#I THINK I SHOULD KILL MASELF

[gagad]

HI JUST BACK FROM DEAD,, WAIT YOU THINK YOU GONA ESCAPE FROM MA REACTION ON DLNEW MERCH??? ' LOL DREAM ABOUT IT

SO LIKE WHAT PEOPLE SAY EVERBODY GANSTA UNTIL A REAL ONE SHOW UP ??? SO WHO IS THE THE REAL ONE HERE ? OF COURSE IT'S YOU MY CHARMING BABE 😫😔🫣😭,,,,,,I♥️🫵🏻and I ♥️ YOUR SLUTTY SMILE 😩🫵🏻💋YOUR THE HOTTEST BITCH I EVER SEEN👉🏻👈🏻😍😈.

[riddle-me-fear]

How did you get the fear gas into Arkham Scarecrow? And do you guys like tea? Or what about the Hatter? Do you like the Hatter?

[tw: mention of crime, murder, drugs, pedophilia]

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Eehh ya gotta be more specific there, friend. There wusn't just a single instance o' me sneakin' fear gas inta Arkham. Sometimes I even made it there maself, if given tha right chemicals. Or somethin' somewhat usable. I'll uuh... I'll give ya a run-down of tha most recent uhm... incident. That woulda been... Uuuuh...

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

That would have been at the old Arkham Asylum, when our good old friend the Joker - god rest his soul - took over the entire establishment, which eventually lead to its downfall, as well as his own, in time. Oh how dearly we miss him. The city has been so... calm and peaceful without him. No random explosions, no laughing gas stench in the air that makes everyone go mad, no stealing MY spotlight and pulling Batman's entire attention all towards him. It's almost as if everything is actually much better, now that he's gone. How strange.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Eheheheh, yeah, can't say I miss tha clown either. And now that's he's gone...

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

You and I are the biggest adversaries of the "bat gang" a-hm-hmm. They should have called themselves that, honestly, it has a much more memorable ring to it. GOD, it still bothers me, though that Bats went into retirement, RIGHT when he could have realized that I am his TRUE arch nemesis. Hahhh, I suppose one can't have everything in life, even if I, of all people, rightfully deserve it. Oh, but we're getting way off-topic here; you haven't answered the question yet, Jon.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Hmm? Oh uh, right. Yeah uhm, so old Arkham, how did I get the fear gas in there. Well I didn't, naht from tha outside, that is. See, I had uhm... I had this hideout below one of them elevators, like when ya crawl through tha vents, there was this little cave down there. An' I saw some very peculiar mushrooms growin' there, I never seen none like them befo'. Nah tha Asylum don't got no books on rare mushrooms, an' even though we did have a botanical expert right 'round da corner uhm... Yeah Pam woulda ripped my head off if I took one of 'em to her.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

Wouldn't want you to get torn in half prematurely, would we?

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Ehehehh, oh Eddie... Morbid humor makes ya so much more...

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

Stay ooon topic, pumpkin.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Right, uhm, so I found these mushrooms n' started experimentin', ya know, as ya do. Snuck 'em inta a random guy's food and uuh... He didn't die from it, but his stomach definitely didn't give him a good time. But what really caught ma attention is how he behaved after throwin' up. He was absolutely deliciously terrified.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

And the Scarecrow got his cute little pumpkin-pattern-panties wet.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Oh jesus chri-- Well, anyway, long story short, I made fear gas outta them mushrooms. Still don't know the kind o' species, an' Eddie don't know either. They uhm... If any of ya'll know their way 'round shrooms, they had like cone-shaped tops, think with a purple to dark grey-ish color with white spots on 'em. An' like on tha inside they had this pale blue bioluminescent glow. They definitely ain't edible and have hallucinogenic properties that cause extreme paranoia. I mean, perhaps there could be a way ta have a nice trip on 'em, but that wasn't particularly ma intention.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

Now wouldn't it be hilarious if that was an extremely rare species that only grew in that cave, and you used them all to extinction for fear gas.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Eheh, oh don'tchu tell Pams, she'll definitely hunt ma ass down an' kill me fo' that one. Nah... Wasn't there anotha question?

