Dead Man's Blood | Supernatural Series Rewrite | Dean Winchester x Reader
Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader
Warnings: canon violence, canon gore, daddy issues, mentions of parental death
Word Count: 5022
A/N: Cannot believe we're at the penultimate episode of my version of the first season Supernatural!! Crazy!! Thank you guys so much for the love and support; I truly appreciate it.
When season 2 starts, the taglist will be closed! If you'd like to join and haven't already, please let me know!
Series Rewrite Masterlist
You and the Winchester boys sat at a table in a diner searching for possible cases to take on. You sat at your laptop on the side of the table with Sam and Dean to your right and left.
Dean looked through a newspaper and folded it up in frustration. “Well, not a decent lead in all of Nebraska. What’ve you got, Sammy?”
“I've been scanning Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota... here. A woman in Iowa fell ten thousand feet from an airplane and survived,” Sam responded.
“Sounds more like ‘that's Incredible’ than, uh, 'Twilight Zone'.”
“Yeah, I agree,” you said.
“Hey you know we could just keep heading east. New York. Upstate. We could drop by and see Sarah again. Huh? Cool chick, man, smokin'.” Dean whistled lowly. “You two seemed pretty friendly. What do you say?”
“Yeah, I don’t know, maybe someday. But in the meantime we got a lot of work to do Dean, and you know that,” Sam stated.
“Yeah, alright. How ‘bout you, (Y/N)?”
“Uh, man in Colorado, local man named Daniel Elkins was found mauled in his home,” you said, continuing to scan the web page before you.
“Elkins? I know that name,” Dean said.
You shrugged as Sam said, “Doesn’t ring a bell.”
Dean muttered the man’s name over and over.
“Sounds like the police don't know what to think. At first they said it was some sort of bear attack, now, they've found some signs of robbery,” you continued.
Dean took out his father’s journal and began to flick through it. “There, check it out.” He turned the book around to you and Sam and pointed at a contact reading “D. Elkins” with the man’s phone number next to it.
“You think it's the same Elkins?” Sam questioned.
“It's a Colorado area code.”
“Alright, Colorado it is. Let’s go, kids,” you said.
***
You and the boys made your way to the remote cabin of Daniel Elkins and picked the lock to his home. You cringed at the sight of your messy surroundings once inside. Books were everywhere, mad scribblings on stray pages covered the floor, and the furniture seemed to not have been dusted in years.
“Looks like the maid didn't come today,” Dean remarked.
You crouched down at the entrance of the home and fingered something on the floor. “Hey, got some salt over here.”
“You mean protection against demon salt, or 'oops I spilled the popcorn' salt?” Dean asked.
You gave him a dirty look. “Clearly a ring. Elkins was a player?”
“Definitely,” Dean responded.
You rose to go stand beside the brothers and look over the journal they were flicking through.
“That looks a hell of a lot like Dad's,” said Sam as he flipped through the pages.
“Yep, except this dates back to the '60s,” Dean added.
You led the brothers into another room and took in the shattered skylights. You moved your flashlight around the room and took in the fact that somehow, this room was messier than the other ones.
“Whatever attacked him, it looks like there was more than one,” Sam said, referencing the damage to the skylights. It seemed there were two separate entry points through them.
“Looks like he put up a hell of a fight, too,” the older brother added. He crouched down to the floor.
“You got something?” you asked, crouching beside him.
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Some scratches on the floor.”
“Death throes maybe?” Sam suggested.
Dean grabbed a page from a notebook on top of the desk beside you and placed it over the spot on the ground. He rubbed a pencil over the top to create an outline. “Or maybe a message.” He peeled up the paper that now had a lot of blood on the back and showed you and Sam the rubbings of the characters. “Look familiar?”
“Three letters, six digits. The location and combination of a post office box. It's a mail drop,” you said.
Dean looked to his brother. “Just the way Dad does it.”
***
You and the boys found a letter in the mailbox labeled with the numbers and letters from the floor’s message. You leaned over the back seat of the car and read off the letters on the envelope.
“ ‘J.W.’ Gotta be John Winchester, right?” you said.
“I don't know. Should we open it?” Dean turned his head to you.
A knock on Dean’s window came before any of you could say another word. You reared back and grabbed your gun from your belt, pointing it at the sound.
“Dad?” Dean breathed out.
You breathed out sharply as John opened the door and slid into the seat next to you. “I almost shot you, dude.”
He chuckled at you.
“Dad, what are you doing here? Are you alright?” Sam asked, turning to face him.
John’s gravelly voice seemed even more tired and worn than the last time you’d seen him. “Yeah, I'm okay. I read the news about Daniel; I got here as fast as I could. I saw you three at his place.”
“Why didn't you come in, Dad?”
“You know why. Because I had to make sure you weren't followed. By anyone or anything. Nice job of covering your tracks, by the way.”
Dean looked a little proud. “Yeah, well, we learned from the best.”
“Wait, you came all the way out here for this Elkins guy?” Sam questioned.
John nodded. “He was— He was a good man. Taught me a hell of a lot about hunting.”
“Well, you never mentioned him to us.”
“We had a— we had kind of a falling out. I hadn't seen him in years.” He gestured to the envelope. “I should look at that.” He opened it. “ 'If you're reading this, I'm already dead'... that son of a bitch.”
“What is it?” his eldest son asked.
“He had it the whole time.”
Sam looked at him confused. “Dad, what?”
“When you searched the place, did you— did you see a gun? An antique, a Colt revolver, did you see it?”
You shook your head. “I saw an old case, but it was empty.”
John sighed. “They have it.”
“You mean, whatever killed Elkins?” Dean asked.
John started to get out of the car. “We gotta pick up the trail.”
