#novel length fics

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi Steph! Thanks so much for your work, I really appreciate your contributions to fandom! I was wondering if you have a list of good non-AU long fics? I don't read AUs, but I love reading long (like >50k word) fics! It's okay if it diverges from canon, but I like fics that are set in the normal BBC Sherlock universe :) thanks again!

HEY NONNY! :D

Thank you kindly for your lovely words! I'm glad that you are enjoying your time here!!

I have LOTS of long AU and non-AU fics! Check out these lists here, and your post is starting another one :D. I mark all my AUs at the beginning of the info tags between the double pipes after the Chapter counts if there is one, so just check each listing for the AU listed... any without an AU are "canon" universe :)

Enjoy!!

NOVEL LENGTH FICS: 50 to 100K Pt 3.

See also:

Novella Length Fics: 20 to 25K (Oct 2020)

Novella Length Fics: 25 to 50K (Aug. 2019)

Novel Length Fics: 50 to 100K (Nov. 2018)

Novel Length Fics: 50 to 100K Pt 2 (May 2020)

Novel Length Fics: 100K+ w. (May 2019)

Novel Length Fics: 100K+ w. Pt 2 (Aug 2020)

Novel Length Fics: 100K+ w. Pt 3 [MFL’s] (Dec 2020)

Smut-Free Fics Over 50K (Aug 2019)

A Study Of Living With Sherlock Holmes by  AllesandraQuartermaine (T, 50,234 w., 22 Ch. || Post-ASiP/Pre-TAB, Domestics, Friendship, POV John) – Learn about what happened between John and Sherlock January 31st and March 22. From John's pov on how to survive and learn to live with one eccentric mad genius known as Sherlock Holmes. 

The Hollow Woman by ScopesMonkey (M, 51,335 w., 22 Ch. || Post-TRF, Major Character Death, Mystery, Romance, Friendship, Family, Angst, Crime, Reunion, First Kiss / Time, Nightmares, Doctor John, Jealous Sherlock, Jealous John, BAMF John, Angry John, Dub-Con, Rough Sex, Bottomlock, Possessive John, Villain Mary, Open Ending) – Forced to return to London sooner than expected, Sherlock falls into a case too close to home. Part 1 of the Hollowverse series

A Goose Quill Dipped in Venom by Polyphony (M, 52,748 w., 16 Ch. || Celebrity John AU || Alternate First Meeting, TV Host John, Supermodel Mary, Character Death, Mystery, Romance, Case Fic, First Kiss/Time, Meddling Mycroft, Drug Abuse, Doctor John, PDA, Deductions, POV Sherlock, Toplock, Sexual Tension, Angry/Rough Sex, Hopeful Ending, Asperger’s Sherlock) – Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective, is called in to a very ordinary although brutal murder. Something is badly out of tune with the whole scenario and Sherlock finds himself becoming more and more obsessed with the crime - and also with the victim.

Isosceles by SilentAuror (E, 56,609 w., 7 Ch. || Post-S4, POV John, Original Male Character / Sherlock Dates Another Man, Love Triangle, Jealous John, Virgin Sherlock, Sexual Coaching, Angst, Romance, Domesticity, Unrequited Feelings, Miscommunication, First Kiss/Time, For a Case, Friends With Benefits, Bottomlock, Love Confessions, Spooning) – After solving a case for a major celebrity, Sherlock gets himself asked out. When John asks, he discovers that Sherlock has no intention of going, at least not until John agrees to coach him through whatever he might need to know for his date...

You Might Just as Well Be Blind by ArwaMachine (E, 56,625 w., 12 Ch. || Fake Relationship, For a Case, Bed Sharing, Platonic Cuddling, Jealous Sherlock, Oblivious John, BAMF Hudders, Fluff and Angst, Frottage, Anal Sex, Happy Ending, Case Fic, Flirting, Pining John, POV John, Toplock, Possessive Sherlock, First Kiss/Time, Infidelity) – When a serial killer starts targeting couples, Sherlock and John must do what they have to do in order to get to the bottom of things. Unfortunately, John already has a girlfriend. Surely pretending to be in a relationship with Sherlock won't pose any problems with his relationship, will it?

Lunar Landscapes by J_Baillier (M, 57,046 w., 21 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || S3/TAB Fix-It, Slow Burn Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Confessions, Drugs, Pain, Medical, Injury, Sherlock Whump, Mental Health Issues, Panic Attacks, Romance, Secrets, Tragedy, Trauma, BAMF John, Doctor!John, Drug Addict Sherlock, Injured Sherlock, Grieving John, Idiots In Love, Protective John, POV John Watson, PTSD Sherlock, Sherlock is a Mess, Medical Realism) – An accident forces John to face the fact that Sherlock's downward spiral had started long before his flight to exile even left the tarmac.

