#navi!arin

Is it sad that the only LoZ monsters I know are octoroks and dodongos? Anyway, this got a little longer than it should’ve probably

Arin tried to give Dan directions. He tried to be helpful and teach Dan how to use all of his gadgets and items. He made use of his fairy powers and healed Dan when he needed it. But it all felt so useless. Dan did fine on his own, he didn’t need Arin’s help.

“Do…Do you need anything?” Arin tried, desperately looking for some way to feel useful. Dan was packing for the day’s adventures, stuffing anything he could possibly need into his surprisingly large pockets.

“Nah, I don’t think so,” Dan said, not even looking up from the pile he still had yet to sift through. “It’s just gonna be a simple mission, kinda grind-y, so you don’t even have to go if you don’t want to.”

It felt like a punch to the gut. That was it, that was how Dan was telling him he wasn’t needed. He sat himself on Dan’s dresser, curling in on himself. “I—Do you not want me to go…?” His voice was small and desperate. “Would you rather I stay here?”

“What?” Dan looked up, his expression incredulous. “Of course you can come, Ar. I just didn’t want you to feel like you have to. I mean, you don’t need to go, but if you want to.”

“That’s the point, Dan! You don’t need me!” Arin’s body shook, wings trembling, body aching as little sobs escaped him. “Nobody needs me.”

Dan rushed over to the fairy’s side. “Arin, whoa, hey! I didn’t know you felt like this.”

It took a moment for Arin’s sobs to die down, turning into tiny hiccups and sniffles. “I just—I want to belong somewhere. But I can’t even be useful here, with you.”

Dan scooped up the fairy, nuzzling Arin into the crook of his neck, something he knew always comforted Arin. There wasn’t much he could say, aside from assuring Arin over and over that he was needed. He was where he belonged. He was so important.

The genuineness must have finally gotten through. Arin had calmed down, asking if he was still invited to go along with Dan on his training day, to which Dan replied that obviously he was. Dan let Arin sit on his shoulder as they started off, the closeness making Arin feel safe and secure.

Of course, Dan had been right earlier when he’d told Arin he didn’t really need to go. Dan was merely farming Rupees off of Octoroks, leaving Arin to begin wallowing in his own anxiety yet again. He tried to remind himself of all the things Dan had said earlier. All the affirmations and promises and reassurances.

But it was interrupted by the roar of a Dodongo ripping through the trees. Dan turned his head toward the sound, eyebrows furrowed. “Those things don’t wander around outside the temples,” he muttered. “What’s one doing way out here?”

Arin shrugged even though Dan couldn’t see him. He wasn’t asking Arin anyway, they both knew it was unusual.

Dan dashed off toward the sound, almost knocking Arin off of his shoulder in the process.

“Y-You’re gonna fight it?” Arin asked, expression tinted with fear.

“I’m not just gonna let it roam around out here where it could hurt someone.”

That was true. After all, Dan was the Hero. He had the Triforce of Courage, it was only natural that he would go after this beast. But it didn’t stop Arin from being terrified when they reached the monster.

Dan drew his sword, hardly noticing when Arin hopped off his counterpart’s shoulder and fluttered back a few feet. He was in full battle-mode, ready to take down the vicious Dodongo that stood before them.

And so he fought. His sword clanged against teeth and claws, slash over leathery Dodongo flesh. Dan tumbled and lunged and dashed, trying to trick the beast and confuse it. He laid bombs that the beast foolishly gulped up a few times, but it wasn’t enough. The Dodongo was strong and Dan was taking too many hits.

“Dan!” Arin yelled desperately, knowing this fight was getting far too close to an unsavory ending. “I want to help! Let me heal you!”

A dismissive hand waved back, though Dan didn’t turn to look at him. “I’ve almost got him, don’t worry.”

“But—“ Arin was terrified. “Dan, let me help!”

In a moment of frustration, Dan turned back for a moment. “I said I’ve got it!”

The Dodongo leapt forward with a roar. Dan was left on the ground, crumbled and weak. The beast retreated after Dan didn’t move for what felt like an eternity for Arin.

Absolutely!

Danny’s adventure is all about him kind of teaching himself how to do hero-y things, so he has to learn how to use the Master Sword (which he finds by accident), learn how to save Princess Zelda, learn how to defeat Ganon and temples and dinosaur-bosses. Danny is learning all of this by trial and error (and a little bit of help from Arin, who doesn’t know much more besides the lay of the land and how to use most items).

Oh yeah, that’s a good point! Probably, yeah.

Like the Shovel Grumps see them as just kind of like...magic vessels. Which need to be collected. Which is not good for them. And the MegaGrumps see them more like gnats and think they’re annoying and just want them to not exist. Steam Quest Danny and Ross probably ask the navis for a lot “wishes” or whatever, not realizing that they’re not really as magical as the two are thinking and that they wouldn’t grant their dumb wishes anyway.

(Pt.2) Dan just shrugs it off before Arin runs off and comes back with a Barbie doll with this scrunchy and dress. "I have away all my old dolls, but you can have the clothes off of this one" Arin offers. Dan thinks they're lame at first, but as soon as he sees himself in them, he's like "oh my god these are perfect I love them". Dan stuck with Arin for a while. Finding no hope in his hero search. Until he sort of realizes all at once "......Arin's the hero, isn't he?" -KB

Oh my gosh I’m so stuck on Arin feeding him like you’re supposed to feed a little bumblebee sugar water or something. That’s adorable.

BUT YES. Actually, I imagine this is probably how navi!Arin and link!Danny met, but it’s cute the other way around, too. navi!Arin was a very lost fairy, so he didn’t even know he was destined to find a hero like Danny, but Danny took care of him in his time of need, so they just kind of...stuck together.

something tells me that old man got a little more than he bargained for. He was just trying to get one part to grow lol.

I like to think navi!Arin would be less embarrassed about it than navi!danny is. he’s just like “oh well I guess I’m naked now” and link!danny is like “NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR YOUR DISTRACTIONS DAMMIT.” because he is trying to fight a dude for god’s sake.

oh yeah, I imagine eventually that would all work out. (although I am currently trying to construct a picture of Danny in Arin’s clothes for the time being because it sounds adorable.)

Although, I haven’t thought about on the other side. I want there to be an alternate way for navi!Arin to get himself grown. Like an item or something. Or a curse? (or like the opposite of a curse I guess? since it’s not really that bad?) Just for something that makes it happen on accident because that isn’t a part of their quest, y’know?