#tw twilight mention

[fox-moblin]

I have a lot of opinions on the memories in BoTW…

*do not repost*

*click for better quality*

[deadfishbullthing]

Balls typo.

[bunnakit]

requested by @glizzyslogger9000 after i showed him the last 3 mins of episode 9 and explained the context

[legendofmorons]

Hey sorry if this is kinda specific and weird but could you do one where the reader gets their time of the month and Twilight takes care of them. (I get it this makes you uncomfortable I got my time of the month and it has hit me like a truck and I just want some tooth rotting fluff rn no pressure tho). Sorry if this is weird. Love your stuff have a lovely day 🩷

Personal hero (Twilight)

Of course I can honey! I'm sorry that you feel gross.

This doesn't make me uncomfortable, though. I'm familiar with the problem. I hope this helps and that you feel better.

Pairing: Twilight and AFAB! Reader (can be romantic or platonic, but either way, he loves you a lot)

Rating: G

Summary: When your period hits- you're left feeling it like a semi-truck. Thankfully, Twilight is right there to help you.

Warnings: AFAB! Reader, menstruation/ period, blood, a little angst maybe??

Other: If I missed anything, please let me know.

About the nicknames: Pumpkin seems pretty straightforward, it's one I heard all the time from my mama.

Bug in this case is a shortened version of love bug, another one from my childhood.

I've heard both terms used for all types of loved ones, from kids to friends to partners.

-------

You shouldn't be so surprised to see the blood in your underwear- but you are. Between the unexpected quest and the busy schedule you've had to adjust to, you just have been way too busy to pay attention to when you'd next start your period.

Thankfully, you have a few pads in the bag that had travelers with you - but only three. And that isn’t really enough. But you have one for now.

(Thank God you carry a few emergency pads for yourself and others.)

After putting in ypur pad and washing your hands you return to the group. (At least the cramps, moodswing, and genral soreness makes more sense.)

You only walk another hour before you arrive at the inn in Hateno in Wild's hyrule. Rooms are rented, and you're paired up with Twilight.

The first thing you do is collapse into your bed, groaning as you let your body relax.

"You don't look so good, pumpkin." Twilight says as he sits on the edge of your bed.

"I don't feel so good." You admit.

"Can I help?"

"Not really..."

"What's going on?"

You look at him, trying to decide if it's even worth telling him about. He doesn't seem like the type of person to shame anyone about this kind of thing.

But still. It's a little embarrassing that you aren't better prepared and that whole- awful period symptoms ranging from cramps to killer headaches and vomiting.

And if you're a heavy bleeder? It's no wonder some people call it shark week.

"It's um-... I'm bleeding?" You blurt out- not sure how to word it or what people call it in his time.

"What? Where- (Y/n) you can't let yourself bleed without getting it looked at!"

Twilight is pale, and he's very obviously nervous. He looks like he might start trying to single handedly evolve an instant healing spell for anyone to use.

"It's not that!" Ypu say quickly, "It's just that time of the month."

Twilight blinks, taking a moment to process and calm down.

Then he all clicks for him.

"Oh! Oh. Wait, do you have enough stuff for it?"

"Not really. I'll have to grab more tomorrow-"

"I'll go! You don't have to. I know that- periods suck."

"You don't have to."

"I don't mind, (Y/n). Do you have anything in particular you need?"

You take a moment to consider his offer. It's sweet, really.

And you would appreciate not having to go get the things yourself.

Twilight offered. So it probably isn't an issue or a burden.

"If you're willing to go I'd appreciate that."

"Okay, what should I grab?"

You tell Twilight what it is you need. Painkillers, chocolate, a heating pad of some sort, and whatever you use to deal with the actual bleeding.

He just smiles, "I'll be back soon. Why don't you nap?"

"Thank you, Twilight."

"Of course."

-------

You wake up to the door opening.

When you look over, you are relieved to find Twilight with a bag from the store. It seems to have everything you asked for.

"Hey there, bug." Twilight says softly, "You okay?"

"Just- ugh."

"I bet. Here, let's get some food in you."

Twilight pulls out one of your favorite snacks and hands it to you easily. He seems content just to take care of you.

After you've eaten and settled back down, you find yourself looking back to him.

"Can uh-" you aren't sure if it's weird to ask him for cuddles.

Is it?

And more importantly do you care either way?

"Can we maybe cuddle?" You ask after a moment. Becuase really the worst he can say is no.

(Maybe a mean variation of no but that dosen’t seem like him.)

"If you're sure you don't mind that I smell like dirt."

"We all smell that way. It's fine, Twi."

He sets his pelt over his own bed before he makes his way over to you.

He sits on your bed, holding his arms open. He's letting you take the lead on this one, not sure of if and or where you hurt.

You move - tucking yourself under his chin and wrapping your arms around his torso. You curl into him, reveling in the warmth Twilight provides.

Twilight, move you both so you're lying down. You're on his chest while one of his hands moves back and forth across your back.

He's gentle with you. But he holds you firm, sure in his arms. He dosen’t force you to stay, but he dosen’t ask you to leave.

Twilight is one of those people who are just good at giving hugs.

"Thanks." You say after a while.

"Of course, I want you to feel better."

"I really appreciate that. And you."

Twilight laughs, amused, fond, and bashful all at once.

You find yourself struck by how much genuine care is in his eyes when he looks at you.

"Get some rest, I'll still be here later." He says before pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

You would argue - really you would... but it's very comfortable and you know that you're safe here.

Sleep claims you again quickly, but you know that you'll still be safe and cared for when you wake up.

[loaflovesdoodling]

Pleiades pleaded, as the Dollmaker's dagger dug deeper and deeper into his back, cutting right through his yellowish-colored flesh, golden blood spewing out, he had no way of fighting back, and stabs to the pancreas wouldn't have been enough to shut his cries up anymore.

Leaving him absolutely motionless.

The warrior could feel costant hits on his vertebrae, like a hammer on a nail, it was terrifying, disturbing. painful. His consciousness started fading away. All he could do... was look back.....

...and scream his heart out.

A.F.T.E.R.M.A.T.H.

Finishing her job, she fleed the scene, forgetting her dagger deep inside his back. It was now 2AM. Pleiades coughed, grunted, making a strong effort to roll over on the cold, wet grass. He wanted to spend his final moments of consciousness facing the stars. His only sisters at the moment.

He knew he couldn't die. But he was still scared. Limbo was near. He didn't want to go to sleep. Especially for that long. He tried to inbreathe sharply, but was cut off by violent coughs. He didn't have the energy to even cry. The warrior kept his eyes open, and finally stopped struggling.

"He art not replying... he art not reachable... Just what hast thou gotten thyself into, mine brother..?!" Dero muttered to himself, scurrying across the dirt and rocks. His five eyes curved, expressing concern and frustration. His mouth partially covered by his grey-ish neck fur that now messily stuck out his cape.

Pleiades should've been back from the bar an hour earlier. His phone wasn't available and nobody who was still awake had heard from him. The dim light of the first quarter shone upon the forest, attributing to it a feeling of gloom and dread. It felt like a circle of darkness that only condensed and reduced the already miniscule amount of air. It was obscure, claustrophobic, haunting.

"PLEIADES! WHERE ART THOU, MINE FRIEND?! PLEIADES!!"

The Dark Matter called out loudly.

Still, no response, until he came across peculiar footsteps leading to a trail of golden blood. And he knew exactly who that belonged to.

Running in that same direction, he found himself even deeper inside the forest. Scurrying along, he again yelled: "PLEIADES?? I HATH BEEN LOOKING FOR THEE FOR SO LONG!! WHY ART THOU NOT RESPONDING TO MY CALLS?!" and, again, no answer. His worry only grew with the overwhelming suspense and quiet, that was so long as the moment he picked up on the putrid odor of flesh and venous and arterial fluids. He followed the scent, and finally saw Pleiades.

There lied on the earth Pleiades. Motionless. Cut up and down by the sharp blade that now emerged from his stomach. His eyes open, gazing into the nothingness. His chest flat, not a puff of air leaving his nostrils or mouth.

Dero's eyelids grew apart in shock. He gulped, then shakily exhaled, stuttering as he hurried to his injured sibling:

"..h-how....... wh...at..?"

"P...Pleiades, can you hear me.. ? ..PLEIADES..?!"

"nonononononononono.... no... NO!! Please, please hang in there... STAY STRONG..!! PLEASE..."

"just... just... please just..."

he fumbled with his words, as he bit into the knight's torn cape and lifted him over his shoulder, now noticing the handle of the seemingly familiar dagger on the other side of him, buried far inside his spine; the Dark Matter hicked in frustration and worry:

"just give me a sign... please.."

it was then that, as he cradled him, out of Pleiades came a wispy breath, and there he knew. He was still alive.

"Hang in there, mine brother. Hang in there." he whispered, before hurrying out of the forest, following the same path he used to reach it.

It was another night of work at Cookie Country's Medical Center, as Henri fixed his gloves and face mask, making his way across the white-tiled hospital corridors. Just then, he stumbled across Casipan, who was pushing a medical cart to another room. They looked at eachother for just a second, before Henri acknowledged:

"Do you need help with that? I wouldn't mind performing an extra operation tonight."

"Ah, uh, no, thank you! I was actually just putting these back."

"Oh! Alright! Tell you what, I'll go get us both something refreshing to drink, I was gonna buy another water bottle anyway."

"You're way too kind. Here, let me pa--"

"Nonono, I insist!"

"Fine, but I owe you one."

"Haha, now don't be ridiculous. I'll be back in just a minute."

"Sure."

Casipan joked:

"I swear, more than just a water bottle, we'd need some coffee! It's such a quiet night here today that I might just fall asleep!"

to which Henri replied by chuckling. Until--

"HELP!!!! SOMEONE HELP!!!! PLEASE, WE REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE!!!!!!!!!"

Dero cried in a muffled voice, barging into the hospital's hall, still carrying Pleiades.

Henri and Casipan looked at eachother with concern and determination and nodded, before hurrying towards the sound.

"Good Void...." Casipan froze upon discovering the source of panic, as Henri immediately ran past him to help, making him follow along.

"Casi, don't worry about this, I'll handle it. Just please go get me a stretcher." the creature nodded before running to the hallway once again.

"You were very brave, Dero. You were very brave--... Please take a deep breath now..." The doctor empathically encouraged, as the Dark Matter inhaled and exhaled rapidly from worry.

"...He will make it. I'm sure he will. Pleiades is a very strong man. He will make it."

"..I...shan..'t......'ve..... all..ow..e..d.......h...im....to....g..o.....d..ri..nk.....alo..ne....." he blurted out in-between each intake of air. Henri placed a hand on his cheek and rubbed its thumb on his face in a fatherly manner, before repeating, once again:

"He will make it."

Casipan reached the three of them with a stretcher before him. Henri quickly thanked him, before setting Ades onto the ground, crossing the unconscious warrior's four hands.

The medic adjusted the sheets and unfastened the straps, before bending the stretcher's metal legs and pushing it down to the floor. On the count of three they both lifted Pleiades and secured him on the hard mattress, then mounting the legs and wheels once again, before rushing to the ER, while Henri looked back at Dero one last time.

He could only sit (im)patiently in the waiting room as the hospital staff made calls to everyone else. Most of them couldn't reply. It was an ungodly hour, after all. Call after call, Dero's only thoughts were of how that could've happened, and why. Part of him was worrying about Dolly, too, but he knew she was safe at his sweet fiancé's house.

The hospital felt so quiet, he could've sworn he could hear the time ticking by with triggering low speed. The air was getting tense.

Ten minutes felt like an hour. Twenty felt like five. It was so maddening he eventually lost track of time, until, a while later, Twilight showed up, panting, as if they just ran a marathon.

"WHERE. IS. HE."

Dero looked over with his head down and his spine curved, completely ashamed. Despite how much he tried, the only thing he could force out of his mouth were mumbles and messy stutters.

Twilight looked at him with a defeated expression, before taking a seat and leaning on him.

