#id have two nickels which isnt a lot but its weird it happened twice

[tsubanoboo]

i hope we get more cassie soon

[cheemken]

KNIGHT I forgot to mention in my last ask,

But Team Plasma is looking for the three dragons, and they’ll eventually track down two of them to the twins

Imagine Ghetsis forcing the dragon out of Hilda/Hilbert for N to capture and fight with. And now the other dragon has to leave the other twins body, to help fight Ghetsis/N so his brother doesn’t end up dying

But if we want to make this even more angst-y. What if the host cannot survive without the dragon now? Like the dragon has taken so much energy for themselves that the human host will eventually die without them. But together they’ll be fine

So with the two dragons fighting each other again because of Ghetsis, Hilda and Hilbert are just trying not to die lmao and wishing the dragons would fuse with them again

And the same thing is going to happen again in two years, but with Iris this time :)). Girly is 12 and going to experience near death lol

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP YOUR HONOUR THAT FUCKED ME UP LMFAOOOO BFMXBDNDND

God imagine if the twins got their dragons back, that became the reason they ran away tho, bc if that's gonna happen again, then they're surely gonna die, they're not gonna risk it again, so they ran away from Unova, hiding from Plasma, from Ghetsis, in fear that they're really gonna die

And god Iris just chxnbxnx

Cause like,,,, they got Kyurem locked up in the Frigate in the games yeah, fucking imagine them having Iris locked up too😭

God imagine how fucked up that was tho, them experimenting on Iris, trying to take Kyurem from her too, and how successful they almost were. Imagine as they were locked up, Kyurem's voice was ringing in her ears, in her head, repeating over and over again to kill them kill them kill them KILL THEM, YOU ARE THE GOD OF FATE, KILL THEM

God imagine Iris just fucking sobbing, one of the grunts hear, went to her and was pissed af for her crying, and he's there, grabbing her by her shirt, telling her to shut up, but Iris just,, stares at him with those gleaming golden eyes. Iris breathed out, a puff of cold smoke leaving her lips, she rasped out, "you.. dare.. hurt your.. god?" And before the grunt could react, he got impaled by a sharp icicle

Fucking imagine Iris just staring at the grunt's dead body. And Kyurem's voice rang again, telling her how powerful she was, look at the power you have, and still you refuse my help. Look at him. Look at him. Look at him now. He's dead because of you.

I'm pretty fckin sure homegirl really destroyed the Frigate from within lmfao, like, after that she probs hid in the Giant Chasm, fucking terrified and ashamed that she actually killed people, but she's there justifying it as Kyurem being the one to kill them, ofc, it was him who killed them, it was him who wanted them to die, it was his powers, it wasn't hers. Right..? But then again, they're sharing a body now, they're becoming a singular person each and every day, and she fucking hates it. Everything is so cold and so so painful it's so painful it hurts Arceus it hurts please just make it stop please make it stop

[surreal-duck]

after school chats

no but like really. he really has talked about him That much. maybe even more. along with how hajime really likes love talk in canon it spiraled into this mdgskkjsdhg

[skeledough]

NEEDY PRISONER OVERLOAD

[mary-kasexual]

me and the bad bitch i pulled by selling my soul (designs for an au made by @predict485!!! full credit to her for all the lore details, had a blast coming up with these)

[frenchonionsoop]

pov: bugs when somebody lifts up the rock they're hiding under

[zzoupz]

kity

[youremyonepiece]

salty afflictions

sanji x gn!reader (no pronouns used), reader's pov

your powers come with unique dietary restrictions, but sanji's not one to back down from a challenge (especially not if it's you).

warnings: none, light fluff (please lmk if there are any i should add!)

word count: 1.9k

"okay," sanji says, tone verging on exasperation, "let me get this straight." he peers at you through his furrowed curly eyebrows, but there is no malice in his stare-- only disbelief. "you can't eat salt?"

you laugh uncomfortably at the question. the rest of the straw hats have their eyes fixed on you as well, waiting earnestly for your answer. most of their plates lie forgotten in front of them; only luffy is moving, shoveling food into his mouth with both hands, but he too is staring directly at you. sanji is standing in front of you, a matching plate balancing on one of his hands. your own grip tightens around your carrot as you shift and shrink under the weight of everyone's combined gazes before taking a small chomp to hopefully diffuse some of the tension.

it doesn't work.

it makes things worse.

the carrot feels like dry mulch as you chew and swallow it loudly. everyone else simply continues to stare, the moment dragging on as they wait for you to respond.

