#Fierce Hero 9

[crazylittlejester]

I completely forgot this until right now, but the way you write Mask in FH9 reminds me of King from The Owl House.

oh holy shit i see it

thats. that’s pretty spot on, actually

[theoneeyedgoldenwolf]

Ghost Guide

Whumptober 2024, number 9: Broken Window, Bruises, "Frame me up on the wall, just to keep me out of trouble."

Summary: The era the Chain of Heroes arrive into is Legend’s but it is not his timeline. The moment he realizes something precious missing from his counterpart’s hold, he knows things aren’t going to go well. Yet, he never thought the situation to go down as cruelly as it does.

CW: Glass shards, blood, cursing, getting a beating, bruises, feeling of loss and sorrow, hurt feelings, struck by tentacles, life sucked out of someone, Temporary Major Character Death (or at least close of such), being a ghost, broken bones, shared connection (Hero’s Spirit)

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“Legend, this has to stop.” Time told firmly and sorrowfully. “This is third time within three days that you’ve ended up into a trouble.

“I’m not at the fault of those situations.” The Veteran almost snapped before tad flinching as the Old Man, as carefully as he could, was picking off glass shards out of his body. “I’m in them, yes, but I’m not the one who initiated them.”

“Doesn’t matter.” The Chain’s leader stated out while starting to wrap bandages around the bleeding wounds. “Sooner or later that trouble will end up killing you. And I can’t stand that thought.” He said before bit jerking at what he ended up giving out.

“What?” Legend queried bit surprised.

“Nothing. Just forget it.” The one eyed male replied and carefully finished the work. He stood up and went to wash his hands. “Just take it easy and give those wounds a chance to heal. Once the others return, we leave this place.”

“Why?” The Weapon Specialist asked while tilting his head.

“Because I can’t--!” Time started before shutting up. “Because this is—“ He tried again before groaning and turning his gaze off. He closed his eye and bit slumped against the counter behind him. “I can’t lose you or anyone else.” He finally whispered sorrowfully. “I’ve lost enough. I can’t lose this too.”

Legend was bit out of knowing to reply to that. Yet, he soon bit grinned. “Frame me up on the wall, just to keep me out of trouble.”

The Old Man blinked in surprised before already frowning. “Uh… Excuse me, what?” He half queried, half stated out while having no idea why one of his boys would say something like that.

The Veteran grinned even more and moved a chair close to a wall. He stood up to it and showed decorated bracelet he was wearing. “Ravio’s Bracelet.” He simply said before striking it against the wall. The Chain’s leader gasped and took a step backwards when the youngster suddenly got sucked into the wall and turned into a painting.

“Freaking hell, Legend! Get out of the wall!” Time screamed out while not knowing how to feel. Freaked out about the situation, impressed of the item or something else. The boy jumped out while grinning widely. The one eyed male sighed heavily and facepalmed. “Shit… Never thought I’d say something like that.” He half mumbled while calming down.

The Hero with most quests done chuckled and grinned before bit sighing. “We’re not yet done with the current mission at here.” He reminded bit unwillingly.

The oldest Link of the nine Heroes sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, yeah, I’m aware. Mission you’ve chosen for yourself. And for the rest of your brothers besides me.” He half grumbled before shaking his head. “So, your era, your choice. How do we continue from here? Current way doesn’t seem to work.”

“Well, it’s not entirely my era. Just one of those alternate ones.” Legend replied while waving his hand in manner of explaining. Yet, after that he shrugged. “I’m not sure. Thought we’d give it one last try tomorrow and see if it’s enough.”

“Right.” The one eyed male sighed almost exaggerated. “And what exactly are we doing? I feel like I’m being held out of the actual loop of information in here.”

“Let’s just say that currently you’re the only one to….” The Specialist started but he trailed off uncertainly. Time raised an eyebrow while waiting for continuation.

“I’m the only one to… What?” The Chain’s leader asked while bit tilting his head.

“You’ll understand when it’s on.” The Veteran replied while hating to withhold crucial information from his oldest brother. “Thanks for the healing.” He continued with a slight smile and the Old Man simply nodded in acknowledge. He left the room and gave a swift glance to the place where a specific mask had once been at. It wasn’t in his possession anymore and that freaked him out.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The moment the nine Heroes came into the new era, Legend knew it was his. It was a feeling of familiarity even though some things didn’t really seem the way it had been at last visit to his era. “My time and yet not.” He called out straight off while taking the lead towards the cabin that he knew was still his. “And no, I only have a feeling but nothing’s crashing in.” He continued into the raised eyebrow he gained from Time.

The walk was done in silence as he tried to figure things out. There was an eerie feeling accompanying the familiarity one but he couldn’t figure it out. Yet, the moment they came to his house and entered it, he knew. He gulped once and straight off averted his gaze from the wall where the freaky mask once had been.

The Chain’s leader knew of the mask and his gaze checked the place straight off. “Not yet having found it.” The Veteran told airily and shrugged. “Thought to put something else at there and hence the hook. Quests just keep too busy to decorate the house.” He explained as calmly as he could while feeling full dread of the situation. If even half of the Old Man’s stories were true… They were screwed.

“Get settled in. I need to run few errands at the castle.” The Specialist called after having left most of his stuff to their rightful places.

“Not exactly your era but you’ll handle your counterpart’s work?” Hyrule queried and glanced at Time. “Even Time doesn’t get mixed up into the situations with his counterparts unless have to.”

Legend shrugged and grinned. “Gotta keep up the appearances.” He simply claimed before already leaving the house. He moved as calmly as he could all the way until he was out of sight. He glanced around before putting the magic of the Pegasus Boots on and ran as fast as he could.

The Weapon Specialist wasn’t certain why he had just lied to his brothers. And especially to Time of all people. He knew they deserved to know of the quite certainly being threat. Not to mention about how much they could aid to deal with it.

Yet, he had a feeling there was something more going on and he needed answers. Even though he didn’t get the knowledge like what the Old Man did, he got feelings. And right now it was telling him that the answers weren’t at the castle even though he had claimed such. They were in a Temple he hadn’t been to during any of his quests.

He skidded to a stop and took the magic off when he saw how heavily the Temple was being guarded. He gulped once as he realized the protectors of the place were Hyrule’s own soldiers. He took a deep breath and walked as calmly and confidently to the duo guarding the front door.

“I need to speak with the leader of this place.” Legend stated out as firmly and commandingly as he could. He gave his best scowl mixed with disappointed look he was trying to learn from his oldest brother.

“Like hell you do. You’re here only to kill.” One of the two guards stated out while having harsher glare on his features. His teammate glanced inside while being very ready to call for backup if their unwanted guest would cause actual trouble.

“Only if the threat is real.” The Veteran stated out with a slight grin. He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to get the full feeling of the situation. He wasn’t yet certain if these guys were just stupid or under the spell of mind control.

“The kingdom’s in better condition than what it was during your control.” The other one stated out and pointed the spear at Legend. The action got the youngster to back off by few steps to be off of the danger.

The Hero with best experience with Temples gulped while realizing how dangerous the situation was getting. “Don’t ask.” He thought while being taken off guard by the claim. “Either way, I need to speak with your boss.” He commanded while trying to pick up with the claimed title.

“You only want the leadership back. Get lost or we’ll get physical.” The first guard told roughly and gave a mark by his spear.

Legend didn’t like the situation even one bit. He wasn’t certain of how many guards there were but he could count at least five whom came close to the doorway. “You don’t want that.” He told with bit dangerous voice, yet he very soon fought to stay confident as the other men drew out their weapons and seemed very eager of starting a fight with him.

“Don’t force us. You might be a Hero and former King but you are not capable of dealing with an army of Hyrule’s Knights.” The second guard warned with a slight smirk.

The Veteran took uncertain step backwards while knowing he would be in bad situation alone. One to three he could take on but seven was too much. And he was certain there were even more around the area. “Fine. I’ll back off.” He stated out while still doing his best to uphold his composure. He narrowed his gaze while giving last words: “For now.”

The guards snorted and smirked. They clearly knew to have won this round. The ones in the room weren’t too happy for the fight to have been avoided but they returned deeper into the room. The duo by the door calmed down a bit before giving him a shooing action.

Legend scowled and turned away. He knew the mask was there but the information he gained definitely wasn’t what he had waited for. Unwillingly, he left the area as calmly as he could. If he had been a King at some point, he needed to get things done correctly. And for that, much to his displease, he needed to include the rest of the Chain.

The Veteran took out the magic of the Pegasus Boots once he was once again out of sight. Then he dashed as fast as he could back to the cottage of his but he stopped long before being in sight. He put the magic off and caught his breath before walking calmly back to his counterpart’s home.

“Got things cleared?” Wild queried the second the Specialist entered the house.

“No. Gotta try tomorrow again.” Legend replied with a sigh. He glanced around the room to check on whom of his brothers were in the main area of the place. “Where’s the Old Man?” He inquired after noticing that everyone else was there but not their leader.

“Taking a walk in the forest. Why? Something wrong?” Warriors replied while getting worried at the clear uncertainty of the Veteran.

“Maybe, maybe not.” The Hero with most quests done half sighed and slumped down to the chair next to the table. He kept frowning while trying to figure out how to clear things off without giving out too much. He felt like they were being watched which made him be far more careful with his words. Suddenly he grinned a bit and began to sign.

“I don’t know why but it feels important to keep Time out of knowing what I’m going to reveal next.” Legend started after having shown everyone to get close to him. “I feel like we’re being watched. The less we speak aloud, the better.”

“Why can’t we tell Time?” Wind inquired worriedly.

“I don’t know but it’s important. All I can tell is that I have a feeling he’ll be having very important part in getting everything done right.” Legend replied uncertainly. “Majora’s Mask is missing. And I know where it is but I can’t get inside. I need you guys to infiltrate the place while I provide a distraction at the front door.” He planned out as swiftly as he could while being unaware of when their oldest brother would return.

“Majora’s Mask? As in the Demon that terrorized Termina? As in the one Time faced at there?” Twilight asked and the house’s owner simply nodded. “I think we should let Time in on this. That’s a beast he knows and is capable of facing.”

“I know but Time keeps telling us to follow the feelings we have.” Legend pointed out as firmly as he could. “And my feelings tell me that he needs to be kept out of the loop.”

“What’s the place we need to go through?” Four inquired while not liking of the situation but understanding where his brother’s reasons came from.

“A Temple. I’ll show it to you tomorrow.” The Veteran replied. “Once we reach it, stay out of sight and get inside. The people at there are Hyrule’s knights. Try not to start a fight with them. They’re innocent. Mind controlled.” He explained while hoping his notions were right.

“What are we going to search for once inside?” Sky asked while hoping the Master Sword would lead his way at there.

“I’m not sure. Anything that’s evil and needing to be taken down.” Legend replied with a shrug. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out once you see it.” The Chain nodded and after that scattered off to their own business around the house. Wild returned to handle the meal while he stayed by the table. He needed to plan things right to get things done correctly.

Within ten minutes or so Time returned to the house. “Got things handled?” He straight off asked and the Specialist shook his head.

“Nah, things didn’t go well enough. Gotta try again tomorrow.” Legend replied and felt grateful when the Chain’s leader simply nodded without asking questions.

At the next day the eight Links left the house early. The Veteran had used the Pegasus Boots earlier but this time he couldn’t rely into such magic. They needed to do things slower which turned hour’s run into two hour walk.

Unlike his brothers, the Veteran had left his main weapons back to his counterpart’s home. All he really had was Ravio’s Bracelet, hidden knife and several different rings. He wasn’t there to start a fight, only to keep the guards and knights occupied for the time being. Yet, he didn’t want to be entirely unarmed either as yesterday’s threat was something he wasn’t going to take lightly.

“Came back for more?” A new guard queried with a smirk as the Specialist approached the front door as calmly as he could. His brothers had already separated into two groups and were rounding the area in search of a way in. “We’re not letting you in. You should know this already.”

“I’m going to get through here one way or the other.” Legend replied while knowing he was putting himself into one hell of a danger.

“No, you won’t.” The other guard stated out firmly while pointing a sword at their intruder of sorts.

“What? You gonna attack an unarmed man here?” The Veteran queried while crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow. Yet, he soon shrugged. “No witnesses, though. So, do your worst.” He challenged while narrowing his gaze.

The guards glanced at each other bit surprised before already smirking. Other one of them gave a signal and the knights in the room came to the doorway. “We’ll give you one hell of a lesson. One that will keep you away from here.” One of the new guys told as he and the ones at the room came out.

Legend backed away to give them all the needed space to leave the first room of the Temple. He saw his brothers sneaking towards the entrance of the place from different sides. It was clear they hadn’t found a way in which meant this was the only entrance they’d have. With the notion of the Temple’s guards and knights in the Weapon Specialist, the six Links quickly entered the place.

“Alright, guys, let’s have some fun.” A knight of Hyrule told while taking off his weapons. The others followed his actions and soon all the ten guards and knights had was their armors. The Veteran looked around uncertainly as the group slowly surrounded him. He was grateful of his brothers having gotten inside before any of the men would have noticed them.

“Last I checked the throne belonged to Princess Zelda.” The Specialist commented as calmly as he could. The men around him snorted and laughed.

“She’s incompetent. This kingdom deserves someone strong.” One of the knights stated out.

Legend’s gaze narrows at such claims. “Where. Is. She.” He snarled the words while readying himself for the battle. This hadn’t been the plan but, hopefully, he could keep his ground long enough to let the Chain check around far enough to get full knowledge of the situation at hand.

“Not here for certain.” One of the men replied while twitching and being very eager for the fight. It seemed like these guys hadn’t had much of action lately and the Chain’s most experienced dungeon crawler was better than nothing at the moment.

“Maybe not even around this kingdom either.” Another one barked out with a laughter.

“Haven’t seen her since the new king rose to throne.” Third knight informed with slight frown. Yet, he soon shook that off and returned his notion into the upcoming fight at hand.

As Legend looked around the group surrounding him, he was even more certain of them being under some kind of controlling magic. They weren’t the enemy. They just were bad lucked people whom ended up being too weak minded to fight the magic. Yet, he scratched that last part of his line off. He had seen his own brothers fall under control magic and THEY certainly had strong enough minds to fight something like that. Still, he shuddered as he recalled that last time one of them had fallen.

It had been Time. A Wizzrobe, in midst of the battle, had snuck up on him and struck hard. He had fallen to his knees with a scream. The beasts suddenly turned their notion into him and attacked. He and the rest of the Chain had done their best to get through the beasts that were trying to tear their oldest brother to shreds.

Suddenly the one eyed male had screamed and some kind of force field had sent several dozen of the closest bests flying. He stood up slowly while opening both of his eyes. One was dark golden and other light golden due to the lack of sight in there. He looked once around the eight Links before closing his eyes. “NO.” It was simple word but stated out with such command and rage. He just stood still and flinched every now and then as an internal battle was clearly going on within him.

“Sprite. How can we help?” Warriors had begged and moved slowly closer. “Please, talk to us.” He had pleaded while hesitating about whether or not to touch his little brother. But Time hadn’t replied. He just stood still and fought a battle they couldn’t see or aid with. Yet, they were capable of keeping the other beasts at bay and deal with them.

Eventually Time had screamed and crumbled to the ground. The Wizzrobe was scowling above him while readying an attack magic. “Fucking bastard.” It snarled in rage as it hadn’t been able to force its vessel to attack the Heroes. Yet, before it could strike with the magic, three arrows already struck into the wizard monster. Those were soon followed by the attacks of enraged Chain of Heroes.

The Veteran wished he had equally strong mind as his oldest brother had. Yet, he wasn’t certain if that was the case. He felt like there had been more to the situation and to the fact of him having not attacked them.

The Specialist recalled that one case when Hyrule had been under mind control magic. The youngster had fled. And fought only when he had been cornered. After things had been cleared he had been devastated of how things had gone. Yet, no-one blamed him for the situation.

The Hero of Legend sighed heavily inwardly as he understood everyone reacting differently into mind controlling magic. It also depending so much on the strength, way of getting struck with it and whom or what cast the spell. Not to mention about what was being forced to be done and what words were being whispered within one’s own mind.

While the Link with weapon or an item for pretty much anything was distracted by his own mind and understanding of the situation, the knights and guards took their chance and attacked. It was a brutal way to snap him back into the situation at hand as the fist collided with his face. It was followed by a kick to leg which crashed him to the ground. Another punch to face and he was laying on the grass.

Legend fought back while knowing his attacks weren’t much of use as he couldn’t attack the torso due to the armor. All he could strike were arms and legs at the moment. And that didn’t do much of good while being so fully overpowered. In the end he could only try to protect himself and take the beating.

It took a while but eventually the group had enough. They left the youngster half conscious onto the ground and returned to their posts. Unlike Time, the Veteran had no idea of how much time had passed by now. He had told to the others to take only couple of hours in checking and return out of there after that. He needed to keep the notion of the Temple’s guardians until the seven others got out of there.

So, Legend forced himself to sit up and took out a red potion. He drank half of it while not being happy of having to diminish his currently small supply of healing aids. Once the work of the magical drink had ended, he put the bottle back for later usage and stood up. “How about another round since you fools took the cheap shot?” He called out while approaching the Temple’s entrance.

The guards of the place snorted but they smirked and approached their persistent guest. Other one of the two showed for the other eight to follow and soon they had surrounded the Specialist once again. This time, though, he had a chance to fight back. Nonetheless, he still was entirely outnumbered and soon he was left beaten onto the ground. Once the ten had moved far enough, he shakily took the other half of the potion and waited for a while for it to work. After that he stood up and went to face the group again.

Over and over again Legend went to face the ten guards and knights. And each time he ended up losing the fight. He suspected that the group left him conscious as they waited for him to leave by his own two feet.

Eventually, after having used the last red potion he had, the Veteran finally left the area. The Chain had managed to sneak out of the Temple. He had been just barely able to show to them not to come for his aid since that wasn’t the plan.

“Found anything?” Legend queried once he had gotten back together with his brothers.

“Didn’t wait for you to get your ass kicked to keep their notion.” Warriors replied bit roughly. He sent a glare at the people guarding the Temple while very much wishing of going to there and returning the favor.

