#then all these weird castles appeared on the cliffs and when I landed on one it was filled with a bunch of traps

[egglygreg]

I had a lot of weird dreams last night for whatever reason, but in one of them I was a kid who accidentally fell of a cliff into the river, and managed to paddle to and climb onto a rock at the bottom of the steep bank.

Then an emu came wading over to me and started curiously pecking me and trying to steal my buttons 😂

[pepperycar]

“On the loose!” Chapter 3: You okay?!

Bowser didn’t know what Mario was doing but could clearly see he was distracted, and so he used this to his advantage and swung his tail outwards. Mario got smacked in the chest, losing his Power-Up, he was sent sprawling onto the grass, he let out a long wheeze as the air was knocked out of him. Bowser let out a wicked laugh as he ran “what’s wrong Mario?! Just not feeling it today?!” He roared, digging his claws into the side of the cliff as Kamek used his magic to make stone steps leading up too it to help and get himself up. “Mario!!” Toad And Peach cried in unison, they were by his side in seconds. Peach gently brushed her white cat paws through his hair to try and soothe him, Toad quickly checking him over for any other injuries, Mario still winded responded to their touch and took in a quick gasp before another slower, longer breath. “Awww man!” Toad said slightly strained, while snapping his fingers “that would’ve been such a good kick, what happened?..... what’s wrong Mario? Did.. did he hurt you somehow?” Mario remained silent, the only sounds around them were Mario’s laboured breaths, Bowser’s laughter up the cliff and the rush of Guard Toads running up to help “I-I don’t know..” Mario finally spoke “ it was all fine, but then.. Bowser looked at me and I just.....” he didn’t know how to describe it, would they be mad at him for letting Bowser get away? Or would they be disappointed? calling him pathetic for such a childish fear? Toad and Peach said nothing, but scooted closer to him, hoping that would bring him some comfort “It-It’s okay Mario..” Peach’s voice was kind and caring “we’ll figure this out together and next time, we’ll have a backup plan ready. In case this happens again!” She soothed “what happened? Your vision get weird?” Asked Toad “what’s wrong? Head rush? It is pretty early..” Toad patted Mario’s arm and Peach squeezed his other arm reassuringly. The Guard Toads finally chaght up, some of them still kicking some Koopas out of their shells, most running off in embarrassment or chasing after their own shell. “Princess! Master Mario! Are you lot alright?!” a Green one cried. a pink one looked to Toad as if to ask if he was okay, Toad nodded “we’re fine.” Peach huffed getting up and holding out a Hand to Mario, he took it without hesitation and instantly felt himself calm down. He then jolted upward and looked around frantically “Lu-Luigi? Where’s Luigi?!” He cried. The Guards pointed past the castle as Peach and Toad helped him to his feet, he was still shaking from the adrenaline. They made their way past the castle and looked down the hill to see Luigi next to a bunch of broken and bent pipes, holding his right arm in pain while talking to a Purple Guard Toad “all civilians are present and accounted for!” Said the Guard giving Luigi a salute, the Green Guard from their house approaching “now if you’ll excuse us. We must go check up on our colleagues.” And with that they started to climb the rubble towards the castle. Mario slid down the side of the hill, only wincing in a bit of pain from the landing. “Luigi!” He cried. Luigi was standing against a house wall, not responding but instead hyperventilating, like he had been trapped in some sort of panic attack. ‘Mario’s gone to fight Bowser.. and all I did was stay down here with the Toads.. like a filthy coward!’ Luigi thought angrily to himself, his vision foggy and pulsing with the only sound being his own frantic heartbeat. He jumped when he felt strong, but gentle and warm arms wrap around him, he looked up carefully “M-Mario?” Mario smiled and nodded. Mario let out a sigh of relief “heh-yeah! Y-You’re.. you’re okay!” He smiled, squeezing him tightly “M-Mario. Not so tight!” Luigi wheezed “sorry..” Mario smiled before looking serious again and checking him over for injuries, his right arm was a little bruised but apart from that he appeared fine. “Your majesty!” Cried a deep voice. The crowd of Guard Toads split up their path so the deep voiced Toad could get through, he was huffing and puffing, he looked older than the others,

wore blue pants and a snazzy jacket with a blue bow tie and small black spectacles to match “Y-Your Highness!” He panted “Alah-Gold has just informed me *pant* that the others captured the one who did this!” -To be continued.

[phantasmeels]

More Zelda Timeline Grumbles

Back when, I would accept the placement of the Zelda Oracle duology where it was placed by Hyrule Historia: after A Link to the Past and before Link’s Awakening, giving this Link an entire four adventures under his belt. There was the one tidbit where Zelda did not personally recognize Link when she appeared in the linked part of the games, but otherwise it seemed to fit so well.

Then, the Zelda Encyclopedia changed their placement to after Link’s Awakening, and Nintendo pretty much said that the timeline could change at any time, implying further that the timeline is more up to interpretation than they first implied. After that, I wasn’t so sure about what I had originally thought about where the games go on the timeline.

Now, I feel pretty good about my current headcanon, in which the Oracle duology Link is not the same as the once in ALttP and the Oracle games instead take place some time after A Link Between Worlds. I feel like I have some pretty decent evidence for this:

-Princess Zelda looks different in both games, with the Oracle games having her resemble her Ocarina of Time incarnation with golden brown hair vs the Zelda from ALttP having a different dress and blonde hair. Additionally, when you meet Zelda in the Oracle games, she shows no familiarity towards Link.

-Oracle Link has the Triforce mark that only some of the other incarnations of Link have regardless of possessing a Triforce piece or not, as shown in the in-game art and character dialogue, while ALttP Link does not. This mark is a big deal in the time of Zelda 2, but in no earlier games in the Downfall timeline is it remarked upon that Link has it, aside from the Oracle games in their current official placement.

-In ALttP and ALWB, the Triforce is specifically found in the Dark World/Sacred Realm. In the intro to the Oracle games, Link encounters the three pieces in Hyrule Castle. This inconsistency makes it hard to believe that the Oracle games take place between the two aforementioned titles.

-This is weird evidence, but check the intro sequences to the Oracle games, particularly at the point where Link and Epona are on a cliff overlooking Hyrule Castle. Note the placement and surroundings. I know the topography and geography of Hyrule shifts between games, but if this is the same Link from ALttP and Link’s Awakening, why is Hyrule Castle amid some forest instead of surrounded by a moat in a clear area? What mountain could Link have possibly scaled that overlooks the front of Hyrule Castle at this angle? No geographical structure like this is present in A Link to the Past or even A Link Between Worlds. This opening scene shows us a different Hyrule Castle.

-Otherwise, there is absolutely nothing apparently tying the Oracle games to ALttP in-game as far as I can tell.

Now, to compare to a different set of games, Zelda NES and Adventure of Link:

-The Triforce is not found in the Sacred Realm in any of the three games. Rather, they play a role of active importance in the land of Hyrule itself.

-There’s a narrative emphasis on the importance of the Triforce mark on Link’s hand in these games not found in the Downfall timeline other than in Adventure of Link.

-There’s a theme of sacrificing a life to resurrect Ganon, with Twinrova attempting to do so with Zelda, then Link, and then themselves in the Oracle games, as well as the enemies trying to hunt down Link to sacrifice him in Adventure of Link.

-As a side note, it’s also worth noting that the Oracle games were originally planned as a trilogy of games at first intended to remake Zelda NES, further linking the NES duology with the Oracle games.

This all leads me to conclude that the Oracle games feature a unique Link across two connected adventures, separate from the time of ALttP and ALBW. It also points out to me that at some point, the Triforce was removed from the Sacred Realm for a reason not yet explained, apparently by the royal family of Hyrule as we see Zelda and Link finding the Triforce together at the end of ALBW, and the backstory for the NES games describes a king of Hyrule using the Triforce to rule the kingdom prosperously before separating them.

My theory then places the Oracle games after the NES duology, and the revised timeline of events plays out like so:

-Either at the end of ALBW or some time after, the Triforce is removed from the Sacred Realm to be kept by the Royal Family for the sake of ruling Hyrule prosperously.

-A king of Hyrule as described in the manual of Adventure of Link rules using this safekept Triforce for divine inspiration in his rule, and is so effective as a king that he expands Hyrule’s borders far to its north. For some reason, he doubts he could find a proper inheritor of the Triforce’s power. Thus he allowed his successors to rule only with the Triforces of Wisdom and Power, and hid away the Triforce of Courage only for someone worthy to find it one day, and only told Zelda of where and how he had hidden it before passing away. The rest of this story plays out as written in the manual of Adventure of Link, and the kingdom goes into an overall decline.

-Over the course of the NES games, that era’s Link reunites the pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom, takes back the Triforce of Power from the returned and defeated Ganon, and eventually finds the Triforce of Courage at the end. This brings all three pieces of the Triforce together again, marking Link as the rightful ruler of Hyrule alongside the two Zeldas. They work together to restore the kingdom to its former glory, build a new Hyrule castle among the forests of the land, and place the Triforce in a holy chamber designed to hide and house it.

-The next incarnation of the chosen Hero, the Oracle duology Link, is either born with the Triforce mark on his hand or receives it at a later age. He is eventually called by the Triforce to embark upon a quest, finding the three pieces in their resting place. The Oracle games play out, with Twinrova finally being the ones able to somewhat succeed using mortal sacrifice to bring Ganon back with their own lives, and that is the end of the Downfall timeline games as of yet.

[amenomiko]

Yeah I don't do SLBP fictions but I'm just curious. What if SLBP characters meet with IkeSen Characters?

Nobunaga

IkeSen Nobu: .....

SLBP Nobu: .....

IkeSen Nobu: Well? Does your MC allows you to drink sake from her lips?

SLBP Nobu: What-

IkeSen Nobu: Hm. I see that your MC is not bold as mine, then.

SLBP Nobu: Hooh? Does your MC do it for you?

IkeSen Nobu: *Grins* Always.

MC: Say it again or you will see darkness once I touch your bloody neck Nobunaga (✿❛◡❛).

-----

Hideyoshi

IkeSen Hide: ☺ Nice to meet you.

SLBP Hide: Hehehe same here ᕕ( ՞ ᗜ ՞ )ᕗ!

IkeSen Hide: You are very young aren't you?

SLBP Hide: You can say that ☺. But I admire you so much! You have lots of fan girls 😲✨

IkeSen Hide: They are just a bunch of lovely ladies. I am not that popular ☺

SLBP Hide: ...Senpai 😳✨✨✨

IkeSen Hide: What- who taught you that--

-----

Masamune

IkeSen Masa: HAH! What's life if you don't ride your horse like this ٩( ᐛ )و! *Ride his horse by STANDING on it*

SLBP Masa: *Went pale* Uhh..

IkeSen Masa: Come on, lad! You only live once (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵)✨✨✨✨

SLBP Masa: But I don't think that is safe..

SLBP Kojuro: Exactly. What in the world.. Hey, you just let your master do those dangerous act?

IkeSen Kojuro: This is not a first time. Besides, I'm happy as long as he is happy uwu✨✨✨

-----

Mitsuhide

IkeSen Mitsu: *Grins*

SLBP Mitsu: (´・ｪ・｀)...?

IkeSen Mitsu: Ah, pardon me. I'm just thinking on how lucky you are, living in a castle without having a mother hen in it ( ͡^ ͜ʖ ͡^).

SLBP Mitsu: Mother hen? Well yes, since our food supplies like chicken is placed separately away from the castle.

IkeSen Mitsu: And it is to my knowledge that your MC is very pure?

SLBP Mitsu: *Smiles* Yes, she is. She is very kind too. How about your MC? I heard that she is a strong lady.

IkeSen Mitsu: Yes. She is over there (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵).

MC: *Takes Mitsuhide's gun and pointed it to a cockroach* PEW PEW MADAFAKA OAO

SLBP MC: *Already fainted from so called cockroach +A+*

SLBP Mitsu: (　☉д⊙)....

-----

Mitsunari

IkeSen Nari: (ㆁᴗㆁ✿)🌸🌸🌸🌸

SLBP Nari: (눈‸눈)....

SLBP Nari: You are a tactician you say? Sorry not sorry to say this but you don't look like it.

IkeSen Nari: Am I? Oh.. You don't have to be sorry. Being honest already explains that you are a kind person (❁´◡`❁).

SLBP Nari: No. I'm clearly mocking you here.

IkeSen Nari: Eh? But you don't look like it. Because you are like Ieyasu-sama. He may look strict and firm, but he is very kind (*´ω`*)

SPBP Nari: You are beyond help are you?

IkeSen Nari: See? You even want to help me! I'm honored ((o(*>ω<*)o))!

SLBP Nari: .....*groans*

IkeSen Ieyasu: *Appears beside him* Welcome to the club.

-----

Ieyasu

IkeSen Yasu: 😒😒😒😒

SLBP Yasu: 😒😒😒😒

IkeSen Yasu: What's with that clothes for war? Your helmet is weird.

SPBP Yasu: Heh. Unlike you, you don't wear anything on your head. Don't blame me if an arrow stab across that messy hair of yours.

IkeSen Yasu: Your skills doesn't need to be used on battlefield at all, as your bright yellow armor hurts people's eyes.

SLBP Yasu: And your clothes still have those puffy ball scarf, that's not an armor, that's a winter clothes.

Both: *HISSES* OAO

Sasuke: IkeSen Yasu and SLBP Yasu, my dream came true (´；A ；`)❤❤❤❤❤

-----

Kenshin

IkeSen Kenshin: (눈‸눈)...

SLBP Kenshin: (*´ω`*)🌸🌸🌸🌸

IkeSen Kenshin: Your room.. Is this even a room? What's with this small rocks with weird shape, and those dry flowers, and those mushrooms? Is this a storage room given to you as your chamber?

SPBP Kenshin: *Gasp* QAQ don't call my beloved baby rocks that way! They have a name! You see, this one is Hana, Sumire and Kanae, and..

SLBP Kanetsugu: He gave it a name. Great. Just great (-"-;)

IkeSen Kanetsugu: (눈‸눈)....

IkeSen Kenshin: Be quiet. You are disturbing my peace in drinking this sake.

SLBP Kenshin: Ooooh OAO✨✨✨ you drink sake with plum??

IkeSen Kenshin: Yes. It's the best pleasure ever. Hm.

SLBP Kenshin: *Gasp and take one of the plums in his hand* Can I have this? This plum is so beautiful 😳😳😳✨✨✨ I've fallen in love ❤❤❤❤

IkeSen Kenshin: ...What. *spills his sake onto the floor instantly*

SLBP Kenshin: Yaaay! New friend ((o(*>ω<*)o))!

SLBP Kanetsugu: GAHHH LET GO OF ME! SOMEONE HAS TO SMACK HIM OUT OF HIS SENSES \(OAO)/

IkeSen Kanetsugu: *Holds SLBP Kanetsugu casually* (눈‸눈)...

-----

Shingen

IkeSen Shingen: (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵)✨✨✨

SLBP Shingen: ( ͡^ ͜ʖ ͡^)✨✨✨

IkeSen Shingen: (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵) Dango?

SLBP Shingen: ☺☺☺ Sure.

IkeSen Shingen: Your hair really represents Takeda as a whole, eh. I like that.

SPBP Shingen: 😏😏😏 Heh. It's also like a charming point, as it captured both men and women's heart.

IkeSen Shingen: So.... You even do men like the rumors said?

SLBP Shingen: *Grins* Well, up to you to believe it 😏

IkeSen Shingen: Oh.. *Turns away and eat his sweets with a straight face*

IkeSen MC: You are lucky that your place has some BL 😒

SLBP MC: Pardon? What is a BL O.O?

-----

Yukimura

IkeSen Yuki: ಠ_ಠ...

SPBP Yuki: (´。＿。｀)...

IkeSen Yuki: You eyes are so blue. Are you a barbarian's child? Wait- Even your lord has red eyes. Uh.. Okay.

SLBP Yuki: Well it is created that way. My brother has blue eyes too.

IkeSen Yuki: So.. Your MC. *looks left to right before turning to SLBP Yuki* Does she run like a wild boar?

SLBP Yuki: Huh?? What- (　☉д⊙)??

IkeSen Yuki: Our first encounter was bad. Not only she run and bump onto me roughly, she even make us nearly fell off the cliff.

SLBP Yuki: W-wow. People from the future sure have lots of energy (°д°).

*Suddenly, a R18 book landed in the middle of the place they were sitting* PAP!! Σ📚

Both: *JUMPS*EEEEEKKKK \(O//////A///////O)/

Sasuke: *Takes note* I see, I see, no matter which game he's in, his mind is still a pure virgin (´・ｪ・｀).

-----

Sasuke

IkeSen Sasuke: (´・ｪ・｀)....

SPBP Sasuke: (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵)✨✨✨

IkeSen Sasuke: *Looks from his chest to SLBP Sasuke's toned and bulky chest and back to him* I see. So this is the feeling like those anime characters with flat chest compared to those who has plump chest. *sigh* (´・ｪ・｀)

SLBP Sasuke: Don't let it get to you! I trained for years to get this too!

IkeSen Sasuke: It's alright. I don't think my MC has interest in Jojo-Like Humans as we are all created with a normal toned body.

SLBP Sasuke: Jojo who 🙃?

IkeSen Sasuke: Do you say ORA ORA ORA ORA when you attack your enemy?

SLBP Sasuke: ...No ʕʘ̅͜ʘ̅ʔ.

-----

MC

IkeSen MC: (✿❛◡❛)

SLBP MC: (ㆁᴗㆁ✿)

IkeSen MC: So you can cook?

SLBP MC: Hehehe yes. My family runs a restaurant. And you can sew, right?

IkeSen MC: Yes, I'm a seamstress in the castle (*´ω`*).

SLBP MC: Woww..! That's nice 🌸🌸🌸 I heard that you are brave too..! Unlike me.. My hair were cut into half and.. I was punched and.. *sighs* (´；ω；`)

IkeSen MC: *Sweats* Uh... *Gulps*

IkeSen MC: I'm glad I'm so sassy and just got locked up and the men swoon to my smile. Heh. Heheh. Phew. ʕʘ̅͜ʘ̅ʔ

[howlingday]

Ozpin: Greetings, travelers. You may know me, or you may not. That doesn't matter at the moment. What does matter is this tale I will tell you. It is filled with magic, adventure, and many memorable moments. If I may begin?

Long ago, and far away, in labyrinths of coral caves~,

A mystic crystal was forged in glass, with magic or something like that~.

It's powers had been used for good, and all had lived in brotherhood~,

Until the necromancer attacked, upon her Grimm of bone and black~.

Her black-red eyes with evil gleamed, She stole the crystal and she screamed~,

Now bow down men and all between, Or face the wrath of my magic beams~!

The knights and nobles of the land, Did all they could to stay her hand~,

But not a single blow was struck, For alas, she had the strongest luck~!

Yang: Hey, Professor Ozpin? No offense, but this story is kind of lame.

Nora: Yeah! This necromancer just shows up, and everyone just loses?!

Ozpin: It's called building tension.

Yang: Yeah, but everyone's gonna get bored of the story at this point, and not bother listening any further!

Nora: I bet Ruby could tell a better story!

Ruby: Huh?

Ozpin: Very well. (Tosses the book to Ruby) The story is yours, Miss Rose. (Leaves)

Ruby: B-But I-!

Yang: So, what happened next?

Ruby: Uh, um-!

Nora: It might help if you just read the book.

Ruby: But wasn't that what-?

Yang: C'mon, Rubes! Show us what you've got!

Ruby: Uh, okay then...

She grabbed the princess from her throne, Then trapped her in the crystal stone~.

The king called in his wizards four, And begged them and deeply implored~,

Search the forests, Search the seas, Search in all time and realities~,

Two champions are what I need, To bring my daughter back to me~!

Yes, my king, it shall be done! The wizards said, and so begun~,

A wondrous spell, that soon would find, The greatest men in space and time~!

And that's where our story begins, Our two heroes soon come in~,

There is no quest they can leave be, But only one of them can really speak~.

Meanwhile..

Jaune: I'm really glad you said yes to this meeting. I was kind of nervous you'd say no.

Neo: (Tilts her head)

Jaune: Well, it's just, I think you may have a problem with killing. Or should I say not killing, because-

Neo: (Waves at him, Points)

Jaune: Huh? (Looks behind him) Is that... a mystic space portal behind me? (Portal sucks them in) OH SHI-!

