the room.

“I’ll let you know when,” Link promised, then the door closed and he was alone with the kid.

Finally, Link was able to take the time to properly see the kid. A small boy, probably younger than Link himself had been. Most of them were, he thought bitterly, but he shook the thought away. He was here for the kid.

The kid had, understandably, pressed himself to the wall and stuck his fingers in his ears, staring at the ocarina like it would leap out and bite him itself. Link smiled at him and dropped the ocarina back into the pouch. He plopped down on the floor and signed “Hello.”

The kid stared at Link’s hand and cautiously removed his fingers from his ears so Link could whisper out loud to him.

“Hello,” Link repeated. “My name is Link. What’s your name?”

“…Benji,” the boy mumbled through chattering teeth.

“Benji. It’s nice to meet you. Are you scared?” Link asked gently.

Benji made a face like Link had just asked if the sky was blue. Hesitantly, he nodded.

“Would you like to not be?”

Benji nodded again, more urgently this time.

“I’m going to grab a few more of my things,” Link explained. “They’re going to help me get you out of here, then I can help you not be scared. Is that okay?”

At Benji’s confirmation, Link flourished a bright red cape and and a pair of winged boots. He swapped out his ordinary boots for the magic ones as Benji slowly slid down from the table and reached for the cape.

“We’re going to have to be quick and quiet,” Link said. “I have to carry you for this to work, but you can tell me to put you down as soon as we’re safe.”

Link climbed onto the table to silently open the window above it. He made sure that the cape was secure around Benji’s shoulders (he knew because he could no longer see the kid) before he leapt back down and slammed the door open.

“He jumped right out the window before I could finish the song!” Link shouted, secretly pleased at his ability to fake a shortness of breath. “I had no idea a kid could even do that- I think he ran that way, through the village!” He pointed west, to Kakariko proper.

The adults scrambled to run outside and begin their wild goose chase, and Link allowed himself a grin as he turned to the seemingly empty room.

“Hurry now, come here,” Link said, holding his arms out for an invisible mass to barrel into him. Hugging the kid tight, Link sent a signal to his pegasus boots and ran down the hall, out of the clinic, and due east. Benji’s fingers dug into his shoulders as he ran, but he squirmed free of Link’s arms as soon as they reached his house.

“This is my home,” Link said, taking the cape to stuff it back in his bag. “We can’t stay for too long, but you’re safe here.”

He opened the front door and the resident feathery menace flew out to greet them. Benji yelped, then giggled as the little white bird immediately set to preening his hair.

“That’s Sheerow,” Link sighed. “Sheerow, since you’re here, does that mean-”

“Link? You’re home already? Did everything go okay?” Ravio called from inside the house, his voice growing louder as he hurried to greet Link himself.

Sheerow squawked as Benji ducked behind Link, hiding when Ravio came into view. Ravio put his hands on his hips, fixing a playfully stern glare on Link.

“Do my eyes deceive me, or have you brought another child to our home?”

“I didn't have a choice!” Link protested, his tone just as light. “You know how it is, Ravi, I can't leave them there frightened and alone!”

“Yes, I know,” Ravio agreed, stepping closer to kiss Link’s cheek. “I’m just worried that one of these days you’re going to get in trouble for kidnapping the village children.”

“It’s a morally correct kidnapping,” Link grumbled, but Ravio had already knelt to offer his hand to Benji.

“Hello there,” the merchant said kindly. “I’m Ravio, Link’s partner. It’s a pleasure to have you here.”

Benji looked nervously at Link, then with the help of an encouraging smile he took Ravio’s hand. Ravio stood, still holding the boy’s hand, and turned to lead him into the house. “I sliced some apples, Link, if you’d like to make a pie while you talk.”

Link caught Ravio’s face as he passed, pressing his own kiss to his partner’s nose. “Thanks, Ravi. You’re the best.”

“I know,” Ravio chirped, and took them all to the kitchen.

“Mister Link?” Benji said as they lined up to wash their hands. “I have a question…”

“Go for it, kid.”

“Why are you helping me when everybody else was mean?”