“Wait, you want us to come with you?” Sam scoffed.
“If Elkins was telling the truth, we gotta find this gun,” John rushed out.
“The gun? Why?”
“Because it's important, that's why.”
‘He’s even more of a hardass than Dean.’
“Dad, we don't even know what these things are yet,” the younger son protested.
“They were what Daniel Elkins killed best: Vampires.”
Your heart nearly dropped at the mention of those creatures.
“I thought they were extinct. I thought Elkins and others had wiped them out. I was wrong,” John said.
“Damn right,” you jumped in, not realizing the sudden venom lacing your words.
The three men stared back at you, and you shrank awkwardly.
John continued to explain. “Most vampire lore is crap. A cross won't repel them, sunlight won't kill them, and neither will a stake to the heart. But the bloodlust, that part's true. They need fresh human blood to survive. They were once people, so you won't know it's a vampire until it's too late.”
Anxiety clawed at your throat. You hadn’t faced any vampires since the death of your family.
***
You and the Winchesters found a decently priced motel to stay in to get your bearings before you went after the vampires. You watched Sam and Dean sleeping peacefully on their beds, but you were unable to get a wink. You and John sat on opposite sides of the table in the room listening to the police scanner.
You admired Dean’s relaxed features. You rarely saw him this at-ease. You wished you could be sleeping beside him, but your own mind was keeping you awake. The eldest Winchester looked over at you and whispered over the hum of the police scanner. “How’ve they been?” he asked.
You sighed. “They’re alright, I think. Been driving themselves crazy looking for you, though.”
He chuckled softly. “I figured they were.” He paused for a minute.
“They need you more than they need me,” you said. “You should stay with ‘em. I’ll be hitting the road in a little while, I think.”
“Don’t,” he said. “They’ll need you when this is all over.”
“What? You’re not gonna stay?” You turned your head to John.
“I don’t think so,” he shook his head.
You were disgusted at him. “Look, no disrespect, but that’s crap.”
He seemed caught off-guard. “And why’s that?” he challenged.
“Sam’s a mess. You walked out on Dean. Your boys deserve their father," you whispered harshly.
“Don’t act like you know me,” he hissed. “Dean’s a grown man. He’ll get over it. Sam, too. I’m not abandoning them; it’s just not safe.”
“Just call a spade a spade, John. Abandonment ‘for their safety’ is still abandonment,” you argued.
“You don’t think I wanna be with my kids—?"
“No, I don’t actually,” you cut him off.
Before he could continue to argue with you, something on the police scanner caught your attention.
“Unit 22 let me confirm. Mile marker 41, abandoned car. You need a workup?” the static voice said.
“Copy that. Possible 207. Better get forensics out here,” another voice said.
“Sam, Dean, let's go,” John slapped their feet as he stood, his voice still gravelly from his anger with you.
“Mm-hmm,” Dean muttered, though still asleep.
Sam sat up and Dean rubbed his eyes.
“There’s a call on the scanner,” you said.
“(Y/N), did you get any sleep?” the older brother slurred sleepily.
“That’s not important right now,” you told him. “C’mon.”
“What happened?” Sam asked.
“A couple called 911,; found a body in the street. Cops got there and everyone was missing. It's the vampires,” John explained.
“How do you know?”
“Just follow me, okay?” John said, leaving the room.
You turned to Sam who was putting his jacket on. “It’s how they hunt. They lay in the middle of the road and wait for somebody to pull over. By the time they get up close and personal, it’s too late. Then they leave.”
Dean sat up, still half-asleep. “You gonna be okay?” he asked you.
“I’m fine,” you responded. You could tell he didn’t believe you, but you left him behind without waiting for an argument.
***
John was talking to the cops while you and the brothers stood back by the Impala under the cover of the trees. He refused to look at you after your argument, and you refused to speak to him. You wouldn’t engage with a man who walked out on his children and put Dean through so much.
“I don't see why we couldn't have gone over with him,” the brunet sighed sulkily.
“Oh, don't tell me it's already starting.” Dean rolled his eyes.
“What's starting?” Sam asked.
John walked up before either of you could answer.
“What have you got?” Dean asked his dad.
“It was them, alright. Looks like they're heading west. We'll have to double back to get around that detour,” John explained.
“How can you be so sure?” Sam challenged.
“Sam—” Dean tried.
“I just wanna know we're going in the right direction,” Sam told him sharply.
“We are,” John responded.
You stood back next to Dean, trying not to get involved in the fight.
“How do you know?”
John handed something to his oldest son. “I found this.”
“It's a vampire fang.”
“Not a fang, teeth. They’ve got a second set that comes out when they attack,” you explained, looking over Dean’s shoulder at the tooth.
“Any more questions?” John challenged Sam.
Sam looked away and stayed silent.
“Alright, let's get out of here, we're losing daylight,” John said. Everything he said was said with authority. “Hey, Dean, why don't you touch up your car before you get rust? I wouldn't have given you the damn thing if I thought you were going to ruin it,” he gruffly spat at his son before heading to his truck.
You angrily stared after the man before looking over at Dean, who grimaced and got into the passenger’s seat.
Sam drove, keeping a close follow on John’s truck. You rested your chin on Dean’s shoulder, looking over the excerpt he was reading about vampires in your journal. He read aloud to you and Sam. “ ‘Vampires nest in groups of eight to ten. Smaller packs are sent to hunt for food. Victims are taken to the nest where the pack keeps them alive, bleeding them for days or weeks.’ I wonder if that's what happened to that 911 couple.”
Sam grumbled, “That's probably what Dad's thinking. Course, it would be nice if he just told us what he thinks.”
“So it is starting,” Dean sighed.
“What?”
“Sam, we've been looking for Dad all year. Now we're not with him for more than a couple of hours and there's static already?”