They awoke within a foreign land, Inside a castle oh so grand~,

There atop a throne of gold, Arose the king, so green and old~.

I've called you from the great beyond, To save my daughter with hair so blonde~,

You've sailed across the skies and stars, The Brothers brought you here without harm~!

Jaune: Actually, your majesty, you just sucked us through about sixteen different dimensions, and I have to be honest...

My arms are broken, And I don't know why my chest is smokin'~!

I will heal you with my staff, Tri-Hard works so long as you don't laugh~!

Now go! Ride toward the Sun! No, not to me! They may be our heroes now, But I fear their destiny~.

And so, they turned and rode past the castle walls, In shining codpiece armor that did cradle his chivalrous balls~!

Then skies grew dark, and the road grew narrow, But our heroes would never be lead astray~!

Neo brought her magic arrows, And she can use them to light their righteous way~!

Jaune: (Shot) ARGH! Neo, have you ever used a bow before? (THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!) OW! OKAY, I'M SORRY FOR ASKING! (Rips out the arrows, Throws them back to her) Alright then, LET'S RIDE!

Ruby: Am I doing good?

Yang: Great, Rubes! But did you really need to mention the "cradling his balls" thing?

Ruby: (Blushing) It's what the book says!

Nora: Is it just me, or does this hero sound vaguely familiar?

Yang: I'm sure it's nothing. So, what happened next?

The roads were twisted, and the air was thick, It was clear her domain was as evil as dick!

They passed through the gloom of the Forest of Fear, And the Pits of Disgust, and the Dark Swamp of Tears~!

Then off in the distance so clear, the cold, gray peak of Mt. Nasty appeared~!

Past the Fields of Annoyance, and Dragon Barf Junction, And the treacherous Cliffs of Erectile Dysfunction~!

Now Neo has erectile dysfunction! Only Neo, though~!

Jaune: I know; it's weird. (Neo shrugs)

They arrived at the Evil Queen's halls, and dismounted their trusty steeds with resolve~!

They hugged them goodbye and promised they'd never quit, Then they ran straight away, for they gave not a shit~!

The moonlight shined over the door, And over the gems and the skulls on the floor~.

They felt no terror at their end of the caves, For unless the Bells of Doom tolled, They knew they'd be saved~!

They knew they'd be saved~!

THEY KNEW THEY'D BE SA-~!

Jaune: (Bells of Doom toll, Surrounded by countless Grimm) Ah, fuck...

Yang: Well, they're boned. Unless they fought their way out.

Ruby: It says here the Silent Knight fought her way out and escaped.

Nora: But not the other one?

Ruby: He fought, but tripped on the first swing and knocked himself out.

Nora: Is he dead?

Ruby: Let's see...

Colored gemstones lit up the walls, and formed a rainbow trail up to a giant waterfall~.

There, the necromancer grinned, the Princess stood frozen, yet still so hot beside her~.

Jaune, Yang, Nora, Ruby: Damn...

Then he heard a voice inside his mind, It was the Princess, she said, Jaune Arc, your heart is kind~.

Only light can stop dark~. I know what she spoke of, That to defeat the necromancer, I need to use love~!

Jaune: Stand back, Neo! I'm going to hug her!

She immediately shattered both his legs, and threw him across the room, He probably should have brought some weapons, but now the fool is doomed!

But Neo picked him up, because they're such good friends, Then she used his body like a club to beat their enemy to death~!

He should be in more pain than could ever be spoken, But luckily he felt nothing because his back is totes broken~!

Oh, the necromancer was dead, and the crystal broke in three, They looked up into the light and saw the Princess was now free~!

Jaune: Neo, she's so beautiful! Roll me to her!

Neo: (Rolls her eyes, Throws Jaune at the Princess)

Nora: Hooray! The day is saved!

Yang: That fight could have been better. Gotta say, though, that Silent Knight dude kicked serious ass! Is he single?

Ruby: Well, there's still a few pages left to find out.

They journeyed back to the King, His lands now green with the life of Spring~,

He leapt up and wept at the sight, Of his girl as she carried our hero through the night~!

Heal this man, wizards~! He cried in delight, And they did! Brothers damned, they kept their magicing tight~!

Sadly it was time to leave, so the King said, Fix Neo's ED, and hooray for Neo's Best Team~!

Yang: Great story, Rubes! Nothing left to do but to put it on a shelf and never read it again.

Nora: I wonder what happened to those two after this? Maybe I should write a sequel.

Yang: What if there's already a sequel?

Nora: A sequel as good as good as what I write? Puh-lease! What do you think Ruby? (Ruby is silent) Ruby?

Ruby: (Points to a picture of Jaune walking around, as if it were a live video feed) Look...

Jaune: Neo, look! The portal back home is opening! (Turns to face everyone, Unknowingly facing RYN)

Now fare thee well, It seems that our journey is at an end. We will be here if you should ever need our help again~. (They walked away, but stopped to turn before they take their last step)

Neo: (Kills a guy, Smirks as she maintains her rep)

We all have our battles to fight, and a crystal cage to break through in our lives~.

But when hope is gone, We will be there to help and fight the fuck on~!

Yang: Whoa...

Nora: (Sniffs, Wipes away a tear) That's my leader...

Ruby: (Closes the book)

The End...

[catsandstrawberries]

I Might Like You

Pairing: Jimin x reader 

Word Count: 3.3K 

Warnings: Ice play, smut, swearing, oral (F receiving), fingering, the end gets really fluffy cause its Disney, penatrative sex w/o protection (use a condem kids), Dom Jimin, Sub reader

Summary: You didn’t mean to set your sister off. You never wanted to argue with her. But how were you supposed to know she was going to freeze your kingdom. You chase after her in hopes of bringing her, and summer back, only to run into an iceman, who might just let you ride his reindeer.

The Disney Project 

"Take me." I blanked as I looked at the cocky smirk on the blond boy's face. 

"Not in a sexual way of course. I wouldn't, well I might have sex with you, maybe-but no." 

I let out an aggravated groan and looked the boy in the eyes. 

"I need you to take me up the North Mountain, blondie." 

The boy cocked an eyebrow at me. A stranger who I knew nothing about, besides the fact he knew the way up the mountain where my sister was, and that he was blonde.

"The names Jimin, beautiful. And the North Mountain's a danger zone with the onslaught of the sudden winter, no one would survive." 

"Well, I know how to stop this winter, and I need to get up that mountain." 

The man, Jimin, chuckled at me with a boyish smile. His body shaking from my words. 

"And how are you going to stop the Queen, stranger?" 

I didn't want to do this, but I had no choice if I wanted to get up that mountain. 

"Because I'm Princess (y/n), and that Queen is my sister."  

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

Jimin looked at me astounded, the reins in his hands loosening slightly as my words ran through his hands. 

"So, you're telling me that you were about to marry a man you just met?!" 

The reindeer that pulled the sled in front of us huffed at Jimin, the two of us not appreciating the rise in his voice. 

"Yes, keep up. Then she lashed out at me and poof! Frozen icicles blasted from her fingertips-" 

"No, no I got that part. Surprisingly magical ice powers aren't the strangest thing I've heard tonight." I gazed at the stranger, analyzing the woolen long-sleeved shirt and trousers he wore, definitely prepared to stay out in the cold and not die of hyperthermia. Jimin looked around my age, maybe a year older but nothing significant. His blond hair swept to the side and some snow flurries stuck to his roots, maybe I would invite him to my wedding. 

"You got engaged to a random dude named Hands?" 

"Hans." 

"I'm not buying it. You just met, he's probably a serial killer or has some weird foot fetish." 

"Excuse me! Let me tell you something Jimin. The night I met Hans was magical, and we fell in love. Love is the one thing that has zero complications, and Hans and I have something special. We clicked." 

"You read too many books." 

"What's wrong with reading books?" 

"I'm just saying, I bet you fell for him as soon as you saw his curly hair and puppy dog eyes." I scoffed at Jimin's words, "love isn't supposed to be easy. From what you told me, he sounds way too easy." I turned towards the boy a scowl evident on my face. "What does a stinky, smelly, mountain man know about love? Have you ever even kissed a girl before?" 

Jimin smirked and winked flirtatiously at me, 

"I've done a lot more than kiss people with this tongue." 

Jimin licked his lips as if to prove his point and I sent him a glare to hide the color on my cheeks. 

"Well at least my only friend isn't a reindeer, and at least I don't try to give marriage advice as an unmarried man who's also a strang-" 

Jimin suddenly appears in front of me, his gloved hand covering my mouth, but his eyes weren't on me but the dark forest behind us. 

The reindeer slowed to a stop and Jimin rose from his crouch to a stand, his palm sliding off my face in the process. 

Jimin suddenly flipped around and yelled to his reindeer. 

"Chim, go!" 

The reindeer, Chim apparently, took off running while Jimin fiddled with a pair of matches. 

"What's wrong?" 

Just as I asked, gleaming golden eyes started to peek out from behind the dark wintery abyss, harsh growls filling the air as the pounding of feet bounced off the snowy floor. 

Wolves. 

The predators neared the sled, teeth shinning against the white snow as they attempted to chomp at us. 

Jimin who had been fiddling with the matches finally lit up the torch at his side, waving it in the direction of the wolves, as if it would stop them from attacking. 

"Stay down," Jimin growled at me as the wolves narrowed in on us. 

"What? No! I want to help!" 

Jimin kicked one of the mammals harshly as it flung its body at us, 

"Sorry princess, but I don't particularly trust your judgment." 

"Excuse me?" 

"Who marries a man they just met? Let alone a man named hands?" Jimin suddenly fell forward as the sled hit a bump and I lunged forward, grabbing him by the back of the shirt before he could fall off the sled. 

"His name is Hans," I grumbled as my arms strained to pull him back to safety. 

Before he could thank me Jimin wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me tight to his waist, 

"Hey!" 

I attempted to push him off, but he only tightened his grasp before throwing me at Chim. I gasped in shock as I landed on the reindeer's back, eyes widening at the absence of ground in front of us. The only way we'd survive is if Chim jumped the cliff to the other plot of land that had to be at least 30 feet. 

Jimin's body slid behind me as the growling of the wolves increased in my eardrums, 

"Jump Chim!" 

My insides felt as if they were doing summersaults as we lingered in the air, but almost as quickly as Chim left the ground he was back on the solid earth. I released a breath I hadn't realized I had held in and turned to find that Jimin had cut the sled from Chim's reigns, the wooden contraption left to the wolves on the other side of the cliff. 

Wait-Jimin.

"Jimin!" I shouted, jumping off the reindeer and peering over the edge of the cliff to find him gripping to the edge for his life. The drop below was deep enough to kill him, even with the snow-packed into the ground. I grabbed Jimin by the wrist and hauled him back up onto the snow with helpful shoves from Chim, falling to the earth with a pant as soon as I realized we were both safe. 

"Not too bad for a princess, huh?" I chuckled as I heaved my body up from the snow, brushing away the flakes as I stood face to face with Jimin. 

"I've seen worse." 

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

Jimin and I continued on foot until nightfall and despite the ache in my legs and the continuous chill running down my spine, I refused to stop. I needed to find my sister. 

"We should settle down for the night-" 

"No." 

The sound of Jimins crunching footsteps stopped and I turned slightly. 

"You're no good to the queen if you're dead." 

I tightened my fist, as Jimin redirected Chim towards the smoke pilling into the air, a sign of a tavern that would house us for the night. 

But even as we turned from the path of the north mountain, guilt rose in my lungs, and the image of my sister alone and scared ran through my head. She had been alone for so long, trapped in her room, to protect us, and I was the one who pushed her too far. 

"Hey," Jimin said softly, suddenly in front of me, 

"We leave at first light tomorrow, we'll find her." I nodded and followed blindly as Jimin led us towards warmth. 

The inside of the tavern was filled with large, shouting men, pouring down drink after drink and fumbling drunkenly over one another. 

"Stay close," Jimin muttered while a man in the far corner puked into another man's pants. 

I didn't need to be told twice. 

The man behind the bar had a large mustache and his eyes seemed to bulge over when he saw Jimin before he burst out laughing. 

"Park if it isn't the ice-man. How's your business doing in this weather?" The man fell forward as if his joke was the funniest thing he'd heard in days. 

"Ha ha. We need a room." Jimin replied dryly slamming down a set of coins onto the table. The man peeked over Jimin's shoulder and wiggled his eyebrows at the two of us, 

"lucky for you we only have a single left." I stiffened behind Jimin and sent the man a disgusted snarl. Jimin sighed but took the key, leading me away from the singing drunk men and towards an empty room. 

"I can sleep on the floor," I muttered once I noticed the small bed while Jimin grimaced next to me. 

"Trust me you wouldn't want to." Jimin sent me a 'don't ask' look and with a drop of my shoulders I sat on the edge of the bed, gaze falling to the outside world beyond the window. A flurry of snowflakes floating in the air. 

"Hey, stop biting your lip." Jimins thumb fell to my bottom lip and lingered there while he kneeled in front of me. 

"I might be a sweaty, smelly, mountain man, but I'm one hell of a listener." A small smile cracked across my lips but my gaze quickly fell to my hands. 

"It's all my fault. Ever since I can remember she was locked in her room, and I was locked in the castle. The one day I have with her, with the world, I pushed her with the stupid marriage. Maybe you were right, maybe true love isn't real." 

Jimin took my hands gently and moved to the bed rather than kneeling on the floor. 

"I didn't say that. I just think that you should know someone for longer than 24 hours before you get engaged." He cracked a genuine smile but started to frown at my quiet form. 

"I can help you forget." My head snapped up towards him, his lids lowered and a seductive smile crossing over his face. 

"No strings attached, no 'I love you's' or proposals. Just something to let you forget. If you want too." The flush spread over my cheeks and neck, and I suddenly found it unbearably hot in the small room. 

"You promise you'll still help me find my sister tomorrow." 

He nodded, the seductive smile faltering for a serious look. 

"I promise, who else would pay for my new sled." 

To avoid embarrassing myself I decided to take the first step and lean forward, rather aggressively, but Jimins warming hands on my body were quick to ease my nerves. The softness of his lips melting away all my anxieties as he tilted his head, tongue pocking out against my lower lip. 

I moaned into the kiss, his hands sliding up and down my ribs as I melted into his mouth, my tongue hesitantly prodding against his until he sloppily pulled away, teeth grazing against my bottom lip in a gentle bite. 

"I thought you said to stop biting my lip." 

Jimin smirked, "I didn't say anything about me not using my teeth." 

I chuckled as he leaned me down onto the mattress, "pretty good for an ice-man." 

Jimin leaned back at that, his mouth spreading in a wild grin while I leaned up on my forearms, an eyebrow-raising in question. 

"I'll be right back, don't move." Jimin practically sprinted out of the room while I fumbled in the sheets in a haze. Running over the kiss in my mind, over and over again, the really, really good kiss. 

He kissed better than Hans. 

I didn't even consider the thought that he might be leaving on Chim, my head running wild with what he would do when he got back, what he would do to me. The door creaked open and my heart fluttered at the sight of his blond hair. 

"Keep your eyes up, princess." My body shuddered at his commanding tone and before I knew it he was hovering over me, trapping me under his body as his kisses traveled to my neck, fingers fumbling with the string of my dress. 

"Off." 

I quickly followed his demand and watched as he took off his shirt, his muscles gleaming against his sweaty skin. He paused as he took in the sight of my top half, his hands faltering and mouth lurching forward to take each of my nipples into his mouth, his teeth grazing against each one before releasing them with a loud pop. 

"What did you get?" I asked breathlessly as he dragged my leggings down, the sight alone of his blonde hair peeking out from between my legs enough to make me squeeze my thighs together. 

He ticked his tongue in disapproval and harshly spread my legs open, hands smothering down the skin of my thighs as they trembled with anticipation. 

"You'll find out. Now, show me your pearls princess." His tongue flicked out and he let out a satisfying sigh as he dragged the strings of my underwear down my legs before flicking it behind him. 

"You smell so fucking good, I'm gonna ravish you, princess." 

I flinched as a finger stroked curiously at my folds, gathering some of the wetness that had already peaked through before pushing it in further. I groaned, my head falling backward as he added another finger, his thumb rubbing figure eights on my clit while he hummed in approval. 

"Look at you, falling apart at just my fingers. Imagine my cock in you or my tongue." My hips bucked up at his words and just as the feeling in my stomach started to coil his fingers were gone. 

"Jimin-Ah!" My words got lost on my tongue as his hands slid under my thighs, gripping at my ass as he shoved his face into my pussy. His tongue gliding over my clit before thrusting into my hole and pulsing in and out. My hands struggled to hold on to the sheets as he hummed against me, his tongue lavishing over my clit before pulling away. It was too hot in this room, way too hot. 

As if Jimin could read my thoughts my back was curving and hands gripping to his hair as something cold, and wet was pushed against my clit. Rubbing at all of the right places while the ice cube immediately started to melt against my heat.  

"Jimin," I moaned as his cold fingers pushed a single ice cube inside of me, his warm tongue against my clit contracting with the sharp cold inside of me. 

"Just a little longer," Jimin muttered, pulling away as he messed with his pants and pulled out his glorious cock. Curved slightly, not incredibly long but girthy, a vein trailing the underside of his penis, I wondered how it would feel against my tongue. 

Jimin knocked me out of my thoughts as his lips met mine once again. 

"Fuck (y/n)," he murmured as his head poked the inside of my pussy, my walls contracting as he pushed further inside. He moaned into my shoulder once he filled me up fully, waiting patiently until I adjusted, and it wasn't long before I was bucking my hips to tell him to move. 

Jimin pulled back before pounding forward hard, his hands curling into the bedsheets against mine as we groaned and moaned. My body withering under his as he hit the spot that made starts appear in my eyes, 

"Ah-right there. Shit." I hissed out, 

"I won't last much longer," Jimin growled out, one of his hands sneaking between our two bodies to rub at my clit, pushing me over the edge as I let out a silent scream, my legs shaking with the after waves as he shortly followed in my footsteps, liquid cream leaking out of me as he pulled out with a groan. 

"Shit, you're amazing princess." He muttered just as the lights started to go out around me, darkness succumbing into my tired limbs.  

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

The next morning we didn't talk about the sex or the fact that he washed my clothes and cleaned me up after I passed out. We just kept walking till reaching the rocky mountain leading to where my sister would be. 

"Fuck," Jimin muttered as he turned from the mountain to the pack tied onto Chim's back. 

"I only have one rope, and you don't know how to climb mountains." 

Before he had even finished his sentence I was pulling myself up against the rock, feet anchoring into foot like holds to support my weight. 

"You are going to kill yourself." 

"I'll be fine." 

I ignored his protesting grunt while I tried to find another foothold. 

"Listen (y/n), people who come to the north mountain are usually running away from something, and the Queen seems as if she doesn't want to be found." 

I furrowed my brows as I hiked my body further up against the rock, 

"Well, what are you running away from?" There was a pause before he replied dryly, 

"a payable job apparently." 

Before I could reply, the rock my left hand was holding onto suddenly cracked, and before I could shout I collided with a warm body, his arms wrapping around me bridal style so I didn't hit the ground. 

"See, I told you I would be fine," I said breathlessly, nervously patting his chest and jumping out of his arms before I could think too much about how strong his arms were or how they flexed when he caught me. I directed my attention away from him, a bright reflection catching my eye and upon further examination, my whole body shuddered with anticipation, she built a fucking ice castle. 

"We found her." I breathed out, a smile breaking out on my face. 

I bounded up the ice made stairs, treading carefully so I wouldn't slip, but as soon as I reached the door all of my hesitations came back. 

"You should stay here, last time I introduced my sister to a boy..." 

"No, you're right. Wouldn't want her to find out I fucked her little sister-" 

"Jimin!" 

The boy chuckled before sitting on the steps, eyes glazing over as he examined the ice and mumbled something about workmanship. 

This was it, I was going to bring my sister home, no matter what. 

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

Long story short, things didn't go exactly as planned but eventually, we were able to bring her home and my sister was able to lift the frozen spell and bring summer back.