"what even happened..? Why..?!"

"I'm sorry I hath not been there for him."

"I-It's not your fault, I just..... I don't have any words.."

"He'll be okay......... I know he will..........." Dero tried to convince himself, trying to drown out all those horrible thoughts.

"I hope so....... I really hope so, Dero."

They waited.

It was 3:37AM when Selene unexpectedly entered the hospital with a look of concern and confusion, walking slowly across the main hall until she spotted her two other relatives, then running in their direction.

"SELENE?! You should be asleep!!! What has gotten into you?!?" Twilight Knight rebuked, worried and dumbfounded.

"Well, I could say the same thing about you!! I don't even know why I came here!! Blossom just started crying in the other room and I went to check her out. Apparently she has a bad feeling something happened, and then I just... saw you were both here, and I decided to reach out to you. And, before you ask, you forgot to turn off your location." She explained as a worried and tired Blossom sat over her head, being only slightly hidden by the silvery fuzz of her antennae, but just enough that they had only noticed her now that she was being mentioned.

"Poor thing...." Dero whispered, then walking closer to the girls and kneeling down, offering Blossom his head, on which she climbed.

It was then that Selene had noticed the stains of golden blood on Dero's cape, freezing in shock then and there. Twilight checked in on her:

"Selene? Selene, are you okay??"

"Hello???"

They waved their hand in front of her face, before flicking their fingers and sternly calling:

"SELENE!!!"

And that yell was sufficient to remind her of how Farron used to catch her attention, except, it was usually followed by a slap or hit. She braced herself, but... the slap never came. Instead, a few gentle pats on the head.

"Everything alright, sis?" TK whispered soothingly.

".. mmyeah, yeah.... it's all good...."

"You sure?"

"..yeah..."

And, just then, they looked at her, before hugging her tight, and explaining.

"Pleiades got attacked. He was really badly hurt and.... unresponsive."

Her heart sank. Did she hear that right? Blossom started crying even more, inconsolable. Dero tried to soothe her like a father would with his baby, but, to mostly no avail. Selene almost started tearing up, mumbling:

"..bu..t..... I... th..ought.....A..des.......was............ I-I..thou..ght..... "

She always knew him as a strong and invincible man, so how could've this..?

The clock ticked. It was 3:46AM when, finally, the door to the ER was opened. They all ran torwards Casipan, the only doctor that came out of that room in that moment, sprinting across the hallway.

"Mister Casipan!"

"I'm sorry, Selene. It's a matter of mere seconds here and it could all be over."

He apologized, quickly walking past them.

The coldness in his tone suddenly reminded Twilight of how their mother used to treat them. They knew Casipan meant no harm, but, instinctively, they placed themselves before Selene, shielding her. She squeezed her brother's hand. They scuffed and backed down, wrapping her once again in a comforting embrace.

Dolly woke up feeling strangely lonely.

Usually, she would go to Dollmaker's room and wake her up for consolation, but, for some strange reason, it felt dangerous to do so tonight.

From under the pillow came out Alden, her guardian angel. With a soft and empathetic tone, he warned her:

"Dolly."

"Oh! Mister Alden!"

"I fear something... really bad happened to Pleiades.."

"Oh no..! Did he accidentally swap lunch with a stranger, and eat cabbage, and have an allergic reaction? Mister Pleiades doesn't like cabbage..."

"No, no... it's something far worse than that, sweet child.... I admire your innocence.."

"Did he stub his toe?"

"He got hurt.. that's certain...."

"Oh no! Is he okay?"

"I'm sorry for saying this... he's not okay. I don't know how much time will pass until you see him again."

The Doll got silent. Looking down. Pleiades was hurt?? Maybe that's why she felt lonely.

No.

Dolly doesn't want to be lonely.

Dolly wants to see Mister Pleiades again.

She's not going to be alone. Not again.

She immediately started rummaging through her toybox, looking for something, anything that could help. Until she found it.

A plushie Pleiades had gifted her for Christmas: it was in the shape of a cow, a baby pink color with yellow and blue splotches on it. Inspecting it closely, she found exactly what she needed.

A string of blue turquoise hair, trapped inside one of the two black button eyes. She carefully pried it free, before placing it on her bed as a working surface and taking out her crochet hooks. Now she would have her brother by her side for at least a little longer.

3:49AM. Twilight was hugging Selene tightly, as Blossom Slept, tucked inside Dero's cape collar, with dried tears on her cheeks. He simply shielded the small Waddle Dee with his head as a sign of comfort. Then he suggested to the other two, whispering: "why doth thou not head outside a few minutes for some fresh air while I wait? It could take thy mind off things, I'm sure."

"You're not coming?" asked the older moth.

"Afraid not. I would prefer to wait here anyway, just in case. Besides, she art resting so peacefully...." he replied, looking down at Blossom.

"Y'know... you remind me of how she would be with Ades. She's only slept so soundly with him...." Selene noticed.

"He.... he's going to be okay........... he would not leave her.. or us.." he replied.

"Alright... let's go, Selene." interrupted Twilight, guiding her to the hospital's parking lot.

"Full moon."

"It's.. haunting." they clenched their fists.

"The stars are so luminous, too...." Selene shuddered, recalling the night in which she ran away from the Mapop clan. The moon shone bright, the stars did too. It was all too familiar. Twilight put a hand on her back, patting it as comfort. They needed to be strong for the others, now that Ades wasn't there. They would have been the one to 'suck it up', and they didn't know if they could do it.

4AM. Dulciana sat on his bed. Trying to hold his hand as best as she could while the surgery carried on. Her heart was beating so fast. She wanted to cry. It was so painful seeing him like this. The ghost leaned forward and kissed his forehead, reassuring him, although unconscious, that she would've been there until he'd be back home safe and sound. And now she wouldn't ever leave his side. Not for one minute. Not for one second.

"I love you, StarBright."

4:10.

4:12.

4:15AM.

Henri finally opened the doors to the emergency room, Dero called the others.

The doctor sighed, before delivering the news:

"Sir Pleiades is not waking up."

their hearts were about to be crushed, imagining the worst, but he continued:

"We checked his pulse. His heart is still functioning perfectly fine."

"Although. His time of redevelopment is uncertain and therefore undetermined. We'll just have to pray he awakens as soon as possible."

Henri then reminded himself:

"This is the weapon we found stuck inside his torso. the cuts on his body all seem to match the length and width of its blade." he handed over the Seam Ripper.

"If you have any idea to who this might belong, your help would be greatly appreciated." he looked at Dero, who now appeared shocked and guilty.

"When could we visit him..?"

"Tomorrow. We still ought to move him to a safer, more comfortable and hygienic room. I suggest you all head back home to rest. I'll call you as soon as I can." he gave the usual fatherly smile, and so they silently walked back.

"Do not worry. He won't be alone. I'll be right beside him."

7:40AM. Fylass woke up. The chimera took a big stretch, before sleepily rubbing their eyes and checking their phone on their nightstand, and noticing they had a voicemail that was not yet read. Upon listening, the words they heard made them drop their phone on the floor.

"Hey Fy. How are you doing? Listen, this might really upset you. But Pleiades was brought to us tonight. He was fatally wounded, and... agh..... he's... he's in a coma."

Dero belongs to @monsterhatdoodles

Dollmaker and Dolly belong to @ilikesillythingswooo

Twilight Knight belongs to @that-fanperson-meg

Casipan and Selene belong to @moon-mage

Henri and Fylass belong to @george228732

Sir Pleiades and Blossom Dee belong to me :))

[nekohrine]

vampires are just bitches with extremely extreme avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder who are Too Tired of people telling them just to eat normal food

[minty-mumbles]

And the Universe Said I Love You (Ch. 2)

Summary: Late one summer night, a half fae child being hunted for their magical blood stumbled into the temple of the gods and claimed sanctuary. Years later, Hyrule is still living in the temple, working to keep it tidy and operating smoothly. And for some reason, the gods have taken a keen interest in them.

AN: Thank you to @breannasfluff for being a huge help with this chapter! I also have a list of the gods/ their domains at the end of this fic