Gold Rush by ShirleyCarlton (E, 71,783 w., 17 Ch. || Post S3 / No Mary, Friends to Lovers, Mentions of Past Sexual Abuse, First Kiss, Case Fic, Slow Burn, Alternating POV, Switchlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Marriage Proposal, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Abduction, Anxious/Insecure Sherlock, Miscommunication, Emotional Lovemaking) – John has divorced Mary and pops round to 221B one evening to find Sherlock in the middle of a case. As Sherlock tries to find the identity of a young woman’s stalker, John realises he can no longer deny his feelings for Sherlock – which then, to their befuddlement, turn out to be mutual. Shy kisses and tentative embraces ensue. But will Sherlock be able to cast off a shadow from his past that he thinks might prevent John from wanting to stay?

Kintsukuroi by sussexbound (E, 91,823 w., 20 Ch. || S4 Compliant / Post-TLD, Grief / Mourning, PTSD, Internalized Homophobia, Therapy, Past Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Anxiety, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, Cuddling, Suicidal Ideation, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Sexting, Frottage, Inexperienced Sherlock, Rimming / Anal / BJ’s, Emotional Turmoil, Finding Each Other) – “I love you.” Sherlock sees the words hit John with almost physical force. He reels back a little, jaw twitching and eyes filling. “I love you,” he repeats, a little softer, a little more gentle, as earnest as he possibly can. Because they’ve been teetering on the brink of this thing for years, and it had become painfully obvious over the last few months that they were at a tipping point. This had to happen. Now it has. Now they can see where they end up. The tears in John’s eyes spill over, and he wipes at them angrily. “Do you even know what that means?”  

[kendrawells]

[vossn]

bg3 modern AU but its just the story told through a series of increasingly urgent e-mails

[dramioneasks]

Novel Length Fics (> 200,000 words) (Part 8)

Title: Unsinkable Author: Gingersoup  Rating: T Genre(s): Romance, Drama, Angst Chapters: 38 Word Count: 250,812 Summary: After a fight gone wrong in the Department of Mysteries, sworn enemies Draco and Hermione are thrown into a mysterious pensive-like portal and come out the other side onto the RMS Titanic. In a race against time and without their wands, the unlikely duo will have to fight against the binds of their new identities as well as their animosity toward each other in order to survive.

Title: Anchor and Rose. Author: sixth_senses Rating: E Genre(s): Romance, Drama, Angst Chapters: 38 Word Count: 200,220 Summary: "Is it really a good idea to run away from war with the person you despise the most?"A hotel, A boathouse, Narcissa Malfoy's safe-house, and the world's most powerful wand left behind by Regulus Black. What else could Hermione add to the list to make her absolutely insane?Ah yes, Draco fucking Malfoy.ALSO AVAILABLE ON MY WATTPAD (sixth_senses)

Title: selfxconclusion Author: spicyxpisces Rating: E Genre(s): Romance, Drama, Angst Chapters: 40 Word Count: 424,687 Summary: One year after the death of her husband, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger is trying to navigate her way through her loss. While trying to discover who she is without her husband, her friends move through their own forms of grief within their relationships.

Title: The Stars Above Us Author: embersofapril Rating: M Genre(s): Romance, Fluff, Angst Chapters: 40 Word Count: 200,988 Summary: He remains silent at first, clearly unsure of what to say next. The temperature feels hot, he thinks, especially for the dungeon's standards. He feels as if he can see the air particles between them, perhaps even count how many separate them from one another.It feels odd for him to be alone with Granger in the potions lab after all this time.He catches the faint scent of strawberries and honey, reminding him to order the ingredients for his lesson on Amortentia for his NEWT classes next week.-A slow-burn, flashback-filled dramione fanfiction with a side of wolfstar.

Title: A Game of High Stakes Author: in_dreams Rating: E Genre(s): Romance, Angst Chapters: 51 Word Count: 263,110 Summary: In theory, the task is simple: kill Draco Malfoy. In practice, putting a curse through the Dark Lord's favoured lieutenant will take everything Hermione has―especially since he's trying to kill her, too. Even more so when the lines between them start to blur. Sometimes, the only way out is through.

Title: Who We Are Now Author: LiloLilyAnn Rating: E Genre(s): Romance, Angst Chapters: 60 Word Count: 398,717 Summary: She lived through the war, but did she actually survive it? She didn't recognize the girl who looked back at her in the mirror, sunken eyes and protruding ribs, covered in scars. This wasn’t Hermione Granger. She died alongside Lavender, Fred, Sirius, Remus... Her name wasn’t up on any walls in memoriam, but she felt like a casualty nonetheless.*****When Hermione can't seem to get past the trauma of the war and all that happened to her, she's convinced to get help for her mental health issues. Unfortunately, the Wizarding World has none... yet.

Title: Redemption/Atonement Author: LordoftheManor Rating: E Genre(s): Romance, Angst, Drama Chapters: 75 Word Count: 448,946 Summary: Draco Malfoy has had a crush on Granger for years. When Blaise tells him he's heard Granger has a crush on him--Draco decides to seize the opportunity. The only problem is, Granger wants to keep things quiet. Oh and he's a Death Eater working for Lord Voldemort. Hermione Granger has been secretly pining after Draco for years, telling no one. When he suddenly confronts her after class her world turns upside down. This is a 7th year fic as if Dumbledore hadn’t been killed and Voldemort hadn’t taken over the ministry yet. Draco redemption arc. This will cover books 6 & 7.Really just an excuse to write smut about a curly haired witch and her platinum haired beau. There will be dark themes, I’ll try not to stray too far from the books with that though. Explicit sexual content.