Everything was right, except for one thing, 

"Hey blondie, aren't you forgetting something?" Jimin smiled as I jumped excitedly in front of him, though his happiness didn't quite reach his eyes. 

"Am I getting an invitation to your wedding?" 

I frowned at that and shook my head, "actually, I called it off with Hans." 

"Oh." 

"Close your eyes," I whispered, taking his hand and dragging him towards my surprise while Chim followed, his hooves clucking along against the pavement. "Surprise!" I shouted as he opened his eyes to see a brand new sled with a bright red bow on the top. For the first time since I met Jimin, he suddenly seemed nervous, unsure of himself. 

"Thank you." He rubbed nervously at his neck, "so I know I said no strings attached, and I meant it, really. But the sex was good, great-but that's not the reason I'm asking because even though I've known you for like a week things started happening and I want to get to know you more-" 

"Jimin." 

His stuttering stopped and he looked up at me, unsureness riddled in his orbs. 

"I know we said no I love you's. But, I might like you. Wanna start there?" 

Jimins eyes widened and a gentle smile spread across his face,

"I might like you too." 

Chim grumbled behind us and pushed Jimin forward, his head butting against his back as he fell into me. Jimins glare at the animal soon disappeared when I reached up and connected our lips, a soft sigh escaping my mouth at the feeling. 

"Thank god you didn't marry hands." 

I didn't have the heart to correct him. 

[grimmseye]

Expectations

Read on Ao3: here!

Fandom: She-ra and the Princesses of Power

Pairings: Entrapta/Hordak

Characters: Entrapta, Hordak, others mentioned

Tags/Warnings: Post-Finale, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Hordak

Prompt from @spiderlondon: "Entrapta starting to feel so much pressure from everyone in her kingdom that she breaks down crying. I could see hordak snarling at her subject and/or hug her to his chest until she calms down some"

Politics had never been Entrapta’s thing. Way back when, her parents programmed a pair of AIs to mimic their own decision making process, and the small nation of Dryl was left to it after their demise. Princess Entrapta had never learned their laws, or the law-making process, or the judiciary system, or really anything that princesses were allegedly supposed to do. There were the bots and there was probably a council of living people to account for those they represented, and Entrapta had never been informed if there was a problem with that. 

Apparently, sometime after joining with the Horde, the AIs had been dismantled. A part of her grieved them, the last pieces of her biological parents. The ones she’d constructed were destroyed in a lab accident years ago, at an age where she’d realized she didn’t need robots to read her stories or carry her to bed and tuck her in at night. At a certain point, their doting had become counterproductive to her projects, and just being able to pace herself as she pleased was best.

That was unrelated to the situation at hand. Extraneous data, things that didn’t need to be considered for this particular conundrum. The problem was that at the end of the almost-end of the world, Princess Entrapta was meant to become the Queen of Dryl. 

Her return from Beast Island came sooner than she appreciated, frankly. She and Hordak had been doing important work in determining what could be salvaged and what needed to be completely and mercilessly destroyed. They had fun, competing to design the most effective form of annihilation, factoring in environmental impact and showmanship. When the others came to visit, they’d take them up to the best viewpoint to watch as a pile of First Ones’ tech was dissolved in flashing, multicolored flames and spiraling rockets that burst in the sky.

And then the message from Dryl arrived.

Hordak was granted temporary leave from his duties, as Entrapta required her lab partner’s presence, no matter how much people grumbled about his tyranny. And besides, he’d never actually seen her original lab. She was sure he’d appreciate the complexity of the Crypto Castle, though perhaps not the inability to navigate it. The Fright Zone, by contrast, had an efficient layout despite its daunting appearance. 

Their ship, reconstructed from salvaged materials and her understanding of Darla, shot over the restored lands of Etheria. Biology wasn’t really her field of interest, but she just may have to take a step into it as she gawked at the creatures below. So many new beasties had woken up with the restoration of magic. The First Ones’ designs especially made her eyes shine, as they were a fascinating splice between the biological and mechanical, which provided all kinds of resources to study with regards to neural integration that could revolutionize prosthetics — 

“ — and it’s really a shame that all of Horde Prime’s data got trashed in the final battle but between you and Kadroh I’m sure I can figure out how you integrated ports into your central nervous system.” As she spoke, Entrapta poked Hordak in the back, in the space between those ports. The skin surrounding them was sensitive, according to him.

Hordak’s brow scrunched. He just tended to do that, whenever Kadroh came up. The whole Wrong Hordak thing hadn’t exactly been well received, but she propped herself up on her pigtails to smooth out the crease with her thumb. “Can I? Study you?” she asked, giving him an enormous grin.

Hordak stared at her, his expression flat but his silence telling. From him, the lack of a no meant that — “I suppose that would be fine. Though I would have thought with as much poking around as you do, you would have already figured that out.” 

“Not at all!” She gushed. “I’ve only collected sufficient data on how they integrate with your armor, but I haven’t even scratched the surface of what it does with your body. Once I figure that out I could make further improvements to your exoskeleton to boost its sensitivity — I really am going to have to start picking up biology at this rate, hmmm.” She drew her feet up, hair forming a cushion under her legs. 

Hordak gave a huff, but she knew he would say something if it actually upset him. 

As the first peaks of Dryl’s mountains came into view, their conversation quieted. Most of the nation was formed from spread-out mining operations, the towns reliant on their dig sites. She vaguely remembered issuing money out wherever a dig produced something new and interesting to study, skimming the details to skip right to the good part before authorizing the transfer. Her bots took care of the rest. 

Her bots had taken care of most things, before she joined the Horde. It had been a rougher transition than she liked to let on, moving into those sprawling halls. 

Entrapta felt Hordak come up beside her at the window, peering down as well. His presence helped soothe her nerves. The Fright Zone had been a home to her, but it only really became that once they started working together. “Tell me about this place,” he said. 

Entrapta faltered. “It’s — well Dryl is one of the smallest kingdoms in Etheria, but we built it right on top of a First Ones’ hot zone! Most of it is ore mining — iron and adamantine and such, but on occasion we’d pull up First Ones’ tech, like that chip that infected Adora’s sword!” 

A smile crossed his face. “That’s why you were so familiar with First Ones’ technology,” he observed. 

“Yep!” She plastered on a smile of her own without real enthusiasm.

The silence stretched out, longer than she thought it was supposed to. Or maybe he was just thinking. It was nothing, probably. She was just getting into a tizzy over nothing. 

Hordak cleared his throat. “What was… growing up here like? I know that the Horde did not take interest in your kingdom until you… fell into our grasp. A critical error on my part, though perhaps one made for the best.” 

Entrapta could recognize his attempt to compliment her and apologize all at once. Hordak was weird like that, but at least he didn’t act other than how he felt. People would say they weren’t upset when they were, and seemed to expect her to figure out the truth. It was nice, having someone who meant what they said, even if she had to dig a bit to find its meaning. 

“Entrapta?”

“Huh?” She blinked, tearing her gaze from the window. 

Hordak was frowning at her. “You didn’t answer the question.” 

“Uhhhh.” As he opened his mouth to repeat himself, she burst out, “Oh right! Yeah, it was great!” And she got to launch into all the intricacies she’d installed in the Crypto Castle, uncertain why he was frowning through it. As the castle itself came into view she squealed her excitement, tugging on Hordak’s arm and pointing, shouting, “There it is, see!” 

She watched him from the corner of her vision, how his frown lingered on her before he slowly turned his gaze to the window. 

The ship banked down, landing rougher than she would like, but all things had their quirks. They were in one piece and that meant flight was a success. She hopped down the ramp, taking in a lungful of the air, the scent of metal and dust tasting of home. 

They’d landed upon the cliffs above her old castle, and Hordak strolled to the edge to look down upon it. “This is an impressive fortress,” he commented, smiling. “Sturdy walls, even from above its navigational system is unintuitive. Excellent design. Where is the way down?”

“Right here!” Entrapta scooped him up with her hair pulling him over the edge of the cliff. He shouted as she cackled, her hair catching in rungs she’d bolted into the cliff, too far apart for any humanoid arm span but perfect for the length of her pigtails. She pushed off the rock to land on the bridge that connected her tower, only to drop again and corkscrew down its support and onto a rooftop. 

She spun Hordak into her arms, dancing him around as she laughed. “That was fun! I haven’t ever brought another person with me!” 

His ears were waggling in the way they did when he was dizzy — recalibrating the bit of the inner ear that handled balance, she was sure. “Warn me, next time,” he snapped. Even when he got short with her, he didn’t shout and roar like he used to. Softening, Hordak looked aside and added, “But yes. It was. Fun.” 

She cackled and took his hand. “Let me show you around!” Her hair grabbed a hatch in the roof to pull it open and swing them inside, another lock grabbing her pad to pull up a map of the labyrinth. There was so much he had to see. 

Her old lab was in a sorry state. Entrapta had almost completely cleaned it out when she was moving into the Fright Zone, and now she had to frown at the disconcerting sight of an uncluttered workbench. 

“This is way more disappointing than I thought,” she stated, hands on her hips. Her voice rose into a loud groan, lamenting, “I wanted to show you my cool lab!” 

When she sighed and looked at him, she found his eyebrows raised. Entrapta gave a bashful laugh. “When I heard your lab was called your sanctum, I thought it was classy.” She rubs the toe of her boot on the ground, smiling up at him with a blush. Truth be told, she’d gotten a little bit of a crush on him the same day she’d entered his lab. He called it a sanctum and hoarded tech and knowledge of the likes she’d never dreamed of, it was impossible not to get the butterflies. 

It makes him smile, a hand lifting. “I am certain that —” 

A sharp blip! Interrupts him. The smile vanishes, turning to glower at her pad. Entrapta taps the notification, pulling up a video of a balding man in a spiffy-looking suit. 

“Your highness!” The man exclaimed. She saw his eyes flit, how he gave a start when he noticed Hordak at her side. “And — and — o-oh my.” 

Hordak growled until Entrapta pushed him away with her hair. “Hello!” She chirped. “Who are you?”

“I — you don’t —?” He frowned, then shook his head. “Nevermind. I am councilman Wren!” 

“Uh-huh.”

“I… am the head of the Council of Dryl?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I and the other council members are meant to have a meeting with you, today.”

“Uh-huh.” 

“... Could you tell us how to get inside?”

Entrapta gasped. “Oh!” She clapped her hands, squeaking in delight when one of the dusty bots animated. “Go show them inside. Bring them here! No! Bring them to the dining room! Do we have a dining room?” The bot nodded. “Bring them to the dining room! And then bring tiny snacks! From the ship!” 

“Your Highness —” 

She closed the video feed.

For a long moment, Entrapta stared at the black screen. Then she realized she was being stared at, and looked up to see Hordak’s red eyes fixed on her. 

Feeling self-conscious, she hunched her shoulders up. “What?”

Hordak blinked. “Nothing,” he claimed. Then, pausing, corrected, “It is strange to hear them address you in that way.” When Entrapta only cocked her head, he said, “Your Highness. At times I forget…” 

“That I’m a princess?” Her mood plummeted. “I’m not, really. It’s just a title.” 

She hugged herself with one arm, holding onto her own bicep as she shuffled out of the room, the pad guiding them to the dining room she apparently had. Behind her, Hordak stammered through several false starts, never getting more than a word out. 

Entrapta didn’t recognize any of these people. Not their faces, not their names. They all bowed and offered a hand, and only stared at her when she gave them a lock of hair. Bow had kissed it, she remembered, with a pang of first intense fondness and then disappointment. She wished her friends were here. Not because Hordak wasn’t enough, but because the others made it better. 

They sat around a rectangular dining table, as the bots brought out the tiny cupcakes and fizzy drinks she’d stored in the ship. Not a single member of the council touched their food, and even though she had no qualms with popping the sweets into her mouth and lounging in her seat, she couldn’t shake the distinct sensation that she was doing something wrong. 

They’d been droning on about something for way too long. She’d broken out her tool kit to start fixing up the bot’s blinky eye, mask snapped over her face and hair bristling with tools. These old things were charmingly dated compared to what she’d been working with. Not obsolete, she only scrapped things when they could no longer go on, just adorably simple in their design. Hordak had introduced her to a world of new ideas, one that was only expanding with each day — 

“Princess Entrapta!” 

The sudden snap made her jerk upwards, yelping as she rapped her knuckles against the metal eye socket. 

She looked up, searching for the speaker but only finding Hordak glaring across the table. “Lower. Your. Voice,” He growled, and Entrapta found Councilman Spanner shrinking in his chair. In a steadier tone, Hordak looked to her, asking, “Princess Entrapta, what are your thoughts regarding the deconstruction of Horde Prime’s spire in Dryl?”

The title gave her pause. He never used her title that way. A derogatory princess at times — though these days it was teasing — but the sound Princess Entrapta was alien in his voice. She kind of liked it. And she really liked him. 

She curled a lock of hair around his ankle, squeezing it in thanks. “The spire, right!” She chirped. “We are absolutely gonna salvage everything we can. First Ones’ tech is advanced but what Prime was using exceeds even their sophisticated designs. The code they were working with was practically a living creature, it was constantly adapting itself, building and breaking its defenses to an almost unpredictable degree, but as you know true randomness cannot be achieved by —” 

“Anyway,” Councilwoman — Bradawl? — Bradawl cut her off, leaving Entrapta to deflate. “Who are you placing in charge of this project? Who are they hiring? How will they be paid? What precautions should they be taking?” 

“Uh — uhm,” Entrapta raised a hand, but another voice piped up. 

“In addition to that,” Councilwoman Pliyer stood up, hands planted on the table, “What of the towns that were destroyed in Prime’s attack? The refugees in the cities? All of our most critical mines were commandeered in the attack and may be too dangerous to allow citizens to return to work, how do you intend to restore them to functionality?”

“I’m — hold on —” 

“We cannot hold on, Your Highness.” It was Councilman Wren again, voice nervous as he wrung his hands. “I understand you are not suited to this job but the unfortunate fact remains that you are the only heir to the throne of Dryl and without the programs the former king and queen left behind, their responsibilities fall to you.” 

A cold chill poured under her skin. Entrapta hugged herself, hands rubbing up and down her own arms. 

“Your Highness,” Bradawl said, “If I may be frank?” She stared at Entrapta, waiting until she got a nod. “You have not made the best decisions for Dryl in the past —” Her eyes spanned to Hordak, “ — and your citizens lack faith in you. I believe that you must focus on rebuilding your image, while we make sure the cogs are turning smoothly.” She let the words settle.

Entrapta didn’t know what she’d expected to get out of this. She slumped into her seat, staring at her knees. Her nails bit into her skin, dragging scratches up and down her biceps. 

“With all due respect, Princess, I would recommend that you cede these decision-making promises to us — your council — and that you fulfill your duty as the figurehead of Dryl.” Bradawl was smiling, now, voice smooth as silk. “After all, it is hardly as though you were their ruler in the past. There is no need for us to throw Dryl into further turmoil —” 

“That is enough!” 

Hordak was on his feet, slamming his hands down on the table. The council silenced, all eyes on him. Even Entrapta stared. His image was blurred by tears she was barely holding back, but she could see him shaking, the snarl of his teeth, ears pinned back in fury. “Shut your pathetic mouths at once,” he spat. “If I hear another word from you I just may elect to put your tongues to better use as slop for the worms! You. Will. Not disrespect Princess Entrapta in this way. Now be silent, and remove yourselves from her castle at once.” 

There was quiet. Then, Spanner squeaked, “But what of Dryl —” 

Hordak roared and smashed his hand into the table. His claws tore through its cloth and into the wood, splintering around his fingers. The man went pale as the others scrambled to their feet, making a hasty exit without so much as a bot to guide them. 

“Send your requests by message. I see no need for Her Highness to endure the sickness of hearing your voice.” Looming over Spanner, Hordak sent him one scampering for the door. He remained poised over the table — over her — breathing hard and growling with every breath. 

Entrapta burst into tears. 

It welled up too quickly for her to stop, the tears pouring down her face and sobs hitching in her throat. Hordak was there in an instant, snarling violence replaced with a gentle yet faltering voice. “En… Entrapta.” 

Embarrassment flushed her skin, and she reached up to pull her mask over her face. Delicate fingers stopped her, before Hordak spoke again, sounding more certain: “May I hold you?” 

She had to consider it before nodding. Touch was good today. He lifted her into his arms and sank into the chair, holding her in his lap. His claws combed through her hair, awkward at first but gaining a smoother rhythm. 

“Do you…” He trailed off. “Want soup?” 

It caught her so off guard that Entrapta started snort-laughing through her tears. His face went red, ears leveling, his face caught in such goofy embarrassment that she could only laugh harder. 

“You said it makes you feel better!” He growled, defensive. Even the fingers in her hair felt petulant. 

Entrapta sniffed, then pressed a kiss to his cheek. “It does, thank you,” she smiled. It crumpled in an instant, the good feelings draining away. “I’m just — they’re right, though.” 

“How are they right?” Hordak glowered at the door they’d run through. “Nothing they said indicated they possessed the brain cells required for critical thought.”

“I’m really not meant for this,” she said. Entrapta arranged herself more comfortably, sitting sideways across his lap, her temple leaned into his shoulder. “I didn’t learn how to be a princess. I’m just going to mess everything up if I try. And I don’t —!” She sat upright, stopped, and slumped against him again. Quieter, she finished, “I don’t even want to do this. I don’t know why I’m all in a tizzy about it.” 

“They were disrespectful,” Hordak insisted. “If ruling is not a position you want, we can figure it out together. Perhaps with… the other princesses.” It came out begrudgingly, and she had to smile. She knew he still felt strange around them. Hordak sighed, then nuzzled into her hair. “We will figure it out. But anyone who attempts to undermine you will be crushed. … In a nonlethal manner.” 

The disappointment in his voice made her break into giggles. She slid her arms around his shoulders, content to just be held for a little while longer. They would figure it out together in time. That was what lab partners were for. 

[thebibliomancer]

Tides of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 21

Tides of the Dark Crystal because Tavra is revealing her spidery fate to Tae!

Last times on book: Amri and co are on a quest to unite all the Gelfling against the Skeksis. They've managed with the Sifa and with the Dousan. They thought they managed with the Vapra since All-Maudra Mayrin was part of the big Gelfling conference call Aughra hosted but they've just received word that Mayrin has died. The group has come, finally, to Ha'rar to find the streets stalked by sinister Skeksis. They also find Tae of the Sifa and have gone off to regroup with her.

Chapter 21

Tae and the group catch each other up, then Amri tries to catch a sea monster.

At the far end of Ha'rar, the cliffs dropped away into the ocean. A narrow, carved stairway cut down the steep mountainside and deposited them at the wharf, a stretch of ice shelf held against the Ha'rar cliffside with stone pillars. Metal poles -- used for docking ships, Amri imagined -- stuck out of the ice and water like spines. But all were empty. What had probably once been a bustling marketplace and landing for the Sifa and other seafarers was now barren and silent.

There was only one ship in the harbor, a familiar Sifa craft with red, blue, and purple sails. Amri felt safer as soon as they were inside, cabin doors locked and the cushions and quilts surrounding them with the scent of Onica's herbs and Sifa fernsage.

Huh! Welcome back to Onica's ship everyone. Once they went to the desert, I didn't suspect they'd be back to it.

Tae explains that she accompanied Ethri to the maudra meeting and since they didn't know what to expect, they borrowed Onica's ship instead of bringing the Omerya. But she wants to hear their explanation first. She called dibs on hearing exposition.

So they recap how Tavra got taken over by Krychk the spider and used to infiltrate Team Naia, how Kylan dream-stitched Tavra’s soul to the spider when her body died, and how they sent the flower petal warning to the world. For good measure, they recap the part of the book after they left Cera-Na.

Tae is curious about the spider thing and asks what its like to do the crystal-singer thing.

“It’s sort of like dreamfasting,” Amri answered for them both. “You know how in a dreamfast, you feel like you’re someone else, just for that dream? It was like that. I felt like I was her.”

“And I was you,” Tavra finished in agreement. “Yes, it was like dreamfasting. I was able to see through Amri’s eyes. When we flew to save Onica from the Crystal Skimmers, it was as if for a moment...”

As if for a moment I was Gelfling again, she had been about to say. Amri frowned. He wondered how it must have felt, if even for a moment. To fly once more, only to have to go back to being a spider again.