Link stared at the soap on his hands for a few moments too long. “Because people were mean to me, too. And I don’t like seeing kids hurt. The best way I can think of to help is to just… bring them here, for a chance to breathe. I wish we had longer, but I'll have to help you as much as I can as quickly as possible. It's easier to focus when you're not at the scary place, but I can't exactly keep you here forever.” He offered a towel to Benji, watching the kid dry his hands. “Does that make sense?”

Benji nodded. “Does that mean I have to go back?”

“Yes, it does. But first I want to talk, and know that I’ve helped you and that you’re ready.”

Ravio showed Benji how to roll out the pie crust while Link looked for the spices for the filling.

“Let’s start from the beginning,” Link said. “Did the doctor explain what they were going to do?”

“No. But my friends said that it hurt, and it was scary, and so it made me scared too. And it was scary not knowing what was happening, too.”

Ravio squeezed Benji’s shoulder, and the kid leaned into the comfort.

“Okay, that’s a good thing to start with,” Link said, stirring the apple slices to coat them with sugar and spices. “So, the doctor and your parents want to make sure you won’t get sick. You take medicine when you get sick, right, a syrup that tastes weird but helps you feel better? It’s like that, but so that you never get sick at all. And you can’t drink it, so they had to find another way to get it into your body.”

Benji had rolled the dough flat, and Ravio draped it over the pie pan. Link poured the filling into the crust, nudging Benji himself after he did so.

“They put the medicine in a little tube with a needle on the end. The needle is hollow, so they stick it through your skin and push the medicine right into your bloodstream. It does hurt, but it only takes a few seconds and you can learn how to make it easier for yourself.”

“Easy?” Benji sounded disbelieving, and Link chuckled as he and Ravio layered the latticed top crust.

“Remember, I used to be afraid too. I still am, a little, but with a lot of time and patience and help from my friends, I learned how to be in control of my fear. I can teach you what I know, and you can try it when I bring you back.”

“The pie needs to bake for an hour,” Ravio said. “That should be plenty of time for you both.”

“Yes, it will,” Link confirmed. “Do you want to sit in the living room, Benji?”

They settled on the couch, where Ravio joined them as soon as the pie was baking. Link tried unsuccessfully to shoo Sheerow away from where the bird was determined to make a nest in Benji’s hair. Sheerow glared at Link, but Benji didn’t seem to mind, so Link sighed and let the bird be.

“If it took you a long time to not be scared, how come I have to go back today?” the kid asked, shrinking into himself.

“If you learn how to be brave the first time, the next will be easier,” Link said gently. “That isn’t how it happened for me, and that’s why I don’t want to see more kids end up like me. It’s not easy to convince parents to wait for another day, so you’ll only have until I bring you back to the clinic, but it’s still more time than you would have had if you had stayed there.”

“Okay,” Benji said quietly, and Link held out his hand for the boy to hold.

“Let’s try breathing, first,” Link said. “If you take deep breaths and count them, your body will relax by itself. Breathe with me, one, two, three…”

Benji did well with the breathing, and they spent much of the hour planning out distractions and what the kid wanted from the adults in the room. By the time Ravio left to take the pie out to cool, Link determined that Benji was as ready as he could be.

“You’re gonna do great, kid,” Ravio said, ruffling Benji’s hair as he saw them to the door. “Come get some pie when you’re done, okay?”

“I will!”

Benji stayed in good spirits as they walked to Kakariko, but he quieted down as they reached the clinic. Link noticed and hugged the boy’s shoulders.

“You’re gonna be fine, alright? I’ll be there the whole time, and they won’t have to fight you anymore.”

“Okay. I trust you,” Benji said, and Link was very proud of the kid he had just met.

His father was waiting inside, and rushed over when Link brought Benji through the door. “You found him! I can’t thank you enough, sir.”

“Happy to help,” Link said. “We had a good talk on the way back. I hope you don’t mind if I join you again.”

“Yes, of course,” the man agreed. “Do you still have that ocarina on you…?”

“We won’t be needing that,” Link said firmly. “Your son is old enough to be reasoned with, so I see no reason why that wouldn’t be the case. He knows what he needs, right Benji?”