TW: Child sacrifice is discussed in this chapter

(Read on AO3)

~~~

The temple always got eerily dark at night. After the worshippers had left and the sun went down, Hyrule would snuff out all the lanterns that hung along the walls. The only remaining light came from where the moon shone through the windows and the two torches outside Wild’s shrine room that burned with strange teal flames. Hyrule knew better than to try and snuff out the holy flames of the wild god. It wouldn’t work, and would only serve to irritate Wild. 

Back at the beginning of Hyrule’s stay in the temple, they’d been afraid to wander at night. That was before they’d been given a permanent position as the temple's tender, and they were simply a child looking for sanctuary. The temple at night had seemed dark and cold back then. It had been too strange, too foreign to see the halls silent and empty. 

During the nights, Hyrule would do their best to hide away in the windowless storeroom they’d claimed as their sleeping chamber. With no moonlight to illuminate the room, it had still been dark, but at least it hadn’t been the cavernous hallways that felt like they would swallow Hyrule whole.

Even after the gods had given Hyrule their job, they’d tried their best not to wander after the sun went down. They’d snuff out the lights as quickly as they could and scurry back to their room, which by then had been filled with a simple bed and chest to store their clothing.

Now, after two years of living and working in the temple, that uncomfortable feeling Hyrule got at night had long since faded. The darkness of the temple at night was comfortable, and the silence gave them time to reflect on the day. The nights were peaceful and serene, now, no longer haunted by bad memories. 

Even the cold flickering light of the Wild’s holy fire served to remind Hyrule that even if Wild- who Hyrule now considered a friend- preferred to remain out of the city, he was a constant presence in the temple just as the other gods were. 

When Hyrule couldn't sleep, they often took to wandering the halls. That was what they were doing tonight. It had been a slow day at the temple. Nothing exciting had happened and Hyrule hadn’t needed to do much physical work, so they weren’t tired yet. 

The wind was strong tonight, blowing in through the windows. It came from the north, and if Hyrule concentrated enough, they swore they could smell the scent of the Lost Woods carried on the breeze. They breathed in deeply, letting the familiar smell soothe away their worries.

‘Hyrule.’ The sound of someone’s voice startled them. Barring a few special rituals dedicated to Twilight, people didn’t come to the temple in the middle of the night. As it wasn’t the full moon or new moon tonight, they hadn’t expected anyone to be here. 

They whirled around, half expecting to see someone who had come to ask for sanctuary, just as they themself had. But no. It wasn’t even a Hylian- or any other kind of mortal. 

The figure that towered in front of them was monstrous in a beautiful kind of way. It would’ve been difficult to see them in the dim light, if not for the faint white glow that the figure emitted. 

Distantly, Hyrule noticed the blue flames of Wild’s torches spluttering and going out as the night wind picked up speed, blowing clouds over the moon. In response to the newfound darkness, the creature began to glow brighter, its shine lighting up the whole hallway.

The figure was tall, towering so far above Hyrule that its head nearly brushed the ceiling. It had two pairs of arms, each held neatly in front of the creature, folded as if in prayer. From the knees down, its legs gradually faded from tanned skin to white feathers, and instead of feet, the legs ended in the golden talons of a bird of prey. 

A large red bird of a species Hyrule didn’t recognize was perched atop the figure's head. Its wings were stretched forward, covering the majority of the figure’s face from Hyrule’s view. 

The bird tilted its head, eyes locked onto Hyrule as if it were inspecting them. They wondered, briefly, if the figure was seeing through the bird’s eyes instead of whatever was hidden beneath the bird's wings

The figure was clothed in draped pastel robes that were cinched at the waist with a belt of gold studded with opals. Around the figure’s knees, the fabric of the robes faded into swirling clouds, filling the hallway with a sweet-smelling mist. The belt wasn't the only piece of jewelry that adorned the figure. It was practically dripping in gold, with a thick gold band around its throat, and its ears adorned with delicate chains. Clutched in the bottom pair of its hands, a necklace with the symbol of the triforce swung slowly in the breeze.

Hyrule should have been frightened by such a creature appearing suddenly behind them, but they knew who this was. They’d never seen him appear in such a form, but they’d heard of it and seen drawings in books held in the ancient library that filled most of the second floor of the temple. 

This was Sky, appearing in a form usually reserved for when he showed himself at royal ceremonies or when he decided to bless someone personally. None of the gods had ever appeared before Hyrule like this, in a form that was so obviously Hylian yet not at the same time. Sometimes things seemed off about the forms they took, like Twilight’s eyes, which remained the eyes of a wolf no matter what shape he took. (And sometimes Twilight appeared as an animal, But an animal was much different than this)

Sky’s presence was oppressive and although Hyrule wasn’t afraid, they couldn’t help but take a stumbling step backwards.

Sky’s lips turned downward for a moment. Hyrule couldn’t figure out what the god was thinking without being able to see his eyes. The thought that they might’ve displeased Sky enough for him to appear like this before them sent a bolt of terror through their heart. 

‘Be Not Afraid.’ Sky’s mouth did not move as he spoke, but his voice rang through Hyrule's head like a bell.

“I’m not afraid.” Hyrule managed to speak without stuttering even as they lied. They knew that anyone else would have fallen to their knees in reverence by now. Their familiarity with the god was the only thing keeping them on their feet. 

Sky did not answer, but he continued to frown down at Hyrule. After a moment, Hyrule felt compelled to speak to fill the silence. 

“I just didn’t expect you- you're very large, that’s all.” Hyrule cringed. Why did they say that? Gods, they were an idiot. They didn’t even know why Sky was here, but they were already saying things that the god could very easily take offense to. 

At least they managed to stop themself from mentioning how unnatural it looked for something shaped like a Hylian to possess two pairs of arms and bird-like talons instead of feet, and that it also didn’t help that Hyrule couldn’t see their eyes which prevented them from gaining a better understanding of what the god was thinking. Saying that probably would not have gone over well, no matter how much Hyrule was in Sky’s good graces.

Sky tilted his head slowly as if considering something, and Hyrule waited with bated breath for him to make his next move. Their heart pounded as they gazed up at the gigantic figure, and their body remained tense as if they had any hope of outrunning the god.

Suddenly, a strong wind howled through the temple. It was fierce enough that Hyrule instinctively brought their arms up to cover their face, stumbling back another few steps. When the wind had died down, and they gained the courage to peek out from behind their arms, they saw that the towering figure of the god was gone, replaced by a much more reasonably sized person.

Sky was still tall, nearly seven feet, but he could no longer pick Hyrule up in one hand if he so desired. It did help Hyrule relax a little. The bird had shrunk too, and as Hyrule watched it seemed to come to life, withdrawing its wings from where they were stretched in front of Sky’s eyes and ruffling its feathers. 

The bird’s movement revealed Sky’s eyes. They were a piercing blue, the exact same shade as the morning sky on a clear summer’s day. His eyes held such fondness as he looked at Hyrule that the breath stuttered in their chest. 

Knowing that Sky wasn’t angry at them made the last bit of tension bleed out of Hyrule’s shoulders, but the affection shown just made them blush in embarrassment. Despite their embarrassment, they didn't dare turn their eyes away from the god.

In a burst of movement that drew Hyrule’s attention away from studying Sky’s face, the bird atop the god’s head took flight. As it flew, it seemed to shift, changing midair. Its size diminished so rapidly that for a moment Hyrule thought it was going to disappear completely, but by the time the bird landed on Sky’s shoulder, it had stopped shrinking. Its form was more familiar now. It looked like a little songbird, although Hyrule was still unable to identify its species. 

They realized that it must be Crimson, Sky’s.... pet? Hyrule had never asked what Crimson was exactly, but they knew that the bird was very precious to Sky. 

Sky reached up a hand to his shoulder, letting Crimson hop onto his fingers. He absently pet the top of the bird's head, all while continuing to stare at Hyrule. His gaze was no less affectionate than it was before, but now there was an undercurrent of contemplation. 

‘Hyrule, do you know how gods are made?’

The question that rang through their mind caught Hyrule completely off guard. That was one of the last things they would expect a god to ask them, let alone Sky after he showed up in such an imposing form. 

“No more than most mortals do. I-” Hyrule cut themself off, not knowing if Sky would want to hear the specifics. Sky tilted his head curiously, an action that made him look remarkably bird-like, and Hyrule felt compelled to continue. 

“You made most of them? Except for Wild and Wind. They used to be mortals, and you turned them into gods.” Hyrule hesitated to say anything more, as that was all the information they had on the subject. How gods were made was knowledge that had been kept away from the minds of mortals, and Hyrule had, for once, not been an exception in this. 

‘Do you know how I made Wind and Wild into Gods?’

Hyrule shakes his head slowly. Where was Sky going with this series of questions? Why was he here in the first place? Although Hyrule had told Sky they weren’t afraid, and Sky shrinking to a more reasonable size had elevated his more primal fears, Hyrule was still uneasy. What had prompted the god to appear to them in such a form?

 ‘The world is full of magic, Hyrule. Gods depend on that magic to survive. It is what makes us what we are. Sometimes, magic starts to build up in the world and when this happens I can, if I choose, create a godling. Something that is not a god yet, but has the potential to be.”

Hyrule knew their mouth was hanging open, but they couldn't help it. Why on earth was Sky telling them this?

A frown came over Sky’s face. Crimson chirped, nudging at Sky’s fingers, and attempting to comfort its master. ‘Godlings… they do not always survive long enough to become full-fledged gods.’ 

Hyrule sucked in a deep breath, surprised. They’d had no idea that gods could die. This was something deeply personal, more invasive than anything the gods had ever told them before. They reached out hesitantly, wanting to comfort the god, but thinking better of it at the last second and withdrawing their hand. “Sky, I’m so sorry. I never knew…”

Sky sent him a sad smile. ‘You have nothing to be sorry for. It is the way of things. One of these godlings was named Spirit. I intended for him to watch over the dead. He did not live long enough to even make his first physical form.’ 

For the first time since he had revealed his eyes, Sky broke eye contact with Hyule. He looked away, and Hyrule was horrified to see that tears were gathering in the god’s eyes. 

The entire hallway grew darker as the glow Sky emitted dimmed. Even the light from the moon outside seemed to weaken, as if Twilight had been listening to what Sky was saying and was also reliving the anguish of losing a sibling. 

Crimson screeched, flying off Sky’s fingers and disappearing out a window as the atmosphere grew more oppressive by the second. 

In a split-second decision, Hyrule moved forward, throwing his arms around Sky’s waist. They doubted they could offer much comfort to a god, but they couldn’t let someone who they thought of as a friend stand there crying from grief and not do anything.

Sky made a startled noise- still in that strange echo in Hyrule’s head that wasn’t truly speaking- before relaxing into the hug, and returning it. It was a bit awkward with Sky being two feet taller than Hyrule and having an extra set of arms, but Sky didn’t pull away so Hyrule didn’t either.

After a while, Sky’s glow returned to normal, and he drew back, so Hyrule followed his lead.  

‘You’re so sweet, Hyrule.’ Hyrule blushed.

Sky sighed, deciding to continue his story. “Spirit didn't have time to absorb much of the magic I had gathered for him. Soon after that was when we met Wind. He was such a sweet boy, so lively and mischievous. At first, he simply reminded us of Spirit, but as he grew, he quickly became his own person in our eyes, and the thought of losing yet another person we cared for so soon- We just couldn’t stand it. What happened to him is Wind’s tale to tell, but suffice to say we found out that gathered magic can also be fed to mortals to make them into godlings.”

It was strange to hear someone talk about magic as if it were a physical, tangible thing that could be eaten but Hyrule supposed, to a god, magic would be very different. “So after you figured that out, you met Wild, grew fond of him, and…” They tilted their head. 

Sky smiled. ‘And I made him a godling too, yes. I’m sure you already know most of the story of how he died. Wild is more open to speaking about it than Wind. I think mortals know the tale?’ 

Hyrule nodded, but they were growing more and more curious. “Why are you telling me this?” 

Sky didn’t respond, but continued to look down at them with soft eyes. Hyrule realized rather abruptly that during the course of their conversation, Sky’s eyes had shifted from a soft summer’s-day blue to a lovely pastel purple. 

The god sighed again, but this time, it was less heavy and more affectionate. Leaning down, Sky gently cupped Hyrule's cheek and smiled at them. His touch was gentle and warm, but his skin was rough with callouses covering his fingers. Hyrule couldn’t help but lean into the touch just slightly. 

Between one moment and the next, just as quickly as he had appeared, Sky was gone. In an instant, there was no trace of him anywhere. The moon was just as bright as it should be outside, and Wild’s torches were lit again as if they had never gone out.

The temple was silent once again. The only sound was the distant yells of people in town who had taken more than their share of ale. 

Later that night, Hyrule lay in their bed, ears pinned back in a show of discomfort as a headache pounded against their skull. Apparently, listening to the voice of a god echo inside your head for an extended period of time could be bad for you. Who knew?  

It didn’t escape Hyrule that Sky had never answered them when they’d asked why he’d told Hyrule all that he had. It didn’t make any sense. Why would Sky feel the need to offer up that information voluntarily? It wasn’t like Hyrule had asked him. Sky had just appeared in the middle of the night and told Hyrule of his own free will.

It didn’t make any sense. Why would Sky tell them about how mortals could become gods? That seemed like something that would be a carefully kept secret.

Hyrule’s swirling thoughts mixed with the throbbing pain in their skull until there weren’t any coherent thoughts left. They hovered on the brink of sleep, unable to rest while their brain still sent shockwaves of pain through their head. 

It could have been their imagination, but suddenly they feel a hand brushing their hair aside. 

A gentle palm feeling their forehead. 

A soft voice, and instant relief as the pain subsided all at once.

As they slipped out of consciousness, they could have sworn they heard a familiar voice softly singing a strange melody. 

The strange conversation with Sky didn’t leave their head for weeks. They don’t see Sky again for a while, and the absence of the god is more noticeable than Hyrule thought it would be. They missed seeing him around. When had Hyrule gotten so attached, they wondered?  

The other gods continued to visit, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but every so often Hyrule caught one of them shooting them a strange look when they thought Hyrule wasn't watching.

~~~

Not all weather could be attributed to the actions of a god. Most of it was simply due to nature acting the way it had been designed to act by the gods when they’d first created the rain and snow and sun. 

But even Hyrule was starting to suspect that this wasn’t a natural storm. The rain had been lashing fiercely against the sides of the temple since morning, and not a single person had been brave enough to venture out into the weather to come pray.

Never in their time living in Castle Town had Hyrule seen it rain so hard. Thunder seemed to echo through the temple every thirty seconds, and the downpour was unrelenting. Hyrule could hear it pounding on the roof of the temple from inside his small room.

Hyrule sat on their bed, a blanket spread over their lap, and a book laid open over that. Lit candles were scattered around their room, giving them enough light to read by. The book they were inspecting was one that was usually kept in the temple's library, but Hyrule hadn’t felt bad about squirreling it away to his room today. It wasn’t like there was anyone else there who would need it.

When Hyrule first came to the temple, they didn't know how to read. Their mother hadn’t seen any value in teaching them and hadn’t known Hylian letters anyways. Legend had been personally offended when he’d discovered this and had made it his mission to teach Hyrule how to read. After two years, Hyrule had advanced greatly. They were able to read most things without help now. 

The book spread across their lap was a collection of ancient fairy tales. It wasn’t the most engaging thing Hyrule had ever read. It had been written for a child to read and was simple in its word choice, but it was something to take their mind off the howling winds outside, so Hyrule couldn’t complain. 

They twitched as a crack of thunder echoed through the temple. Their eyes didn’t leave the page but they were no longer paying any attention to the words. That was the loudest thunder they’d heard from the storm so far. Hyrule wondered briefly if lightning had struck the temple itself. 

That would be a very bad omen.

Hyrule wondered which god was angry. Realistically, it could only be a few of them, only those who had domain over the sky and storms. Sky, perhaps, or Wind, maybe even Wild.