=(

Poor Tavra.

Tae asks why she didn’t reveal herself back at Cera-Na.

“What was there to say?” Tavra asked with a spider-size shrug. “My own sisters do not know I am still alive. If this state could be called living.”

=( =( =(

Are there Gelfling therapists?

Onica interrupts this sad line of thought by asking Tae to take her turn to explain whats been going on. She especially wants confirmation that the Skeksis killed the All-Maudra.

THIS is news to Tae but not a surprise and she has to shake off the anger with a sigh of frustration.

So Tae explained that Seladon sent out windsifters with pieces of the crown and a message that Mayrin had passed. No further information.

As was tradition, the maudra gathered in Ha’rar to crown Seladon and that’s when things got weird. Once the maudra were gathered, Seladon announced that Mayrin was a traitor and would not be given burial honors. Then she declared that the Vapra were loyal to the Castle and called for the maudra to bless her ascent to All-Maudra with the insinuation that to not support her was the same as declaring war against the Skeksis.

Ethri didn’t know what to do given this subtle ultimatum and with the Ritual Master and General in the city so wound up supporting Seladon for All-Maudra, figuring that the resistance could still be built in secret under cover of maudra unity.

So that’s the explanation for why Ethri supported Seladon in the All-Maudra election despite having come around to resistance in this book. Cool, cool.

However, Momdra Laesid withheld her support. Amri guessing that she wouldn’t support an All-Maudra swearing loyalty to the Skeksis when the Skeksis have named two of her children as traitors.

And Maudra Fara also withheld her support, I guess having changed her mind from Song of the Dark Crystal she didn’t want to rock the boat.

Maudra Argot didn’t attend the meeting, having important cave business but sent back her piece of the crown.

Maudra Seethi and Maudra Mera blessed Seladon and Tae isn’t sure whether its because they support the Skeksis or fear them.

So that’s a majority vote for Seladon for All-Maudra. One that bodes of a split among the Gelfling. Right when they need unity. Even if Seethi and Argo flip for the resistance, its not looking good.

After the vote, Maudra Ethri returned to Cera-Na to update the Sifa but Tae stayed behind.

Tavra tells her it was foolish to stay and analogizes the current situation to a storm.

“I know that. But the last time I faced a storm near Ha’rar, I could do nothing to stop it. You had to save me. This time, I will do everything I can to do the saving.”

Naia and Kylan glanced at each other and Amri remembered he was the only one who had seen Tavra’s memories and heard from Onica about her Far-Dream of the storm. Naia and Kylan had no idea what Tavra and Tae were talking about.

Hah.

Onica cuts the tension by saying there’s no point arguing about it when its already happened. Tae is here with Onica’s ship so they might as well accept it.

So Amri questions what Maudra Fara will do after denying Seladon as All-Maudra.

“The Stonewood are loyal and Maudra Fara is a fierce maudra for her people,” Kylan said. “I learned that much when she forced us to leave instead of offering us sanctuary. If she’s decided to stand with Rian, and knows that the Skeksis will come for her people first...”

“She may go to war with them,” Tae finished. “She said as much when she challenged Seladon. And Naia, you mother, Maudra Laesid. What do you think she’ll do?”

“Fight,” Naia replied without hesitation. “She didn’t lose her leg running away from battles... But this is wrong! Now isn’t the time that any of them should be fighting among themselves. We need to unite, not break apart!”

Tavra decides that this is why Mayrin was killed, because the Skeksis found out she was going to join the resistance and Seladon would be easier to manipulate.

Seladon has also gone dark since the crown ceremony and there’s rumors that she left Ha’rar or that the Skeksis killed her too. And the Vapra are loyal to a fault, like the Stonewood. They’ll follow their maudra but if their maudra isn’t given a voice, the Vapra will remain docile.

Everyone feels pretty down now with the situation being pretty dire and Tae announces that Tavra should be All-Maudra instead of Seladon.

“This isn’t fair, Tavra! It should be you leading the Vapra -- your voice that should be heard. It should be you standing against the Skeksis for the Vapra, not Seladon! Everyone has always known it should be you!”

Man. I cannot imagine that helped Seladon’s inferiority complex. Never able to live up to her mom’s standards and everyone thought her younger sister was a better All-Maudra prospect than her. Geez.

Despite Tavra shooting down her argument by saying that Seladon is the rightful successor due to being the first-born and that even if she had a body, its not given that she’d beat Seladon in a challenge since her lack of fortitude is what got her into this spidery predicament to begin with.

“And yet you fight on, like a true leader --”

“Because there is nothing else I can do!”

Aw geez.

“Of course I wish I could displace Seladon. Lead my people. But I can’t! The Vapra cannot see me. Ha’rar cannot hear my voice. I cannot wield a sword against the ones that killed my mother. I cannot even hold the one I love. So let it go, Tae. Let me go and find another hero to put your faith in.”

Aw geez again.

There’s only so much a stoic demeanor can hold when someone is piling on and making you feel how helpless you really feel.

Tavra does the thing she’s been doing when she’s done with a conversation and physically leaving the room. Its about the only thing she has control over so I get it. She just squeezes between the table planks and disappears into the room.

Onica changes the topic because she’s been really good at that. But she brings up that they need to try to unite the Vapra but that the Skeksis in the city makes that hard.

Tae tells her that the Skeksis requested that the Vapra gather on the steps of the citadel tomorrow night. Some believe that Seladon will finally make an appearance but others believe that the Skeksis will announce her death.

Either way, that gathering is their best shot to reach the Vapra but at the same time, having the Skeksis present makes it dangerous. Even if they get the Vapra to light the fire of resistance, the Skeksis will be there to see it and so much for uniting the Gelfling in secret, its instead an open declaration of war and one that the Gelfling might not be able to win. Especially with not all of the clans united.

Tae asks Onica to do the Far-Dreaming thing she does and ask for Thra for answers. Though Onica tries, no answer comes from Thra. “It does not always, and we must find peace within that.”

Darnit, Thra.

Although I wonder if this is one of the things like with the Dousan, where Thra isn’t going to answer because the answer is already there.

Onica tells them to get some sleep and immediately gets up and goes to bed.

There’s nothing really that everyone can do but follow her lead.

Amri is still awake as all his friends drift off, the poor protagonist nocturnal boy. And he thinks that what the Vapra need is something or someone to remind them that they’re not alone.

But he’s still stuck on Tavra being that something and he can’t wrap his head around a workaround to the whole she’s a spider thing.

He hears a CLUNK in the night. He thinks its the boat bumping against the wharf but it keeps CLUNKing followed by splashes so now he starts wondering about that story he heard about a water spirit that lures little Gelflings into the sea.

Gelfling or humans. If you live where theres a sea, you’re gonna worry that there’s something in it that will drag you in.

He tries to wake up Naia but she’s fast asleep. So Amri goes out onto the deck alone, in the middle of the night.

Oh, Amri. Never become a horror movie character.

You’re probably okay here because the book doesn’t switch POVs.

On the deck, he becomes distracted by the light of the Waystar up on the cliffs.

Amri walked out, staring up at it. It had guided ships into the wharf, had brought travelers north as they came to meet with the All-Maudra. To see the beautiful Ha’rar, a place whose name was known as far and wide as the Gelfling race had traveled. A place now as vulnerable as Domrak. As silenced as a Silverling in the body of a spider.

There’s still splashing and clunking against the boat, so like a smart person, he leans over the side to look into the water.

He sees a long shape with a long tail swimming and bumping into the ship. Amri calls for Naia or Tavra but neither his voice nor the collisions seem to wake them up.

So like a smart person, Amri grabs a coil of rope, ties a slipknot, throws the loop at the sea creature just as it breaches, snagging it. Giving him rope burn because this thing can pull.

“Naia!” he shouted. She didn’t answer. She didn’t come.

A loop of the rope came racing up behind him. Before he knew what was happening, it caught him around the ankle. He lost his footing as the line shot over the side of the rail, tangling around his legs. Then he was falling over the rail, crashing into the frigid ocean water below.

Well, Amri. You only have yourself to blame for this.

You Ahab’d yourself.

[jq37]

The Royal Report– A Crown of Candy Ep 10 Blood and Bread

Come Together

Welcome back and I hope you took advantage of the opportunity to catch your breath because the Rocks family is granted no such reprieve. Fresh off the heels of Jet’s tragic murder by Ciabatta and Calroy answering the question of whether a cake can coup, we pick back up with Theo who’s foiled his imprisonment by making use of the skills Lazuli taught him and magically busting down the door. Then, he makes use of his other knight skills and absolutely eviscerates the shocked guards outside. 

He runs for the King’s quarters and, obviously, doesn’t find Amethar as he’s in a smoking crater outside, but he does run into Caramelinda who he immediately informs of the situation as best he can. Cara is confused, even as guards (Cal’s men) show up and start firing on them. She tries to get them to stop on her royal authority but Theo hears a lot more soldiers coming on a Nat 20 Insight and is like, “We need to go.” Cara does her own Insight check and has the good sense to follow him.

They run and Theo takes her into a little secret door in one of the hallways. Just in time too, because Cal walks by all camp-y kids movie villain, clearly telegraphing his intention to kill Cara, and tries drawing her out by saying some bait-y stuff about Amethar but Theo says they should ignore it and they escape down a spiral staircase instead of confronting Cal.  

Meanwhile, Ruby (still Invisible) runs across the bridge, feels Jet pass, and keeps running, all the way to the standing stones of the Sugar Plum Fairy. 

“Bring her back,” she demands, tearfully. “I know you can bring her back. What is the point of having magic if I can’t bring her back. Please.”

The SPF appears and gently says that the nature of the world is such that she can’t bring Jet back. However, it may be possible to bring them to Jet. Go north to the Stone Candy Mountain, she says. That’s where she is and where her sister is waiting.  

Ruby then sneaks her way back to the castle, and sees Kerradin on his way there with about 30 knights. On double Nat 20s, when she gets to the castle, she clocks her dad immediately. Cumulous (who was also in the general area Ruby just came from and can now see where she is based on the glow of her magic, though he doesn’t know it’s her) also sees Amethar. Ruby, horrified at the thought of losing both her sister and father within about five minutes, runs to him.

Liam, still in the lingerie shop, hears Ciabatta wonder where the “witch boy” (Liam himself) went and also gives away some plot info for free: Alfredi has been hanged and she was apparently the only person skilled enough to make watersteel daggers. They’re fresh out. They leave and Liam pops out of the Rope Trick. He checks the glowing chest and sees that all that’s in there is a glowing rock--ambush bait. He then wraps Jet’s body in tasteful lingerie (sure), puts it in a cabinet for later retrieval, and takes her sword and locket for Ruby before stealthing away to find the others. 

Amethar, fallen but not Fallen, unsteadily picks himself up, just in time to see the magic glow of his invisible daughter’s footsteps approaching him. “Pops, it’s me,” she says, voice wavering. “I think Jet is dead.”  Amethar gives her a huge dad hug as she channels some of his barbarian energy, vowing to kill whoever did this, and their children, and drown their lands. The very stealthy Liam and Cumulous also show up for this--Liam joining the hug and Cumulous just announcing his presence awkwardly when his name is mentioned. 

Liam lets them know where Jet’s body is and also gives Jet’s things to Ruby. Ruby takes the sword but haltingly insists that Liam keep the locket--it won’t work alone, and besides, Jet would want him to have it. 

Cara and Theo pop out of the secret tunnel and the kids instantly Perception/Insight check her (no doubt feeling burned after Cal’s betrayal). Ruby, on a 23, gets nothing sinister--it’s just her extremely freaked out mom. With that reassurance, she reveals that Jet is dead and Liam chimes in that it was Ciabatta and his men. Liam accusatorily mentions the letter that got them ambushed and Cara claims to not only not know about the letter, but to not know the lingerie lady at all.

Ruby lets everyone know that Kerradin is on his way and Cara says that most of the Castle Candy soldiers have been sent to Castle Many Licks on Cal’s orders. It’s mainly just Cal’s men in the castle--the castle that is currently being redecorated with House Cruller banners. Translation: They’re F’d. 

Amethar remembers that Manta Ray Jack is still in the harbor and--after talking Liam out of going rogue and tracking Kerradin--the group decides getting to him and making a break for it is the best bet. They pick a path that will go past the lingerie shop so they can pick up Jet’s body on the way.

They see torches being lit and hear dogs--clearly a search party coming for them--so Ruby uses Prestidigitation to scent the path with anise so the dogs will be confused (which Brennan rewards with disadvantage on tracking checks). Ruby and Amethar are both mortally wounded, but they decide that getting away ASAP is a better option than waiting to tend to their wounds. They roll initiative and head off.

The Sweet Escape

This is another unusual combat episode from Crown of Candy. There’s not so much brawling as there is running and trying to avoid fighting. I don’t think a play by play will be very interesting, so I’ll just give a quick rundown of the highlights. 

The mechanics of this is it’s basically a series of group stealth checks until they get to where they’re going. Ruby still has 25 mins left on her invisibility and Brennan lets her cast Mage Hand with a 1st level spell slot to keep Theo’s armor from clinking and giving him disadvantage for seven rounds. 

They fail their first round of checks and are spotted by hot-hounds (hot dog hounds, of course). Cumulous tells the group to keep going and he stays behind to handle it. He kills the dogs (yay?) but alerts other guards in doing so. Liam, with his crossbow, headshots the guard about to make trouble for Cumulous and then Cumulous steals his chariot. 

Ruby, cantrip master, uses her Mage Hand (feeling a kiss on her cheek as she does) to hold a lantern and send it in a different direction, creating more confusion for the people tracking them.

Cumulous, on a Nat 20 Animal Handling check, fully on purpose (and after taking a bunch of damage from being fired on by ballista) drives the chariot off a cliff.

We’ll get back to that.

Liam, four rounds in, remembers that, oh yeah, he *does* have Pass Without Trace which gives +10 to all stealth checks--a little late but a game changer nonetheless. As he casts it, Cumulous feels the call of something like the Hungry One but not the Hungry One and Liam feels that same weird magical feeling he did running from the Cathedral in Comida.

Cumulous, as he rockets off the cliff (killing the horses in a very Hardwon Surefoot move), uses Fluffwind (his staff) to cast Gaseous Form--dropping his speed to a snail’s pace but saving his candy bacon.

The rest of the group does stealth checks until they make it to Dulcington. Ruby sets a tent on fire with her lantern as a distraction and all of them have to cross a river (the bridge is occupied by guards). Ruby gets a Nat 1 and falls in but Liam gets a Nat 20 and helps her across.

Unfortunately, the initial splash into the river alerted guards and they’re run up on by Ceresian soldiers. But, really, it’s more of a minor annoyance. Between Peppermint Batman critting, Ruby doing some sniping (losing her Invisibility in the process), Theo desperate to not see another Rocks dead on his watch, and Amethar in a full dad-rage, these guys are dead before they even have a chance to attack.

Cumulous drops Gaseous Form and anime sprints back to the gang. 

Amethar and Liam grab Jet’s body and then run for the harbor with the others. Theo Messages Jack to get the ship ready because they’re gonna be there in a minute and they need to go NOW.

Enemy archers fire on them but they ignore it and just keep running. When they show up, Jack is confused but they’re like, “Sail now, questions later.”

Brennan says there’s no way they’re gonna get the ship going before soldiers catch up with them but he obviously didn’t count on Amethar going into a rage and just pushing the boat himself, snapping the mooring keeping it docked. As soldiers ride up on them, Ruby uses Mage Hand to help with the few remaining ropes and Theo casts Knock to undo the reins on one of the horses, sending the mounted soldier flying. 

They narrowly escape up the river, and that’s where we end our episode. 

Thing I’m Concerned About

This is something I mentioned as an aside in the last recap and it seems that it’s become relevant so I’ll be more explicit now. When the tear-away lingerie came up in episode one, it seemed like it was news to Cara (and I’m sure Brennan too because it was obv off the cuff). But last episode, the letter they got seemed to indicate that she was in cahoots with that person. But then in this episode, after a pretty high Insight check that indicated she was on the level, she said he didn’t know about any lingerie lady. Which seems to indicate setup, right? Which would make sense there was nothing at the shop and assassins waiting (assassins who seemed unsurprised to see the kids and not her for what it’s worth). But the way they got the letter, with Cara leaving the room, it seems like she would have seen it. So was that even really her? Is there a bad guy walking around with Disguise Self? If so, Bad! Also Bad! if she actually does turn out to be bad and it was like a DC 30 Insight check to find out, “Surprise! Your mom has been secretly evil this whole time!” Cara calls Ciabatta Imperator before she gets that info and idk if that’s Brennan misspeaking or A Clue and it *better* be the first because I don’t have the energy for *another* betrayal right now. It does seem like exactly the kind of thing you’d use in story to bait the twins if you knew them though, right? Like anyone who even sorta knew them (but especially someone who really knew them like Cal--was he there for that lingerie conversation in episode 1?) would know that was surefire twin-bait. 

Don’t love that the SPF is, with different faces and different tactics, corralling everyone to the Mountains. I don’t know what her game is but I Do Not Trust fae. Also, maybe I’m being paranoid but when the SPF said, “Your sister is waiting,” I def had a burst of...your sister as in Jet or your sister as in this bastard child who we know nothing about? Wouldn’t that be such a dirty trick? To skirt fae lying rules (idk if they exist in this world) by talking about Jet a bunch and then saying, “Your sister is waiting,” about a totally different (half) sister?

So who all is working together? Cal last week said he was working with Alfredi and Ciabatta was also working with Alfredi. Plus, Kerradin was there (which, sidenote, WILD. Did Alfredi just take all the heat or something?). But I can't imagine everyone’s goals are fully synced. Ciabatta seems to mostly care for his own power. The Pontifex wants the Ramsian Doctrine fulfilled presumably which puts her at cross-purposes to Cal. What’s everyone’s game here. Is any of this stuff just happening independently of the others and Amethar just has hella enemies/has just lost Concord protection?

All this “like the Hungry One but not the Hungry One” stuff has me suspicious. People have mentioned to me that the noises that Brennan makes when he brings that up are kinda snorty and pig-like which raises two possibilities. It could be the vengeful spirit of Preston--which would go with the ice motif since he’s a peppermint pig and we all know peppermint is the cold magic of candy. It could also be related to the Great Boar of the Meatlands. I can see a pig spirit showing favor to an angry kid who took good care of his best pig friend who then tragically died, even with the cross-food barrier. Idk, we’ll see how this goes.

Ruby, my girl, please don’t do anything rash in your grief. You’re 1000% valid but please stay as levelheaded as you can. 

Five More Things

Lol at Ally very confidently saying they don’t have Pass Without a Trace even after being reminded of it and then three turns later being like wait nevermind. 

Killshot Thompson at it again with those precision voice breaks at all the most heart-crushing times. I would have loved to have seen Emily’s reactions from video village during the scene with Amethar. And then the, “I can’t lose another. Please,” to Liam? Ugh. My heart.

Ally’s “WHY?” when Manta Ray Jack started ringing that bell was beautiful.

“Another secret black woman,” might be the funniest thing Lou has ever said. And he’s said a lot of funny things. He originated, “Somebody call Wizards of the Coast.”

A second set of double Nat 20s from Siobhan! She also did it in Fantasy High Sophomore Year when freeing Fig from mind control. The only other person I think who’s done it is Lou as Fabian during the arcade battle in FH S1. You can’t really tell because of the way I glossed over the nitty gritty of this ep, but the Nat 20s were really out of control this session. It’s just that, as the cast said in Adventuring Party, Nat 20s don’t get you spectacular things this season. They just mean you get to not die that turn.

[flowersandskeletons526]

“Come Home With Me” - Glitra Fanfic

Guess who needs a break from angst! Plot twist, it’s me! This is a future AU that is really just baseless fluff because I can. Enjoy!

----

Glimmer perched on the edge of a balcony overlooking Brightmoon. Thunderheads toiled over the mountains in the distance, the fresh scent of rain hanging in the air. The tail end of summer brought a cool breeze throughout the kingdom that trailed its fingers through Glimmer’s hair, raising goosebumps along her arms as she watched the sun fall to the horizon. Golden light cascaded over the castle behind her. 

She pulled one leg up to her chest and rested her head on her knee. Footsteps clicked on the marble tiles behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder. Adora smiled and swung her legs over the railing beside Glimmer. 