Title: A Dangerous Collection Author: Lia_Redrose Rating: E Genre(s): Romance Chapters: 34 Word Count: 208,277 Summary: Eight years after Voldemort's defeat, Draco Malfoy has left England for good. He has become a potioneer and works in a Potion Shop in Florence. He thinks he has done with the past, until one day a famous girl with messy curls and curious eyes storms inside and asks for a cure.The words and the newborn smile died as the woman turned to face him. Her mouth opened and her facial features became confused and astonished. “Malfoy?” There were surely some deities - three at least - that hated him and conjured for that to happen, because there was no other explanation to what was happening to him. It was a catastrophe. A catastrophe Draco couldn’t escape unless he bolted out of the shop to never come back again, which was something he couldn’t do. That’s why he cleared his throat and proceeded to greet his customer with a simple and clear “Granger.”

Title: Redemption Author: gnrkrystle  Rating: M Genre(s): Romance, Drama Chapters: 45 Word Count: 237,960 Summary: As an Unspeakable, Hermione has been tasked with a very complicated case. All the Marked Death Eaters in Azkaban are falling ill - Draco Malfoy and Theo Nott the worst among them. She has to find out why and cure them.

Title: Finding Hermione Author: ebookdragon Rating: M Genre(s): Romance, Drama Chapters: 51 Word Count: 217,753 Summary: Fifteen years after the end of the Second Wizarding War, former Hogwarts' students are sending their own children off to school for the first time. As the train leaves, Hermione makes a startling discovery about her husband and the secret life he's been living. Draco witnesses Hermione's world shatter and comes to her rescue, helping her pick up the pieces and find herself again.

Title: The Education of a Lady Author: thewanderers'wanderingdaughter  Rating: M Genre(s): Drama, Horror Chapters: 34 Word Count: 365,605 Summary: Fourth and final (for real this time) part in the His Little Bird series. The story of survival, betrayal, and tragedy. A monster took everything from her. Now she's expected to be a willing participant in the world he's built for them. They want her to become one of them. She only wants vengeance, and now that she has her power back, she can make that a reality.

Title: Snow Angel Author: SunflowersXx Rating: M Genre(s): Romance, Drama Chapters: 31 Word Count: 353,142 Summary: ‘To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves’- Federico Garcia Lorca. Hermione hated secrets, she hated the idea that their lives were already decided in the stars; but mostly, she hated that she had to break Draco Malfoy’s heart.Draco didn’t think he would ever know what love felt like, he didn’t think he would find it in the sun, in whiskey and in that one curl. He certainly didn’t think he would loose it just as he had it in his grasp.

Title: The Hardest of Hearts Author: WillowingScribe1709 Rating: M Genre(s): Romance, Humour Chapters: 34 Word Count: 219,508 Summary: Hermione, driven to become Minister of Magic, reluctantly joins a matchmaking agency, only to discover Draco Malfoy as her top match.Initially scoffing at the idea of marrying her old nemesis, Hermione is forced to reconsider when their paths intertwine, unraveling not just their past but also new layers of deceit. Among these Draco's connection to the Seven Devils, a group wrapped in secrecy and rumoured to have been founded by his father, Lucius.What starts out as a simple match of convenience soon blossoms into a profound connection that catches Hermione completely off guard. With a menacing new threat casting a shadow over their future, their growing bond becomes the crux upon which destiny hinges.---------“It’s not that simple,” he said, and his eyes flashed with something dark that curled around her airways and choked the breath out of her. “Even if we never consummate our marriage, I need to know that I can touch you in public without you flinching. That you can touch me in return without looking green in the face.”“Of course I can,” she said with more bravado than she felt.“Is that so?” Malfoy asked, more darkness swirling in his eyes. “Care to demonstrate?”

[dykefaggotry]

do you ever read a fic and go to the author's page and see what other fandoms they've written fic for and go ah that tracks. like something about the writing style just makes sense

[petorahs]

shuake rite of passage is like. spending most of the entire game going 😐🤨🤔😳 at their banter/flirting/dates. being intrigued when the normally silent protagonist exclaims a heated "this isn't 'trivial'!" about his one and only rival's life, completely independent of player input. accepting the undeniable fact that 'our light' is basically a love song from protag's point of view to said rival. finding out about proof of justice ova. watching proof of justice ova. watching proof of justice ova again. going insane at the fact that the normally silent protag who never cries, cried over their rival in public. the fact that he was thinking about him before bed. realizing the one active, 'selfish' choice and wish protag had always involved his fated rival in some way, again completely independent from player's views on said rival.

and then becoming lucid for one second and finding out you just dug yourself into a shuake rabbit hole and theres no getting out

[christinesficrecs]

Because of your blog, I’ve read over 500 Sterek fics since April 😂 I have a problem. But! Do you have any super long fics that are your go-to favorites?

