#the way he runs so close to the ground like sheik

[samarecharm]

Watching a streamer do some joker matches (vs sora) in smash and i forgot how much i looooooove jokers moveset in this game; hes such a little menace ☺️

[telemna-hyelle]

@skyward-floored

so you know that thing we were talking about last night (since your internet went out like thirty seconds after i posted this)

anyway inspired by Real Events--i.e. i had to run away from a sad toddler who didn’t want me to leave

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Sheik!”

His throat hurt.

There were people everywhere, the teeming mass of behind-the-lines, medics rushing back and forth, messengers darting, reserves scrambling to get what they needed together in case they were called to the front. There was a dreadful commotion all around, and his voice was weary from calling out orders amidst the clamor of battle.

“Sheik!”

The weight on his back somehow felt both horribly light and terribly heavy. He could feel his burden slipping, blood-slicked hands sliding as Mask sagged towards the ground. He tightened his grip on the boy’s legs, hefting him higher, striving against gravity’s inevitable victory. “SHEIK!”

Mask’s right leg slipped right out of Link’s hand. He dropped to one knee in a frantic movement, barely catching Masks’ bulk on his back and shoulder before the boy fell to the ground. Sweat stung his eyes, and his lips tasted of salt and copper, and he didn’t have time to cry—

“Link!”

Sheik was slipping through a gap in the people milling about, and she was falling down on her knees before him. “What—”

Link was already moving. He reached up, pulling Mask off his back into his arms, holding him close for one moment—feeling the way he shook, seeing the way the blood ran in rivulets down his face from the scarf Link had bound hastily around his forehead, his eyes wide open, but dazed and glassy.

Sheik sucked in a gasp, and her hands were held out. In the next moment Link was pressing the sprite into her arms, and she clutched him close.

“Quickly, he needs—the blast that struck him was magic, so I think he needs Lana, but he’s also bleeding and I didn’t have any potions, but the enemy’s still out there and the soldiers are dying but so is Mask—”

Sheik nodded, her eyes blazing above her veil. “Go. I’ll take care of him.”

Link’s heart clenched, but he set his jaw and nodded, sharply. He pushed to his feet—but his heart lurched again, and he leaned forward, running bloodied knuckles down Mask’s cheek, pressing bloodied lips against Sheik’s forehead—and then he was upright, spinning on his heel.

As soon as he did so, there was a sound of a jerk and a thump, and Sheik’s startled gasp and Mask’s sharp cry.

“Where—where is—”

Link’s head snapped around, and he saw Sheiks struggling to hold Mask, who was sudden squirming, though his eyes were still wide and glazed, darting about as wildly as a keese.

They latched on Link, though, and Mask’s struggles redoubled, Sheik clutching him tightly as he elbowed and kicked to get out of her hold.

He reached out one hand towards Link, tears running down his cheek. “Captain! Don’t—don’t leave! Not you! Not you too!”

Link turned his head and ran. He could only half-hear Sheik’s hushing and murmuring, for his ears rang and rang even as his heart ripped and tore with every step.

“Come back, Captain!”

His ears, his feet, his heart were bleeding, bleeding, but Link could only go forward. 

“Captain! Come back!”

Link bowed his head, closed his eyes, and ran faster.

[linktheacehero]

Chapter 5 of a Tale of the White Devil!

Ao3 Link @zelinkcommunity

They continued searching for any other clues that would help Link track down the girls. He judged from the plushie’s scent that it was still relatively fresh,and presumed it to be about a day or so old. So the girls couldn’t have run off too far but the monster’s smell overwhelmed  his nostrils making it difficult to differentiate. Sheik remained searching where he had found the toy almost desperately, still nothing of note was found. 

“Do you think we can just try with the stuffed toy?” he asked, eyes pleading. Link found himself having a hard time denying his partner’s request with that look (Though that was true regardless). “It’s worth a try.” Shifting  into the large wolf many had come to fear, he sniffed the rabbit plush and concentrated his senses. He could visualize a clear path before him leading deep within the woods, he followed the trail. The trees got thicker alongside the mist, a cloudy sea of vapor and bark obscuring their vision.  Though it was not a bother to Link, he caught his friend tripping on every root that came across their way, and nearly running into every tree. So the wolf slowed to a halt and got low to the ground. “Get on my back, it’ll make it easier for us to not get separated.” Sheik looked at him hesitantly, as if he was wondering whether it would be really okay for him to do this. The old hero understood that the sheikah was just being considerate of his space but the patient expression Link bore seemed to ease his worries and sat on top of his partner. “I’m not hurting you am I?” Link simply shook his head. Sheik was gentle in his grip, his fingers intertwining into the snow white fur the same way one would do to a significant other’s hair. “Your fur is so soft, Snow.” Link fought the urge to wag his tail. He liked the physical affection Sheik gave him; ever since he first scratched Link’s head at the tavern, the man had wanted more. 

Would it really be so bad if we strayed from the mission for a bit?

The wolf shook away his thoughts. He could not afford any distractions, no matter how tempting they were. It’s been close to half an hour when he hears whimpering nearby. He stops once more, his partner getting off his back while the wolf  transforms back into the devil. The cries guide them towards the dark huddled figures of three shaking girls. “W-who’s there?!”

Sheik tentatively walks close, his tone ever soft as his gaze. “My name is Sheik, I’m not here to hurt you or your sisters. Your mother asked me to find you, are any of you injured?”

The eldest looked up towards Sheik, her eyes puffed red from crying while her sisters cowered behind her. “Mama sent you?” The warrior gave her a reassuring nod. The girls tentatively walked closer, all holding trembling hands, they still didn’t trust his partner until the youngest spotted the plush in his hands. “Sir Francis!” she exclaimed. She ran towards Sheik with the largest grin and grabbed the toy enthusiastically, giving it a crushing hug. “You saved him from the monsters! Thank you mister!” Link couldn’t help but smile at the scene, he was so relieved to know that they were safe and well. However, he did not dare approach and instead stood a couple steps away hiding by a tree. They had dealt with enough monsters, they did not need to meet another. 

While Sheik checked them for injuries and bandaged those he found, the youngest spotted Link hiding and walked over to him. “Lily!” called out the eldest, “Where are you going? get back over here!” Lily did not obey her sister. Link was unsure of what to do, where he would normally leave in a situation like this he could no longer do so. It was clear that he caught the young girl’s curiosity and that she was unafraid of him despite his appearance.

“I remember you. You saved Papa from a monster.” The devil was speechless. Before Link could do something, Lily hugged him with the same amount of energy as when she was reunited with her plush. He was frozen in place, hands raised, afraid to touch her. “Thank you for saving him.” Tears are pricking his eyes when she lets go. She didn’t view him as a monster, she saw a hero.  He glanced over to Sheik who was giving him a soft smile and mouthed him a question.

“You okay?” Link simply nodded in response. They would be able to talk more about it afterwards. “Sara! Zena! You can come over here, it’s okay! He’s the one who saved Papa from the bad bone monsters, remember?” Her sisters approached with eager curiosity, though Sara was more reserved. Sheik followed behind them. Link decided to kneel down so they could talk easier, much better than getting a stiff neck from having to look down so much. “What’s your name?” asked Zena. “Snow…” 

Lily giggled at his response, “That’s a funny name for someone like you, mister!” “Hey, I like it!” His eyes glanced towards Sheik’s, it had been the name he had chosen for him after all. But the sheikah seemed more entertained at them poking fun than his defending the name. “What name would you have given him instead?” he asks the girls, to which Lily rests her head on her fist with her tongue sticking out in deep concentration. “Jean-Luc!” she shouts triumphantly. “Absolutely not,” Zena responds. “It has to be something cool like him!” “But Jean-Luc is cool!” Lily protested, stomping her foot in response. “Even Sir Francis agrees!”

“It is not!” Link couldn’t help but inwardly laugh at their little argument. If someone would had told him a week ago that he would be in the forest witnessing two little girls pick out a name for him with his longtime crush standing beside him he wouldn’t have believed them. “Saber!” “No!” “Louis?” “No” “Bel-” “What about Haldur?” spoke out Sara. Everyone turned to stare at her, she had been silent during the whole conversation that neither of them believed she was interested. “It's a pretty cool name right?” Haldur. Something about that name stirred within Link into the very crevices of his soul; as if something was awakening from its deep slumber. The power of the deity hummed in his veins, his senses heightened and for a split second he swore that he was no longer in control of his body. “Yeah! That’s a great name!” shouted Lily, thus bringing him back to reality. She turned back to look at him, “what do you think mister?” “I kind of like it,” Sheik added. “It sounds powerful but also soft, it suits you.” Link prayed that his blush was not as obvious as he felt it to be. “Haldur it is then.” A low rumble of thunder boomed above them, a sense of uneasiness fell upon them as they looked to the ash colored clouds. “We should leave,” piqued Zena. Taking charge, Link shifted into the wolf and asked the girls and Sheik to get on his back. With all of them secured he dashed across the woods, the scent of an oncoming storm tickling his nose. 

Just before arriving Daear he had turned into a more passable sized wolf, and walked beside his partner and the girls. Lily seemed to be amazed with everything he did; from changing shape to how easily he was able to pick her up alongside her sisters. However besides his small feats of power, she seemed to be greatly interested in his relationship with Sheik. “Are you two boyfriends? Or husbands?”

The two of them whipped their heads to the youngest sibling, then met each other's eyes before turning away. Before Sheik could clarify, a woman’s call was heard across from them and was running towards them with open arms alongside what he assumed was their father. “Girls!” they were joyously weeping, relief shining in their eyes. “Mama! Papa!” The girls cried and bear hugged their mother, all of them shaking in each others hold. A small crowd had begun to form around them, curious to see the commotion while whispering among themselves. “That sheikah found them! Can you believe that?”

“I thought those girls were goners, I’m so relieved.”“Do you think that he had to fight that Devil? He doesn’t even look hurt.”

“Thank you so much sir, I truly cannot express my full gratitude for what you have done!” Their mother began to rummage through her pouch, which Sheik quickly caught on and protested. “Please ma’am there’s no need for you to pay me back. Seeing you be reunited with your daughters is payment enough.” “But I can’t just let your kindness go unpaid! At least let me cook you some dinner as thanks, you must be famished for dealing with that horrible monster!”  

Link stiffened when he heard that last comment, glancing up at Sheik who gently pet his fur. “I truly appreciate the offer, but I do have something to say now that you reminded me of it ma’am.” He turned to face the crowd; head held high, gaze unwavering and his once gentle voice now regal as he spoke.

“It wasn’t the White Devil that kidnapped the girls, but instead monsters enhanced by dark shadows.” As expected, many gasps and whispers of objections are heard. The parents of the girls looks at Sheik in confusion, Link doesn't blame them. For years they had believed what others had spoken without asking for proof, and now its being challenged? “How do you know it wasn’t the devil that sent those horrid creatures?” Spoke out a soldier, “how do you know, that it isn't behind it all!” The others murmured in agreement. “It's a crafty beast, powerful too. Who’s to say it can’t command monsters to do its bidding.”

“And you know this how? Have you ever seen or met the devil? Has anyone here really seen it?” Sheik questioned, and was met with silence. 

“Those in the infirmary did…” “The same ones who you refuse to listen to?” He didn’t let anyone further comment, “From what I have seen, not a single soldier nor hunter  here has done anything  to further investigate the situation and instead has been blaming an innocent simply because everyone else has deemed him dangerous! Instead of listening to those in the infirmary, you deemed them paranoid. Instead of thinking for a second about another perspective, you blindly follow!” 

No one dared to speak, the soldiers looked at each other with embarrassed looks, while the hunters glared daggers. “Well then, if what you say is true then how do you know it’s innocent? How can you prove to us that that thing  isn't dangerous?” 

It was Sheik’s turn to stay silent. He had been so engrossed in defending Link from the false accusations that he had slipped up the truth of his involvement. There was no possible way to save face now, not when he was this deep. Unless… It was a risky move, one that would very much worsen the situation for not just Sheik but Link’s as well. But since when had Link not ever taken a risk to protect the person he cared for the most? He changed into the form of the deity, hands remaining at his side and looked down to the people of Daear. “Because I’m right here.” 

Soldiers and hunters unsheathed their weapons while the villagers screamed from the sudden reveal. Everyone hid behind the line of soldiers, everyone except the young girls the duo had saved earlier. Sheik stood by Link, firm and hand protectively in front of his partner while the girls copied him. 

For a moment the world flickers, and before him is no longer a crowd of scared villagers but angry knights with weapons drawn. They’re looking at him with disgust, calling him a monster, murderer and a beast. He says nothing, it’s not like there was anything he could do to change their minds.

“I shouldn’t be here! That thing has caused enough death and destruction that it should be burned for it’s crimes!” The crowd cheered, and all he feels is his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

“Silence!” Commands the person in front of him. It was not Sheik, but a woman in a stained white dress with golden hair and wings that shined more beautiful than crystals he’d seen in the forest’s caves. A sword lay at her waist, black blood still dripping from its tip. Though he could not see her face, he knew that her expression  must be furrowed in anger. “This deity has risked his life confronting the Demon King and his own brethren in order to give you all a chance of survival. And this is how you repay him? With insults and threats?!”

“It’s forbidden for a devil  to be on sacred grounds, Your Grace. You shouldn’t be associating with it at all.”

“And who are you to deem what is forbidden to a goddess?” 

Silence befell upon them, and the knights melted away into the present villagers and soldiers who looked at him in fear. The woman in white was now Sheik, whose crimson eyes stared down at the hunters.

“They called us devils when all we did was help.”

The fierce deity’s voice rang clear in his mind. Had he shown him that scene? Was it a memory of his past? But why? Link didn’t understand, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it.

“Girls?” called out their father, “what are you doing? Come here where it’s safe.” But they did not move. 

“You heard your father,” spoke Farris, the drunken hunter they had met the day before. “Step out of the way before you get hurt.”

“If you even think about harming them I  swear on Farore that I will pierce that blade of yours into you,” their mother warned, surprisingly at Farris who backed down. “Why are you doing this, girls?”

“Because he saved us!” Sara began, “Haldur and Sheik found us after some skeleton monsters attacked us! And Sheik is telling the truth, it wasn’t Haldur that took us, it was some weird shadow thing.” Her voice had quivered near the end, whatever had taken them, it had not been pleasant. 

“He even saved papa!” shouted Lily, and their mother looked at her husband. 

“It- he saved your father?” They nodded in response. The father stepped closer, his wife behind him with her hands close to her chest and stood before them. 

“I had gone out to get some wood with the girls when it happened. Something had struck me in the back and I had fallen, I couldn’t see anything, only hearing the sounds of breaking twigs and metal scraping and I swore I was going to die there but then- ” He looked up to meet Link’s eyes, as if he was making a connection. “I saw a white blur destroy whatever had attacked me, and then leave before I could even register what I had seen.”

“Yes, I remember. It had been a Stalfos that lingered too close to the village,” Link explained. 

“So it was you.” The children had moved now, no longer standing protectively in front of him but now next to their parents. “Thank you for saving my life, and I apologize for blaming you against my daughter’s abduction.” 

The devil nodded. Next to him, Link heard Sheik let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t you all see,” he began again as he turned to the crowd, “Haldur, the being you all call the White Devil, has never harmed anyone here and simply has been protecting you all from the monsters that linger in the Lost Woods. There is something much bigger at stake here.” 

“And we will figure it out.”

[guideoftime]

▴ — @luzofstars ;; Sky & Sheik. send  me  a  🌞  for  my  muse  to  rescue  yours  from  something .   

   Sheik doesn’t actually know what Sky does as a Sky Knight. It’s not something he has explained to him and as far as Sheik can tell, there were no dangers up here. Each time they visited, everything had been calm and easy. There didn’t ever seem to be anything wrong here, nothing that Sky would need to be a Knight for. Not like in Hyrule where every breathing moment there was a monster somewhere ripping someone’s organs out of them and wearing them as a hat. 

   But today–when Sky was gone… he was just gone for too long. Just too long and Sheik started to worry. He had taken to sitting on the edge of one of the jumping platforms, watching the other Sky Knights below who kept circling around near him and looking worried. He recognized two of Sky’s friends, they’ve caught him before, but Sheik wasn’t in the mood to be falling today. He wanted to know where Sky was and it–it was so hard to not have a way to follow him. 

   The time keeps ticking by, the sun keeps moving, and Sheik doesn’t budge an inch from the platform. He’s about ready to demand one of the circling knights take him to search for Sky when he sees the flash of red near him in the sky. Blinking, he picked his head up and snapped his attention toward Aeon. Aeon without Sky, and they had left together. The bird keeps circling around him, crying out, and Sheik clenches his jaw. 

   Aeon wouldn’t come back without Sky, which means something is wrong. 