you let out another uncomfortable laugh once your mouth is empty before clearing your throat. "um, yeah," you finally manage to say. you resist the urge to slam your head into the dinner table at your eloquence and continue, "the salt content in my body would get too high. i'd be no different than a puddle of sea water. which would, um-- which would be bad."

you can't stop another laugh from defensively bubbling through your lips. sanji notices and moves away to put your plate in front of luffy (with him around, no food would ever go to waste). "well," he says, pointedly nonchalant as he takes his seat and leans back to take a drag from his cigarette. "i love a good challenge, and you certainly are a lovely one." a smirk forms around his cigarette and just like that, the tension in the room shatters. you throw a grateful look in his direction as the crew's attention turns away from you and back to their dinners.

"typical sanji," usopp says with a playful roll of his eyes before shoving a spoonful of food into his mouth. "still, that must suck."

"yeah," you say in response. "i mean, i'm used to it, but i definitely miss some foods. it saved my life, though," you say with a shrug, "so it is what it is." you take another bite of your carrot, larger than the last in hopes of deterring anyone from asking you any more questions.

you feel someone's eyes on you again and turn your head to see sanji staring at you. there's still a smile on his face and in his eyes-- you can't help but hold your breath as you meet his gaze. he's looking at you as though he’s just discovered a new type of fish, you think to yourself. like he can't wait to experiment and discover the best ways to filet, bake, fry you up.

unlike with the others, being under sanji’s gaze doesn’t make you squirm in your seat. instead, you find yourself feeling comfortably warm-- you’re always comfortable with sanji. he’s been nothing but considerate and thoughtful from the start, and you knew he would never do anything to hurt you.

well, he would never do anything to hurt any woman, not just you.

you ignore the turning of your stomach-- get real, he would never feel the same way about you-- and instead avert your eyes to take great interest in your carrot. wow, it sure is orange--

"you'll have to allow me to borrow some of your time later, sweetheart," sanji says, interrupting your riveting thoughts. "we'll figure out what i can cook for you. can't have you going hungry, now can we?" he winks at you and you feel the heat creep up your neck and into your cheeks.

“um-- sure,” you say, and you're sure your face is bright red. gosh, did you have to be so awkward?

to your relief, though, franky starts talking excitedly about his ideas for new upgrades on the sunny, and with that the flow of the conversation is thankfully diverted away from you and the side effects of your hydro-hydro logia devil fruit. you finish your carrot as quickly as you can before quietly excusing yourself from the group and scurrying out onto the deck.

and though you don’t dare look up to confirm it, you swear you feel sanji’s eyes on you the entire time until you’ve left the room. but no-- there’s no way. you’re imagining it, letting your fantasies get the better of you. he wouldn’t have watched you leave, not when nami and robin were still in the room with him.

(if you had looked up, though, you would have found you were right.)

you’re sitting on a bench by nami’s tangerine trees the next morning after breakfast, absentmindedly flipping through a novel you borrowed from robin. it’s an unusually calm, placid day, the weather perfect and the soft breeze refreshing. the kind of day you want to spend outside and doing nothing. it’s easy to zone out the various noises from your crewmates: luffy’s joyful yelling followed closely by chopper’s worried shouts, zoro’s rumbling snores, nami’s playful teasing at usopp’s desperate rambling, sanji’s... footsteps?

you look up from the book to find the blond man walking calmly towards you with his blazer slung over his shoulder, an easy smile gracing his lips. it grows as your eyes meet, but he doesn’t speak until he comes to a stop a few feet away from you. “hello, gorgeous. got a minute? i wanted to get your thoughts on a few dishes i whipped up earlier for you.”

be cool, you tell yourself. be calm, casual-- “yeah, of course! i’d love to!” great job.

but you can’t feel upset for too long, not when sanji’s face lights up at your response. not when he’s holding a hand out for you to take. your cheeks grow warm (surprise, surprise) as you pause, taking in the sight of the kind man in front of you and his breathtaking smile, before reaching out to take his hand.

you’re hyper-aware of his fingers against yours as he gently guides you to the kitchen and can’t help the wave of disappointment that washes over you when he pulls away to drape his jacket over a bar chair and roll up his shirt sleeves. he motions you over to the table before turning away to grab a couple plates from the kitchen counter.