“Wasn’t exactly the plan but it kept the busy.” The Hero with most quests done replied with a shrug. Yet, he winced a bit since the further things had gone, the less of the damage was healed. Or, at least those were left into painful bruises instead of being of danger to his life. “Anyway, tell me. What you found?”

“It’s a maze.” Sky answered and shook his head. “Locked doors, long corridors and lots of stairs downwards. It’ll take more than couple of hours to get through.”

“We either need a map or knowledge of right directions.” Four commented while trying to put together the roads they had so far taken. Wild had worked with his Slate and drawn the map out of everyone’s explanations.

“Well, those guys aren’t going to help on that one.” Legend stated out with slight deadpan voice. “Besides, the Temple’s new. I haven’t gone through it during any of my quests.”

“Maybe not on your quest but maybe your counterpart might’ve.” Twilight told with a slight frown. “Might be a good idea to check on your counterpart’s place for a map and info.” He suggested and the Specialist nodded slowly.

“I’ll check on the castle’s library.” Four decided before bit sighing. “Assuming I’m let to enter and they have one of such.”

“If they don’t let you in, there’s a hidden road to the castle on right side. A drop so you won’t be getting out of there through the same way.” Legend explained while feeling like that still held true even for this timeline. He told as much as he could while reminding that things might be different to how things were for his timeline than to this era’s Hero.

With the plans made, the Chain headed back to the cottage. Four left different way to try his luck with the castle. The Veteran kept Hyrule from healing him which the half-fairy wasn’t too happy. “Gotta give the Old Man something in a way of apology of sorts. So, yeah, I’ll let him fuss over me for now.” He told with a slight grin even though he was feeling bad for worrying Time.

The one eyed male wasn’t happy of the situation to say the least. He was up for putting the Traveler to handle the fixations but with Legend declining from that, it left him with dealing the situation. And, eventually, he had created something the fairies had taught to him. The blue salve with hint of purple had the effect of soothing and relaxing which eventually, with the Chain’s leader also providing a massage to go with it, got the youngster to fall asleep.

Third day rose and the Chain of eight Heroes were bit more ready this time around. The Smithy had found information and the Veteran had found a map. It didn’t cover all of the roads but still most of them. Each of the eight had a copy of the map as they returned to the Temple. And, as they’d go through the place, they’d add into the picture the road they chose. On that way they could create even more into the already existing map and later on put them together to get more of the place figured out.

This time, though, with couple of other ways into the room found through the map, Legend wasn’t going to just create a diversion at the doorway. He was going to go inside and see the entrance for himself. A strong feeling was telling that it was the road he needed to take if he wished to reach his destination.

Once the eight Heroes reached the vicinity of the Temple, the Specialist gave his brothers a moment to reach the couple of different roads into the place. After that, while having all of his weapons along this time around, he made his way towards the guards at the door of the structure he needed to infiltrate with his brothers. The two knights slowly drew their weapons while frowning at the approaching youngster.

Soon enough the Hero with most experience with dungeons was already running. He drew out his Tempered Sword and activated his two Strength Rings. The guards at the door took a stance and readied to for the attack. One took up for blocking while the other decided to go for countering. Neither waited to be struck through the double doors and into the room.

Legend didn’t stop. He ran past the duo whom were laying on the floor bit baffled and took a swift check around. All eight of the group were in that room and quite startled of the breach. Yet, they were quick to draw out their weapons and attack.

The Veteran had no intentions of fighting this time around. He moved closer to the ones coming from his left and ducked beneath their attacks. Right after that he moved past the gap between the knights. He had seen a doorway leading deeper into the place and the feeling of needing to go there was strong.

The shouts and commands were going behind the Specialist as he dashed into the hallway. He felt the Ravio’s Bracelet respond to something. It took him a moment to recall the feeling from some of the Temples and dungeons he had gone through after gaining the item. It reacted to cracks in the walls as those led a way forward. A road into somewhere he needed to go.

Link with Dark World form of a rabbit started to look around in search of the needed pathway. He followed the feeling as swiftly as he could while knowing it wouldn’t take long before the guards and knights would catch him. Just when he found the thin hole in the wall and was about to strike the bracelet against the wall, one of the guards yanked him backwards.

Legend fought and tried to pull himself free from the hold but he wasn’t dragged backwards. No, he was being tossed away from the road forward and right in front of one of the armored men. Before he had a chance to scramble up to his feet, he was yanked and thrown again. The knights and guards had placed themselves well into the hallway as eventually he ended up back into the entrance room of the Temple.

The Hero with a pink streak in his front hair screamed as he crashed through a window. He growled in pain when he impacted with the ground and got some of the glass shards pushed deeper. “And stay the fuck out of here!” One of the guards shouted in rage.

Without potions in his use anymore, the Veteran wasn’t exactly in the best of condition. He had gotten the knowledge he needed but reaching the area where the feeling was leading him to was entirely another thing. He groaned as he forced himself up to his feet. He gave a swift glare at the guards by the door before turning away from there and heading back to the house that belonged to his counterpart.

Time was entirely freaked out when one of his boys came back bleeding and weak with glass shards in his back, arms and legs. He was swift in starting to work on getting the sharp objects out and heal the wounds. Legend told about his attempts of having tried to enter a Temple and how those had gone.

The Chain’s leader offered over and over again to help but he was shot down with each turn. He understood the mission his boy had chosen but the way it was being handled didn’t seem wise in any of way. Yet, even though he was the leader of the group of Heroes, there was very little he could do when all eight with him kept telling he needed to stay put. And so, all he could do at the next day, was to stay at the house and wait…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The one eyed male felt like going stir-crazy. He could pace around only so much while quite well doing nothing. Yet, the bigger problem was the fact that he was worried sick for his boys. He just couldn’t understand why his aid hadn’t been accepted and why he wasn’t told more than very small tidbits of things. And even all that felt like it was just words that meant nothing and explained even less.

Suddenly, after ten hours, thirty-three minutes and ten seconds from the Chain having woke up to head to the Temple again, something changed. The oldest Link could feel the magic that was gathering into the house and he felt like needing to get out of there. Yet, before he had a chance to act on that thought, a being appeared out of nowhere right into middle of the living room.

Time gasped and staggered up to his feet from the chair and backed away by couple of steps. The slight scraping sound from the Biggoron Sword’s tip did against the floor by its wielder’s actions got the thing to snap its golden eyes into him. “Majora…” He whispered in shock but something felt off.

Before the Chain’s leader had a chance to take a better check on his enemy from Termina or figure out his own feelings considering the unexpected situation, the creature attacked. It didn’t have hands but long tentacles. The face was covered with the Majora’s Mask. The body resembled the Demon’s but there were minor differences within the patterns around the lithe being’s frame.

The tentacle was struck fast and hard. Time brought the sword up to block the attack but the impact send him flying. He growled as he crashed through the window but he refused to stay in the ground after gasping at the impact with the solid surface of outside world. He simply used the speed and somersaulted backwards back to his feet. He backed away from the house while keeping his gaze fully fixed into Majora.

The Demon almost floated out of the house through the shattered window. Its gaze was fixed into the one eyed male. “Fierce?” Time called out while knowing he’s having better chances now than when he had been a ten year old kid. Nonetheless, he’d still rather rely on the God of Protection’s aid with this fight as they won together back then.

“Go for it.” The Deity replied without hesitation. He wasn’t going to point out that Legend had lied about the Demon’s mask. He didn’t even mention that getting it back was probably the reason he had kept the Old Man out of the loop.

The one eyed male swiftly took out the mask of Fierce Deity and put it on. He screamed in agony as mortal body changed into that of a divine being. Once the scream subsided and Fierce stood in Time’s place, the one being made out of two locked his gaze into Majora. He struck the Biggoron Sword into the ground before drawing out Double Helix from thin air. Not waiting for the enemy to make the first move, he already dashed forward and swung the double-handed blade.

Majora avoided the strike by a backflip. Fierce followed and struck again only for the Demon to keep avoiding. “Change roads! I can’t let this battle destroy the apple trees! Those are Legend’s retirement plan!” Time half shouted when he realized where they were heading. The Deity inwardly nodded and moved more to left to force the enemy to change its road.

Once in a wider area, Majora finally attacked. The divine Hylian ducked beneath the first attack and struck against the other. The tentacle didn’t cut off as he had thought. Instead, the impact got him to stagger backwards bit startled. “This is not how we faced him before.” He commented while avoiding the returning tentacle and standing on defense.

“Not our era either.” Time reminded before bit frowning. “The markings are wrong. Even the colors are different.” He pointed out until already gulping in slight fear.

“Empowered by the black blood?” Fierce suggested while not liking that idea even one bit.

“I don’t know. Something feels off.” The Chain’s leader replied while trying to figure out the unconscious notions he had so far done. He and the Deity avoided the tentacles again by ducking low. While the long vines of sorts were moving and trying to return in time, the duo in one dashed forward and attacked. They gasped as the body of Majora opened up from the blade’s way and closed after it.

The entirely unexpected action gave the being with the Demon from Termina’s false markings a chance to strike back. A new tentacle was created faster than one could blink and it struck forward from the creature’s chest. Fierce-Link had no time or chance to avoid as the thing hit through his armor from front and behind while impaling his right shoulder.

The divine being with two lives within him screamed in agony. He growled as the tentacle moved back towards the Majora lookalike until its tip was inside the God of Protection’s shoulder. Right after that he screamed again as the beast started to suck his life out.

“NO!” The oldest Link screamed the moment he realized the situation. He forced Fierce’s body to move and grabbed the tentacle. He called out Ice Magic and froze the thing to its core. The beast screeched as part of its tentacle got too cold for it to stand. Once the area before the shoulder was fragile for breaking, Time forced the Deity to strike his hand through it.

The moment they were free from the hold, the Chain’s leader forced the body up and to back away. He grabbed the tentacle and yanked it out while fearing how much of control the fake-Majora still had over it. Yet, instead of just throwing it away, he called out Din’s Fire and burned the thing to ashes.

“That’s not Majora.” The one eyed male stated out firmly. “And I’m not letting it try and take your life.” He told before already bringing his hand to the edge of the mask. “Please.” He nearly begged and Fierce sighed in defeat while aiding to pull the wooden item off of their face.

After the scream and slight staggering, Time straight off pocketed the mask. The Double Helix was gone from his hold and Biggoron Sword was bit too far for him to go and grab it. Yet, he had managed to land a hit once so he could do it again. He just needed to grab a hold of the tentacles and freeze them.

For a while the fight seemed to have turned to his favor as he managed to avoid the tentacles and take a hold of them as they moved past him. He froze and struck the pieces off of the Demon-wannabe. For a while he even though he could win before he would overdo his own magic.

That was when the Majora’s counterpart of sorts brought out more tentacles. Fierce, Darmani III, Mikau and Dextri tried their best to aid but they were ghosts and not having a solid form without someone using their mask. They tried to anticipate the next attacks and give out warnings as swiftly as possible. It worked for a while before the beast brought out even more of those tentacles.

Time screamed whenever the tentacles struck into his body. Those strong impacts broke his bones and struck him roughly into the ground. Eventually the enemy impaled the Chain’s leader through his stomach. Yet, that was only to keep him down as another tentacle already followed its companion and pierced through his heart.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

This time around Legend didn’t face the guards and knights of the Temple. He let Twilight lure the ten soldiers away from the door and out of the room while he snuck from side inside the place. Once there he simply gave a nod to his brother until dashing into the corridor. He searched out the crack swiftly until already striking Ravio’s Bracelet against the wall and turning into a painting. After that, as he didn’t want to wait and see if the protectors of the entrance would have heard the metallic clang, he straight off went through the fissure and started to head further into the enemy stronghold.

The Veteran was running down the hallways and going through every crack his bracelet gave notion of. The feeling was getting stronger but he knew there always was a chance of taking the wrong turn while trying to find the right place. Yet, as he just pulled himself off of the wall once again, he suddenly gasped in pain and stared wide-eyed at the floor.

The Specialist slowly and unwillingly turned his gaze into his left hand. He was shaking in fright as he already knew what had happened. “No… Dear Goddesses, please, no…” He begged quietly before gasping as he saw slight piece of the Golden Triangle’s right corner being dim. He crashed to his knees before wrapping his arms around himself and hanging his head. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. You weren’t supposed to die.” He mumbled while starting to cry. What was the reason of handling this mission anymore if one of his brothers was gone?

“Legend.” The firm call of the expert of dungeon crawling’s name got him to snap his shocked gaze up. He stared wide-eyed and almost terrified at the ghost not far from him. “I’m not entirely dead yet.” Time told while wanting to pour out all of his anger about having been lied to, held outside crucial information and having not been warned about the battle with Majora-lookalike. Yet, he knew now wasn’t the time for any of that.

“T-Time…?” Legend called with broken voice. “I-I… I-I’m so sorry! You weren’t supposed to die!” He nearly shouted while feeling entirely like he himself had taken the Hero of Time’s life.

“Shut it!” The one eyed male’s ghost snapped and his boy flinched at that which got him to feel bit bad about the situation. “We don’t have time for this. You need to follow me. I know where the beast’s core is. The quicker we reach the area, the more certainly I’ll still survive.”

“W-what do you mean?” The Specialist queried while shakily standing up.

“Just move!” The Chain’s leader barked before already half floating, half dashing down the corridor. Legend ran after him while putting the Pegasus Boots magic on to stick to his oldest brother’s speed. “My body’s dead but Fierce, Darmani III, Mikau and Dextri are doing their best to keep me in this realm. The beast I faced with Fierce is not Majora.”

“It’s not?” Legend half queried before almost stumbling as Time shot him a glare for interrupting him.

“No, it’s not.” The Old Man’s spectre replied before pointing to a gap in the wall. Right after that he moved through the solid wall and waited impatiently for his boy to get through. “I don’t know what the thing is but it stole Hero’s Spirit from me. The thing needs to be destroyed for that to be freed and returned to me. After that Hyrule can heal my body and bring me back to life.” He explained as well as he could.

Legend listened carefully and nodded in understanding. He followed his leader without hesitation while using all he could to stick to his speed. He nearly stumbled when the Old Man gave one simple command: “Grab that!” He didn’t think twice as he snatched a green orb from the wall. Yet, as it renewed his magic and strength, he almost stumbled in start. Nonetheless, he was more than grateful of the refill on his magic as it allowed him to keep the speedy boots on and keep following the ghost of his oldest brother.

“Never thought I’d end up being a Ghost Guide.” Time chuckled after a while of silence. “Followed two so far in my quests but this…” He shook his head before slowing down into a stop and getting serious. “Through that crack and head to left. The beast is at the end of the corridor.” He told firmly.

“You’re not going to aid me in the battle?” The Veteran half requested.

The Chain’s leader sighed heavily and shook his head. “This is as close I can get to it.” He told before looking upwards into the ceiling. “Besides, I gotta lead the others to the two crucial pieces of the creature. With them gone, you can land the death blow. Plus, I need to get Hyrule and Warriors over to my actual body.” He explained bit sorrowfully.

“Alright.” Legend nodded firmly before taking a deep breath. “I’ll see you soon.” He told with a weak grin. “Hopefully with you in the book of living.”

“Only if things happen fast enough.” Time commented with a grin. “Go. I’ll lead the others.” He commanded and flew up through the ceiling to find the rest of the Chain.

The Specialist struck the Ravio’s Bracelet into the wall and went swiftly through the crack before already pushing himself out of the surface again. He ran and skidded into a stop at the doorway of the room he needed to enter. The creature was crouched in middle of the room with a slight golden aura around it. In its cupped hands was the missing piece of the Chain’s leader’s Hero’s Spirit.

Legend narrowed his gaze and drew out his sword. He screamed and attacked fast and hard against something that had similar colors to Majora’s mask but looked horrifyingly lot like a ReDead. The beast stood up slowly and screeched but its opponent was too raged to really register the blood-chilling sound.

The Hero with most quests done put absolutely everything into that battle. He drew out different Rods, he used the magics he had learned, he used all weapons in his possession until finding the combination for Ice. He didn’t care if he’d exhaust himself as long as he’d take this beast down with him.

Legend avoided, blocked and countered anything the being struck his way. He froze every single tentacle he came into vicinity of.  He wanted to revenge what this thing had done to his oldest brother and he would take it no matter what or how he’d do it.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Wild hadn’t entered the Temple as he chose to keep eye on the place’s vicinity and the ten guardians of it. He couldn’t fully see all of them but he did see the doorway leading deeper into the place. And so far none of the mind controlled soldiers of Hyrule had approached the road. Things were being very calm on his end of the plan.

Suddenly the Champion felt the same pain he had had back when the three Champions of Hyrule had died in their Divine Beasts. The same pain that had threatened to overwhelm him when Twilight had almost died by the Dark Lizalfos that had turned into Iron Knuckle. He gasped in agony and brought his hand over his heart before snapping his gaze towards the way where Legend’s counterpart’s home was.

Shakily the master archer took out his Slate and called Wind. He forced himself to ease out his breathing so that he could function. Just like before during those four situations. The moment the connection was on, he stood up bit wobbly. “Wind, I’m going back to the house. Something’s happened to Time.” He simply stated out and cut the call before the youngest Hero could reply.

Right after that the Chain’s primary cook ran. He didn’t have any speed giving elixirs along as he had used the last one several portals ago and hadn’t had a chance to create more. He wasn’t as good as his oldest brother when it came to going from tree to tree so he couldn’t use that either. But, he did notice something else. High ground.

While heading to right direction, Wild climbed up until already jumping off the ledge. He deployed the Paraglider and moved through the forest from high above the tree tops. It cut the needed time of traveling quite a much and he managed to use few updrafts which he saw the birds knowing of to keep to the air longer than he would’ve otherwise.

The over hundred years old youngster gasped and narrows his gaze when he saw the lithe being with tentacles as arms at the yard of his brother’s counterpart’s place. As he put the Paraglider off to get into speedy approach, he noticed the melting, glistering ice around some cut off tentacles. That gave him the idea of taking out his Ice Arrows instead of just normal ones.

The creature with Majora’s mask never saw the attack coming as the three projectiles already struck into its back. The beast screeched as the ice overtook its body and slowed it down. Two more followed swiftly the first ones and froze the legs until one more struck into the head.