   There isn’t a single moment of hesitation when he throws himself from the platform this time, falling right past the Sky Knights and a moment later he felt himself caught by Aeon in a rather uncomfortable way. He shifted on the Loftwing, patted his neck and picked his head up. “Good boy, now show me where Link is.” 

   Sheik had known that there were other islands, but he hadn’t thought there were this many or that one of them would be dangerous. But as Aeon closed in on one of the bigger ones, that looked like it was probably a farming island, he saw the problem. It was hard not to. Sheik has never, in his life, seen something like that. It was huge and angry, and glowing–not to mention it flew. There were legends of dragons in old tomes in the Hyrule Castle Library but this seemed like something so different. 

   “Aeon! Get me as close to Link as you can!” He instructed the Loftwing who gave a loud caw in response and twisted in the air. The creature spotted them and as it shot some sort of elemental beam at him, the Loftwing twisted through the air and flew him over toward where the bundle of green was on the ground. He looked conscience at least, considering the fact he picked his head up when he heard Aeon above him. Sheik slid his gaze from the dragon, to Link, and then back to the beast quickly. 

   He climbed up on Aeon’s back, standing awkwardly on the Loftwing and when he flew a certain height Sheik flipped himself off of the creature and fell toward the land. As he landed he crouched down, catching himself and quickly climbed back up to his feet. The harp was held tightly in his grip and he placed his fingers against the strings. 

   “That–thing reeks of demonic energy.” Sheik voices quietly, taking a few careful steps back and then crouching down beside Sky. He placed his hand on the Hero’s shoulder and gave a quick shake of him. “Are you alive?” He is, Sheik can see him breathing, he was more asking if he was good enough to at least sit up. And given the brief glance of his head over toward Sheik, that is a yes. Especially when he hears him tell him to go away. “Unlikely, but I do need you to tell Aeon to leave, that thing can fly.” 

   The order is given before he stands back up and begins running at the flying creature. It draws it’s attention over toward him, keeping it off of Aeon, and while Sheik pulls at the strings of the harp to throw magic at it he hears Sky give the whistle to order Aeon to get as far away as possible. Sheik isn’t leaving, but the bird needs to. And when this was over, Sheik was going to be leaving with Sky. 

   Alive, not dead. 

   He dodged the ice, lighting, fire the creature threw at him, rolling across the ground and pushing himself quickly back up. The harp notes fly rapidly and quickly, launching them at the dragon in various attacks. And this is when he realizes, quickly, that the harp can’t reach where he needs to hit it. 

   Because it’s only weak on the heads.

   The giant eyes. 

   He can’t get through the thick skin and hard scales that covered the beast's body, it’s too hard and it’s too strong. Even the daggers were probably going to just fall right off of them. He needs a new plan then.

   Quickly he rushed back toward Sky, trying to dodge the attacks that were aimed at him. He can feel the fire that grazes his shoulders, the ice that covers the ground and trips him and then–the lightning that struck him right in the back. Sheik fell to the ground, his body twitching as the after effects of the lightning ran through him. The pain is pushed away as quickly as it can be and he finishes moving his way back over toward Sky who looked horrified. 

   “New plan, really new plan. This is going to sound cruel but I am going to use you.” He pushes himself as close to Sky as he can get. “You’re a Hero, you’re the first Hero, you carry the blessings of the Goddesses in you. You carry light in you. And I need to use that right now.” The Goddess Harp, they both knew who it belonged to, what it meant to have it. Sheik just needed to actually lean on toward the magic, and the power that rushes through Sky. 

   Which means he needs a song connected to Hylia. 

   So he chooses the Ballad of the Goddess that Sky had taught him. 

   The notes are played carefully, slowly even, the way they are meant to be with the intention of reaching the man beside him. He doesn’t pay attention to the dragon, to the way it angrily roared and soared above them. The way it ravaged the land that they were sitting on. The power that flowed through the harp, he felt it push toward Sky beside him and then out of the corner of his eyes–he saw the glow on Sky’s hand. All of the glow. Not one, not the Triforce of Courage, all three parts. 

   The light got bigger and then there was a flash before it slowly started to die down to just a subtle little glow, a reminder that it was there. That Sky was there and alive. Sheik’s gaze was ripped from the Triforce as the Gleeok crashed into the island, shaking the entire foundation of it and knocking him over onto the Hero. He quickly pushes himself up and then feels Sky over for his bow. 

   As his fingers wrapped around it he pushed himself up to his feet, the Goddess’s Harp left with Sky as he rushed at the beast again. This time, as he began to lift it up, he saw the colorful design of Sky’s bow practically peeling away into the bright golden bow that he had only seen before in pictures. Well, someone was protecting Sky. His fingers gripped the string, he pulled the bow back and an arrow just appeared made of pure bright light. He took aim at the dragon as it picked its head up, lined the shot up with the middle head and let the arrow fly. Light pierced the creature, ripped it away and the first head was dead instantly. 

   Two more shots was all it took and the dragon crashed down onto the ground, fading away like the rests of the beasts that usually perished at their hands. Sheik, panting and magically exhausted, turned back around and quickly made his way to Sky. When the bow was placed down, it was perfectly normal again but his attention was entirely on Sky. He feels the Hero over again, yanks out a Hearty Potion, downs it into his own mouth before pressing his lips to Sky’s and feeding it to him. 

   He probably didn’t have to, but he really wanted to kiss him.

[sapientiiae-a]

trigger warnings; blood & violence. Sheik I would do anything for my Princess Sheikah.

   Things had–taken a rather bad turn. Which was rare for them to actually do after the Hero had brought peace to Hyrule. The fields were normally safe for travel, something that reminded him of everything the Hero and he had gone through to create this. So typically, the fields were safe, which was why he normally felt fine traveling with Zelda alone when she wanted to go somewhere. Didn’t feel like he needed more guards that would just get in his way if the occasional monster appeared to cause trouble. 

   They’d been on their way toward Lan Lan Ranch. Zelda had gotten permission from her father to get a new horse. To take a look at what Malon and Talon had bred. He thinks Ingo still works on the farm too, though he was determined to avoid that pest like a swift plague. 

   They were a good way toward the farm when Bandits of all things had started to surround them, sabers drawn and pointed at the two of them. A good number too, they’d brought forces when intending to raid the Princess, and he can guess why. They’d probably been expecting more people than just a single Sheikah–and even though he didn’t always get along with the guards, he wishes he’d actually brought them. 

   Sheik had swiftly pulled the Princess behind him, one hand holding her wrist tightly while the other drew a dagger from the holder on his thigh. He armed himself with it as he glanced around, gaze darting from each target as a plan started to rapidly form in his head. They didn’t have many choices, he was going to have to create an opening and have her run for Lan Lan Ranch. At least there, she would be safe, and Sheik could guard the entrance while Malon and Talon closed the gates. 

   He pressed his lips together tightly and then let go of her wrist, his hand reaching up and shoving her in the chest to knock her back. 

   Sheik threw himself at the first target, dagger sinking into the junction of their neck and shoulder. Pushing himself away from them he twisted to another, throwing a deku nut on the ground to create a dust cloud and distract them. One by one, quick and efficient, he worked his way through them and created an opening. He pulled back from one of the bodies on the ground and looked to Zelda. “Run!” Now was most certainly not the time to argue with him. 

   The opening he created was small, it wouldn’t last long, and as she started to run they instantly tried to close it. Sheik tried his best to keep up with them, to be a one man army, but when one of them got too close to Zelda he felt himself truly panic. He shoved away from the person he was fighting, felt their sword cut along his arm, and threw himself at the Princess back. His arms wrapped around her, twisted their bodies till she was facing away from the oncoming blade. The saber sunk into his side, cutting through the armor of his uniform too thin to protect against something like that. 

   His breath caught in his throat, he bit his tongue in pain, and felt the saber yank back out of him as blood began wetting and staining his uniform. He coughed into her shoulder, blood slipping from the corner of his mouth soaked up by the mask. He tried to form words, to tell her to keep running, but he just couldn’t get it out.

Sheik had proven across two lifetimes that he was more than capable of serving as her protector. Comparing him to the guards, she would have always listed the odds in his favor. She thinks her father agrees with this on some level, even if he does not want to admit it. But he didn’t have to admit it, he only had to entrust her safety into Sheik’s hands without he accompaniment of the guards. 

The distance from Hyrule Castle to Lon Lon Ranch was near equivalent to that of Kakariko Village, which meant the journey should have been quick and simple. Rarely would any of the monsters Link once faced, the ones she heard about in Sheik’s reports, appear in the fields. The kingdom was believed to be safe once more, and it was thanks to the roles they each played — though most of the success was due to Link.

When the request to travel with Sheik was approved, she’d been thrilled. She’d certainly never been fond of traveling with the guards (because they made too much a show and she didn’t approve of the way they treated Sheik), but she would have tolerated it if that was what Sheik had wanted (considering she was still intent on keeping her promise). Luckily, or unluckily, that had not been the case during this trip.

Though the monsters were nowhere to be found, there was nothing to keep a common thief (or group of them) from roaming the fields.

In an instant Sheik’s grip is curled around Zelda's wrist, her spare hand anxiously resting atop his hand as he draws his dagger while the bandits encircle them. That is until his palm hits her sternum in a forceful shove, propelling her back several steps so she was barely able to catch Sheik’s attack.

When she is given her orders, it is hard to obey. Every part of her wants to stay here — REFUSES to leave him alone. But she knows better than to argue against Sheik’s order, and she cannot risk making things worse for him.

So she does one of the hardest things she has ever had to do — she runs.

She leaves him.

But it does not matter. Only seconds later his body is colliding against her own, the force spinning them as they begin to fall to the ground, and that is when she feels it. Though the blade does not hit her, she can feel the impact of it rippling through Sheik. And the only thing she can feel more PROMINENTLY is the shattering of her heart.

Bodies are still tangled around one another as they crash to the ground, the grass already splattered with blood. She hears Sheik’s cough into her shoulder and pulls back just enough to see the blood that is already seeping into his mask, and she fears it is all over. Tears spring to her eyes and begin to flood over as she quickly shakes her head, drawing the male into her arms and refusing to believe what has happened — what she is seeing.

“N-No! Sheik! SHEIK!” 

Her cries pierce the fields of Hyrule just before a brilliant golden light explodes from the princess and she collapses onto the Sheikah. She is unsure how much time passes as she waits in agony for the bandits to finish their attack and maybe even take her life too. Only it never happens.

When she does get her bearings, she finds that herself and Sheik are enveloped in that same shining gold light from before. 

Light Magic.

The bandits, well she cannot tell if they are dead or merely unconscious, but she does not care. Instead, her focus is poured entirely into Sheik, left hand slipping under his back to better prop him up as her right hand presses firmly against his side. 

‘Goddesses, I beseech thee! Let me heal him! Let me heal him!’ she silently prays through the cascading tears. ‘I will NOT allow him to die here! Let me heal him!’ And so she poured every bit of the Light Magic she could muster into him in an attempt to save the man that had risked his life to save her.

[zealous-whispers-of-us-redux]

on hands and knees

(A/N: I have been planning a Bucky longfic off and on for two years. Idk if it will EVER be written or posted, but this is a little drabble. Inspired by Hozier's "Work Song.")

Summary: Bucky thinks of her and her God in the cavernous silence of war.

Sweetheart,

If I close my eyes and think about it hard enough, I can imagine that I’m back home, lying in bed with you next to me, looking so pretty that I don’t know what to do with myself. I had you in my bed for a week, and what I wouldn’t have given to have made it last the rest of my life. We didn’t do half of the things I promised all those months ago, but I don’t think it mattered much in the end. I had you for a week, and that’s all an unlucky guy like me could have asked for.

I couldn’t believe it when you were there waiting for me as casual and sweet as anything, like I didn’t just leave you days before. It was the best surprise that I could have asked for, seeing you again before I was dropped into this Hell.

The shelling was constant now. If you were one of the unlucky ones, you’d hear as bullets or shrapnel met their marks and brought down men, leaving nothing but a puddle of blood and a sharp yell that rang in your ears for minutes afterward.

It was here in his foxhole when Bucky found himself thinking of God. He’d never been particularly religious, mostly because he could not imagine why some guy in the sky would be so cruel as to make the sweetest people suffer the worst. When he was young, his Ma had tried her best to teach him the chants and the prayers. Steve also took him to Mass, and he helped his friend memorize Bible verses until they could recite them in their sleep. But it never truly resonated with him. Bucky couldn’t understand the point.

That is until he met his sweetheart. The very first picture she had sent him, she had been wearing a cross. Seven to Bucky's nine, they had become acquainted through a pen pal program. She began as Steve's pen pal, but that was the winter that he was sick and spent more time in bed than out. She had sent letter upon letter upon letter until Bucky got so tired of it that he responded himself. Bucky fell in love with a pretty girl at least once a day, so it was easy for him to love her, too. But never in a million years did he think they would meet face-to-face. He thought he was the luckiest bastard ever to exist when he found out her relative ran the camp he was supposed to train at. It was there, amidst the muck and mud of Camp McCoy, that Bucky found God in the taste of her secret kisses.

He thought of her in those rare moments of loud silence where the only thing you could do was wait until the shelling started up again and until the bombs rattled the ground. With every jingle of the lucky Saint Barbara medallion she had gifted him, Bucky thought of her, thought of the love of his life. The dirt under her fingernails, the quirk of her lips, the unruly curls in her hair. The slow way she spoke. She was soft lines and smudged nail polish with hair blowing in her face. A run in her stocking that got worse until she got a new pair. She grew up half-living on her uncle's farm, doing math problems in the dirt. When she visited Bucky in New York the week before he shipped out, she had only packed one dress.

It was still the best week of his life.

It was Coney Island and riding the Cyclone under the setting sun. It was sugary sweet kisses and twirls on the dance floor that left his toes hurting whenever she stepped on them. It was necking in alleyways on the way home from the movies, a proposal that led to them falling into bed together. Though they hadn't been together face-to-face long, Bucky had known her all of his life. They were planning a wedding for when he returned.

Dawn was quickly rising around them as Bucky sighed sadly, itching to return to his favorite dream. He wanted this horrible war to be over. He wanted to take a real bath, have a delicious meal, and then go to sleep in a real bed with a real woman curled around him. She slept like the dead, Bucky remembered. Nothing roused her, not even the noisy streets of Brooklyn.

He pulled out a letter she’d written him ages ago after she turned down his first proposal. It was crinkled and barely legible under the fading light, but Bucky had the words memorized. He traced the edges with a careful thumb, imagining her huddled over at a desk and taking ages to figure out what she wanted to say. He smiled as he began to read:

Bucky,

I am not as good with words as you are. I hope you aren’t too sore at me because I have some explaining to do, and I want you to hear it. I am sorry it took so long.

War is in my family’s blood. My grandad fought in Puerto Rico, my great-grandpa down South. My papa and his brother were involved in the Great War, although their experiences were vastly different. My papa says his little brother got the brains of the family, which is why he joined the QMC. War didn’t touch him there, not really. He can still talk about his experiences with delight, his eyes lighting up whenever someone asks him about his heroism. Then he takes one look at my papa, at his leg that ends above the knee, and goes silent. No one asks Papa what he saw. We know better. I never knew him as he was before the trenches. Mama always talks about how right after he came home, she would catch him standing in the corner of their bedroom in the middle of the night. He would stare at the wall and talk to himself. What he saw at night, she never knew, and he never remembered it the next morning.

When I talk to him about it, he tells me little. He always says that he doesn’t believe in much anymore, but he believes in love. God leaves you in war, and my mama was the one who helped him find his way out of the trenches. I know that I am not one for taking risks, and I know that I am quite dull compared to what you’re used to, but I am like my papa. I believe in war, and I believe in love. We could be bombed by the Germans tomorrow, and you would never know how I felt. And I am sick to death of hanging my toes over the edge and waiting for the courage to jump. My mama and papa fell in love through letters. I suppose we did, too.

I hope you come back to me, sheik. But if you don't, we'll always have McCoy.

Tucking the letter back in his pocket, Bucky sniffled. It stank out here. Blood and dirt and gunpowder and sweat and smoke coated his lungs. The perfume she had sprayed on her letter had faded long ago. He wanted to feel clean again. He felt a pang in his chest as he looked down at his fingernails, dirtier than hers would ever be, and hoped he would get out of this alive and make his way home to her.

“Barnes!” someone shouted for him.

He stood up. The war was due to erupt any second now.

[livinthatfantasylife]

Take Care                        Chapter 1

For the past few years, there had been rumors of a mysterious figure who'd look out for wandering travelers, tales of people getting ambushed by monsters and guardians, only to wake the next morning at the nearest Inn or Stable and any wounds bandaged and taken care of. From near every nook and cranny, the tales spread of a benevolent and gentle creature, and yet, none have seen their face.