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

Ughh, oh I so hoped you'd just forget about that. They were asking if we liked tea, and also if we li--

Edward made a gagging sound.

Sorry. If we liked Jervis.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Ahahoh I see. Well, first of all, I'm mo' of a coffee guy, so. Black tea's fine, I suppose. Anythin' with caffeine.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

Well I, for one, quite enjoy tea. Particularly green and white tea, but I like black, fruit and herbal types of tea as well. If I had to choose, I'd say jasmin or cherry blossom white tea is my favourite. Oh, but nothing beats a good Indian chai.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

So uuh... We movin' on ta Jervis?

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

Hhhhh oh must we? Well, you know my opinion on that imp, but I suppose they don't. Right, let's get to it then and just get it over with, shall we?

Number one: He's incredibly annoying and speaks in riddles which I, the fucking Riddler, cannot understand, because they are nonsensical and stupid, and I get compared to that intolerable bafoon too many times for my liking, and that infuriates me immensely.

Number two: He is a backstabbing pathetic coward, that WILL run away on the first chance he gets, ALWAYS leaving you in the dirt and WILL sell you out in hopes of getting away himself, if he helps the police, or Batman, or whoever else, which never fucking works, but that MORON just keeps on trying.

Number tree: He's a FUCKING PEDOPHILE! Sure, Jon and I have committed atrocious crimes, and perhaps targeted children every now and again, if it serves a purpose, or if they just happen to be there, if we target a crowd. Jervis' MAIN targets ARE children - young girls which he, in his deluded state, believes to be his Alice, whatever the fuck that's even supposed to mean. I don't even know what would happen if he did find his Alice. Because, to date, none of them turned out to be the real Alice, and he ends up murdering them, perhaps sexually assaulting them while he's at it - EUGH the mere thought makes me SICK. Now, I don't want to judge a Rogue for their gimmick, but he's just DISGUSTING! Wha-- And-- On top of that,

number four: This idiot is so fucking naïve, he always gets himself into situations where he's being used for his mind-controlling expertise - see the whole Arkham City project bullshit - over and over again, because somebody took his hat, or at the promise of getting to see Alice-- You know for a neuroscientist specializing in controlling the minds of others, he's laughably easy to manipulate; it's so utterly unbelievably PATHETIC. The only reason why I haven't killed him yet, is because I take great pleasure in seeing him fail because of his very own STUPIDITY!

So, in short, no, I can't say I am particularly fond of him. Not. One. Bit. Hhh, I need a breather, why don't you go on with your opinion on him, Jon.

Edward gets up from the couch and heads out to the balcony.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Yeh, uh, I dunno, I don't have a big opinion on him. I wouldn't say I like him, I don't like anybody, 's naht ma thing. 'Xcept Ed, I s'ppose. Don't give a damn 'bout what he does, Jervis, I mean, as long as he don't bother me none. We get along better than him an' Ed, I guess, but that's b'cuz I rarely listen to a word he says, it's all jus' white noise in tha background. I jus' grunt an' Jervis's fine with that fo' an answer.

I mean, Eddie's right, he is a fuckin' idiot, that's why I love ta mess with him. Funny 'nuff he seems ta like us both. When we be gettin' transported ta Arkham, he's always tha one ta greet us first, wants ta hang out n' shit. Used to, at least. Honestly, I jus' think he's lonely. Always excited ta talk to us. But uhm... Since Eddie an' I have grown pretty close, 'specially after Batman's retirement... I noticed he's become... resentful. He tries naht ta let it show, but I know he's incredibly envious of what Ed n' I have.