“so,” he begins as he places various dishes in front of you, “i normally use salt in just about every dish i make. it’s a flavor enhancer-- without it, most foods would taste flat and bland.” he places the last dish in front of you before straightening and flashing one of his brilliant smiles at you. (if you were in a cartoon, your heart would have just doki-doki-ed out of your chest.) “but there’s other ways to bring flavor into food, and there’s beauty in simple foods, too.”

you take in the various foods in front of you; each plate contains no more than maybe five spoonfuls of food, but there are so many. salads and soups and stews and snacks-- so many foods you hadn’t eaten since getting your powers. sanji pushes one of the plates closer to you-- a colorful pile of leafy greens and veggies, topped with what looks like olive oil and a freshly squeezed lemon wedge-- and takes the seat across from you. “salads, of course, are an easy answer. the best salads use fresh vegetables and high quality oil, and as long as you balance the flavors well, you won’t even miss the saltier ingredients like cheese.”

intrigued, you bring a forkful to your mouth, and-- wow. you never had been a huge fan of salads, especially since they now consisted of the majority of your meals, but this is easily the best salad you’ve ever had. you clean the plate within a couple seconds, much to sanji’s apparent delight.

and so he continues, explaining his reasoning behind each dish and watching intently as you practically inhale the food. “sanji,” you say in between dishes after what must have been over half an hour of food tasting, “this is amazing. i don’t think i’ve had food that tastes this good ever-- not even before i ate my devil fruit. i can’t believe you did all this for me.”

it’s his turn to blush at your words, and for some reason his bashfulness makes you feel embarrassed as well. you shut your mouth and look back down at the plate in front of you: cauliflower chunks he had coated in a spiced batter before frying and coating in a sauce made from nami’s tangerines. it’s true, though-- every single dish you had tasted had been phenomenal, so clearly made with kindness. you had resigned yourself to eating raw veggies for the rest of your life, and the fact that sanji had come up with a whole slew of meals that you could eat despite your power-induced diet, that too within a day of learning about it... no one had ever done something so thoughtful for you before.

your thoughts are interrupted by an unexpectedly acrid scent-- is something... burning? you look up from the plate, frowning, and almost immediately spot the smoking pan on the stove. “sanji! the pan!”

sanji, who had been staring at you with a dazed look in his eyes, seems to come to his senses with a few blinks. he glances backwards towards the stove and does a double-take in shock before leaping to his feet and rushing over to the burning pan. “merde! so sorry, love-- i must have forgotten to turn it off-- i was so excited to see your reaction--” he hisses suddenly, pulling his hand back with a jerk.

“sanji! did you burn yourself?” you’re on your feet, too, reaching his side within a blink of an eye. you take his hand in yours without hesitation, eyebrows furrowed with worry.

“darling, you should stay back, the fire--”

within seconds, you’ve doused the stove in water using your free hand. you then turn your eyes back to sanji’s burn, frowning in concentration as you coat the reddening skin with your cold water. “it doesn’t look too bad,” you murmur, eyes locked on his wound, “but you should still have chopper check it out.”

“will do,” he responds softly, and you freeze-- his voice is so close. you were so close.

you look up, throat dry as you meet his eyes. you feel your cheeks heat up yet again, but you can’t bring yourself to step away-- you can’t bring yourself to move. “you should--” you stop to clear your throat-- “you should be more careful.”

“i always am, but something about you makes me forget where i am.” he must see the question in your eyes, because he quickly adds, “in a good way, of course.”

“yeah, um-- same,” you say intelligently.

he laughs at your response, eyes full of affection as they remain on you. “c’mon,” he says, softly tapping your cheek with his uninjured hand before stepping slightly away from you, “we still have a few dishes to go.”

gosh, you think, stunned in place as you watch him move back towards the table. this man is truly going to be the death of you.

[skyward-floored]

Imagine if at some point after finding out about his true heritage HDW Wars gets sick but with every sneeze he accidentally sneezes fire and no one can figure out how to stop it.

So I don't know if I want this to be how Zelda actually finds out but I couldn't resist writing this—

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"No no, seriously, don't go in there!" Mask says with an increasing amount of panic, moving to block Zelda's path to Link's tent. "He's like, uh, he's really sick! Like, like throwing up and coughing and sneezing on everything, it's super gross! You don't want to go in there!"

Zelda raises an eyebrow.

“Mask, I'm more then well-aquainted with 'super gross sickness', as you put it. It’ll take more then that to stop me from visiting Link.”

“But... you might get sick!” Mask quickly argues, and Zelda considers for a moment. Then she continues forward.