Sam huffed. “No. Look, I'm happy he's okay, alright? And I'm happy that we're all working together again.”
“Well, good,” Dean said.
The younger brother was unable to help himself. “It's just the way he treats us, like we're children.”
“Oh, God.” You sat back in the seat, doing your best to ignore the fight between the brothers.
“He barks orders at us Dean, he expects us to follow 'em without question. He keeps us on some crap need-to-know deal,” Sam argued.
“He does what he does for a reason.”
“What reason?”
“Our job! There's no time to argue, there's no margin for error, alright? That's just the way the old man runs things.”
“Yeah, well, maybe that worked when we were kids but not anymore, all right. Not after everything you and I have been through, Dean. I mean, are you telling me you're cool with just falling into line and letting him run the whole show?” Sam looked over at his brother angrily.
Dean gave Sam a long look before strongly responding, “If that's what it takes.”
Sam shook his head and returned his eyes to the road.
A few minutes later, Dean was on the phone with his dad. “Yeah, Dad. Alright, got it.” He hung up. “Pull off at the next exit.”
Sam’s frustrated tone was back. “Why?”
“ ‘Cause Dad thinks we've got the vampire's trail,” Dean said matter-of-factly.
“How,” Sam somehow sounded angrier.
“I don't know. He didn't say,” Dean responded.
Sam gunned the engine, and pulled in front of his dad’s truck before slamming the breaks.
“What are you doing, Sam?” you asked.
Sam got out of the car without answering you.
“Oh, crap. Here we go.” Dean followed his brother out of the car. “Sam!”
You just watched from the back seat, deciding not to get between the family’s brawl.
You watched in the driver’s side rear view mirror as John and Sam got in each other’s faces. Dean was trying to pull the two apart, and you could make out some of what they were screaming at each other about.
Sam approached the car again before spinning back around at his father. You often got in fights like that with your own father but more about his treatment of you and your brother. You knew better than to argue his orders.
“You were just pissed off that you couldn't control me anymore!” Sam yelled loudly enough for you to hear.
Dean then shoved the two apart, forcing Sam back to the car. Sam got back in the driver’s seat, still enraged.
“Sam, do you want me to—”
“No,” he snapped at you.
“Oh-kay, then.”
***
You and the brothers sat in the trees watching the beat-up barn the vampires called home. Dean stood beside you and cursed, “Son of a bitch. So they're really not afraid of the sun?” as he watched the vampires climb into a car, shielding their faces with their hands.
“Nope,” you said. “Direct sunlight just stings like a badass sunburn.”
“The only way to kill 'em is by beheading. And yeah, they sleep during the day— doesn't mean they won't wake up,” John added.
“So I guess walking right in's not our best option,” Dean said.
“Actually, that's the plan,” John grinned.
You and the brothers flipped open the trunk of the Impala and began grabbing machetes. John did the same with his truck, but his was outfitted with a fancy, automatic, hidden compartment.
“Here, (Y/N).” Dean handed you a rusty machete.
You caught sight of the giant blade their dad was holding. “Whoa, why don’t you have any like that?”
Dean snorted and turned his head. “Wow.”
John paused, closing his trunk. “So, you boys really wanna know about this Colt?”
“Yes, sir,” said Sam.
“It's just a story, a legend really. Well, I thought it was. Never really believed it until I read Daniel's letter,” John began. “Back in 1835, when Halley's comet was overhead, the same night those men died at the Alamo, they say Samuel Colt made a gun. A special gun. He made it for a hunter, a man like us only on horseback. Story goes he made thirteen bullets, and this hunter used the gun a half dozen times before he disappeared, the gun along with him. And somehow, Daniel got his hands on it. They say... They say this gun can kill anything.”
“Kill anything, like, supernatural anything?” Dean breathed.
“Like the demon,” Sam connected.
“Yeah, the demon. Ever since I picked up its trail I've been looking for a way to destroy that thing. Find the gun, and we may have it.”
“Wait, and you couldn’t tell your kids that why?” you snarled.
“(Y/N)—” Dean scolded, but you couldn’t help yourself.
John just looked at his eldest son. “What exactly made you keep her around for so long?”
“Both of you, stop it,” Dean said. "Let’s get these fuckers while we have the chance.”
You backed off, tension dissolving a little at Dean’s words. You looked between the boys and their father. Their faces conveyed complex emotions you couldn’t quite read.
Silently, you and Dean flanked one end of the barn while Sam took the other with his father.
You and Dean jumped through a barn window and walked around their hammocks carefully. Dean accidentally kicked an empty bottle on the ground, and you froze. You made a worried face and looked over to Dean, who froze as well.
The vampire next to Dean stirred, but didn’t wake up. You and Dean continued on until you found a woman tied up against a pole. You weren’t sure if she was sleeping or unconscious.
“Dean,” you whispered, crouching beside the woman. He came over to you as you began to untie her. You heard a noise behind you, and Dean went over to investigate.
“There’s more,” he said, grabbing something to break the locks on the metal cages a distance away from you.
The woman you were untying began to stir, and you did your best to assure her you were here to help.
The woman awoke and let out an unearthly roar.
“Dean!” you called, shooting up.
“Kids, run!” John called to you after hearing your voice. You and Dean sprinted out of the building, yelling for Sam as you did so. The vampires chased you, but you used the daylight to your advantage. You broke back through the trees and returned to the cars.
“Dad?! Sam!” Dean called. The two then came back up the slope.
“They won't follow. They'll wait till tonight. Once a vampire has your scent, it's for life,” John said.
“Well, what the hell do we do now?” Dean questioned.
“You gotta find the nearest funeral home, that's what.”