That is awesome!!! ❤️ I don't have the attention span for really long fics so there is only one CRAZY long fic here, the rest are around 100K.

This was meant to be a shorter list but they are ALL so amazing!!

Actions Speak Louder than Words by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella) | 434.6K | Explicit

“I apologize.” The cop finally looked back up at his face, seeming thrilled. “It’s just—it’s been so long. And we finally have you.”

That was a bad word. Not found.

Have.

Stiles wrenched his hand free and took a step back, but before he could even think up a gameplan, he felt a prick in his neck and jerked away, reaching up to slap one hand against it and twisting in the same moment.

One of the others had come up behind him while he hadn’t been paying attention, and his vision began to swim even as his eyes caught sight of the half-empty syringe the guy was holding.

a mountain to climb by grimm | 126.4K | Explicit | wayback

“Don’t do it,” he mutters. “Don’t do it, please, don’t do it.”

But there it is, a soft pink line appearing right next to the control. Stiles’ legs give out from under him; he sinks to the bathroom floor, hands shaking, his entire body shaking. It’s hard to breathe, his vision blurring around the edges. There’s a knock on the door behind him and then it opens and Scott sits down next to him.

“I’m fucked,” Stiles gasps, tears prickling at his eyes. “I’m fucked!”

Don’t Savage The Messenger by exclamation | 172.3K | Explicit

There is an uneasy truce between the werewolves in the woods and the humans who live in Beacon Hills, protected by a magical boundary that gives warning any time a werewolf crosses it. Then the sheriff is taken by the werewolves and his son offers himself in exchange.

Stiles promises to serve the werewolf pack, not knowing what horrible use they might have for him. But it turns out his most useful skill is the ability to cross the boundary line between humans and werewolves. Life with the werewolves is nothing like he feared and the werewolves themselves are nothing like the hunters’ stories would have him believe.

The Circus at the End of the World by mikkimouse | 91K | Explicit

Three hundred years ago, the world ended not with a bang or a whimper, but with magic.

Since then, magic has been outlawed, and the world has clawed its way back to some kind of stability, with people and shifters alike divided between living within the walled safety of the Havens, or the small, less protected outposts dotting the frontier.

Derek Hale and his sisters, Laura and Cora, are the proprietors of Hale’s Circus of Magic, Monsters, and Mystical Wonders, known colloquially as the Circus at the End of the World. They and their ragtag pack ride the rails between the outposts and the Havens, performing for those who can pay (and some who can’t). Their circus is a small haven in and of itself, a place of safety for those who have nowhere else to go.

It’s a quiet life…until Stiles Stilinski joins the crew.

Where the Real Beasts Are by kaistrex (weishen) | 109K | Explicit

Crown Prince Stiles is gifted a direwolf on his eighteenth birthday by King Gerard I of Venatia. The only instruction? Never remove the collar.

Stiles never has been one to do as he’s told.

Enemy Lines by qhuinn (tekla) | 149.1K | Explicit

This is the story of werewolf Derek Hale and human Stiles Stilinski: two people who grew up in the same town but completely different worlds, their realities split by the war between men and wolves.

Years later when Derek returns to Beacon Hills, he does it as Alpha of a military pack on a mission to capture those responsible for the region’s resistance. With his main objective, Sheriff Stilinski, out of sight, he settles for the next best thing: his son, Stiles.

Neither of them suspects they’ll need to trust each other if they want to make it out this alive.

Divided We Stand by KouriArashi | 156.7K | Mature

Derek is being pressured by his family to pick a mate, and somehow stumbles into a choice that they didn’t expect and aren’t sure they approve of….

Pack Wars by miss_aphelion | 158.6K | Mature

Scott liked to call it the Great Pack Divide of 2012.

Derek liked to call Scott an idiot.

(Or the one where Derek kidnaps Stiles to teach Scott a lesson, and ends up learning a few things himself)

between the click of the light and the start of the dream by thepsychicclam | 105.1K | Explicit

It’s Stiles’ senior year, and he’s trying to concentrate on normal things - like the lacrosse championship, spring break, prom, graduation (and definitely not Derek) - when he starts having nightmares and waking up in the middle of nowhere. Oh yeah, and he’s being haunted by a hag. Great.

The Hollow Moon by thepsychicclam | 180K | Explicit

It’s the summer after Stiles’ first year of college, and he’s working a crappy job and dealing with nightmares and anxiety - but he’s okay, he swears. He makes it through most days without too much trouble. Then, a certain werewolf comes back into town. Which Stiles doesn’t care about, nope, not at all.

After two and a half years, Derek returns to Beacon Hills with his small Pack. Though he tried to move on, something just kept drawing him back to Beacon Hills, he’s just not sure what. Now, he figures he can start building something like a life - but he keeps getting distracted by Stiles Stilinski of all people.