Wild took the Paraglider out for a short moment to land safely. Right after that he already dashed towards the monster and attacked with a sword. He cut the thing to pieces while coming between the Chain’s leader and the enemy. “Pull the tentacles out. We can keep him alive until more help arrives.” Fierce said when he turned around to see the situation behind him.

The Champion simply nodded and did as he was told. Once the things were out, he froze and destroyed them. The cracking of ice got him to turn his notion back into the shattered main body of the Majora. He gasped as the frozen confinements blew up and threw glistering, bluish pieces all around. The thing slithered back together and stood up.

The master archer didn’t think as he already shot more Ice Arrows at the thing. He froze the beast all over again and dashed to break it into as many parts as he could. “You can’t beat it like that. Its core isn’t within the body.” Darmani III told while watching the situation.

“The others will handle that part. I’m just here to keep that thing from attacking Time again.” Wild nearly growled back. “And I’ll keep freezing and shattering it as many times as needed.” He swore while hoping he wouldn’t run out of arrows.

“Just keep it frozen.” Mikau suggested. “It can do nothing in that state and you don’t need to use so many arrows.”

The Chain’s cook nodded and calmed down a bit. He made sure the ground was frozen beneath the thing so it wouldn’t have a chance to try and escape that way. Whenever the ice started to crack, he struck with new Ice Arrow into there and froze the being to its nonexistent core of the body.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hyrule stumbled and fell to the floor. “Dear Fairies of this world…” He mumbled in shock. He shakily raised his left hand up to see the lighted mark of Triforce of Courage having part of it dark. “This can’t be happening.” He whispered before closing his eyes and slumping fully. He wrapped his arms around himself while breaking down. “Time fell.” He whispered quietly in Hylian. The magic within him felt painful as it mourned after one of those whom hadn’t been a fairy but had their magic as his own. It was the connection he had had with the Chain’s leader and now it was gone.

Warriors felt his heart shatter and he couldn’t breathe. “S-Sprite…” He mumbled with just barely audible voice while staring wide-eyed ahead and feeling the tears already spill out. When the half-fairy confirmed what he already knew, he fell to the ground. He couldn’t hold back the scream of agony that left from within him.

“Wars. Pixie.” The familiar call brought out a startled gasp out of the two members of the Chain whom had their own connection to the one eyed male. Neither by blood but still stronger than with some of their brothers: Magic and long ago created brotherhood.

 “No… No, please, no… You can’t…. Sprite.” The Chain’s leader’s second-in-command barely whispered with choked voice. All the way until now he had always had a feeling his little brother was alive somewhere but now… Seeing his ghost and having the feeling of having lost the most important person in his life…. He knew he wouldn’t be able to continue forward. Not with this mission nor with the quest. He had lost the reason to live.

“I might be a ghost at the moment but I’m still hanging on to life as we speak.” Time’s ghost told as calmly and softly as he could. The duo gasped in shock while clearly having slight bit of hope inflicted into them. “I need you two to head back. One to aid Fierce and the others to keep me alive and other to aid Wild in keeping my body safe and sound.” He told while trying not to command.

Warriors and Hyrule nodded firmly before the Traveler already turned into a fairy and hid into the Captain’s pocket. Without a glance behind, the war Hero began to backtrack as fast as he could. He didn’t want to see his brother as a ghost any of longer than needed. Plus, he needed to concentrate into his going because he couldn’t afford to lose time by stumbling or crashing with monsters. Speed was the most important thing at the moment.

The half-fairy knew he needed to save his magic and strength to aid Fierce and the others but he also understood the severity of the situation. That was why he tapped into his brother’s magic and used his own like a constant green potion. “I don’t know what you’re doing, Hyrule, and I don’t know if it’s wise but… Thank you.” Warriors simply said while feeling his stamina and strength staying the same even though he was losing both by his running. Luckily, though, this little trick halved the needed time to get back to the house.

“Don’t destroy it!” Wild shouted the moment he saw the duo coming to there. “We just need to keep it frozen and out of causing any harm.” He explained as he noticed the Captain having been up for drawing his sword and shield out.

Hyrule flew out of the war Hero’s pocket when he heard the Champion’s voice. Right after that he zoomed off straight to Time in full fright. He changed forms swiftly and crouched down next to the way too still body of his oldest brother. “Continue from here. We will aid you to keep your magic going.” Fierce told while changing places with the Traveler.

The half-fairy nodded and slowly put his magic into use as the God of Protection shifted his. Hyrule worked with his Healing Magic and, even though he couldn’t keep the heart beating, kept the body alive. Fierce let go of upholding his friend’s survival and empowered the Traveler’s magic so he wouldn’t lose his own while keeping that thin strand between life and death intact. He put his whole notion into holding that strong and pulling more towards life than to death. He counted on Wild and Warriors to keep their enemy enclosed in ice.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Wind gasped and crashed against the wall on his left when he felt something crack within him. He felt like breaking down and choking on his own tears without really understanding the situation. He looked around swiftly in search of some kind of monster until his Rock of Connection vibrated and chimed with the notion of a call. He shakily took the thing into sight and used bit of his magic to accept the connection to be made. “Wind, I’m going back to the house. Something’s happened to Time.” Wild’s voice told before already cutting the call off. The words took a while for him to register, especially that last line. He slowly raised his gaze up into Twilight.

The Rancher had frozen to his place. He barely breathed as he stared at the floor. “No… It’s not supposed to happen like this. You’re not meant to die like this. Not here. Not now. This isn’t happening.” He kept whispering while fisting his hands. He drew from anger, or rather from rage, and forced himself to raise his gaze back up. He gasped in shock and terror overtook his anger and certainty of things not happening the way they seemed to be going.

“Pirate. Cub.” The ghost of the Chain’s leader called and got the Sailor to turn his notion towards the road they had been going towards. He gasped in shock and stared wide-eyed. He knew he could see ghosts but he had never thought he’d end up seeing a ghost of one of his brothers. “We’re not having much of time. You two need to head forward. Twi, take Wolfie out and sniff for Reekfish. Or, well, scent close to it and follow it. Wind, get on Wolfie’s back since you two need to go fast.”

“Time… What happened? This… This isn’t….” Twilight started while trying not to break.

“No time to explain. The quicker you find your target and take it down, the more chances I have to still survive this. Just run through the fake walls. Don’t worry about them. Just follow the scent.” The one eyed male stated out and nodded sharply to correct road. “Go.”

The duo nodded and the ranch hand swiftly changed forms. The moment Wolfie was there, he already started to search for the right scent. He gave a bark when he caught it and the Sailor swiftly climbed onto the huge canine’s back. They gave glance towards Time but his ghost was already gone. Both wished he had actually gone back to his body as they dashed down the road while following the path set by badly stinking fish.

The predator put his full notion into following the scent and getting to right place. He put some specific questions and confusing things out of his mind while partly wishing Time wouldn’t have the answers when and if he’d eventually ask. Things like how the Old Man knew about Reekfish. Or how he knew that scent would lead to right place. Let alone what they were searching from the Temple in the first place.

Eventually, after long corridors and several staircases, the duo came into a square room. From all eight corners of the area were going very thick reddish purple vines into middle of the room. At there was a huge round and pulsing thing that looked very much like the heart people drew to those that were their heart’s chosen.

Wind got off of Wolfie’s back to let him transform. They moved around the room to get a better check of the situation but the area was entirely empty besides the vines and heart. The duo glanced at each other before already drawing out the swords. They let out their battle screams and attacked the thing. Yet, their strikes were blocked by invisible shield.

The two Heroes changed their tactics and attacked the vines. They cut them off with Twilight dealing the higher being ones and Wind doing swift job with the lower vines. Before they got all vines broken, a nauseous sound of splash was heard and the duo turned around. The heart was on the floor. Both bit hesitated to strike at something oddly hideous but they knew they needed to get it destroyed so they attacked.

Yet, the thing still had a shield up so they continued to cut it free. Only after that they managed to attack the heart shaped piece of their enemy. After several hits, the shield suddenly came back and the heart shot eight tentacles back into the corners while pulling itself back to hang from them.

The Sailor and the Rancher waited for an attack or enemies to appear but neither happened. Instead, they returned to cut the piece free again and attack it afterwards. After eternity felt time, Wind drew out his Hero’s Charm mask. He needed to know if they were actually doing something wrong. “Fucking hell! This shit’s got way too much of life!” He half shouted while getting the thing’s bar of life into sight. “And it regenerates it too.” He grumbled in annoyance.

“So, how do we kill it?” Twilight queried while not seeing the life-bar of their target.

“Just attacking hard. Maybe blow it up or something?” The youngest Hero shrugged before bit gasping. “I think the others found more parts. It just lost bit of life without us doing a thing.”

“Joint attacks.” One of Chain’s main protectors nodded in understanding. “Let’s continue and strike it with all we got.” He stated out and returned to free their target to land their attacks into it. This time, though, once the heart was freed again, they send off Bombs and Bomb Arrows to deal as much of damage as possible. When they ran out of those, Twilight continued with sword while Wind struck with Skull Hammer.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sky stopped walking with a startled gasp. He brought his right hand up while snapping his gaze into the Triforce. There was a small piece of the Triforce’s right corner’s triangle without golden light. He closed his eye and concentrated hard into the Hero’s Spirit the nine of them shared. He knew he could identify the one in danger if he just tried hard enough.

Four stumbled like he would’ve been struck hard into chest. He looked down but he saw no damage in there but he could feel the pain in his heart. “The hell was that?! Just calm down, let’s figure this out. Someone got hurt! Someone got hurt real bad! A guess on whom it is can easily be brought out.” The feelings within him raged swift and hard. The thoughts were almost disorientated and he slowly reached for his sword to split.

“Four. Sky.” The calm and very familiar voice of a person whom shouldn’t have been in there in the first place, got the duo to slowly turn their notion towards it. Both started to tremble as they saw the almost see-though ghost of their Chain’s leader. “I’m running out of time so you two need to be swift.” He told as calmly as he could. “Follow me. Don’t fear to run through the fake walls.” He stated out before already turning around and floating off to lead them.

The Chosen Hero and the Smithy glanced at each other once in near fright before dashing after the one eyed male. “Time! What the hell’s happened!?” The shortest Hero shouted out the questions while trying to stick to his oldest brother’s speed and yet making sure his alive being brother stayed along.

“I died.” Time replied while, unwillingly, slowing his going to keep both of his boys along.

Four almost groaned at that answer. “Obviously.” He grumbled with a deadpan voice. “Could’ve given an actual answer and not your usual mysteries.”

“More running, less whining.” The ghost of the oldest Link said with a slight grin while giving a swift check behind him. “The quicker you two are to right place, the more certainly I still can survive.” He told out and that got Sky to force himself to speed up. Stamina or no stamina, the Chosen Hero was not going to lose one of his brothers due to being too slow.

The alive being two Heroes wanted answers but they needed to concentrate into staying along with their Ghost Guide. It was bit freaky to watch their leader float while being nearly see-through. Yet, for now, they forced that feeling off and concentrated into the task ahead of them.

After a long while Time finally stopped. “Down the hall and to right. I can’t come closer than this.” He told bit sorrowfully. “Be swift and land strong strikes.” He advised as the duo moved past him. They simply nodded and continued to run so they’d reach their enemy as fast as possible.

Soon enough they entered a room which had a huge column of purple and red in middle of the room. In the middle of the thing was a spiked ball which was vibrating and very slowly pulsing. There were four thick electrical lines going from the walls into the ball. The lines were slowly moving clockwise while seemingly acting like life supporters of sorts.

“How do we take that down?” Four queried while realizing he was too low to actually land a hit and Sky too high so he was in danger of getting struck by the electrical lines.

“You fight, I keep the electricity off.” Sky replied while drawing out the Master Sword. He had controlled a lightning’s electricity before but he wasn’t certain he’d manage on this one. It didn’t feel like magic or natural creation.

Four hesitated while trying to figure the situation out. He was too short but maybe, if he split, he could have two of him to attack while being on other two’s shoulders. “I’m too short to reach so I need some extra to land a strike.” He half whispered and raised an eyebrow when his brother flinched a bit. Clearly he hadn’t thought about the height problem in the situation. “I got this. Just deal the electricity off.” He assured calmly while drawing out the Four Swords.

Sky gasped when suddenly, after a bright flash, there were four of his brother. There were so many questions going through his head but he shook them out and turned his notion into the situation. He took a deep breath and raised his sword to catch the soundless electricity gathered into the sacred blade.

The moment the weapon touched the beam, the Skyloftian Knight gasped and backed away. “It… It’s not….” He stammered while staring bit freaked out at the room.

“Sky? What’s wrong?” One of the Four’s colors asked worriedly. They were currently planning on who would go to whose shoulders to attack.

“It’s not electricity. It’s…” Sky started before trailing off with a gulp. He glanced at his Triforce mark and gripped the hilt even tighter. “That thing is stealing Time’s life.” He growled while having been very close of throwing in the curse words he had heard his brothers use.

“What?” One color of the Chain’s smith queried quite startled. Yet, as the words sank in, each of them were more than willing to take the thing down. “Break that connection.” Another one growled while already climbing up to third one’s shoulders.

The Chosen Hero nodded and entered the room again while raising the blade skyward. He flinched a bit as he felt the connection but he didn’t pull off. As the beam moved past, it was cut off. Sky didn’t wait. He kept the sword raised and ran counter-clockwise to cut the beams off.

With the safety the Skyloftian was giving by keeping the beams off, four Fours moved in as swiftly as they could. They started by slashing and stabbing with the sword but once their taller brother had moved off the way, they all switched into Bombs and Bomb Arrows to deal as much of damage as fast as possible.

When the beams suddenly reappeared and began to move other way, Sky quickly took out the Master Sword and began to cut them off. The two pairs of Fours swiftly attacked the thing when the first beam was away. After all four were cleared, they again went for stronger strikes. Once they ran out of any explosives, Sky struck with the Blade of Evil’s Bane while the Fours went for all four elements of the nature. Fire, Water, Wind and Earth were all struck while still attacking with their swords. They tried to combine them to find even stronger attack.

When Water and Wind were combined to create Ice, they finally found a way to attack hard. They froze the column the spiked orb was on and struck the thing out of there onto the floor. Next they turned the spikes into ice and broke those pieces apart. Little by little, layer at a time, they made their way towards the thing’s core.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Time was unable to aid his brothers in their battles. When the tentacle had struck him to the ground for the first time and he had felt the attempt of stealing his life, he understood his part in the Chain’s plan. He was certain it hadn’t been what the eight had thought or even wanted to happen. Nonetheless, he knew he had to die.

The one eyed male had, as the unwanted connection between him and the monster had been created, gained the knowledge of what kind of hellish maze the Temple was and how deep and wide the roads would take. There was no chances the Chain would reach their destinations without someone guiding them. And to do that, he needed to set his Spirit free.

The Chain’s leader couldn’t afford Fierce to risk his life so he took the mask off with the Deity’s acceptance. Yet, he hadn’t waited for the creature to strike hard and steal not just his life-force but also the Hero’s Spirit. That had hurt far more than anything else in his life. Hell, he was ready to even let a Dead Hand bite him than feel anything like this ever again.

It had been quite a shock to the oldest Link when he stood up and looked at his own body. He recoiled backwards and feeling nauseous but he had something extremely important to handle. “I wasn’t up for losing them but I never thought they’d end up losing me.” He thought bit sorrowfully before turning his gaze into the four ghosts with him. They nodded almost in unison and Time took once a deep breath, closed his eye and let his feeling guide him. When he opened his eye again, he saw Legend.

One by one, the Old Man met with his boys and either sent them off to right road or guided them forward. He tried to ignore and push out of his mind the knowledge he was being given as death broke all barriers. And yet, the images and knowledge just forced itself into his awareness.

He saw Legend desperately wanting to mourn after his uncle but not having the time as he needed to save Princess Zelda. He saw Warriors break down the day he fully understood to have lost his little brother no matter how he tried to uphold some hope of him either being safe and sound, or, better yet, meeting with him again someday. He saw Hyrule covering from monsters in a small hiding place, not in the condition of facing them and with one line going through his head over and over again: “They want my blood. They want my blood.” He saw Wind running after a gigantic bird and screaming out threats and curses as it kidnapped his little sister. He saw Twilight wanting to let the wolf within him free but being way too terrified about the people seeing and attacking the canine. He saw Sky screaming after Sun and desperately trying to jump after her when the unexpected gust of wind knocked her down into the Surface at the beginning of his quest. He saw Four desperately trying to stay intact as he lost Shadow into the broken mirror that fueled Vaati’s power. He saw Wild hating himself for having failed to take down Calamity Ganon hundred years ago.

There was so much more but those were the regrets the Chain’s leader’s boys had the strongest. Situations they hadn’t been able to fix. Some were dealt with at later time but some were still haunting them. They were things he wanted to help them with but he couldn’t do that without revealing of having gained the information without their acceptance.

Once all five boys of Time’s were at the right place and fighting the battles they needed to face, he had returned back to his body. He nodded to his ghost friends whom were soul-bound into their masks before sitting down beside his body. He had already used quite a bit of his energy to aid the ones below the ground so he wasn’t able to let the trio by him to see him at the moment.

About two hours after Hyrule and Warriors had come to the one eyed male’s body, the ghost of his gasped in pain. He scrunched his eye shut for a while before exhaling softly and falling limp. The frozen monster at the yard had exploded into black smoke as its main parts had been taken down. Only a second later after losing his consciousness, he already inhaled sharply and growled in pain. He barely heard the worried and freaked out shouts from the three boys of his by him. Yet, the more important part was that he felt the ground shake beneath him. He knew exactly what that was meaning. “Fierce?” He called, begged in fact, while knowing the Deity knew what he was requesting for.

“Go for it. We will keep you alive.” The God of Protection replied softly through the mind connection they had. Time inwardly nodded and sighed heavily while he nearly stopped breathing. “He will come back. He simply will fetch your brothers out of the danger.” Fierce told to the trio while aiding Hyrule in upholding the magic and keeping his leader alive.