You knew where John was going with this. You smiled at the boys who seemed confused. “C’mon, Dean,” you said, patting his shoulder. You turned to the Impala, and Sam and his father got in the latter’s truck.
Dean cruised down the road to the funeral home you had found and were planning to break into.
“What the hell was that earlier?” Dean asked frustratedly as soon as the car doors were shut.
“What?”
“With my dad, (Y/N), why would you say something like that?!”
"Look, we got in a fight while you and Sam were sleeping. I just don’t like how he treats you guys,” you admitted.
“Well, thanks, but don’t. Sam’s enough for me right now as it is,” he responded.
A few moments passed, and you looked down at your hands. “I’m sorry,” you said quietly.
Dean sighed. “It’s okay.” He snorted after a moment. “Not many people would stand up to my dad like that.”
You smiled, eyes still on your hands folded in your lap. “He reminds me a lot of my dad. John and Sam fight exactly how my dad and I did. Steven always had to break us apart.”
“I just don’t understand why Sam can’t leave the old man alone,” Dean told you. “I mean, we spent so fucking long looking for ‘im, and as soon as we find him, he’s pickin’ fights.”
You nodded in understanding. “I get why he’s upset, but I agree that it’s the wrong place and wrong time right now. I mean, despite the fact that I picked a fight with him. Again, mistake on my part.”
“Agreed.”
You let a moment of silence pass before you spoke again. “Dee?”
“Hm.”
“Now that we’ve found your dad, do you still want me here?”
He turned his head toward you. “Of course, I do. You’re not gettin’ rid of us that easy.”
You grinned. “Good. After a year of all this, you guys have become my new normal. I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to being alone again.”
Dean smirked and turned back to the road, pulling into the parking lot of the funeral home.
After a few lies and a bit of breaking and entering, you and Dean were headed back to the motel with dead man’s blood in hand.
“What does that stuff do exactly?” Dean asked you as he drove.
“It’s kinda like vampire food poisoning. Pretty useful stuff,” you explained.
“How’ve you been with this whole thing?” he asked.
“What, the vampires?”
Dean nodded.
“Winchester, are you goin’ soft on me? Since when do you care to get into the touchy-feely?” you joked.
He rolled his eyes in response. “Answer the damn question, (Y/N).”
You sighed, dropping your plucky attitude. “I’m okay, I think. I just— I haven’t hunted any vamps since my parents died. Any time I sniffed any out, I ran the other way. It’s kind of ironic that the one thing I fucking hate hunting has the one thing we need to kill this demon.”
Dean chuckled. “Yeah, well, y’know… Just…”
“There’s my boy. Having trouble with moments of sincerity once more,” you gibed but became serious once more as he rolled his eyes. “I know. If I need anything, I’ll let you know.”
***
You were surprised to find John and Sam laughing when you reentered their motel room.
“Whew. Man, some heavy security to protect a bunch of dead guys,” Dean said.
“Get it?” John asked.
You reached into Dean’s jacket pocket and pulled out a paper bag with a bottle full of blood inside it. You handed it over to the eldest Winchester.
“You know what to do,” he said.
***
You hated watching that creature feel Dean up and kiss him, but you knew you needed to let it happen for the sake of getting the Colt from the vampires. You’d already nearly beheaded her when she backhanded him.
Another vampire appeared behind the woman holding Dean in the air by his face, and that was when you made your move. You used a crossbow to shoot both of the vampires straight between their ribs, and the girl holding Dean dropped him.
“Dammit,” she cursed as you approached the group from the trees. “It barely even stings.”
“Give it time, babe,” you told her. “That arrow’s soaked in dead man’s blood. Should be giving you a nasty tummy ache any second.” You pouted at her mockingly as she began to waver and lose consciousness.
“Load her up,” John ordered you and his sons. “I'll take care of this one.” Moments later, you heard a slashing noise and blood splattering coming from behind you as you finished loading the girl into Dean’s trunk.
***
You met John in a clearing in the woods where you and Sam were setting up a campfire. Dean tied the unconscious vampiress to a tree, and you circled her, fuming.
“Easy, tiger,” Dean told you. “Don’t kill her just yet.”
“I’m tryin’ not to,” you responded, gripping the handle of your machete tightly.
He chuckled at you and turned to his dad.
“Toss this on the fire. Saffron, skunk's cabbage, and trillium. It'll block our scent and hers until we're ready,” John commanded.
“Stuff stinks!” Dean coughed.
“That's the idea. Dust your clothes with the ashes, and you stand a chance of not being detected,” his father replied.
“You sure they'll come after her?” Sam asked his dad.
“Vampires mate for life,” you broke in. “She means more to the leader than the gun.”
“But the blood sickness is going to wear off soon, so you don't have a lot of time,” John added.
“A half hour oughta do it,” shrugged Sam.
“And then I want you out of the area as fast as you can,” John stated.
The boys began to protest.
“Well, Dad, you can't take care of them all yourself,” Dean said.
“I'll have her,” John replied, referencing the passed-out vampire. “And the Colt.”
“But after. We're gonna meet up, right? Use the gun together. Right?” Sam looked at his father expectantly. There was a long pause before Sam spoke again. “You're leaving again, aren't you. You still wanna go after the demon alone." Hes scoffed mockingly. "You know, I don't get you. You can't treat us like this.”
“Like what?”
“Like children.”
“You are my children. I'm trying to keep you safe.”
Dean spoke up much to your surprise. “Dad, all due respect, but, uh, that's a bunch of crap.”
“Excuse me?” the older man scoffed.
“You know what Sammy and I have been hunting. Hell, you sent us on a few hunting trips yourself. You can't be that worried about keeping us safe,” Dean argued.
“It's not the same thing, Dean.”
“Then what is it? Why do you want us out of the big fight?”