The rain beat heavily on Link's body, only serving to make the pain his body felt worsen as he attempted to will the power to get up. He'd fallen from climbing after getting caught in the rain. The already hard to grab on to rocks becoming slippery, and his already tired body finally losing the little stamina he had left. It had only been a month since he'd woken up from his long slumber, and it seemed that he'd already be returning without even stepping foot into Hyrule Castle or even defeating a single Devine Beast. He felt groggy from sleepless nights, hunting for shrines to get stronger and helping others in every way he could. It was the least he thought he could do for leaving them to suffer all these years. He needed to stop Ganon; every fiber of his being told him he had to, and the suffering he'd seen of others told him he needed to. Yet, here he was, eyes blurry and head pounding, slowly losing all consciousness and once again failing the people of Hyrule. He felt the cold bite at him, like being trapped under the ice's surface with no way out. He couldn't die, not here, not yet; the people of Hyrule depended on him. They didn't deserve to suffer for another hundred years. But by the goddesses, he felt so tired, even breathing was taking great efforts. He was so cold, so tired, sleep seemed so welcoming. He couldn't even hear the rain anymore; The blurriness and burning sensation in his eyes were the only things that reminded him of the pouring rain. He saw the dark sky light up in a flash through blurry eyes and felt the rumble underneath him. Lightning, just his luck. Finally, he felt the last bit of strength leave him and allowed himself to relax. The people of Hyrule could wait just a few minutes, right? He'd only rest for a minute, then he'd get right back up. Yeah, just a minute. He'll get up and find another way of getting to that shrine at that mountain right after resting. Then he'd head to Kakariko Village to the statue of the goddess and use the shadow orbs to make himself more resilient. He'll need to head back to the Zora Domain to help Prince Sidon with Vah Ruta. All that. In just a minute. The icy cold rain made his body numb to the point he couldn't even feel his aching muscles; he actually felt pretty nice at that moment. It was like drowning in honey. He let his racing mind ease, let his tired eyes close, his stuttering breath slow, and let his cold, frigid body relax. The ground was cold and hard, but he wouldn't be resting long, so it would do for now. He'll be up in a minute; Hyrule won't have to wait long. Just a few minutes.

Link woke up feeling warm, the surface underneath him soft. His body felt relaxed; he nearly went back to sleep before remembering where he'd been initially and sitting up like he'd been struck by lightning. Immediately he felt the pain in his stomach and moved his hands to wrap around it, his hands meeting bandages. He let out a wince at the pain, eyes shutting tightly. Then hearing the quick steps approach, he quickly snapped them open and turned his head to the sound source. "Master Link!" Paya? Here? Where was he? "I'm so glad you are alright. We were so worried when we saw you unconscious on that horse!" He was on a horse? "But after we got you and your stuff off, it ran off!" He didn't have a horse; why was he on a horse? How did he even get on the horse? Did he wake back up and tame a horse? Why did he tame a horse? How did he tame it? He doesn't remember a horse? The confusion on his must have been very apparent because Paya's face went from relief to worry and finally to panic. " I'm so sorry! I shouldn't be rambling so much; you just woke up!" She brought both her hands up and covered her face, though the redness of her ears was still very visible. Link took the time to look around the room he was in; it was the Inn in Karkariko, which explains why Paya is here, but he still wasn't sure how he got here. Did he tame a horse and not remember? If so, why did it run off after dropping him off? He was interrupted from his thoughts by the grumbling of his own stomach, now it was his turn to be embarrassed. Paya peeked through her hands and spotted Link's embarrassed face looking like his stomach had just exposed to everyone his deepest secret. She brought her hands down and instead covered her mouth, eyes full of worry. "That's right, you've been asleep for a whole day and a half, you hadn't woken up at all, so you haven't eaten anything in that time." He didn't have the heart to tell her he hadn't eaten anything proper for much longer than that and risk giving her a heart attack. He stayed quiet as she rambled about how worried everyone was. " It is strange that you were already bandaged when you got here and that your horse ran off after it brought you here." Wait, he was already bandaged when he got here? Now Link was even more confused. He looked down at his bandages and noticed that they didn't look like standard bandages. They had a slight blue tint. Now that he thought about it when he sat up earlier and after the pain had subsided, he recalls a cooling sensation where the wound was. They actually felt really nice right now. But who bandaged him if it was already there when he arrived? He knew for sure it wasn't himself; he hadn't brought any with him in the first place. "It's not strange at all!" Both Paya and Link jumped at the new voice and turned their heads to the door at a near breakneck speed. A sheikah girl stood at the now open doorway, dressed in typically sheikah wear and long braided hair reaching all the way down to her mid-thigh; that was all Link managed to observe before his eyes immediately zeroed in on the tray of food in her hands. Vegetable soup and honey bread with a cup of tea, he felt like he would cry tears of joy; it smelt so good he felt like he'd been blessed. The sheik girls must have noticed his intense stare, but he was too hungry to be embarrassed about it. The newly entered sheikah girl giggled, " I won't keep you waiting longer, dig in, hero!" She placed the tray down on his lap, and he wasted not a second before digging in. The girls giggled at his eagerness before engaging in their own conversation. Misha sat on another bed, and Paya remained seated at the end of Links'. Paya and the other girl, Misha, talked about how Misha had only recently arrived back to Karkariko to help her older brother run the Inn. Paya and Misha had apparently been great friends before Misha had left to learn more about medicine and food. Link had only been half paying attention until Paya asked, " so what did you mean it wasn't strange when you walked in?" That was a question Link also wondered and decided he should probably also eat slower before he chokes. Misha smiled at Paya, " I'd recognize that horse anywhere, giant horses are very rare after all, and there's only one person I know who owns one." She looked off to the side with a dreamy expression. "Really? Who?" Paya tilted her head to the side in confusion, wrecking her brain to think of anyone she could think of that could tame such a huge horse. She'd initially believed it was Link, but Misha's wording and that dreamy, distant look at nothing told her otherwise. Misha looked back in surprise, "you don't know?!" Now Link was even more confused; he was on a giant horse? He'd never even seen one of those, and if he did, he definitely doesn't remember. Misha looked at Link and noticed his lost expression. She sighed and smiled sheepishly. "I suppose I should start at the beginning." "For years, there has been a travelers tale about a supposed "guardian angel" who watches over anyone who finds themselves in trouble on their journey. People who would fall unconscious from an ambush form Yoga, guardians, every kind of beast and every time they'd wake up at the nearest village or Stable with their wounds bandaged and their items safe and nearly untouched." She appeared to get lost in her retelling of the tale, eyes filled with stars and cheeks red with admiration. "I've heard the rumors about them in passing, but how are you so sure it was them?" Paya asked. Misha looked away, embarrassed and nervous, "ah-ha, well, you see- on my way back to Karkariko Village, I may have, maybe, taken a wrong turn and ended up... Running into a... Guardian..." Misha leaned back with her eyes closed tightly, bracing for what was to come. " A GUARDIAN?!" And there it was. "Misha! You said you had no trouble on your way back!" " And I didn't, really. I mean, I was saved!" That dreamy look returned with a sigh, "oh, Paya, you should have seen them," she stood up quickly from her seat on the bed, fists raised and clenched in a faux fighting stance. "There I was, a lost maiden hoping to take a short cut to return to my dear Sheik people!" She spoke dramatically, emphasizing her words by clutching one hand to her chest and placing the back of her other hand on her forehead with her eyes closed. " Next thing I know! Bzzzzzzt! I feel a point of heat aimed straight at me; I look through the trees and see the guardian look straight at me! Blue slowly turning red!" Link had long finished his food, his attention now on the Sheik before him as she rather impressively retold the events. He wondered how long she'd been waiting to talk about it. " I felt the fear freeze me in place, unable to look away, and yet overwhelmed with the urge to run as fast I could!" She stilled her body and went completely rigid, yet she kept that starry look in her eyes. "I could only stare a the charging white beam, it was so bright, and I knew it was too late run. BUT THEN a figure runs in front of me, their tall, dark figure blocking out the light of the beam and snapping me out of my daze!" She widened her stance, lifting one hand up as if guarding with a shield, her smile wide and confident. "It happened so quick, I waited for the beam to hit me, my eyes closed and my hands in front of me trying to shield myself in any way I could," she mimicked a scared and nervous stance before spring back to a guarding pose, she brought the hand that assumably had an imaginary shield and swiped it forward, mimicking a perfect parry. "I felt the wind from the blast as they hit the beam right back at that mechanical abomination! I barely had time to process it as the machine was trying to recalibrate itself to aim again before I was effortlessly thrown on to the back of a giant horse! When I looked back, I saw them charging straight at the guardian before I was too far to see what happened next." She finished dramatically, flopping onto the other bed and panting heavily. She certainly had a talent for storytelling, that's for sure; both Paya and Link were hung on every word the whole time. " And then what?" Paya asked, looking intrigued and in awe. Misha sat back up and smiled apologetically, " not much; I was stuck on the horse for awhile since I couldn't just jump off while it was moving. Eventually, it stopped near the road to Karkariko and let me down, and then it just ran off." She sighed, " I was originally worried that my savior hadn't made it," she turned to look at Link with a smile, "but seeing you come in with that horse, now I know they're just fine." "Well, I'm glad you were saved; I'm still upset that you hadn't told anyone what happened." Paya scolded. "Hey, I already knew it was a dumb idea to wander off the trail so late at night. I didn't need other people reminding me!" Misha huffed. The Link was confused, less than before, but still. There weren't a lot of people who could step to a guardian and survive, even less who'd do it for a stranger. They even went through the effort of bandaging his wounds before sending him back. "Oh, by the way, I washed that cloak you had on when you were brought in," Misha turned to the side and picked up a folded up cloak before leaving it on Link's bed. "We should probably let you rest, come on Paya. " Misha motioned for Paya to follow. Paya's eyes rose in realization before looking back at Link, "Oh my! I'm sorry we've kept you awake, Master Link!" She bowed her head low, "we'll let you get your rest! Goodnight'" she sputtered before leaving with Misha. Link looked out the window; it really was late in the night. How long had he been out? Wait, didn't Paya said he'd slept the whole day? That's too long! Link scrambled to get out of bed, his muscles screaming at him and his exhaustion threatening his legs to give out; the cloak fell to the floor.  Link hurriedly searched for his things, spotting them at the corner of the room. He moved to get to them, nearly tripping over the dark cloak. He properly balanced himself and look to his feet where the cloak was now slightly wrinkled. Misha mentioned he was wearing it when he got here; he lifted the cloak up, unraveling it in the process. It was huge! The bottom portion pooled onto the floor as he examined it. The fabric was soft on the inside but sleek outside (most likely to keep from getting wet and cold). It was a dark color; shining it in the light revealed the outer portion had a gradient from blue at the top to purple at the bottom, the inside was a soft pastel yellow. In short, it looked cozy. Link lifted it above his head to see more of the details on the outer portion. The hood portion had a starry pattern, the clasp was unique; one side possessed a crescent moon shape while the other was shaped like the sun. He lifts it higher to look at the bottom, something falling out of the cloak in the process right near his feet, a crumbled piece of paper. He folded the cloak quickly and scooped of the paper. Placing the cloak back on to the bed, he smoothed out the paper. A note? Written neatly in black ink, though slightly faded, it read: "Take better care of yourself, hero."

[pastelsandpining]

Santa Tell Me (New Love)

The eighth prompt in 12 Days of Christmas by @zelink-prompts​, the prequel to prompt seven here

Prompt List

Words: 2419

Summary: Zelda finds a friend in the little forest boy who claims to be the Hero of Time. 

Ocarina of Time, post-game, child timeline(???)

Zelink-mas 2020  l  Masterlist

The Princess of Hyrule was bubbly and bright, and she felt like she could take on the world. She wanted so badly to go on a grand adventure, to escape the walls and locks of the castle and explore the kingdom she was set to rule over one day. How did she know what was best for her people if she never met them? But her father wouldn’t hear a word of it and Impa wouldn’t let her try. Little Zelda was forced to instead play by herself in the courtyard. She liked to pick up sticks and pretend to fight, and she liked throwing crushed up leaves and berries into a water filled hole to make potions. She liked to fall in the dirt and scrape her knees. 

She did not like practicing the ocarina.

“But you promised!” she whined, tugging at the arm of her caretaker. “You said you’d teach me how to be Sheikah!”

“I promised to teach you Sheikah ways,” Impa corrected as she stuck the little blue instrument into her hands. “But not today, little princess. You haven’t practiced in weeks, and you promised your father you would.”

Zelda huffed and gripped the tear-drop shaped piece of wood tighter. 

“But it’s so boring!”

“You’ll have to do many boring things in your life as queen,” Impa replied, ruffling the cap that covered her hair. Zelda scrunched up her nose and, defeated, brought the ocarina to her lips. It was drilled into her where her fingers should go as she played a set of scales to warm up. 

The three note melody her family named after her (or, rather, after Zelda in general) came naturally, and she played it twice before stealing a glance at Impa. She didn’t look satisfied, so Zelda huffed and turned around to face the window instead. There was her father, sitting on his throne while speaking with a man—a man she’d seen a few times before. He was tall, and his eyes seemed to glow with an evil that made her nervous. But her father wouldn’t listen to her when she tried to tell him that he scared her.

“How did you-“

A ruckus followed Impa’s unfinished question, so Zelda turned with furrowed eyebrows. Stood before her was a boy no older than her, dressed in green with a sword by his side. She stumbled a little backwards. He resembled the forest boy from her dreams a little too perfectly to be real. And yet something about him felt so familiar.

“Who..?” she started to ask, but the boy dropped to a kneel in front of her.

“Princess,” he greeted, his voice shaky and quiet. “I’m Link. I.. I’m the Hero of Time, I think.”

Zelda blinked. She’d never heard of such a thing, but he sounded too serious to be joking. But despite everything she’d felt within the past few weeks, she was unconvinced. 

“How can you be something without knowing it?” she asked, placing her hands on her waist. 

“You’ve gotta believe me!” the forest boy pleaded. “Ganondorf’s gonna get the Triforce and take over and destroy the world!”

So, the Hero of Time was here, as nothing more than a child, making the claim that her dreams would come to pass. As ridiculous as it probably sounded to Impa, it shook Zelda to her core. But her father didn’t believe her, much less a little kokiri boy. She was running out of ideas.

“Prove it,” she challenged, holding the ocarina out to him. “This is the Ocarina of Time, an heirloom of the royal family for generations. Play something only the Hero of Time would know!”

Link took the instrument from her hands and raised it to his lips. Zelda pulled at the sleeves of her dress in anticipation, shifting on her feet. What was she expecting him to play? Would he be able to play? If he could, how would it prove anything? 

Her lullaby was being played back to her.

“How..? You--you heard me playing it!” she accused, taking a step back. It was the only explanation, it had to be.

“You taught it to me! Right here! Don’t you remember?”

He looked so crestfallen and scared. He was as small as she, yet he spoke as if he’d seen war. If he really was who he said he was, then… he had. And he was there to warn them.

“Tell me everything,” Zelda demanded, holding her head a little higher. 

“Princess--”

Zelda looked over to Impa and whispered a soft “please”, then shifted her gaze back to the little kokiri boy. 

Link was hesitant, but he retold everything he could remember. He told her that she sent him to retrieve the spiritual stones, and he pulled the Master Sword, and that Ganondorf had followed him into the Temple and touched the Triforce, sealing him inside of the Sacred Realm. He told her how he woke seven years later to Hyrule in disrepair, with Ganondorf as the new king. He told of the temples and the destruction, and how he was forced to travel back and forth in time to undo all the King of Thieves had done. By the end of his story, Zelda was on the verge of tears. It was her plan that caused such a downfall--the very same plan she’d wanted to share with him as soon as he appeared before her.

“We have to tell my father,” she said, spinning to face Impa. “Please.”

Impa too was hesitant, but Zelda wiped at her tears and grabbed Link’s hand, pulling him towards the entrance to the castle herself.

“Princess-” Impa called again, but the little princess was determined. Ganondorf was leaving just as they entered, and she felt Link’s hand tighten around her own. But she couldn’t stop now. She had to make her father listen if there was any hope at all.

Just as she’d expected, her father was dismissive. He wanted to write it off as a childish nightmare, but Zelda forced Link to recount everything he’d just told her. The king remained unconvinced, but he looked a little bothered and she could work with that.

“Zelda, it is very immature to get this little boy in on your fantasies,” he scolded. “I cannot arrest the Gerudo king on the account of two children, not when we’re so close to mending the split caused by war.”

“But you heard his story! The Hero of Time said he fought Ganondorf himself!” Zelda argued, stomping her foot.

“Your little friend snuck onto the castle grounds unpermitted, so I would hardly deem him trustworthy. Unless he can prove that he is who he says he is, I will not take action.”

Link lifted the ocarina to his lips again and Zelda waited anxiously for the three note lullaby to hit her ears--but it never came. 

