#legend needs a hug

[justpoliteconversations]

Breakdown [Isekai!Reader + Legend/Marin] (Part 1)

In which Isekai!Reader has a breakdown and then proceeds to break reality.

This fic is purely for my own satisfaction as I've yet to find this particular topic explored and I have a mighty need. I've taken liberties. This is self-indulgent trash.

PART: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Masterlist

TW: Choosing not to display warnings. Read at your own discretion.

Disclaimer: Don't own The Legend of Zelda franchise. Linked Universe is the fan creation of jojo56830.

---

You'd tried not to get close. From the moment you were tossed through the portal (conveniently right at the Chain's feet), you did everything possible to prevent either side from growing unnecessarily attached.

Didn't stop them from strong arming you into joining them though. As an abnormality from the portal, it was in their best interest to keep you close and monitored. Which was fair, so despite your misgivings you went along peacefully.

Though you made sure to let them know where you stood in all this.

You weren't cruel, per say, but you made sure to keep your distance and openly expressed your disinterest in opening up to them. You just wanted to find a way home, and for the most part they did their best to respect that.

Most of them anyway. Wind was an absolute menace. The boy was relentless in trying to wiggle his way into your good graces, always trying to include you in all his little side-quests and jokes.

It would be cute, honestly, if you didn't know he was trying to pump you for information. Clever, using the kid, if you didn't already know who these men were.

(If you're going to try to act friendly with the target Wind, remember to disarm yourself of obvious weaponry before approaching. Silly boy.)

You'd put money on Warriors having orchestrated most of the interactions between you and the youngest. You may not have as advanced senses as them, but you're not blind. It's obvious Wind is reporting to Warriors and Time the nights Wind takes extra pains to interact with you.

(Not that there was much to report. You stuck to your story. Came from a more futuristic world, don't know why you're here, the Heroes of Hyrule are just stories- myths- where your from. You don't know much about them. Yes, you have some secrets. No, they're not harmful to their merry little band. Pot, meet kettle. You'll show them yours if they show you theirs. No? Okay then. Last you checked, they forced you into their group. "Have a good night Time, I appreciate everything you guys do for me. Goodnight Warriors, Legend, Four. Sleep well.")

For being such powerful, experienced heroes, they're not always the brightest. Must be the influence of their Tri-force alinment. It takes a special type of person to do what they do afterall. YOU certainly wouldn't.

But you degress.

Yes, you did everything within your power to keep yourself separate from them without making them your enemies. Slept away from the group, tried (and sometimes failed) to percure your own food. Refused any gifts, money or luxuries offered to you that did not directly involve your continued well-being.

Hell, you even took to cutting grass in your spare time, just so you had something to offer up with you inevitably needed thier assistance. And wasn't that a shock, to find rupees just laying around in the grass. Money literally grow in plants here.

Mind blown.

("No Wind. You found that one, so it's yours. Thank you for the thought though.")

Overall, you thought you'd done an excellent job of it. They- usually- kept to their part of the camp, you stuck to yours (lonely though it was). You rarely talked to them unless strictly necessary or Wind managed to back you into a metaphoric corner. During travel you watched the world go by, acting as another silent pair of eyes.

You thought you'd managed to keep yourself in check.

What a fool you were. To ever think you could keep yourself from loving these kind, selfless, traumatized, courageous goofballs. How shortsighted, to think you would ever be able to stay impartial to their plight, to their pain.

When the divines cast a hook, you took it with both hands and didn't let go.

You're such a damned idiot.

It'd been one hell of a ride to get to the point of no return. Somehow, you'd stumbled though a second portal just as you and the chain had finished exiting the first. Literally, just walked out the first, moved 5 feet away from Legend (your portal crossing partner that time) and promptly stepped into another portal that'd opened right in front of you.

You'd heard Sky's alarmed shout, the beginnings of Wild's bellow, saw Legend try to make a grab at you from the fading entryway. You witnessed Legend flinch back in shock as a wisp of light pulled from his hand and disappeared into the portal. Saw him fall to his knees, seemingly crumbled in pain.

And then you were gone.

You fell onto warm sand, blinded by bright, warm sunlight directly in your eyes. The smell and taste of salt was so strong you can almost feel it coating your insides.

The sea, you quickly realize. Your back hurts from being tossed from the portal, but you're so, so thankful you landed on dry land and not somewhere in the middle of the ocean. A little pain is worth not succumbing to exhaustion and drowning after a desperate, futile struggle.

You laid there for a moment, shocked and grateful and shivering from adrenaline.