“This demon? It's a bad son of a bitch. I can't make the same moves if I'm worried about keeping you alive,” John responded.
“You mean you can't be as reckless.”
“Look, I don't expect to make it out of this fight in one piece. Your mother's death… it almost killed me. I can't watch my children die too. I won't,” John admitted.
“What happens if you die? Dad, what happens if you die, and we could’ve done something about it?" He let his words hang in the air for a moment. "You know, I've been thinking. I think maybe Sammy's right about this one. We should do this together,” Dean stated.
Sam nodded as his brother continued. “We're stronger as a family, Dad. We just are. You know it.”
John’s walls went back up. “We're running out of time. You do your job, and you get out of the area. That's an order.”
Dean looked down at the ground, and you watched him carefully as he tried to suppress his rising emotions.
***
After you and the boys freed the people that had been locked up in the vampires’ barn, you went to find John and the members of the nest. You found them just in time because John had been knocked on his ass by the vampire you’d kidnapped.
You and the brothers hurried out of the trees and began shooting vampires with a crossbow. You moved toward the leader with your machete, but he backhanded you and held you in a headlock with his arm around your throat.
You struggled against him as he addressed Dean, who was holding a machete of his own. “Don't! I'll break her neck. Put the blade down.”
Dean hesitated.
Luther tightened his hold on your neck, causing you to struggle more. “It’d be a real shame for her to die.” He dug his nose in your hair and sniffed deeply. “She’s pretty. I’d love having her around. Drop it!”
Dean did as told, and his jaw clenched in fury.
“You people. Why can't you leave us alone? We have as much right to live as you do,” the leader said.
“I don’t think so,” came John’s voice from behind you. The vampire spun you and himself around to face John, who shot the vampire in the middle of his forehead. He dropped you to the floor, and Dean rushed to your side.
You turned and watched a sigil appear on the man’s forehead where he’d been shot as his girlfriend screamed in agony. “Luther!”
The vampire slumped to the ground, dead. The vampiress started toward John, but was pulled away by her friend to get to their car. They took off, wheels screaming and leaving you in the dust.
***
You sat in the brothers’ motel room, having finished packing long before they had as usual. John entered the room and addressed his sons. “So, boys.”
They stopped packing and turned to face him. “Yes, sir.”
“You ignored a direct order back there,” he said crossly.
“Yes, sir.” Sam hung his head low.
Dean argued, “Yeah, but we saved your ass.”
John held his son’s challenging stare, and you swallowed nervously.
“You're right,” John admitted much to your surprise.
“I am?”
If it weren’t for the situation, you would’ve laughed at Dean’s adorably clueless face.
“It scares the hell out of me. You two are all I've got. But I guess we are stronger as a family. So… we go after this damn thing. Together.”
You smiled as the two boys said in unison, “Yes, sir.”
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I will now yell about Fi and Ghirahim as symbols of their respective creators, please stand by:
So, the biggest slap addition the lore that Skyward Sword gave us was (Her Grace) Hylia and (the Bringer of) Demise. Entities who, regardless of confusing localisation choices, exist as two sides of the same coin and are locked into a mutual karmic cycle.
They reflect each other like a mirror, and also represent an antithesis of each other, seemingly existing as consequence to one other. They were presented as the penultimate deities of the physical and metaphysical realms of their world since the advent of its creation by the departed Golden Goddesses; twinned yet opposite, and each both inevitable and necessary.
Shadow; Light. Chaos; Order. Indulgence; Restraint. Upheaval; Stability. Primordial; Designed. Spite; Grace. Hidden; Seen.
Ghirahim; Fi.
It goes right down to the blades that Demise and Hylia would level at one another. The spirits of each are a representative of the principles and philosophy championed by their creators.
Now, the closer you get to the works and relics of the Gods/Gods Tribe in Zelda, the more you see divine constructs that blur the line of spiritual magic and advanced technology, and are ostensibly both. This was a direction that really bloomed in Skyward Sword, taking a running start on it that games hereafter have followed. The caveat is that only certain special people chosen by Gods or otherwise given permission to use this kind of Magitech can interact with it or produce things like it (either at all, or without punishment).
Even the Sheikah, who have closely served the intentions of the Gods/Spirits of Light (Hylia and her aligned) all throughout history, make the mistake of getting too comfortable in their inspiration and cross the line into imitations. Despite the successful utilisation of, and later recovery of, certain Sheikah Tech such as the Divine Beasts to positive effect, the tragedy of both the Sheikah's Divide and the Calamity's hijacking of Hyrulean defence systems is still played as a cautionary tale of hubris and knowing one's place in the natural order of things.
The Sheikah were effectively making unauthorised knockoffs of Divine Magitech and it bit them on the arse.
Can't have shit in Hyrule.
Pretty much every significantly advanced tribe in Zelda has a stated closeness to 'the Gods'. Either by being adjacent to or descended from deities and spirits collectively known as the Gods (specifically the Gods Tribe in JP), they are still distinctly subordinate to and separated from entities such as Hylia and the three Golden Goddesses.
Confirmed to be included in this special grouping are the Zonai and the Oocca, for instance. Speculatively, the Wind Tribe are an example of people who ascended (with permission or worthiness) from the surface-- they are an arguably Gerudo adjacent tribe who may even be precursors to the Zonai or related to the Twili.
The Picori, at the very least those in their native realm, also certainly count as part of this grouping. Though it could be argued whether those descent Minish living on the surface still do.
The Sheikah, it should be noted, have never gained entry to this Gods club. Despite their proximity in worship and service to Hylia, historically, they've also done some pretty shady things-- like the Shadow Temple and the general murder and espionage stuff -- that may have otherwise excluded them from ascending like the Wind Tribe did. They walk a grey line, and they have a duty in the eyes of the Powers That Be that apparently prefer they stay put.