The oldest Link opened his eye and frowned a bit. He was much lower than before but he couldn’t concentrate into that at the moment. His boys needed Spirit Guide to find the fastest way out. “Twilight! Wind!” He called out and nearly jumped in start as his words came out as barks. On that second he looked at his own body and realized he was having fur and standing on four paws. “A golden wolf. Figures.” He deadpanned before snapping his notion back into the duo.

“Time?”Wolfie queried while feeling still bit uncertain and worried of the situation.

“Oh wow! A golden wolf!” Wind exclaimed excitedly before shaking his head as he suddenly realized the situation. “Wait… Time?!” He shouted out in shock and the canine nodded.

“Get Wind on your back and follow. Run as fast as you can.” The Golden Wolf barked out and Wolfie nodded. The greenish wolf nudged the Sailor and gave him a nod towards his back. Luckily the pirate-Hero understood and climbed up. He held on tightly as the two wolves dashed into the corridors that were shaking and coming apart.

Once Time had seen the duo leave the shattering Temple, he closed his eye and concentrated again. When he opened his eye, he saw Four and Sky going wrong way. He called out to them and still bit flinched at the fact of being barking. He didn’t understand how he did it but he wagged his tail and did his best to look as nonthreatening as possible. Luckily the duo understood who he was and started to follow him out of there.

Sadly, the shattering of the area was beginning to get worse and the two Heroes weren’t fast enough. The Golden Wolf knew it was a bad idea but he forced himself to be more solid than a ghost should’ve been. Right after that he dashed to the duo, tackled the Chosen Hero onto his back and, much to Four’s indignation, picked him up by his teeth. Before either really understood what had happened, he was already dashing down the corridors while feeling grateful of the Master Sword’s current wielder actually taking a hold of his fur to stay on his back.

The moment one eyed predator had jumped out of the crumbling place, he dropped the Smithy and just vanished from beneath Sky. He heard the startled yelp from the Chosen Hero and quiet “Ow” from both of them before he was already letting his Spirit lead him to Legend. At least he knew he didn’t need to carry the last boy of his as he wasn’t certain if he’d have what it took to do such. Nonetheless, he knew he would find a way if needed without caring how it would affect his actual body’s life.

Time let out the bark of a call the moment he saw the Veteran. He simply gave a sharp nod before already dashing down the hallway. The Specialist took out the magic of Pegasus Boots and ran after him. He grabbed any green potion like balls to uphold the magic and to keep using the Ravio’s Bracelet. The Golden Wolf either gave a sharp nod or a sharp swish of his tail to show the cracks the youngster needed to take. Otherwise the walls the canine ran through were fake ones.

Once the last member of the group of Heroes was safely out of the danger, the Chain’s leader sighed in relief and closed his eye while calming down. The Golden Wolf just vanished and the one eyed male back at Legend’s counterpart’s house’s yard inhaled sharply. He snapped his eye open before already shutting it as he began to cough. Warriors and Hyrule were swift in aiding him as well as they could.

With Time alive and fully out of the danger, Fierce, Darmani III, Mikau and Dextri bit their goodbyes and returned to the Realm they rested. Their masks’ wielder had simply given a slight nod as he felt himself being quite weak after everything that had so far happened. Yet, the moment he had sat up enough, Warriors already yanked him into a tight hug and broke down thoroughly.

The oldest Link sighed bit heavily while partly slumping and partly leaning against his brother. He slowly wrapped one arm around him in quite failed attempt of comforting. Yet, before he could do any of more or even think of trying something different, Wild was already offering him one of the green potions he kept in his Slate.

Time took the drink eagerly even though it wasn’t too good idea into empty stomach. Still, it certainly gave him what he needed and he shifted in the Captain’s arms so he was fully leaning against him. After that he snatched hold of the scarf and pulled it around himself. Those actions had bit startled the war Hero and he watched tad baffled things happen. Yet, with his little brother safely on his lap and the soft fabric around him, he finally calmed down.

With one boy assured, the Chain’s leader put his notion into the two others with him. Without second’s hesitation, he pulled bit free from the scarf and yanked the duo into an one armed hug. That calmed down the trio fully and they just broke down out of relief of having their oldest brother still with them.

Within two hours the rest of the Chain arrived to there with Legend, Wolfie and Wind being first ones to arrive. Sky and Four took a while longer but they weren’t that far behind. Once there, the one eyed male found himself from a group hug while doing his best to assure his boys of things being all right.

Time knew he needed to talk things through but he didn’t want to start a fight so he postponed the conversation while claiming of being still too tired and out of strength. Yet, he wasn’t going to leave things as they were so he waited until the late evening meal to make sure everyone was ready and capable of dealing with the topic.

The oldest Link took once a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Alright, there are things we need to clear off.” He started as calmly as he could. “I’m not mad… Or, well, not as mad I probably should be.” He told assuredly while bit raising his hands up to calm the others down. “First of all, I’m not happy of how you boys dealt with the situation. I understand it, but I’m not happy of it.” He pointed out. “Secondly….” He trailed off for a moment before sighing heavily. “Secondly, things needed to go as they did.”

The Chain had been uncertain and bit ashamed of the slight reprimanding of sorts. Yet, at the second part, they were bit startled and confused. Still, their leader just raised his hand to keep them from talking.

“The Temple was an absolute maze. Its pathways covered Hyrule’s grounds nearly entirely. There was no chance you boys would’ve reached the right place in time. You needed a guide into there.” Time explained and shrugged a bit when the eight looked at him with a confused frowns. “You get quite a damn lot of information after death.”

“Time…” Legend started uncertainly while still feeling like at fault. He hadn’t personally killed his oldest brother but he felt like he had.

“I admit that having had enough of heads-up about the situation would’ve had me better prepared for the battle.” The Chain’s leader told while having shushed the Veteran down. “And yet, that could’ve lengthened your roads to correct places and that would’ve lengthened the time before the needed help would’ve reached the right place.” He stated out firmly before bit sighing and shrugging. “Though, I did not wait to end up having my part of Hero’s Spirit ripped away. Just glad I got that back.” He finished before smiling fondly at the eight boys of his. “Anyway, what matters is that we’re all safe and sound, the beast is taken down and Hyrule’s safe again.”

On that night there was the Hero Pile of Support and Comfort with the whole Chain needing to know their oldest brother truly was alive and with them. Yet, Time held on to Legend while making sure he wasn’t blaming himself and knew that the one eyed male wasn’t hating him nor was he holding any kind of grudge against him. In fact, he fully and truly wanted to show how much he loved the eight with him and let them know they hadn’t done anything wrong.

At the next day the ten soldiers whom had guarded the Temple came to fully and thoroughly apologize for their actions. The Veteran wasn’t too happy but he forgave them as he knew they hadn’t been to their right minds. Not long after then, though, the postman brought a letter from the era’s Princess Zelda with her utmost thanks for having saved her and the kingdom. Only couple of hours later the portal opened to the yard. The Chain of nine Heroes got ready, checked that everything was along and continue forward on their quest to save the eras, kingdoms and timelines.

[im-not-buying-it-ether]

Headcanons that can and will make up how I write the Marvelous Bats AU I’m trying to actually write

Everyone has a minor upgrade or addition on the powers they have. Eugene has his technokinesis, Pedro is physically stronger than Billy even though they have the same blessing, Darla is faster, Freddy has some minor telekinesis and is better at flying in practice, and Mary’s courage is infectious to the degree of getting people out of being scared frozen in an emergency and getting them to rescue themselves and have the bravery to help others along the way.

Billy and Mary are still twins, she’s adopted by the Bromfields and Billy is newly fostered by the Vasquez’s but they all work and spend time together as a family unit despite the separate home lives

Billy knows how to make portals anywhere with doors, the place just needs to have a door. (He has tried getting the Batcave that way but apparently the car doors of the Batmobile don’t count)

Yes all the Bats know the Marvels identity’s and vice versa, the rest of the League? Nope. Just think Batman mellowed out in his crusade to learn Caps identity

Yes Bruce wanted to adopt Billy, Billy said screw that and Jason pointed out how bad of an idea it would be to have a kid named Batson in the public eye of Gotham. “The Joker can and will try to make a bad joke out of the kid Bruce.” “Yeah Batman, you want me to die in a robin costume of all things?” Bruce just stayed silent for a moment and almost started crying (it’s was only a week later Jason took a good look at the kid and realized Billy is a mini him and Bruce probably didn’t like the Robin comment)

Damian, Darla, and Jon are the true kid hero trinity. Their mission? Chaos

Freddy just about passed out when he met Barbra, the super amazing Batgirl is the super cool lady behind the monitor that’s one of freaking Batman’s most essential teammates? Oh the feeling of finally seeing a super like himself

Tim met Billy and Mary’s parents through his own when he was little, the 3 of them had a very long discussion about cool archeology stuff for a good few hours

Because his hero form is his “full potential” and is very big Pedro asked Jason to help him get from how he is now to his hero form, seeing as his body type was closest. Now they work out together every Tuesday and Friday (school and vigilante work permitting) half of it is actually working out and the other is building Pedros confidence

Batman and Captain Marvel make a point to block and argue heavily against any other Marvel joining the League, Billy is the only one until the rest of the family does meet the age requirement they have. Billy does the heavy lifting expected of the actual Champion of Magic and his siblings enjoy the small town hero life and look out for Fawcett and the Rock when he’s off world, Mary is the defacto leader when he’s gone.

Like how every Bat has their designated Super and sometimes Wonder, they all have a Marvel they hang out with more than others. Mary and Dick hang out and bond over being the unfortunate voice of reason siblings, Darla is the childish influence making Damian act more his age and love doing it. Billy and Bruce are the respective “heads of the family” and Bruce checks in a lot on how Billy’s life is going with the occasional leadership tip thrown in to help with hero work. Jason tutors Pedro when they’re both visiting, if they cross paths on the job they’ll talk sports a lot. Freddy and Eugene talk a lot about strategy’s, games, gadgets, and superpowers with Barbra and Tim.

Tawny and Alfred are golfing buddies, they also build miniatures of flag ships together and talk about their weird family of supers over tea

Eugene has hacked the Bat-computer on multiple occasions, each time to make an edit to any files Bruce makes of the family, mostly something childish like adding “the amazing” or “the super awesome” before their hero names in the files. But one hack he did was into his contingency plans files, which nearly gave Bruce a heart attack thinking there was going to be another accident that would almost kill his friends.

The hack was the change of “Further research needed to figure out a strategy for neutralization, for now the best strategy is to trick or force them into using their trigger phrase to de-transform before incapacitating them” to “let their siblings deal with the situation”

The Justice League’s first introduction to Captain Marvel was during a “Superman is being affected by Red Kryptonite” situation. By the time they caught up to him in Fawcett their resident hero was helping the man up and panicking over how much he hurt him trying to wrestle the Kryptonite off him, they offered him a seat with them by the end of the week after satellite imaging showed that he led Superman into the air after he knocked down a building and delt with him without further damage and Superman’s account that he broke his arm and bruised multiple ribs trying to stop him. Billy was 9 at the time and only had his powers a few months at that time so he had no idea how much he needed to reel his strength in and was panicking too much to properly do so either way in that fight.

Damian was jealous that Billy got into the league so young and Bruce still won’t let him on despite his capabilities but realizes Billy only got so far because of a lie of omission and one event where he severely harmed Superman, he’d call his father an idiot if he hadn’t tried to keep an eye on such a worrying individual

The Vasquez’s know their kids visit the Wayne’s every other day, as do the Bromfields, but only Vic and Rosa know about the superhero part of it all. The Bromfields just think Mary is visiting a girl friend and having sleepovers every so often, they aren’t entirely wrong since she does hang out with Cass and Stephenie but they don’t need to know her whole superhero life. It’s framed as a mentorship so that their kids can do their best with the powers given to them with a healthy amount of encouragement in still being kids and attending school, it’s mostly just the two families spending time with eachother though.

Black Adam used to antagonize the Marvel Family but after a fight with Billy 1v1 he saw he was a child and stopped trying to actively kill him, he’s now their weird uncle figure who pops by to show them some fighting moves and try to tell Billy to stop being the champion until he’s older.

Black Adam is closer to the movie version solely for the purposes of expanding the family size, he looks like his classic comic self but has to shift in morals and backstory he had in the movie

The fight happened in a empty patch of dessert outside Khandaq when Billy was 11, no one on the League knows why they suddenly stopped fighting or why Cap officiated the guys wedding but their happy he figured something out so his city didn’t get torn up every month by their fights anymore.

The hero names and nicknames for the Marvel family are as follows

Billy Batson —> Captain Marvel (Cap, the Captain)

Mary Bromfield —> Mary Marvel (Mary)

Freddy Freeman —> Lieutenant Marvel (Lieu, Captain Marvel Jr. (by one annoying reporter))

Pedro Peña —> General Marvel (The jolly green giant, Greenie)

Eugene Choi —> Chief Marvel (Chief, Master Chief (self proclaimed, never used))

Darla Dudley —> Ms./Princess Marvel (Ms., Missy Marvel, Missy (Used for professional purposes) Princess (Used every other time as her choice of code name))

Adriana Tomaz —> Isis (/got the amulet of Isis as a wedding gift from Darla from the Rock, she didn’t know what it was but is happy she got cool powers with the rest of the family/)

Amon Tomaz —> Horus (/name changed from comics to coincide with the change in family dynamic between him and Adriana from siblings to parent/child/)

Theo —> Black Adam/Khem Adam

Shout out to @thefantasmarex for reminding me how much I love these two families together

[madwomansapologist]

Hi, are you still looking for Baldur's Gate 3 requests? Could you please write something about the main BG3 Companions (+ our boi Halsin) with a Tav/reader who's really short and adorable and just an absolute sweetheart but is horrifyingly powerful in their lore? Like NPCs who know about them back away in fear kinda thing. Maybe Tav can even transform into some sort of battle form where they're like 9 feet tall (as opposed to their usual height of like 4' 10") and can absolutely kick ass on the battlefield?

Thanks so much, I hope you have a wonderful day! Take care!

bg3 companions with a adorably powerful tav

Navigation | More Weirdos | AO3

synopsis: Who could imagine such a sweet thing as you had the reputation of a hero?

warnings: companions (lae'zel, shadowheart, astarion, gale dekarios, wyll ravengard, karlach, halsin, jaheira) x tav. fluff.

note: thank you for your request! oh gods how i missed writing headcanons. i hope you like this, have a wonderful day!

Lae'zel

Lae'zel knew your shared condition had a cure, and was willing to put herself in danger by taking the entire party with her to the nearest crèche. That being said, how couldn't she judge you?

You were too easy on everyone. Making promises you clearly shouldn't, taking them seriously despite her best efforts to put some sense in your head. The party was supposed to only stop walking when surrounded by githyankis, but no burdened tiefling or hurt animal escaped your careful gaze.

That you knew how to fight surprised her, but to see fear and admiration in the eyes of civillians... that made Lae'zel pay more attention to you. You had a reputation. Not as a writer, bard or patron. You're know for striking down your enemies.

Fighting at the goblin's camp, there were so many oponents even Lae'zel didn't knew if it would be her last fight. You saw it too, so you made sure to use everything you had to win. Even if you would rather not turn into an eldritch creature.

She got enchanted by your battle form. Steel and iron where nothing against the pure strenght of your skin. Whatever crossed your path that day suffered at your hands.

That was the first time Lae'zel got happy for being wrong about someone.

"Perhaps I've judged you too hard. You are fierce, foracious, as sharp as my sword and as brave as a red dragon. Keep on surprising me and a istik you'll be no more."

Shadowheart

Shadowheart couldn't care less about the tieflings and their problems, but it was endearing to watch you wandering throught the Coast in an attempt to ensure their safety. It was a sight she couldn't expect to observe in this journey, not when considering the worm twitching behind her eye and the artifact messing with their dreams.

Still, you could shut down her biggest fears with ease. While she tried to remain quiet, you were full of kind words to share with whoever was near. You care for all beings, great and small, and Shadowheart can respect that. A person without a truth to follow is empty, but one with a mission turns into so much more than just a walking corpse.

She focused on protecting you during fights. Always giving you some sort of magic shield, casting sanctuary, begging you to drink potions and elixirs that would keep you safe.

Goblins attacked, and for a second everyone was too surprised to react properly. Except by you. You were quick to defend your party, to fight for them, and won a fight no one was preparad to.

Shadowheart decided not to underestimate you again. Kind words, gentle actions, caring gaze: she was so focused on her own view about you that forgot to pay attention to the way everyone else saw you.

You're powerful. The kinda of powerful that their party had to be grateful that you were fighting besides them.

When you revealed your beast form to her, Shadowheart already knew you were a sight to behold.

"You are full of surprises, aren't you? Good. I like how you keep me on my toes, love."

Astarion

In theory, he should've been delighted with your personality. You were the perfect prey. A leader so sweet, he could change your mind at his will and you wouldn't even noticed. Others respect you. Astarion would be safe and sound.

But Astarion isn't capable of forgetting how easily you fought back when he tried to fool you. How he didn't even saw you moving, and was alone on the floor before he could understand what had hit him.

Instead of a person, you were a walking question mark. How can you be so sickenly adorable, and still so ready to strike down your enemies? Were did the sweet half of you finished and the other one started?

People know you. He saw respect in druid's eyes, fear when goblins heard your name. Halsin knew about you. And so did Minthara.

Few are able to live up to their reputation, but you're one of those. So strong, so brave, but your kindness wasn't ignored by him. It was as if in your head the whole world deserved your kindness, until it did no more. Only then you react.

Astarion don't know what to think about it.

When you attacked as a beast, tearing spiders apart as if they were a piece of meat in your plate, Astarion laughed until his belly ache.

How could be so right and so wrong about someone?

"Don't mind me, darling. I'm just rejoicing at the sight of your bloody hands. Come here. Let me taste your heroic mess."

Gale Dekarios

Gale learned two things about you when you pulled him out of stone: you were kind, and so damn strong.

You were adorable. A perfect equation between what people must do in order to survive and what they must do in order to live well. He can't see you not being surrounded by friends and admirers, all enchanted by your sweet words and rightful attacks.

He feared the party's reaction to the Orb, but a part of him knew you would let him stay. He never imagined you would give him magic artifacts without a second question, or that you would hug him after he told you his whole story.

You didn't let him go. Neither did Gale.