You noticed the portal didn't disappear, and none of the chain came charging through to save you either. You watched it for a while, taking deep breaths to calm your heart and waiting for something to happen.

Should you try to go back through? Why is the sound it makes so damn irritating?

"Are you alright?" A lilting voice asks unexpectantly, startling you from where you're sprawled on the sand. "Oh! Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you!"

It didn't click at first who this woman was. Long, beautiful red-blond hair, freckled, sun-kissed skin and a little red flower swaying in the sea breeze above her head. A sweet but sad smile, with just a hint of grief in her soulful dark eyes.

You were surprised she didn't notice the portal. You wondered why.

"My name's Marin. What's yours."

It should have clicked.

"It's..."

It didn't.

You broke your own rule, unwittingly though it may have been. Don't interact unnecessarily. Don't get involved. Don't put yourself in a position to get attached. Don't think about it too hard.

Don't. Get. Emotionally. Invested.

"Oh! What a lovely name! I wish we'd have met before-" Her eyes flickered sidewards, and it was then you noticed the biggest egg you'd ever seen on top of a volcanic mountain peak. Just there. A nightmare wrapped up in a pretty bow, waiting for someone to open it.

And he did.

It started to break right before your eyes. Light seeping out through the cracks and pouring down the volcano and into the surrounding land. It was not how you remember this going down, but you knew (without a doubt) what this was and what was happening.

The shock must have been evident on your face because she started talking again, soothingly, though her voice cracked with emotion.

You barely heard her, eyes fixated on the sight of a mountain slowly starting to disintegrate. On the sounds of screams in the distance. Of little shapes moving away from the light, like roaches across the mountainside.

Your eyes flickered to the portal, still there, waiting, emitting the most horrendous noise. A long dark corridor stretching out into a vast nothingness.

The sceams continued. Some cut off suddenly. It was a small island, and the mountain tall. It let their voices carry into the lands below.

Your body was cold. Your skin numb and prickling.

You noticed Marin still talking. Her eyes frightened, though she was trying not to show it.

She was trying to distract herself, you realized. "We should go to the village. Say goodbye. I'll-I'll introduce you to my father. You can be part of our family. No one deserves to- to without having a f-family."

You looked at her. Eyes wide open. Throat tight. Heart beating. Mind numb.

That was where she should have been right now, wasn't it. But she wasn't because she was talking to you. She was too far away to reach it.

(She was never meant to reach it.)

She knew that. You could see it in her eyes.

This world could not be this cruel. It couldn't. It just couldn't.

She looked to you with such sad eyes. Wet with unshed tears. So very aware.

No.

She reached out for your hand.

No.

Her fingers cradled yours, warm and soft.

No.

She tugged you slightly, inching closer. Other arm stretching, stretching. Embracing.

No.

Her skin was warm, like sunshine. She smelt of sweet fruit and clean sweat. Her heart was thundering.

No.

It was warmer still where she hid her face in your shoulder. Wet. Damning.

And then a whisper. The flutter of lips.

A secret, breathed like a confession.

"I'm sorry Link. I wish I could have lived for you."

You bent.

You twisted.

You ached.

"Marin. If you had the chance to survive this, no matter how slim, would you take it. Even if it meant giving up everything? Even if it meant having to live with the pain."

She stared at you, bewildered. And then-

Clarity.

"You're like Link. Aren't you?"

"Yes."

Her expression shifted. Beneath the sheen of tears, a fire ignited in her dark eyes. Hope, so strong it scorched the world.

It burned you too. That unyeilding will to survive.

"Take me to him." Her eyes softened, but were no less determined for it. Instead, her resolve set like obsidian. "So we may grief the loss of our family together."

Hook, set. Bait, taken.

Now.

Pull.

---

It was agony. From the moment you grabbed Marin's hand and attempted to enter the portal, it felt as though your entire bloodstream was on fire. Like being unmade and reforged all at once, originating from where your hand connected with hers.

You wanted to pull away, but you didn't. She wouldn't have let you either way. Her grip was an iron vice. Deceptively strong.

She didn't even flinch despite the sweat you could see gathering on her brow, the way her jaw clenched. Her entire body was covered in goosebumps, the hairs on her arms standing on end.

You couldn't imagine what she must be experiencing, if the feeling of her hand alone was enough to arrest your breathing.

You took another step forward. She matched it. It was like walking through wet sand, sticky and unyielding, but not impossible.