Not Turtle-y enough for the Turtle Club.
Another example of this Icarus flying too close to the Sun type cautionary tale, and a far more egregious offender in the eyes of the Gods Tribe, are the 'Interlopers' who would eventually become the Twili. They were a tribe of people that, while squabbling with others, tried to take dominion of Hyrule (referred to itself as the Sacred Realm/Holy Land in TP) with powerful magic that more or less gave them a winning advantage. Specifically, the Crystal Stone of Shadow (the Fused Shadow) which greatly amplified their magical power.
Banished by the Spirits of the Light whole cloth into an underworld (lit. A Realm of the Dead) that we also know as the Twilight Realm, they have been shunned from the land they tried to conquer and transformed by shadow so much, they're now allergic to the light (without sufficient mystical power to bolster themselves).
Basically, the intended message is this: any earthly people who have advanced themselves without approval by the Gods Tribe-- especially by using Divine Constructs as inspiration or means-- have therefore disrupted the order of things, and stacked the deck too much in their own favour. Even if the intent was primarily a fixation on preserving Hylia's bloodline, and by extension her sacred land, it is still possible to elevate oneself above your contemporaries (especially the capacities of the Royal Family line in Hyrule) in such a way that you impose too much independent influence upon the the natural world.
No longer following 'the way of the Gods' (the Gods Tribe law) or respecting the order of things (ala Shintoist inspiration), you are labelled a disruption to harmony and peace, and therefore seen as corrupted and pollutive, and generally negative in your impact. You will then be chased off, at the very least, unless you renege-- for fear that you will bring in demonic influences or be used by them. This has canonically happened to both the Gerudo and the Sheikah, now.
But you know who Magic Constructs on par with the Gods Tribe, except it's more eldritch and organic-looking and primordial in form? It's the other club, the one that the disenfranchised Sheikah went and banged on the door of, hoping to be let in if they started wearing cool red and black outfits and changed their name and stopped worshipping Hylia.
Yeah. It's the Demon Tribe-- who are pretty much just the inverse reflection of the Gods Tribe and its set up. Their Magitech equivalents, and what they can do, only serve to further cement this.
Specifically, if you could suggest that the Gods Tribe's main objective is maintaining a status quo of shared prosperity that provides an ordered and peaceful existence through conformity and tradition, the Demon tribe is an ever churning well of opportunity where winner takes all. It is a hierarchy built on brutal meritocracy, honed by constant challenges and hard won continuation-- survival and status fought for and maintained by individualistic influence and innovation.
Many various little bastards exist in the Demon Tribe. Bosses in charge of sub-tribes of monsters are commonly seen, but they have their minor Deities ad Spirits, too. The head honchos are called Demon Kings (plural, because it doesn't describe a single position, but rather just very powerful Demons who have clout). Demise is both a Demon King, namely the most powerful one, and also the 'Chief' of the Demon Tribe; just as, in this case, Hylia could be considered the 'Chief' of the Gods Tribe. So, Demon God-King, really.
While Demise is incapacitated by Hylia's seal, his role as the Chief of the Demon Tribe is actually the position that Ghirahim fills in for as his (literal) right hand man-- the very extension of his arm, as his blade.
Both the Master Sword (Fi) and Ghirahim himself are, perhaps, some of the most advanced forms of this sort of Magitech we've actually ever seen.
Ghirahim goes above and beyond in his role, even going so far as to cultivate his full persona as a Demon in his own right in order to maintain his authority as the effective Regent while the big boy is incapacitated. He disguises his true form and nature, and with a surprising level of autonomy and self-transformation for what he is, sets about attending his duties with great devotion.
He seems to have an incredibly intuitive and flexible mode of operation. His sentience is full of creativity, emotionality, and genuine potential that he has the capacity to explore and shape with great freedom, for the construct that he is.
He is flamboyant and attention grabbing, highly expressive. He entertains great personal indulgence, even going so far as to toy with Link in a manner that borders on vicious training for a while. Though in part due to his undeniable sadism, Ghirahim almost can't help himself but to continue to test and push against the potential as a swordsman that the Hero has, inadvertently cultivating its growth.
This depth of identity and adaption he's capable of was either an intentional part of his design, or specifically not prevented by it-- both of which stand to represent something of Demise and Demonkind. The lengths to which Ghirahim is allowed to wield himself when not in his creator's hand is remarkable and, though he is shown to be unable to override actual commands from his master, it stands in an interesting contrast to Fi.
Where Ghirahim is able to radically redefine his own presentation and function to best suit his Master's needs in a way that mimics the organic, Fi's evolution is far more linear and streamlined, never really deviating from systematic updates. Though the sword itself is subject to physical restorations, Fi's personal appearance is unchanged and reflective of her true shape, indicating that her tempering in the Sacred Flames is either a slow return to previous form or a pre-programmed and permanent upgrade set into motion by Hylia. It is also an evolution that is entirely dependant upon the actions of others, largely lacking the individual agency and flexibility that Ghirahim possesses.
Not to suggest that Fi is any less devoted to her purpose, however.
She is, quite unlike Ghirahim's aspect of individual advancement, wholly geared toward a model of mutual enhancement with a partner. She is built with a singular and clear objective in mind, perfectly designed to suit the needs of the one wielding her as a supplement to their ability, rather than an autonomous servant. She defers entirely to her Master's decisions at all times, though does make informed suggestions, and does not appear to be able to relocate the physical sword on her own. Many of her abilities are things that must be directly requested of her.