Fire, Fury, and Flame by IAmAVeronica | 124.5K | Explicit

Stiles Stilinski was never going to be the omega who got knocked up right after high school, and then he’s accidentally artificially inseminated with a stranger’s sperm.Awesome.And the father of Stiles’s baby just so happens to be Derek Hale. Half-feral, quite possibly a murderer, and pursued by a gleefully sadistic band of hunters who are only too eager to use Stiles and his baby to hit Derek right where it hurts.Joy.

Golden Boy by  trilliath | 127.7K | Explicit

Apparently it still amuses his uncle to buy sex slaves for him, no matter how steadfastly he refuses to use them. Derek ducks into his tent with a resigned sigh, prepared to dress and reassign whatever new beauty Peter has bought him. They do make for loyal servants, so he can’t really complain about Peter’s ‘gifts’. But it is annoying to deal with, to have to spend his evening sorting out a slave instead of being able to go right to bed. It’s just something he has to learn to accept as a byproduct of serving alongside his uncle.

But when he lays eyes on the boy laying amid his furs, he finds his breath catching in his throat. His skin is golden with the candle-light glimmering against the sheen of oil that has been slathered on his bared body. His lips are parted, and they work over inaudible words or sounds. His skin is flushed, nipples peaked and pierced with simple but unexpected golden rings. He’s spectacularly beautiful in the candlelight. The many glowing candles that have been added to his usual lighting cast glittering edges and shadows, imbuing an almost unearthly golden color to his skin.

It’s enough that Derek hesitates.

A Desperate Arrangement by  mikkimouse | 115.5K | Explicit

“I’m sorry, I believe there’s something wrong with my hearing,” Stiles said. “Because I could have sworn you just told me you set up a betrothal agreement with the Hales. A betrothal agreement involving me. Me.”

Scott smiled his easygoing smile and nodded, which told Stiles no, he hadn’t misheard a damn thing.

After seven years of lengthy negotiations, the treaty between the Hales and the Argents has fallen apart and the two countries fell into war.

Months later, there’s an uneasy truce, thanks to the intervention of King Scott McCall, but it won’t last. In a desperate attempt to maintain the peace, the Hales sign a treaty with the McCalls to marry Prince Derek to Prince Stiles Stilinski, King Scott’s brother.

In the history of the world, there have been many better ideas.

Home by  TheTypewriterGirl | 167.1K | Explicit

January seventh. Seven days since the start of 2015, and seven days since his father’s death.

The bastard, he thinks bitterly. The past year Derek Hale had made it blatantly obvious that he hated his scrawny guts, taking every given opportunity to shove him up against a wall, growl threats in his ears and roll his eyes whenever he stepped into the room, muttering some snide comment about how spastic or idiotic he was.

So why did he fucking volunteer to take him in?

Stiles’s Story Time by  trilliath | 125.8K | Explicit

Where Stiles is a librarian who is in charge of the kids’ reading hour and such. And Derek is 6-year-old Scott’s adoptive dad. And Stiles has his own take on Stories and Scott loves wolves and Derek tries not to admit that he likes the way Stiles’s face looks in those glasses. Or something like that.

Do Not Go Gentle by  MojoFlower | 195.8K | Explicit

Derek Hale, Beacon Hills Alpha and Dom, wakes up in a dark cell already housing another captive – a mute, traumatized sub with a cruel collar around his neck. His only goal is to get them both free of their brutal circumstances; but even as he tries to get his young companion home, a bond between them grows. Nothing comes easily: danger and harrowing echoes of their ordeal shadow every step they take.

Chosen by exclamation | 99K | Explicit

By tradition, when the Hale heir comes of age, the alpha can choose one boy to serve as the heir’s slave for a month. When Peter Hale chooses Stiles, Stiles expects to spend a month being used and abused. But it seems Derek Hale doesn’t want a sex slave any more than Stiles wants to be one.

Unfortunately, they’re stuck with each other. They have to make it through the next month without killing each other, and without getting Peter Hale to order Stiles’ death.

Meanwhile, Stiles wants to know why exactly Peter picked him.

The Skies Above Are Blue by  Trelkez | 95.2K | Explicit

Derek is a wedding DJ. Stiles just happens to go to a lot of weddings.

Kindred Spirits by  Stoney | 104.7K | Explicit

Stiles is the adopted son of the Sheriff, brought to Beacon Hills to hopefully stay for good. A family, a best friend, school, Jackson as Josie Pye (because who else could he be?) and the mystery of a dark haired, green-eyed boy which leads Stiles to discovering a secret within himself.

Versus by  secondstar | 94.5K | Explicit

At age nineteen, Stiles Stilinski was the next big thing, according to The Guardian. It was surreal, not being able to turn on Sky Sports without hearing his name mentioned along with the names of players he grew up idolizing. Stiles couldn’t believe that this was his life.

Honourable Mention - 61K

[shih-coulda-had-it]

getting back into the swing of things

[splickedylit]

rereading my own no-SGRUB fanfiction and feeling clown church emotions in this arbys tonight

[jinxedruby]

Febuwhump Day Twenty-Six: "Help them"

Featuring Sky and Wind.

Heads up for some violence in this one.

AO3

First part | <- Previous part | Next part ->

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

“Someone, help, please!”