“That’s true. But I doubt five minutes to wish Link well and check up on him will hurt anything."

"W-well, he," Mask splutters as Zelda strides past, "he, he doesn't want to see you!"

"Oh, is that so?" Zelda asks a tad mischeviously. "Funny, a minute ago you said Proxi was busy and that Link was so sick he could barely speak. How is it that you know what he wants?"

"Uh... that was before he couldn't speak," Mask quickly adds, but Zelda merely strides around him, nearly to the entrance of Link's tent. "Wait wait wait!"

Zelda pauses with her hand on the flap, looking down at Mask, who's still trying to block her while sporting a very odd expression on his face.

"...Is anything I say going to keep you out?" he asks, sounding like he already knows the answer.

"I'm afraid not."

Mask grimaces.

"Well... alright. If he asks, tell him I tried, and don't say I didn't warn you," he mutters, and steps aside. "You might wanna watch your hair."

Zelda raises an eyebrow, but Mask doesn't elaborate, and she enters the tent.

The first thing she notices is the smell of smoke in the air, just thick enough to be noticeable upon entering. The small lantern lit on the table doesn’t seem big enough to make the tent smell as smoky as it does, but nothing else seems to be on fire, and her attention is quickly drawn to the cot in the corner.

Link looks miserable, curled up under a thin blanket, dressed in only his undertunic and pants, and shivering hard enough that Zelda can see it from where she stands. Tune is sitting next to him with a bucket at his feet, and the sailor looks just as worried as she feels.

Tune looks up as she walks in, startles, then turns a glare on Mask.

"Mask, you—"

"I know, I know. Look she has to find out eventually, why not now?" Mask huffs, crossing his arms.

"He didn't want her to find out like this, he wanted to actually tell her," Tune hisses, and Mask has the decency to look a bit guilty.

"Have me find out what, exactly?" Zelda interrupts, and Tune and Mask both look at her, strange expressions on their faces. Neither of them gets a chance to speak though, as Link suddenly groans, and screws his face up.

“...Uh oh.”

"Hit the deck!" Mask yelps, and Zelda has just enough time to wonder what in the name of the goddesses is going on before Link lets out a loud sneezing cough.

Which sends a small burst of flame straight across the tent.

Zelda jumps back in surprise, and Tune quickly grabs the bucket at his feet and splashes water on the part of her skirts that ended up catching the edge of Link’s flames.

Smoke drifts from Zelda's now-doused skirt, and Link groans, Tune gently patting him on the head.

Zelda stares.

“How on earth..?” she breathes, and Tune and Mask look up at her, then at each other. “Is he all right? Is this a curse? How is it that he’s breathing fire?”

“Sneezing fire, technically,” Mask corrects, and Tune elbows him.

“Look, it’s... it's a little hard to explain,” Tune says carefully, and Zelda crosses her arms, suspicions suddenly raised.

“Was this one of you two’s faults?”

“No! Of course not! Look, it’s just...” Tune says, obviously struggling, and Mask sighs and gestures to Link.

“Turns out his dad is Volga,” he says simply.

Zelda blinks.

“Link’s... father. Is Volga. The dragon knight.”

Mask and Tune nod.

“That’s the one,” Mask says.

A lot of odd things that’ve happened in the past month suddenly add up in Zelda's head, strange looks, awkward avoidances, the uncertain glint that sometimes appears in Link's eyes. Zelda had assumed most of that was because of her hiding Sheik's identity (and she does still feel guilty about that), but Volga being Link's father...

Zelda’s head spins, but she doesn’t have time to ask further questions, as Link drags his eyes open with a groan.

“Captain?” Tune asks, and Link looks at him, face haggard with exhaustion. His gaze drifts around the tent, pausing on Mask for a moment, then drifting past him and settling on Zelda. Link stares at her, startles, then pushes himself upward, raising a hand in a shaky salute before Mask shoves him back down.

“Your Highness,” he croaks, and Zelda winces at how painful his voice sounds.

“At ease Link, you don’t need to treat me like that,” she assures, almost wishing she was still in disguise as Sheik. Link was never so concerned with protocol around her then. “Especially not while you’re sick.”

“‘S just a cough,” he rasps, and Tune sighs.

“Yeah, a cough that’s making you sneeze fire. Not exactly ‘just’ a cough.”

Link hums in a croaky way, then he startles as he realizes just what Tune has said, and looks at Zelda. Blue eyes meet blue, and Zelda can practically see the thoughts running rampant through Link's head.