That one time, was some time after we escaped Arkham, I think, a couple months back. He uhm... Ya know, even when we're naht in tha Asylum, he's talkin' to me. Visitin' my hideout, leavin' letters. Yeah, he does that. I lettim, it's whatever. Never answered a single one; he'd just ask if I'd read the letter, I'd nod, shuts him up. But uhm... I noticed he didn't do that no mo'. Wasn't concerned at first, but then it kinda started buggin' me, I dunno. If he was plannin' on somethin', I kinda wanted ta know about it. Cuz that's our first instinct as Rogues, we don't worry 'bout each other's well-bein' first thing, we worry if we pissed somebody off an' now they plottin' their revenge. So I went over to his place, right. Was a mess as usual, ya can't really tell if he's goin' through somethin' based on his surroundings, it's just always chaos all around. We had a bit of a chat, he was very surprised by me checkin' up on him, doin' a little happy dance an' shit, typical Jervis. But then, when I asked why he's broken his behavioral pattern, he jus' said:

"You found your Alice."

Didn't elaborate when I asked, quickly changed tha conversation's topic, talked over me when I mentioned it again. That... that's jus' on ma mind sometimes. Don't give a damn about how he feels, but... I jus' hope he won't do somethin' he'll regret.

Jon's gaze wandered over to a set of large glass doors, one of them slightly ajar, allowing a cooling breeze to blow through the curtains. Past the doors, on the balcony, you could somewhat make out Edward's figure, leaning against the railing, looking out into the distance.

Somethin' that I don't even wanna think about... Is all.

--------

V's comments:

Did I spend several hours researching how Scarecrow actually made the fear gas in Arkham Asylum, and then continue to try and find the specific type of mushroom? Yyyyup. Did I find that specific mushroom? Nnnnnope. I found several that might fit that description, but either they were edible, or had no psychedelic effects, didn't glow in the dark, grew on the wrong continent, etc. My guess is that the devs just made a cool kinda spooky-looking mushroom with no particular reference and put that in the game.

I put way too much thought and research and energy into these posts, but my autistic brain just can't not do it. Eddie got his riddles, Jon got his fear, I got whatever you wanna call this xd

Anyway, if you wanna see what the shrooms look like, here's a screenshot:

[risingshine]

"You claim that you care about your friends. But you barley care about your own son. " the mist hissed, showing the form of kachi.

" when I attacked, it was ariel that defined kachi with her life, not you. You were too slow. You were too preoccupied with me."

Many more smokey figured appared- taking the forms of ghosts- dead samurai looking at her, dead kamis looking at her.

" you know you are weak. You know you don't deserve anything you have. Your a failure of a mother, and a kami. Your nothing more than a beast."

"STOP ACTING LIKE YOU KNOW ME! YOU THREW ME DOWN THE STAIRS - I TRIED TA PUT MASELF BETWEEN YA TRAP AND THEM! I KNOW I MISSED IT, BUT DONT YA DARE ASSUME I WASNT TRYING TA PROTECT THEM.

HOW DARE YA CALL ME WEAK? YA RAN AWAY, AND TRIED TA KILL A CHILD WHEN YA REALIZED YA COULDNT KILL ME! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YASELF! YA HAVE NO RIGHT TA CALL ME A BEAST!

I WORKED FA EVERYTHING I HAVE! I BUILD THE SHRINE WITH MA OWN TWO HANDS! I BUILT EVERY RELATIONSHIP I HAVE WITH MA HEART! I DONT CARE HOW WEAK YA THINK I AM, OR WHAT YA THINK I 'DESERVE'. I EARNED WHAT I HAVE, AND I WILL PROTECT IT FROM THE LIKES OF YA WITH EVERY OUNCE I HAVE"

[twopoppies]

alright currently on the train writing this through my tears but oh my god gina it was honestly surreal

i was near the back and there were loads of tall people (my 5ft1 ass could NEVER) so i couldn't see super well but istg i didn't even need to

the energy, the sound, the people all around us, i was just completely enveloped into this atmosphere of just... love, and acceptance, and understanding. not to be a larrie but it just felt like coming home. there were a few moments were i just closed my eyes and just focused on like feeling everyone, all the happiness, the music, i just let myself enjoy it with something other than my eyes and it was absolutely magical.