To say he was willing to agree with whatever you did was to say his heart beats. It was only natural. Maybe you both differ on the path you want to take, but the destination is usually the same.

When he saw you feral, body changing to give space to something else, Gale wondered if he was one of those enchanted people surrounding you. If he wasn't fighting for his life, Gale would gadly gaze upon you for the rest of the day.

"Disgusted? I was unable to look away from you! You are the one I love, no claws or tentacles will ever change that. Must I add, my love, your light remains strong in whatever form you decide to use."

Wyll Ravengard

To say the least, he's a fan. Oh, how lovely are the tales of your adventures through Faêrun. He remember arguing with bards about the accuracy of their versions and the reason behind their choice of words. You were what a hero must aim to.

How long were the nights he spend wandering after he was casted out of Baldur's Gate. Lonely nights, but never silent. Wyll's mind fought against itself. He lost everything to help and protect others. Sometimes he worried if he had lost himself too.

Your tales weren't his salvation. None of them shut down those voices that insisted on telling him about the mistakes he made, neither did them shut Mizora. But they inspired him. If you did all those things, remained human even as a beast, he could survive a talkative cambion. Wyll Ravengard can defeat her by staying loyal to himself.

Wyll didn't had to hear your name to know you were fighting next to him, defending the grove against goblins and worgs. He saw enough drawings of you to recognize you from miles afar. When you asked him to be a member of your party, Wyll felt as if a million fireworks exploded inside his chest at the same time.

He did felt anger and pain because of the tadpole, but never fear. Fighting beside you, Wyll knew he didn't had to fear for his future. And after seeing how willing you were to argue with multiple cambions, he started to have hope.

"I used to read about legends, myths of bravery and rightousness. Some see it as just tales for the naive. Thank you, my heart. For proving them wrong time after time."

Karlach

She's the only one with an excuse for not knowing who you are. When strangers call you by your entire name, when companions use your epithet: Karlach just never thought about it. She ignored it, paying no mind to others.

But Karlach did knew you were a absolute sweetheart. What you didn't had of height you compensate with a gigantic personality. For her, the way you behaved was simply alluring.

While many prefer to think the world is a bad place and no one living there can chose to be or do better, you are just another reason for her to know that it's bullshit. Because Karlach is good, despise it all. And Wyll. And you.

And Minsc!!!

You had a fire on you whenever you had to fight. She didn't need to know your story to see how great you can be. Some people just have that. She don't know if that fire is born or forged, but some people just have it.

To see you as a beast made her the most happy woman in Faêrun. She got speechless, all she could do was laugh and run around to have a better view of you ending the Steel Watch.

"You got 'em, soldier! Go on, bite his arm off! You see that monster over there? The one with glowing eyes. That's the love of my fucking life."

Halsin

He saw you before. Druids and harpist fought against sharrans, and you were one of the heroes who joined their cause. At that time Halsin didn't talked to you, but he knew you fought until the very end and stayed to help with the infirm.

When you rescued him, Halsin knew you remembered him too. There was some understanding between you both, a companionship that only those who foght together can share.

He knew you were a hero, one of those who fight wars that don't affect them because someone needs too, but your personality was a good surprise. Halsin haven't imagined you so easy going. Always offering smiles, light jokes, being clumsy without a care when danger was far away.

After the battle against sharrans, he thought those who refered to you as a monster were trying to make others understand how eficient you were. It surprised him to see they were just being honest.

Nothing would stop Halsin from turning into a bear and joining you.

"In this damned city, you are a beacon of hope. The Oak Father graced us with your light. From your fiece strikes to your honey soaked words... I am lucky to live at the same time as you, my love."

Jaheira

As a fellow adventurer, it surprised Jaheira that you weren't already tired. You both lived for so long, did so much, it would be only natural for you to give a pause on your endless smiles and envied patience. She was wrong, but that wasn't a bad thing.

Jaheira knew how this life can steal things from you. Peace feels like a threat, to stop make you feel like a prey, to laugh makes you wonder if it will be the last time. Is impossible to be a hero without losing. She's glad you didn't lose yourself in your path.

There was an unspoken pact between you both. The stories, the songs, the faux memories. So many think to know everything about you two. Sometimes Jaheira will read you a book you're in when she knows it's a shameless lie, and you sing her songs about adventures she did not lived.

Your laugh could make her feel younger. Alive. You both were so differents, but knew each other in a way few could.

Whenever you chose to strike as a monster, she would join you as a myrmidon and had her fun. You both deserve it.

"I did well not underestimating you, cub. It is impossible not to laugh at those who can't see how your bright smile hides sharp fangs. As pretty as a diamond, and as fierce too."

if you enjoyed, please reblog! i promise it makes a difference ♡

BALDUR’S GATE 3 TAGLIST: @citrusbunnies

@ madwomansapologist.tumblr.

[gryphonlover]

Linked Universe AU Directory

Anyway, I didn't put every single AU on this thing. I do not have the time and energy for that because there's over 600 LU works tagged as alternate universes on Ao3. I did follow some general guidelines when I was deciding which works to add, the most important one being that the AU had to be more than just canon divergence and had to affect all the characters equally. Feel free to add onto this post, if you think something is missing.

Link to the Ao3 Collection

Age Swap | Age Shuffle AU

Apocalypse - Unspecified | Brothers In Arms

Apocalypse - Zombies | Autolysis

Apocalypse - Zombies | LU Zombie AU

Fae | Across the River

Fae | Flower Garden

Fae | From Open Seas, to Dark Tangled Depths

Folklore | If You Thought This Was Gonna Have a Cool Title, You Obviously Don't Know Me

Fusion - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Hyrule's Adventures in Wonderland

Fusion - Among Us | Good Riddance

Fusion - Atlantis: The Lost Empire | The Sage's Journal

Fusion - Big Hero 6 | Fierce Hero 9

Fusion - Captain America: Civil War | United We Stand, Divided We Fall

Fusion - Dungeons & Dragons | LU x DnD Crossover

Fusion - Full House | Full House AU

Fusion - Lethal Company | Linked Company AU

Fusion - Lethal Company | Linked Universe AU: Lethal Company

Fusion - Mad Max | And the World Ends Again

Fusion - Monstrous Regiment | Linked Regiment

Fusion - Nailed It! | You Really Nailed it Right There, Buddy!

Fusion - Pokémon | LU Pokémon AU

Fusion - Pride and Prejudice | Pride and Prejudice but it's a Fair-Play Whodunnit

Fusion - Tangled | LU Tangled AU

Fusion - The Hunger Games | LU Hunger Games AU

Fusion - The Incredibles | Linked Universe Incredibles AU

Fusion - The Secret World of Arrietty | The Secret World of Wild and Twilight

Fusion - Spirited Away | One Summer's Day

Fusion - Star Wars | Tales of Courage from Across the Galaxy

Fusion - Warrior Cats | Faronclan AU

Gods & Goddesses | And the Universe Said "I Love You"

Heist | Heist AU

Historical - 1800s | City of Light and Dark

Historical - Supernatural | 1931

Science Fiction - Space Crew | Linked Nexus

Mermaids | Flared Fins

Miscellaneous - Disability | Shatterproof

Miscellaneous - Intrigue | Castle Intrigue

Miscellaneous - Magic | We Could be Immortals

Miscellaneous - Unspecified | Eyes Wide Open

Miscellaneous - Unspecified | Manus Lupus

Modern | Adoption AU

Modern | Good Enough

Modern | In the Heart of Hyrule

Modern | LU Modern AU

Modern | Modern Zeldas AU

Modern | Ranch House AU

Modern | The Many Realities of the Hero Spirit and Modern Living

Modern | The Roadtrip AU

Modern | The Weather Outside is Frightful

Modern - Actors | Linked Universe Actor AU

Modern - Coffeeshop/Café | Looking for Group

Modern - College/University | All You Need to Know

Modern - College/University | Linked University

Modern - College/University | Oh No, They're Theater Kids Now

Modern - College/University | RIP

Modern - Emergency Services | Of Officers and Stuffed Elephants

Modern - Farm | Fresh from the Farm

Modern - Ghost Hunters | A Haunting in Hyrule

Modern - Healthcare | How to Save a Life

Modern - Healthcare | LU in Healthcare

Modern - Magic | Everything but Blood

Modern - Magic | Family is Made of...

Modern - Magic | Maybe Human 

Modern - Magic | Summer Camp Lon!

Modern - Magic | The Chain that Binds Us

Modern - Magic | Wild's Magic Shop AU

Modern - Monsters | Here There Be Monsters

Modern - Movie Theater | There's a Remlit... Loose in the Theater!

Modern - Music Camp | Linked Repertoire

Modern - Newsroom | BSX: Hyrule SatellaNews

Modern - Newsroom | Professions and Professionals

Modern - Office | Linked Corporations

Modern - Opera | Opera House AU

Modern - Retail | The Hot Topic Debate

Modern - Retail | What Goes Down at Festival Foods

Monsters | Seelies and Selkies

Murder Mystery | How to Kill a God

Post-Nuclear War | Chain Reaction

Royalty | Every Other Star

Royalty | I'll Be There

Royalty | Royal Links AU

Royalty | Lost Prince AU Part 1 & Lost Prince AU Part 2

Soulmates - Platonic | Marks on Your Body, Marks on Your Soul

Soulmates - Romantic | Castle Town Coffee Shop

Vigilantes | Empty Streets Full of Life

Vigilantes | We Will Find You, Wherever You Are

Wings | Four's a Dad!?

Wings | Wings AU

Wings | Wing Bois

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Any enemies to lovers future AU Sterek fics? At first they annoy each other just as much as they used to, but ofc that changes. Thanks, ur awesome

Oh definitely.

magical protection at the hands of a snarky spark by sychia_rin

(1? I 341 I General)

Stiles stormed his way through the room. The ward he literally just made felt broken.

He eyed the tall man standing on the balcony as he turned to face him, he quirked up an eyebrow looking as shocked as that grumpy face could get him. He must be some newbie guard.

"I just put that ward there shitface. Shoo," Stiles motioned for him to move. The guard stood in place, watching Stiles as he stomped closer.

....

Where an overworked Stiles works for the (royalish?) Hale family doing magical tasks. Vaguely Merlin inspired if you squint.

royal blue fits better with Derek by 08JustLizeth80

(1/1 I 3,129 I Mature)

Where Derek Hale is the prince of England and Stiles is the (extremely) ineloquent and mouthy first son of the United States.

Or

Where Stiles thinks royalty is such an archaic concept it shouldn’t even exist (which has nothing to do with his inadequate and totally not existing crush on the prince).

Knot Your Typical College Romance by stilesanderek (minxxx)

(1/1 I 51,546 I Explicit)

In which Stiles loves studying at Beacon Hills Supernatural University and even though he loves his group of friends, he just wishes that Derek wasn't included in it. Stiles hates the guy fiercely, and he knows it's completely mutual, and what he also knows it's completely mutual is the hate boner they both have going on for each other. What happens after they finally hookup after years of tension, though, isn't something Stiles ever signed up for.

“Shut the fuck up, Stilinski,” Derek hisses, their foreheads less than half a dozen of inches apart.

“Oh yeah, big guy?” Stiles says, stuffing his chest in defiance, licking his mouth once and then finally saying, “Make me.”

all you have is your fire by hansuckss

(7/? I 20,624 I Mature)

“Why wouldn’t I? I mean, if it’s a matter of saving someone’s life. You know,” Derek smirked. “There are lots of things I can do for an hour.”

Everyone knows they can count on Stiles Stilinski, the most composed paramedic at the fire station, and he takes pride in his work. At least until a new firefighter shows up. The newest firefighter-in-training, Derek Hale, is a former football player with a huge hero complex and limitless energy. And until fate brings them together, Stiles can put up with the man's presence. Sparks fly—not in a positive way. The fact that Derek is hotter than the fires he puts out and annoyingly charming doesn't help.

Help Wanted (But Not Really) by reillyblack

(9/9 I 26,096 I Mature)

"Stiles, I'll clear up your confusion about the position. Derek here needs someone to live with him. He's a difficult person to live with, so I won't sugarcoat that. But his responsibilities at the company right now make it impossible for him to actually take care of himself and his home. That would be your job," Laura explained.

Both Stiles and Derek objected at the same time.

Five Times Detective Stilinski and Fire Captain Hale Had Sex In Public, and One Time They Did It In A Bed by bleep0bleep

(7/7 I 32,853 I Explicit)

"Did you say--" Stiles starts.

"What?" Derek growls.

"We're not a couple!" they both retort in unison.

"We're not together," Stiles insists.

Lydia coughs pointedly. "An incident report filed by 87th Precinct Captain Erica Reyes. March twenty-fifth, eight p.m. Came back to the precinct to grab my coat, only to hear Stilinski banging his new boyfriend in the holding cell."

Words Cannot Espresso How Much You Bean to Me by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella)

(1/1 I 68,366 I Teen)

“You’re late,” Derek informed him coldly, jaw clenched. He barely even moved his mouth to speak. This guy was seriously scary.

And because Stiles was suicidal, he said, “No, I’m Stiles.”

The look he got could’ve curdled milk. Stiles even noticed that Derek’s muscles were tensing, arms bulging even more and wow this guy was scary and hot but mostly scary holy shit.

“You’re not funny,” Derek informed him coldly.

Stiles shrugged. “I think that’s a matter of opinion.”

Like it or Not by Halevetica

(56/56 I 80,902 I Not Rated)

Stiles works as the editorial assistant at Vogue. He loves everything about his job except for his boss, Derek Hale. Derek Hale is the worst and Stiles hates him. But when Derek drags him to the yearly awards dinner within the company, he is forced to play boyfriend for the night to make Derek's ex jealous. Things couldn't get much worse...or so Stiles thought.

(Fuck you they said) As they threw their threads from their wedding bed by dearericbittle (dutchmoxie)

(9/9 I 96,199 I Mature)

First Son Stiles Stilinski just accidentally caused an international incident. And apparently the only way to save human-werewolf relations is to marry him off to Prince Derek of Triskele. Stiles is going to need all of his acting skills to make the marriage look real, because the Prince is kind of a fucking asshole.

Enemy Lines by qhuinn (tekla)

(17/17 I 149,179 I Explicit)

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

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

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

The Final Pack by Kedreeva

(33/33 I 428,148 I Mature)

Humankind is fighting its way back from near extinction against the supernatural beings that fed upon the remaining humans in the aftermath of the 2012 apocalypse. On the front lines, Stiles' best friend gets bitten by a werewolf and Stiles must strike a bargain with wolves in order to save him.

[hurricanejane]

Listen. Wentworth Miller doesn't like to play straight characters. He has said that he played his Earth 1 Leonard Snart as pansexual (even tho on screen we are only confirmed that Earth X Leo is gay). In the Arrowverse E1 Len only ever shows interest in Sara, a very woman-loving bisexual who is fierce and energetic and good but willing to play in the gray areas... Who else has those qualities? Barry Allen. A man who inspired Leonard, first to up his game and then to be a hero. And Wentworth Miller is very thoughtful about his characters. So I absolutely believe there was intentional attraction and maybe even love from Leonard's end toward Barry. Like the chemistry between them is unreal and stronger than it is between Len and Sara. So I think unrequited Coldflash is canon and it doesn't take much tweaking to make it two-sided in fanon lol. Just make Barry bisexual instead of Irissexual and we get there. Even Grant Gustin has said there's probably a lot more to the Coldflash relationship than we got to see. Ty for coming to my Coldflash Ted talk that is probably 9 years late at this point.

[transhawks]

Top Ten Hawks Moments of 2023

For Keigo's Birthday and for the end of this year, I have decided to make my top ten Hawks moments for all the chapters published this year.

10. "Hawks" gets torn into shreds by AFO

we had a lot of near-deaths for Hawks this year, but I think this was the most memorable as it happened, giving a very needed burst of humor to the AFO vs Hawks and the Heroes fight. Tokoyami's reaction was particularity heartbreaking.

9. Whatever Level of Gay was Achieved Here

This entire chapter was framed in a way that constantly put Hawks and AFO contrasting and melding and there are panels where their thoughts connect. I thought it was a very good way for Hori to make their dynamic fighting each other stand out. Also, the fight was ridiculously homoerotic.

8. Hawks Reminds Us It's About Connections, Stupid.

A theme for the post-Jaku part of this manga has always been heroes needing to bridge that gap and see if they can connect with the villains. It's interesting that Hawks has been the canon mouthpiece among the adults for that view when he so utterly failed his own narrative-assigned connection. I know there was so much pushback in this moment because Keigo again thought of Endeavor, but it stood out to me in repeating this allegory of OFA linking everyone as the solution to the conflict in the first place.

7. Realizing They All Have the Power to Make Their Own Narrative

Against a villain like One For All who wants to believe he's in his own light-novel, Keigo's own issues distinguishing reality and fantasies managed to settle down. He's always resigned himself to being a caged bird and a martyr, so being pitted against a villain so into life being a foregone conclusion helped Keigo remember they all have more agency than they give them credit for.

6. I think all of Keigo's Rizz was in Fierce Wings

Seriously, this is his normal fake hero persona on STEROIDS? It's fascinating how naturally this stuff comes to him. Like damn, he even has his tongue out, mocking All For One as he gets hoisted by his own petard, and has an arm around a vestige lady who looks suspiciously like All For One's mom, which I am accepting as canon until told otherwise. Say what you want about Hawks, for all his failures and paradoxes, the dude has serious BDE. I'd rate this higher but he had a lot of good moments.

5. Nothing beside remains, round the decay

Probably one of the most striking panels this year, seeing a defeated, quirkless Keigo struggle to get up and meet the horde of encroaching Toga-Twice clones, holding the last remaining feather in a landscape of complete destruction made me think heavily of the Ozymandias poem. Keigo, who has always represented the hero system with his whole diamond-insignia carrying chest, seeing all the consequences of his actions and the futility of his actions in stopping the very future he'd allowed himself to commit murder to prevent. I wonder if it struck him how little it all meant as he faced his "presumed" doom.

4. Farewell, Fierce Wings!

we bid goodbye to the quirk that continued to fight even as it was stolen into the eldritchian amalgamation that is All For One! The look in the vestige's face is so resigned and bitter-sweet as he decays away. Keigo isn't his quirk, but it's remarkable how willing to face death both of them are.