Sky’s spine jerked straight at the call as he spun around toward the voice. A woman stumbled through the cliffs, hair whipping about her head as she looked around, eyes wide. She clutched her arm, blood staining her sleeve. Sky exchanged a glance with Wind, who he’d been scouting with, before they ran over to meet the woman.

“Ma’am!” Sky called as they approached.

The woman’s head snapped to them and her eyes somehow grew even wider. She staggered toward them, tripping over loose rocks on the way but managing to catch herself. She ran headlong into Sky, gripping his arm with her free hand and staring up at him with pleading eyes. “Please, you have to help!”

Sky took a step back to better his balance, lifting his hands to her arms to support her. “Okay, just take a deep breath, tell us what happened.”

The woman nodded jerkily, drawing in a shaky breath as Wind dug around in his pouch for a bandage. “I-I was traveling with my- my friends, and- and we were attacked by monsters!” She swallowed hard, took another breath. “N-none of us are very good fighters. I man-managed to get away, but they’re still back there!”

“We can help,” Wind said, pulling out a bandage. “But we should take care of your arm fir-“

“There’s no time!” the woman cried, pushing away from Sky and starting back the way she came. “I-I’ve only been gone a few minutes but my friends could be…”

Wind nodded and tucked the bandages back into his pouch as he and Sky hurried to follow the woman. She wove through the natural paths between the rock formations, occasionally glancing back to make sure Sky and Wind were still behind her. After she did it a few times, Sky noticed she was only looking at him. He frowned on the sailor’s behalf, assuming she thought he wouldn’t be as much help due to being younger. They turned another corner, the rocks rising higher around them, the passage they went through narrowing. The woman slowed to a stop.

“Do you remember where your friends are, ma’am?” Sky asked a bit breathlessly, glancing around. Dragging in air had grown a tad more difficult after the run, but he’d certainly handled worse. The cliffs rose high on either side of them, eroded bits of rock piling at the base and scattering across the path.

“Oh, they’re around,” the woman said. She didn’t sound out of breath at all.

“Sky,” Wind hissed.

Sky glanced at him to see the sailor facing behind them, a hand on his sword, expression shifting into a scowl. Sky turned to see two men behind them, in similar traveling clothes to the woman. He narrowed his eyes, lifting his hand toward the Master Sword.

“That’s a fancy sword you got there.”

He spun back around at the woman’s calm and smooth voice, a stark contrast to all her stuttering earlier. She leaned her weight onto one leg, hand propped on her hip as she watched him with her head cocked. She wasn’t holding her injured arm anymore. A grin crawled onto her features. “I don’t suppose you’d mind if we take a look at it?”

Sky’s hand closed around the hilt. “I do mind, actually.”

The woman’s grin widened. “Shame.”

A puff of red smoke enveloped the woman followed by a flurry of paper slips. She darted through the smoke with a laugh, suddenly dressed in a skin-tight red and black uniform, a white mask with a painted red eye covering her face. Sky pulled out his shield just in time to block her attack, a sickle clanging against the metal. He heard two twin puffs from behind him. Wind swiftly stepped back-to-back with him, pulling out his sword and shield. The woman jumped backwards, crouching low and twirling the sickle in her hand. Sky unsheathed his sword and she darted toward him again, sunlight gleaming off her weapon. He raised his shield to block. She vanished in a plume of white smoke just before making contact. His eyes darted around, straining his ears to listen for her to reappear. A huff of air signaled her reappearance and he spun to his right, blocking the blow aimed for his neck and returning the strike with a slash. She darted out of the way. He thrust the sword toward her and she skipped backwards. Then she crouched low, weapon tensed at her side, and sprinted toward him. His eyes widened, the familiarity of the move startling him out of his wits for a moment. He recovered just as she reached him, snapping his shield out in the same moment she attacked. She yelped and staggered back as the parry knocked her off balance. He struck, cutting a gash across her upper leg. She hissed and vanished again.

Sky took a breath, threw a glance over his shoulder to check on Wind. The sailor fended off the two men, both of them wearing the same outfit and mask as the woman. One held a sickle, the other held a striped bow curved in a unique shape. He couldn’t look for long, the woman reappearing and dashing at him once again. She slashed and he parried, scoring another cut across her middle. She stumbled back, free hand pressed to the wound. She hovered just out of reach of his blade, strafing back and forth. He carefully followed her movements, hand secure around the hilt of the Master Sword.

“Shit!”