Her sandy hair was pinned away from her face, free from the ponytail she always used to wear. Her pale blue eyes were calmer, wiser, her face hollowed just a touch by the years. It was enough for Glimmer to notice how mature she looked now. A simple longsword rested on her hip. The old Horde coat was gone, replaced by a red leather jacket with She-Ra’s tiara in gold on the back. A long scar ran from her forehead to her cheek and skirted around the outer corner of her eye, a reminder from the last battle of the war. 

Glimmer could hardly believe six years had gone by so fast. 

“Hey,” Adora said. 

Glimmer smiled. “Hey.”

“How long have you been out here?” 

“Not long. Just enjoying the golden hour.”

“You really should wear a coat out here. It’s starting to get cold.” 

Glimmer shrugged and looked out over the landscape. “It’s not bad.” 

“Still.” Adora took a deep breath and blew it out through her mouth. “Are you going to see her today?” 

“I think so.”

“I would get going if you’re going to. I don’t want you flying home in the dark.” 

“Oh please, I’ll just teleport if it gets too late.” 

“Still.” 

Glimmer chuckled and gave Adora a quick squeeze. Her smile faded as she looked towards the whispering woods, fiddling with one of her silver helix piercings. “You should come with me,” she suggested. “I know how she gets sometimes but you guys have made up and I think she really would like to see you.” 

Adora shook her head, smiling sadly. “It’s okay, Glimmer. That’s your guys’ time with each other. Besides, I know Catra likes her space. If she wants to see me, she can have you tell me where she is and I’ll go find her.” 

“She does want to see you. She just doesn’t know how to say it.” 

“I know.” Adora put an arm around Glimmer’s shoulders and ruffled her hair. Glimmer laughed, combing her hair back into place as she swatted at Adora’s hands. Adora nudged her shoulder against Glimmer’s. “The rest of the princesses and Seahawk are coming over for game night later. We’ll be in the conference room when you get back.”

“You mean the war room?”

“Can’t really call it a war room now.” 

“Thank the stars for that, right?” 

“Yeah, no kidding.” Adora stepped back onto the balcony and hugged Glimmer. “Are you going to stay the night at her place or will I see you later?” 

“I’ll probably be back.” 

“Okay. I’ll see you then.” 

Glimmer stood on the railing of the balcony as Adora disappeared into the castle. She took a deep breath. Glittering crystalline wings appeared in a flash of light behind her. They were bright and ethereal like her mother’s, only she could will them in and out of existence. She smiled, remembering when Angella first taught her to conjure them. 

Entrapta, in her desperate race to understand the portals, found a way to reach into the space between dimensions that trapped Angella when the first portal was opened. After the war ended, she had nothing more to do with her research. Glimmer thanked her for it every day. 

Although both her parents were back, they all decided she would keep her position. Glimmer had proven herself as a queen, organizing relief missions and rebuilding the fallen kingdoms around Etheria. The princess alliance needed their leader, and the citizens needed consistent leadership in the aftermath of the war, especially after Angella’s sudden disappearance. They would help her govern, but the kingdom was hers to lead. 

“Besides,” Angella had added when they discussed it. “It’s time I retire. The new princess alliance ended the war, and now it’s your turn to lead.” 

And they did. Etheria prospered now in the wider universe, more than it ever had before. Glimmer thanked her lucky stars for that as she watched the world go on around her. It made her happy to see the people living their lives free of fighting, free from the constant threat of raids and sieges. For the first time in her life, the world was calm. 

A breeze caught her wings. With a grin, she leapt off the balcony and soared through the air. She glided over the forests surrounding Brightmoon, relishing the wind on her face as she headed for a little patch of woods at the top of a sheer mountainside cliff. Spiraling down, she slipped through the canopy and landed outside a small clearing. 

A squat cottage sat between the trees, decorated with flowering ivy that climbed up the walls. To the side, bordering the house, was a flourishing vegetable garden and a fruit tree a little taller than Glimmer. A figure clad in black pants and a flowy red tank top stooped over in the garden, a mane of messy brown hair obscuring their face. 

Glimmer smiled as she leaned against a tree and crossed her arms. “Perfuma would be proud of what you managed,” she said. 

Catra bolted upright. A bright grin lit her face. “Glimmer!” 

They leapt into each other’s arms, and Catra lifted Glimmer off her feet and spun her around. Setting her on the ground, she caught her lips in a gentle kiss. Glimmer wrapped her arms around Catra’s neck and grinned up at her. 

“Miss me?” she teased. 

“I didn’t know you were coming today,” Catra said. 

“I figured I would stop by and check up on you since you’re all alone out here.” 

“I have Spike.” 

“Spike is a bunny that sometimes comes around because you give her carrot tops.”

“She still counts.” Catra took Glimmer’s hand and led her towards the cottage. “Come inside. I was just about to head in for the day.” 

Glimmer followed Catra into the cottage, a fire crackling low in the hearth in the small living room. They fell into the bed together, laughing in each other’s arms. Catra pressed a kiss to Glimmer’s jaw and rested her head on her chest. Glimmer smiled as she brushed her fingers through Catra’s mane, giggling as Catra kissed her neck and wrapped her arms around her waist. 

“I missed you, Princess,” Catra said. “I haven’t seen you in like a week.” 

“I know, I’m sorry,” Glimmer said. “There’s a new village being built and I’ve been dealing with all the problems coming out of that.” 

“How are things besides that?”

“They’re good. Things are good now.” 

“Don’t I know it.” Catra pushed herself up on her arms, smiling down at Glimmer. The queen cupped her face and smiled lovingly. “Can you believe it’s been four years already?” 

“They’ve gone by so fast.” 

Their first truce was made on Horde Prime’s ship, isolated together and trying to survive in the face of an enemy greater than either of them had ever imagined. The progress of their relationship wasn’t fast by any means after the war ended. It took months for them to make up, to apologize for everything they had done to each other, and another year and a half before anything blossomed between them. Catra made her home in the forest long before them. 

Glimmer thought of their first kiss on the edge of the cliff. She thought of Catra apologizing to Angella after she returned, apologizing to Micah and all the other princesses who now considered her a friend. She led relief missions at Glimmer’s side and helped rebuild Etheria. She fixed things. 

The queen pulled Catra into a long, easy kiss. “Come with me to the cliff. I want to watch the sunset,” she said. 

“Okay.” Catra helped her to her feet, and they walked through the trees hand in hand. They sat cross legged a short distance from the edge, watching the sun as it slipped beneath the horizon. Glimmer leaned her head on Catra’s shoulder. Catra took her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles and holding their clasped hands in her lap. “What are you thinking about, Princess?” 

“Adora and I were talking about you earlier,” Glimmer said. “She says that if you want to see her, she can come out here and so you two can visit.” 

Catra straightened a touch. “I see her when I come to Brightmoon.”

“You haven’t come to Brightmoon in months.” 

“Princess, you know why I don’t come into the kingdoms.” 

“I know, but still. Scorpia and Adora miss you. Double Trouble asks about you when they’re around. I know Entrapta misses you, in her own weird way, and I…” Glimmer squeezed her hand. “I miss you. I just wish you weren’t living out here on your own.” 

“I miss you too, and them, but I have no problem living out here. I’ve got my garden to work on, I’ve got the flowers, I’ve got Spike. This place, it… it’s mine. I’ve never had that before.”

“You would have a place in Brightmoon, with me.” 

“With you, but not in Brightmoon.” Catra stood, staring out over the sunset as the sky turned purple and gold. Glimmer stood beside her. “We’ve gone over it a thousand times, but I still don’t forgive myself for all of it. I’ve told you that. Being in Brightmoon, living in a place I tried to destroy, it just doesn’t seem right to me.”

“I love a girl that I tried to kill.” Glimmer hugged Catra from behind, feeling her ropy muscles shift as she relaxed into her embrace. “Things change. We’re not teenagers fighting a war anymore. Everything is different now.” 

Catra sighed and held Glimmer’s hand. “I’ve been thinking about that. I just can’t.” 

“You could always come visit more. Spend the night with me.” She squeezed Catra’s waist, drawing a laugh from her. 

“Tempting. Maybe I’ll try to get over there more just because you promised me that.” 

Glimmer giggled and kissed the nape of her neck. “And I’ll try to come out here more often.” 

“Good.” Catra paused and lifted her head towards the darkening sky. Stars appeared in the wide expanse of navy blue, thousands upon thousands twinkling above them amidst the swirling clouds of the galaxy. She turned and stepped out of Glimmer’s arms, taking both of her hands. “Come live with me.” 

Glimmer’s eyes went wide. “What?” 

“Right here, just you and me and Spike. We can build a bigger house if you want. There’s running water set up. We’ve got the garden and the tree and I already hunt for anything else I need. You wouldn’t even be that far away from Brightmoon! We’ll tell Adora and Scorpia and all of them where we are so they can come visit, and any time you want to go back, you can just teleport us there.” Catra squeezed Glimmer’s hands and leaned in, her mismatched eyes soft and hopeful, pleading with her lover as she smiled. “We could be happy here. Together.” 

“Catra, I…” 

Glimmer sighed, closing her eyes. She didn’t want to say this. Even after so long, she didn’t want Catra to think that yet another person was leaving her. She promised herself that of everyone Catra ever loved, she would be the one to stay. She promised. 

“I can’t,” she finally said. “I’m a leader. I have responsibilities in Brightmoon, I can’t leave.” 

“Your mother and father can rule. And it’s not like you would be far from there. I can practically see the castle from where we’re standing.” 

“My parents aren’t leaders anymore. You knew about my talk with them. People need a leader that’s going to stay and after everything that’s happened… they need a queen.” 

“Well, I need Glimmer. Not a queen, just you.” Taking one of Glimmer’s hands in both of hers, she fell to one knee. Glimmer covered her mouth, eyes wide as Catra looked up at her. “I want a life with you, Glimmer. I want a home with you, a place just for us. I love you.” She held her breath. “Will you make a life with me?” 

Glimmer grinned as tears welled in her eyes. “Of course, I will.” Placing a hand under Catra’s chin, she pulled her into a passionate kiss, wrapping her arms around Catra’s neck as she held her tight. “I love you. We’ll find a way to make this work.” 

“I can try to come into Brightmoon more. Spending a few nights in your room won’t hurt, as long as I’m with you.” 

Smirking and rolling her eyes, Glimmer traced a pattern on Catra’s cheek. “You know, we could always build a little house separate from the castle if the place itself bothers you. At least we would be a little bit closer so I could still be present.” 

“Maybe.” Catra kissed her gently. “I just need some time getting adjusted to Brightmoon. We’ll see how that goes first, okay?” 

“Okay.” Glimmer rested her head on Catra’s chest, watching the sun disappear. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” Catra rubbed her back. “We’ll be okay. You and I can make anything work. We’ll figure this out.” 

“Promise?”

“I promise.” 

“Good. Oh!” Glimmer pulled back, slipping off a simple silver ring from her hand and putting it on Catra’s left ring finger. Catra raised an eyebrow, and Glimmer smiled. “Rings are a tradition. My parents have them, too.” 

Catra smirked and planted a kiss on Glimmer’s forehead. “Whatever you say, Princess.” 

[maaaddiexo]

Chapter Ten | Peter Pevensie

[Red Series Book One: Roses]

Synopsis: With World War Two ravaging the world, no one is safe and no one is happy.

Despite their protests, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are evacuated from London and sent to live in the English countryside with an old professor. Scared and unhappy, only the youngest Pevensie child remains optimistic and ends up sharing her hope with her siblings in the form of a wardrobe that takes them to Narnia, a different world where they are the only form of hope to bring an end to an evil witch's reign of terror.

Rosemary Bennett has no more hope left in her heart. Her brother and father are off fighting for their country, the former having gone missing months ago, and her mother ignores her, preferring the company of a bottle over her own daughter. Giving up seems the only logical plan of action. But when it finally comes to carrying it out, she's transported to a different world, with talking animals and a prophecy that doesn't involve her. Unsure as to why she is there, she must navigate a new world and ponder the possibility that maybe - just maybe - she doesn't actually want to die.

*Warning: this book deals with depression and suicide. Though mental illness isn't what this story revolves around, the act of suicide and depressive thoughts are intertwined with the plot and act as 'backseat drivers' to the novel.

[Chapter Eleven] [Series Masterlist] [Masterlist]

Not long after shedding their drenched coats, the trees began to thin out and they were looking over rolling fields. As they continued walking, spots of red began to appear in the distance which they soon learned to be tents.

"We made it!" Lucy exclaimed, skipping forward.

"This place is amazing," Rosemary marveled. The camp was situated at the bottom of a valley. There were red, green, and gold tents and all kinds of creatures frolicked in the fields. Some played while others sparred with swords and spears. A horn was blown somewhere in the distance, announcing their arrival.

As they finally began walking through the camp, everybody they passed stopped what they were doing and stared at the four humans. Rosemary shared amazed looks with Susan and Peter, smiling brightly.

"Why are they all staring at us?"

Lucy smiled up at Susan. "Maybe they think you look funny."

Rosemary giggled at the blank, unamused stare Susan gave her younger sister, accidentally bumping into Peter. "Sorry."

"No worries," Peter smiled at Rosemary. Standing tall and without her coat on, Peter could see that she was quite muscled and recalled Susan mentioning that she lived on a farm. She had braided her hair back, but a few tendrils had come loose, blowing in the wind. Her eyes seemed brighter but the bags under her eyes were still prominent.

Everybody seemed to follow the group of six, crowding around behind them as they came to a stop in front of the biggest tent of all. It was striped red and gold with gold embroidery. Whoever the tent belonged to was obviously important. Rosemary had a feeling she knew who it was.

A centaur stood guard over the tent and stared the group down as they stopped in front of him. Looking pointedly at Peter's sword, Peter caught on and he pulled it out, raising it to the clear blue sky.

"We have come to see Aslan." Peter's voice is loud but wavered with uncertainty. The crowd murmured behind him didn't make him feel any more confident but he watched as the tent flaps rustled and a large paw emerged first. Behind the six newcomers, every creature knelt, keeping their eyes low. Those who can't kneel bow as Aslan appears.

Lucy smiled. Susan stood in disbelief. Peter stood in reverance. Rosemary watched the Lion with curiosity in her eyes as clear as the sky above them. As one, the four humans and two beavers lowered to one knee.

"Welcome, Peter, Son of Adam. Welcome, Susan, Rosemary, and Lucy, Daughters of Eve. And welcome to you, Beavers. You have my thanks. But where is the second Son of Adam?"

Peter's shoulders dropped and he couldn't make eye contact with Aslan. "That's why we're here, sir. We need your help. Our brother's been captured by the White Witch."

"Captured?" Aslan repeated, shaking his mane. "How could this have happened?"

None of the children could answer - especially not the Pevensies.

"He betrayed them, Your Majesty," Beaver explained.

"Then he has betrayed us all!" the centaur guard exclaimed, puffing out his chest.

"Peace, Oreius," Aslan commanded. His voice was gentle but firm. "I'm sure there's an explanation."

Peter felt tears press against the backs of his eyes. He was responsible and not just because he was the eldest and promised to take care of them. "It's my fault, really. I was too hard on him."

"We all were," Susan said softly, placing a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder. "Can you help us?"

"I will try," Aslan said. "But first, get some food and some rest. You've all made quite the journey and must be tired."

Aslan turned back to his tent and the crowd dispersed. Two fauns approached them and lead them to their respective tents. The tents were side-by-side and only a few tents away from Aslan's.

"Food is just at the end of this aisle and your clothes should be here momentarily. Is there anything else I can do for you in the meantime, Your Majesties and Miss Bennett?" The faun asked politely and kindly. When they told her no, she bowed and exited the tent.

"Well that was weird," Rosemary remarked, laughing under her breath.

"Weird, but still something I could get used to," Lucy teased, just as three creatures entered the tent. One faun and two nymphs. Each carried a dress with a pair of shoes laid on top.

A nymph approached Rosemary and bowed, "Miss Bennett."

"Rosemary is fine, thank you."

"Of course, Rosemary. Now, let's clean you up."

•

Changed and fed, Peter stood at the top of the hill looking over the land and sea. At the top of the cliff, a palace stood strong and proud, the sun bounding off its roof.

Aslan approached silently, coming to stand beside Peter. "That is Cair Paravel, the castle of the four thrones. In one of which you will sit, Peter, as High King."

"King?" Peter gulped, looking at his shoes. There was no way he could be a king.

"You doubt the prophecy?"

"No," Peter shook his head. "But that's just it. I'm not what you all think I am."

"Peter Pevensie, formerly of Finchley," Aslan announced simply, looking up at Peter with a twinkle in his eyes. "Beaver also mentioned that you planned on turning him into a hat."

Peter smiled, "I guess I wasn't as quiet as I thought when I said that."

"Peter, there is a Deep Magic, more powerful than any of us that rules over all of Narnia. It defines right from wrong and governs all our destinies. Yours and mine."

"And Rosemary's?"

Aslan nodded. "Hers too."

"I couldn't even protect my own family, Aslan!"

"You've brought them safely this far, as well as Rosemary."

"Not all of them," Peter replied sadly, looking back out at the sea.

"Peter, I promised that I would do what I can to help your brother, and I intend to keep that promise. But I also need you to consider what I ask of you. I, too, want my family safe."

"But I'm only fifteen. I-I can't be king."

"And yet you are the only one who believes that."

"No. Susan and Lucy believe that too. And I'm sure Edmund does too considering he took the Witch's side over his own family's."

"Rosemary doesn't think so. I believe she already sees you and your siblings as Kings and Queens."

"How could you know that?"

Aslan nodded down to the camp, watching as three small figures ran around and played. He could hear Lucy's laughter, he could make out the bow on Susan's back, and he could see Rosemary's hair gleam in the sun. "If she didn't see you as King or your sisters as Queens, I don't think she would have stayed around as long as she has."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you and your siblings have a prophecy guiding your fate. It's what brought you here to Narnia. Rosemary isn't part of the prophecy and yet here she is. And on top of that, she found you four."

"You're saying that this Deep Magic has a destiny for Rosemary too?"

"Not destiny. A second chance."

[Chapter Eleven] [Series Masterlist] [Masterlist]

[lady-perez]

Beethoven’s Eroica (Story)

To follow the narrative, please click here

In the beginning, you have the introduction of the hero, the princess and the castle she's in. You can almost see and hear the horse shoes clamping against the forest ground as he rides through the forest. Pretty soon, we can see glimpses of the dangers that lie ahead his journey. Sharp pieces of wood, spider webs and darkness. But then, at 1:12, we see the villain reveal themselves. The evil force sends more things the Prince's way in order to stop his quest and pretty soon, he stumbles upon a beauty who is actually a minion of the witch and tries to seduce him into staying with her forever. For a moment, it seemed to be working, but then, at the last moment, he caught wind of what was going on and remembered his loyalty to the king and Princess.

The girl throws a huge fit, causing the prince's cloth to be torn and as he rides away, his horse's shoes become implanted with thorns, causing the horse to have great difficulty in moving about. Looking behind him, the Prince could see nothing but darkness and could sense the danger that lurked close by.

Soon, the prince is running through the night with his horse and comes upon yet another danger. This time, it is a demon flying after him with the hugest and ugliest grin one could ever see. His eyes glistening with fire and rage, his skin like that of a ghost-like mucus. And pretty soon, the Prince's horrified face was wrapped up in the demon's aura - putting him in shock and freezing him into a horrid nightmare where he sees the King ordering him to his death for failing. When he comes back to himself, his draws his sword and with the moonlight glistening onto it, he sliced into the darkness - eyes squeezed shut - and when he had opened them, it was once again day.

For a moment, the Prince breathed hard as he took in the sunrise and listened as the birds were chirping nearby. Soon, he saw another woman dancing about the forest in her chemise, but alas, when he went to go ask the girl for directions and food, her smile became that of an ugly grin and her hair that was once a lovely shade of black seemed to roughen and look more dirty as she revealed her true form. She was the witch and the demon that was just chasing him took hold of his shoulders. He soon lost control of his body and found that he could not look away from the witch's eyes. He was petrified and hypnotized. Her eyes were a translucent purple color that seemed to glow and blind him. And pretty soon, he was back in her web again.