“Um… yeah. I can sit still this time, just… can you hug me, Dad? And tell me what’s happening so it’s not as scary?”

Benji’s father blinked in surprise. “That’s all?”

“You don’t conquer fear by ignoring it,” Link said. “You acknowledge it, learn from it, and find support to grow past it. Trust me, I know. It’s a pretty simple lesson, really. And Benji’s at a pretty good age to learn it.”

“Huh. I guess you’re right. Well… are you ready, Benji?” the man asked, and Benji stepped away from Link to stand by his father instead.

“Mhm. I’m gonna be brave.”

Only one nurse was needed this time, and everything went as well as Link could have hoped for. Benji’s father held him the whole time, talking the boy through every step of the process. Link was relieved to see how easily the man comforted him, reassuring Benji that he had been brave even as the kid needed an extra minute to recover from the sting.

“If I may, I’d be happy to invite you to my home,” Link said when everything was done and Benji was calm. “We can talk more, and I have a fresh apple pie that’s begging to be shared.”

“I don’t see why not. Thank you very much, sir,” Benji’s father said, and the boy cheered.

The nurse cleared their throat, and Link remembered belatedly that he had pulled his own stunt earlier that day.

“Right, sorry about that. You two go on ahead, I’ll meet you there.”

It was impossible to say who was more nervous. Link knew this, and Ravio obviously did too which made the walk to Kakariko very miserable. They were both quiet, squeezing each other’s hands every few moments as a reminder that they were still there. Their pace was slow, and it felt like they had been walking forever.

Getting them both out of the house had been its own feat, achieved with an amount of fake confidence that Link could feel slipping. He reminded himself constantly that he had to do this, for Ravio’s sake. And Zelda’s, and both of their kingdoms. Besides, Link was seventeen now, practically an adult. It had been years since he had faced this. Surely he could handle it?

Surely he could believe, even for a moment, that this time would be different?

They reached the building that Link had avoided for years, that he hadn’t stepped inside since before his first quest. He stared at the sign beside the door, barely able to read the simple letters painted on the wood.

Doctor.

“This is it?” Ravio squeaked, ducking behind Link like his partner could shield him from the place.

Link so badly wished he could.

He swallowed hard and grunted, “Yeah.”

His body nearly stopped cooperating, but he willed it to step forward and take them through the door.

The woman behind the front desk greeted them automatically, then raised her eyebrows when she saw who they were. “Link? Princess Zelda said to expect you, but I have to say I’m surprised you actually came.”

Link tried to say something, but couldn’t get past “Mm.” Ravio, still behind him, did the same.

The woman smiled anyway. “I’ll let the doctor know you’re here. Please take a seat while you wait.”

“Link?” Ravio whispered, his grip on Link’s hand slowly cutting off his circulation. “I don’t feel good…”

Me neither. I wish we didn’t have to do this. I’m sorry. “I know.”

The wait probably wasn’t as long as it seemed, but Ravio kept asking short, anxious questions.

“Is the doctor nice?”

If they were the same one, no. “…I don’t know.”

“Will it be fast?”

“Hopefully.”

“Can we go to the bakery after?”

“That’s a good idea.”

Ravio shifted in place, bunching his long sleeve in the hand that wasn’t holding Link’s. “…Will it hurt much?”

It took multiple deep breaths before Link could answer. “…Yes.”

Ravio whined, “Do we have to do this?”

Link wanted to say no. He wanted to stand up and pull Ravio right out the door. He wanted to take them away and never let anyone hurt him or his partner. It would be so easy, and he almost did-

“Link and Ravio?”

It was too late.

“Come on,” Link said, to Ravio and himself as they stood.

It was hard to breathe. Ravio was gasping too, and he stumbled as they went to greet the doctor.

Link didn’t recognize them; they gave a genuine smile before waving and turning to the examination room.

“It’s so nice to meet you finally, Link,” the doctor said as they gestured for Link and Ravio to enter first. “And your friend, of course. You’ve done so much to help this kingdom, I’m very glad that you’ve agreed to protect yourself and others from this latest wave of sickness.”