Right as Hyrule bought their attention back to the book on their lap, they became aware of a quiet dripping sound. Was there a leak in the roof? Hyrule frowned, twisting around to find the source of the noise.

What they saw startled them so badly that they let out a small yelp and slammed their book closed. 

A soulful-looking child stood behind them. He looked so bedraggled that Hyrule almost didn’t recognize him as Wind. 

He wasn't wearing the blue tunic he usually favored, instead dressed in the typical garb one would find in some of the poorer villages along the coast. The god was barefoot, not even wearing sandals. His golden hair was slicked down and turned a duller color from the water that plastered it to his head.  

Water dripped from Wind’s clothes and air, creating a pool at his feet which grew too quickly for the amount that was dripping off of him. His head was tilted down, and Hyrule couldn’t make out his face, but his skin had an unhealthy blue tinge to it. He looked like a drowned ghost, coming back to haunt the living.

Hyrule suppressed a shudder. Now they knew which god was causing the storm.

They waited patiently for Wind to speak, but minutes dragged by and Wind didn’t move his eyes up from the ground to look at them. 

After a while, Hyrule hesitantly set their book and blanket aside, slowly scooching their way off the bed. They planned to approach the god slowly, just in case, but the first step they took towards the god made Wind’s head snap up to face him.

Wind’s lips had a purple tinge to them, and his eyes were sunken in. Tears dripped continuously from his eyes, faster than any Hylian should be able to produce tears. 

Hyrule shivered. “Wind, I can't help you if I don't know what’s wrong.”

Wind stared at them soulfully for a moment, and Hyrule started to think he wasn’t going to say anything before the god spoke. “You can’t help. Not unless you're able to beat some sense into every single mortal who thinks that they know the will of the gods.” Wind's voice was quiet, but filled with boiling anger. 

His voice grew louder as he continued. “What gives them the right? What makes them think they know what I want!” The god gave a short, wordless yell, his hand flying up to tug on his hair. 

Instinctively, Hyrule reached out, gently trying to remove Wind’s hands from where they were tangled in his wet tresses. Tugging on his hair like that can’t feel pleasant, god or no. Wind allowed Hyrule to take his hands into theirs, but he didn’t look calmed in the slightest. Wind seemed to be working himself up into a true temper, and it made a sliver of fear appear in the back of Hyrule’s mind. 

They knew by now that Wind would never hurt them on purpose, but a god’s anger could be destructive. 

“When has that ever been okay? Why did no one stop her? Why, why, WHY?” Wind was screaming by the last word, and a chorus of thunder echoed from outside to accompany his cries. His anger had morphed into hurt.

Hyrule didn’t know what had happened, or who “she” was, but they could see it was time to do some damage control before Wind summoned a storm inside Hyrule’s bedroom and accidentally fried them with a lightning bolt.

With a sharp tug on Wind’s hands, Hyrule drew the young god into a hug starting a mantra of soft reassurances and soothing words. Wind, who wasn’t paying attention to Hyrule by this point, was taken off guard. He fell into the hug with a wheeze, his next yell stolen from him.

It took a while for Wind to calm, for water to stop pouring from his eyes, and for color to start to return to his skin, washing away the unhealthy pallor he’d had before. As Wind’s cries grew quieter so too did the storm outside, being reduced to a steady but much less forceful patter of rain on the Temple’s roof. Hyrule managed to draw Wind over to his bed and sat the both of them down, not minding how wet the god would make their blankets. 

When Wind has been reduced to quietly sniffling at irregular intervals, Hyrule finally felt like they could ask what happened. What could cause a god to become so upset? And why would he come to Hyrule for comfort instead of any of the other gods? It baffled them.

Hyrule asked, but Wind simply shook his head into Hyrule’s chest, obviously not wanting to speak about it. But by then, Hyrule's curiosity has been thoroughly roused, along with their concern and no small amount of protectiveness over the child clinging to them. 

Wind was a god. He could protect himself, and he certainly didn’t need protection from Hyrule. Knowing that didn’t soothe Hyrule’s anxieties. “Come on, you don’t have to say much, just let me know what’s going on, okay?”

Wind eventually pulled back from the embrace, wiping away the last of his tears. He looked much better than before, no longer looking like a dead body at least. He looked more like a sick child who fell in a puddle

Wind looked up at Hyrule with fresh tears welling in his eyes. “One of the fishing villages along the coast was going through a rough spot- the fishing was just getting worse and worse. People were going hungry. There was a woman, who had just given birth to a baby girl. The woman wasn’t… well. Something went wrong with her birth, and she nearly died. Wanted nothing to do with her daughter after that.”

Hyrule nodded along with the story but was no closer to understanding what had caused Wind to become so upset. It was a sad tale, yes, but it happened sometimes- mothers falling into agony, trapped in their own minds after they give birth. There must be more to the story than that if it made Wind so upset.

And indeed, Wind carried on. “When the famine started, she got it into her mind that we had sent her child to her as a test of some sort. She became convinced the only way to end the starvation was to kill the child. She waded out into the water and held her baby under until she stopped moving. She just- didn’t stop. And she kept praying to me the who- whole t- time.” 

Wind’s voice started hitching like he was about to cry again. “Everyone sa- aw her. There was a whole crowd there. No one stopped her. Why did no one stop her?” 

Despite the waver in Wind’s voice and his hitching breath, he didn’t start crying again. Instead, he simply leaned forward, burying his head in Hyrule’s chest and returning to their positions from earlier. He sounded so defeated.

“Oh,” was all Hyrule could force out. That was worse than he was expecting. They shuddered, suppressing the urge to make noise in reaction to that, but they were sure Wind could feel their shiver. 

When times got hard, people got desperate. If they got desperate enough, they would be willing to try anything to gain the gods’ favor, even Hylian sacrifice. It was illegal, of course, and doubly so if the victim was unwilling, but people still did it occasionally

But child sacrifice? That was beyond cruel, and even people who weren’t as well acquainted with the gods as Hyrule was would know they wouldn’t approve of that. Mentally, Hyrule offered up a prayer that the child’s soul would find peace.

“She will. I made sure of it.” Wind spoke, startling Hyrule when it seemed he had replied to their thoughts. Then they realized that was exactly what they’d done. Hyrule hadn’t directed the prayer to Wind specifically but the spirits of the dead, afterlife, and reincarnation was Wind’s purview. Of course he’d heard Hyrule’s prayer. 

“And the mother?” Hyrule inquired hesitantly. They couldn’t imagine that Wind had granted the woman’s prayer for more food, not after she had killed her child in Wind’s name. Especially not when he seemed so distressed by it.

“They killed her.” Wind spoke softly, and monotone, all emotions leaching out of his voice. 

Hyrule tightened their grip on Wind. They weren't surprised she was dead. Not really. The courts would never be kind to someone who killed their child, especially when it was indisputable that they had done it. Hylian justice was strict in that regard. 

“I didn’t save her.” Still, his voice was flat, unusual for the overly expressive god.

Hyrule was left floundering at that. “Ah, did you want to save her?” The woman had offered Wind a sacrifice, after all. Had Hyrule misunderstood why Wind was so upset? Maybe he had accepted the sacrifice, and he was upset the woman had been punished so severely.

The thought of Wind accepting Hylian sacrifices made Hyrule’s blood chill, and for a split second, Hyrule felt more fear than he ever had around Wind. They were also insignificant to the gods. Half fae they may be, but they were still mortal.

Wind shook his head into Hyrule’s chest. Relief flooded Hyrule, and they barely managed to keep their voice from shaking as they asked, “Then why are you upset?”

“Because I didn’t want to save her. I thought she deserved to die.” Wind looked up at Hyrule with wide mournful eyes. “Did she?” 

 It was as if he was waiting for Hyrule to cast judgment- as if Hyrule was in any position to judge a god for their actions, let alone their thoughts. When Hyrule didn’t speak one way or the other, Wind continued. “I should have stopped them, but I didn’t.” 

Wind sounded so defeated. “Why is murder the answer to murder? Why do Hylians take others' lives? We gave Hylians free will. We try not to interfere. But sometimes it just goes so badly… And to do things like that in our names, as if we told them to...” Wind trails off, seemingly at a loss for words. 

Hyrule could have said something about Hylian law listing death as a suitable punishment for the murder of a child, that by the judgment of a Hylian court, what had happened to the mother had been lawful. 

They didn’t, though. They were sure Wind was already well aware of that and didn’t need a reminder. 

Wind seemed to go slack in Hyrule’s arms, allowing them to support him. It was as if he was waiting for them to cast judgment- as if Hyrule was in any position to judge a god for their actions. When Hyrule didn’t speak one way or the other, Wind looked up at them. “She could have gotten help. She might have gotten better.” 

Hyrule wondered again why Wind had come to them for this. Why hadn’t he gone to one of the older gods? They would no doubt be better equipped to deal with this. But Wind hadn’t. He’d gone to Hyrule, so they would just have to help the best they could. “Maybe, but you can’t control what other people do.” Wind probably could but that wasn’t the point.

Neither of them spoke anymore after that, simply sitting on Hyrule’s bed in silence. Wind’s hiccups slowly pestered out until his breathing was even, and after a while, Hyrule realized he was asleep. It was strange- sleep seemed like the last thing a god would require but here they were, cradling a teenage god who was dead to the world. 

On the upside, Wind no longer looked like a sickly child who had fallen into a puddle. He looked more or less like himself again, even if he was rather damp. Paying no mind to the moisture soaking into their blankets, Hyrule laid Wind down so he would be more comfortable. Tucking him in, Hyrule hesitated, realizing this meant they would have nowhere to sleep. 

They considered it. Their bed would be big enough for both of them, yes, but it might be more cozy that was strictly comfortable. Shaking their head, Hyrule climbed into bed next to Wind. The boy had already cried in their embrace for at least an hour. Hyrule doubted he would mind them sleeping in the same bed.

