#couragereborn

With his jacket held high over his head, Kafei ran up to the doors of the barn hoping to shade himself from the rain. His jacket was soaked, its normal brown darkening and soaking in the water like a sponge. The crook of the roof gave him a bit of shelter and as he hid under it he began to ring out the drenched fabric. 

Kafei's shoes stuck to the mud as he turned to open the door and he groaned in response when it wouldn't budge. Why would he lock it?! Come on!! He knocked loudly hoping for a response.

Concentrate, Kafei thought as he felt energy flowing around him. Sitting cross legged on the fountain, he couldn't bring himself to the peace of mind he wanted. His thoughts were full of worry concerning payments and job searches. Purchasing a home with no income was a bad idea. Staying in inns would have been cheaper. Why didn't I just stick with that? Ever since his relationship with Jasdaë dried up his earnings sure followed. It was pitiful. I can't even street perform like we had planned. No one would care to watch smoke explode without my flame dancing nearby…

The flower he had been trying to pull out of the ground by its roots snapped into a million little pieces as his focus broke. He had been trying to lift it carefully and then present it to a girl across the way with cheeks as pink as dawn, but she was startled by the sudden explosion of weeds and took off. He sighed as he hopped down from the stone and wiped his hands. Patience, Kafei. He planned to try again tomorrow.

He was ready to head back for home when he looked out across the way and felt his heart freeze inside his chest. How long had it been since their last meeting? 

This isn't real. This can't be. Slowly, he walked forward, his hands reaching out helplessly in front of him as he inched towards this familiar stranger. His voice was caught in his throat and the words he wanted to say drowned with him. He forced himself to stop and stood there till their eyes met.  Relief did not flow through him as his identity was confirmed. He felt as though he'd seen a ghost, the ghost of someone long dead. His clothes were foreign, skin matted with dirt and blood, and his arm and nose... deformed... They treated him like an animal. Kafei forced himself to act and look past the cold gaze of his long lost friend.

“I told you, you can’t see him.”

Formalities—if there had ever been any—were nonexistent now between Malon and the dungeon’s usual guard. The redhead thought bitterly that she would have to get his name with how often she’d been seeing him lately. She supposed they were acquaintances at this point at least. Arms crossed sourly, she drummed her fingers against them as she scowled at the taller man. “Yeah, ye said that.”

The man sighed in exasperation, leaning against the wall with a unabashed eye roll. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re bloody persistent?”

“Frequently,” the ranch hand replied shortly. “What’s it gonna take for ye to let me pass?”

He scoffed, eyeing her with a dry smirk, “I’m afraid I’m not as easily bought as your Gerudo sweetheart.”

Color rushed to Malon’s cheeks and she resisted the urge to clap him, that wouldn’t have been a good idea considering her position (not that he was particularly false in his accusations). Instead, she fished out a heavy pouch of rupees, roughly the amount she’d normally fork over in exchange for Link’s bail. The guard’s eyes lingered on the pouch, expressionless again. Malon had thought that he would undoubtedly boot her from cells at that. Bribery was a new concept for her after all; she was hardly practiced in the art of enticement.

The man sniffed finally, thumbing his nose before plucking the bag from her outstretched hand. As he opened it to examine the contents, he moved askew from the doorway. “Make it quick.”

The farm hand fought the urge to beam too enthusiastically and bounded past him with the most detached ‘thank ye’ she’d ever fared. The cell was secluded; even more so from the one Jasdaë had been in and only lit by the solitary window. Perhaps Malon would visit her again after this. She imagined it could get very dull sitting in a cell all day. Thoughts of the Gerudo girl flitted away as she pushed the door open, letting it close with a soft clank behind her as she stepped in. Gods, he looked awful, but there he was, shackled to the cell itself, mostly in one piece and alive at least. Malon stepped over to him, biting her lip in a weaker grin, hesitating to find her voice again before finally crouching next to him while hugging her knees.

Waking up early was not in the nature of the ranch owner. Malon had tried to break him of that habit, along with some of his more distasteful ones, and had failed in her attempts. Talon was proud to get one over on her, the little copper head was just as resilient as her mother had been and to win any sort of match with her would have been a feat within itself. So Talon awoke long after high noon and then finally rolled out of bed nearly an hour later, grunting from the aches in his old bones as he did so. He waved his hand lazily and the room filled with light as he stumbled over to the basin of his bathroom. He cleaned himself and took great care to the brushing and preening of his mustache before throwing on his least patched clothes before heading out of his room and down the hall. After all, it was a special day for his charge, and there was no reason to not take advantage of the festivities himself. He pushed the door to Link’s room open without knocking—why would he? It was his house.