Wind’s shout occurred a single moment before two arrows slammed into the back of Sky’s leg, just above his knee. He cried out as his leg buckled beneath him, leaving him struggling to stay standing. In the distraction, the woman darted in and slashed. He tried to lift his shield but she attacked before he could, the point of her sickle ripping through the crook of his right arm. He gritted his teeth and swung his sword. The pain slowed him enough for her to easily dodge out of harm’s way. He wanted to look back and check if Wind was okay, but the woman was already running at him again. Her sickle slammed against his shield and she teleported to his right. He spun and blocked her, pain burning through the arrow wounds. She teleported again immediately, forcing him to whirl around a third time. Then she did it again, and again, not giving him a chance to get an attack in. He let out a slow breath as he blocked yet another blow, narrowing his focus to her movements, trying to find a pattern. She always chose to attack from whatever side he was facing farthest from, making him expend as much energy as possible when turning to defend. When she appeared on his right, he deliberately overextended, turning too far to block. As expected, the hiss of air came from far to his left. He tensed his shield arm and whipped around without looking first. His shield bashed against her weapon with a sharp CLANG. She shouted as the force of the parry ripped the sickle from her hands, sending it clattering against the cliff wall. With a grunt, he lunged forward and swung his sword toward her side. She put her hands together and teleported away just as the blade began digging into her skin. She didn’t reappear.

Sky turned to check on Wind, air dragging through his throat, stinging in his lungs. Two arrows pinged off of Wind’s shield before the sailor twisted to attack the man approaching him from the side. Sky could feel blood soaking into his pants, pain blooming from the two arrows still embedded in his flesh, but the adrenaline did a good job keeping the pain from being crippling. He moved forward to help with the remaining enemies. Red slips of paper fluttered over Wind’s head. Sky dove before he could consciously process what was happening, instinctively recognizing the attack. He shoved Wind out of the way just as the woman appeared above them, plummeting with her sickle pointed down. The curve bit into the flesh between his neck and left shoulder, where his chainmail didn’t cover. Pain seared through the wound as the blade dug in deep, the woman’s feet landing on his back and shoving him to the ground.

His chin knocked painfully against the dirt but he hardly felt it in comparison to the sickle ripping out of his shoulder. He heard himself and Wind shout, his vision whiting for a moment as blood poured from the wound, soaking through his sailcloth, dripping onto the ground. Then the weight on his back shifted and the woman hooked the sickle under his chin, pressing it against his throat.

“Sky!” Wind yelled, moving toward him.

“Stay where you are!” the woman roared, pulling up on the sickle and letting the blade cut into the skin of Sky’s neck. Wind froze, wide eyes darting between Sky and the woman. The woman’s breath came in sharp gasps, the sickle trembling slightly against Sky’s throat. “We just want this one’s sword. Then you boys can be on your way.”

Sky tightened his grip on the Master Sword subconsciously, scowling. One of the men moved around Sky, heading for the sword. Sky jerked it closer to his body as the man reached for it. The woman tugged the sickle tighter around his throat, leaning down to speak in his ear.

“Let it go or you will die,” she hissed. Sky’s scowl deepened.

“Sky,” Wind said, making Sky look up toward him. The sailor’s eyes remained wide, staring at the sky knight. “Sky, do what she says.”

Sky gaped at Wind for a moment. The corner of Wind’s mouth twitched. His gaze darted up before coming back to Sky. Sky blinked. He had no idea what Wind was trying to communicate, but it was clearly something. Did that mean Wind had some sort of plan? Sky glanced at the Master Sword clutched in his hand. He bit his lip. Then, with monumental effort, he uncurled his fingers from around it.

“Good choice,” the woman said and Sky had to stuff down the urge to snatch up the sword again. “How did you manage to steal it, anyway?”

“I didn’t steal it,” Sky hissed, glaring up toward the woman. He couldn’t quite look at her with how she crouched on his back, but he figured it was close enough. The woman snorted at his response, nodding toward the man. He bent down to pick up the Master Sword. The moment his fingers touched the hilt, purple flames erupted from it. He yelped, yanking his hand back. Sky smirked as the man rubbed his hand, looking down at the blade in what was most likely a glare.

“The hell was that?” the man growled, glancing up at the woman.

“It’s not yours to wield!” Wind snapped. He remained on the balls of his feet, phantom sword clutched in hand, looking ready to pounce and tackle the woman off of Sky if it weren’t for the sickle biting against the chosen hero’s throat.

“It didn’t burn him, though!” the man retorted.

“That’s because it’s mine,” Sky said. Tiny black specks had taken up residence in the edges of his vision, the wound in his shoulder filling with needles. He ignored both.

The woman drew her face closer to Sky’s, the unblinking gaze of the mask boring into him. “No, it’s not,” she eventually said. “Your hair’s too dark. And you’re too tall.”

Before Sky could figure out what that meant, the man yelped again. He reeled back from the sword, a cloth clutched in hand.

“Yeah. Hold it with something. That’ll work,” Wind said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Maybe you should try something thicker. Put on another pair of gloves.”

“Shut up, brat!” the man snarled, shaking out his burned hand. He gestured toward Sky. “Why don’t we make the k-“

His words cut off as three arrows buried themselves in his back. The woman cursed as the man crumpled, tensing the sickle around Sky’s throat. Panic spiked in his gut. Then an arrow stabbed through her forearm, forcing her to release her grip on the sickle with a yell. The moment she dropped it, Wind darted forward in a blur of blue, slamming into her and tackling her to the ground. Sky jumped up the moment she was gone. At least, he tried to. Lightheadedness filled him and gravity tipped, sending him to his hands and knees. He blinked as the black specks turned to splotches, encroaching on the center of his vision. Blearily, he looked toward his shoulder as fire filled the wound. His sailcloth had turned a deep red, saturated with blood to the point of dripping. A small puddle of his blood sat on the ground where he’d been lying. He blinked again, brow furrowing.