You moved one step at a time, slow and steady. Open mouthed panting, sweat running down your faces and soaking your hair, plastering it to your scalps. Your skin was flushed from exertion and you guys hadn't moved more than a few paces.

You weren't even out of sight of the entryway when the light was suddenly ripped away from behind. Leaving nothing but a yawning void.

Marin stumbled, as though her strings had been cut, and you followed. Your entire body was molten lava, bones scorched to nothing.

Someone was screaming. Or maybe you both were. You couldn't tell. Marin was gripping your hand with all her might and you gripped right back. The point of contact felt melted into her skin, like you were a part of her.

Or she was part of you.

Eventually, you felt her start to rise, pulling you with her. You couldn't see, but you knew she still had that fire searing in her eyes. No amount of tear stains could hide her will to live.

She took a step forward, and you followed her into the dark. One, two, three, four....

Time lost it's meaning. You'd long since lost count of the steps you two stumbled through together.

It was getting harder. Each step forward seemed to add another weight to your shoulders. It hurt to breath, it hurt to blink. You stopped opening your eyes a while ago. Your skin felt blistered and cracked.

You and Marin had tried talking, but it wore on her too heavily. She was gasping for air even more desperately than you were, breaths raw and ragged.

More time passed. Each step got harder. You were stumbling more than you were walking.

You were sure your nose was bleeding. You could taste the iron in your mouth, where liquid dripped over your upper lip. You couldn't feel your face.

Then Marin threw up. Fell to her knees and just kept puking and puking, struggling for precious air, whole body convulsing. You reach down blindly with your other hand to try to get her hair out of the way.

You overshot and your hand ended up in the spray (it was perfectly smooth like water, not at all natural). It felt like liquid metal across your skin, ripping a scream from your throat.

The smell of burning flesh hit your senses as you curled around your arm, the limb pulsing under you.

You could feel tension building in your body, heavy and foreboding.

Marin was crying. She was shaking. She retched again.

She clutched your hand like a lifeline, desperation corded into every muscle in her fingers. You squeezed back with everything you had, reassurance you were still there in the total darkness.

The tension snapped.

Then her hand went limp, only your grip keeping her from fully slumping to the ground. Dead weight.

"Marin?" You rasped, voice shaking with pain and shock. "Marin?"

She didn't respond. She didn't move. Her limp body slumped against your side, like a branding rod searing through your clothes.

Your heart raced in panic and it gave you the strength needed to pull your still burning arm from beneath you and feel for her pulse.

You found it. Faint. So faint it was a mere whisper, but there.

Ahead of you, an endless void. Behind you, the gapping maw of nonexistence. Nothing in all directions but the limp body leaned against your leg. The sound of the portal just kept growing louder, like metal scraping in your ear.

Your body was so heavy. Your skin seemingly peeled back and exposed, burning against the agony of existence.

You broke.

You shattered.

You felt.

"It doesn't get to be this way." You panted, eyes open, seeing nothing and stinging like hornets. "No. You don't get to do that."

Emotion rose like a tidalwave within you, boiling under the surface of your skin. You turned your eyes up, casting your gaze into the void there.

"You don't get to do that to them. You don't get to keep hurting them like this. They're not toys. They're real."

You swallowed thickly.

"They're real."

The emotion boiled over. The dam broke. Everything else was lost to the Rage.

"YOU!" You screamed, voice shrill, hot liquid falling from your lips as something stretched and burst. "Don't! Get! To! Keep! Hurting! Them! You don't get to do that! They're people! They're real people with real feelings and pain, Goddamnit!"

You were lost to that rage. The feeling that had haunted your every waking moment since the moment you fell through that first portal. Since first you realized where you were.

From the moment you realized who they were and what that meant.

"You don't get to take anything else from them! You hear me! Not a single. Damned. Thing. More!" You spat. "I will not allow it! I! Reject! It!"

You hauled Marin forward inch by agonizing inch with strength you should not have, using spite that ran so deep it tore at peices of your soul.

You weren't even looking forward anymore (what need have you to know when the torment ends, when you're never going to stop. not until death takes you). Instead, you'd braced your feet firmly and started hauling yourself backwards, back arched so far you were nearly sitting.

"I will not let you keep hurting them for your entertainment!" You screeched, not caring how it hurt. Not caring how spit and snot and blood ran down your chin. How sweat soaked straight through your clothes, stinging against the aching rawness of your skin.

You pulled, both hands latched onto Marin's one. The universe pulled back, trying to take this precious being from your grasp. Your progress was halted.

You snapped.

"FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU NITENDO. FUCK YOU GAME PEOPLE. FUCK YOU PLAYERS! AND FUCK ME TOO! FUCK ME FOR EVERYTHING I EVER DID TO HURT YOU! FUCK EVERYONE WHO EVER HURT YOU FOR FUN!"

You screamed then, rasping, tearing and wordless. Just kept screaming and pulling against the universe. Against the pain. Against the unfairness of it all.

The universe pulled again and you snarled like a beast, grip so tight on Marin's wrist you felt something cracking. She felt like Hellfire under your hands.

It only enraged you more.

"You don't get to have her! You don't get to hurt him anymore! You don't get to hurt any of them! They're mine now! You! Don't! Have! The! Right! THEY'RE MINE!"

A choked rasp, iron flooding your throat as the nosebleed gets worse.

"Marin is mine! Legend is mine! Hyrule is mine! Wind is mine! Warriors, Sky, Four are mine! Time and Twilight are mine! Wild is mine!"

Another step back, an inch gained.

Again, and again, and again.

"I'm going to take back everything you stole from them!" You howl into the void, uncaring of how absolutely broken your voice had become. "The moment you let your guard down, I'm taking everything! You. HEAR! ME!"

"I'M TAKING EVERY-"

The universe let go and you fell.

...and Marin fell with you.

Suddenly, there was gentle light filtered through leaves, cool spring air and the faint call of birdsong. No endless darkness or scorching magma in your veins or the infernal screech of portal magic in your ear. Just bliss.

And then your body reminded you that it was not fine.

Your muscles seized, tightening in painful reminder of the strain you had put them through. Your skin stung like sandpaper burn from head to toe, your lungs ached so fiercely it drew tears to your eyes.

Eyes tightly closed and teeth gritted, you curled around the limp body sprawled at your side, limbs intermingled as your body spasmed through the pain.

Then, there were hands on you and you cried out in agony.

Someone shushed you, soundly oddly choked and quiet as another pair of hands gently tried to move you. Then several.

You refused. Arms tightening around the precious being trapped in your embrace. You fought with what little strength you had left, sobbing as the hands managed to pry you loose.

You wailed in dispair.

Someone sobbed with you.

You finally succumbed to your body's desperate demands to escape the pain. You drifted away to the feeling of gentle arms cradling you close, of soft whispers in your hair.

Finally, peace found you. If only for a time.

---

Perhaps there will be a part two. Maybe even venture into yandere territory. Who knows.

I must return to the shadows once more to recharge.

[soup-guts]

theres no way he actually thinks he’s bad — but thinking and feeling are two different things

[quartzlightz]

Marin?

Warriors walked up to Legend who was staring up at the paint of people who helped in the War of Eras.

“Heh, surprised to see your lovely rabbit husband up there?” Warriors joked, bumping Legend with his elbow.

Legend though, did not reply. Well, did not reply right away that is. He continued to stare at the painting, not even glancing at Warriors.

“…You knew Marin?”

The question took the captain by surprise. He wasn’t expecting that.

“Of course. Legend you’ve met Marin before?” Warriors was surprised by the turn of events. Why should he be surprised though, the veteran knows basically everyone. He isn’t called the veteran for nothing.

Finally, the veteran turned his head to Warriors, “Knew her?” Legend gave a dry laugh, eyes appearing very glossy, “She was everything, but of course Hylia doesn’t let her damn hero pets have anything for long that makes them happy.”

The poor captain didn’t know what to do. Legend was never one to be so open to him often, let alone express this much to him. The veteran was always snarky and moments where the two actually bonded and were there to comfort one another was rare.

Legend looked down at the ground as he dug his nails into his palms. “I… Wh- What was..” His voice stared to crack and fade away. He felt like he was being choked, breathing was becoming hard and his vision was going blurry. Everything was to much, he was to overstimulated, he doesn’t know what to do, everything is too confusing—

“Shh,” Warriors voice hushed his thoughts. The knight’s arms wrapped around him gently. Both of them practically melted to the ground, Legend curled up in a ball as Warriors rocked them back and forth. “Just let it out, don’t worry about anything else,” He reassured.

It seems that’s all Legend need to hear: an approval. Legend almost instantly burst into sobs, gripping onto Warriors tunic as if his life depended on it.

The captain petted the top of Legend’s head. He kept rocking both of them while Legend cried his heart out. Warriors reflected back onto a lot of things Marin used to say, it all made sense now in a way. The hero she spoke about, the island called Koholint, just everything. And he is more than willing to answer every question Legend has for him later about Marin if it means putting something inside Legend’s heart at ease.