“I’ll pull the sword again,” Link declared, standing up as straight as he could. “I’ll travel to Gerudo Valley and find Nabooru--she’s a Sage and she could tell you everything Ganondorf has planned!”

“I will not send a child to that desert-”

“Then take me to the Temple of Time,” the hero challenged. 

The king looked hesitant once more. He scratched his beard as he looked between Link and his daughter, and Zelda tried to look as serious as she could manage.

“Link’s story is exactly what I saw in my dreams. You know daughters of the goddess can have pro.. prost-”

“Prophetic,” Impa supplied. Zelda nodded once.

“-prophetic dreams because you said mother had them too!”

“I cannot take you into the Temple of Time,” the king said, slumping back into the throne. “If you really are the Hero of Time, then there’s no telling what pulling the sword will do. But I will look into this. If I find nothing, then the two of you will be in very big trouble.”

Link didn’t look happy, but Zelda would take it. She was admittedly too scared to keep thinking about it, and any action her father took would be better than none.

“Promise?” she asked her father, stepping up to his throne and sticking out her pinky.

“I promise,” he replied, wrapping his larger finger around hers. He wiped at her cheeks after that, and Zelda leaned into the comfort of her father. She didn’t want to lose him too. 

Link was allowed full permission into the castle after all that had transpired. Zelda met up with him any chance she could get, and they would run around the courtyard together with sticks and matching bruises. His stories sounded far less scary when he acted them out before her, and Zelda often stole Impa’s headband and pretended to be a Sheikah named Sheik--just like the other Princess Zelda he spoke so highly about. 

Their courtyard playdate was interrupted when a figure passed by the window. The Gerudo king had arrived in chains, and Zelda grabbed Link’s arm and pulled him out of view.

“What’s going on?” he asked, but Zelda pressed a finger to her lips and snuck towards the entrance so they could hear what was happening. There was a lot of yelling, but she heard her father condemning him for plans of overthrowing the monarchy.

“--guilty of treason of the highest measure. For the crimes you have committed, you will be taken to Arbiter’s Grounds and executed.”

Zelda nearly tripped over Link as she stumbled backwards. The Gerudo king was being led their way. His eyes, burning with hatred, settled on her and Link, and he ripped himself free from the guards’ hold. Ganondorf reached for her with hands twice her size and she bit her tongue to keep from screaming. She tried to think of what Sheik would do, but she hardly got a chance before Link was in front of her, his kokiri sword pointed at the King of Thieves’ hands. Ganondorf laughed, a deep, evil sound that shook her to her core, and the guards took hold of him again, and he was dragged away, still laughing. 

Link turned around and wrapped her in a hug, and Zelda, still shaking, grabbed his shirt and closed her eyes. The yellow eyes of the Gerudo king would follow her into her nightmares, she was sure of it. 

In the following week, her father held a ceremony to acknowledge and thank all of those who saved Hyrule. 

Link and Nabooru, who’d acted as an inside source, were gifted with titles of honor and medals of service. Zelda too was awarded for her wisdom and insistence, but she didn’t think she deserved it as much as the other two. It was her fault Link had gone through all he had to begin with, and she didn’t think she could ever shake that feeling of guilt. But the party afterwards helped to lift her spirits, because her father told her she could have as many sweets as she wanted, and she could stay up as late as she wanted. 

“We did it!” Zelda cheered, once she’d found Link in the crowd. People were gawking at him and asking questions, but she threw her arms around him anyway and they landed in a pile on the floor, giggling like crazy. She could hear Impa in her head, scolding her about how improper and unladylike she was acting, but the princess didn’t care. A war had been avoided, and she made a good friend in the process. 

A friend who took her on adventures around Lake Hylia now that there was no threat, and protected her from any monster that tried to show its face. He took her to Lon Lon Ranch, where she met Malon and Epona and rode a horse of her own. He took her to Zora’s domain, where she met the little Zora princess who looked too interested in Link for her liking, and he took her to Goron City (under the supervision of Impa) to meet Darunia. 

But their time together was short lived, because their courtyard playdate took an awkward turn when Link held out a handful of colorful flowers and told her he had to go. He looked so sad, and she wished she could squeeze him tight until his sadness was gone.

“I lost a friend,” he explained, avoiding her gaze. “Every kokiri has a fairy, and I lost Navi when.. when I was sent back. I need to find her.”

She wanted to ask if he had to go. She wanted to beg him to stay here and find another fairy. But even as a selfish child, she could tell how much had been taken from him and she didn’t want him to hurt more than he already had. She would be a bad friend if she didn’t let him go.

“Will you come back?” she asked as she held the flowers tighter. 

“I’d never leave you behind,” he answered, giving her a shy little smile that made her cheeks burn.

“Do you promise?” she questioned, sticking out her pinky. 

“I promise,” he replied, wrapping his finger around hers. Zelda hesitated for a moment, but she leaned forwards and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

“You better not break your promise, or I’m gonna be really mad at you,” she said as she pushed him away and looked at the ground.

“Just watch! When I come back, I’ll be your knight and we’ll get married,” he replied, wrapping her in a hug. Zelda giggled and held him tightly, because she wouldn’t be seeing him again for a very long time.

“You’re gross!” she declared, but the little princess liked the idea, even if she didn’t know the full story of what a marriage involved. They were too young for that anyway, but Impa told her later that love had no age and that souls that were meant to be together would find each other again in time. 

She didn’t know the word for what she was feeling when he left the courtyard for the last time. He looked back at her with a wave, but she couldn’t find it in her to raise her arms. They felt heavy and tired. She spent the first few months in naive hope, waiting in the courtyard and playing the ocarina as if her songs could bring him back. She held onto Impa’s words and onto the matching medals they had, and she came to question herself if she did indeed love the little boy from the forest. 

Perhaps when she saw him again, she would tell him properly.

[clemanime]

Waiting Game

Luca gets back to her, his Dame.

A/N: The is for the Anon that asked for more Luca

WARNING: Smut, oral (female-receiving) and if you drop it low enough... unprotected sex

Luca walked up the short step to the metal gate, his head down as he knocked on the door. He could hear a faint ‘Coming’ from the other side of the thick wood. The door opened and she stood on the other side of the metal door. “Hello?”

He looked up, taking in her beauty as he always did. She’s breathtaking, the dress she wore different from when they first met. She was new to the Flapper scene, going to Speakeasies to find herself a daddy, smoking cigarette and cigars with the men. Before she’d wear shorter dresses like other Flappers, but now, after putting her through schooling and leaving her to take care of business in England, Luca was back. Now she wore elegant yet casual dresses, stockings, gloves. She governed herself the way she thought an educated woman would.

     “Hey Doll.” Luca said as he looked up at her.

     “Luca?” She squinted for a moment before a relived smile formed on her lips. She opened the door, letting him in and hugging him. Luca picked her up, pressing her back against the wall. “Oh how I’ve missed you Luca.”

     “I’ve missed my gal.” He kissed her, melting in her lips. He enjoyed her warmth, groaning against her as she held him tight.

     “Close that door and show me how much you’ve missed me sheik.” She smirked when he moved from the entrance way, kicking the door closed before walking her up the stairs into her room.

     “Big step up from that small apartment.” He looked around her townhome, smiling when he saw the bookcase filled with books.

     “After you left I needed change Luca.” She whispered. “Closer to the school now too.”

Luca laid her down, pulling his hat and jacket off, placing it on the chair in the corner. “Oh yeah?” He unbuttoned his cuffs as he moved over to her, taking in her form. He stood at the end of her bed, slowly undoing the buckles on her shoes before pulling them off and rubbing her feet.

     “Shouldn’t I be doing that?” She moved to sit up but Luca put his hand out, silently stopping her. “What is it Luca?”

     “I just wanna admire a breathtaking Dame.” He said softly, running his hands up her calves. She closed her eyes, her breathing increasing as his hands passed over her skin. His large hands moved up her thighs, the tips of his thumbs on her inner thighs. She sighed, closing her eyes.

     “Luca.” She bit her bottom lip, opening her legs for him. “Please.”

     “It’s been long Doll.” He whispered, climbing on the bed between her legs as his hands held her hips.

Luca enjoyed the sound of her heavy breathing. Luca pulled her so she could sit up, pulling her dress up. “Please kiss me.” She moved to sit up on her knees, cupping his cheeks. “I need you.”

His hand moved to her throat, the cool rings on his fingers chilling her skin. “Wait.”

     “Don’t you think I waited long enough?” She questioned.

     “A little longer.” He lightly pushed her down, his hand moving over her lace. “Thought you hated laces.”

     “I’m a changed bird Luca.” She grabbed his hands, placing them over her breast. “I can’t wait any longer Luca.” He chuckled, smirking and pulling her undergarments off. She closed her eyes, wanting more of him. She opened her legs, staring up at him. She enjoyed the chill, biting her bottom lip. Luca ran his thumb over her wet folds, using his free hand to unbutton his shirt and his pants. She moaned, closing her eyes gripping her sheets.

Luca removed his hand, slowly wiggling his tongue against her clit. He pushed his fingers into her, his eyes on her face, watching her writhe and squirm against his tongue. He pulled his soaked fingers out, pressing the tips against her lips to which she instantly opened. She sucked on his fingers, holding his wrist as her tongue swirled around and between his fingers. “Can’t wait.”

He cupped her cheeks, adjusting himself so that the tip of his cock was at her entrance. “Luca.” She whimpered, toes curling when he slowly pushed himself into her, groaning at how tight she was. She pushed her hands into his hair, tugging as she smashed her lips against his. She felt herself shaking, her climax raking over her body. But didn't stop, wanting to continue making love to his woman until sun up.

Luca moved his body so he was closer to her, holding her waist with one hand as his other moved up and down her thigh, digging into her soft skin and scratching as much as he could. He nipped and sucked on her neck, leaving more marks that showed that she woman would be with for as long as there's air in his lungs.

He pushed himself up, looking into her beautiful eyes as he cupped her cheek. "I love you Doll." He whispered, kissing her. "I love you." He spoke against her lips, swallowing her moans as he pushed his hard cock deeper into her.

     "I love you too Luca." She whined, digging her nails into his arms and shoulder blades. She felt like her body wasn't her own, the weight of it getting lighter and lighter the closer she got. Luca stopped his thrusts, huffing as he tried to compose himself. It took everything in him not to spill inside of her, but her confession of love to him felt different. The other times he knew she loved him but something about it felt more intense. "No." She cried. "Knock me up Luca!"

He looked at her wondering if she was serious. "Doll y-"

     "Don't Doll me Luca! Don't stop!" She moved her hips, encouraging him to continue.

Without hesitation, Luca slammed into her, fucking her relentlessly. She cried out and moaned his name as if it were the only thing she could speak. His build-up hit him fast and hard, his hot seed spilling into her.

And he didn't stop, wanting to make sure that her wish was fulfilled, releasing in her multiple times until the sun started to shine through her window.

She opened her eyes, looking at Luca's sleeping form next to her. She smiled to herself relieved that she wasn't just dreaming of him being in her home the night before. "Morning Mr. Changretta." She smiled when he turned to face her with sleepy eyes.

     "Morning. Mrs. Changretta." He caressed her cheek.

     "When did I agree to marry you?" She questioned.

     "When you told me to knock you up." He moved his hand to her stomach as he kissed her forehead. "Or little boy is gonna be as tough as he pops and as smart as his ma."

     "I guess I'll marry you Luca." She leaned forward kissing him. "As long as you promise me something."

     "Anything Doll."

     "Step down." She gave him a serious expression.

     "Anything but that." He turned over on his back.

     "Luca I don't wanna worry about you getting the big sleep while I’m barefoot and pregnant.” She narrowed her eyes at him.

     “You want me to step down. Let some other fella run my goons?”

     “Then cut back Luca. When I have our kid I want you to be there.”

Luca sighed. “After I take care of those fucking Peaky Blinders I’ll step down.” He stared at the ceiling.

     “You’re going back to England?” She questioned, sitting up.

     “They took out my men Doll.” He didn't look at her. “If I don't get revenge then-”

     “You don’t need revenge Luca!” She yelled, getting out of bed. “People pass away in there sleep and I’d rather you in your sleep than a bullet in the head!” Luca sat up, shaking his head as he grabbed clothes. “And you’re going anyways!?”

     “Stop Doll.” He rubbed his face as he shook his head.

     “I know about knocked up women Luca!” She yelled at him in annoyance. “Don't try to change the subject!”

     “Don’t snap a cap Doll.” He stood up, looking at her.

     “Stay with me.” She said softly, arms crossed. “Think again.”

     “Doll.” He walked towards her, hugging her and kissing the top of her head. “If I don't go I won’t step down. If I go I’ll step down.”

     “Don’t do that.” She pushed him away. “Do not.”

     “Make a choice Doll.” She thought for a moment, scratched the back of her neck as she thought.

     “I guess you’re not stepping down.” She was standing her ground. “And I guess you’re not gonna be in this kids life.”

     “Y/n.” He crossed his arms.

     “You make deals with all those men. But you can’t with me?” She grabbed her robe, putting it on and going down to her kitchen to start cooking.

Luca followed her, watching her move around the kitchen with a beautiful glow yet such an angry look on her face. “I love you Doll.” He said.

     “No you don’t.”

     “I’ll step back but I won’t step down. I’ll let one of the other fella’s be the face and I’ll do everything else.”

     “You expect me to be up and happy bout it?” She kept her back to him.

     “I won’t go back.” He walked towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I promise Doll. I won’t.”

     “I guess I love you.” She mumbled.

     “Here.” He pulled the ring off of his thumb, placing it on her ring finger. “We’re married now.”

     “Not in the eyes of God.”

     “Plan the wedding then Doll.” He kissed her neck.

[verati404]

15 Minute Fanfics: The Horse Girl

Malon brought her sword up and deflected the shuriken whizzing toward her face. "What in Hylia?" she yelled indignantly.

Sheik appeared and dropped from the tree behind her, lunging forward to grapple her by hooking his arms under her shoulders to lift her off the ground, but Malon threw her weight back with the pommel of her sword directly to his gut. Sheik coughed as the wind was knocked from his lungs, and Malon spun around, dropping her weapon and using the momentum to take him to the ground on his stomach. She yanked her hookshot from her belt and hogtied his wrists with it, then his ankles.

Sheik struggled, but her work was thorough. She could hear the anger in his voice when he hissed, "Untie me."

Malon snorted.

Sheik struggled some more, his wrists aching. How did she do that with a chain?

He heard the scrape of her sword getting picked up, then the crunch of gravel under her riding boots. What if he couldn't escape? This girl must have noticed the knives Sheik carried, because she'd done an amazing job of hog-tying his hands and feet away from reaching their hilts. His sudden vulnerability terrified him.

Malon's dusty leather boots came to a stop right in front of Sheik's face, along with the tip of her blade, which she rested just under Sheik's chin to lift it uncomfortably up. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Why have you been following me?"

Sheik had never fully appreciated the Blade of Evil's Bane at such a potent angle. Now that he was so closely acquainted with it, he noticed just how stunningly sharp it was, from tip to tang. He smirked under his mask to hide his nervousness from himself, and let it meet his eyes to lie about his nervousness to her. "Why should I answer a thief?" he asked. "Those are the Hero's tools, and I don't remember him having Gerudo hair."

"I am a Hylian," the girl snarled back. "And I'm no thief. I did what Fairy Boy would've wanted. I picked up his sword where he dropped it." She paused, and at Sheik's sudden stillness, her glare unraveled to show a glimpse of pain underneath. "Did you know him?"

Sheik pulled at his arms once more with renewed vigor. "That fairy boy's name was Link. He was supposed to be the prophesied hero of Hyrule from my dreams, but he--" Sheik realized he said too much, for at that moment, he clammed up and refused to say any more, staring angrily ahead. "Untie me," he repeated.

Malon lowered the Blade and crouched down in front of his face. He glared sullenly at her attempt to meet his eyes, even as he obliged. The shadow she cast in the afternoon sun stretched long over his entire body and eclipsed everything else from view. "Listen here," she said seriously, shoving the Blade back into its sheath, "I realize that I am not anyone's first pick in prophetic saviors, but our first choice ain't here any more. Ganon killed him, just like he killed the royals. The home I've known since birth was taken from the only family I have left, and there isn't anything bringing him out of that dark place. I have nothing, except Epona. And I expect you, being what you are--"

Sheik felt himself sweat a little,

"--you got nothin', too. The Sheikah are in a bad spot without the Royal Family just like the rest of us Hylians."

If Sheik looked visibly relieved, Malon took no notice. Her fingers drifted curiously toward Sheik's mask, but as he pulled away, she faltered, and began untying him.

"Don't shoot me any more and there won't be any trouble." Her voice was stiff, and Sheik could feel her fingers trying not to brush him as the hookshot chain came fully free. "But don't think I won't hogtie you again and leave you in Kakariko if you do it again."