“Link!” one of the men roared, drawing Sky’s attention away from his wound. He looked up through blurry vision to see a blob of blue and blond at the top of one of the cliffs. He squinted, focusing enough to recognize Wild kneeling with his bow drawn, firing down at the enemies. At the edge of his vision, he spotted the Master Sword. He made his way toward it, trying and failing to stand and settling for crawling the short distance. He wrapped his hand around the hilt and drew the weapon toward his chest, falling back into a seated position and apologizing to Fi under his breath for letting her go. Boots scuffled before him and he looked up to see Wind battling against the man that had tried picking up the Master Sword. The sailor ducked under a swing and lunged forward, whipping his sword around and plunging it into the man’s thigh. The man gave a strangled shout then brought his hands together, vanishing in a puff of red smoke. Wind whirled around, breathing hard, eyes darting around the cliffs. Wild jumped down, landing beside him. He said something that didn’t quite make it to Sky’s ears then suddenly they both crouched in front of him, grabbing at his good shoulder, holding him up. He hadn’t even realized he’d begun tipping over.

“Hold on, Sky, I’ve got an elixir,” Wild said, setting his bow down and digging around in his pouch. His voice sounded muffled and far away. Sky bobbed his head in response, but the time between seconds stretched and he probably nodded longer than he needed to. The rest of his body felt cold in comparison to the burning. Something tapped incessantly against his knee until he looked up into Wind’s worried face. He said something that sounded like ‘arrows’, pointing to Sky’s leg. Sky nodded again, not quite understanding. Then twin bursts of pain tore through his leg as Wind ripped the arrows out and awareness slammed back into him. He yelped through gritted teeth as Wild pried one of his hands away from the Master Sword and pressed cool glass into his palm. The awareness began to fade just as quickly as it came but it lasted long enough for him to clumsily drink the potion, drops spilling from the corners of his mouth. He sighed after finishing it, the pain seeping out of his wounds as they closed. A hand squeezed his uninjured shoulder and he lifted his gaze to see Wild watching him with a worried expression.

“Alright, Sky?” he asked.

Sky nodded slowly, lifting a hand to his head at the dizziness the motion caused. “Yeah, just… just dizzy,” he mumbled.

Wild pursed his lips. “That Yiga did a number on you, huh?”

“Yiga?” Sky thought that sounded familiar but the blood loss made it difficult to put together a coherent train of thought.

“Oh, those are the guys that are after you?” Wind asked Wild. Ah. That’s why it sounded familiar.

Wild nodded. “Yeah. They must’ve seen the Master Sword, and…” He shook his head, pushing himself to his feet. “Anyway, I’m glad I made it here in time.”

“Me too.” Wind stood up as well then they each took one of Sky’s arms and helped him up. He staggered as a wave of dizziness crashed over him but they were able to keep him on his feet. He distantly realized he held the Master Sword in the hand Wind had grabbed and tugged his arm from the sailor to put it away. Once he did, they began walking. It took a bit for them to adjust to the slightly awkward hold since Sky was taller than both of them. Eventually, they figured out a decent strategy, walking out of the narrow passage and back the way they came.

“We’ll meet up with the others so you can rest,” Wild said while Wind nodded. Sky hummed in response, the world still spinning slightly around him. Rest sounded good.

[meirimerens]

got told my longest fic is longer than the average adult novel. started sweating profusely. didn't mean to [be a goofball] like that my bad

[internerdionality]

Milestone for my favorite fic

Thank you so much to everyone who helped make my favorite work that I've ever written such a smashing (and evil) success! Seriously, I'm verklempt over here. 💗😭💗

[aboveweirdest]

Types of Fic Writers Based on Where You Write Your Shit:

Google Docs/Word/any word processor: lawful good vibes. You may not be organized per say, but you have a way of doing things and you're pretty set in it. I love you. All Hail Fic Writers

On your phone, specifically any Notes app: chaotic neutral vibes. You do what you want when you want it. No matter how feral the idea, you will write it down, consequences be dammed. I am scared of you. I respect you. How tf do you do that? Stay away from me, but give me your secrets

Directly into the AO3 editor: lawful evil. Yes that's technically what it's for but, god, the horror. How could you? What are you? Do you twist all rules to your benefit or can you simply not be bothered with convention? I fear the day you are unleashed upon the world. Yet we continue to send you offerings (kudos) in return for your blessings (fics)

[ravenkings]

i have to say, i wish i was more a part of the livejournal generation instead of just being a 13-year-old lurker at the time. now THAT was a social media platform...

[dykefaggotry]

I've come to the conclusion that I just enjoy writing fics w other people more than I enjoy writing alone like nothing more artistically motivating than this image

[deus-ex-mona]

yurusanta: the ✨gift✨ that keeps on ✨giving✨