Chapter Text
Zelda and Link are immersed in a game of I Spy. It’s Link’s turn to guess which green object in the small garden they’re standing next to is the one Zelda’s thinking of, when they’re interrupted by a shout. “Zelda! Hey, Zelda!” The crisp sound of running footsteps comes up from behind on the cobblestone path.
A hand slams in between Link’s shoulder blades and pushes him, hard. “Get out of my way, twerp!” shouts a familiar and unwelcome voice. Blindsided, he falls to the ground with a grunt, scraping his hands and knees. Tears well in his eyes, and he blinks them back as he stands, a protest lodged uselessly in his throat.
“Zelda, hey,” pants Groose, winded from exertion. He’s so focused on her, he doesn’t even turn his head when Link swallows an angry sob. “Do you wanna see some baby Remlits? I found a nest of them under a bush by the cemetery!”
Zelda looks torn, gaze bouncing between Link’s stormy face and Groose’s hopeful one, biting her lip in indecision. To her credit, she steps toward Link and says, “Only if Link gets to come, too.”
Link glances at Groose, watching for a sign of his displeasure, but he must have latched on to the part where she agreed and discarded the rest. A wide smile tugs his lips apart, exposing gaps where his adult teeth haven’t grown in yet. What a dope, thinks Link.
“Show me your hands,” Zelda orders, and Link raises them for inspection. “You’re not bleeding. Good!” She takes one of his hands in hers and turns toward Groose. “Apologize to Link, and then show us where the nest is.” The authority in her voice comes naturally. Children and adults alike fall into line without complaint when they hear her speak, and Groose is no different.
Link squeezes Zelda’s hand and shoots her a look out of the corner of his eye. If she makes Groose apologize, he’s only going to hurt him worse, later, when she’s not there to interfere. She doesn’t take the hint, and smiles appreciatively when Groose starts apologizing like it’s being dragged out of him by a flock of Loftwings. Link accepts in kind, and then they take off for the cemetery.
Groose struts in front, looking over his shoulder every few steps to make sure they’re still following. Link suppresses the urge to stick his tongue out at him every time he sees his stupid, dopey face. The skin on his knees stings, but the hurt fades from his mind as he thinks about the Remlits. How many are there? How small are they? Do they get scared of living so close to a bunch of graves?
There’s a mother and three babies curled up under the bush, amazingly tolerant of having their afternoon nap interrupted by a pack of grabby children. Zelda squeals with joy when she sees them, and pets each of them in turn with a single delicate finger. Groose hovers protectively above them, grinning proudly like an idiot, pointing out unnecessary details like, “That one’s got five stripes on its tail!” Link crouches to the side and slightly behind Zelda, waiting his turn to get up close to the babies.
Zelda holds up one of the tiny Remlits and says, “This one looks like you, Link! It’s got the biggest ears. It’s soooo cute!” She kisses it on its furry little forehead and cuddles it close to her chest. Link looks up from the Remlit he’s petting and sees the thundercloud of Groose’s face, frowning and livid with a mixture of disappointment and anger. Before he can say anything to defuse the situation, Zelda jumps to her feet, Remlit in her arms, and exclaims, “I’m going to take her home right now and ask Father if I can keep her!” She takes off in a whirl of skirts. “See you later!”
Both boys watch Zelda’s hurried departure, craning their heads until she fades out of sight. Link gives the mother Remlit a final pat and stands up slowly, unsure of his next move. Groose is not much taller than Link, but his husky frame lends him a naturally intimidating air. He takes a step away from the nest and towards Link, then shoots his arm out at blinding speed, clamping his hand around Link’s upper arm.
“Hey!” Link shouts, and tries to pull away, but Groose’s fingers dig in deeper, holding him in place with painful strength.
“You think you’re so cute, eh Remlit Ears?” Groose sneers in his face. “Let’s see how cute you are when you smell like one, too!” He jerks him closer, twisting his arm, and slaps his other hand down on the top of his head. Something damp and soft oozes into his hair. Groose grinds his hand back and forth, mashing the substance into his scalp, and the smell finally hits him. It’s Remlit poop.
Groose lets him go with a little shove, and Link stumbles backwards, fury and disgust building up in his chest, until he explodes with a scream. He launches himself at Groose, fists flying, tears obscuring his vision, and manages to land a solid punch on his ribs before getting knocked off his feet again.
Disturbed by the fight, the Remlit mother hisses in anger and swipes warningly at the air, startling the boys.
“Why do you have to be such a big jerk?” Link spits, scooting away from the animals. They were having a perfectly fine time before Groose ruined everything. Sticking his stupid nose where it doesn’t belong. He grabs a handful of leaves off the ground and scrubs his hair with it, trying to get as much poop off as he can.
“Eh, go cry to your mom about it,” Groose says, his narrowed eyes radiating disdain, and gestures at the bush. “I’m done here. Have fun rolling around with your stinky family.” He jogs away, giggling loudly at his apparent wit.
Link sits on the ground for a few minutes, getting his breathing under control. In addition to the pain in his hands, knees, and butt, his arm hurts where Groose grabbed him, his hair is a disgusting mess, and his face is smeared with tears and snot. He looks over at the Remlit nest and wipes his nose on his sleeve. The mother is washing one of the babies, using her tongue to clean its fur in long, brisk strokes. He sighs and stands up, brushing the hair out of his eyes and grimacing. It’s going to be a rough walk home.