Promises

Chapter 17

THIRD PERSON POV

When Link heard that Fire Emblem had many characters, he assumed maybe ten or twenty per game. That was a hefty amount right? Never did he think he'd be seeing so much... life.

"My god, its like a mini Castle Town!" He chirped.

He wasn't wrong. The crowd in front of them was everyone Ike knew. Well, the living ones at least. (There's gotta be a reason both games are rated Teen.)

Ike smiled. Not the big happy kind, but the small and at peace one. It's not that he smiled rarely, just that he had a terrible resting face. He didn't  move, people poured in all around him, hugging and cheering at his arrival. In all the chaos, the crowd lifted up Link. They had no idea who the hell he was, but, most of the people lived under the saying: "A friend of Ike's is a friend of mine!" Link, who was tiny and not used to rough housing with friends, found a slight joy in all of it.

^^^^^^^

(A/N: this is a little history on the two as well as a flashback to when Ike and Link were just roommates later on)

It was... surreal to Link. All his life he'd lived in solidarity, never thinking of a family he could've had. There was no mentor for Link, not until he was older atleast. It never bothered him, the lifestyle was simple, casual, Link. When Fate wove him into a journey on her timeless loom, again, he knew he was alone. But like most divine things, Fate worked her thread mysteriously, careless of the Hero's past, and someone else appeared. But the dear companion was gone now, and Link was by himself again. The first touch of camaderie in his life, replaced by nothing.

Zelda was never the apple of his eye, like the prophecy said she would be, he barely knew her. That didn't make her a stranger, but also not an equal. Link didn't understand it, had Fate's hand slipped? Or was there someone else? Link thought of his dear old companion, how they'd been so close.

When he arrived at the mansion, he thought of only them, and words soon failed him around others. No one paid it any mind, all the other 'Links' had been the same afterall. He wondered if Fate lured all of 'him' to melancholic muteness.

After years, he started to speak, only to those close to him, but speech was speech. Rough and coarse at first, his voice got better over time, but his heart still sat in its lonely abode. Link wondered if there was more to life. He talked to Zelda, and over time they became friends. They're friendship led to others for Link, and soon he called the mansion home. Even still, he felt lonely somehow. And then something odd happened, he changed roommates.

He had known Ike for years. Most people assumed he was some kind of 'jock' or 'bully,' in the beginning but no one ever talked to him. It made sense, he didn't talk to people, maybe Ike thought everyone was beneath him. That was the general assumption. Link didn't bother with him for a while.

Ike was a loner. Quite the odd characteristic for someone with so many friends, but they all could protest the fact; Ike was a distant person. He never understood what the mansion people thought of him, always wondering where those assumptions came from. It was ironic really, considering the games he came from were about not judging people based off appearance, but no one played Fire Emblem, and so in turn were ignorant.

As the weeks progressed however, the Hylian became aware of things regarding his roommate that the rumors couldn't compete with. Ike was... nice? No, kind was a better word. His face was always hard no matter when you looked at him, but the second Link ever thrust his head under the covers in frustration that day, Link heard the words no one had ever cared to utter to him.

"Are you alright? You keep doing that, and you barely leave the room for anything other than food and orders. Is everything okay? I know it's hardly my business, but what you're doing to yourself isn't healthy."

Getting up and sitting on the covers mermaid style with such messy hair, he probably very well looked like a mess- one that barely looked after himself. Words failed him, he just blinked at Ike in suprise, shock and disbelief. In all the years he had lived in the mansion, not a soul asked him something so simple yet kind. People assumed he was always fine, unbreakable, unfeeling.

Ike's face only became more worried, "You need to get out of here, Link. I know what you're going through, I used to bottle myself up like this when I was your age. Talking to people helped a lot."

Link looked down at the covers, "Hmm."

Ike looked at the boy, "Huh? Now you're just acting weirder. (Girls I guess) I really think you should get some fresh air. Or I can bring you something-" He started.

Link shook his head and interrupted, "Why would you do that?" He looked up to Ike, staring him in the eyes.

Link's eyes were confused and pain filled, he looked like he was about to burst into tears. Ike was taken back, he knew about how everyone thought about him years ago afterall, Link was part of it.

Ike walked over to Link's bed and sat down, turning his head toward the ceiling, "I guess I don't want you to end up like me."

Link's eyes widened, someone like me? He thought.

"After my father died," Ike started, "I only trained at night, by myself. I thought it was the only way to get over that loss. It worked for a while, but it also made me distant and unhappy. I avoided people altogether when I first came here because of that. I was horrible at talking to people. Because of that, people thought I was horrid or something. But you know what? My friends helped me out during that time, so many people cared about me, it's what got me back. I started talking to people here, I've made a lot of great friends. You wouldn't know since you live in your bed. I don't know exactly how you feel, but, if someone like me can say that, there's got to be more to your life than sulking in here. You're not alone." Ike finished with a small smile.

"N- not alone?" Link stuttered.

"Well I'm right here aren't I? I'm getting the feeling you really don't want to leave, so, I can stay here with you if you'd like." Ike said.

Link's eyes widened and he smiled saying, "I'd really like that."

^^^^^^^