When he woke up, he was in front of the King again, receiving the order to go and retrieve the princess. Confused, he obeyed the order and took flight on his horse. Questioning his realities, he pays no mind to the darkness lurking in the shadows once more, but just as it almost grabs him, the horse and he reach the meadow where the true danger lies. The butterfly that flew past his ear had suddenly caught up with he and his horse and was getting bigger and bigger the closer it got. When he finally looked behind him, he saw the yet another beautiful woman there. Her eyes enticed him and her hair was like that of golden roses from the kingdom of King Midas. But knowing what he had been through before, he was not tricked into her web and the spirit soon revealed itself, scaring the horse and with one swift movement, the horse flew back onto it's hind legs, knocking the Prince off of his horse and out - like a light.

The Prince had been there a while, but soon a villager found him and took care of him until he wakes up. Upon opening his eyes, the Prince sees the wife of a blacksmith taking care of him. Suspicious of the unknown woman, he quickly checks his wrists for any signs of having been strapped down or stolen from. When he looks back up, he thanks the woman and promptly leaves. While getting on his horse, the woman's grin turns ugly once more as she watches as he rides off back on his quest.

Night falls once more, and for the next few days, his quest was the same - ride, eat and sleep. Ride, eat and sleep. They were undisturbed for days, but the witch was most definitely watching him.

Once day, the Prince was riding atop his horse when danger suddenly appears. Another lovely woman appears and he tries to disregard her presence, but then she started screaming. Turning around, he looks at her situation and discovers a wild boar, which he takes out with no issue. The woman thanks him with the goods in her basket and he thankfully rides. away. While riding, he notices the horse growing more tired and stops just before sunset on a hill to rest. He allows himself to become completely engulfed in the beauty of the sky and soon falls asleep. It was then that the darkness crept in and tried to harm him, but it was the horse that woke him up to fight them off. Sword drawn, he looked about himself, bug-eyed and feeling delusional.

Shouting in rage, the Prince curses the land and chops down the tree with his sword (small tree). Then proceeds to put his sword back into the slot before walking off to find a nearby stream. As he's walking, he hears his horse making weird noises and rushes back to see if it's okay. To his surprise, the horse was sleeping. Angrily, he turned back around and when he arrived in the same spot, the horse made a sound again - causing him to think that the horse was just dreaming and ignored it. He soon finds the stream he was looking for and makes his way back to the place where he had settled with his horse. The shadows were lurking close by and soon began to take the form of another woman. She had just come by to get water in her pail, but he ignored her. Going back to the horse, she follows him and he gets upset the closer she gets and the longer she resides next to him. He soon loses his mind and draws his sword and threatens her, saying, "I know you are a demon! You will not have me!" and slays her, only to see the demon fly from her body and the evidence of the girl's life source on his sword. Overcome with realization, the Prince scrams back to his horse and rides away.

Adagio assai:

Once far enough away from the crime scene, the poor Prince begins to riddle himself with worry and questions who that girl once was, what she did and why the demons used a real woman this time. He felt like a villain and couldn't quite cope with what he had done. But soon, he stumbles upon a part of the forest where the big rock at the edge of a cliff was and sat down to stare at the moon.

Soon, the darkness was near again and he could feel it. His horse began warning him and the Prince stood on his guard. Turning around, the Prince sees another woman, this time dress in ragged clothes. Clutching his sword, he narrows his eyes as he says, "Must you make me kill you again?" The woman only paused for a moment before grinning. "Show yourself. For I know whom you really are!"

"Oh really?" She taunts. "Then, tell me," She says, getting closer. "Who am I?"

"You're the demon that's been following me!"

Her wicked laugh followed. "Dear Prince, I am no demon. I am just the opposite."

"Liar! You are no angel!"

"I am, in fact, a witch." He paused as she came closer to grab him by the chin. "I can give you anything that you desire. But on one condition."

"Which would that be?"

"Do no continue your quest for the Princess."

"And why not?"

"If you wish for anything in this life, you will have to pay the price. But it is up to you to make your price light or hefty."

Picking his sword back up, he holds it up to her throat and soon, she is grinning. "You cunning little witch. I shall sly you!"

"Oh how cute. You think you can kill me."

"I will end you! Watch!" And he slices her throat to watch her bleed onto the ground, but alas, the quiet soon becomes disrupted by the heat that stands behind him. Looking up, there is a dragon. The eyes were blazing and the mouth of it was smiling.

"You can kill my body, but you could never defeat my true form!"

Throwing the fire from its mouth, the dragon sets the horse ablaze with all the supplies. The Prince screams as the dragon laughs.

"And now, even if you could beat me, you would never survive my demons, let alone the forest!" Setting the forest a blaze, the dragon let off an evil laugh before looking at the Prince once more whom wore a look that turned the monster's stomach.

"You think I wish to waste my energy on a creature such as yourself? How dare you think so highly of yourself!" Confused, the dragon changed back into the witch's form.

"Explain." Her hand on her chin, she approached him. Nodding, the Prince began speaking before suddenly plunging the sword into her heart. Before she could cast another spell, he made sure to remove her head and grabbed her life source from it.

With this, the Prince not only sustain himself with the supplies needed, he could undo the Witch's bidding and keep the demons at bay.

And so, the Prince used the magic to bring back his beloved horse and supplies needed for food. He rode and rode until he had finally reached a place where he could see the the castle where the Princess resided. But as he rode, the demons did not wish to submit themselves to him and devised a plan amongst themselves to end his reign once and for all.

Soon, he could see the castle from where he and his horse was and breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Soon, it will all be over." The prince whispered to the horse. But as they rode, different things began to happen. The horse had random gashes appear on its sides and wouldn't run in the direction that the Prince wanted it to go. When the Prince finally took note of the horse's condition, he quickly checked behind himself before stopping at a nearby stable to trade in his horse for the time being.

Scherzo: Allegro Vivace:

With this new horse, he felt a little lighter and more confident than before, but still delusional. The people that saw him ride by waved at him, but he was especially wary of the women. Going up into the mountains, he made sure to always check behind himself, which proved to be relieving each time. He finally reaches the door and the knights let him in. Going all the way to the top of the castle and to the Princess's ballroom, he waited for her to arrive and when the horns blew to announce her presence, he looked up to see the beautiful woman and immediately became filled with doubt.

Just knowing the she was a beautiful woman was enough to make him suspect her to be something other than what the King had said for her to be.

Taking her by the hand, he kisses it and they begin dancing with the rest of the people about them. His eyes never leaving hers, she counted his staring as an attempt at flirtation. Blushing, she smiles, which causes the Prince's eyes to become shot and his blood to boil as he remember the grin all the other women and the witch had given him before. He was losing his mind, but could not separate the truth of reality and what the Witch had wanted him to see.

The dance soon ended and he abruptly excused himself to go stand on the balcony.

Finale: Allegro Molto:

Another dance starts in the ballroom, by the Princess also excuses herself to go and spy on the Prince. As she stood there staring, he finally sighs and acknowledges her presence without ever turning around to make sure that she was truly there. Laughing in delight, she comes up beside him and talks to him about how amazed she is that he could tell she was there without ever turning around. He scoffs before flatly saying that he's had a lot of practice before he had arrived. She nods and then invited him to have a drink with her in her hall of paintings. Declining, she insisted and he finally gives in.

Still knowing that his mind is not in the right place, he is compelled to follow her with a new mindset - different to that of when he first started the quest. While she is chattering away, looking at the paintings, he is standing there studying her. Analyzing every single feature on her face. Her black hair, Purple eyes and beauty all seemed so unsettling to him. And soon, once they had reached the private room, she had only just closed the door when she grinned at him and he snapped.

"I know who you really are" He started, causing her to become quite confused. "Don't act like you're just another innocent woman."

"Prince, what on earth are you talking about-?"

Taking her neck into his hands, he squeezed out the entirety of her life source while saying, "I've killed you before and now I'll kill you again!" Once she stopped breathing, he dropped her lifeless body onto the ground before staring dead at her and saying, "But this time, you will not find me again."

And now, he casually went back to mingle with the rest of the party before planning an escape. It would be nearly impossible to leave because according to the King, He was supposed to come back to claim her as his bride. But now that he had killed her, thinking that she was a witch, he had to make sure that no one knew that he was leaving. But the guards at the door stopped him. He explained the he was just going to admire the garden and check up on his horse.

Letting him go, the Prince then walked as far out of sight as he could before quickly riding away, the darkness now laying on his hands, covering them in darkness. He quickly went back into the town, but all the people that greeted him there looked like the beautiful demons he had been seeing all along. Trying his best to ignore them, he quick went back to the stable, switched out his horse and rode back into the forest where he came upon a cliff and stopped just in time before they fell off the edge.

Back at the ball, the party continues until one of the Lords discovers the Princess's body. In a frenzy, the Lord walks away from the scene before being caught by the guards and taken back to the scene. They soon arrest him and despite his protests, the Lord is imprisoned.

The people all look at the Lord as he is being dragged out and whispers fill the room.

They carry the Princess's body back up to her room to place her gently into her bed before going back down making sure that no one finds out about what has happened. Looking at one another, it is finally revealed that the Guards are not her guards at all, but the demons that we torturing the Prince.

Meanwhile, the Prince is looking down at the cliff with a blank face.

He contemplates everything before looking back up at his horse and spotting the demon that sat on the horse's back.

"So you have come to haunt me?" He smiled. "You cannot make me anymore mad than I already am."

"No" the demon answered back. "I am merely here to guide you."

"Guide me? Where?" It was then that the demon's grin became so large that it stretched to the ends of the earth. The Prince, wide eyed, looked back down at the horse that was actually dead. Covered in blood and slash marks. Looking down at the shiny blade before him, the Prince realized the blade was covered from tip to rim in crimson. Looking at him hands, he witnessed the darkness on his hands and finally laughed in horror. His laughs became louder and louder as the demon approached him and finally did him the favor of pushing him off the cliff.

"You will become on of us now." The demon said before a hand touched his shoulder and revealed the witch grinning over the grave site of the Prince's body.

[pacifistofpatience]

So this is all underground. Ht and Uf skelebros reacting to a (future) SO that like...turns out they have a power where they can build a sheild out of a magic that's the color of their soul (it's like a dome around them). How do those skele boys end up falling for the SO?

((Sorry I went a little off the deep end

But you did ask how they fell in love))

Horrotale

Jupiter

Partof him wants it to be an excuse, but he cant let it be

Worksthe hardest to break your shield and when it doesn’t let up he cuts his lossesand goes off, he’s not about to waste magic on something that cant be broken 

Onceyour sure you’re safe you continue on words, past the others.   Exhausted and starvingyou make it through Snowdin, you show kindness to those you pass. And theybreak under it. No one can ever land the killing blow- too tired, too weak, orjust too soft

Youbefriend a different skeleton; he offers you a home, but you refuse

Youcontinue. Past the place of wailing flowers and to some dump where acreature is crying loud enough you have to cover your ears to not be overcomewith grief. You find an empty home, you find three empty homes

Theworld waits with bated breath, what little you do see of the monsters that stillexist in the underground give you a wide birth. They whisper, they look behindyou in fear

(there’ssomething there, right out of your line of vision. You don’t know what it isbut they haven’t tried to kill you yet so you leave it be

Sometimes, when you’re alone, you talk to them)

Youpass a lab, you dig deeper, you learn somethings that were supposed to die withtheir creator but live on

Youforgive them anyway

(He made the right choice, stars he finally did somethingright)

Youmeet him again, at the end of a long, broken hall. He’s not there to judge you,for it’s no longer his right, but he lets you go with a parting warning

(There’s something in his words

A plea, maybe. If you could forgive them.But he doesn’t ask it out loud. He doesn’t deserve that much

You say it anyway, You promise them all- him- another chance)

Theshield is your only ally when you go up against the Queen- so full of seethingrage for the humans that came before you and believing you no better- shefights with all her strength. Her arrows coated with a burning red determinationthat is ripping her apart at the seems. You try to stop it- for the softness ofyour heart will not allow you to see another die- but she goes anyway, sheleaves her soul for you to take

Thebarrier breaks, and the rising sun calls to all of the Undergound.

(He’sthe first to greet you at the cliff. It occurs to you that, during the fight, you were never in any real danger, not when he was watching over you

Hethinks, in time, he could be ready for your love)

--

(Inany other scenario, if this wasn’t a wish fulfillment sort of thing, the shieldwould shatter. As fragile things against his ever-growing power do, and he wouldstill. For a moment he would break, feeling all the regret weigh on him.

Hewould wait, for a second, hoping that maybe you could do it again. That if hepaused like the stupid/slow/lazy fool he was you’d be able to gatheryourself again and put it back up. And he would be able to come to theconclusion that it wasn’t worth the little magic he had left and leave youthere to find easier pray

Butyou don’t. He thinks about the others back at Snowdin. Depending on him, whatlittle hope they have left bearing down on him.

Itmakes the next swing easier, almost as if the others are with him

Theonly Love he finds is in the form of gained EXP and another soul for thebarrier)

Mars

Hefeels something sick in himself when he first finds you

You’dbe the first working human he met face to face (other than the child that’sjust a far off memory now) and he… he can’t stand the thought of hurting another-monster or human

(Evenwhen others are starving, struggling, he can’t bring himself to be the one todo it. Like a coward he hides behind his brother who brings them food, and henever outright says how he found the humans – already dead or alive-  but the increasing LV his brother has only confirmsthe worst.

Hecan’t hurt you, he can’t)

Onlyfinds out about your ability after bringing you to his home in secret, when Jupitercomes back and almost kills you right there in a panic

Whenyour shield appears, he thinks about how lucky the two of them became

Hateshimself for it, but is very insistent you hone these skills. He says its tostay safe, but he also knows its so maybe one day it can come in handy for thetwo of them

It’sa long road from there, keeping you hidden from the Queen, and from othermonsters as well. And then keeping you alive as well, but he does it!

(Andmaybe, in the end, you became a little bit of the sunshine he was losing sightof in that dark and dreary world)

Underfell

Red

Meetsyou while your defending yourself from a few monsters right outside of Snowdin.Chases off the other monsters and tries to coax you out of it so he can get theyour soul all for himself… but is actually kind of proud of you when he seesthat you don’t let your guard down instantly

Triesto see if he can roll you around in the dome. When you get pissy he laughs, andmaybe starts to think a cute little human like you shouldn’t be out here all ontheir own

Eventuallystarts to talk to you and, like the secretly soft dumbass he is, gets attached

Oncehe gets close to you though he’s … kind of relieved

Youhave a way to protect yourself! you have a way to protect yourself and itjust makes him feel that much better about everything! He hides you away, andeventually convinces Boss to collar you in a desperate attempt to keep you outof harm’s way

(Itdoesn’t take as much convincing as he thinks it does, Boss had already made hismind up after the first plea but he refused to acknowledge it)

Youtwo spend a lot of time together, hiding away in the underground mostly at theirhome (that will, in time, become your home as well) and welcoming him with awarm smile each time he wanders in

He’sharsh, but it eventually fades out. Unable to really be angry at someone whojust is… so soft to him. Despite Boss’ reprimands, he starts to fall into thissort of domestic bliss when you’re around

Hepulls you into hugs more often, spends days around you away from his duties andnights just talking to you with the TV at low volume

(Whichis dangerous in the Underground. Boss can’t have his brother going Softlike that when there’s still so much that can happen. When one moment ofweakness could be the last he ever sees of Red

Youbetter make yourself useful soon, least you become anther soul in the Kings castle)

Boss

Hefinds you and is the first to make an attempt at your life, but quickly learns justhow hard that is when you use your shield!

Pitchesa fit and starts kicking at your soul dome, absolutely pissed off that you evendare to! Not! Let him!! Kill you!!

(butsomething inside him is so GD’d relieved, so happy that this time he has an excuse)

Eventuallythe dome goes down, either because of exhaustion or something else, and when hegets to you he…

…Hedoesn’t (Can’t) kill you

Youwake up in some weird shed and a Boss hovering right outside of these bars youcould totally slip through if you wanted to and he demands your enteral allianceto him because you’re the perfect ally! With you’re shield your more of a useto him then most of the vermin of the Underground

It’slike a fighting duo! You be the shield and he’ll be the sword! You Just have totrain a little bit more!

(Littlestars pop in his sockets for a moment, there’s this far off look in his eyelights you don’t have time to figure out. Like he’s remembering something)

Thetraining us grueling, from dusk till dawn you work hard and use all your magicreserves

But,its all worth it when you create a shield to hold both you and Boss in. Onethat lets him attack but also will not allow any attacks in. The praise you receiveis heart fluttering

Yougrow close, over time, and his brother warms up to you and your wit easily. Youget collared, you find a home…

Andyou’re reported

Someone,some fucking snitch, went to the Royal Guard without any of you knowing. And Undynecomes with a warning; give them the human or be become an enemy of the kingdom

(“Youhave an hour to make up your mind, Solider. I’ll be the only onestanding guard outside your house so don’t even try to escape There’s noway you can sneak out the back while I’m the one standing guard”)

Youthree are long gone when she finally breaks down the door

[emperorsfoot]

Adora and Bow make it to Dryl and discover something they did not expect. 

Making it up to the Castle of Dryl was way, way easier on flying horse back!

They didn’t have to traverse narrow mountain paths, or risk giving away their position with loud magical transformation, or use First Ones legendary Runeswords to clear away rock slides in their path. No. On the back of Swift Wind, they just flew right on up to the castle. Easy as you please.

They didn’t go directly-directly up to the castle, of course. It was still under Horde control, after all. Not disorganized and confused Horde Remnant control. Cohesive, disciplined, consistent Horde control. The walls held sentries. Regular patrols toured the paths and trails around the castle. Someone would notice a bright, rainbow winged horse land in the courtyard. They were indoctrinated soldiers, they weren’t blind or stupid.

Swift Wind brought them down above the castle. On the slope that hung slightly above its tallest spire. Adora and Bow dismounted and crouched low to the ground. Crawling on their bellies, they slunk up to the edge of the cliff to peer down at the castle.

Sure enough, Dryl was still flying Horde banners. Green on green instead of the usual red on red, or red on black. The sentries on the walls wore full armor, straight postures, alert. There was no slouch in them to indicate a decline in moral. Just looking at the soldiers occupying Dryl, one would think the Horde was never defeated at all.

That was confirmation enough for Adora and Bow that Hordak was, indeed, in residence at Dryl.

After the debacle with the portal, Entrapta brought Hordak back to her own castle to regroup after their defeat.

Adora remembered seeing him just before Catra pulled the switch. She didn’t think it significant at the time, after all, she was trying to stop the end of the world. But he had made some very distinct changes to his costume. The dark Lord that she couldn’t remember changing his look in all the years she’d lived in the Fright Zone had dropped the cape. Replacing it with some kind of armored frame. And front and center on that armored frame was a First Ones crystal. Adora didn’t know if the crystal served some kind of practical purpose in the armor, as a power source, possible, or whatever. But the word in First Ones writing that was inscribed on the crystal was very jarring.

It was entirely possible that Hordak couldn’t read First Ones writing. After all, there were not very many people in Etheria who could. In fact, aside from Adora herself, she’d only met two others capable of reading First Ones interlocking, sigil-like letters. One was Bow’s father, Lance, and… Entrapta. Entrapta had to know what the word inscribed on the collar of Hordak’s new shoulder armor said. She might even have been the one to put it there herself.

‘Luvd’. Loved.

Entrapta and Hordak might very well be lovers.

If they were, it made perfect sense that she would take her lover back to her own Queendom and stronghold after his defeat.

But they still needed to get inside for real confirmation.

For all Adora knew, it was Catra and Scorpia instead. For all Adora knew, after the defeat in the Sanctum, Catra could have staged a coup and taken over what was left of the Horde from Hordak and installed herself as Lady of the Horde. Moving the base of operation to Dryl so that Entrapta –who said Catra was her best friend according to the data- could build more weapons for her.

“I need to get inside.” Adora whispered to Bow and Swift Wind. She had to know. She had to know if it was Catra.

“Don’t forget, it’s a maze in there.” Bow reminded her.

Adora just shook her head. “That doesn’t change the fact that we’ll never know what’s actually going on in there if we just stay out here.”