Hyrule soon followed Wind into unconsciousness. When they woke in the morning Wind was already gone, but to Hyrule’s relief, when they stepped out of the temple, they found the morning had dawned bright and sunny. 

~~~

Hyrule had only stepped outside for a few moments to go to the market to get something to eat for lunch. They returned with a meat pie wrapped in wax paper and a few apples tucked into their basket. There was a pep in their step as they looked forward to finding a quiet place to take a break and eat lunch. 

Maybe they could head up to the roof? They thought about it as they entered the building, quickly bypassing all the shrine rooms as they headed towards the staircase in the back of the building. The roof of the temple was accessible by a small staircase tucked away in the back of the library on the second floor, but Hyrule was convinced that most people didn’t even know you could access the roof. They’d never seen anyone but themself and the gods up there

Hyrule spent a lot of time on the roof. It was a nice private place to take in some fresh air and get some sun, but they also spent time tending to the rooftop garden.

About a year and a half ago, when it had become obvious that Hyrule would be staying in the temple permanently, a large section of the rooftop had been transformed into a garden for them to tend to and harvest from.

Twilight had been the one to give Hyrule the garden, although Hyrule suspected that Time was also involved in the making of it. The god had woken them one early morning, demanding they accompany him to the rooftop. Hyrule, who at the time was much more cautious around the gods than they were now, had agreed hesitantly. 

They had worried slightly that Twilight was going to push them off the roof but followed him obediently up the staircase anyways. When they’d reached the top of the stairs, Hyrule was shocked to discover that the rooftop had been transformed overnight. There were now several large planting beds in the middle of the roof, each already filled with rich black soil. Twilight had handed them a shovel and a handful of seeds- both of which had appeared out of thin air- and instructed them to get to work. 

Twilight had handed them handful after handful of seeds and sprouts, all the while talking their ear off about proper growing techniques. It had slowly dawned on Hyrule that Twilight was expecting them to tend to this garden and harvest it when the time came. 

When they’d asked what the food was for, Twilight had looked at them like they’d grown a second head, and said “It’s for you, of course. Ya don’t think we expect you to live just off the salary we give ya, do ya?” At that, Twilight knelt down in the dirt next to Hyrule and helped them finish planting. 

So taking care of the garden had become part of their daily chores. The garden wasn’t large, nothing that would take Hyrule’s whole day to tend to, but it was nice to have something else to do besides clean.

Between the garden- which Hyrule suspected was producing more food than the amount of space allowed, but what did they know? They weren’t a farmer- and with the occasional rabbit or pheasant that Twilight or Wild would give him, Hyrule was less reliant on the markets for his food. 

After Wild had seen the garden for the first time, he’d perked up like an excited puppy. The next thing Hyrule knew, the roof also had a hearth, cooking pots, and a stack of firewood that never seemed to grow any smaller. Retroactively, Hyrule was grateful Wild had the foresight to give them a place to cook. The temple wasn’t designed to be lived in permanently and therefore lacked even a basic kitchen. 

(More often than not, Wild would take pity on them and cook for them. He said they were dismal at cooking, and Hyrule didn’t know enough about cooking to disagree.)

But some days, like today, Hyrule preferred to get out of the Temple and find something to eat in the marketplace. It's not like they lacked the money to do so. Twilight had said that he didn’t expect Hyrule to live off the money that the gods gave them, but in truth, Hyrule could easily do so. Some months he wasn’t even able to spend it all before he was given more.

Just as Hyrule reached the bottom of the stairs that led up to the second floor, their thoughts were abruptly cut off as a scream sounded from behind them. Someone was wailing in terror inside one of the shrine rooms. Hyrule turned on their heel and sprinted back in that direction.

A group of worshippers had already clustered around the door to Time’s shrine, so it was easy to locate where the scream had come from. People parted like water around a rock as Hyrule approached, recognizing him as the temple’s keeper and letting him through. Those who didn’t were grabbed by the people who stood next to them and hauled out of the way. Hyrule didn't spend any time reflecting on the authority they now held when it came to the temple and the gods, but it was definitely a weird feeling. 

Besides, it was probably less that the crowd respected them, and more likely that no one else wanted to be the first to enter the room. Firstly because whatever was that had caused the room’s inhabitant to scream like that couldn’t be good, and secondly because it was rude to enter a shrine while someone else was praying. Hyrule was mostly exempt from the second point, meaning it would be better to let them deal with the danger, whatever it was.

Before Hyrule could even reach the door, it burst open. A young man dressed in typical farmer’s garb came barreling out of the room in a flat sprint. The man was down the hall and out the door before any of the onlookers, including Hyrule, could get a word out.

The crowd around them murmured uneasily, but the sight eased Hyrule‘s worries a little. They’d been afraid that they might walk into the shrine to find a dead body. Thankfully, it seemed like that wouldn’t happen now.

The man had left the door to the shrine- a solid oak door carved with harvest motifs- open, not bothering to close it in his haste. It swung back and forth gently with the force the man had slammed it open with. Hyrule caught the door with a hand, steadying it. Steeling their nerves for whatever they would find inside, Hyrule entered the room. 

The first thing to hit them was the smell of the room, as it always did when they entered Time’s shrine room. It smelled like freshly grown grass, and deep dark forests, and if they concentrated it even smelled a bit like their mother’s fairy fountain. In short, it smelled like home and it always made some of the tension in their shoulders seep away 

The second thing they noticed was the towering figure standing in the middle of the room. For a second, Hyrule was reminded of the time, months ago, when Sky had appeared before Hyrule in a gigantic inhuman form. At least in this case, the figure had the correct number of limbs and was a more reasonable height. 

It was obviously Time- there was no one else it could be. Even if this form was different from what he usually took, it still looked remarkably like him. He wore silver armor, and a great double helix sword was strapped to his back. His hair was pure white, as were his eyes. The marks on his face remained, but they seemed brighter than usual, the only streak of color on the man’s body.

Both of his eyes were open, which was usual. Time preferred forms that had a large scar over one of his eyes. Hyrule had never heard the tale of how he’d gotten the scar, but it must have been a fight to boast of, if the god willingly kept the scar in all his forms.  

Hyrule could see why such a sight would frighten someone who was not accustomed to seeing the gods, even if this appearance was very similar to a Hylian’s. The god’s pupil-less eyes seemed to bore into your very soul as he looked at you.

“Lord of the Seasons,” Hyrule greeted, using one of the god’s many formal titles. They bowed low and didn’t rise from the bow or dare look up at the god before they were told to. Their basket tumbled out of their hands as they did so, but they let it

For perhaps the hundredth time since Hyrule had come to the temple, Hyrule thanked their mother for teaching them proper manners. Fae were notorious for their politeness, and their mother wasn’t going to send Hyrule off into the world without teaching them manners, whether they were only half fae or not. 

That meant that they had fit in quite well at the temple, back when they still maintained proper decorum with all the gods. Most others, unless they were nobility and had been raised in such environments, wouldn’t have known proper behavior.

Of course, those manners weren’t really needed anymore, but they still served Hyrule well in situations like these. They may have gained respect from the people of Castle Town by being the caretaker of the temple and they may be regarded as an authority on the will of the gods, but even then they couldn’t go around acting so casually toward them in public. 

Time’s voice responded to his greeting, albeit deeper than it normally was. ”Rise, supplicant,” He ordered.

Thankfully, it seemed Time also recognized the need to keep a formal distance between them. Hyrule pushed down a feeling of hurt that Time would call them a supplicant, as if they had been reduced to simply a worshiper at his shrine. There was no need to take it personally. Time was playing a part, just as Hyrule was. 

Hyrule rose, meeting Time’s eyes. (At least they were pretty sure they were meeting Time’s eyes. With no pupils, it was impossible to tell where the god was looking.)

With a wave of Time’s hand, the door to the room slammed shut in the faces of all the onlookers. It might have been Hyrule’s imagination, but they could have sworn that Time’s shoulders relaxed when they no longer had an audience. 

Hyrule knew Time hadn’t come here for them. If Time had wanted to speak to Hyrule, he could have appeared before them directly. Which meant that the god couldn’t be angry at them for some slight Hyrule hadn't realized they had committed. 

That and the fact Hyrule had gotten over being fearful of the strange forms they took. After being espoused to it for so long, the novelty of it had worn off. It took something very shocking- like Sky’s gigantic form- to startle them. 

Lacking any fear, Hyrule said, “Didn’t expect to see you here.” It was a casual greeting, one that you might give to a friend you met in the market. It seemed absurd to give such a greeting to a god, but a lot of things in Hyrule’s life were absurd and they had learned to live with it. 

 “He wanted advice.” Time spoke. Time’s face remained impassive and completely still. Hyrule yet to see any movement on the god’s face. It was as if the god were wearing a mask carved of wood. Time had an excellent poker face and rarely let emotions show, but he was usually a bit more expressive than this.

Hyrule blinked in confusion. “Who- oh, the young man who was in here before me?”

Time sighed, voice slightly irritated. “Yes.”

Hyrule knew that many people sought out the gods to ask for advice on a whole range of topics. Still, it was very rare for any of the gods to answer in person, let alone Time. Out of all the gods, he was the most seclusive, preferring to keep to himself and do his work from a distance. 

“What did he want advice about?” Hyrule said, wondering what would have drawn Time to visit.

Time lifted a hand to rub over his face, sounding exhausted when he spoke. “He wanted love advice. He said that since I was the only one of the gods who was married, I might have some wisdom for him.”

That certainly wasn't what Hyrule had been expecting. It was true- Time was the only married god, as far as Hyrule knew- but he wasn’t known as a god of love or anything like that. If you wanted advice on the softer aspects of things, you were better off praying to Sky, or perhaps even Four or Warriors.

Time nodded, perhaps seeing confusion on Hyrule’s face. “It’s unusual that I get a supplicant asking for romantic advice. I wanted to answer him in person, but it seems he was too much of a coward for that.” Time’s face remained as impassive as ever, but Hyrule heard scorn in Time’s voice. 

Courage was something that all the gods valued, and Time was no exception. All of the gods were warriors of some kind, and none of them took kindly to cowardice, so it didn't surprise them that Time was displeased that the man had run. ”But I think I might stay for a while longer and hear more supplications from those who are brave enough to face me.” 

Not wanting to offend, but also slightly amused by the whole situation, Hyrule said. “Maybe you could take on a less frightening form? Other people aren't as used to seeing gods as I am. He was just scared of that, I think.” 

There was a long pause as Time seemed to consider this. While he did, Hyrule turned to gather their basket off the floor. The basket and meat pie had stayed where they had dropped them, but the apples had rolled away. Hyrule found one of them easily, but the other was nowhere to be seen. 

Most likely it had rolled into a corner or under an offering table. Hyrule could find it later, after the worshippers had left the temple and this whole situation had died down.

But when they turned back to Time, they were pleasantly surprised. Hyrule hadn’t thought that Time had moved when they’d turned their back on him, but they found that the god was standing closer than he had been, and holding out the apple Hyrule had lost. 

He had also changed his appearance. Time looked more like he usually did, now. He still wore the armor, but it was no longer unearthly silver, but a normal iron. His hair was no longer white, but a bright blonde, and he stood at a more reasonable height. If Hyrule had seen him out in the city, they would have assumed that he was a knight, and wouldn’t have looked twice at him.

At least, if it hadn’t been for the mask the man now wore. It was white and pearlescent, with a swirling symbol Hyrule didn't recognize carved into it. It also had no eye holes, but Hyrule got the unnerving feeling Time was still staring at them.

With a smile, Hyrule took the second apple from Time’s outstretched hand and tucked it into their basket. “That’s better,” They agreed to Time’s unspoken question. “Much less intimidating, I think.” Then they hesitated. “But, if you still wanted to speak with that young man, I’m afraid that he’s, um, already gone.”

Time snorted at that. “No need to be delicate about it. I know he ran away like a child.“ 

Hyrule nodded, not bothering to defend the young man. He had run away, after all. 

They would have to warn those who were gathered outside that the god would still be there if they entered his shrine, and then they would have to prepare for a flood of people coming to see the god in person. Hyrule would probably seclude themself in their room. No need for them to get caught up in that mess.

“I’ll leave you to it, then.” Hyrule sighed. “Here’s hoping I won't have to fight through a hoard of people all asking questions the second I step out of this room.” It was a fruitless hope, they already knew. News of the god’s presence would have already spread, drawing even more people to crowd around the door.

Time said nothing, but patted them on the shoulder consolingly before they headed towards the door, leaving the god where he stood. 

~~~

The Pantheon:

Sky: God of the sky, divinity, sleep, and children (The first god, Mother of the gods)

Four: (They/Them) God of the four elemental spirits, and the forge. (They created the world out of the endless cloudy void Sky had been living in. The void is now the realm of the gods, the world is now the realm of the mortals)

Time: God of time, the seasons, the harvest/farming (He began the turning of the seasons)

Twilight: God of the night/day, animals, and the sun/moon/stars (He created the stars, planets, moon, and sun, and helped populate the world with animals)

Legend: God of myths, adventure, and music (He worked together with Twilight to create mortals. He also helped create the constellations)

Wind: God of the ocean and the dead (He helped deal with the overpopulation of mortals. Psychopomp. Started out as a mortal)

Warriors: (Xe/Xem/Xyr) God of war, strategy, and battle, (Also a psychopomp, but only to the effect that xe delivers souls of those who die in battle to Wind. “Battle” is very widely defined. Lots of things can be battles Ie: childbirth, battle with sickness)

Wild: God of the hearth, hunting, and the wilds (He moderates how much Hyians encroach on nature. Started out as a mortal)

[andreafmn]

Bound | Chapter 1

Word Count: 3.3K Warnings: graphic depictions of death, implied/referenced SA

Summary: Rosalie always carried the resentment of not being able to fulfill the image of the perfect family she had in her head. But the universe had set out to grant her everything she could've hoped for in the most unconventional way and in the form of a witch. Can their love withstand the promise of forever or will Rosalie and (Y/N) succumb to the grapples of time?