He’d do anything to put any of his brothers’ hearts at ease if he could.

[thesadpuffin]

Zelda Reacts Part 5

Thank you for your patience while I lost my mind over how many layers this outfit has :') I had the idea for this one early on and I felt like doing it before I get to some of the other requested outfits! I would have been so happy if they hugged at the end of botw 😭😭😭

Part 4: Barbarian <<< >>> Part 6: Voe

[mochipong]

Your last prayer—ten thousand years late(r)

[sheikfangirl]

They found each other again ♥

I don't know about you but.... I think that's what happens after Zelda says " I'm home" 😚

[heavenly96]

Both of them kind of had their childhood's abruptly cut short. They just need some hugs.

[forecast0ctopus]

i just think they shouldve gotten ONE hug where they werent enchanted or like. dying

[izzystizzys]

TW: discussion of something approximating suicidal tendencies but with the usual crack programming of this blog

“Ah, High General Windu”, says Fox, pleasantly. “So we meet again.”

High General Windu raises an unimpressed eyebrow at him, Fox thinks, though it’s getting hard to tell with all the blood rushing to his head. “If I let you go, will you try to throw yourself out of another window?”

Fox makes a vague shrugging motion - or tries to, anyways. It’s hard to tell where any of his limbs are going, hanging upside down in the air as he is. “I am willing to discuss terms.” A bridge will do just fine.

Impossibly, the High General’s eyebrows climb even further up his forehead. “A compromise, then, esteemed Commander.” And so, he righths Fox the head way up in the air, but leaves him floating just above the ground, at which point several painted shells come skidding around the corner followed by billowing robes and screeches.

“WHAT”, says Kote, calmly, “THE BANTHA-KARKED, FORCE-LOVING KRIFF, FOX.”

“You’ll short out your helmet mic”, Fox advises him, sagely. Fondly, he thinks back to decimating his own on only his second time in the newly-christened official Coruscant Guard Scream Closet. He’d just received the comm about the Zillo Beast being transported to 000, and made sure to take his bucket off thereafter to improve the quality of his closet time.

High General Windu’s face does something complicated between sympathy and constipation.

Because the Galaxy doesn’t hate Fox enough already and Cody wasn’t enough on his own, Wolffe elbows his way through their batch to plant himself in front of him, shoulders squared and shaking with repressed rage. “If you try that again, dickhead”, he begins, in a low growl that quite frankly sounds more cringe that intimidating, “I’m going to resurrect you and then kill you again.”

“Ah, Wolffe”, Plo Koon says, in his deep, shivery timbre, “Remember our conversations about effective conflict resolution and communication of needs?”

Wolffe’s eyes narrow at Fox, because all non-Guard are sweet summer children who walk around buckets off on 000 like absolute lunatics. Fox prays they never have to find out why that’s a bad idea. “I feel”, his ori’vod presses out between clenched teeth, “that if you make me watch you throw yourself out of another window, I’m going to jump after you and strangle you on the way down, you little bitch.”

“That’s fair”, says Fox, and watches High General Kenobi bury his face in his hands. Wolffe twitches in place and makes an aborted groaning noise, the hypocrite.

“Excuse me, High Marshall Commander Fox, but I fail to see what’s so dire about this situation that the Jedi High Council and your brothers cannot help you solve”, says Windu, the only sane one left on this Force-forsaken bloated corpse of a planet. Behind the gaggle of Jedi and ori’vode already gathered in front of Fox, the rest of them come veering around the corner in a commotion that’s quite frankly embarrassing. High General Yoda is mounted on Skywalker’s back like he’s a race-Eopie, which is Fox’ only consolation.

He got up this morning at 0300, bleary-eyed and with a pounding headache as always, and all was right in the world. And then Fox got called into the Jedi High Council’s chambers and was ceremoniously informed that in the wake of Chancellor Palpatine’s unfortunate demise (hah), and through the emergency state of the Senate, as well as several invented promotions foisted on Fox to make the delegation of any and all paperwork less shady, he was now next in the chain of command and-

Well, Fox is the acting Chancellor, in short.

Haha, he had said, and been meet with several seconds of silence, until it got both awkward and exceedingly painful. Wait, he’d said. You’re kriffing serious.

Kriffing serious, we are, had said High General Yoda, and thus Fox launched himself out the first best window with a maniacal cackle of, you’ll have to catch me first!

And catch him, High General Windu sure did.