Link wished they would stop talking. He just wanted this to be over- no, he wanted this to not happen at all. But if he let the last of his facade crumble while Ravio was watching him-

The doctor let them sit beside each other, and Ravio hid his face in Link’s side while Link stared at the floor. The doctor was still talking, and Link missed most of their words until they paused, waiting for a response.

“…Link?”

He shook himself and made an inquisitive sound, his gaze still fixated on the floor.

“I said, since Ravio hasn’t done this before, how about you go first so he can see how it works? I’m sure our brave hero will be a great demonstration, won’t you?”

The doctor’s voice was genuine, but Link knew that he was going to prove them so very wrong. He didn’t feel anything like a brave hero, he felt small and scared and the only thing keeping him from running away was his partner, nervously clinging to him. Link looked up, just to see Ravio peeking at him. He had to do this, if only so that Ravio wouldn’t call himself even more of a coward next to Link’s terror.

He would go first, then it would be over.

There was nothing more that would happen before Link had to face this.

He couldn’t imagine a world where that thought was comforting.

He nodded, the movement so barely there that he almost hoped that the doctor would miss it.

“Wonderful. Ravio, would you like to see, or would you rather let it stay a secret?”

Ravio whimpered and shook his head firmly, his face still buried in Link’s tunic.

“Of course. Link, if you feel the same, I advise that you look away now.”

Ravio made a confused sound as Link immediately moved to match him, hiding his face in his partner’s scarf. He was shaking, he knew, but it was too late to stop it. Silently, Link apologized to Ravio for not being as brave as he thought he would be.

He felt the doctor roll his sleeve up, out of the way. He smelled something sharp. He flinched violently when something cold pressed against his arm, Ravio whining as Link squeezed him tight.

“Link, I thought you said…”

Link didn’t remember what he had said. He only remembered hands, and screaming, and-

Pain.

After so much anticipation, it still came as a surprise, and it took every bit of Link’s self control to hold himself still despite wanting desperately to tear his arm away, so he wouldn’t have to feel it inside. A shattered sob escaped him, muffled in Ravio’s scarf as his partner, anxious and scared with him and for him, started to cry too. It took another few moments for Link to realize it was over, and he pulled Ravio closer with the arm that wasn’t sore and aching.

It was over, Link reminded himself again and again. He never wanted to do it again and he couldn’t stop the memories replaying in his mind but Ravio was there, he had made it through, he was done.

“Liiiink?”

…No.

Link was safe, but now it was Ravio’s turn.

A fine example he had been, breaking down in his partner’s arms.

“Link, is it really that bad?” Ravio begged, pulling away until Link forced himself to look his partner in the eyes. “If it made you that scared- I don’t want to do this, please don’t make me do this-!”

“He’ll be right there the whole time, just like you were for him,” the doctor said briskly. “You’ll be just fine, you saw how quick that was.”

“I’m here,” Link repeated, because he didn’t know what else to say.

He didn’t know how the doctor still had so much faith in him. If Ravio tried to run away, Link would let him. Din’s flames, he would lead the way. He would stand before Zelda himself and explain that nothing would come between him and his partner.

Ravio didn’t want to flee. He fell hard, back into Link’s arms and Link caught his partner and held him tight.

“Link,” Ravio cried, so confused and still needing to find comfort in one who was just as terrified as he was.

“I don’t- I can’t-” Link said, and choked on tears of his own.

“Keep holding him,” Link heard the doctor say. “You’re almost done.”

“I’m sorry,” Link sobbed into Ravio’s hair. “Just- just keep breathing, Ravi, please-”

Ravio wailed, his nails digging into Link’s skin, and Link had never felt less brave.

“It hurts!” Ravio screamed. “Link!”

Link had never felt more useless.

The doctor stepped away, infuriatingly calm. “All done. Was that so bad?”

If Ravio hadn’t needed him, Link thought he would’ve strangled them.

Minutes passed before either of them were able to stand. Link gently pulled Ravio up, feeling numb as his partner leaned fully on him for support.

Link took a shuddering breath in, trying to keep his voice steady. “The- the bakery, remember? We’re gonna… c’mon, let’s go to the bakery.”