Sheik got up and rubbed his painful wrists. "You'd take me all the way back to my people?" He chuckled behind his mask. "Ridiculous."

For a moment, as Malon hooked her hookshot back on her belt, Sheik noticed the bulge of her arms and her calloused hands. Her hair, her voice, the name Epona...and that's when it hit him:

"You're Horse Girl," he breathed.

Malon turned sharply at the name. "What?" she said in surprise.

Panicked that he had been overheard, Sheik grabbed a deku nut from his pouch and threw it. Light flashed, and when Malon lowered her arm from the blinding glare, he was gone.

"You better run," she grumbled under her breath, turning back to get Epona.

[flamebearrel]

Split Number One

Fandom: Super Smash Bros

Synopsis: It was simple, really. Three formidable fighters, or at least two and a kid trying his best, but only one could be saved. As experienced, top-notch heroes, Mario and Kirby should have seen it all before. They could have easily made the right choice. Yet they didn't. And it doesn't seem the winner understands.

Word Count: 1607

Original Post Date: March 6, 2019

Characters: Villager, Mario, Kirby (Minor Master Hand, Sheik, Marth, Galeem)

Ships: None

Trigger Warnings: None

Other Notes: I see Villager as a kid (like twelve years old); Kirby can talk with a simple vocabulary; the Trophy rules kind of align with Subspace