“The will of the Force this is”, Yoda interrupts Fox’ train of thought. He scans him thoughtfully from beneath his wizened brow, and hems to himself. “Shake things up, this will. Determine the fate of the Galaxy, this shall. A feeling, I have, that a good Chancellor you will make. A better one, hmmm.”

“That’d be high praise, if not for the fact that a dead lemming would make for a better Chancellor than the last one”, says Fox, drawing and indignant gasp from Skywalker. He doesn’t bother with either that or the green goblin’s cackle, lost in the deep sense of resignation that settles over his shoulders like a suffocating blanket.

“Alright, then, get me Thorn on the comm. As my first act in office, I’m firing all the Jedi. No offense, but you’re kind of a disaster. Then, someone get me to the Chancellor’s office, I’m calling Dooku to let him know the war’s off. And please get me Judicial, they’ll be up all night working on my datafolders - I’m having the Senate arrested.”

“Who - is - arresting - “, Bly pants, hands on his knees from where he’s just come sprinting around the corner with his Jedi.

Underneath his bucket, Fox smiles a smile that’s all teeth. “The Senate”, he says, sweetly, wondering if he’s just imagined the shiver that’s gone through the room. “I’m suing the Senate, and taking them all into temporary custody for abuse of sentient rights.”

[prankprincess123]

BotW/TotK/AoC Zelda's relationship with divinity and religion is such a dynamic. She is literally the reincarnated human form of one of their goddesses, and blessed with the power of another. And she's sitting there, praying desperately to herself and wondering why no one is answering. Praying to the other three goddesses and wondering why all they do is look at her expectantly. Of course Hylia aids and answers Link, she has loved him since he was the First Hero. But in this lifetime instead of unlocking and mastering her powers with ease, she spends literally an entire decade screaming at herself "Why don't you love me?!?!" expecting an answer from the outside, and growing increasingly frustrated with herself for this fact, and then getting mad at her boyfriend because "Why do I love you more than I love me!?!?" (While he stands there with hearteyes, wondering how she doesn't realize she's the greatest being in their universe and literally worshiping the ground she walks on)

And then, even after she unlocks her power, their history is so mythologized that she doesn't realize that the goddess she's still mad at, who makes her feel like such a failure, is literally herself.

[mrs-gauche]

"It can be argued that an immortal would have to be distant, or eventually all it would know is loss. What would our world look like to such a creature? What actions would they be capable of when everything except themselves is fleeting and therefore of little relevance to eternity? If we as elvhen discover a path back to what we were, we must be sure that the path is wide enough for all. For the individual who stumbles into that journey, who endures when all else is dust, can only be alone." - Keeper Ilan'ta

[justpoliteconversations]

Breakdown [Isekai!Reader + Legend/Marin] (Part 2)

In which you learn that predators come in all sizes.

The indulgence continues.

PART: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Masterlist

TW: Choosing not to display warnings. Read at your own discretion.

Disclaimer: Don't own The Legend of Zelda franchise. Linked Universe is the fan creation of jojo56830.

---

You weren't aware of the world for a time. Occasionally, there was pain (agony. like coals under your skin, explosions bursting forth from your damned cells). Sometimes there was relief, the gentle warmth of something sweet and light swirling through your veins like honey. But mostly, it was just numb.

The first time your eyes cracked open you did not register anything beyond the unpleasant sting of light. Tears had rolled down your cheeks, burning all the way to the hairline at your ears. A gentle (so gentle, so careful) hand dabbed the salt lines away with a wet cloth, pressing delicately against your cracked lips afterwards to moisten them.

You didn't respond. The sensations meant very little to you. Your eyes closed after a time, but the light of consciousness had left them long before that.

You came too briefly but did not open your eyes. Pressure from too small (calloused) hands were wrapped around your motionless fingers, like delicate bird's bones against your skin. Almost fragile, but for the power that resided in the flesh.

You squeezed them as well as you could, giving little more than a twitch for your efforts. The hand understood though because it squeezed back fiercely.

Someone was talking, but the words and their meanings slipped by like water through grass.

Nothingness took you just as a tiny, bird's bones hand touched your cheek.

Your eyes opened again and it was dark. You stared unseeing into the shadows of the rafters for some time, quiet and listless.

You did not know where you were. You didn't care. You were just so very tired.

You close your eyes. You open them and there is pain. Light. Movement. Colors. Burning. Pain. Pain. Pain.

Bliss. Gone.

Numb.

You opened your eyes once more and light was just creeping in through half drawn curtains. Your eyes flickered to them as a light breeze pulled the fabric into a gentle flutter.