Even when she is given to performance, such as her singing or her ballet, these are seemingly dispassionate affairs that are precisely executed, preprogramed displays for Link's benefit. Absolutely nothing, not even particular inflections of emotionality, must risk the distortion of her relayed messages and guidance to Link-- these displays may also be something analogous to morale boosting rewards or a really weird form of reverence to the musically inclined Hylia. Either way, Fi is highly logical and presents herself foremost as an instrument and a tool.
She does not indulge in a persona or otherwise engage in anything not directly tied to her assigned mission-- she does not get distracted or indulge personal whims as Ghirahim does. But critically, a large part of her design is geared towards an awareness of her surroundings. Fi has a visible consciousness for the living things around her at all times, contrasting to Ghirahim's seeming negligence of them and open disdain.
Fi's orderly efficiency and lack of cultivated personality to detract from her purpose make the fact of her construction obvious. Unlike Ghirahim, her true nature and her task is almost painfully undisguised. She exists in a simple sincerity, almost austere, seemingly unwilling or unable to seek function beyond her designation without being updated by another. However, her concentrated application seems to achieve concentrated results, strengthening both herself and her wielder in a near impenetrable mutual reinforcement.
It is perhaps of no coincidence that, despite Fi's seeming inflexibility and clinical pragmatism, she also expresses something of a fondness for Link at the end-- in many ways, mirroring her Divine creator. She does this very robotically, by correlating her collected data time spent together and their completed task with what she's observed of human happiness.
Skyward Sword seems to argue that Ghirahim's main flaw is spreading himself too thin, or trying to be so many other things, that he falls short as a sword in the end. It suggests that his sin, like others in the franchise, is getting too big for his boots scabbard and letting his pride become his downfall. His individualism gets presented with a great cost, as he has only enhanced himself in ways that seemingly do not apply when he returns to his primary function as a sword. The emotionality he has, such as the frustration and cockiness and bloodlust he indulges, are also shown to lower his successes-- reducing the sense of his efficiency and precision beside the ever level, measured Fi.
When he returns to Demise's hand, Ghirahim is already weakened and spent. Despite all he's done for his Master's revival, Demise is left to fight with a paling version of the blade that once fatally wounded Hylia-- not unlike a Master Sword in need of restoration to its full power.
There's a legend regarding Gorō Nyūdō Masamune, widely regarded as the greatest swordsmith in Japanese history, and Sengo Muramasa, who is famously known for creating unique and terrifically sharp blades that are considered cursed.
It starts when Muramasa challenges Masamune to see who can make a finer sword. When the work is done, they go down to a river, and place the blades in the water with the cutting edge towards the current.
Muramasa's sword, which he named Ten Thousand Winter Nights, cuts everything that floats its way-- leaves, fish, even the wind that happened across it. It is so sharp that nothing escapes unscathed.
Masamune's sword, named Tender Hands, is placed in the river and cuts the leaves that go by so seamlessly, they reform on the other side. Fish swim up to it and seem to be repelled by its aura, avoiding death. The wind kisses the blade gently with a pleasant whistle.
Muramasa isn't impressed by this. He thinks the blade is useless, barely cutting anything at all, and starts to remark on the lack of skill. Masamune smiles at the criticism, but merely compliments that Muramasa's sword is indeed quite sharp.
A monk who had watched all this from nearby approaches at that point, bows, and interjects with his own observations.
Though he too observes that Muramasa's sword is technically very finely made, he notes that it's a bloodthirsty, wicked blade. It cuts anything in its path indiscriminately, he says, and would just as soon cut a butterfly in half as remove somebody's head.
Masamune's sword, however, was the clear winner in the monk's opinion-- a gentle blade that did not needlessly cut that which was innocent or undeserving, tempered by grace. It is a benevolent sword, and so far finer made.
In popular culture, Muramasa's blades have held onto their violent reputation. There's a superstition that they can compel their wielder to murder. It has even been said that, once drawn, they can't be sheathed again until their thirst for blood is sated-- even if it has to drink from its own wielder.
They also had a weirdly consistent habit of maiming or killing members of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and so became an anti-Tokugawa symbol synonymous with the rebellion. So that's fun.
But Masamune was considered to be a very calm man, who was controlled and reserved and quite spiritual. Muramasa, though, was depicted as an aggressive man, who was a bit wild and kinda unpredictable. As far as the folk stories go, Muramasa is depicted as having been quite envious of Masamune. Unlike Masamune, who approached his craft as the art of achieving clean death, they say Muramasa needed to transfer his unhinged energy into his blades to keep from being overwhelmed by it himself.
Because their natures bled into the swords they created, it was believed that Masamune and Muramasa imbued them with purifying and demonic power, respectively.
Just as with Demise and Hylia and the swords that they created-- as inspired by such a legend-- the spirits inside of them represent their natures, as well.
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Normal/Flying/Enigma - or 'Larry is a goddamn Christmas present, and here's what I found when I unwrapped him'
... Fucking Larry, huh? Mad guy. Absolutely unhinged set of pixels. He's got as many interpretations as days in the year - autism, depression, the working man stereotype, 'just a dude', to name a few - but... and I know this is a bold claim, but I think I've got him figured out. I've already meta'd him before on a smaller scale, and concluded that Mister Quiet, Calm and Collected here is actually a secret showman who loves crowd approval, so let's carry on.
Let's work our way under his skin, yeah? You just sit there and eat onigiri king, take a well-deserved break.
Let's start with the obvious: Larry has no clue who he is. He gives you the Facade TM, tells you he hopes you have no need to put on the same front as him, and then during his rematch says this on why he loves Normal types:
... Which is all well and good, right? Fair, valid, pretty regular guy - except oh no wait, hang on, he is literally the least ordinary trainer in this franchise.
This right here is a perfect example of the duality of Larry already, and we've just started. He's a showman, an exhibitionist in the Pokemon arena, and he duel-serves as Elite Four and gym leader.