Ao3 Link

~~~

Victory!

The R.O.B. clone fell to the floor before melting into a puddle of gold. As the substance slowly evaporated, they watched the Spirit inside rise from it. Mario gave a little smile. The Spirit floated for a moment, seeming to give a nod of appreciation, before flying away from the path and into safety.

“...I’m pretty sure that Guardian Spirit isn’t something we should just let go around,” Mario thought aloud, picking up the tiny puffball by his feet. Kirby blinked in response.

“Is that okay?”

“Eh, probably not, but don’t worry. There’s bigger things to think about.” The plumber put a hand on his friend’s head. “Let’s-a keep going, little guy.”

There were trophies on three sides of the courtyard, standing silently. The once-shimmering blue hair of the Hero King on the left had dulled. They looked up ahead, where Sheik towered menacingly, eyes void of any emotion. To the right stood the shortest of the three, Villager, with the smile he usually wore to battle wiped off his face.

Glancing between them, Mario felt something stir inside of him. Dismay, perhaps? All these fighters, individually trapped in eternal stasis, while he was up and running. With that train of thought, choosing who to save first felt like playing favorites.

So he’d leave that to his partner. The man with the red cap lowered Kirby to the floor again, asking, “Who do you want to help first?”

The puffball paused for a moment before running up to Villager. “Him!”

“Sounds good to me,” Mario said with a nod. Reaching down, counting in his head, the plumber tapped the base of the trophy and waited for the fight to begin.

~

It wasn’t that difficult with the both of them there. As Mario landed the final Super Jump Punch and sent Villager through the blast zone, the ropes of light circling his body tore to pieces. The mayor fell to the ground, battered, unconscious.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

“Kirby,” Villager muttered, “Mario… what are you… ow, everything hurts…”

Immediately Kirby ran to him, ducking under the weakened fighter’s arm. “It’s okay.” He pushed, trying to help Villager up. “You’re okay now.”

“Huh…?”

As he got to his feet, the third member took in his surroundings. “Where are we…? How did we get here? I can only remember the light.”

Mario nodded. “That’s what we’ve-a been calling this place, the ‘World of Light’! Though I wish it was as pleasant as it sounded. We should… probably find a better name-”

“I’d say.” Holding Kirby’s stubby hand in his own, Villager stepped towards the center of the courtyard. “With all this ‘light, light, light’, I’m surprised we all aren’t blind by n-…”

There was nothing to do but trail off as the mayor rested his eyes on the other two trophies. He didn’t respond. For a moment, all that was there was the weight of the situation finding a seat in an audience of shoulders.

Then the plumber cleared his throat.

“Oh, uh…” Snapping back to the present, Villager turned to them again. “Sorry, I… we should probably help them out now, huh?”

“Just what I was thinking.”

With that, Kirby sauntered to Sheik. “Here, then! If we keep going, we can save everyone!” He reached out to tap the base of the ninja’s trophy. “So let’s-”

Flash.

The three of them jolted, grouping together at the center of the courtyard in sight of the giant hand that was suddenly there. It was a Master Hand clone, again, looming above.

“Stay behind me,” Mario growled. A fireball flickered into the palm of his hand and he took a step toward the clone-

But the right hand didn’t want to fight. He simply snapped his fingers, and bam, something was there. They could do nothing but watch in dismay as glowing energy shields formed around Sheik and Marth. And then the clone was gone, and Mario extinguished his fireball and everything was cold.

What could anyone say?

Mario ventured, “Well. This might be a bit harder than we thought.”

Then, all of a sudden, Villager was sprinting toward the shield, shrieking, “No! No, you can’t do that! You can’t!” Without his boxing gloves, he punched at the barrier, drawing back when it burned his hand. Then he put them on and tried again. It didn’t work either. “That’s not fair,” he screeched. He planted a tree, grew it to full height, then sent it toppling. The barrier left it in splinters. A bowling ball, a Lloid Rocket, everything was dropped on it, and nothing, nothing, nothing worked.

The other two watched a while, speechless.

When he couldn’t take it anymore, Kirby rushed to the mayor’s side, pulling him back by his shirt. “Villager, stop, please! It’s not gonna do anything…”

“But I…” For a moment he resisted, but, slowly, he let the fireworks in his hands drop to the floor. He shook his head. The sparks fizzled away in the dust.

“…Are you okay?”

Quiet again. Stepping forward, ready to offer support, Mario opened his mouth- Yet no sound was allowed to escape him, because just then, Villager turned.

“Why did you do it?”

The man in overalls spluttered, “Wh-what?”

“Take a look around!” Villager gestured wildly at the shields, then at the rest of the world. “Everyone is dead, Mario! Just dead, completely dead, unless some hero can go out and save everyone. Do you know how impossible that is?”

“I know it sounds impossible, but I’m-a sure we can-”

“No, you don’t get it! Even if we did manage to save someone, Galeem would just mess it up again. Regular people can’t fix this!”

Reaching a gloved hand towards the younger fighter, Mario protested, “But we’re not regular people-! We wouldn’t be here if we were…”

“You’re not regular people,” hissed Villager, “but riddle me this! You have three choices: A warrior prince, a ninja, or some kid who panics as soon as the lights turn on. And you choose the kid? WHY?! What can I do that they can’t?” He scoffed. “I’m not a hero. I can’t save the world. I can barely even do my own job! So what do you want? Tell me! Do you want the extra burden, or just someone to pick on? Am I- am I comic relief?! Just- Just-! WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ME?!”

At that, his voice cracked.

Out of arguments, eyes glistening, the mayor simply repeated, “Why did you choose me…?” Then he slid down to the ground, in silence.

“…”

Mario stepped up to the younger fighter and took a seat next to him. He hesitated no longer that a moment. “Please, don’t-a go thinking that way. I stand by what I said, ya know? None of us are here without a reason. Like…” The man in overalls tapped his chin. “You’ve got confidence when you fight. It’s there in your smile, I see it. And- and you’re reasonable, something this team probably needs.”

“That’s a lie. Sheik and Marth wouldn’t yell at you as soon as they woke up.”

“This is your first apocalyptic disaster, paisano. If you haven’t seen ‘em in action, I wouldn’t be so sure!”

Villager pulled his knees close, staring at a crack in the stone floor. “Then I’ll never be sure, I guess.”

The plumber sighed. “Listen to me. We’re gonna save them; I can promise that. It might take a while, but we’re not stopping until everyone is here and everyone is safe. So what if you’re new to this? That-a doesn’t make you any less of a family member. You’re as much a part of this team as us, Villager. And we need your help just like you need ours.”

“We can all help each other,” Kirby chimed. A second passed without dispute before he pattered up and gave the mayor a hug.

Mario wrapped an arm around him too. Defeated, the kid leaned against the plumber’s chest, and the three simply sat. For a few seconds they were a single bundle of consciousness in a sleeping world.

“Okay,” Villager finally said. He straightened up. “Maybe, just maybe… You have a chance of being right. We should get back on the road.”

As the puffball next to them clapped his hands in satisfaction, Mario grinned. “There we go! It’s a good thing you finally came around- we can’t have the guy who holds the supplies be too upset to let us use ‘em!”

“Ha-ha, very funny.” He totally wasn’t smiling anyway.

The trio staggered to their feet and took their first steps down the rock path, Kirby leading the way. As he went to follow, Mario chanced one last look at the trophies behind him. The energy shields stared back, unyielding, undaunted, unbreakable.

Something about it shot dread through his veins. Galeem was toying with them. What else did he want? What else would he do?

Clearing these thoughts with a shake of his head, the red-capped man took off after the others. There wasn’t time to think about it. They just had to keep going. Going, going… Otherwise they’d never be able to save everyone.

It didn’t matter if there were more forked paths. It didn’t matter what Galeem was going to do. They’d fix it all, somehow. It couldn’t be impossible, because at the very least…

A Spirit whisked past then and there, nearly toppling them. Kirby looked at the other two, and when they nodded, he reached up to catch it like he would any other falling star. Another fight. Mario counted down…

Three, two, one.

Go.

At least they had conquered split number one.

[erikahenningsen]

My 15 favorite theater experiences of 2019

In no particular order:

1. Choir Boy (Samuel Friedman Theatre, New York, NY): I say in no particular order, but if you know anything about me, you know that Choir Boy is my number-one show of the year. I saw it four times on Broadway and twice in Boston. Tarell Alvin McCraney’s writing is so beautiful, human, and fearless. He puts works of art on stages, television, and film that nobody else does. Jeremy Pope’s performance as Pharus is easily in the top three greatest performances I’ve seen on a Broadway stage. If your local regional theater is doing this show, I cannot encourage you enough to go and see it.

2. What the Constitution Means to Me (Helen Hayes Theater, New York, NY): This show was unlike any other play I’ve seen before. Heidi Schreck, who wrote and starred in WTCMTM, wrote a deeply human, poignant, and timely play about a document written by a bunch of rich, white men a few centuries ago and made it gripping, engaging, and relevant. It’s a show I believe every American should see. As an added bonus, Heidi is genuinely one of the kindest people I’ve met.

3. The Wrong Man (MCC Theater, New York, NY): I saw The Wrong Man for the first time three weeks before it closed, and I immediately fell in love with it and went back several more times in those three weeks. The Wrong Man is only ninety minutes long and has only three main characters, but it presents an engaging story about forgiveness, mercy, justice, guilt, and innocence. Ross Golan, the composer/lyricist, began performing The Wrong Man as a concept album thirteen years ago and turned it into a full musical. The score is beautiful and has some really great bops, and the choreography is probably the best I’ve ever seen.

4. Waitress with Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel (Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York, NY): I’m personally not the biggest fan of Waitress, but this was one of the most fun nights I had in a theater this year. Sara and Gavin had amazing chemistry, and I have never laughed so much at Waitress before. 

5. A Strange Loop (Playwrights Horizons, New York, NY): A Strange Loop is unlike any show I’ve ever seen before. It’s unlike anything anyone has seen before. How many shows center around a fat, black, queer character? I can’t think of any. Michael R. Jackson, the book writer/composer/lyricist, has an incredible ability to write satire that has you laughing at the same time you’re being punched in the face emotionally. A Strange Loop grapples with the intersections of racism, homophobia, and fatphobia. It’s meta at the same time it’s grounded, and gets more and more intense as the show progresses. I walked out of the theater in a daze after I saw it. My fingers are crossed it comes to Broadway.

5. Mean Girls, Taylor Louderman’s last show (August Wilson Theatre, New York, NY): Going to Mean Girls is a routine thing for me, and I’ve seen the show dozens of times, but every once in awhile something special happens that reignites my love for this show. Taylor’s last show was obviously incredibly sad for me, the cast, and everyone who loves this show, but I also laughed more and harder on this evening than I have in a very long time at Mean Girls. Everyone, especially Taylor, was giving this performance their all, and I’ll never forget it.

6. The Secret Life of Bees (Atlantic Theater Company, New York, NY): I had suspicions I was really going to love this show before I saw it, but I absolutely fell in love with it. The music is gorgeous (thank you, Duncan Sheik), the performances are stellar, and the story, though set decades ago, is as timely and relevant as ever. I do cry at shows pretty often, but rarely do I tear up because of how overwhelmingly beautiful a show is—but I did that at Secret Life of Bees. I’m still impatiently waiting on that Broadway transfer announcement.

7. Beetlejuice (Winter Garden Theatre, New York, NY): Despite all its flaws, I love this crazy, loud, obnoxious, wild show so much. I had seen it in DC and counted down the days until first preview on Broadway. I rushed first preview and ended up with front-row tickets, and I had one of the most fun nights in a theater I’ve ever had. The performances really make the show, and I’ve been very vocal about how I strongly believe Leslie Kritzer was snubbed by the Tonys. Beetlejuice also has my favorite scenic design for any show. I also have a uniquely personal connection to this showL Beetlejuice used to have a joke in the show I felt was offensive, so I reached out to Eddie Perfect and Alex Timbers and explained to them why I was hurt by it, and they actually listened to my feedback and removed the joke. I’m hoping Beetlejuice can find another home after June, because I’m not ready to say goodbye yet.

8. Next to Normal (Ground Floor Theatre/Deaf Austin Theatre, Austin, TX): For years I had been wanting an ASL production of Next to Normal with Sandra Mae Frank as Natalie, so when it actually happened I knew I had to fly to Texas to see it. I don’t think I’ve ever cried more at a show. Sandy made me look at Natalie in a whole new way, and the ASL interpretations of the lyrics added so many new layers to the show. Megg Rose, the Deaf actor who played Diana, gave one of the best performances I’ve seen, and I want her to be on Broadway immediately. This production really was a dream come true for me. 

9. Six (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago, IL): We drove to Chicago from NYC to see Six, and it was definitely worth it. I was in the front row for the first time I saw it, which was a terrifying but incredibly fun experience. This cast is so incredibly talented, and the show is so much fun, and being there with almost all of my closest friends was such a memorable experience. I’m so excited to see it again when it comes to Broadway.

10. Little Shop of Horrors (Westside Theatre, New York, NY): This was my first experience seeing LSOH, and I had an absolute blast. The performances were incredible, with Christian Borle being just off-the-wall crazy. I haven’t laughed that much at a show in awhile. The Audrey II puppets are fantastic, and what they’ve done with the scenic design in such a small space is amazing. I’m excited to see it again with Gideon Glick.

11. Indecent (Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA): Indecent is and always will be my favorite play, and I’m so incredibly grateful I got to see it again in Boston. Huntington recreated the Broadway production with many of the original cast members, and it was such a special show. I never thought I’d see that production again live, and Huntington gave me such an incredible gift with this play. 

12. Freestyle Love Supreme (Booth Theatre, New York, NY): FLS is just fun from start to finish. It’s completely improvised with special unannounced guests every night, so it’s different every time you see it. I loved seeing how they made the show more inclusive between Off-Broadway and Broadway (by asking people their pronouns, for example), and I have a blast every time. 

13. Ain’t Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations (Imperial Theatre, New York, NY): I saw Ain’t Too Proud mostly for Jeremy Pope, and I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I genuinely loved the show. Derrick Baskin is one of the most hardworking performers on Broadway—he literally does not leave the stage. The choreography is so much fun, and each person in the cast is so incredibly talented. It’s also one of the most pleasant stage doors I’ve ever experienced; everyone at the stage door just really genuinely wants to congratulate and thank the performers, and the actors are so kind. 

14. Teeth (National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival, New York, NY): It’s wild even to me that I’m putting a staged partial reading on this list, but that’s how good Teeth was. I spent the entire time laughing, and the songs are constantly stuck in my head. Everyone at the festival was talking about how much they loved the show, so I’m hopeful there will be a full production of it sometime soon.

15. Slave Play (John Golden Theatre, New York, NY): It’s hard to talk about Slave Play because it transcends descriptors like “good” or “bad.” Slave Play is important. It’s complex. It’s necessarily provocative. And it’s shaken up Broadway like no show has in recent memory. It’s a show I think every American adult should see. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I saw it. It only runs for a couple more weeks, and if you haven’t seen it, you need to. 

[lvllabiies]

Dark.

      It’s dark , it’s cold , and it’s rainy - in the dead of the night , she stands , feet planted on the ground with a flashlight shining into the source of all of her curiosities these past few months.

             Sarah-Anne’s Wood.

                    A simple name for such an ominous place , hm ??

   No matter , it’s not that as if Zelda cares. She takes a deep breath in , and then another out , sticking the flashlight upright in the wet dirt before reaching to pull off her boots & socks. They’re discarded , tossed to the side , and despite the way the winter air nips at her skin , it feels better to stand barefoot out in the open.

   Because the thing is , there’s a connection that Zelda has to this forest. She doesn’t know what , nor does she know why , but she isn’t about to pass it up for her own basic needs. Hell , these may as well be her own basic needs.

  The jacket & sweater she wears is soon to follow , tossed to the ground like it’s nothing. Now she only stands in a band tee & long-sleeved undershirt with her sweatpants , and she undoes the bun in her hair , dark locks already soaked.

   And now . . . there is only one more thing she must do. 

   She arrived here with a sword. And she picks up that sword , dragging it out with her , it feeling heavy in her hand but somehow , not foreign , and she reaches back to pick up the flashlight.

   And she shuts it off.

   She will only be able to get her answers if she submits herself to what she can’t see. Some may call it stupid , but she knows - if anything - she must go with her gut. There is nothing she can trust other than her subconscious at this point , and her subconscious tells her to surrender. So of course , she must.

   And then she takes the first step , shivering at the cold and maybe a bit fearful of what lies before her. Her heartbeat quickens with every movement , thoughts racing through her head as she remembers a few things - one , she didn’t tell Link that she was leaving and where she was going. They’d probably be worried sick. Two , she cancelled band practice over this , or at least let Finn , Aroma , & Myde know that she wasn’t going to make it.

   And three . . . if this is all for nothing , this will probably be the biggest mistake in Zelda’s entire LIFE. And she already feels like a whole of a failure , like she isn’t doing enough. But is this the answer ?? 

   Her brow furrows at the thought , and her hands hug her body as they continue to step through the woods. And then this is where that fear begins to settle in - most of the people who disappear in the forest like this don’t come out at all , or not after a few days , and that’s when they’re in broad daylight , instead of the wee hours of the morning like she. Is that the fate she’ll meet , for being so stupid ??

   She has people that would be devastated . . .

   . . . And where is she even going , anyway ??

   Maybe it’s the underlying fear. Maybe it’s her nerves. But after what feels like thirty minutes of walking , it’s a small clearing she strolls into , the wet moss soft under her feet. And then she begins to sob , taking the sword in its scabbard and hugging it close to her body.

   ❝ Who am I even kidding . . . ❞ Her voice is in nothing but a whisper , and she knows nobody can hear her but herself. Nothing is happening - NOTHING is happening , and if this is how the night will go , then she’s done nothing but show how much of a complete and utter fool she is.

   And then she draws her attention to the back of her right hand , holding it with her left and growing frustrated. ❝ Come on , come ON ! You want to work any other time !! Why not now ?! ❞ Because normally , in instances like these , there’s BURNING - a burning that she doesn’t find painful , but sears into her skin with the triple triangle pattern under her knuckles. She holds her hand tightly , as if that’ll do anything , but it’s in that moment when she breaks , and she tosses the sword to the ground and collapses.

   Shakes of sobs echo from her lips as all emotions of fear , apprehension , frustration , and anger unleash - Zelda’s shoulders shake , and her face falls into her hands as she screams out in the open , ❝ You have been giving me signs !! Signs that I have paid attention to and tried to decipher - and - and - and now NOTHING ?! I’m now to believe it’s NOTHING ?! ❞

   And then , her head falls in between her knees as she stares into the green & brown of the earth beneath. Maybe it’s me , she thinks to herself. Maybe I was looking for something that wasn’t there. And I’m only disappointing myself. 

   It’s defeat.

   But she doesn’t think she has any choice but to accept it.

   She shivers & freezes in the cold , and she knows maybe it’s best to head back to her car , but she’s too tired. Too angry at herself. Too exhausted. She instead grabs the sword and holds it close , like a safety blanket , and finds herself laying on the ground. The rain hits her hard , pounding onto her skin , and there’s a final whisper of , ❝ There must be something wrong with me. ❞ 

   Bottom lip bitten down , she huddles up into a fetal position and closes her eyes , maybe wondering if the earth will claw up and pull her in with it. 

    Silence . . .

          Silence . . .

                 Silence . . .

    And there’s a sudden wisp of a noise , and her eyes shoot open , sitting up straight as sudden , a pink , winged ball of light floats in front of her face.

    Zelda’s brow furrows ; that . . . wasn’t here before , was it ?? Or is she dreaming ?? Lips pressed together , she extends her hand forward slowly near the creature ( ? )

    ❝ Hello - ❞

   And of course , just like that , suddenly the creature is darting off , flying to the west. And Zelda finds herself standing up , not bothering to take the sword with her as she calls out , ❝ Hey - Hey , wait ! ❞

   Her pace quickens and she prays that she doesn’t lose sight of the little pink . . . fairy , yes , FAIRY sounds right , and she continues to call out to it with , ❝ I promise - I won’t hurt you ; maybe you can slow down ?? Please ! ❞ But then she feels stupid , wondering if fairies can even understand her words. 

    And the fairy’s quick , too ; it makes short & sharp turns that Zelda has to keep up with , and the intern-turned-guitarist finds herself even navigating the forest’s many obstacles as she continues running. It’s like a labyrinth , she thinks to herself , but it’s not long after such a thought that she notices the rain has stopped , the air has grown . . . warmer , but the forest has grown thicker & brighter & fireflies surround her every move. 

   She stops at a clearing , surrounded by nothing but small trees and open , large & hollowed out wooden logs that an entire human being can walk through - but there’s no fairy in sight. And suddenly , as she looks around , her shoulders slump in defeat. ❝ I . . . I lost her , didn’t I ?? ❞ Zelda asks herself , and a hand runs through her wet hair as she closes her eyes & furrows her brow in frustration.

   But in that moment in yet ANOTHER accepted defeat , she hears another noise. A continues noise . . .

   . . . Music . . . but a melody that she’s heard before , somewhere , and her eyes open as she turns in the sound’s direction. 

   She takes a step closer , and then another follows , and then another follows , and she steps towards one of the logs on the far left before realizing the music has grown quieter. Two more remain , so she walks slowly towards the one directly next to it , and once again , it grows quieter. Bottom lip bitten & Zelda’s curiosity leads her to walk towards the third , far right log . . . and there’s the music , growing LOUDER , and Zelda’s pace quickens as she takes a few steps through -