“Today’s th’ day, boy—” He grunted as he threw the door open, grinning mischievously from behind his great mustache. The grin faltered fast as he eyed Link scraping up the bleached liquid on his sheets and he narrowed his small eyes at farmhand, bewildered.

Kafei’s heart beat frantically at the sound of a knock on the door.

“C-“ He cleared his throat, regaining his composure. “Come in.”

A gray haired man walked in with a cane. His scarred face seemed to young for his hair and when blue eyes met red the swallow from Kafei’s throat could be heard miles away.

“Link?” He asked gently. “That’s your name isn’t it?”

Link looked up at him, his mouth opened and closed before he nodded.

“St. John Smythe?”Another nod.“Of New Hyrule.”Finally a word."Yes, Doc Keaton.”Kafei bit his lip as he looked back down at his notes, adjusting his dark glasses to read what was written.“You’re hear for a psych evaluation?”Link shook his head.“No? You aren’t?” Kafei flipped through his notes. “This is what it says right here, sir.”“There is nothing wrong with me, doc.” Even his accent hadn’t changed.“Then why are you here?” Kafei asked closing his notes. He stood up and walked towards Link, resting on his desk behind him now.Link’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.“I don’t- I don’t remember.”Kafei cocked his head.“How can you not remember? Your last checkup was week ago.”“Well I… I forget things sometimes. No big deal.”Kafei sighed before removing his glasses, revealing his red eyes to Link.“Do you remember me?”Link stared at his face in question.“You’re my new doctor. I’ve never met you before.”Kafei winced before slowly hopping off his desk and crouching before Link, his gloved hand on the chair to balance himself.“You mean you don’t remember ‘There is no revolution’?” He asked, impersonating Ives’s gruff voice as best as he could. He laughed but composed himself when he watch Link dumbly shake his head. “You… don’t? How about sparring sessions?” Another shake of the head. “Malon?”Link’s eyes brightened for a moment before dimming. “My sister.”Kafei nodded his head slowly. “Uh… yes your… sister… Link, do you really not remember?” How could he think Malon was his sister? I knew they were raised together but I thought they-

Link looked around the room seeming out of focus for a second before his eyes rested on Kafei. A finger jabbed out at him.“Excuse, me. What are you doing in here?” He asked in confusion. “You’re not supposed to be in here. Where’s the doctor?!”“Link, I am the doctor. My name is Reynaldi Keaton but you once new me as Kafei Dotour. Does this not ring a bell?”“Help!” He called loudly, a low wail flying through his lips. “Help!”

Attendants rushed into the room and Kafei grimaced.“Is everything alright, doctor?” One of them asked.“He’s… lost it,” Kafei sighed in pain before placing his glasses back onto his face. Link continued to wail. “We may need to sedate him.”

The attendants nodded their head before leaving the room to procure a needle. They came back and worked together to hold down Link and place him on a gurney. Before wheeling him away Kafei grasped Link’s hand tightly.“Good luck, old friend.”

Link and Kafei will have one child. Link would be the hard working father and Kafei the stay at home type. Their nights are filled with fun family moments and sneaking off into the pasture to spook a cow when Malon is not looking. Their child would scold them much as Malon would but struggle to hold back their laughter.

Leila:

Leila’s hair is dirty blond like Link’s with light purple highlights she wears often in a pony tail at the base of her head. Her eyes are red like Kafei’s and she has Link’s nose.

She’s strong but her heftiness detriments her wanting to take after Kafei’s training in the ways of the Sheikah. She is often frustrated with her inability to sneak but excels in sword play. She also loves to use her hands to fight, much like Link.

Name: Ambala/Conall (Sky child/bravery like a wolf. They wouldn’t agree on a name, of course)

Gender: Male

General Appearance: Blond, sharp facial features, short and slender (petit dork), excessively pale, gaunt.

Personality: He’s hardworking, determined, and pigheaded. He got Link’s idiotic level of courage and Ghirahim’s temper, so he gets into a ton of fights.

Special Talents: Above-human strength, extended lifespan, skilled swordsman, skilled archer, some mastery over demon magic which he mainly uses to summon his weapons, skilled horseman, attractiveness.

Who they like better: Link— he’s much more righteous.

Who they take after more: Link

—! [chuckles, ears red] Y..Yeah, ye too, spud.

[pause]