…

A strap of their overalls slipped down off one shoulder as Dak ran through the dimply lit corridors of the castle. They were trying to keep pace with their quarry.

Imp was making it harder for Dak to catch him. The tiny deamon wasn’t just finding a high perch and waiting for the young hybrid to figure out how to get to him anymore. Now their hunting games had evolved into actual hunting. Hide and Seek. Chase and Tag. Games that developed the small Horde clone’s reflexes and agility. Games that taught the small Horde clone how to think quickly and adaptively, how to solve problems on the fly, and seek solutions around obstacles.

Usually, these lessons were programed into Horde clones during gestation. By the time normal Horde clones were hatched from the tanks, they resembled the physical age of an adult in their early twenties. It was too late by then to use childish hunting games to instill these values and instincts. They were programmed at an early stage of gestation, then reinforced with physical training and conditioning after hatching instead.

Before the degradation that plagued master first manifested, Hordak –Hordak senior- was an excellent hunter and warrior. Who excelled at tracking and cornering prey.

He was an enviable warrior too.

All Horde were trained in all weapons. But Hordak favored the force-pike, and the bow-staff. Melee weapons capable of parrying multiple opponents at once, while also offering a longer range than a more traditional sword –that was the favored weapon of the average soldier, or the more aesthetic and symmetrical shock-batons that Hordwing (another member of the cabinet) favored.

Imp had absolutely no idea how he was going to drill master’s heir in weapons. He was already operating far outside his programed parameters as a deamon-class android indentured to the Imperial Horde cabinet. Deamon were not programmed with archaic childrens games in their databanks and they were not physically designed to teach combat.

But Imp had been Hode’s deamon before he was Hordak’s.

Hode was a member of the Imperial cabinet, and he was eccentric. All members of the Imperial Horde cabinet were a little eccentric. It seemed to be a quirk of high preforming soldiers. Only the best could be elevated to leadership positions directly under the Emperor, and it seemed to be a symptom of the best to also be a little weird. Hode’s weirdness manifested in a strange appreciation for history and art that bordered on fixation.

The Horde, as a species, did not crawl out of the primordial ooze with a cloning tank strapped to its back. There must have been a time before the cloning tanks when the Horde procreated through more natural means. When Horde hatched from eggs instead of tanks. When Horde had to grow slowly over the years, learning with every experience as more natural organisms did. Hode went out of his way to discover the forgotten history of the Horde. Literally, going out of his way, to the planet Revena at the very heart of the Empire.

All that he learned was saved to Imp’s memory banks. The old cabinet Lord had to install surplus memory in Imp to house it all and keep the deamon from crashing. Of all the deamon-class androids in use within the Empire, Imp was probably the most modified and most utilized beyond his original purpose.

Imp never imagined he would actually find a use for any of the data Hode added to him. He always just thought it was the old Lord hoarding information like the information hoarder he was.

Imp turned his attention back to his charge. To master’s heir. A Horde hatched from its cloning tank prior to the age of adulthood. Without any programing or education. They were the closest thing to a ‘naturally hatched’ Horde in several generations. Easily since Revena was deemed inhospitable.

Dak was distracted and no longer running after Imp.

This happened periodically. As much as Dak was master’s clone, they were also the Princess’ clone, and Imp noticed very early on that the Princess’ mind did not think in straight lines. She was easily distracted, her attention shifting focus –complete focus- to whatever new, interesting thing piqued her curiosity.

In this case, it appeared to be a portrait on the wall.

Imp paused in his flying, and fluttered over to perch on top of the painting’s frame. He chittered down at the young Horde clone, demanding they return to the training game. Dak would never become a strong and capable warrior if they neglected lessons that all other Horde clones already came pre-programmed with.

Dak glanced up at him, flashing those eyes that were the wrong color. A luminescent fuchsia instead of the neon glow of primary-red. Then the hybrid went back to studying the painting Imp was perched on. Frustrated, the little deamon fluttered down to land on Dak’s shoulders and see what was so much more important than their training.

It was an image of master’s Princess, Entrapta. Posing with two robots flanking her on either side. Entrapta in the foreground and the bots slightly behind. Imp didn’t see what was so fascinating. It was just Entrapta. Imp had seen Entrapta hundreds of times. Towards the end there, both she and Hordak practically lived in the lab. Cohabitating in a way that deviated from what was average for Horde clones.

“Mother.” Dak informed the deamon, pointing at the picture as if there might be some confusion as to what held their attention.

The hybrid had been expanding their vocabulary by the day, even forming simple sentences. But more than that, Dak was also developing more complicated thought. Becoming curious. About the castle, about the people around them, and about themself. The castle staff that seemed to have appointed themselves additional instructors for master’s heir in the fields of language, manners and etiquette, how to eat, how to dress themselves, and how to comport one’s self as the heir to an Etherian Queendom also spent a great deal of time telling master’s heir about the other half of their genetic template. About their ‘mother’.

‘Mother’ was an Etherian word. Imp couldn’t say that it was an Etherian concept because it was not unique to Etheria. Many races the universe over had a concept of ‘mothers’ and ‘fathers’. Of assigning different names to the genetic templates that formed an individual’s creation. There was no word of equivalent meaning in the Horde language, or if there had been, it was lost to time and disuse through the generations of cloning. Horde did not have parents. They were all siblings. All brothers reproduced from the same model.

All except master’s heir.

“Sc’pya-“ Dak cleared their throat to try again. It had been a couple days since they’d seen Scorpia, but their speaking ability had improved a lot in that time. They did not have to mangle her name anymore. “Scorpia left to find her. Why?”

Imp offered a non-committal shrug. He didn’t care about the actions of beings that didn’t directly affect his master or their goals and mission. The Etherian Force Captain felt somehow responsible for the Princess being sent away, to spite the fact that she was not the one to strike the blow or give the order. Imp would never understand organic beings outside the Horde.

“Baker says I need her.” Dak continued, looking at the painting in the same way one might look at a previously undiscovered creature. With curiosity, a lack of understanding, and a desire to study and become familiar with. Actually, what Baker said was that ‘all children needed their mothers’, and Dak was one of ‘all children’. So, the conclusion was the same even if the words were different. “Do I need a mother?”

Imp searched through his saved auditory files until he found the one syllable negative he needed to answer that question. It was Hordak’s voice that came from his mouth when he opened it to play, “No.”

“Oh.” Did the young clone sound disappointed when they said that? “Okay.”

Imp frowned. Master’s heir seemed to accept the answer, but not believe it. He searched his auditory banks for a larger sound file that might give a better explanation for the young clone. He found an old recoding he didn’t even know was still in his memory drives. “The Horde value strength above all else, Zero-Zero-Three.” A skip in the track. “You are not strong if you require my help to conceal your condition. You cannot rely on other people.” Imp replayed the last line to make sure master’s heir understood the important part. “You cannot rely on other people.”

“Oh.” Dak said again. There was a pregnant pause in which the young clone just stood there, thinking. Processing the information Imp just shared. Then their lips pulled back, white-colored fangs showing in a puckish grin. “Then that means I don’t need you to help me get into the locked room.”

Dak shrugged Imp off their shoulders and dashed off down the corridor in the opposite direction they’d originally come.

Imp was left to flap in frustration.

The Locked Room, was a door in Castle Dryl that no one could open. There was a keypad on the side, presumably that unlocked it and opened the door. But no one knew the combination. There was, however, a small panel at floor level that could be passed through. Dak had seen robots go in and out of it, carrying empty trays on a consistent schedule. Some sort of automated delivery system that no one bothered to turn off. Either that, or there was someone in the Locked Room that needed an empty tray brought to them three times a day. Dak didn’t know, but they wanted to know!

It was only the little hybrid’s second day in the castle when they noticed the phenomenon. They were still getting used to navigating the confusing and maze-like corridors of Dryl when Dak saw a little robot that was smaller than they were carrying an empty tray on its head. Curious, Dak followed it. Through twists and turns, down corridors and up ramps. Until the little bot disappeared through a small panel at floor level sized exactly for it that slid out of the way. The bot exited the hatch a few moments later, still carrying its empty tray. Dak followed it again, this time ending its journey through the castle in the kitchens.

When Dak asked Busgirl about the bot and the Locked Room, all she told them was that the Princess –their mother- never planned to get captured in the Fright Zone and so never turned off her automated serving bots. No one else in the castle knew how, so the bot just kept going through the motions of its programed task.

Which meant that whatever was inside the Locked Room was directly related to Dak’s mother. They wanted inside that room. They wanted to know. It was a desire for answers that went beyond just standard curiosity.

Dak asked Imp to go through the hatch and unlock the room from the inside. The little deamon was about the same size as the bot and should have no problem fitting through the small opening. But Imp flat out refused. So, Dak was left to come up with their own creative solution.

They navigated the corridors of Dryl until they came to an exit that lead outside. Dak was several floors up from their destination, but the height wasn’t much of a barrier for them.

Climbing onto the walkway ledge, Dak leaned forward, wrapping their hair around the flagpole of one of the Horde banners that were raised all over the castle. Using their hair as a rope, the little hybrid swung themself from the walkway to the pole. Hugging it koala-style to keep from falling. Then slid down the pole, using their hair to control the speed of their decent until they reached the courtyard where the soldiers patrolled and practiced daily marching and combat drills.

In the courtyard, off to one side, shoved in a corner, close to where the castled wall joined into the very living rock of the cliffs, was the makeshift hanger where the Horde parked and stored their vehicles. It was also where they stored their tools for repairing and maintaining the vehicles. It was the tools Dak was after.

“Who goes there!?” A soldier snapped, hearing the noise of the little hybrid grabbing whatever looked useful and shoving them in the pockets of their overalls.

“Hi.” Dak straightened and turned around, hands full of tools that were almost too big for their child-sized hands to hold. They curled the tail of their hair to pantomime a thumb and pointed at themself. “I’m Hordak!”

The soldier came up short, recognizing the ‘intruder’ as their Lord’s heir. She lowered her weapon, at a bit of a loss as to what to do. Was the Little Lord allowed to play with real mechanics’ tools? Should she stop them? Or would that be hindering some part of the Lord’s personal projects. The average Horde soldier did not know much about what was and was not appropriate for children.

“Bye.” The little hybrid brushed past the soldier, their pockets and arms full of raided tools. Dak pantomimed waving good-bye with their hair was they exited the hanger.

The poor soldier was left just blinking at the Little Lord’s retreating back.

A few minutes later, when the same soldier hear more noises sneaking through the hanger, she assumed it was Hordak’s heir again and ignored it. Perhaps if she had checked on the second round of noises, she would have recognized the defector former-Force Captain Adora and one of her rebel conspirators, Bow. But the guard did not check, and the intruders were allowed to slip into the castle unnoticed.

Arms and pockets full of tools, Dak marched purposefully through the corridors. As if they were confident in where they were going.

They were confident. But they still got lost twice on the way to the Locked Room. They had gotten very familiar with the labyrinthine twists and turns –for the most part. But every now and again, when they exited out one way, and came back in another, they got confused on which way to take to get to where they wanted to go.

It took a couple tries, but Dak finally found the Locked Room again.

They dumped all the tools in their arms on the floor and took out the tools in their pockets. Keeling down, using both hands and their hair, Dak arranged all the tool carefully next to the panel hatch. Organizing them by shape since they didn’t actually know what half of them did.

Turning their attention back to the hatch, Dak examined the opening. Deciding what they actually had to do in order to get inside the Locked Room. The panel had a seal around it. A metal trim that was fastened on by screws with hexagonal indents. Dak didn’t know the names of everything he’d taken with him, but they could see what fit with what. Selecting an allan wrench and began twisting the bolts. Just loosening them at first, then taking them out all together. Finally, the metal seal was able to be pulled off.

The sliding panel of the hatch fell away almost the moment the seal was off and Dak smiled. Their hair curling and twisting with excitement. They were going to get into the Locked Room, and they didn’t even need Imp’s help after all!

Maybe the deamon was right. Horde didn’t need help!

Dak tried crawling through the space that was made bigger by the removal of the seal and panel.

…And got immediately stuck.

They made a sound of distress. A loud, shrill, feral sound that came from the back of their throat. More like a predator caught in the claw-trap than a startled child struggling in a tight spot they put themselves in.

Maybe Imp was wrong. Maybe Horde did need help.

“Do you hear that?”

Dak’s pointed ears twitched. They paused in their panicked keening to listen. It sounded like other people in the corridor. A guard patrol maybe? Dak rarely saw soldiers actually inside the castle. They were intimidated by the winding maze of corridors. Preferring instead to construct their own field barracks in the courtyard.

“It sounded like a wounded animal.” Replied a second voice.

There was a pause.

“You don’t think… you don’t think Entrapta’s testing on animals, do you?” They sounded so concerned.

Dak could hear footsteps now. Two pairs of boots. They must have just turned a corner.

Then one of them gasped. “Is that a kid!?”

“Are they hurt?” Asked the other.

“Not hurt!” Dak shouted, trying to turn their head but having trouble. “Just stuck!”

“Hang one.” Commanded one of the speakers. A gentle masculine voice, full of soft empathy and soothing sensitive tones. “We’ll get you out.”

“No!” Dak snapped. They were finally getting inside the Locked Room. They were not going to give up and let themself he dragged out by soldiers who didn’t know any better. “I want in!”

There was a silent pause from the two on the corridor side.

Then the one with the gentle masculine voice noted, “This is Entrapta’s lab.”

There was a second silent pause.

Then the second one, female, business-like, more militaristic, asked, “Kid, if we get you in the lab, can you unlock the door and let us in too?”

“Yeah.” Dak promised.

“Okay. Bow, help me push.” The female commanded.

“But what if they get hurt?” Asked the male.

“We need to know.” The other reminded him. “Kid, we’re gonna push you from this side. Let us know if we’re hurting you.”

Dak felt hands on their feet, pushing them from the outside. Lifting their head, Dak cast their eyes around for something close enough to grab to pull themself from the inside.

The Locked Room was not what Dak was expecting. It was dimly lit, dimmer than the rest of the castle which was already fairly dim. But Dak’s eyes adjusted quickly, the bioluminescent fuchsia sclera glowing brighter as the hybrid’s body registered the need to compensate for their environment.

The far wall of the Locked Room was one large computer array. A massive monitor screen in the center, surrounded by several smaller screens. All of them currently asleep, the resting screen saver bouncing around their frames. There were several parts of machines arranged along the walls. Some suspended from the ceiling. Some supported in frames. Some just lying on the floor. The closest one set in a frame that was bolted down firmly was just barely close enough for Dak to grab with their hair.

Craning their neck, Dak stretched their blue mohawk of hair to wrap around a protruding segment of broken cam shaft.

Between the two pushing them on the outside, and Dak pulling themself on the inside, the little hybrid managed to get through the tiny robot hatch. …and the only damage was that their overalls ripped a little bit. That one strap that was slipping down their shoulder earlier breaking entirely. It hung limply down their front, making their appearance asymmetrical and making them look sloppy.

Finally inside the Locked Room, Dak stood. Looking around in all directions. Lifting their head, turning three-hundred and sixty degrees to try and see everything at once.

The tow that were still outside banged on the main door. “Hey, Kid, let us in. Remember. Are you okay in there? Kid?”

It took effort for Dak to pry their eyes away from all the interesting things the Locked Room held. They wanted to snoop through it all. But the two on the other side of the door were so insistent. And Dak had said that they would let them in once inside. Dak reached with their hair to hit the door release button.

The door slid open and Dak actually saw their helpers for the first time. A man and a woman. They were not wearing Horde soldier uniforms, but that could just mean they were off duty. Dak had only been at the castle for a few days and hadn’t met everyone yet. The woman was tall, blond haired, and blue eyed. Wearing a red jacket with big shoulder pads, the golden hilt of a sword just visible over one shoulder. The man was shorter than her, dark skinned, dark haired, and dark eyed. He had an open and friendly face that made Dak think they might be fun to hang out with.

Both of them froze the moment they saw Dak.

Expressions shifting from cautiously hopeful to downright shocked. They both looked down at Dak, their eyes wide and mouths slightly open. What? Was there something on their face? Was the hybrid dirty from squeezing through the hatch? Dak brushed their clothes off, tried righting the ripped strap of their overalls, then gave up when it just fell back down again.

They looked back up at the still shock-faced strangers and smiled. Flashing their sharper-than-sharp white teeth. “Hi. I’m Hordak.”

The two just continued to stare at them.

“Uh- uh- Adora…?” Began the dark, friendly-faced one.

“Yeah, Bow?” Answered the tall blond with the sword.

“Are you… seeing the same thing I’m seeing?” His voice cracked on that last word. As if he were suddenly and inexplicably so nervous his throat was closing from a level of shock that triggered a physiological panic.

A child that looked to be around the age of ten. Pale skinned, pointy eared, glowing-eyed, with a long blue mohawk going all the way down to their feet. Wearing dark navy overalls, over a burgundy t-shirt that looked just a size too large for them.

“Are you seeing a kid-version of Hordak?” Asked the woman –Adora.

“I’m Hordak!” Dak repeated, suddenly becoming frustrated with the pair.

“Okay.” The man –Bow- sounded like he might break down into tears. “Just making sure.”

The two just went back to staring.

Dak became impatient. “Locked Room’s open.” They pointed with the hair. The long tail of blue making a wide sweep of the room. “You wanted in too, right?”

If it was even possible, Bow and Adora’s eyes went even wider upon seeing the child-Hordak’s hair moved and shift more like an extra limb than actual hair. Prehensile hair. Like Entrapta’s.

They each made odd croaking sounds. Mere words not being able to express the sheer mind-freezing shock they felt.

Bow seemed to recover first. Following Dak into the lab, watching as the hybrid’s hair moved as they moved. Not like it was just hanging from their hair, but swinging like a person’s arms swing when they walk. Hordak’s face and Hordak’s body, but with Entrapta’s Princess power. A combination of Hordak and Entrapta.

“How- how old are you?” Bow managed to croak out. The kid looked to be a decade old. Ten years. But that couldn’t be right! There was no way Entrapta and Hordak knew each other back then. Entrapta was only left behind in the Fright Zone barely a year ago.

Hearts in their throats, both Bow and Adora watched the hybrid count on their taloned fingers. Then the child turned to them, holding up six fingers. “This many.”

“Six years?” Adora echoed, disbelieving. “You’re six years old?”

Adora wasn’t sure which part of that seemed more wrong to her. The part where a six-year-old looked like a ten-year-old. Or the part where it implied that Entrapta and Hordak had been lovers since long before she joined the Princess Alliance. Was Entrapta even ever on their side at all? Or had she always been a spy for her lover? Her lover and the father of her child.

The hybrid blinked at them, as if not understanding why they weren’t understanding. “Six days.”

“I’m just gonna sit down…” Bow rested his weight on the closest object in the lab that looked like it could both support him, and wasn’t about to spring to life and attack him for sitting on it.

“You can’t be only days old!” Adora tried to argue. She liked it better when she thought they were six years, it made more sense. “You’re, like, ten!”

They frowned at her. “I’m six days and three quarters.”

Bow drew in a breath, steadying his nerves and regathering his senses. “Now, when you say you’re Hordak…?” He trailed off, not actually sure how he meant to finish that question.

“I’m Hordak.” Repeated the hybrid.

“Okay.” Bow just leaned back against the deactivated console and listing robot he was sitting on. It seemed like the world wasn’t making sense at the moment. He decided to just roll with it and wondered if this was what going mad felt like.

Adora cleared her throat. “Um, how? Exactly. Are you Hordak?”

“Sc’pya said that I’m-“ They were cut off when Imp flew into the room. Finally navigating his way through the castle to the Locked Room and finding the door open.

Imp screeched loudly upon recognizing the defector Adora and the rebel Bow, with master’s heir. The little deamon went instantly on the offensive to protect master’s heir. Sounding an alarm as it attacked.

Teeth bared. Fangs exposed. Hand out with talons extended. Imp went for Adora first. As She-Ra, she was the most dangerous. Wings flapping madly, the little deamon clawed at the former-Force Captain. The whole lab filling with his shrill screeches, almost as loud as the intruder alarm that was now blaring through the halls.

“Imp, no!” Dak shouted at the deamon.

But the creature just screeched in response. These were master’s enemies! He could not allow master’s enemies to get a hold of master’s heir!