3. What he really wants

The interesting thing is the narration implies that either Keigo was telling Naomasa that the aging made AFO stronger as the battle happened, or still had enough control over his emotional state after being left in the dirt to tell him what he observed. The latter is, well, not that surprising when it comes to Keigo, who won't let being quirkless or maimed or delimbed get in the way of being at his job, but that's not what Hori shows us.

No, Hori doesn't show us Keigo standing up or sitting up, no he shows us a Keigo clinging to Tokoyami, a complete break in the many masks he wears to show actual devastation and need for comfort.

There's no Keigo pretending he's okay. There's just one panel showing us a young man embracing his unconscious student after probably one of the most horrific experiences in his life. Keigo, who has been mentioned to be a person who puts so much distance himself and other people, is the one the one clinging to Fumikage.

2. He really was, wasn't he?

As the Twice clones disappear, we see a melting Toga-Twice on the brink of killing Keigo, who makes no move to stop her as she slices him open. No, he seems almost penitent as he accepts death, only pausing to tell her he knows why she's killing him. Make no mistake, the moment he saw Twice back, he knew what this was all about; killing Jin. In this moment, he doesn't hold himself back with saying killing Jin was necessary - the future Jin's murder was meant to prevent came about anyway, no, this is just Keigo being honest that he really liked Jin, anyway. This panel might show the first real regret we've gotten from him, which is likely why he was so open about not fighting back. Because Keigo knows that he does "deserve" this.

1. Haven’t you already done your best, Hawks?

Chapter 185, this panel introduces us to Hawks.

Two hundred chapters later and we finally see Hawks, for all intents and purposes, resoundingly defeated. His quirk is gone. The army he had as back up, defeated. His student lying defenseless beside him. His hero-partner having left to fight his own battles.

And yet, despite it all, despite losing his quirk, despite every sign of failure around him, especially as he now has to reckon with his own moral event horizon, Keigo's capable of saying one thing:

[littlefireball]

ᴀᴛᴇᴇᴢ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄ ᴡɪᴘ (24/9-12/10)

(a/n: if you wanna to be added in the tag list, feel free to cm/dm/inbox me~thx)

ʜᴏɴɢᴊᴏᴏɴɢ -- ꜱᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ(ᴍ) (24/9)

ᴘɪʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴀɪɴ ʜᴏɴɢᴊᴏᴏɴɢ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ (ꜰᴋ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɪɴ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ)

Summary: The tranquil existence was shattered today by the merciless pirates. You surrendered to the overwhelming tide of despair, letting it engulf you. Yet, in that moment of darkness, a figure emerged to rescue you. But is this hero a beacon of hope or a harbinger of doom?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

ꜱᴇᴏɴɢʜᴡᴀ -- ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴄᴀᴛᴄʜᴇʀ (ᴍ/ᴀ) (26/9)

ᴇxᴏʀᴄɪꜱᴛ (ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴀꜱꜱᴀꜱꜱɪɴ) ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ x ɴɪɢʜᴛᴍᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴇᴏɴɢʜᴡᴀ

Write about a dream assassin who is tasked with fighting a nightmare that disturb people's sleep.

Summary: As an exorcist, your mission was clear: eliminate the demon. Yet, destiny had other plans. You found yourself captivated by him. Even after vanquishing his true essence, his spirit lingered within you, refusing to be forgotten. The only way to find peace was to confront him once more. But could you summon the strength to do it? Or would you surrender to the pull of your heart and let yourself love him all over again? 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

ʏᴜɴʜᴏ -- ʟᴏꜱᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀᴇᴠᴇʀ (ᴀ) (28/9)

ᴀɢᴇɴᴛ ʏᴜɴʜᴏ x ᴍᴀꜰɪᴀ ʙᴏꜱꜱ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

Summary: After you die, yunho becomes a monster and kills everyone who hurt you before. Of course, it includes himself.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

ᴡᴏᴏʏᴏᴜɴɢ --ᴄᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴇʟᴘ ꜰ**ᴋ ᴍᴇ? (ᴍ) (30/9)

ᴘʟᴀʏʙᴏʏ ᴡᴏᴏʏᴏᴜɴɢ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ꜰᴋ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɪɴ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ

Summary: You hate him and he hates you. But what if the alcohol makes you beg for him? Well, that's not good.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

ʏᴇᴏꜱᴀɴɢ -- ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅ ʟᴜꜱᴛ (ᴍ)(3/10)

ᴇᴠɪʟ ʏᴇᴏꜱᴀɴɢ x ꜰᴀɪʀʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

Request: May I pretty please request A Yeosang X reader smut? She's a fairy and he's human or anything else you'd like, but she meets him in the woods and he notices how innocent she looks but can tell something is off. She doesn't understand what is happening as she grew up alone. Etc?

ᴡᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴛᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ (ᴍ) (5/10)

ᴘᴀɴᴛʜᴇʀ ʜʏʙʀɪᴅ ʏᴇᴏꜱᴀɴɢ x ᴘᴀɴᴛʜᴇʀ ʜʏʙʀɪᴅ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

Request: Request for a hybrid Yepsamg x hybrid reader smut where he knows her and it's her first time being knotted etc. But the rest of ATEEZ walks in on them knotted together and They get really Embarrassed?

Prompt: your protagonist is an assassin and their newest assignment is their childhood crush.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

ᴊᴏɴɢʜᴏ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ ᴡᴇᴇᴋ 🐻

(a/n: some kind of kink series? haha)

ᴄᴀʀ ꜱ*x (ᴍ) (8/10)

ʙᴏʏꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ ᴊᴏɴɢʜᴏ x ɢɪʀʟꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

Short story series No plot

ᴅʀᴜɴᴋ ꜱ*x (ᴍ) (10/10)

ʜɪʀᴇᴅ ɢᴜɴ ᴊᴏɴɢʜᴏ x ʜɪʀᴇᴅ ɢᴜɴ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

Summary: Through drunkenness, you confessed your love to him. Huh? Are you really drunk or are you pretending?

ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ Qᴜᴇᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴅ ᴋɪɴɢ(ᴍ) (12/10 00：00KST）

Happy birthday to our cute baby bear💕

ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ Qᴜᴇᴇɴ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ x ʀᴇᴅ ᴋɪɴɢ ᴊᴏɴɢʜᴏ(ꜰᴀɪʀʏ ᴛᴀʟᴇ ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ)

Prompt: Write a story where your hero is also a villain and your villain is also a hero

Summary: Jongho stands as your savior, the one who pulled you from the depths of despair during your childhood. Yet, to the outside world, he wears the mask of a villain—born of both demons and humans, his blood tainted, his temperament fierce and wild. Society has cast him into the abyss, but you refuse to accept this fate. You are determined to rescue him, no matter the toll it takes on your own reputation or even your very existence.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

[whinlatter]

sirius and ginny: a meta (part 1)

“Excuse me, but I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!” said Ginny, her jaw set so that her resemblance to Fred and George was suddenly striking.’

are you a very brave, very reckless, very hot self-destructive rebel with a treacherous sibling and a flair for christmas decoration, harbouring complex feelings about your mother, close ties to crookshanks the cat and spend your days plagued by the memory of your worst mistakes and dark past? do you find yourself constantly being begged to stay in a state of protective confinement to save your life by a young man with a lightning scar, bad hair and crippling abandonment issues? if so, congratulations! you might be one of harry potter's chosen family members, sirius black and ginevra molly weasley! 

basically - i want to talk about sirius and ginny. these are two characters who don’t share a lot of scenes in canon but who, i think, have some clear (if overlooked) parallels: stubborn, fiercely protective of harry, self-sacrificing, admired, principled, haunted (in different ways) by traumatic pasts and betrayals, with complicated relationships with their families and entirely uncomplicated devoted relationships with someone else’s cat. their narrative arcs are successive, with ginny ascending in significance in the series during sirius’ period of decline and ultimate death. and ultimately, they’re also the two people who become, over the course of the canon series, family to a protagonist desperately seeking to build one. sirius and ginny are the two people harry in canon most worries about, wants to protect, and thinks of as someone who embodies the promise of family and home.

sirius and ginny aren’t mirror images of each other. ofc, ginny also has parallels with the only other family members harry claims in the series, lily and james (i mean, especially james - she’s literally a cocky funny flirtatious chaser with a years-long debilitating mega crush who can also catch a snitch like a champ. come on now). it’s also clear in canon that sirius means more to ginny as a hero/role model/ally against her mother than ginny ever means to sirius. nevertheless, the text puts in work to let the reader know we should think about these characters together as somehow aligned. from the beginning of ootp, there are clues and signals in the text that foreshadow ginny’s emergence as someone important to harry, and that subtly let the reader know that the baton of being harry’s ‘person’ is about to be passed from sirius to ginny, two kindred spirits, after sirius’ death. so that's what this meta is about! (consider this my 700th attempt to show that, as the popular fandom complaint/all of reddit still insist, ginny as a character, and especially the harry/ginny romance, did not ‘come out of nowhere’.)

the following meta is part one of two (and yet it's still too long! sorry about it). o in this part, i look at the period from the end of goblet of fire thru the start of half blood prince, exploring how the text sets up the sirius and ginny parallels as a way of foreshadowing ginny’s emergence as harry’s main love interest and place as a family substitute. the second part (tbc) will be what the memory of sirius does for harry’s view of his relationship with ginny, and the kind of positive - and negative - ways this shapes harry’s ideas about love and what family do for each other. i wrote this meta as a way of thinking through some characterisation choices for my current WIP, beasts. if you're following along with that fic, this meta can be seen as a companion piece especially to my thinking behind chapters ten and eleven, so hope proves helpful for some of my thinking behind the sirius and ginny friendship that appears in that project. it's also dedicated to @ashesandhackles, queen of metas, who has reminded me to post this meta precisely 9 million times because she is a long-suffering saint.

ok - sirius and ginny. let’s goooooo!

sirius and ginny before ootp

before OotP, ginny is absent from any plot connected to sirius. ginny doesn’t know the truth about sirius’ innocence, nor does she know that harry, her brother and her friend are in regular contact with sirius and that harry now as a surrogate father/big brother figure to confide in and seek comfort in.  in fact, in one of ginny’s few appearances in GoF, the narration is unusually insistent that the reader knows how little ginny knows about sirius:

“And have you heard from — ?” Ron began, but at a look from Hermione he fell silent. Harry knew Ron had been about to ask about Sirius. Ron and Hermione had been so deeply involved in helping Sirius escape from the Ministry of Magic that they were almost as concerned about Harry’s godfather as he was. However, discussing him in front of Ginny was a bad idea. Nobody but themselves and Professor Dumbledore knew about how Sirius had escaped, or believed in his innocence. “I think they’ve stopped arguing,” said Hermione, to cover the awkward moment, because Ginny was looking curiously from Ron to Harry. “Shall we go down and help your mum with dinner?” 

the only other tiny crumb of sirius and ginny we get is the news that the owl sirius bought in PoA and gifted to ron as a replacement pet for scabbers has been embraced and named by ginny. sirius gifting a tiny little spitfire of an owl that annoys ron? it's giving foreshadowing, your honour.

the reader, though, knows who sirius is to harry by GoF. throughout this book, for the first time in the series, harry has a person he can claim as something like a family: someone to worry about, someone who cares about him,who can advise, guide and mentor him, as well as offer him support and consolation in difficult times (‘someone like a parent…’) although sirius has not been able to offer harry a stable alternative home to the dursleys due to his status as a wanted man, he’s still filling a role that previously had been vacant in the series: he’s harry’s person, the surrogate parent chosen for him by james and lily. he’s close by, either by the floo or eventually living (at great personal cost) as padfoot in hogsmeade, and he’s present emotionally for harry in ways that prove incredibly meaningful to his young godson. in times of great of distress, sirius is there for harry to meet emotional needs that ron and hermione (understandably, no shade to them) can’t always meet. the floo scene early on in GoF, during harry’s row with ron, is a particularly good example of this:

“Never mind me, how are you?” said Sirius seriously. “I’m —”  For a second, Harry tried to say “fine” — but he couldn’t do it. …Before he could stop himself, he was talking more than he’d talked in days — about how no one believed he hadn’t entered the tournament of his own free will, how Rita Skeeter had lied about him in the Daily Prophet, how he couldn’t walk down a corridor without being sneered at — and about Ron, Ron not believing him, Ron’s jealousy . . . Sirius looked at him, eyes full of concern… He had let Harry talk himself into silence without interruption’.

harry derives enormous comfort from sirius’ presence in his life during GoF. he writes to sirius, he repeatedly turns to him for advice, he worries for him more than he does any other person. sirius fulfils harry’s desire to be kept abreast of important information about voldemort and death eaters, doesn’t sugarcoat news for harry, and makes him feel important, cared for and understood. (harry even shows off to sirius telling him about how much of a slay the first task was. ugh). by the time of the third task, sirius is sending harry daily owls, a constant flow of reassurance and concern (‘He reminded Harry in every letter that whatever might be going on outside the walls of Hogwarts was not Harry’s responsibility, nor was it within his power to influence it. If Voldemort is really getting stronger again, he wrote, my priority is to ensure your safety.’) when harry returns from the graveyard at the novel’s end, it’s sirius who races to his side to advocate for him and offer him both words of comfort and physical affection as he processes the traumatic series of events that constitute the climax of the book’s plot. (my personal favourite part is where harry says ‘wormtail cut me with a knife’ and the text says sirius made a ‘vehement exclamation’, which i can only assume is children’s book speak for ‘fucking hell’.) harry goes to bed: sirius stays with him, a literal guard dog as he recuperates. after the most traumatic events of the series to date, the reader is at least consoled that harry potter has a person now, someone he loves for him to worry about and to worry for him, who catches him on the other side of traumatic events and makes them that bit much more bearable.

sirius and ginny during ootp

with sirius' role in harry's life established in GoF, OotP begins with harry, cooped up and restless at privet drive, angry with ron, hermione, sirius, and dumbledore for abandoning him at privet drive and keeping him in the dark. harry arrives at grimmauld place to find an anxious ron and hermione, with whom harry is angry and frustrated for having left him out of their summer hangs and having neglected him, by his assessment, in surrey. it’s the most conflict we’ve seen in the trio in terms of harry vs ron and hermione, and sets up one of the important themes of the book, which is harry no longer being solely emotionally fulfilled by the people he is closest to, including his two surrogate parents best mates but also his godfather. when he encounters sirius for the first time after the order meeting, he finds him surly, bitter, and depressed, furious that he is confined to his childhood home, and (understandably) much less able or willing to offer harry much in the way of comfort, apology or cheering words (‘Harry, who had expected a better welcome, noted how hard and bitter Sirius’s voice sounded.’) in this sense, the book opens with harry disappointed and/or more distant from all the people on whom he most depends and is usually closest to, and that there therefore is already an absence of a certain kind of emotional support in harry’s life that the plot demands be filled.

fresh off the back of harry’s row with ron and hermione is ginny’s reintroduction to the reader. after years of being so shy in harry’s presence she was often nearly mute, the reader finds that ginny is not only now speaking, but that her presence turns out to be remarkably refreshing. from her opening scene where ginny enters harry’s bedroom at grimmauld place, the reader discovers the new ginny is confident, up to no good, in cahoots with her most troublemaking brothers trying to intercept the order meeting, enterprising in her mischief (and very happy to lie to her mother’s face about it). she’s thoroughly unfazed by harry’s great display of rage that has just startled and upset ron and hermione. (side note: in both ootp and hbp, ginny’s opening scene is her entering harry’s bedroom, which is the kind of foreshadowing i personally find delicious). everyone else is behaving pretty much as they have been up to this point, but it’s ginny who is showcasing behaviours new to the reader, a signal that she might be about to play a different role in the series than she has done up to this point.

cut to the dinner scene. sirius and ginny are in the room together for the first time. sirius is moody: though he’s still able to laugh, enjoying displays of mischief and humour (the twins and the knife), he’s more bitter than harry and the reader have seen him since PoA. it’s an important scene for lots of reasons (not least the sirius v molly beef), but it’s also one where sirius and ginny are repeatedly drawn into mental association in the reader’s mind. it’s also a great scene because the behaviour of crookshanks the cat literally serves to foreshadow the behaviour of harry james potter in ways that are frankly extremely fun.

so! the sirius and ginny hints start small. from the start of the scene, ginny is amused by mundungus the crook (a man, we will learn, so disdained by her mother):

“Some’n say m’ name?” Mundungus mumbled sleepily. “I ’gree with Sirius. . . .” He raised a very grubby hand in the air as though voting, his droopy, bloodshot eyes unfocused. Ginny giggled. “The meeting’s over, Dung,” said Sirius, as they all sat down around him at the table. “Harry’s arrived.” 

sirius and harry, sat at the end of the table, are both greeted by crookshanks, sirius’ old accomplice from PoA:

'​​Harry felt something brush against his knees and started, but it was only Crookshanks, Hermione’s bandy-legged ginger cat, who wound himself once around Harry’s legs, purring, then jumped onto Sirius’s lap and curled up. Sirius scratched him absentmindedly behind the ears as he turned, still grim-faced, to Harry…

when fred and george’s levitation goes awry, flinging a knife at sirius (now that’s how you foreshadow a death), crookshanks bolts: 

‘Harry and Sirius were both laughing… Crookshanks had given an angry hiss and shot off under the dresser, from whence his large yellow eyes glowed in the darkness…’

during the meal, ginny’s with hermione, having a laugh with tonks, a character harry has just met but whom he has already decided to both admire and like. after the meal, when harry’s cheered up a bit and had his crumble (the man loves dessert), crookshanks finally emerges from his hiding place, having been coaxed out from his sulk by - you guessed it - one g. m. weasley:

‘…Ginny, who had lured Crookshanks out from under the dresser, was sitting cross-legged on the floor, rolling butterbeer corks for him to chase.’

a grouchy character, initially drawn to sirius, but prone to lashing out and locking himself away, only to be lured back out into comfort and safety by ginny weasley? wow………. radical

after dinner, the argument between sirius and molly kicks off. sirius is arguing hard for harry’s right to know, though he makes no attempt to advocate for any of the other weasleys or for hermione. ginny’s noticeably singled out in her reaction to this scene, the text highlighting that she is particularly struck by this conflict as if it is of particular personal resonance, including someone standing up to her famously overprotective mother for once:

‘Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George’s heads turned from Sirius to Mrs. Weasley as though following a tennis rally. Ginny was kneeling amid a pile of abandoned butterbeer corks, watching the conversation with her mouth slightly open. Lupin’s eyes were fixed on Sirius.’

of course, molly loses the argument: harry gets to stay for juicy order deets (‘Sirius was right, he was not a child.’) after the row, ginny is the only person forbidden from hearing information about the order’s activities. suddenly, the roles are switched: it’s ginny who’s now furious and bitter to be kept out of the action:

‘“Fine!” shouted Mrs. Weasley. “Fine! Ginny — BED!”  Ginny did not go quietly. They could hear her raging and storming at her mother all the way up the stairs, and when she reached the hall Mrs. Black’s earsplitting shrieks were added to the din. Lupin hurried off to the portrait to restore calm. It was only after he had returned, closing the kitchen door behind him and taking his seat at the table again, that Sirius spoke. “Okay, Harry . . . what do you want to know?”’ 

it’s not just the parallels of confinement between harry, sirius and ginny that are so revealing, it’s also the dual maternal conflicts. ginny loud raging at her own mother sets off the howling relic of sirius’, serving to underline two characters who continue to grapple with maternal relationships that are complex and full of conflict, though by no means solely negative (sirius i see you sleeping in your mother’s bedroom babe. don’t think i think your relationship with walburga is just one of straight hate ok). when ginny later gets knocked down the stairs by fred and george, there’s more direct mrs weasley/walburga parallels, with the two of them literally shouting over each other during the ordeal lol. as such, the readers see that the conflicts being set up for sirius’ character in this book - frustration at confinement, conflict with a mother figure, drawn to more reckless and arguably irresponsible characters (mundungus, the twins) and courses of action - are also conflicts subtly playing out with the new ginny we’re meeting, too.

as the rest of the summer at grimmauld wears on, there are more examples of sirius and ginny foreshadowing. the scenes where the two characters interact serve to place ginny and sirius firmly in the same camp of people harry admires and has fun with, the troublemakers and the rebels. over the prefects issue, ginny not only is sat chatting with the troublemaking adults harry likes most, but actively draws sirius into conversation on the issue, likely knowing the answer will comfort harry, but also showing a curiosity and interest in sirius that suggests she admires him:

“I was never a prefect myself,” said Tonks brightly from behind Harry as everybody moved toward the table to help themselves to food. Her hair was tomato-red and waist length today; she looked like Ginny’s older sister. “My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities.”  “Like what?” said Ginny, who was choosing a baked potato. “Like the ability to behave myself,” said Tonks. Ginny laughed; Hermione looked as though she did not know whether to smile or not and compromised by taking an extra large gulp of butterbeer and choking on it.  “What about you, Sirius?” Ginny asked, thumping Hermione on the back. Sirius, who was right beside Harry, let out his usual barklike laugh…’

ginny’s choice to try and draw sirius into the conversation bears fruit: sirius confirms james was never a prefect, and harry’s sour mood is suddenly lifted. (‘All at once the party seemed much more enjoyable; he loaded up his plate, feeling unusually fond of everyone in the room.’) ginny is thus beginning to provide harry with subtle comfort and reassurance, especially as sirius, struggling with his own confinement,  is taking a less active role in trying to cheer harry up. what i also like is that we have evidence of how ginny views sirius - she’s curious about him and his past, she clearly thinks he and the other new rebellious adults are cool as shit, and she’s drawn increasingly away from her mother’s cautious overprotective approach towards these resistance fighters who prioritise the fight over safety. (it is noticeable to me that ginny does not become a prefect in HBP, suggesting sirius' example proved instructive).

we see more small parallels between sirius and ginny during the cleaning scenes. the battle against grimmauld place is an important symbol of one of the important themes of OotP as a book: a battle over past traumas and their persistent and unwieldy symptoms that are seemingly never-ending. while it’s harry’s experiences that, of course, take centre stage, sirius’, too, loom omnipresent throughout the text. it’s significant, then, that ginny’s own past gets brought up for the first time in three books here, albeit briefly: 

'They found an unpleasant-looking silver instrument, something like a many-legged pair of tweezers, which scuttled up Harry’s arm like a spider when he picked it up, and attempted to puncture his skin; Sirius seized it and smashed it with a heavy book entitled Nature’s Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. There was a musical box that emitted a faintly sinister, tinkling tune when wound, and they all found themselves becoming curiously weak and sleepy until Ginny had the sense to slam the lid shut…'

in this moment, we see sirius and ginny singled in the larger group as quick-thinking, shrewd characters, with a good instincts and common sense (if a bit of a tendency to get scrappy). their respective dark pasts are subtly alluded to. sirius whacks a spider trying to attack harry with a book that might as well be entitled my big book of family trauma. ginny, meanwhile, steps in when everybody present starts to be enchanted by a mysterious object luring them into danger by whacking it shut (gee i wonder why!) given this is the book that will see ginny mention the events of CoS for the first time in errrrr three years, it’s significant that the text is careful to draw ginny into this broader theme that unites sirius and harry, the constant reminders of traumatic pasts at every turn. we also see here the revelation that regulus black was a death eater. coming after news of percy weasley’s betrayal, sirius’ bitter dismissal of his younger brother deliberately mirrors ginny and the other weasleys’ attitude towards percy, this sense of pureblood families split over wizarding politics, often fatally. 

while harry fears his expulsion from hogwarts prior his hearing, he continues to fantasise about coming to live with sirius at grimmauld, and about being with a family member and finding an alternative home to hogwarts. sirius, as hermione astutely observes, tries to manage harry’s expectations and not to get his own hopes up: still, when harry is exonerated, sirius is visibly depressed, showing the beginnings of an emotional dependency on harry that harry feels great guilt over.when leaving grimmauld for the start of the school year, sirius, as padfoot, accompanies harry to king’s cross: unlike in GoF, though, he is spotted, and harry begins to worry much more actively about sirius’ vulnerability to capture, about his recklessness and about his judgement. concerned for sirius, and absent ron and hermione, who are in the prefects carriage, the person who stays with harry and offers him company is ginny. she sacrifices her own train journey (presumably with her own boyfriend) to find a carriage with harry and make sure he’s not lonely, bringing him to neville and luna and sorting him out after his embarassing cho run-in. it’s not a coincidence that once again we see ginny here taking care of harry crookshanks:

'“Where’s Crookshanks?” “Ginny’s got him,” said Harry. “There she is. . . .”  Ginny had just emerged from the crowd, clutching a squirming Crookshanks. “Thanks,” said Hermione, relieving Ginny of the cat. “Come on, let’s get a carriage together before they all fill up. . . '

once harry’s back at school, having left sirius behind to languish miserably in london, we see he's more isolated and alone than ever. he’s tormented by umbridge, endlessly (though often unfairly) frustrated with ron and hermione, ghosted by dumbledore, yet absent the more stable, reassuring sirius he came to know in GoF, unable to write candidly to him and faced with a much less well sirius in the opportunities they do have to speak face-to-face. as sirius’ mental health declines as he is shut up at grimmauld, his ability to support harry and comfort him starts to falter, and he becomes a much more uneven source of advice and support, particularly during his car crash floo appearance, where he’s much ruder than he has previously been (cutting off, ignoring their pleas for him to be more cautious, the infamous ‘the risk would have made it fun for james’ moment). this new sirius, clearly struggling, is much more happy to do up guilt trip to his godson than we have seen him to up this point (‘I’ll write to tell you a time I can make it back into the fire, then, shall I? If you can stand to risk it?’ - you petty little shit, padfoot). all of this serves to increase harry’s anxiety about sirius’ wellbeing and reinforce harry’s sense of emotional isolation. even sirius’ encouragement on the DA is, as hermione points out, partly bound up in more selfish motivations (‘I think he’s really frustrated at how little he can do where he is… so I think he’s keen to kind of… egg us on.’)

ginny’s largely absent in this section of the novel. in the brief moments she does appear, it’s to inject humour (eg. her impressions at the DA meeting) and in little reminders that she now has a boyfriend, no longer harbours romantic feelings for harry, making sure the reader continues to hold her mentally apart from harry. harry, meanwhile, misguidedly tries to seek out a relationship with cho chang, who is showing clear signs of her own emotional distress and inability to meet harry’s emotional needs given her own grief. still, among this, there’s still room for some small subtle sirius/ginny parallels. once the DA plot picks up, we have another little sign that ginny weasley and sirius black think somewhat alike:

“Yeah, the D.A.’s good,” said Ginny. “Only let’s make it stand for Dumbledore’s Army because that’s the Ministry’s worst fear, isn’t it?” 

“Trained in combat?” repeated Harry incredulously. “What does he think we’re doing here, forming some sort of wizard army? “That’s exactly what he thinks you’re doing,” said Sirius, “or rather, that’s exactly what he’s afraid Dumbledore’s doing — forming his own private army, with which he will be able to take on the Ministry of Magic.” 

with harry's isolation and need for more emotional support established in this first term, christmas at grimmauld offers more opportunity to subtly develop the sirius and ginny parallels, as well as to highlight ginny’s ability to fill the gaps left by sirius’ decline. after the attack on arthur weasley, the group arrive back at grimmauld:

‘Sirius was hurrying toward them all, looking anxious. He was unshaven and still in his day clothes; there was also a slightly Mundungus-like whiff of stale drink about him. “What’s going on?” he said, stretching out a hand to help Ginny up. “Phineas Nigellus said Arthur’s been badly injured —” 

could this be sirius literally lifting ginny up into plot significance? why yes it could

ofc the weasleys then argue with sirius about their right to go see their father. despite his own frustrations at being trapped at grimmauld, sirius proves the voice of reason and rational decision making against both ginny and the twins’ hotheadedness (ginny asks to borrow cloaks to go to the hospital: sirius: ‘Hang on, you can’t go tearing off to St. Mungo’s!’) crucially, though, when sirius points out that there are bigger things at stake - the work of the order and the resistance movement - it’s ginny who listens:

“Your father knew what he was getting into, and he won’t thank you for messing things up for the Order!” said Sirius angrily in his turn. “This is how it is — this is why you’re not in the Order — you don’t understand — there are things worth dying for!”  “Easy for you to say, stuck here!” bellowed Fred. “I don’t see you risking your neck!”  The little colour remaining in Sirius’s face drained from it. He looked for a moment as though he would quite like to hit Fred, but when he spoke, it was in a voice of determined calm. “I know it’s hard, but we’ve all got to act as though we don’t know anything yet. We’ve got to stay put, at least until we hear from your mother, all right?”  Fred and George still looked mutinous. Ginny, however, took a few steps over to the nearest chair and sank into it. Harry looked at Ron, who made a funny movement somewhere between a nod and shrug, and they sat down too. The twins glared at Sirius for another minute, then took seats on either side of Ginny.  “That’s right,” said Sirius encouragingly, “come on, let’s all . . . let’s all have a drink while we’re waiting…’

there’s a lot going on here: ginny’s willingness to follow sirius’ orders, but also her willingness to accept an argument based on some idea of the greater good before any of her brothers. she and sirius are aligned here, and it’s her decision to accept sirius’ reasoning that proves the catalyst for her brothers to follow. we see here how ginny has come to see sirius: someone she looks up to and admires, an adult whose judgement she trusts and whose worldview she subscribes to. (as a character prone to hero worship - see her view of her big brother bill - i think this is noteworthy, and is behind a lot of my characterisation choices for ginny towards sirius in beasts). but we also see that ginny agrees with sirius' worldview. there are some things worth dying for, and self-sacrifice is part of that.

when harry goes to sirius for reassurance about witnessing arthur’s attack, he finds sirius unable to properly console him and convince him that he was not to blame for arthur’s attack. the reader gets the impression of sirius withholding information from harry (‘He could only see a sliver of Sirius’s face; the rest was in darkness’), and the scene ends with sirius clapping harry on the shoulder and leaving him ‘standing alone in the dark’. while sirius throws himself into christmas preparations, obviously delighted to have company, harry shrinks from the cheer and isolates himself. in the end, ofc, the only person that manages to pull harry out of his dark, brooding thoughts is ginny. the text is careful to note she’s sitting beside him on the tube back from st mungo’s, when he looks very unwell. then, in the ‘lucky you’ scene, she showcases some of the same skills harry first came to appreciate in sirius in GoF. she tells it to him straight: she’s sympathetic, but not overly gushing, and she reminds him of her own intensely frightening experience which she endured alone, something harry can relate to, even if the experience of possession is not.  it’s an important scene for lots of reasons, but it’s also, crucially, the intervention that causes harry’s mood to lift, and he gets to enjoy a christmas with his godfather, the thing he had most wanted in the run-up to christmas, and which becomes the only holiday period harry and sirius ever spend together: 

‘I’m not the weapon after all, thought Harry. His heart swelled with happiness and relief, and he felt like joining in as they heard Sirius tramping past their door toward Buckbeak’s room, singing “God Rest Ye Merry, Hippogriffs” at the top of his voice.’

of course, once christmas is over, sirius slips back into a depressed, gloomy state. harry wants a better goodbye than he gives him, merely giving him a quick one armed hug (there’s a real theme throughout harry and sirius’ relationship of very sparing physical contact on sirius’ part, which is obviously a hole in harry's life ginny will fill in - er - a big way). back at school, harry returns to umbridge’s increasingly draconian rule, maks a disastrous attempt at forging a relationship with cho, and continues to feel lonely, paranoid, and angry. unable to speak to sirius properly via letter or floo - and unwilling to open the present sirius has given him to communicate directly with him, the two-way mirror - harry is increasingly sullen, a mood that only worsens after seeing snape's worst memory.

the easter egg scene is obviously important for hinny for lots of different reasons. but here i just want to highlight how the scene serves to show ginny as both the conduit to sirius for harry, and someone whose behaviour echoes that of sirius in GoF when harry first began to open up to and seek comfort in him. harry is distressed by his now complicated feelings both towards the father he previously revered and towards sirius, who seemed to encourage james’ bullying behaviour. ginny hands harry a chocolate easter egg covered in snitches: chocolate, a canonical source of comfort against dark thoughts, and an egg that reminds him of the love of parent. the act makes him suddenly emotional, though he at first denies he’s upset. ginny presses carefully and sensitively, asking the right questions to get him to confess the source of his worry, waiting for harry to take his time to speak - all behaviours that echo sirius’ own effective listening techniques. ginny’s acquaintance with sirius, and knowledge of how significant he is to harry, is important here, too, and a subtle sign to the reader that he trusts ginny with knowledge about sirius after a long time of having her in the dark about his godfather.  the reader leaves the scene having seen ginny breakthrough to harry emotionally in a way for the second time in the novel, in a way no other character has done (‘he felt a bit more hopeful…’) 

of course, the course of action ginny has set in motion is itself risky and reckless (‘anything is possible if you’ve got enough nerve’ is very marauders as a philosophy). the decision to go ahead with the plan the twins come up with is one harry sees as a decision on whether to be more like james and sirius - a risk taker - or to abandon the hero worship for the marauders he has lived with for so long. in the end, of course, it’s a win for the reckless troublemakers: he chooses to go ahead with the plan the twins have crafted and that ginny has set in motion, and to speak to sirius.

and yet. sirius is still alive - there is not need for ginny yet. for the remainder of the book, ginny has to beg to be included in the trio's plans and to be allowed to be a part of the plot to rescue sirius. she’s is often in conflict with harry, showing a lot of sirius’ bitterness at attempts at containment and to keep her out of the fighting. she grates against harry’s insistence that she is too young and inexperienced, and having to remind the trio that she, too, has come to care about sirius and wants to see him safe: 

“I’ve got a broom!” said Ginny.  “Yeah, but you’re not coming,” said Ron angrily.  “Excuse me, but I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!” said Ginny, her jaw set so that her resemblance to Fred and George was suddenly striking. 

of course, it all ends in tragedy: sirius, desperate to go to harry’s aid and absolutely gunning for a fight after months of confinement, is killed, leaving harry alone. there a subtle clues that something has shifted in ginny’s relationship to harry and the trio in the scenes after sirius’ death, including ginny positioned as the mirror image to harry in the hospital: 

‘Harry was sitting on the end of Ron’s bed and they were both listening to Hermione read the front page of the Sunday Prophet. Ginny, whose ankle had     been mended in a trice by Madam Pomfrey, was curled up at the foot of Hermione’s bed…’

despite this, in the immediate aftermath of sirius’ death, harry is extremely alone. he is unable to work out what he needs (‘Whenever he was in company he wanted to get away, and whenever he was alone he wanted company.’) he tries to go to hagrid’s, but regrets it (‘He was starting to wish he was alone again’), leaving after hagrid reminds him of sirius’ core traits, an inability to stay out of the fight when he believes in the cause:

“But still, Harry . . . he was never one ter sit around at home an’ let other people do the fightin’. He couldn’ have lived with himself if he hadn’ gone ter help —” 

unlike at the end of GoF, harry is isolated by his grief and the revelation of the prophecy's contents by the end of this book. he goes alone to a secluded corner of the lakeshore, ‘sheltered from the gaze of passersby behind a tangle of shrubs’, and ‘[stares] out over the gleaming water’, and cries alone. there is no sirius or other person to catch him and console him in his grief. his person has died, and there’s a gap in his life again, just waiting to be filled: 

‘Wanting to impress Cho seemed to belong to a past that was no longer quite connected with him. So much of what he had wanted before Sirius’s death felt that way these days. . . . The week that had elapsed since he had last seen Sirius seemed to have lasted much, much longer: It stretched across two universes, the one with Sirius in it, and the one without.’

ginny and sirius parallels in HBP and DH

after sirius’ death, the parallels between sirius and ginny become more important as ginny moves into the centre frame as a character. at the start of HBP, harry arrives at the burrow and discusses his grief over sirius’ death with dumbledore in the burrow broom shed, acknowledging how profoundly the loss of a family member who cares singularly about him is affecting him. ('He felt stupid for admitting it, but the fact that he had had someone outside Hogwarts who cared what happened to him, almost like a parent, had been one of the best things about discovering his godfather . . . and now the post owls would never bring him that comfort again. . . .' beasts readers: there's a reason harry clings to letters!) of course, having reminded the reader of the gap in harry’s life that now needs to be filled, harry goes to sleep, the active reflection on his grief for sirius put to one side so the novel's plot can get underway. he'll go to bed mourning sirius and wake up in a sunlit bedroom. of course, ginny will walk into this bedroom too, only now things will be different: harry potter is back to the search for a loved one, for a family, and he's about to realise ginny is the one he wants to fill it. thus the start of the plot of ginny stepping into the role vacated by sirius beginneth.

so much of who ginny is in HBP is reminiscent of sirius. she frequently leaps into battle as harry’s protector (‘You’re taking orders from something someone wrote in a book?’, ‘Give it a rest, Hermione’), she’s scrappy (RIP zacharias smith), she’s funny and laughs easily in a way that less recalls sirius in the time harry knew him than sirius as harry sees him as a young man, in photographs or memories. she's the one who commits to the insane christmas decorations, determined to cheer everyone up over the festive period as sirius did the year before. she even enjoys the widespread admiration and lust of her peers, a trait that directly recalls sirius being eyed up by his peers in snape's memory. by the novel’s end, after dumbledore’s death, it will be ginny who goes to harry’s side after the climax of the plot and catch him in his grief just as sirius did in GoF, this time over dumbledore’s death: 

‘He did not want to leave Dumbledore’s side, he did not want to move anywhere. Hagrid’s hand on his shoulder was trembling. Then another voice said, “Harry, come on.’ A much smaller and warmer hand had enclosed his and was pulling him upward. He obeyed its pressure without really thinking about it.’

their breakup has sirius all over it. taking place at the lakeshore, the place where harry wept alone over sirius a year prior, harry draws on the circumstances of sirius’ demise as a reason he must break up with ginny (‘Voldemort uses people his enemies are close to.’) the breakup does little to shift what ginny has become in harry’s mind, though, and he spends all of DH thinking of her as he once thought of sirius: the person whose safety he most craves, the person he misses, someone he claims as his, and whom he associates with (now banished) hopes of a home and a family:

“It’s not a problem,” said Harry, sickened by the pain in his head. “It’s your family, ’course you’re worried. I’d feel the same way.” He thought of Ginny. “I do feel the same way.”

of course, echoes of sirius will also come into play during open war. it’s now ginny, not sirius, who is the one left behind for her own protection: in the run-up to the battle, harry finds himself once again faced with the prospect of confining his loved one for their safety, despite their desperation to fight and do the right thing. but these are thoughts for part 2…….