A warm hand touched your hair unexpectedly, tenderly easing it back from your forehead while another wiped sweat from your brow. It was enough to draw your attention and your hazy eyes instinctively met those hoovering above you.

"Good morning." Sky whispered quietly, voice warm and sweet beneath the tired tones blurred around the edges. His hand was still resting lightly in your hair, thumb caressing the curve of your forehead.

You stared uncomprehendingly at the man above you. You blinked as his thumb moved to tenderly caress under your eye. You hadn't noticed the quiet trail of tears running sluggishly down your cheeks.

You closed your eyes, comforted by his gentle touch. It'd been so, so long since anyone had touched you kindly.

You drifted off to a wet, cool cloth wiping off your face.

You jolted awake, scream silently caught behind your teeth. You clawed, clutched, tore at the blankets around you, writhing as hellfire consumed you.

A warm, calloused hand holds yours, the pressure of another larger body pressing themselves close draws your attention. Your eyes flicker desperately to the person cradling your head and shoulders.

It's Twilight, dressed in a plain off-white shirt and calling out for Hyrule with forced calm. He smells strongly of musk and dog, the firm bulk of his muscles tense under you as his chest expands with each breaths.

Traveler is upon you within moments, pressing glowing hands to your body without hesitation. His tired, tired eyes overflowing with compassion and tender, vulnerable love as he gazes upon your contorted face.

Bliss, so great you sobbed in relief as the light enters your skin. You hid your face into Twilight's collarbones, so very thankful when he didn't push you away. Instead he pulled you closer and whispered softly in your hair, his hand cupping the back of your head.

You cried yourself to sleep in his arms.

But not before catching sight of Legend, hands clenched white on either side of the doorframe, frustrated, heartbroken tears beading like pearls in his eyes.

---

When you finally came to true consciousness it was to Four, well, all around you. Red was laying beside you, tucked sleepily against your arm, Green was on your other side, face relaxed in sleep. Vio was in the chair at the head of the bed, reading. Blue was missing, but you figured he'd lost patience with the quiet at some point and left.

You were confused at first, unsure of what gave the colors the impression that you approved of this kind of closeness. You had never given any sort of indication that you wanted anything to do with them. You'd made sure of that.

Then it hit you. Marin. She must have made it though. She's alive. She made it. She's here, in the world. With Legend.

The thought almost pulled tears to your eyes, but you pushed them down. Now was not the time for that. It was time to run damage control and salvage the situation. You still couldn't afford to get attached, or let them get attached to you.

One day you were going to go home- you were- and they did not deserve the heartbreak of another broken bond. And honestly, neither did you. It just wasn't worth it. It wouldn't be fair.

You needed to think.

Of course they would feel indebted to you after that little stunt you pulled. Legend had probably lost his shit and attached himself to Marin the moment he got over his inevitable break from reality (poor, traumatized bastard). The chain would have put two and two together and realized you'd done them a favor.

The tricky part would be convincing them it hadn't been intentional. You and Marin hadn't talked much, so it shouldn't be impossible.

But thinking was just so hard. You were so tired (soul crushingly exhausted), and the lies and half-truths you strung together unraveled like frayed rope in your mind. You could barely remember what you'd said to Marin.

You hoped the boys hadn't heard you in the portal. More than the loss of any viable reason to keep them at a distance, the embarrassment at your loss of control was too much to bear. You wouldn't be able to look any of them in the eyes.

'They're mine? Really?' You'd probably sounded like a lunatic, completely unhinged. The though was enough to pull heat to your face.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" A quiet voice asked from beside the bed, and your mind stuttered to a stop.

Vio had put the book down in his lap at some point and was staring at you with cool disinterest. At least, it seemed that way, but you doubted that was the case. He had a sharp glint in his blue-lavender eyes that spoke of questions beyond the spoken.

You realized, quite suddenly, that you were in no condition to go head to head with Four's most intelligent component. He'd rip you open and suck the information right out of your head if you tried engaging him in any way.

Silence it was then. It was the only defense you had, and if you were lucky it would seem like your normal behavior, just exasperated by your condition.

You turned your head towards the window, staring out at the sliver of green peeking through the curtains. You heard a sigh, then shifting.

A small (bird-boned) hand was on your face then, gently but firmly turning your head away from the window to meet blue-lavender eyes. You expected exasperation, frustration, anger even. You got none of those.