   Only . . . to be met with another clearing. But the music is still playing , and of course , now she has no choice but to follow it. She repeats the same pattern , walking through the next hollowed out log ( this time towards the north , in the far left log ) , and then finding another ( and in that one , she exits towards the far right again. ) She continues to go straight towards the next two clears , and then one far left turn and one more far right , and then . . . it’s clear.

   A meadow stands in front of her , the sun shining through the beautiful canopies in the trees , and the music pleasantly reaches Zelda’s ears to the point where success in her navigation brings a SMILE to her face. But then there’s a howling noise , and she suddenly finds two grey wolves popping up from the thick brush , a scream leaving her throat before she darts into the only possible exit , now finding herself in a hedge maze. 

   She turns right , turning the only possible corner afterwards before finding herself falling into a pool of water ; and once she tries to swim and crawl up the other side , there’s suddenly another scream & snort and a pig-like monster charges towards her , and Zelda only does what she can do : submerge herself under the water until his back is turned , and then quickly crawl up and dart in the opposite direction.

    . . . But that alerts another pig monster , and he chases after her , and she finds another in a long , hallway like clearing that she sprints to avoid before bare feet run up moss-covered stairs , and she nearly collapses , out of breath in another clearing. 

   . . . And there are people.

   Two people - one a man clad in the green of the forest , playing a blue instrument upon his lips , and then another in blue & grey & . . .

   ❝ Sheik . . . ❞ She whispers , and she looks down at the grass. That’s Sheik. That’s Sheik. That - That must be her , and then the one clad in green . . . THE MUSIC THEY PLAY , Zelda finds it familiar yet again , and they fall to their knees , squinting as their head begins to pound before they suddenly look back up , and not only are they gone , but the scenery has changed.

   Two people , again , but children . . . again , one clad in green , and another in silks of magenta & white , standing in front of a window. It’s different than the other time ; the marble & stone walls of a castle surround her , and she watches from again , soft grass & a viewer’s perspective.

   But tears are brought to her eyes , and as the girl speaks . . .

            ❛ Oh, I'm sorry! I got carried away with my story and I didn't even properly introduce myself! 

                 I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. ❜

   Her bloods runs cold.

   Princess . . . Princess . . .

   Why does that sound so . . . right ??

   And Hyrule sounds so . . . it sounds like home . . .

                              ❛  What is your name?

                                       ..... Link... Strange...it sounds somehow... familiar. ❜

   Her heartbeat POUNDS at record speeds in her chest & she processes the name Link over and over again , thinking of her best friend back in Castle Town and how the young child before the one named Zelda ( that has to be her ; there can be no other way ) must be them. They look exactly like them , only smaller - and - and yet , Zelda feels as if this is something she can’t afford to forget ; can’t afford to not know.

   And she remembers . . . so many years ago , making a pact. And that was the pact that began the legend . . . the legend of . . . the Hero of . . . 

   She takes a deep breath and stands , and she walks away from the children and onto the path of stone in the castle before it leads to another area indoors - the walls stretch and grow higher and she’s met with a long red carpet after a large , three-triangle symbol in the middle of the floor , and when she turns around , LINK - now an adult again - stands in front of her , and then . . .

    There’s Sheik. 

                  ❛ And the other, who holds the Triforce of Wisdom... is the seventh Sage, who is destined to be the leader of them all... ❜

    She takes in a breath , watching as the Sheikah makes motions with their hands and a BLINDING LIGHT , given off by a glowing three-triangle marking , fills the rest of the room. And then when it fades . . .

     ❝ It is I, the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda.❞       ❛  It is I, the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda.❜

   She speaks the words in unison to when the other Zelda does , knowing them by memory , and her stomach twists as her eyes stare the floor.

                     ❛ I apologize for meeting you in disguise, but it was necessary to - ❜

   And it doesn’t impact the scene , no , it keeps rolling , like a movie that hasn’t been paused , but Zelda bites to herself bitterly , ❝ You lied to them . . . ❞ She lied to them. She met them in disguise , SHE deceived them so they believed they were someone else - and it’s now different from now , history repeats itself.

   She takes another breath , voice elevating , ❝ You are LUCKY they even forgave you after that !! You deceived them , you pulled them in every single direction , and they believed you , because you’re YOU , and you threw them into this and they didn’t . . . ❞ A sob escapes her throat as she doubles over , holding her head. ❝ And they didn’t even complain . . . They didn’t even blame you . . . and you lied to them . . . ❞

   Zelda feels sick , sick so much that she sit on the floor and shake her head. ❝ And you STILL allowed yourself to mess things up again - you didn’t wait until it was over , you THREW yourself into danger and then  . . . ❞

   A sniffle , but in that anguish & regret does realization come over her form. ❝ You did . . . what you had to do. To save Hyrule . . . and to save yourself . . . and to help & save them . . . even though you knew you had to lie . . . ❞

   She sits there , lost in her own thoughts as suddenly , as the scene continues , torrents of water begin to pour from the ceiling - and she only realize it when the water levels begin to rise at a faster and faster rate , and Zelda mutters , ❝ N-No , no no no . please , it’s not over - it’s not over - ❞

    And then she’s submerged , the remnants of the Temple of Time gone as she’s surrounded by the waters of the ocean , and the sun shines above her until a shadow - like a ship of sorts - slowly passes above them. And Zelda only has the option to swim to the top , the thoughts of the scene she just witnessed still fresh in her head before she emerges on the surface , and now . . . 

    She’s somewhere different. Somewhere much different. A smaller boat than the one she swore she could’ve seen before - before , it seemed like a pirate ship - floats along the water , and in front of her there are stairs leading into what looks like the ruins of a submerged palace. And despite the fact that she had to swim up onto the surface in order to get here , in now the waters she can stand , and she trudges up the stone staircase and turns the corner to go inside. Because she hears voices & footsteps - someone else is here.

   Inside basically confirms her theory - a BEAUTIFUL yet old interior of a palace stands before her , and her wet , bare feet walk across the old , red velvet rug and lead to a statue. The statue’s moved , revealing a hidden staircase , and Zelda finds herself creeping down that staircase instead of anything else in the castle before a door sits , and when she opens the door . . .

   It’s an old man - in that same , regal red , and then herself & Link once more - only she is caught in a trance , and a piece of a necklace she bears floats into a triangle that misses one. It’s another BLINDING LIGHT like from before , and the pirate captain in front of her , once it fades , is transformed into . . .

    A princess. A princess who that same mark Zelda had witnessed on her own hand , appears on the back of hers.

    And this princess turns , a feeling of confused hopelessness in her eyes as her lips part.

                ❛  My . . . fate . . . ❜ 

   Zelda’s brows once again knit in frustrating once the old man starts to speak again.

                                ❛  You are the true hero of the royal family of Hyrule... the last link in the bloodline. You are Princess Zelda. ❜

   He begins to prattle on about destiny - and all of this SHIT that Zelda remembers being equally as confused as she is angry about - that she is now a servant to this stupid destiny that was long decided for years and years ago. And now , she - a girl who was content being a pirate on the seas like her mother - is subjected to a life she never even wanted or never asked for , and that is a life where evil preys on her to the point where she is coddled and restricted to the sidelines.

   ❝ It’s all bullshit , ❞ she whispers to herself , and she turns her back and moves to walk back up the stairs. ❝ All of it - it’s all bullshit , and it’s all because of this stupid fucking - ❞

   She’s only cut off when she opens the door , and it’s a headache once she realizes it’s grown dark again , and now she’s in a different room. 

         ❛  Accept this now , Midna. I pass it to you . . . ❜

   She hates that she knows this scene - a wounded imp on the ground , a beast that looks too much like Link beside her . . . and then . . . her. 

   She doesn’t want to listen to it - doesn’t want to hear it as the imp begins to float from the ground with herself holding her hand , shouting cries of Link , stop her ! and more as she protest’s to the princess’ actions. And Zelda’s eyes glue shut as she watches herself let go , fading into pieces of light and disappearing out of thin air. 

   And that where she has to turn her back , heading straight for the door - she only stops when she hears Midna speak once more.

                         ❛  Zelda . . . I've taken all that you had to give . . . though I did not want it. ❜

    That voice - it hits a nerve in Zelda like a melancholic CATHARSIS , and the feeling of loneliness & pain & grief that comes with missing someone. She remembers her leaving - leaving after everything is fine - and that anguish turns to energy as she runs down the spiral staircase of the tower , opening the doors and finding herself back in the throne room of the castle.

    But the ruins of the castle surround her , and it’s all gone to shit.

   Things change on a rapid level - first , it’s her form : possessed and grotesque , dueling Link in the openness of the throne room. But Hyrule Castle , overtaken by Ganondorf’s blight , crumbles before her , and Midna fades away into dust. She’s left in an open field , and is nearly run over by Link & herself from this time charging Ganondorf on horseback , her own self holding a bow & arrows of light in her hands.

   She tries to stand , tries to get out of the way , but she hears the ground rumble beneath her , and as she looks up in fear , she sees a train darting in her direction , and she screams in horror before it passes right through her , as if she were a ghost or spirit . . .

   And Link was the conductor - or rather , the engineer. She knows that.

   She doesn’t even have time to collect her breath before the ground caves in underneath , and the yellowed skies & barren lands of Hyrule suddenly change to the bright blue sky with no sight down below , and as she falls , she witnesses beautiful , brightly-colored birds flying throughout the sky , and a blue one catches her , following after a crimson one on which Link rides.

   Maybe she smiles - maybe she gets caught in the moment before she’s knocked off of the bird , and Link reaches for her as she reaches to their form before she’s once again tumbling to the ground. 

                ❛  Oh youth , guided by the servant of the goddess . . . 

                           Unite earth and sky . . .

                                     Bring light to the land . . . ❜

   The song plays in her mind , & she recognizes the voice because she knows it’s hers. And once more does she close her eyes , and surrender herself to her surroundings. She hears the sound of Link’s shouting , an older woman - Impa - whistling a song she’d hear to fall asleep as a child. She remembers the look of herself in a painting , and revealing to Link that she was the incarnation of the goddess Hylia - locking herself away into a century’s slumber and asking them to wake her up as she used to do the same.

   And she doesn’t realize she’s on the ground again until she opens her eyes.

   It’s muddy , it’s open , it’s raining , and the only sounds she hears are the same sounds she heard in the mansion - the crawling in the mud & the sound of lasers and suddenly her heart thumps in her chest once more as she remembers the fear of that moment. 

   She’s frozen in fear before she forces herself to get up , to navigate the dark of the night before she notices she stands in a muddy , white silken dress , golden bracelets , and sandals and she looks in front of her , and suddenly there’s Link , and they’re running through the area as Link fells another guardian and staggers to their feet.

    ❝ Link , save yourself !! Go !! ❞ She calls out to them , the words almost mechanical. ❝ I’ll be fine , don’t worry about me !! ❞

   But they don’t move , even though Zelda shouts , ❝ Run !! ❞ and a guardian stands , that evil blue eye staring at the both of them and threatening to strike them both down. And as the clock ticks faster towars impending doom and that warning sound quickens , Zelda can’t take it anymore.

   She shoves herself in front of Link , and with a scream of desperation , ❝ NO !! ❞ . . .

   Light. Light , showcases by the glowing mark of the Triforce on the back of Zelda’s hand , that cursed power she’d kept trying do desperately over and over again to awaken despite her efforts being for naught.

   The power that she knew she had in her yet struggled to release - and in turn , grew disgusted with it. That power that slumbered in her for all of this time in Castle Town , and she convinced herself she was a failure for failing to unlock it again - just like she did those many years ago. History repeats itself.

    A wave of light overtakes the area , and all guardians are rendered useless.

   Zelda lowers her hand to take a look at the mark , confused. ❝ Was . . . Was that . . . ❞ But then she hears Link collapse behind her , and then she realizes that she’s watching them die all over again. And she rushes to them , cradling their body in her arms as she remembers being in this position , watching as the only person they’ve ever had in this goddess damned lifetime fades away before their eyes , a victim to the cruel fate they were both subjected to.

   ❝ No - No , no , no - not again. No , Link , you’re going to be just fine - this can’t happen again , this is all my fault - this can’t happen again - ❞ And she buries her face into their form , knowing again that they have been here all before. They are witnessing the horrors of the calamity all before. And it will be okay in the end and Link will get up and they hear the sound of the spirit in the sword and the VOICE in side of the sword before they -

   She sits up and open their eyes , and she realizes she’s back in the cold rain in Sarah-Anne’s Wood , and the sword is right by her side. Was that a dream ?? It didn’t feel . . . like a dream . . . But she can only assume.

   It takes a few seconds of thought , before she looks and sees that the dormant mark of the Triforce of Wisdom sits on the back of her right hand. She did it. She got what she wanted. She went into the forest and the forest gave her answers . . .

   And as she got those answers , she realized.

   So now why is she angry ??

   She stands shakily on her two feet , and unexpectedly echoes a scream throughout the forest as she looks up at the sky. A scream that could probably be heard throughout Castle Town , a scream that resonates with the holy power of the Goddess - as the blood of the Goddess runs through her veins.

   ❝ I don’t know who you you are , or who a wretched soul like yours believes yourself to be . . . ❞ The princess seethes , as she stares into the sky. 

   ❝ But I am the PRINCESS ZELDA OF HYRULE , and how dare does the likes of you make me forget that !! How DARE does the likes of you make me forget the truth to who I am !! How DARE does the likes of you pull me from those in which I an INTERTWINED !! ❞

   And she looks down , taking a breath and brushing the wet locks of hair out of her eyes. She takes the sword , beginning to walk back through the forest as the Triforce symbol glows like a beacon on the back of her hand.

   ❝ I . . . am Zelda , Princess of Hyrule. I am Zelda , Princess of Hyrule. I am Zelda , Princess of Hyrule. I am Zelda , Princess of Hyrule. I am - ❞

   Her repetition of the words are like a mantra , to reassure herself that she is who she remembers to be and that she now knows what she must do. 

   She’ll have to get to her car as fast as she can - and then go back home. And then she’ll have to talk to Link , to see if they realize where they truly came from and if they remember everything that Zelda now does.

    The princess is awake. 

[guideoftime]

▴ — @sapientiiae  "do you ever get afraid?"

   “I don’t think now is the time for twenty-one questions, Princess.” 

   He actually has her up in the tree with him this time, situated on a thick branch and her body as close to his as she can reasonably get. Sheik has his arms protectively wrapped around her waist, his head resting on her shoulder to look around her. Carefully his red gaze scrutinizes the ground below them, watching the pattern in which the monsters walk, the way they search for them from smell. He clenches his jaw tightly, a feeling she can probably sense, and moves one of his hands from the Princess to fall to his thigh. He yanks out a dagger, holds it in his grip, and then slowly pulls away from the Princess. 

   “Don’t move.” He whispers softly. “No matter what you see, do not scream, panic, or draw attention to yourself. Do you understand me?” 

   Fear. What is fear? 

   There are so many layers to that single word, so many ways that someone can take it. Sheik–considers fear a failure on his part. Because the moment he lets fear into his heart, the moment he trembles in the face of an enemy, he fails. Fear makes you hesitate, it makes you make mistakes, it makes you weak. Sheik couldn’t let himself be afraid because something might happen to Princess Zelda. The person he needed to protect, the person his mother asked him to take care of, the person his Tribe swore an oath to–the person who held his heart.

   With her carefully on the branch he throws himself off of the tree, the dagger in his hand that lands deep into the skull of one of the monsters. They crash to the ground with his body and he quickly rolled off of them, yanking another dagger from his thigh and getting back to his feet. The next monster comes, he gives them what he has and one by one the monsters fall. 

   He doesn’t feel afraid. He doesn’t tremble before them. He doesn’t give them an inch that they can grasp to run a mile. He fights the way he was trained, with little regard for his own life. He fights like he has something to protect. 

   When the last monster falls he slides the dagger back into the holder at his waist, chest heaving and breath coming in short and quick. He pushes his hand through his hair, getting it out of his face and made his way back over toward the tree where he had left the Princess. Lifting his head up he looked up at her still seated delicately on the branch. 

   “Jump. This time I will catch you, Zelda.”

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Yiga | Chapter 25

They stood on the high cliff, keeping in the shadows as they overlooked the desert. They had been traveling the desert for almost two days, carefully tracking the Yiga Clan in hopes of finding their hideout. Luck was apparently on their side, in the form of a seemingly stray Yiga soldier who made his way into a deep valley. They had been tracking him for several hours until he seemed to disappear in a clustering of rocks. Upon further inspection, however, they came to the realization that the rocks were an overhang, which was easy enough for them to miss from their high position along the cliff.

But it seemed the Yiga soldier was careless, standing outside of the hidden entrance to their base to smoke a cigarette.  He appeared out in the open once more, then began to pace, slipping in and out of their site.

Paya tensed at Zelda’s side. Her eyes narrowed as they watched the figure, and her heart sank.  “That’s Dorian.”

Zelda peered closely at the figure, quickly recognizing the Sheikah. After a moment, he stopped pacing. He let the butt of his cigarette drop to the ground, then smothered it with the toe of his boot. He put his hands in his pocket, then looked up in their direction.

Zelda pressed further back against the wall of the cliff, holding her breath. After a moment, Dorian pulled his gaze away and disappeared once more into the hideout.

“He saw us,” she breathed.

Paya shook her head. “No. No, I don’t think so.”

“What if he did?” she sneered.

“He doesn’t know who we are.”

“He can easily guess. Who else would be here spying on them?”

“He would have attacked us,” Paya insisted.

“Unless he wanted us to follow him. Lead us right into a trap.”

“We’re not going in,” Paya said fiercely. “We only came to find their hideout.”

“The slate could be in there,” Zelda pushed.

“You said so yourself that it could be a trap.”

Zelda hesitated. “We can’t leave this desert with nothing.”

“We don’t have nothing,” Paya said, reassuring her. “We know where they’re located. We can come back prepared, now. We need to get back and talk to the others. It’s time to plan how we’re going to infiltrate their base.”

Still, Zelda was hesitant, but she nodded. “Have you gotten word from Teba?”

“Link is safe at the ranch, for now. But I will need to get over there and put up a ward. We can’t take any unnecessary risks.”

“Then let’s get back,” she said quickly. “Can you get us there?”

“Let’s get out of the valley,” Paya said. “I don’t want to chance them sensing my power.”

*****

“I’ve got two of my best men on it,” Purah said. She balanced the phone on her shoulder and inspected her nails. “Stop worrying, you old bat.”

“You’re older than me,” Impa muttered. Her brows furrowed as she spoke with her sister. “For the love of Hylia, Purah. I told you not to send anyone on a suicide mission without speaking with me.”

“Impa, darling,” Purah said, rolling her eyes. “I realize your best man is Dorian, and that’s very unfortunate for you. But my men are very capable -”

“Who did you send out?” Impa hissed.

Purah smiled. “Oh, no one you know,” she said cryptically. “Just a Sheikah who goes by Sheik.”

Impa’s breath caught in her throat, and she nearly choked. “Sheik?” Her voice hardened. “Purah! I gave you strict orders -”

“Can it, you hag,” Purah shouted at her sister. “I don’t take orders from you. Understand?”

“Purah,” Impa pleaded. “You’ve put them in danger.”

“They are more than capable,” Purah assured her. “I wouldn’t have done so if I didn’t trust in their abilities. You want Link to survive this, don’t you?” When her sister didn’t respond, she smiled. “You have such a soft spot for that kid! I have just got to meet him in person one of these days!”

“He’s a pain in my ass,” Impa sneered.

“Oh, Impa,” Purah started. “Your body is old, and your soul is ancient. You’ve seen far too many heroes come and go. What a task Hylia has put on you.”

Impa’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“She’s weakening, Impa,” Purah continued. “This world does not have much longer. What will you do?”

Impa hesitated. She turned her gaze to the door as it opened without so much as a knock, and Roham entered.

“I’ve got other things to worry about right now,” she said. “I will be in touch.” She quickly ended the call and met Roham’s fierce gaze.

“Where are they?”

Impa folded her hands together as she regarded the king. “I don’t know,” she said simply.

“Link is a danger to this kingdom,” he barked. “He will destroy everything. He will put my daughter in danger.”

“I agree,” Impa said with a short nod. “But you should know that he will not be found unless he wants to be.”

“I want him arrested,” Roham sneered.

“He’s no longer in the city,” Impa stated. “Clearly he was tipped off. What can you expect? You have your men. He has his.”

Roham’s lips pulled into a snarl. “You are under oath, Impa. If there is something you know -”

Impa stood abruptly from behind her desk. “Silence,” she barked at him. “Do not judge my loyalty to the royal family. I am doing everything I can to fix this, dammit!”

Roham hesitated, holding his gaze on the old Sheikah. “My daughter is gone,” he said softly. “Hyrule’s queen is gone. The kingdom is already suspicious of her absence. I cannot keep this under wraps for much longer. She’s putting herself in danger.”

“I’m sure she’s with Link,” Impa said. “Heroes come in pairs, you know. They like to stick together.”

Roham’s gaze narrowed on her. “I stand by my orders. I want Link under twenty-four-seven watch. I want Zelda back in the safety of the city. And I want your men to destroy the Yiga Clan.”