"Y-your Highness, I'm—"

"Link," Zelda interrupts, her voice gentle. "Tune and Mask already told me. You don't need to hide it."

She sees him swallow, and Tune pushes his head back down to his pillow, a little frown appearing on his face when Link barely resists.

"So you... know," Link whispers, closing his eyes with a small cough. The action sends some smoke puffing from his lips. "My father's... Volga."

"Yes," Zelda replies, the shock beginning to fade, but still present.

There's always been something a little different about Link, something that set him apart from the other soldiers. Zelda had always thought it was more due to being the Hero, or the piece of Triforce he held, not... being related to a dragon.

She brushes her thoughts aside. "I apologize. Mask did his best to keep me out."

"She's too stubborn," Mask huffs, crossing his arms.

Tune's face hitches up in a smile. "Zeldas always are."

Link looks slightly more at ease, but still uncertain, and his eyes drag open again, circles dark beneath them.

"Princess," he begins in a rasp, "I know... it isn't much, but I promise you I am loyal to the crown. Volga is still my enemy. I wasn't a... aware of his relation to me until very... recently."

"Link, I didn't come in here to question your loyalties," Zelda says, pulling a chair over and sitting by his bed. "And I'm not in the practice of judging others on the actions of their parents. I heard you were ill, and came to see how you were doing."

Link blinks at her, and Zelda reaches a cautious hand out to feel his forehead, wincing at the heat radiating off of it.

"You have quite the fever," she says as she looks over at Tune, and he nods, eyebrows pinching together in worry.

"I know. We're not really sure what to do for him. We were just treating it normally, but then he started the fire thing..." he trails off, and scratches the back of his neck.

"Impa's getting a book that has some information on dragons in it though, she's hoping it'll help," Mask adds, and Zelda hums, pulling her hand back from Link’s forehead. She’d wondered where Impa had gone off to.

"I take it she's aware of this information too then?"

Something flickers in Tune's gaze. "She is."

Link screws his face up again, and Zelda dodges the flames that come out when he sneezes this time, Mask splashing some water on the corner of the tent the flames try to lick at.

“Uh... I’ll get more water,” he says as he looks down at the empty bucket, and slips out of the tent. Zelda is left alone with Tune and Link, and Tune sighs, brushing some of Link’s hair out of his face.

Zelda watches them in silence for a moment, Link’s raspy breathing the only sound in the tent.

“I hate to pry, especially while you’re sick, Link, but... when did you learn of your father?” Zelda finally asks, voice soft. “You said it was recently. Did Volga tell you?”

“No. It was before Cia split time,” he whispers. “That day she ended up... talking to me alone. She told me about Volga.”

Anger on Link’s behalf rises up in Zelda as he coughs again, from ending up alone with their enemy, from hearing such sensitive information from Cia of all people, from becoming such a major player in this war at all... but she tampers it down, and meets his eyes, dull with sickness.

“I’m sorry,” Zelda says quietly.

Link lets out a raspy sigh, and closes his eyes again. “I’ve had some time to... come to terms with it.”

He lets out another abrupt sneeze, flames shooting across the tent, and another several accompany it, the fire brighter each time. Zelda leaps to her feet, but before the flames can cause any damage, Tune whips out the wind waker and blows them all out.

The sneezes seems to have taken what’s left of Link’s strength, and he curls up again, looking exhausted as Tune lets out a sigh of relief. The younger hero pulls the blanket over Link’s shoulders as he tucks the wind waker back in his pocket, and then he smiles a little apologetically at Zelda.

“I think he could use some more rest,” he says, and Zelda nods, dusting some ashes off her skirts. She’s likely going to smell of smoke for a while.

“Of course. I need to be on my way anyway,” she sighs, not looking forward to going back to her maps and strategies.

Zelda looks down at Link, eyes closed in exhaustion, shoulders faintly shivering, the smell of smoke and sickness about him, and she swallows.

“I hope you feel better soon, Link.”

“Thank you your highness,” Link whispers in response, and sighs, seeming to fall asleep moments later.

“...he’s quite sick, isn’t he?” Zelda says once she’s sure he’s asleep.

“He could be worse, but... yeah,” Tune says quietly, then smiles at her. “But Impa will be back later, and I bet she’ll have some information for us. Link’ll be fine.”

“I’m sure he will. He’s terribly resilient,” Zelda says with a small smile of her own. “Thank you for looking after him.”

Tune shrugs. “Somebody’s gotta stop him from setting the whole camp on fire.”