A/N: tried my best to write the pain and turmoil Rosalie might have felt during such a horrendous moment. I feel like her backstory is so overlooked in the story and, for me, it's one of the most tragic. I hope I do her justice with this and the coming chapters. Also, I want to say to any and all survivors of SA that you are not alone and what happened to you is not your fault, it never will be. I hope you have healed or are healing. And if you ever just need an ear to listen, I am here. 🤍

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Rosalie Hale should have been protected. That much she knew to be true. She should have been able to revel in a perfect life. A perfect house, perfect children, a perfect husband, all complements to her being a perfect wife. 

Everything should have been perfect because she already was. 

But there was something about a perfect thing that she did not know until it was too late. Whenever it was scrutinized, the cracks started to appear. The paint that was used to make everything seamless was bulky and uneven. Nothing was perfect. Nothing could even come close. 

Still, it had been far too late to see all the flaws of what was supposed to be her perfect life. 

Everything had happened to her so quickly. Her courtship to Royce King the Second, to their engagement, to the date of the wedding. It was the thing of fairytales. Or at least, that was what she had thought –what she had been raised to believe. The perfect prince to the beautiful princess. 

His façade was impeccable. He did the right things, said the right things; he played the part well. Too well. It made it easy for Royce to hide his faults. Because they didn’t exist to the naked eye. His lingering eye was only witnessed by the women he would make uncomfortable, but they would never speak of it. His drunkenness was reserved for the late hours of the night, in the company of his closest friends. His blatant disregard for Rosalie was only spoken of in whispers, spilling into the ears of his most trusted confidantes. He did not have to worry about anyone else knowing just how execrable he actually was. 

The fact that he was marrying the Rosalie Hale was enough to allow his behavior. She was a testament to the fact that he could have anything he wanted without having to work too hard at it. All it took to reel her in were a few words and flowers, some public outings and he had her trapped in his spell. 

At that point, she didn’t know it. That the love he seemed to have for her was only his part to play. How could she? Royce King was her ticket to everything she had ever worked toward. He was the trophy for the part she had to play. It didn’t matter that she was not in love with him, she loved everything he could give her. She didn’t mind feeling like an empty shell of a human if it looked like she had everything. She knew it was vain and shallow, but it was what she had been molded to be. 

What she never thought was that the same person she believed would grant her every dream would be the very reason it was taken away. Ripped and taken from her without another thought. 

The day had started well enough for her. With her wedding only a week away, her head could only be preoccupied with the final details of the event and everything that would come after. Even as she spent the night with Vera, her best friend, watching as her husband loved her and her son grew beautifully, Rosalie could only think of when it would be her own child reaching their arms up to be carried. She would have the life she wanted because that was what she was promised. 

But the night was harsh and unforgiving. In hindsight, she would have taken that as a warning. The cold truth was slapping her in the face long before real hands had. When she was yelled at by Royce on the empty street, she should have turned around. She should have listened to the trembling in her limbs as he treated her as nothing more than a prize he had won. She should have ran and kept running. 

But his grasp around her was tight, bruising. He grabbed her like she was his possession, as though her body had never belonged to her. And he wanted to show her off because she did, she belonged to him. 

She remembered trying to fight. Whatever happened next, she could hold on to the fact that she had tried to fight. Even if it had been to no avail. No amount of strength could have been enough to protect her, at least not of any she knew. 

Then, she remembered how frozen she had felt. Not because of the cold in the weather, but because her limbs had gone stiff. Royce and his friend were drinking in her pain, rejoicing in her screams. She couldn’t give them that. So, she froze. Rosalie allowed them to take everything from her but the fact that she was in so much pain. 

They took her clothes, they took her will, they took her beauty, they took her body. They took and took until there was nothing left to give. They even believed they had taken her life. But something inside her was holding on. Something she cried would just let it all end. There was nothing left for her to hold on to, Rosalie just wanted the nightmare to end since her dream definitely had. 

Rosalie could have sworn that she had spent hours on that dimly lit street begging for death to take her in its arms and whisk her away. She didn’t want to be cold, she didn’t want to be in pain. She no longer wanted to be. All she could do was wait until it all stopped. 

Instead of the impending doom of death, she had been carried away by someone she couldn’t identify at first. At first, she believed it was the Angel of Death crossing her to the afterlife. The speed at which they were traveling felt as much. But soon she was being laid on a bed, where she was bitten on every inch of her body and it made her wish she was back to the pain from before. At least that was bearable until death came. This kind of ache ran across her entire body, freezing her veins and adjusting every fiber of her being. It was overwhelming enough that she could smell… sage? Maybe even moringa and rosemary. Possibly even a hint of ginger. 

Rosalie wanted to laugh at that realization, not that her body allowed her to. She wanted to chuckle at the mere fact that her brain had decided to trick her with the smells of herbs as she went through the worst agony of her life. But she had to admit, it had eased her slightly. And she wished she had perceived those very smells until the change happened. 

She also wished for the longest time that Carlisle had never saved her. What he did felt more like pity rather than a moment of salvation –she did not want to be saved. When he took her in his arms she wasn’t thankful, she was tired. If she’d had the ability to speak, she would have begged him to end it. Rosalie would have used every last breath she had to beacon death quicker than it was coming. 

Instead, he saved her in the worst way possible. He submitted her to a life where she would never have anything she desired. She would have her beauty, and she would have a sort of family, but she would never have something that was truly hers.  But nothing that was hers. Nothing that was just hers. 

At least there was one thing that the imposed immortality had brought her. She was strong. Stronger than all those men the night before. She could feel it. The solidness of her skin, the strain in her muscles, the itching in her limbs for speed. It was supernatural strength. An unlimited source of unimaginable power. 

A vampire. That was what they had told her she was now and she knew it was the truth. The burning in her throat yearned for only one thing and none of the people in the room she had woken in had it running through their veins. She craved the crimson liquid as though it was the sweetest nectar in the world and it was the only thing to satiate the deep void in her stomach. 

But that hunger was nothing compared to the appetite she had for revenge. For the craving she had developed to have the same men that had made her tremble in her sacred body to quiver in theirs. She wanted them to beg her for their lives, to know what it feels for their lives to be in the hands of someone that could not give two shits about them. She wanted them to plead until their voices were hoarse. Until they were so scared that she could hear their skeletons rattle inside their bodies. She wanted them to pray to their god for their lives and then she would take them with her own hands. Her eyes would watch as their souls left their bodies, a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. 

She could have answered Carlisle Cullen at that moment. When he had asked her if she wanted to join their family, she knew the answer was yes. Not because they were the perfect choice, but because it was the only one she had. Rosalie didn’t want to be alone and the Cullens were offering her companionship. She would say yes, eventually. First, she had something to do. So, she asked them for a couple of days to set her head in order.

Rosalie waited until the sun had set and dressed up for the occasion. She styled herself in perfect curls and demure makeup. She was dressed in tailored clothes and high heels. At the end of the day, she was still Rosalie Hale and those men would know exactly who it was that would take their lives. 

The first two were easy to find. Buck and Andre Hubert, brothers that still lived under the same roof. With her newfound strength and speed, she slipped into their house without making a single sound. One thing she knew was every party and social appearance the rich people of Rochester, New York had to attend. She knew who would be where and when. And it just so happened that Mr. and Mrs. Hubert would be out all night. 

She wanted to go play with their minds first. Start building that nest of fear deep in their chest as they had done to her. To laugh as they questioned if they were losing their minds. 

The brothers were in the drawing room. Maybe reading, maybe drinking. Definitely drinking. It made her smile. Her legs took her to the table in their foyer, slamming a vase she had admired for years against the wall. 

“Who goes there?” Buck called out from the room to be met with the crackling of the fireplace in response. “I’ll let you know that I have a gun.”  

Rosalie remained quiet, instead making noise by slamming a framed picture of the brothers to the floor. She stared as the frame splintered around her and the glass bounced off her impenetrable skin. Bring your gun, she wanted to say, there’s nothing you can do to hurt me now. 

But she kept her silence. She wanted to draw both of them out, not just their guns. Their bodies would be the first warming call to the other three men. So, she broke more things, until the room was filled with splintered wood, glass, and roses. How she detested roses now. 

“What the fuck is going on, Buck?” Andre said, his voice shaking slightly. “Who’s there?”  

“I don’t know, man,” he sighed in frustration. “I’ll go check.” 

No. It had to be both of them. She called out, “Why don’t you both come to check?” 

“No way,” she heard one of them whisper, not really caring which one. 

They walked out slowly, each sporting a rifle in their arms. They stood tall, their eyes trained on hers, trying to appear courageous. But she knew they weren’t. She could hear their hearts racing, she could see the beads of sweat forming on their forehead, she could smell their desperation. 

“Rosalie Hale,” Buck said. “What are you doing here?”  

“Surprised to see me, boys?” She smiled sweetly and she could see the way it made them shiver. “I just thought I would pay you a visit after last night. You left without so much as a goodbye.”  

 “No, but you… you were…” Andre stammered. He was so young and it showed. His brother towered over him and he was shaking in inexperience. 

“What’s wrong, Andre?” she feigned worry. She had also been so young and they had not cared. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”  

“You died last night,” Buck interjected in big brother fashion. “We left you on the street and you were dead.” 

“Correct!” Rosalie clapped in fake excitement. “You did leave me on the street, but I wasn’t dead. No. I suffered for hours waiting to die. But alas, death arrived in a different way.” 

She took steps toward them, closing the distance of the large entryway. Her movement made Buck fire his gun, the bullet flying right by her ear. It was so close she could hear the whistle of the shot as it passed her. 

“Careful, Buck,” she reprimanded. “You can’t kill something that’s already dead.”  

“W-what?” 

“I know, it’s practically unbelievable,” she chuckled. “Death becomes me, doesn’t it?”  

Rosalie was so close now that it would only take four steps for her to be nose-to-nose with them. Her appearance was illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the open front door, every feature now unmistakable to the men in front of her. 

As they looked into her eyes, they couldn’t help the scream that bubbled from their throats. It was at that moment that they knew their guns would be useless against the intruder. She was definitely not human anymore. 

Buck shot at her stomach, watching in astonishment as the bullets ricocheted against her rather than fly through her. On the other hand, Andre decided to take off in a run. Rosalie could only laugh. Her beautiful voice made their veins run cold, fear grasping them by the throats. 

The blonde took Buck’s gun in her hand, bending the barrel until no more bullets could move through, and grabbed him by his throat, walking toward Andre. She dragged the man's body with one hand, smiling as he tried to claw free, twisting and turning in her grasp. In a couple of seconds, she was behind the younger Hubert. With the damaged gun, she shattered his right leg, smiling as he yelled in pain. 

“Please, please,” Andre cried. Tears and snot mixed on his face, the mask of pure desperation sliding onto him. “Just let us go. We’re sorry, Rosalie. We were just having some fun. It should have never gotten to that point.” 

“Oh, then, please. Tell me when I was having fun?”  Rosalie said. She had dropped both brothers on the floor, one right next to the other, kneeling. “Was it when I begged you all to stop? Was it when my body had been assaulted to the point where I could not even move a finger? Or maybe it was when you were telling Royce he had to start looking for a new wife since I was dead? I would love to know what was fun about any of that.”  

“It wasn’t,” Buck blubbered. “We were wrong, Rosalie. What we did was despicable.”  

“It was, wasn’t it? It was the most vile thing you could ever do to a woman –to anyone,” she smiled. “But you still did it. And it cost me my life. Now, it’s gonna cost you yours.”  

The brothers let out strings of ‘no, please’s and ‘have mercy, Rosalie’s, and it made the fire inside her burn hotter. The vampire stared at Andre first, the youngest of the two. The one she had gone to school with. The one that was only a couple of months her junior. The boy that had acted like a man and taken everything from her. His cheeks were stained with tears, his eyes red and swollen from crying. 

“You could’ve made a woman very happy, Andre,” she smiled. “At least, the boy I knew in school would have. You, as you are now, don’t deserve the dirt on my shoes.” 