He was amused, and deeply empathetic, as he said. "I'll give you some advice, because you've done one of my brothers a great service." He smiled, a small private thing flickering like a secret between you two. "And I know I can trust you."

Your stomach dropped. They heard. They knew.

"Let it happen. You're fate is already sealed." He hummed then, impish glee starting to surface in his eyes, his tone. "Did you think Legend would just let you slip away after what you did? The man's a hoarder by trade, and that includes people."

You were just staring at him with wide eyes, stunned by this turn of events.

A smirk teased at his lips, eyes sly and glinting as he took his hand from your face and leaned his cheek onto a fist instead. Smug. "Don't look so shocked. You played a good game, I'll admit, but you never stood a chance. The others just needed a reason to drag you into the fold, and you handed it to them quite spectacularly."

'Why? How? You were so careful.'

"Wind." You breathed, befuddled thoughts spinning with the realization.

Vio was grinning now, bright and amused and so unspeakably proud of his youngest brother. "He's a smart boy. Maybe as smart as me, in his own way. He's always been better with people."

You couldn't help the spark of admiration that rose within you at the younger boy's cleverness. Even if it was at your own expense.

"It's not nice to tease people when they're feeling sick, Vio!" A sweet voice piped up, and when your head snapped over to face it you found Red's pouting glare boring into Vio from over your chest. "Don't be mean!"

"Red's right, Vio." Green spoke up, eyes still closed and you got the impression he'd been awake the whole time, listening. "It's not nice to tease others while they can't defend themselves."

You could feel the strength of Vio's eye roll above your head, but was thoroughly distracted by Red snuggling closer to your side. You glanced down at his crown of fine blonde hair spilling across your shoulder, his cheek pressing into your arm. He was so warm and sweet, delicate like a baby bird fluffed trustingly at your side.

You didn't have the heart to move away. Then Vio's words rung through your head once more and you realized it wouldn't have mattered.

They knew. They'd heard. And you were too tired and scatterbrained to wiggle your way out of the trap you'd run headfirst into.

"Hey?" Green said, peeking an eye open to meet your gaze as you turned back to him. "You claimed Four, but you never claimed us." He hummed, much like Vio and just as amused. A smug grin had crept onto his lips. "Blue's gonna be upset when he finds out, you know."

Your breath caught audibly against your will, your heart thudded painfully against your ribcage. A cold sweat broke out across your back.

Fast as a snake, Red reached over you and punched Green in the arm with a loud, painful sounding thrack. "Stop that! No games! They're still recovering!"

The colors continued to bicker around you, Red curled into your side, head on your shoulder, Green's arm flush against yours. Vio had his book in his hands again but was only half paying attention to it as he slid in a sly comment or two, never really taking either side.

You stopped paying attention after a while, just too tired to care. Care that you'd been caught wrong-footed. Care that you'd been backed into a corner. Care that there was well and truly no turning back now, no backing out.

So you did the only thing you could.

You closed your eyes, and drifted into warm, thoughtless slumber and let everything just slip away.

One last moment of peace before the storm to come.

---

I must return to the shadows to rest.

[daeyumi]

All for a moment of peace 🌷🍓🍃

[Linktober 5: Species/Race]

[quartzlightz]

Hibiscus

Wind: Vet?

Legend doesn’t respond, he just continues to sit on the beach, knees to his chest, twirling a hibiscus between his fingers. Wind comes over and sits beside him and looks over at him.

Wind: Um.. are you okay? I mean it’s obvious something is bothering you, but it didn’t feel right leaving you by yourself and lost in your mind and-

Legend: Wind.

Wind: Ah sorry I’m just worried ab-

Legend: Seriously it’s fine.

Wind: Well if you do want to talk about it I’m all ears.

Legend: Thanks but no thanks I’m not trauma dumping on a kid.

Wind: I am not!-

Legend: yeah, yeah, “not a kid” or whatever.

Wind grumbles to himself but can’t bring himself to leave Legend alone. He knew Legend wasn’t going to talk so wind leaned his head against Legends shoulder and hugged his arm. Legend seemed to tense at first but quickly relaxed and leaned into wind. Laying his head onto winds, he sniffles a bit and wind would feel him shaking a bit but he didn’t question him. Even when he swears he can feels his hair dampening a bit.

[lightningbreath]

[mochiobonio]

" it's okay to ask for help, you know? "

I imagine Link learning to receive help thanks to so many people so when he sees Sidon not wishing to get any due to his immense responsibility yet still underlying pain beneath it all he just wants to make sure Sidon gets the help Link once refused and make him happy :')