Zelda can’t help her chuckle at that, and Tune lets out a laugh of his own as he walks her out, pausing at the tent flap.

“Princess... would you keep all of this to yourself?” Tune asks her, a strange expression flitting across his face. “Link’s still struggling with it, and if the rest of the army knew...”

“I won’t say a word,” Zelda promises, and Tune relaxes a hair. “Only to Impa, or you and Mask.”

“Thank you,” Tune says gratefully.

Zelda takes his hand and gives it a squeeze. “You’re welcome, Tune. I’ll try and come back once Impa returns, maybe we can all discuss this together.”

Tune’s eyes do something funny again at the mention of Impa. “Maybe. See you, Zelda.”

Zelda says goodbye in return, and Tune slips back inside the tent, a puff of ash accompanying him.

She stands there for a few moments longer, thinking about Link and Volga, and Impa a little as well. She’s curious about what this all means for Link, being part dragon (whole dragon?), and what he’s doubtlessly been going through since he found out.

She wonders how Impa found out about all of this as well. Did Link tell her? Or Tune perhaps? Was Link concerned about what him being related to their enemy would mean? And how long has Impa known of the identity of Link’s father?

Zelda shakes her head, scattering her thoughts, and begins the walk back to her tent.

“So many questions,” she sighs to herself, and rubs some more ashes from her skirts.

As if this war weren’t already complicated enough.

[nohenova]

day 4 - crossover/au

mob and viv !!

[bowl2099]

Sometimes I wonder if Miguel and Noir just assume every version of Vulture they meet is a cannibal like theirs are.

Imagine Peter B. trying to convince them not to kill his Vulture because he's "totally not a cannibal please put the gun down" and Noir is almost inclined to believe it meanwhile Miguel is already trying to find the highest building in the city to throw an unconscious Vulture from.

[razberrypuck]

JUST started watching ranboo's subathon oneshot. immediately adding bruce trayne to the list of autistic characters played by charlie slimecicle

[storytellerofuntoldlegends]

why do the minecraft series have baby fever now. first qsmp with the eggs and now empires with the goblins.

[silvrash-797]

Glassbound

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Read on ao3

Chapter 6: The Reunion

Four seethed, shouting at their captors and pounding on the glass as he contemplated their predicament.

Trapped in his own bottle, no potions, no bandages, and now his friend and brother lay behind him, barely conscious, broken and bleeding because some selfish soldiers refused to leave them alone.

The Colors had never retained individuality in his mind, but that didn’t stop him associating individual emotions with each Color. Right now, the anger he always associated with Blue was very close to the surface, nearly eclipsing the worry he associated with Red. His tail lashed behind him, and he clenched his fists so hard his sharp nails nearly pierced his palms.

Calm and collected seemed all but impossible to attain right now, but he had to try, for Hyrule's sake.

Four huffed, then breathed deep and held it. He heard his heart pounding in his ears, felt the blood rushing through every part of his body. Mentally, he counted to ten, then slowly blew out the air he’d been holding.

Twice more through the cycle, he finally felt calm enough to think.

He crouched in front of Hyrule, trying to catalog the injuries he saw without disturbing the other Hero.

The bruises around his ankles weren’t bad enough to worry about, and he’d already taken care of the dislocated thumb, though it was bruising pretty badly now, too. He'd somehow managed to obtain another bruise on his left index finger, but a quick, gentle examination of the digit didn’t yield another dislocation, so he left it.

The blood dripping down Hyrule’s face and onto his tunic was concerning. Four followed it to a large lump above his left ear…gentle probing revealed that the bleeding cut wasn’t too wide or deep, thankfully, but Four was unsure if Hyrule had a concussion, and he wasn’t quite ready to rouse him enough to properly check.

Four gently checked under the bandages on Hyrule’s left arm – the slice had stopped bleeding, but there was a large bruise surrounding the wound.

A shadow near Hyrule’s hip caught his attention, and he leaned closer to examine it through the faint glow filling the bottle. Lifting the green tunic, a shallow puncture wound met his gaze. When had Hyrule received that?

The wound bled sluggishly, and in the absence of bandages, Four pulled out Hyrule's brown tunic to place against the cut.

Finally, he turned his attention to the injury he’d been avoiding until all his emotions were balanced. Hyrule's right arm hung limply from its socket – he assumed this had been the cause of all the distressed bells he’d heard as he was trying to escape the soldier. The Traveler’s upper arm was already a mess of purplish bruises from the trauma.