“I’m so sorry, Rosalie,” he sobbed. The attractive boy she had known had been battered to a sorry excuse for a human, and she reveled in it. “Please, just let me go. I promise I’ll never do it again.”  

“You’re right. You won’t do it again,” she said, wrapping her hands around his neck. “Save your sorry for your god, Andre.” 

And she snapped his neck, watching as his body slumped to the floor. 

Beside him, Buck let out a guttural scream. A completely broken and full of agony wail. Music to her ears. “Does it hurt, Buck?” she said. “To see the body of the little brother you had sworn to protect, lifeless and beaten? Does it hurt that there was absolutely nothing you could have done to save his life?”

When he kept quiet, only responding in whimpers and whines, she took his left arm and broke it under her grip. “Answer me,”  she seethed. “How bad does it hurt.” 

“It’s the worst pain imaginable,” he yelled out. “I should have saved him. Saved him from you!” 

“No, Buck,” she tsked. “You should have saved him from you. From the wickedness of your mind and your actions. Your brother? Your baby brother is dead because of you. And you can let him know when you join him.” 

Her pale hands wrapped around his throat once more, her eyes observing as the fight left his body. With his only hand, he tried to claw at her skin, to sink his nails into her in an attempt to free himself, but it was futile. He couldn’t even squeeze her. 

She stared into his eyes, the way they pleaded, and she committed them to memory. And she wondered. She wondered if they had looked into her eyes, would they have shown her mercy? Would they have at least let her live to see another day? The fact was that they hadn’t and she would not dwell on them. On these men that were barely human. 

Rosalie squeezed until Buck’s hand fell to his side and his heart stopped beating. She squeezed until there was nothing left in his eyes but the colored irises. She squeezed until she was satisfied. Once she was done, she let his body fall to the floor, slumping against his brother. They were a masterpiece before her. Dead without shedding a single drop of blood. 

She called the police after, claiming to be a neighbor that heard a ruckus in the Hubert house and she watched from the shadows as the scene unveiled before her. The Huber parents arrived before the police, though they weren’t far behind. Mrs. Hubert let out a heart wrenching wail, calling for her boys as she collapsed in her husband’s arms. And, instead of feeling guilty, she wondered how her own parents would have reacted to finding her body. 

Would her mother shriek? Would her father turn heaven and hell until he found the culprit? Would he yell at the policemen to do their job and find the bastard that did such a violent act as Mr. Hubert? Those were answers she would never get. There was no body for her parents to find, no crime to be reported. Not anymore. 

The girl remained at the scene for only a moment more, waiting until the front of the estate was flooded with neighbors and people from deep in the town surely woken from the commotion. She waited until everyone’s attention was on the Hubert brothers and none would be on the people farther away. Especially people staying at hotels in the town center.  

There were two men down on her list. Three more to go. And she would not give them even a second to escape. Their karma was coming for them in the shape of a beautiful vampire. 

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[adrift-in-thyme]

Whumptober Day 27: Matches + Scars

Read it on Ao3

- Twilight & Time

- Summary: Twilight gets trapped in a burning building

CW for blood and injury, burn wounds, panic, and brief mentions of death

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

He hates fire. Absolutely hates it, with every fiber of his being, every bone in his body. 

It recalls memories of torches lighting the night, of his friends, his family, scowling at him, shouting.

“It’s one of those cursed beasts!”

“Monster! It took our children!”

“Drive it off! Kill it if you must!”

Twilight yanks at his chains again, a choked sob rising within him. He can’t breathe and it has nothing to do with the smoke beginning to billow from every corner of the room. Though, dragging in ragged, panicked gasps of it certainly isn’t helping matters. 

It sears his throat and lungs, burns his eyes. Everything is drenched in scalding heat. Everywhere are hues of furious, flaming crimsons and burning oranges and searing, golden yellows.  

A flame licks at his tunic sleeve and he jerks away from it. His hands are shaking, thoughts racing. Sweat and blood trickle in rivulets down his face.

Getoutgetoutgetoutgetout, his mind screams. But he can’t move. The shackles that encase his wrists and ankles, though old and rusted, are strong. They don’t yield even when he thrashes and pulls and tears at them until his nails are torn and bleeding.

Tears stream down his face, mixing with the soot. They dry almost as quickly as they appear, lapped up by the ravenous fire.

A ceiling beam cracks mere inches from where he sits and comes crashing down. Twilight’s heart climbs into his throat. 

He’s going to die here. The realization hits him heavily, pressing the air out of his lungs. He’s going to die here alone and terrified. All because he let some monsters get the jump on him.

Claws piercing his arms and legs and torso. Arrows skimming his limbs…some embedding themselves there. Deafening screeches filling his ears. Blood in his mouth, vision blurring as they drag him away. Drifting in a feverish haze as they chain him up and leave him there.

Leave him to burn.

Their master will be pleased, they had said, in their gurgling, bestial tones that he shouldn’t understand but now does. So very pleased to know that the hero that managed to fight off his influence is dead.

Twilight suspects that that is true (though he does have some doubts about whether the Shadow will be happy about not having had a direct hand in the murder). But either way, it doesn’t make it any more pleasant. 

He has people to protect, to save, to come back to; a mystery of vengeance and darkness to solve; a land counting on him to help improve it. He doesn’t have time to die.

And he certainly doesn’t have time to panic. 

He didn’t before, so long ago in Kakariko, when he had had to set the bomb shed on fire to get the job done. But that had been before…that had been before he had slipped up. Before he showed his beastly face once more in Ordon and this time received far worse than a few gashes from the angry talons of an attacking hawk.

Now…now he can’t face it – the bite of open flame. He can’t endure it. Not again.

He chokes on smoke and terror and sorrow. Still fighting even as he suffocates on the smoke that now surrounds him. Even as the inescapable heat begins to sear him like meat on a spit. 

His vision is going hazy, darkness crowding the edges. It won’t be long now…it won’t be long. Soon, he will pass out. And then how can he fight?

The flames crawl across the ground toward him. They catch on his pant leg, hungrily eating away at the fabric. And then they’re at his skin and Twilight is gritting his teeth in an attempt not to cry out. 

It’s fruitless. It hurts. Everything hurts. The sickening scent of burning hair and flesh mingles with that of smoldering old wood. He gags, tasting blood and cinders.

The chains are agonizingly hot now. Not enough to melt, of course. No, just enough to brand his wrists and turn his boots to ash. Just enough to draw out a harsh, agonizing scream.

“Help.” It comes out before he can stop it, desperate, weak, whispered on the tail end of his cry. “Someone help me. Please.”

There is no reply. Save, of course, for the sounds of his oncoming demise. Save for the crackling and popping of the house that is about to collapse atop him.

What will come first? He wonders, distantly. Will the smoke smother him and the flames burn his body? Or will he be buried alive, choking on the remains of the smoldering fire, unable to budge the heavy planks atop him?

He coughs a hacking, painful cough. Blood splatters onto his tunic sleeve. Gasping, he collapses sideways, chains clanking tauntingly. The room swims and he shuts his eyes to block it out.

Suddenly, there is a crash, far louder than the ones before it. It breaks through the incessant whir of nonexistent wind in his ears. Twilight curls in on himself, waiting for the inevitable. 

There is the sound of metal slicing through metal instead. The chains slide off of him and hit the ground. Twilight drags open bloodshot eyes, squinting to try and see past the blur of light and dark. A familiar figure leans over him.

“T-time?” 

It can’t be. It just can’t. 

And yet, it looks like him, tall form silhouetted against the flames. It sounds like him when he speaks.

“I’m here, pup. I’ve got you.”

Twilight coughs again. Breathing is harder than ever now. Every gasp is agony. But Time reaches down and draws him to his chest and he sags against him. 

“You came,” he breathes.

He almost doesn’t want to believe it. Death had seemed so terribly certain…

Sparks and wood clatter downward and Time lets out a sharp hiss. 

“Yes, I came,” he says in a strained tone. He lifts Twilight, murmuring an apology when a low, agonized whine escapes the hero. “I’ll always come for you.”

The words ring in Twilight’s ears as they leave the burning building. The flames still climb to the sky, twining with the plumes of smoke in a mockery to the sun. The ceiling falls in completely just as Time shoves his way out of what was once a door. His hold tightens and Twilight clings to him in return.

“Rancher!”

“Is he alive? Is he okay?”

“I swear, old man, going into that place by yourself. You could have at least waited for us.”

The voices of the others tumble over one another in their race to be heard. 

“He’s alright,” Twilight hears Time call, and then in a more hushed voice, “it appears you were missed.”

Twilight is too weak to laugh, though he wants to. But he manages a shaky grin instead. And as the heroes rush forward with potions and chastises and advice, he closes his eyes and relaxes in Time’s steady embrace.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

After reading your metas I was thinking about Edward’s internalized homophobia. Could he ever overcome it? Could Carlisle explaining that he is also not straight help? I mean, Edward thinks Carlisle is the best thing in the world, if someone as great as Carlisle is bisexual then being gay or queer can’t be so bad right?

Why I think Edward is gay.

Can He Overcome It?

Well, it's not impossible, but I will say that Edward doesn't want to.

First, he doesn't even realize this about himself. Before Bella he thought he was asexual, if anything, and simply not interested in anyone and doomed to be lonely. The idea that he likes his father in a non-filial way doesn't even occur to him, homosexuality is just a non-concept to him.

If you suggest to him that he is gay then, he'd give you a funny look, and wonder if you're trying to insult him for being single. Or, if he's already married to Bella, he'd give you an even funnier look and note that he's married to a woman and has a daughter.

What are you on about?

Second is that there's a certain romanticized person that Edward wants to be.

Edward wants to be, in terms of his... I guess we'll call it culture, a romanticized man of his youth in the 1910's. He explains as much to Bella. He wants to be seen as a gentleman, to court her properly, marry her properly, and be every inch the human man he should have been.

Now, this is a very rose-colored view of that time period, one that Edward's clearly painted in his head. It's allowed to be perfect for him because it doesn't exist anymore and is a collection of recollections and stereotypes.

The point is though that Edward wants to be as much as he can like an ordinary, refined, man who would marry a woman. He would not at all want to deviate from that path (anymore than he already has being a vampire and doomed to be a monster and live at the edge of this modern world he doesn't even like that much).

Edward would need some catalyst to confront this and it would not be something pleasant. His marriage with Bella would have to fall apart, or if it's before Bella, then his life among the Cullens would have to be jeopardized. He would have to question everything he is and worse everything he wants to be.

Edward doesn't want to do that.

At all.

And I don't see him doing it naturally.

What if Carlisle Told Him

First, how would Carlisle know? Carlisle's fear is that he turned Edward too young for the uh puberty to kick in he has no reason to question Edward's sexuality beyond that point (especially when Edward's showing no interest in anyone, man or woman, as Carlisle certainly isn't picking up the thoughts in his direction, no siree).

Second, why would he do that? This is something Edward has to figure out for himself, you can't hit the easy button and walk up to your son and say, "Son, I think you're gay, and you should stop pretending you aren't." Not only is that extremely invasive and not that helpful, but it again is something Edward can't just be told and has to figure out for himself.

But if he did, Edward would just be appalled. If it's when Bella's in the picture, then Carlisle's essentially telling him Edward's unfit to be her significant other for what Edward would see as a personality flaw. If it's beforehand, then Edward would see this as Carlisle slighting Edward in showing that Edward's not what he wishes he was.

We don't get Edward's feelings on LGBQT+ in the series but given his thoughts on everything else, I see him as the "it's fine if you're other people", e.g. not Edward himself.

But more to the point, people confront Edward with things all the time. Bella confronts him with her very real mortality, if he doesn't turn her she will die. Alice confronts him with the fact that Bella will either be devoured by him or turn. Edward digs his heels in.

He's not going to be any different with anything else.

[waterfoxy]

Dan and Phil are back. I'm getting a twilight and a hunger games book for christmas. I'm going back into my Percy Jackson phase...literally all that's left for me to turn into a teenager again is severe depression

[deadfishbullthing]

rainbow dash says something stupid.