[thatbanditqueen]

Louisiana Saturday Night, a new fic.....

I have been working on a new WIP set at the Louisiana Hayride from 1954 - 1956, and will probably post chapter one in the next few days. It starts in October 1954, when 19 year-old Elvis had never played outside the small clubs of Memphis, except for that once. At the Opry. And that didn't go too well.

Now he faces his biggest audience ever at the Lousiana Hay Ride: over three thousand people in-person (a thousand more than the Opry!) and millions over the radio. He has only recorded two singles, never been away from home much or gone beyond second base with a girl, and doesn't know much about life as a touring musician. But he's eager to learn and grab every opportunity he can with those long, inexperienced slender fingers.

This fic will have my usual blend of poorly executed dry humor, fluff, smut and angst.

please comment or reblog if you want to be tagged - here is a preview.

Here is a snippet from Chapter 1: Hot Wax

Approximately 9:15 p.m.

Saturday, October 16, 1954

The Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana

The first time she saw Elvis up close he was hunched over the sink tapping his fingers along the porcelain rim. Rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, he reminded Freddie of a bottle rocket about to blow. She smiled at the thought of him bursting through the ceiling like a comic book hero, his oversized sports coat trailing behind him like a long pink cape.

She wasn’t sure if he was recovering from his first set or talking himself into the second, but what she did know was that this kid was as green as they came. Horace had been reading Pappy the riot act yesterday when she walked by his office, yelling at him for booking “some hillbilly who just fell off the turnip truck, cuz Sam Philips brings you a bottle of Jack every time he comes through town.”  The audience out there had been so taken aback by his country bop they’d forgotten to clap, and she doubted Pappy would be allowed to invite him back.

As she watched the show up in the control booth, Freddie had wondered if Elvis’ performance had gone over better with the radio listeners who hadn’t had to watch his stilted, awkward movements on stage. There was a ragged emotional tenor to his voice, and now that she was standing right in front of him she had to admit he had a dark, sultry allure that was strikingly different from all these other boys doing their best Gene Autry impression.

But geez, now the poor kid began to mutter into his reflection and she hoped he wouldn’t cry. Freddie barely knew how to deal with the girls she found balling in the bathroom. 

“Um, hey there. You ok?”

Elvis jerked around and ran his hand through his sopping wet hair and straightened up, stiff like a deer caught in the headlights. 

“Most folks are nervous their first time. That’s a big crowd.”

“Don’t you worry about me, honey, I ain’t nervous.” He looked her over, a sneer forming at his mouth. “Didn’t you heard the man? I’m the hottest thing on wax. Mr. Logan just asked me to play a second set.”

“Oh - uh - well, I guess I was wrong.”

“MMhmmm. Just getting geared up to go back on stage.” He settled his hands at his waist and shot her a sulky fierce glower, then waggled his eyebrows in a challenge.

“Oh, well that's good. Maybe you can answer something for me then.”

“Anything baby.” 

He softened and bit his lip, giving her what she took to be his version of a come hither look. He looked like he was fighting back a sneeze and Freddie had to swallow her laughter. 

“Why are you in the Ladies’ Powder Room?”

Elvis paused and looked down for a beat as he shook his head and laughed.

She nodded toward the shelf of perfume bottles, powders and the basket of dainty pink sanitary napkin boxes with Kotex printed along the sides.

He let out a low whistle and rubbed his mouth.

“Man o man, I guess you got me, might be jus a lil nervous. I ‘spose I really weren’t watching were I was going, huh?”

Freddie couldn’t help the way she dumbly smiled back, noticing up close how long and thick his eyelashes were as he looked down at her through them. She suddenly had the urge to take his hand and lead him to the green room where she could make him a hot cup of tea and comfort him and give him all the advice she had from her four years of working at KWKH. But instead she took a deep breath and fidgeted with her cardigan.

“I won't tell anyone you were in here. It can be our secret."

other fic taglist - i won't tag you again on this unless you comment you want to be tagged:

@whositmcwhatsit

@from-memphis-with-love

@vintageshanny

@shakerattlescroll

@peskybedtime

@be-my-ally

@ellie-24

@missmaywemeetagain

@powerofelvis

@arrolyn1114

@lookingforrainbows

@eliseinmemphis

@kingdomforapony

@everythingelvispresley

@richardslady121

@dkayfixates

@artlover8992

@freudianslumber

@amydarcimarie

@toreigh

@18lkpeters

@yynneessmons

@ashtag6887

@waiting4brucewayne2adoptme

@returntopresley

@rjmartin11

@louisejoy86

@notstefaniepresley

@i-r-i-n-a-a

@j-v-9-2

@beeandheroddobsessions

@doll-elvis

@burningloverdoll

@ohjustpeachy1

@everythingelvispresley

@velvetelvis

@horror-movieshoes

@ooihcnoiwlerh

@moonchild-daniella

@lialocklear

@obsessionisthecure

@tacozebra051

@elvispresleywife

@bisexualwvtson

@father-of-2cats

@lillypink

@godlypresley

@crash-and-cure

@misspresley

@daffieapple

@louisejoy86

@burningloverdoll

@stargirllily19

@amydarcimarie

@elvisrealgf

@littlehoneyposts

@eapep

@stylespresleyhearted

[crazylittlejester]

In your FH9, with Four being so short he would have to climb on top of stuff to reach places that he couldn’t.

Wind, being the best brother he could be, would shout, “parkour!” Every single time he saw Four on the counter trying to get something out of a cabinet or something up high.

One time while Four was home alone, he hopped onto the counter with relief that Wind wasn’t there to shout out “parkour!” But when he hopped off, he decided to do a cool trick while doing so and shouted, “parkour!” He refuses to ever tell Wind of that moment.

ANON I LOVE THIS.

Wind is like, either exactly his height or just a bit taller, but he’ll definitely end up much taller than Four and he would absolutely keep shouting “PARKOUR!” every time Four climbs up something for the rest of his life

[indie-summer]

The Cycling RPF Rec List

for @wtfanworkclassification

(tagging the blogs of the authors I know!!)

1. Favorite smut: a vocabulary, expanding by @strigimorphaes

It’s almost unfair that I made myself choose only one for each category, but yes, if I must, this is The One Smut for me. To put it mildly, it makes me weak in the knees every time I read it. It must have been like five times by now. To be read with the AC on and a glass of water by your side. Gotta love p*rn with feelings.

2. Favorite multi chapter: Faking It by @goingslightlymads

Am I biased when talking about this fic? Yes, because it was one of my Secret Santa gifts. Do I think I am unfair? Nope, not at all! I’ve never had any other experience in Cycling RPF like when I read (scratch that, binged) this one: it made me laugh and cry and it had my heart racing and had me hugging pillows at 3am. What a ride.

3. Favorite Sci-fi AU: jonas vingegaard goes back to the sea by @bakurasilver

Beautiful and clever. A reflection on the meaning of life and love, undercover as sci-fi. Bawled my eyes out with this one.

4. Favorite Fantasy AU: Fierce Creatures by @inbetweenpages

Great world building, incredibly fun and hot. Come here for wouthieu and stay for mathsper friendship, a very mysterious vampire!Jonas and a sentient house.

5. Favorite fluff: Worth it by @ridingupsaturn

Melancholic fluff. My favorite kind of fluff. Read it about ten times and had my heart fluttering through all of them. Love is kind of awesome, isn’t it?

6. Favorite angst: Drought by booming_business (part 2 of the A Study in Water series)

Shoutout to sad carpenter!Jonas who made a complete wreck out of me. The entire series is excellent, but this fic in particular is a masterpiece on its own! Also foundational exes!tadejonas fic before it was even a thing. Groundbreaking!!

7. Favorite drabble: doing what heroes do by @etapereine

I have two favorite types of drabbles: the one in which you feel like you read an entire story in just 100 words and the one that immediately makes you feel in absolute need of a 50k story as a follow-up because of all the possibilities it introduces you to. This one is definitely the second kind. I really need a full Percy Jackson AU long fic on my desk in, like, a week ago. Olympian demigods at the Olympics maybe??? Someone please???

8. Favorite crack/comedy: The 2024 Paris-Roubaix mass heat incident by Anonymous

Top 5 funniest shit I’ve ever read in my life and I’m not even exaggerating.

9. Favorite non-cyclists AU: all hearts in love use their own tongues by @thedeadparrot

I’m sorry, I’m not really a well-studied person when it comes to English literature. This is the only way I could ever read Shakespeare. I regret nothing.

10. Favorite remix/fix-it: Unbelievable, or only in Gotham by Lili_Writes_Banhof

Yes I’m parcial yes of course I am biased because it’s fixing one of my fics, but I don’t care. It’s cute, it’s fun, it’s fluffy (like all the awesome works from this author), you should all immediately go read it!

11. Favorite Soulmate AU: All your life by @interdisciplinary-disaster

I never once had given any thoughts about geese before this fic. Also this is the only cycling fic where the main character is not one of the cyclists, but an adorably exhausted old goose (at least the way I see it, because frankly, what a scene stealer). It changed my core!!

12. Favorite rarepair: Jonas is the boss by @mundanememory

Because ok, now everyone loves Jonas/Matteo but back in April it was a rarepair!! And this fic is awesome and hot and clever and features little big boss being… erm, well treated by a lovable giant ginger, so it deserves a million recs!

[links-crosses-multiverse]

Welcome to my Whumptober Prompt challenge! I know it's a day to late but I hope you still like it. I've put together a unique set of prompts for anyone who loves diving into the emotional intensity of angst, hurt/comfort, and character-driven storytelling. These prompts are designed to explore a variety of scenarios where characters are pushed to their limits—whether it's physical, emotional, or psychological.

1. A Chain of Sorrow – When one of the heroes falls in battle, the group struggles to carry on.

2. Silent Nights, Heavy Hearts – The heroes take shelter, but memories of their past haunt them.

3. Lost in Time – Wild accidentally triggers a time rift, sending the heroes into an alternate timeline.

4. A Hero’s Funeral – After one of the group sacrifices himself, the heroes give him a proper send-off.

5. Echoes of the Past – Each hero must confront the ghosts of their past lives.

6. Shelter from the Storm – Forced to take refuge, the heroes share stories of home and family.

7. The Last Breath of Twilight – Twilight faces a moment of reckoning with Midna.

8. Unspoken Words – Warriors and Time finally confront the tension between them.

9. A Cup of Peace – A rare peaceful morning as the heroes bond over breakfast.

10. Resting Place – Four leads the group to an ancient ruin that holds an unexpected surprise.

11. Not All Heroes Return – Legend goes missing after a battle, and the group fears the worst.

12. Home is a Battlefield – The heroes encounter familiar enemies, but this time, they're fighting to protect each other.

13. Stars Above, Darkness Below – Wind is haunted by memories of the Great Sea as the group travels through dark waters.

14. Scars We Don't Speak Of – Each hero reveals the price they paid to become a legend.

15. A Hero’s Resolve – Sky steps up to make a hard decision, one that could cost him everything.

16. When the Light Fades – Time faces a foe too powerful to defeat, and it’s up to the others to save him.

17. Midnight Shadows – Twilight is trapped in the Twilight Realm and must rely on the others to pull him out.

18. Bonds Forged in Flame – A dangerous fire forces the heroes to work together in new ways.

19. The Wolf's Lament – Twilight is injured in battle and the Chain must carry on without him.

20. In the Hands of Fate – The heroes are separated, each facing their own trials alone.

21. Lullaby of the Lost – Wind remembers Aryll and his childhood on Outset Island.

22. Broken, But Not Beaten – After a devastating defeat, the heroes regroup, determined to fight on.

23. A Hero’s Burden – Time carries the weight of being a leader, but it starts to crack him.

24. The Heart of Courage – Four must choose between his friends and his destiny as a hero.

25. Tears in the Rain – Hyrule is forced to face his past as a healer, where not everyone could be saved.

26. Shattered Shields – In a fierce battle, the group’s defenses break, and a beloved hero falls.

27. Rest for the Weary – The group finds an unexpected haven, giving them a moment of solace and vulnerability.

28. Falling Stars, Broken Hearts – Sky watches as Fi fades away once again.

29. Of Wolves and Heroes, the Blood Moon - Twilight’s dual identity as a wolf causes friction within the group, because of the blood moon.

30. Where the Wildflowers Bloom – Wild takes the group to a special place in Hyrule where he finds peace.

31. The Last Legend – When all hope seems lost, Legend, reminds them why they fight.

Feel free to join in and create alongside me! Whether you enjoy writing, drawing, or any other form of creative expression, these prompts are open for everyone to interpret and bring to life. Let’s share in the drama, pain, and healing together!

[lu-fic-recommendation-of-the-day]

By @crazylittlejester

Summary:

Mask had been living with his big brother Warriors and their aunt for most of his life since the death of his parents. After graduating high school at 13 he picks up a hobby that his brother thinks is a waste of his talents, until his brother takes him to his college and Mask realizes he would do ANYTHING to get into Hyrule Institution of Technology.

A tragic event uncovers a mystery, and it’s up to Mask and his brother’s friends to figure out what’s going on.

BASICALLY: The LU Big Hero 6 AU that no one asked for.

Tags:

Hurt/Comfort

Emotional Hurt/Comfort

Grief/Mourning

Mask Needs a Hug

Time-centric

Eventual Major Character Death

Drowning

Car Accidents

Panic Attacks

Dissociation

Depression

Finished: No

Word count: 66,582

[frogspond200]

𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚗 𝙼𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚜

Requested by: Anon

Ask: Hi!! I was wonder if I could get something Finn the human x reader??? That adult design they have for him, for the new show, I- I have no words for it.

Warning: None

Date: 9/10/23

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

You had just arrived in the fantastical land of Ooo, a place unlike any other you had ever seen. As you walked through the Candy Kingdom, taking in the sights of candy people and surreal landscapes, you suddenly bumped into someone. You stumbled back, slightly embarrassed, and looked up to see a young man with a distinctive hat and a friendly smile.

“Hey there! Sorry about that,” he said, extending a hand to help you up. “I’m Finn the Human, and you must be new around here, huh?”

You introduced yourself, feeling an instant connection to this adventurous and warm-hearted hero. As you spent more time together in Ooo, you discovered just how loveable Finn truly was.

Finn was fiercely loyal and protective of those he cared about, and you felt safe and cherished in his presence. He had a boundless enthusiasm for life and was always up for an adventure, whether it was battling monsters, exploring new places, or just enjoying a quiet moment in the forest.

When it came to cuddling, Finn was a natural. He loved to wrap his arms around you, holding you close and making you feel like the most important person in the world. His cuddles were warm and comforting, and he had a way of making you forget all your worries.

As for flirting, Finn was charmingly straightforward. He’d compliment your bravery and intelligence, telling you how amazing he thought you were. He’d often surprise you with small gestures of affection, like picking a bouquet of flowers or sharing his favorite snack. His playful and genuine nature made it easy to fall for him, and you couldn’t help but be drawn to his infectious spirit.

No one could comfort you like Finn when you were feeling down or troubled. With words of encouragement and unwavering support, he listened attentively. It was his presence alone that had a calming effect on you.

Finn, being the sensitive and caring person that he was, did have moments of doubt and concern about how he had ended his relationship with Flame Princess. He knew that he had hurt her deeply, and he felt guilty about it. This experience had taught him the importance of handling relationships with care and consideration.

When he began his relationship with you, he was determined not to make the same mistakes. He communicated openly, listened attentively, and made an effort to understand your feelings and needs. While he might have had some initial worries about the potential for misunderstandings or conflicts, he was committed to making the relationship work and ensuring that both of you felt valued and respected.