Four took a deep breath, trying to channel as much Vio energy as he could, then gently tapped Hyrule's uninjured cheek. “Rulie, you still with me?” He was glad the Traveler seemed to understand Picori – it was much easier to speak in this form than Hylian was.

The other Hero flinched and groaned, a tiny shimmer of bells following the sound. Hyrule slowly lifted his head, short, sharp breaths escaping as he did.

When Hyrule met his gaze his eyes were unfocused, but to Four's relief his pupils were the same size, and when he leaned subtly side to side, Hyrule's eyes followed smoothly.

“’m here,” the fairy mumbled tiredly. “Don' wanna be…” His eyes fluttered closed.

“Hey, no, Link, stay with me!” Four admonished, slight fear of being left alone in the bottle rising within. “We need to set your shoulder and try to straighten your wings.”

The wind chime effect of Hyrule's sigh would have made Four smile in any other circumstance.

Four settled in front of Hyrule, gently taking his forearm and shoulder into the proper grip. Fortunately, while on their second adventure Vio had read all sorts of useful books, and the knowledge had stuck around when they rejoined as Link again. “It’ll be okay Rulie, just relax,” he said as he carefully pulled down on Hyrule's arm, rotating the forearm as he did.

Hyrule whimpered as the joint dropped into place like a key in a lock, then sighed in relief once Four had checked for full range of motion.

“Thanks, Four.” Hyrule smiled wanly. “My wings don’t feel too bad right now…can I rest, please?”

Four couldn’t tell if it was some sort of Fae magic or imagining Red's puppy dog eyes, but he found himself powerless to refuse. “Sure, buddy. I’ll wake you if anything happens.”

Hyrule immediately curled up on his left side – head cradled in Four's lap due to the limited space inside the bottle – and dropped into slumber faster than anyone Four had ever known, leaving Four alone with his thoughts.

The thick glass and the cork made it nearly impossible to hear what was going on outside. He absently preened his tail and rubbed at the handful of bruises under his fur as he watched the world wobble around them. Eventually, the soldiers joined with their Boss – Rulow, if he’d heard correctly. Voices raised in angry tones reached his ears, but he couldn’t understand the words.

His stomach bottomed out as the bottle was lifted suddenly into the air, and he hissed, curling protectively around Hyrule's still form as a giant eyeball peered at them through the glass. The deep, gravelly tones of the Boss sent vibrations rumbling though the enclosed space, rattling Four's brain.

Suddenly, their bottle was shoved deep inside a pouch on someone's belt; Four did his best to brace Hyrule through the shuddering transfer, until they were rolling smoothly side to side once more.

It was almost pitch dark inside the pouch, the only light coming from Hyrule's faint glow. He hated not being able to see, not knowing what their fate was to be.

Hyrule still slept, peacefully by the look of it, and the rocking gently lulled Four into a doze.

He wasn’t aware of when exactly they stopped, but he was very aware when brazen sunlight pierced their glass prison.

Four winced and hissed as the bottle was withdrawn, curling around Hyrule as they were jostled. A bleary smear of bells that cut off into a pained rattle told him Hyrule was awake.

Their captors set the bottle down onto a hard surface, and Four shook off the disorientation, trying to make sense of where they were.

He saw light brown, concentric arcs under his feet, leading away to what could conceivably be complete circles outside his horizon of vision. Nearby, a solid arc of a darker brown dropped off into nothingness. The edge of a tree stump, maybe?

He looked further out and up, the glass distorting his view.

Tall greens and reds. Trees.

High and wide yellow and blue. Sun and sky.

Nearer, green and red…clothes?

Yellow and blue…hair? And a snake?

No. A scarf.

The Chain! Warriors and Legend, at least.

Quickly, he bent to drag Hyrule further off the bottom of the glass. “I think Warriors and Legend are here!” he hissed excitedly.

“What? Really?”

“Look!!” Four pointed to where a Hylian-shaped smear of red and green was gesticulating wildly, angrily. A nearby smear of green and blue was making calming gestures towards the first.

“That is them! Legend! Warriors!” Hyrule's strident bells nearly deafened Four, but he couldn’t blame him. He was ready to get out of this bottle, too.

Hyrule tried fluttering his wings in his excitement, only to groan and collapse as they seized.

“Oh, Rulie,” Four crouched down next to the fairy. “Let’s get those wings straightened out. We won’t be able to do anything until they work something out with those soldiers.”