[alicewritingstories]

Whumptober Prompt Fills Part 9: Breath

~Also on AO3~

No. 15: “I don’t need you to help me I can handle things myself.” | Makeshift Bandages | Suppressed Suffering | “I’m fine.”

No. 24: “I’ve got a head full of chemicals; mouth full of ridicule.” | Goodbye Note | Neglect | “I thought they were with you.”

No. 31: “I thought that I was getting better.” | Emptiness | Setbacks | “Take it easy.”

Warning: Brief mention of alcohol use, chronic cardiac and respiratory issues, internalized ableism

Central character(s): Sky, Twilight

As the stars were coming out and the last echoes of the Picori Festival's fireworks display were fading away, the Chain started to drift back together at their chosen campsite in the forest. Tomorrow they would travel on to visit Four's grandfather - Four had gone on ahead with his father to give him some time with his family before his other family descended on them - but tonight would be spent under the stars as usual.

The chatter among the little group was lively as they compared their experiences. Warriors was flushed and slightly giggly, relaxed after the entire bottle of something alcoholic that he'd drunk during the fireworks. Wind, meanwhile, couldn't stop showing off the beautifully-crafted knife he'd won, tripping over his words as he admired it and related his triumph in a quoits-throwing contest.

Twilight heard Legend drop the good-natured observation in Warriors' ear that the young hero really shouldn't have been allowed to join contests alongside ordinary children, but he agreed as Warriors said sleepily that it was good to see Wind act like a child for once.

"What did you do with Sky, Twilight?" asked Wild suddenly, looking up from where he was laying out ingredients for dinner.

Twilight looked at him in confusion. "Me?" he asked and looked over at Time, who was also looking confused.

"I thought Sky was with you, Wild," said Time. "I was about to ask you the same question."

Twilight blinked. "I thought he was with you," he said. "Didn't you go looking for souvenirs for Malon and Sun?"

Time shook his head. "I thought he was going around the food stands with Wild."

"I didn't see him after we separated," said Wild, sitting back on his heels. "I thought he went to watch the horse races with Twilight."

Out of all their Hyrules, Four's was one of the safest, but that didn't mean a missing hero was something to be ignored. Time eased back to his feet with a soft groan and started putting his just-removed armor back on, saying, "He's probably fine, but let's go and check. Wind, Twilight, and Legend, check north, south, and east respectively; I'll take the west. Return in an hour even if you haven't found anything. Hyrule and Wild, stay here and finish setting up camp."

"Shall I check the elixir supply?" asked Wild seriously.

"I hope we won't need healing, but it's worth knowing. Likewise, Warriors, I hope we won't need you to be sober." Time chuckled as Warriors shot him an unfocussed look that he probably intended to be irritated. The remark lightened the anxiety that had been starting to thread through the air, but didn't take it away entirely and as Twilight set out into the darkening forest, heading for the south side of the town, he could feel it twisting somewhere in his gut. He was sure Sky hadn't followed him when he set out through the busy streets, following the sound of hoofbeats and cheering. He really thought he'd heard the other hylian agreeing when Time had said he was going to find a gift for Malon.

What if he'd been wrong and something had happened to Sky when he was separated from the group? How long had he been missing?

Twilight tried to push down the worry. If one of them was going to disappear for a few hours, this was one of the safer places for it to happen. Most likely they'd find that Sky had simply lost track of time or forgotten the rendezvous.

It wasn't like him to have forgotten, but it wasn't impossible in all the noise and excitement of the festival.

And was it more or less likely than that something had happened? There had been no sign of so much as a keese anywhere near the town, but it wouldn't be the first time a member of the Chain, taken unawares, had fallen victim to hylian enemies of one of his brothers. Four had as many enemies as any of them with the exception of Wild and Warriors, who had significantly more.

Twilight gritted his teeth. A crowded festival… someone would have noticed the fight Sky would have put up if attacked.

He was sure he'd gone alone to look at the horses.

He was sure Sky hadn't come with him.

He was sure that if something had happened it hadn't happened right behind him.

His thoughts were interrupted as he caught a familiar smell on the breeze and saw something white gleaming in the forest ahead. Perfume and a white sailcloth. With a gasp of relief, he broke into a jog, calling, "Sky!" as he saw the figure of his brother in the dim light, sitting on a tree stump, leaning his elbows on his knees.

Sky looked up and waved as Twilight heard the wheeze on his breath and realized how fast he was breathing.

"Sky," he said more seriously, crouching beside him. "Are you OK?"

Sky nodded, his hand to his chest, the wheeze more pronounced as he sat upright. "Fine. Sorry, I… know I'm… late."

He couldn't even make it through a sentence without losing breath.

"Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm fine. This happens… sometimes. The damp… makes it worse." Sky forced a grin. "And I made… the mistake… of dancing."

"I didn't know you danced," said Twilight.

"I love dancing." Sky coughed and wheezed. "Unfortunately. Used to be… easier."

Twilight nodded. He wasn't sure what was going on, but said, "Do you need anything?"

"Just to rest." Sky shook his head. Twilight thought he looked pale, but as he propped himself on his knees again his breath seemed to come a little easier.

"OK. It'll be a bit before anyone really worries, so take it easy."

Sky nodded, laying a hand on his chest and wincing. "I thought… I was handling… it. It was fun… to dance again. Even… alone."

"Hey, take it easy. You don't have to make excuses to me and you've not got the breath for much talking, so just say what you have to."

Sky nodded.

Twilight patted his shoulder. "Is this… a new problem?"

"Since… my adventure. Well… mostly."

"OK, tell me the rest later." But he couldn't help asking, "Is this why you can't run as fast or far as the rest of us?"

Sky nodded.

"Why don't you tell anyone that?"

"I'd rather be… made fun of… than treated… like I'm broken."

Twilight started to argue, but remembered he was supposed to be calming Sky down and letting him catch his breath.

Slowly, Sky's breathing steadied and quietened. He sat up and pressed two fingers to the pulse point in his own throat, then nodded.

"OK, I'm all right now," he said. "Let's go."

Still, when Twilight offered him an arm he accepted it to get up.

"You can tell them you found me asleep somewhere," he said with a small smile as they started walking.

"I'll tell them no such thing," said Twilight. "Nobody acts like Time is broken. Nobody's going to think less of you because sometimes you can't breathe right."

Sky shook his head. "I can manage. There's a reason you've not seen me that bad before. But if everyone knows my lungs are always heavy and my heart doesn't beat properly any more…"

"We already know you can't run as far or as fast. What do you think will change from knowing why?"

Sky scowled at the ground.

"If you really want, we can still tease you about being slow and sleepy, but -"

Sky jutted his chin proudly. "But you'll keep a better eye on me to make sure I'm OK? Keep a wing over me in case I fall?"

"Just like with Four when it's cold."

That hit home. Sky sighed, bowing his head. Twilight heard the last of the wheeze.

He put an arm around his shoulders. "Listen, you don't have to tell anyone anything you don't want to, but I'm not lying for you and I think you should tell the truth. Nobody thinks less of you for having scars from your adventure, any more than they do of Wild or… or any of us. It doesn't matter that yours aren't on the outside. Nobody will think you're broken or useless or anything else."

Sky was silent for a long moment, then he said, "I'll think about it."

Twilight hugged him gently and they walked on.

[legendofmorons]

The LU boys and superstitions

Once again, I was thinking about things I grew up with/ learned about and applying it to the boys. I might add the colors and dark link later, I just couldn't think of any for them rn

Tw: mentions death

Fierce

Oh, he's so old he probably has a bunch he follows

He never leaves an empty rocking chair rocking.

He keeps any hanging horse shoes hung right side up (ends up so it's able to hold the luck)

Fierce also believes in wishing on shooting stars

First

Throwing salt over your left shoulder after you spill it

He will NOT wash clothes or clean things on new years day

Refuses to walk under ladders

Covering mirrors when someone dies in a building (stops them from becoming stuck in the mirror)

Four

Horseshoe hung up so the luck won't fall out

Breaking mirros is bad luck to him

He dosen’t have a whole lot, he thinks most wide spread superstitions are common sense

Hyrule

Ooooo boy

Faerie boy? He has some.

I think he's probably a summer /seelie fae so he probably has some superstitions around harvest time

Bottle trees keep away haints/ghosts/spirits

If your ear rings someone is talking about you

He HATES all horseshoes (iron is BAD for the fae), but if he must be near one, he would like it to be right side up

Legend

Breaking mirrors is bad luck

Rocking an empty rocking chair? No thanks, he's not inviting unknown spirits or death.

He keeps a mirror outside his house to keep away evil/the devil/ (demise??)

He eats black eyed peas on new years

He sweeps out the back door (never the front and NEVER when it's dark outside)

Will ward off evil with the three finger sign I always saw

Stays away from cross roads at night

Ravio

If you thought Legend had a bunch, Ravio has more

He has all of the one Leged has ofc

He also believes walking under ladders is bad

He covers mirrors AND stops clocks if someone passes away in his home

Holds his breathe while passing a grave yard

He always goes out the same door he came in through

He believes death comes in threes

He only walk beside his loved ones when going around a post never letting it go between them

Probably has many more

Sky

Not that superstitious actually. He tries to avoid breaking mirrors but not much else

Isn't a huge fan of black cats, but that's more because of nighttime remlits than anything

Time

By the end of his first adventure he has none

The superstitions he had believed were proven false over the years

Tries not to break mirrors but that's because he hates broken glass

Will participate in superstitions if someone he cares about asks. He knows it's out of love

Twilight

He dosen’t like empty rocking chairs that are rocking

He has a horseshoe hung up in his room to keep away bad dreams

Not too superstitious at heart, but so many people in his town are that it is basically habit for him

Warriors

Knocks on wood to keep from jinxing himself

Dosen’t gift knives to loved ones because he dosen’t want to sever the relationship

Wild

He remembers a few but isn't too superstitious

Likes four leaf clovers for luck though!

And he dosen’t clean on new years

Wind

He will knock on wood

He also likes to pick up a green rupee for luck! (Originally a penny)

He also probably wants a luck rabbit's foot

[exceptional-z]

Giving birth to a zombie is extremely traumatic to your body. The pregnancies are difficult, the birth is violent due to the feral nature of zombies in their natural state, and they receive next to no medical aid. It’s why so many zombies are raised by single fathers, why those who are lucky enough to still have their mom around are usually only children. To survive one pregnancy is rare enough, but a second zombie pregnancy is honestly testing fate at that point.

Zed’s mother died giving birth to Zoey. It’s all she’s ever known, though it’s not as hard on her when most of her zombie friends have similar family dynamics. At least in that way she’s not the odd one out. Zed did know his mom, he’d been old enough to understand what was happening when she started to get sicker and sicker as the pregnancy progressed. He refused to eat or speak for days after his dad had come home from the hospital alone with Zoey in his arms, without the woman who’d raised him, who was so kind and beautiful and genuine.

When Addison told him she was pregnant, he nearly threw up from the sudden, intense fear that surged over him like a tidal wave, threatening to knock him over. The memories came rushing back, memories he tried so hard not to think about. But this time it was Addison instead of his mom. In his nightmares, he watched her body grow skinnier as the zombie baby drained the life from her, stole her nutrients, kicked at her until she couldn’t keep anything down. He’d heard horror stories from others with similar experiences as his own, other zombies who were old enough to remember the loss of their mother.

He had never spoken to Addison about his mom before, but he couldn’t exactly keep it from her when she looked at him with such worry in her eyes, like she thought he was upset with her rather than angry at the world for making such unfair situations. So he opened up, cried into her arms as he described his feelings in detail that he’d never told anyone, not even his dad, not even Eliza.

“I won’t leave you,” Addison promised, “I’ll fight even if it seems impossible. I told you that someday we would have our happily ever after and no one can take that from us.”

[extremesocialoutcast]

Kinda continuation to this joke

(cw: sui references)

Twilight cries to post-grunge

Fluttershy smiles to nu metal and emo

They are not the same