Impa held her gaze, her expression blank. “As you wish, Your Highness.” When Roham was gone, she spoke again. “Your time is running out. Tell Zelda they are hunting him.”

Teba was pressed against the outer wall of the shrine. Through the open window, he could clearly hear Impa’s voice. He turned his head to briefly glance in the window. The Sheikah still stood behind her desk. When she turned to look out the window, he was gone.

*****

Never in a million years would Link have guessed Kit to be such a shady character, but as he stood in the dimly lit basement, he realized then how little he knew about the seemingly simple bartender.

Kit stood proudly over the display before them, his hands on his hips and a stupid grin on his face. He glanced over at Link as Link looked over the various items on the tables and in the hidden cases in the walls.

“What I tell ya?” Kit said. “Can I be part of the team now?”

“I guess I really can’t say no,” Link muttered.

“You can say no,” Jini said to him. He toyed with one of the knives, flipping it in his hand. “In fact, you would be wise to say no.”

“How the hell do you get your hands on this shit?”

“You’d be better off not knowing,” Jini said.

“Jini was in Roham’s army back in the day,” Kit said.

Jini narrowed his gaze on Kit. “Keep your fucking mouth shut.”

Kit raised his hands. “Relax, dude. Link’s not gonna go running around blabbing your secrets.”

“It’s not him I’m worried about,” Jini sneered. “You’re the one that brought him here.”

“Because he needs shit,” Kit said. “And you got shit he needs.”

“What could you possibly want this stuff for, anyway?”

“To blow the Yiga Clan to bits.”

Link elbowed Kit sharply.

Jini smirked and shrugged one shoulder. “Can’t trust him with anything, hm?” He inspected Link for a moment, then pointed the knife at him in gesture. “You know, I used to see your father around a lot. He was a pretty good guy. Still serving?”

“He’s dead,” Link said simply.

“Hm.” This fact didn’t seem to surprise Jini. “Guess I don’t have to worry about selling black market weapons to his son.”

“Black market?” Kit echoed. “You’ve got a big head.”

“You realize ninety percent of my stock is stolen, right?”

“We’re not paying for your stolen shit,” Kit said.

Jini shrugged. “Link can get whatever he wants. I’d rather not piss off the Hero of Hyrule. Especially right here when he has access to an entire arsenal.” He threw the knife forcefully into the wood table where it stuck and turned his back on them. “You know what you’re doing. Keep me out of it.” He turned to glance at Kit over his shoulder. “And keep your fucking hole shut or I’ll shut it for you.”

“Oh, I’m scared, Jini. The rogue ex marine is gonna come get me.”

Jini grabbed the knife and threw it past Kit where it hit the back wall. “Don’t test me,” he snarled.

“I won’t come to your defense,” Link said.

“Whatever,” Kit said, crossing his arms. “I don’t need you. Get your stupid c4 so we can get out of here.”

Link rubbed his chin. “What if we nuke those bastards?”

Kit laughed. “Right. Like we could get our hands on that.” He hesitated. “We’re not gonna try, right?”

*****

It was mid-morning by the time Link and Kit returned to the ranch, having driven through most of the night from Akkala where they met with Jini. Link didn’t exactly have a plan, but he knew he wanted to blow the Yiga Clan to bits, and he figured he got his hands on enough c4 to do just that. Kit, however, was not as concerned with the Yiga Clan as he was to Link’s confession on their drive home that he was, as he put it, turning to the dark side. He didn’t press further once Link admitted to what had happened to him, but he couldn’t help glance at him from time to time to make sure he wasn’t about to turn right there in the car and kick his ass.

He felt relieved when they finally got back to the ranch. Though he wanted to help Link, he knew he was useless in comparison to his friends. At first, he figured Link was just as useless, but now that he knew of his apparent dark powers, he was starting to think he was in way over his head. Still, he wasn’t backing out on Link now, but at the very least the other Champions could offer some protection should it come down to it. Not to mention the fact that the trunk of the car was full of enough c4 to take out, well, the entire Yiga Clan, and that was all thanks to Kit’s connections. So, maybe he wasn’t totally useless.

Except for Zelda, the rest of the Champions - plus Riju - were gathered at the ranch when they pulled up. Revali’s gaze narrowed on them as Link and Kit stepped out of the car.

“How was your field trip?” he asked.

“Aryll told us you were looking into a source,” Riju said excitedly, though she air quoted the last part. She approached Link, leaning in with her hands on her hips, and grinned. “What’s this source thing all about, anyway?”

Link pressed a finger to her nose and pushed her backwards. Riju frowned and scrunched her nose.

“None of your business,” he said simply.

“Actually,” Daruk started. “It kind of is.”

“It was a waste of time,” Kit said with a shrug. “He was just a guy I knew that I thought had intel on the Yiga Clan.”

Aryll frowned. “He didn’t?”

Kit shrugged. “If he does, we couldn’t get him to talk.”

“Did ya kill him?” Riju asked, her eyes wide. “Did ya torture him and kill him?”

“Maybe,” Link said.

“That’s not funny,” Aryll hissed at him.

“You realize your lives are on the line, right?” Kit asked her. “You can’t exactly play nice.”

“You can’t go around killing anyone you want, either,” Aryll snapped. “We’re not the Yiga. If you do that, you’re just like them.”

“So, I should let the Yiga Clan live?” Link asked.

Aryll blinked at him, hesitant. “Well… I mean… You’re not -”

“Get over it, Ary,” Link snapped. “I kill things. I kill people. And you know what? So did Dad. Get over it.”

“Well, this is nice,” Revali said with a heavy sigh as Aryll stormed away from them. “You have such a way with people, Link.”

Mipha frowned. “You didn’t really kill him, did you?”

“For fuck’s sake,” Link growled. “Who fucking cares? If I thought he was a threat, I would have eliminated him. That’s how it works.”

“He’ll live to see another day,” Kit said, putting a hand on Link’s shoulder. But the conversation was cut short as the air snapped nearby, and two figures appeared suddenly. Link immediately recognized Paya is she withdrew the cloth from over her face, but he did not know the man that stood beside her. His gaze narrowed on them.

“Who’s your boyfriend?” Revali asked with a grin.

“Boyfriend?” A wave of realization washed over her face as she turned to Zelda. “What? No, Goddesses. No. That’s -”

“Sheik,” Zelda said, her gaze narrowing on her friends. “My name is Sheik.”

Paya hesitated, then nodded.

“Sheik?” Revali echoed.

“He’s a Sheikah,” Paya said quickly. “A spy for Purah. We’ve been tracking the Yiga Clan the last few days.”

Link’s brows raised. “And?”

“We found their hideout in the Gerudo Desert,” Zelda said simply. “A couple day’s hike through, in a valley south-east of the Gerudo Summit.”

Link held his gaze on Sheik. “And you trust him?”

“Yes,” Paya said simply. “He’s loyal to Purah and the royal family.”

“So was Dorian,” Link said simply.

Paya hesitated. She turned her gaze to Zelda.

“We saw Dorian at their hideout,” she said.

“I knew it,” Revali said. “Bastard.”

“Does Impa know?”

“I can’t be sure,” Paya said. “We came right here once we found them. I haven’t been back to the city. I wanted to make sure I could ward you here before I returned.”

“A ward?” Urbosa echoed.

“There’s been a ward over the city for the last twenty-six years,” Paya said. “Impa put it up to keep Link and Zelda off the Yiga radar. That’s how they’ve been able to get by undetected for so long. Outside of the city, however, there is no protection.” She hesitated. “I don’t have the same power my grandmother has, but I can at least ward the property here. Once you leave the ranch, however, you will be vulnerable to them.”

“Fine,” Link said. He didn’t care about the protection for himself, but Aryll needed to be somewhere safe. If the ranch could be warded, it would be one less thing for him to worry about.

Paya nodded. She turned to Zelda for a moment, then in a snap, she disappeared.

Zelda met Link’s suspicious gaze. “So, Hero, we meet at last.”

[boneandfur]

Restless Farewell [N*FW][1/3]

Summary: Veronique goes to The City That Never Sleeps to recruit a thief, instead she meets a man with whom she can be ordinary with for just one night. But is he really who he seems? // Pairing: Niles Edison (Thief) x THM F!MC // Rating: EXPLICIT 18+ LEMON. By clicking on "read more", you are verifying that you are old enough to be reading this fic. // Words: 2935 // Notes: this is the precursor to the sneak peek I posted. It is canon-divergent in some places, although it sticks to the canon story-line as much as possible The first fic in this series takes place in NYC, the night before MC and Rye meet with Niles Edison aka Eddie Quick in Washington Square Park. I HC the MC to be in their 30s and Edison to be late 40s. It’s full of angst and smut. If you like those two things, proceed! Lyrics are from the song Restless Farewell by Bob Dylan.

Chapter One

New York City is full of ghosts. 

The first time Veronique, once known as Alaïs Dègas Lionheart, came to the City That Never Sleeps, she was just five years old. She dreams of it, sometimes: Times Square in winter, ice skates and hot chocolate, her mother dripping with rubies and diamonds, a sheik's ransom. The Nutcracker Ballet, sugar plums and chocolate mice, her father carrying her on his shoulders to the castle in Central Park, a fairy tale of turrets and stained glass windows.  

And there are other memories too, darker ones, the kind a child doesn't understand, the kind an adult pushes away. Suitcases of gold bouillon, walking in on her father throwing handfuls of cash in the air as her mother lies on the bed, her mother's bruised eyes and bloody mouth. I walked into a door, ma petit. It was very silly of me. 

Yes, the city is full of ghosts tonight. 

Veronique walks down the city streets without really looking around, yet somehow her feet seem to know where they are going. She passes Times Square in a blur of color and light, Chinatown, with joss paper in the shop windows, botanicas in the Bronx full of colored saint's candles and Santa Muerte, until she is somewhere near Central Park, standing on the path to the castle.

The leaves whisper in the night, their music borne by the wind. Shhh, shhh. She can hear the song in her head that her father used to whistle as he counted stacks of cash, his blazing head bent in concentration. 

"Oh, all the money that in my whole life I did spend / Be it mine right or wrongfully / I let it slip gladly to friends / To tie up the time most forcefully..." 

"Daddy?" Veronique whispers, and only the leaves whisper back. Shhh, shhhh. 

She forgets she is a criminal mastermind, she forgets she is a thief. She forgets about heists in Monaco, and men with cold, flat eyes who stare at you as they kiss the mouths of their guns. She forgets about Rye, the man she loves like a brother, sleeping like a blameless man back at the hotel before their flight in the morning. There is only Alaïs, the Little Robber Princess, and a man's scratchy voice, singing a poet's song. 

"But the bottles are done / We've killed each one / And the table's full and overflowed / And the corner sign / Says it's closing time / So I'll bid farewell and be down the road... "

In the lamplight, the hair is fox-red, and Veronique runs. The man continues down the path, still singing softly. Her hand skims his shoulder, and he turns around. "Daddy?" But it is a stranger's face, craggy and rough and wrong, one eye sewn shut, the other blue as river glass. There is something cunning and strangely hungry in the man's eyes, under the lamplight they flicker for a moment, and Veronique realizes how far she is from the crowds, unable to disappear in plain sight. 

Veronique spins on her heel, and runs. Down the path, into the dark forest ramble, branches scraping her arms. She comes out on a well-lit path of cobblestones, with no sign of the man behind her. Despite her sigh of relief, she stills. She can feel someone, watching her from the dark. Waiting. A beat, and Veronique spins around, whipping her fists up, but the inky shadows remain still, seething with the secrets of the night. 

•••

Three city blocks later, she hasn't lost her tail. She wonders, for a moment, if it's one of the Rooks following her, but brushes the thought away almost as instantly as it comes. They wouldn't be so amateur. 

"Lionheart." That name, the name no one living should know. 

Veronique bolts down the nearest alleyway, and bursts out the other side, her lungs burning, just in time to see a black Lincoln with its lights turned off pull up to the curb. The window rolls down, and the long muzzle of a Berretta points straight at her. 

Time stills, and her mind goes blank. Lionheart. The last time she saw the two of them, it was snowing in the mountains, the sky a dusky purple from the ambient glow of the city. Her father had promised her a golden nightingale that would sing down the moon, and when her mother's lips brushed across her forehead, the little robber princess pretended to be fast asleep. 

"Get back!" Someone yanks Veronique by the wrist right back into the alleyway, hands braced on the brick wall over her head, body pressed up against hers, shielding her from harm. She is afraid to breathe, and all she can feel is his heart thundering against hers, under the cover of darkness. The Barretta aims, and fires, and Veronique bites back a scream as the bullet's impact rains down red brick dust on the pair of them. He grabs her hand, and whispers hoarsely, "Now!" 

Veronique doesn't look back, or up at the man pulling her through the shadows, until they are back in the well-lit streets of Times Square. She is shivering, she cannot seem to stop. Lionheart. That name. How could someone know it, after all these long lonely years? 

"Alright, luv?" The man turns around, looking down at her, and drops her hand in surprise. "Bloody hell, you're not who -- " he corrects himself "-- you're not what I was expecting." 

But who did you expect? Veronique finds herself staring up into the face of a handsome, distinguished older man with dark brown hair gone nearly gray and a trim beard, wearing a brown trench coat and a long dark red scarf. He whips off his glasses, rubbing them with his sleeve, and shoots her a charming smile. His eyes are malachite green behind his glasses, like the pendant she wears around her neck. 

There is something dangerous about this man, she thinks -- Something that could make or break an ordinary woman. He holds out his hand to shake. 

"The name's Eddie." 

She pushes a swath of golden hair behind one ear, and smiles. "Hey." 

•••

"You look as though you could use a proper drink. I know I could." Eddie shakes his head in disbelief. "You almost gave me a heart attack back there. Christ! I thought --" but he bites back whatever it is he was about to say. 

She's still shaking from adrenaline, her skin buzzing, and she realizes they are so close that they could touch, if they wanted. She wants him to touch her, she realizes. To just feel like an ordinary woman for one night, instead of one who can make or break a man. But she doesn't move away. "A drink sounds fantastic. I'm --" Alaïs. It's on the tip of her tongue, and she wonders, for a brief, unguarded moment, what it would be like to be herself with a stranger, just for one night. "Alaïs." 

He raises his brows, giving her an obvious once-over, eyes lingering in appreciation on her legs and breasts. "That's a lovely name -- Alaïs. She was the mistress of Henry the Second." He clears his throat, the distance between them fixed, neither making any move to go off and search for the promised drinks. And then his lips are on hers, the sound of the city falling away in his searing kiss. Her heart rate speeds up, adrenaline pumping through her veins as the kiss deepens, his tongue hot in her mouth as his hands encircle her hips, pulling her flush up against his broad chest. 

When they pull apart, Eddie smiles down at her, so softly that Veronique feels her insides fall apart. "How about that drink, then? I know a place..." 

•••

The hotel bar is well-appointed, with dark, heavy pre-war furnishings, a relic of a time gone by. They sit at the bar, their knees not quite touching, the air between them heady, thick with desire. Eddie levels a wink at her, and catches the eye of the bartender. 

"What'll you have?" Carter, his name tag reads, gold leaf on black plastic. He's blonde, good looking in that slick, clean cut way, and his smile is practiced, white and fake. 

"I'll take an Old Fashioned. And for the lady, a gin and tonic, I think. Make sure it's top shelf, proper gin, none of that shoddy Bombay." Eddie pushes a strand of hair behind her ear, dark green gaze locked on hers for a moment. "Did I get it right, then?" 

Veronique drops her eyes, then looks up at him from under her lashes. "Make it a gin fizzy." 

Eddie hums in approval. "A bird of refined tastes, you are." 

"Citrus Pay, sir, if you'd like to open a tab?" Carter returns with the drinks, bringing out a tablet, and Eddie recoils, a look of disgust crossing his features. 

"I don't go in for none of that bloody newfangled garbage. Cold hard cash, that's what we paid with back in my --" 

Carter rolls his eyes. "Very well, sir. Some of our older guests prefer to pay the old fashioned way, if that's what you prefer." He slides the Old Fashioned towards Eddie, mouth trembling as he tries to hide his amusement. "And for the lady, a Tanqueray gin fizzy, garnished with a fair-trade organic lime wedge, raw unrefined pink turbindo sugar on the rim, hand ground and imported from --" 

Eddie rolls his eyes. "You're not on the pull, mate, you're just serving the lady a drink. No need to slather it on." 

Carter rolls his eyes. "Very well, sir. Signal me if you need another, Old Fashioned." 

Veronique plucks at Eddie's sleeve before he can give the bartender a piece of his mind. She nods to a low-lit booth with a chessboard. "Care to place a wager?" 

Eddie's eyes light up in appreciation at the swing in her hips as she brushes past him, his eyes raking her up and down. "As long as it doesn't involve any of that bloody modern claptrap, I'm all in, luv." 

•••

"Lady's choice." Eddie sets up the board so fast that her head spins. His knees brush hers under the table, and her pulse speeds up erratically, craving each seemingly innocuous touch. "Black or white?" 

His hand lifts the hem of her skirt, caressing her just above the knee. Not so innocent after all. "Black." 

He raises a brow, sipping his drink thoughtfully. "A lady who likes to live dangerously, I see." Surveying the chess board, he moves a white pawn two spaces. "And I suppose this wager of yours is dangerous too?" 

Veronique takes a slow sip of her gin fizzy, seductively licking the foam off her lips, and watches as his pupils enlarge. "You'll have to play the game to find out." 

Eddie inhales sharply as she scoots to the very edge of the seat, parting her legs and moving his hand further up her thigh. "Oh, I intend to." His eyes are locked on hers as she mirrors his move, pawn before the king going two spaces forward. He moves another pawn two spaces forward. "So what brings you to New York, Alaïs -- business or pleasure?" His hand slides up her thigh. 

Alaïs. The name gives her heart a funny little twist, and she realizes she hasn't heard it spoken aloud by another person for almost thirty years. "I could ask you the same thing." Veronique plays with the malachite pendant around her neck, drawing his eyes to her cleavage. "But tonight... It's pleasure." 

Eddie is fighting back a smile. "Are all American birds these days as cheeky as you?" 

Veronique leans forward, long blonde hair brushing the chessboard, and asks in a husky whisper, "And just how long has it been since you've been in New York City?" 

He leans forward, their faces mere inches apart, his lips brushing against her ear, the sound of his English accent making her throb between the legs, like the beat of her heart, aching, wanting. "Too goddamned long enough." 

She turns her cheek, and his lips ghost across hers, the sensation of his stubble on her flesh causing her to inhale sharply, a tiny, yearning moan escaping her. "Eddie." 

He leans back, but his gaze never leaves hers. "You're not bloody cheeky, luv, you're downright dangerous." 

That I am. She thinks of the malachite pendant around her neck, sharpened to a point. 

All thieves live by a code of honor, my little robber princess, her father's voice whispers down the years. Never kill a man just to kill him, for it will always come back to haunt you. But if you need a friend, this stone is your best bet. Lick it and stick it, it'll work like a charm. Keep it close, and it may save your life. But I hope to hell that day never comes. 

Instead of answering, Veronique pulls Eddie's hand right to the apex of her thighs, hot and slick, craving his touch; and with her other hand, makes a move on the board, leaving her queen open. 

His fingers brush the thin strip of fabric, feeling how wet she is. He growls, his voice dark and rough. "What's the wager? We never said."

"That we both win tonight." She slides backwards in the booth, away from his hand, her heart hammering like mad. She must be crazy, she must be foolish, but she doesn't care, she wants -- "Eddie." 

"Right, then." He drains his drink and then throws some cash on the table, holding out a hand. "Shall we?" 

•••

They've barely stepped into the elevator when Eddie spins her around, pressing her up against the wall in a hard kiss. His hands glide up her thighs, cupping her ass, and she rocks against him, moaning as his fingers skim over the damp fabric of her underwear with the lightest pressure, teasing her clit. 

Eddie grunts as Veronique bites his shoulder, and all of a sudden the elevator dings. They break apart, disheveled and erect in all the wrong places. Eddie adjusts his trousers as a dark-haired man with an arrogant look steps into the elevator, followed by a pixie-haired blonde girl who looks as though she's smelled something bad. 

"The ground floor, bellhop," the dark haired man says to Eddie with a peevish air, and turns to the girl. "I didn't know the Waldorf-Astoria was hiring riff-raff these days. I'll have to have a talk with the owner." 

"Oh, Uncle Antoine, don't be such a snob," the girl says. "Like... Oh. Em. Gee!"

"This is your stop, mate," Eddie says with a grimace, slamming the emergency stop button. "'Fraid the elevator's closed for maintenance." He shoulder checks Antoine on his way out, and pushes him and his niece from the elevator into the hall, the pair of them spluttering with indignation. "Stairs are that way, guv." 

"I'm leaving a one star review on Yel--" Antoine is cut off as the elevator door slides shut, and Eddie turns back to Veronique, a smug grin on his face. "Now, where were we?" 

She can't be sure, but when she's sure, she's sure. Eddie has just picked both their pockets. A dangerous man, indeed. 

"Right... here." She tugs on his hand, and notices that there's a slight indent on one of his fingers, where a ring used to be. He can't be married, she frets in her head. But she can't be bothered to worry about it for long, because when Eddie kisses her, firmer than the first time, it feels more meaningful, more right. Like calls to like. It only makes sense that it would take a thief to make her come tonight. 

Eddie's mouth on hers is hot, her nipples are aching for his touch and as he begins rolling one nipple between his fingers, her brain short-circuits and goes blank. There is only this -- his slow, measured kiss, stretching out the pleasurable sensations happening elsewhere in her body. There's the way he tastes, like brandy and citron, and the sound of his deep growl as his hand slides between her legs again. 

It takes her nearly a full minute to realize she's no longer wearing underwear. He must have stolen them. A rush of heat throbs between her thighs, and the sound of his fingers slipping in and out of her slick, wet folds causes the coil of heat to tighten inside of her, harder and harder, biting her bottom lip as his mouth moves down her neck, sucking and nibbling a path to her nipples. The door starts to open, and Eddie slams on the floor button with his free hand. 

"I can't tell you how goddamned beautiful you are," he whispers into her ear. "Because words can't express it." 

Veronique is panting now, unable to catch her breath, and when he swirls his fingers rapidly over her clit, she comes hard and fierce, right then and there. 

"Eddie! Oh, fuck!" Veronique's hips buck uncontrollably, riding the intense wave of her orgasm. He sucks one nipple into his mouth and she screams his name, her legs nearly giving way as she collapses against him, his mouth claiming hers in a hard, possessive kiss. 

"Let's get you to bed, luv." Eddie strokes her cheek with the back of his hand. "Because I plan to shag you until you can't walk for a week." 

"Hurry," she moans.

She's never seen a man slam the elevator buttons so fast in her life. 

•••

Tag list will be in comments section since they seem to only work half the time.