“Yeah,” Hyrule panted, “sounds good.”

Four kept one eye on the conversation above them as he painstakingly straightened the delicate membranes of Hyrule's wings, trying not to aggravate the tears. Warriors looked like he was getting upset, too.

The light inside the bottle dimmed suddenly as a large hand wrapped itself around their prison. That was all the warning they received as the bottle was lifted swiftly into the air, pinning Four and Hyrule to each other at the bottom of the glass. Whoever was holding them stopped moving with a jerk; Four found himself weightless for a short eternity before gravity reclaimed its hold, slamming him back down onto the unforgiving floor.

Coughing breathlessly, Four picked himself up, checking himself and Hyrule for any new injuries. He scrambled to the side of the bottle, trying to see what was going on.

The only opening left him a good view of Boss Rulow's smug, malicious grin. Shouting finally echoed through the bottle, but he still couldn’t understand what was being said.

The sunlight returned as the hand disappeared; Four had one brief moment to appreciate the extra light before he processed what it meant.

Freefall.

No matter how many times he’d fallen or jumped from a high place, the weightlessness that tugged at his stomach never got more comfortable, and that was when he had a way to catch himself. Now, terror filled his tiny body as he fell – five and a half feet at Minish size might as well be miles – trapped and utterly helpless, unable to do anything to stop their descent.

He found his terror reflected back from Hyrule's eyes, and the two tiny heroes clasped hands, bracing for the impact that would almost certainly kill them.

The impact came. But it wasn’t hard, shattering, deadly. It was gentle, cushioned, safe.

Heart thrumming in his chest, Four looked around, wondering who had saved them. Callused hands cradled the bottle, hands covered in glittering gold bands. Legend.

A sob tore from Four’s chest, fueled by Red-induced fear and relief. He clung to Hyrule, whose wordless chimes cycled through fear, relief, concern and excitement so fast it was dizzying.

Or maybe you should breathe, his mind helpfully supplied.

Oh.

Four sucked in a deep gulp of air as the cork was gently wiggled free, stumbling to the lip of the bottle as Legend slowly tipped it over.

Four and Hyrule collapsed in the Vet's palm, the forest sounds loud after the oppressive silence inside the bottle.

“Those Din-blasted thugs better hope Wars doesn’t catch them,” Legend was muttering to himself as he looked around the forest. “I cannot believe they had the nerve to just drop you.” His attention turned to Four and Hyrule. “Are you two okay??”

Four simply nodded, still trying to regulate his breathing.

Hyrule chimed agreement as well, but Four had finally gathered himself enough to shove an elbow into the other hero's ribs. “Uhh…” Hyrule amended, “I could use a potion, if you have one.” He gently fanned his wings for emphasis.

“For more than just your wings, by the look of it.” Legend always tried to hide it, but Four knew he cared deeply for all the heroes, and had a special soft spot for his successor. “What did they do to you?”

“Nothing much.” Four spoke in Hylian for Legend's benefit. “They weren’t particularly happy we kept escaping, is all.”

“Oh, is that all?” Legend snarked, teasing heat behind the words. He shook his head as he helped Hyrule with a red potion. “Lucky idiots, both of you.”

Four couldn’t refute that.

Once Hyrule's wings and injuries were healed, Legend helped Four find a Minish portal. With a few words and a trip through a nearby stump, both heroes regained their normal forms.

In a rare show of affection Legend pulled both Four and Hyrule into a hug. “Don’t,” he warned, “do that again, you hear me?”

“We’ll try,” Four said.

“No promises,” Hyrule teased, relief at being reunited shining from his eyes.

Legend growled playfully before releasing them. “Did you at least get some names?”

Four and Hyrule exchanged a look before matching grins spread across their faces. “We did,” Four confirmed.

“Good.” Legend snatched their hands, taking point as he led them out of the forest. The anger in his voice promised pain for anyone who got in his way. “Let’s go grab everyone else. We have a castle call to make.”

[therenaissancedungeonmaster]

This is for the Baru Cormorant stans out there I know you're out there hit me up about this insane woman please.

[Image description: A tarot styled piece featuring three women. One woman, Tain Hu, is in the far back, backed by what seems to be an army. Tain Hu covers the right eye of the central figure, Baru Cormorant, who holds a quill and is very poised. Tain Hu also puts a sword into Baru's right hand. In front of Baru is Aminata, holding a flag, and releasing a cormorant, which is still chained to the flag.]

[blog-of-frontiers]