Just to put that into context for those fans who are newer than my veteran ass, no one does that. Even those who got promoted later - Lance, Koga and Wallace, unless I'm forgetting anyone else - have never wielded two titles simultaneously. And even in their promotions, Lance, Koga and Wallace keep their damn types. They don't master a whole new one, at the highest of battling levels, on a goddamn whim because their boss said to. Whether he likes it or not, by the established standards of this series, Larry is a fucking genius. Even those with mixed teams don't hold type mastery to this degree. Whether or not you personally found him easy or difficult to defeat either time is not the point - literally, no one's doing it like he is. He trains four entire new team members, between his three jobs (because oh yeah, he's got another one), to the late fifties/early sixties in levels and acts like it ain't shit. That's endgame levels to anyone else, the culmination of their eighteen-badge journey or their literal years of training - for Larry, it's fucking LEISURE TIME. Man's doing this in front of Netflix.
... And we're supposed to believe he's NORMAL? And the thing is, I don't even think he's gaslighting us, at least not consciously - he genuinely believes this. This is his normal.
No wonder Geeta sticks him in the gym right next to Area Zero. 90% sure he could solo the place if you gave him a few hours to go and catch the right team. Don't even know what we're doing here, to be quite honest. Might as well go home and hug the Skwovet in my own lounge, the adorable little bastard. What the honest fuck.
My man, take a look in that mirror as you munch those delicious rice balls. There ain't a single thing regular about you. Larry seems to have no clue that his life is anything but standard - he walks around wearing a facade. His penultimate mon, which I've covered the significance of before with Flapple and Hassel (and with Larry himself here), is Staraptor, a lone wolf, who leaves the flock upon evolving to live alone, and yet his ace Flamigo only functions well in a group. Just a quick compare-and-contrast between the dex entries of them both here:
... Excuse me whilst I error 404. He's got so little clue who he is, even his team has personality conflicts.
Thing is, right... if he walks around wearing a facade, why does he? In fact, whilst we're on the subject of his team, why doesn't he take his clearly vacation-themed team ON A VACATION?
Look at these guys.
Palm trees, tropical birds, blue skies with clouds, and... well, Staraptor's clearly his favourite. Man's got a holiday-themed squad, which leads us to another core point:
Larry doesn't drown himself in work because he likes it, he does it because he doesn't have anything else.
Logically, Larry must make bank. We don't know what the gym leaders get paid - though for the first time, we know that they definitely do, thanks to this:
(Thank you for that little screenshot, @prince-kallisto. <3)
And not only does he get paid from this, but he's in the Elite Four - every sensible conclusion says that this man has to be one of the highest-paid trainers in Paldea. And he's got a third job that we don't even know about. Bearing in mind that every other adult NPC in this game seems to get along just fine with one or two jobs, I don't think we need to remotely worry about Larry's finances.
And he doesn't particularly like any of his jobs, so he doesn't do them for love... and if he doesn't take any time off, he must be drowning in potential time to take off...
So, why doesn't he go on holiday? Why does he drown himself in work he dislikes when he has no financial need to; why does he live a lie; why doesn't he find out who he is?
Well, there's only one thing that really connects all that together, isn't there?
Larry's life is a void because he's alone.
When people are lost, they throw themselves into work to find purpose. What's the point of going on holiday when you've got no one to go with? This man does embody a stereotype perfectly, but it's probably not the one you think. It's much simpler - 'money can't buy you happiness.'
He tells you about this loneliness himself, in a way.
Larry has normal and regular interests, in a world where he is anything but, and people only want to be surprised. No one gets him, whether because they're not on his battling level, or because he's too ordinary. And when no one gets you... how are you supposed to get yourself? However introverted we are, we experience ourselves partly through others. He has the Elite Four, who are 100% a found family, but... the problem with that is that they accept him at face value because they love him. Which is amazing and all, we adore that, but it means no one gets under his skin.
And the further problem of that is that he's no happier deep-down. And that's not on his colleagues, not at all. Rika is relaxed and easygoing, Poppy is a child, and Hassel... well, Hassel is drama, Hassel is married. Hassel has his own perfect love story already. Hassel has already seen someone a little bit like Larry before - directionless, depressed, unsure of his own self - and he went and promised him forever anyway. (Hello Brassius, I see you king. Be careful on that windmill.)
... And that... yeah, that's kind of the crux of it all. Larry needs him someone very much like Hassel; someone who sees through every layer of facade, someone who accepts. (... I realise this is me right now, and yes, I do volunteer as tribute. Come here, you beautiful fucking not-normal man. <3)
Essentially, what I'm saying is...
Larry needs a partner... and I don't mean another Pokemon one.
But, as sad a conclusion as that is... he's learning, by the end of your time with him.
(Can we talk about the chef lady in the background, by the way, who is ignoring her TikTok to listen to his conclusion? What a sweetheart.)
We've taught him to open himself up a bit, to start embracing the new and the different. We've started to help this man, and if that isn't the most worthy thing my Nuzlocke son Juan here has done in his adventure through Paldea that wasn't helping a sick dog, I don't know what is.
As much as they annoy us sometimes, happiness is other people. Other people who see your soul, and smile. Perhaps he doesn't even need a romantic partner... perhaps he just needs the world's best friend.
But whatever it is that he needs... let him go on holiday, Game Freak. Let him be him, and very happy because of it. Give him a Hassel who isn't Hassel, and a month off at a certain DLC festival to spend with them. Larry exists in a club of one - he's too talented in the same breath as he's too average.
(Personally, I think he should take Katy, but... hey, that's me and my vanillacupcakes agenda. And the fact her ace is a Normal type who likes dessert.)
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