“Get it off!” Adora tried batting the deamon away with one arm while the other reached over her shoulder for the Sword of Protection to protect her from the tiny creature.

Bow jumped off the console he had been sitting on. He notched an arrow, then thought better up it since the target was small, moving frantically, and directly in front of Adora. He un-notched the arrow and put his bow away, using the trick arrow to swat at the deamon instead.

Imp turned his face to the archer, caught the swatting arrow in his mouth and bit down and on the thing intending to break it. The trick arrow point burst in the deamon’s mouth, covering the creature’s face in thick, viscous, concussive foam. Imp forgot about Adora and instead started clawing at its face to free itself. Spitting and scraping at the foam to try and free his optic sensors and mouth. The deamon shrieked some more, but it came out in muted gurgles.

The deamon fell to the ground, struggling frantically.

“Imp!” Dak went to their knees next to the deamon, using both hands and hair to help the creature free itself from the trick substance.

Adora and Bow just stood there, watching the child try and help the little winged gremlin as if it were a dear pet, or close friend and companion.

That was about the time the corridor outside filled with soldiers in full armor.

“Don’t move!” Barked one soldier, presumably the leader. “Put your hands up and step away from Lord Hordak!”

It was not the wisest thing to do, but Adora snorted. “Which is it? Do you want us to step away, or do you want us to not move?”

The soldier thumbed the safety off on her weapon. “Don’t get cute with me, rebel.”

Finally succeeding in getting the foam off his face, Imp grabbed Dak by the hand and pulled the little hybrid away from the intruders. Placing the child behind the protection of the ranks of Horde soldiers –whom closed in around the heir.

With few other options, both Bow and Adora put their hands up in defeat.

At least they discovered who the ‘Hordak’ that was rumored have taken up residence in Castle Dryl.

[snowycrocus]

Frozen Fanfiction Ice Bros! 

“To Be Brave”

For those of you that thought I couldn’t write fluff- hah! I’ll show you! 

Inspired by a quote by Robb Stark (see notes at end) I’m just at season 3 of GoT so TAG YOUR SPOILERY SH*T PEOPLE! 😁

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

He shouldn’t say anything.

Just keep your mouth shut, Kristoff, he tells himself.

But it’s no use. He’s just too damn curious.

He tries to push the thought away to the back of his mind. He can ask Elsa later – a story for another time, perhaps.

This, he knows, is their quiet time. Their alone time. No questions, little talking.

Of course, Anna says ‘no one likes to be alone,’ and despite the fact that he and Elsa sometimes do, in fact, ‘like to be alone,’ they both love her too much to argue when she demands that they spend some ‘alone’ time with another person.

Ugh, what he does for love!

But he does love Elsa, in his own way – like the sister he never had.

She’s confusing, and obstinate, and goddamn frustrating sometimes. She’s this weird mix of self-loathing in combination with a surprising amount of arrogance and cockiness that he can’t quite figure out. He never knows if what he says will make her laugh or make her withdraw; if she’ll shove a fistful of snow down the back of his neck in jest or simply stalk off, flurries following her.

But she’s surprisingly warm-hearted; tender and loving and caring. Her smile brightens her face like nothing else can, and for someone who hadn’t touched another for thirteen years she certainly knows how to give a good hug. (Hey, he’s had some rough days, okay?) Anna may be his lover, yet Elsa still completes him in a way that he never even knew he needed. A friend.

They’re sitting silently by the meadow just outside the castle grounds – their own, secret spot. Elsa always brings a blanket and a book. And snacks. (She may nibble on some cheese occasionally but they both know the food is for Kristoff). He sits with his back up against the rough bark of a thick tree trunk. Sometimes he’ll fish, sometimes he plays his lute if it won’t be too distracting for Elsa. Sometimes he naps. (And he caught her doing so one time, too).

This is their monthly alone time. It’s peaceful. They don’t have to say anything.

But he can’t resist, not this time.

“Did you want to be Queen?”

He doesn’t think she even hears him at first. She’s deeply into her book, the only sign of her hearing him the firm press of her lips together. She’s lying on her stomach, feet raised into the air. It’s so odd to see her like this, in contrast to her stiff posture and controlled expressions, movements – controlled everything – while inside the castle. Here, it appears to him, she is like a fish walking on land. Something he would never expect to see.

But, he supposes, he never expected to see ice magic either.

She calmly slides a bookmark in place before sitting up cross-legged to face him. She squints. “Why do you ask?”

He sighs internally. Such diplomacy. She always has to find out the reason before giving an answer.

He was in a new room this morning with Anna, he explains. The room with their old family portrait – all four of them, with the late King and Queen. “You both looked so little,” he explains fondly. He barely remembers seeing them at that age in the forest so long ago. “And you looked…different.”

Elsa’s mouth splits into her lopsided smirk. “I should hope so,” she says. “I quite hope I don’t look as I did when I was seven.”

Kristoff rolls his eyes. Such snark. “Yeah, funny. But I wondered if you knew then, what you would be. And if you wanted to be Queen, or knew what it really meant.”

Elsa carefully sets her book down next to her, mulling over his question. If it were anyone else who asked her that, she would lie. “Of course I knew,” she would answer. “I had been trained my entire life for the role and all that it entails.”

But Kristoff wasn’t just anyone – this was someone that could be discreet, someone that deserved her honesty.

“I don’t know,” she answers him truthfully. Her eyes meet his and her gaze is piercing. He notes her hands leave the book and play with the fabric of her skirts in her lap – they always have to be doing something, never idle.

She doesn’t continue, but Kristoff knows by now to wait. Elsa, as intelligent and sharp as she is, isn’t one to think things through quickly. She acts and speaks rationally, logically, after much deliberation and thought. Anna’s opposite. Kristoff waits for more words to spill from her lips.

Her eyes drop down to her fingers still playing with her skirts. “It’s not something I ever gave thought to; whether I’d like to be Queen or not. I never had a choice, so why think otherwise?” She gives a wry smile. “My thoughts were more regarding how I could manage being Queen if I couldn’t leave my bedroom.” She huffs in remembrance.  “I couldn’t have fathomed what being Queen actually meant. My entire childhood was devoted to learning to be Queen, and yet it’s not something one can truly learn and understand until the crown is placed on your head and people are looking for you to lead.”

Kristoff nods in understanding. It’s one thing to learn something in theory, another to actually act on it.

Elsa closes her eyes for a moment. When she opens them she holds out her palms in front of her, gazing at them as if they contain some secret.

Kristoff knows they do.

Elsa’s next words are faint, nearly a whisper. “I couldn’t even control myself. I couldn’t keep my sister safe. I couldn’t join my mother at tea.” She bites her lip. “I couldn’t learn how to rule from my father at an actual council meeting.”

A life measured in cant’s. Kristoff has felt useless; like a failure at times throughout his life, but he had enough accomplishments as he aged that he felt adept at at least some things.

The woman sitting in front of him was the most responsible, capable being in the entire kingdom. And yet, he realizes, she’s never felt like anything more than a failure.

“Hey.” Kristoff reaches out to place his hand in hers before thinking better of it. He rests it on her shoulder instead, and she looks up to meet his gaze. “Sorry I asked. Why don’t we go back to doing our own thing?” He hates to upset her. Should have known to keep quiet.

Surprisingly, Elsa smiles – it’s weak, faint, but it’s there. “No, I – let me explain.”

She continues, her words stronger than before. “I didn’t understand. How was I supposed to lead an entire kingdom – thousands of people – when I couldn’t even leave my bedroom? I was – I was so scared.”

Kristoff’s desperate to turn the conversation around. “But you did it! You were brave. You overcame a lifelong challenge, figured out the answer. And you got your sister back.”

Elsa chuckles. “Kristoff, I was never brave. I never have been. I ran away from my problems.” She pauses. “Well, I always tried to, anyway.”

“My life, up until – well, you know – was ruled by fear. When Anna and I were first separated, I thought I’d be in control within a year. Then when I was ten I told myself that thirteen was the age by which I’d have everything figured out. Thirteen passed, and I knew that as an adult at sixteen, that was when the answers would come.” She shakes her head, rolling her eyes at her foolishness. “At sixteen, I realized maybe I would never control it.” Her voice breaks on the word control.

“At eighteen,” she continues, “I knew it was…hopeless. I begged my father to make Anna heir. I told him I was too scared of what I would do as Queen to my people, too scared of how I could possibly rule an entire kingdom behind closed doors.”

“But my father-” she smiles fondly, “my father insisted that it was fear that makes a good leader. He once told me that being a King or Queen is like having children- you fear for if they’re safe, if they’re fed, if they’re healthy. You’re afraid of them being attacked, afraid of them struggling. He told me that being a Queen would always mean being afraid, and that’s how I would know if I was doing my job well.”

Kristoff nods, thinking. “That…makes sense.” He had heard about Anna and Elsa’s secluded childhood, of course, but hadn’t known such details that Elsa just shared with him. “I guess you can’t be brave if you don’t have fear.”

Elsa nods. “It didn’t quite help me back then,” she says, “but now, looking back – I see that without fear, this is no growth, no reason to push the boundaries.”

Her words bring back memories. Kristoff remembers watching Anna attempt to climb a cliff face, seeing her take charge and fight off wolves. He remembers watching her hair turn white and seeing her shiver and pass out while her skin turned to ice. He remembers the fear – pure, sharp and cold – that shot through him.

“I always thought I was better off on my own.” Kristoff adds. “I was brave, and independent - I had my life figured out with no one to burden me.” He smiles. “I thought I was so tough – that I could overcome anything, just me on my own. I always had before.” Elsa tilts her head slightly as she listens.

“Growing up, just me and Sven – we could do anything. I found and cooked my own food. I found my own way into ice harvesting, made enough to finally buy my own tools, developed a reputation. I scaled mountains and learned how to survive out on the ice. I thought that’s what made me a man.”

He shakes his head, his hair flopping over into his eyes. Elsa nearly brushes it away before she thinks otherwise. “Courage, power, strength – I thought that’s what made me strong. But then – then I met Anna.”

Elsa grins. She knows how Anna changes people.

“And I learned I wasn’t strong or brave, after all.” Kristoff continues, blushing. “I never had anything to be strong or brave for, until I met her. I had something to lose.”

“She taught you what true bravery is.” Elsa concludes.

Kristoff nods. “I think she taught both of us.”

“That she did,” Elsa agrees. “I didn’t understand, back then, how one can be brave if he’s afraid. But things have changed.”

Elsa settles back into a more relaxed sit, her legs still crossed but her arms supporting her weight behind her. She smiles softly. “It’s not a matter then, of whether or not I wanted to be Queen. It’s about what it meant to me, about what I thought I couldn’t do and could do. Anna’s been the one to show me that it’s okay to have fear, but that you have to live despite it.”

“Right,” Kristoff agrees, snatching up the last bits of bread and cheese laid out on the plate. He contemplates, chewing. “To be brave, you have to have something to fear for.”

Elsa smiles softly. “I suppose we’re lucky to have so much to fear – to have someone to fear for.”

“Just for the record,” Kristoff says, “I think you’re pretty brave – you’ve gone through a lot but you don’t let your past stop you.”

“Thank you,” Elsa responds. “You’re pretty brave too, you know. No one else could take Anna’s antics for quite as long as you have!” She covers her mouth to laugh demurely and Kristoff lets out a loud barking laugh at her words.

“That’s true.”

“Yes. Now, hush. I was just getting to the best part of my book.”

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

Inspired by Robb Stark - I was watching this episode and Robb was talking about something his Father had once told him: “I asked him, ‘How can a man be brave if he’s afraid?’ That was the only time a man can be brave, he told me.” 

I’ve been wanting to do another Ice Bros fic for a while, and always intended to have Kristoff ask Elsa the question from this fic, and upon hearing that quote I had to write it down because it was so perfect! 

Please please let me know what you think of this, readers! You know how much I love hearing from you all. ♥️♥️

[mc-dude]

resolution (g)

Afterwards, one the fighting is done, after the arduous trek back from the desert, any feeling of triumph swept away by a sinking pit in his chest, he sits on the castle wall in the shade of a big tree.

He likes it here. It’s peaceful. No one disturbs him, likely because the castle guards had been decimated in the attack and have not yet been reinstated. Zelda had said something about rebuilding, but he hadn't lingered to figure out exactly what that entailed.

It's not his place.

His feet kick on the lightly battered bricks below. Unlike most of the castle, this section was largely untouched.

Branches of the nearby shrubbery rustle in the wind, a gentle crackling of dying leaves. Fall will be here soon. The pumpkins will be ready to harvest back in Ordon. The thought makes him frown.

The sun is beginning to set behind the distant cliffs, the sky taking on pink and orange hues that makes his heart ache.

There's something biting in the air as the sun sets beyond the mountain and the fireflies begin their ascent into the fields below; a hidden element he wouldn't have noticed before, but now can't seem to ignore. A distinct feeling, like the air before the lightning strikes. It sets him on edge, makes him want to run.

Rusl had said once that it’s the “only time when we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits that have left our world”.

He never thought the meaning would turn out to be so literal.

Link drags his eyes away from the sky and stares at his feet and the gentle moving water below. His leg bounces up and down.

The silence around him is almost deafening. It’s weird to think that he’s totally alone right now. His shadow, for the first time in a while, is completely empty. He clenches his fingers in the worn fabric of his pants, teeth grinding so hard his jaw pops. The movement jostles his necklace out from behind the unlaced collar of his tunic.

His fingertips drift over the curved crystal. It vibrates with a gentle thrum that, despite its dangerous appearance, settles the bouncing of his leg. When he closes his fingers over it he can feel soft grass beneath his feet, the wind rushing through his hair, the undercurrent of a primal connection to the earth that sets his soul alight. He closes his eyes and inhales.

It’s likely just a parting gift; a final farewell and thank you, but that stubborn part of him that never knows when to goddamn quit simply refuses to let go of that last little bit of hope settled at the very back of his ribcage.

He lets out a long breath and tucks the pendant back inside his tunic. He’ll always be an optimistic fool right until the very end. Stupid.

She’s not coming back.

She can’t come back.

He taps his fingers against the worn stone, lips pressed tightly together.

One thing no one mentions in the legends: what happens to the hero after. After the battle is won, the evil vanquished and balance restored to the land. What can he do? What is he supposed to do–

A sword settles at his neck, a heavy weight that digs into the soft skin below his ear. He freezes, fingers caught halfway to the sword on his back.

“Dead.”

His heart pounds in his chest, adrenaline flooding his system, when he realises that he knows that voice.

A worn brown boot enters his line of sight, followed by loose fitting pants and a forest green tunic cinched with a familiar looking strip of fabric.

“Tch, I know I taught you better than that. Though,” he plops down beside him without any finesse, feet stretching out over the castle walls, two-handed sword tucked away in the unremarkable leather sheath against his back. “I suppose that you deserve a day off, after all that you’ve accomplished.”

Link hesitates for a moment, thrown by his appearance. If not for the voice, he almost wouldn’t recognize him. This comfortable farm aesthetic is a far cry from the decaying armor and exposed skeleton.

From this distance, the resemblance is uncanny.

Link leans back against his hands and tilts his head to the side curiously.

“What are you doing here?”

He watches as the Hero’s appearance shimmers briefly, blurring at the edges as he points to the tree above him with a lazy motion.

“You’re the one under my tree.”

Link glances up at the boughs. Tiny blooms of leaves have started to grow amongst the branches, despite the incoming winter. The cursed swordsman sleeps before the.. ah.

He tries to elbow the Hero in the side, but his arm passes straight through. He receives a raised eyebrow in response.

“That’s not what I mean,” Link huffs. “I thought you, y’know,” he wiggles his fingers through the air, “moved on.” A thought hits him, followed by an uncomfortable pang of anxiety. “Unless– you still can't..?”

“I'm at peace, Link,” he interrupts, placing his hand on his shoulder and giving a reassuring squeeze, “thanks to you.” He looks out over the slow flowing river, at the pink-tinged peaks of gentle currents. “I’ve just–” a pause “– given too much of myself to this land to ever truly leave, I think,” he says with not a small amount of wistfulness.

He knows the feeling. A breeze hits the edge of the wall and ruffles the tips of his hair. He’s not quite sure where his hat wound up. Somewhere on the battlefield, trampled and dirtied. Hopefully the next hero prefers his ears uncovered.

A knee nudges his thigh. “So, when are you going to go?”

Link sighs. “I don’t know.” He kicks his feet against the wall, his fingers twitching with agitation. He knows he needs to go back, needs to check in on the village and the kids, needs to put the damn sword back in its pedestal.. but he doesn’t want to.

It sounds horrible, but he doesn’t want to go back.

There’s only one place he wants to be, and he can’t get there.

His companion interrupts his thoughts. “Well, it’s probably going to take a while, saying your goodbyes. You could start at the castle. Zelda probably already knows. She always knows.”

Link blinks. “My.. goodbyes?” Is this what happens after his mission is complete? Does the former hero come to take him away or something? Is that what this is?

“Well, you shouldn’t just vanish into the night. That wouldn’t be very heroic of you.”

“I don’t understand,” Link starts, brows furrowed. “I– I don’t have anywhere to go.”

A hand grabs the chain from around his neck, palming the pendant resting against his heart. The hero meets his gaze.

“Don’t you?” he asks softly.

Link’s eyes widen. Something inside him shivers. The wind settles around them, tree branches resting with gentle rattle. It’s utterly still.

“I– I can’t,” Link whispers, voice ragged with disbelief. “You know what she did. You must have seen.”

The hero turns the pendant on his necklace over in his hand, frowning in concentration. “It’s a very dark type of magic. Not evil, in the right hands, just dark. I've only seen it once before.” He runs a finger over his right eyelid, eyebrow furrowing. “Unique, in this realm. At least for now.” His lips quirk in a smile and he lets the necklace drop back to his chest. “A beacon, if used in the hands of a skilled magician with the right instrument.” The hero winks at him. “Lucky for you, I think there’s one who feels as if she owes you a great debt.”

Link can’t breathe, just stares down at the pendant with hope bubbling in his chest.

“Unless of course, you’d rather return to the farm,” the shade continues. “It’s not a bad life. Peaceful. You’ve earned a bit of rest.”

Link tries to imagine it– walking back into Ordon village, scarred and changed. Tries to imagine waking up every morning with his old routine, after what he’s been through. Tries to imagine having to explain to the kids why he doesn’t smile as quick, why every shadow makes him jump, why he sometimes looks into the fading twilight and feels overwhelmed by grief.

Then he imagines seeing her, even one more time. His heart thuds in his chest.

“Can I really go?” he wonders out loud, voice a whisper. He draws the Master sword and looks at it on his lap. Will it let me go? It pulses faintly, as if sensing his restless thoughts. A ghostly hand hover above the blade. The Hero look at it with something like disgust.

“You’re done, Link. You’ve completed what was demanded of you.” The Hero gestures to the horizon. “It’s your own life, now. You get to choose what to do with it.”

They both stare out over the fields. The Hero pushes to his feet, twisting as if to move away. Link scrambles upward.

“Wait– what if–” the Hero pauses, turning to eye him expectantly. Link feels embarrassed, all of a sudden. He scratches at the back of his neck. “Um, I mean– she’s the one who closed the pathway. What if she doesn’t want–”

The Hero clasps a hand on his shoulder, looking more serious than he’s ever seen him. “Do not live a life of regret, Link. It festers inside of you, twisting and corrupting until that's all that's left.” The Hero turns to glance at the tree, something unbearably painful in his eyes. Link blinks, and it’s gone, replaced by a rueful smile. The Hero laughs, walking away once more.

“Besides, who do you think took your hat?”

Link’s hand flies to the top of his head, eyes wide. His eyes sting as a laugh is startled out of him. He watches the outline of the Hero get dimmer, fading into the evening light.

“Where will you go?” Link calls.

The Hero throws a hand up over his shoulder. “I’ve been away too long. My wife will be waiting.” He turns back towards Link once more, and for a moment, Link catches a glimpse of a bright green tunic, of the Master sword strapped to his back and a bright blue fairy hovering above his head. The shade– no, Link– smiles at him.

“I’m proud of you.” He raises his hand in farewell. “Live well, Link, and thank you.”

Link smiles, face wet as he waves back. “Be at peace, Link.”