JHO was pretty special to me too, cause it's the song that quite literally saved me, stopped me multiple times from just ending it when things got tough, and hearing him sing just felt like it was all worth it and that i could do anything. he makes me feel invincible.

everyone screamed all three "LARRY"s during 7, the princess park line legitimately shook the entire venue and everyone around me screamed it at the top of their lungs, the U R OUR BECAUSE project went down perfectly and he looked so happy seeing us hold the signs, the amount of rainbows and rainbow lights during OTB just made me bawl it was so good, and THE LIGHTS DURING TWO YOUNG. the videos do not do it justice, he looks like an actual angel standing in front of the doors of heaven singing us in, it was something of a religious experience tbh.

now onto my het hours cause we need those sometimes.

the 7 high note and SECond to MAself absolutely killed me omg he's so hot it's like sorry h but PLEASE RAIL ME. matt? sir you are so fucking fine just say the word and i'm on my knees. michael? i don't know whether i should tell you to keep doing your riffs or to stop cause but either way if you need a dog i can bark. isaac? ✨isaac✨ i have no words. steve? we need more big screen videos of steve smiling along while he plays the drums and looking surprised every time we sing. tommy from otp? sir, may have your hand in marriage please? your vibes are absolutely immaculate

speaking of otp, they were so good!! they really know how to warm up a crowd, there was also a project for every song i ever wrote (which was honestly amazing) and i just had so much fun. we were jumping around all the time, singing, dancing, yelling, then crying a little at ceasefire but oh well, it's still amazing

now for the little things i noticed cause my anxiety made me hyperaware of everything so i tried to direct that to the stage, lights, and louis, instead of the people around me.

otp had very clear blue and green lights for about half of the second song, to the point where i was cautiously suspicious cause it didn't seem to fit the vibe of their poster. then whenever the lights went down to announce a new song there were lights in the back that i think flashed blue and green, but it could also have just been a sort of turquoise almost, not completely sure due to the distance so take with a grain of salt. he was also very happy when we screamed the princess park line so keep it up!!

paramedics came through the crowd a good couple times, and we had to stop the show once when he started fearless for the first time cause someone passed out (which, like, i feel bad for this, but het hours part 2 when he said "stop the show" and everyone legitimately stopped everything...i get why he's the dom, i get it) but we got back pretty soon

i met some awesome people, they were just so nice!! and everyone was pretty kind, signaled immediately when someone went down, and were pretty diligent about passing around water and making sure people around, strangers or not, were alright. so i'm pretty proud of us for that ngl.

i also got louis grey and green world tour hoodie cause it looked extremely comfortable and i figured yk why not, this might be the only time i get to go, you never know what's gonna happen, so might as well get something to make me happy (it did, it made me very happy, it's extremely warm and comfortable even if it was 70 fucking francs. worth it.) the cool thing (and by cool i mean panic) was that while standing in front of the barriers in front of the merch store, and pretty girl got all up on my back like pressed against me all proper and just went "sorry, hope i'm not bothering you, there's just loads of people trying to push me"

sweetheart you can push into me any day any time oh my god that felt like the start of my fanfic love story

(it wasn't, i just said "don't worry, you can stay as close as you want", enjoyed ten minutes of uninterrupted cuddle time with you i've now dubbed The Gay That Got Away, and then regretfully left cause i was late to catch the next train)

so all in all, it was an amazing experience that i hope everyone gets the chance to enjoy at least once in their life, i made a ton of friends, managed not to have an anxiety attack (at least so far, but i'm feeling pretty good about everything) and i no longer have a voice, pretty much constant bi panic throughout everything but i'm not even mad about it. it was awesome. 10/10 would do again

(also peep my larry red string of fate concert shirt cause it got a decent amount of attention and i'm very proud of it)

hahahha! This is lovely. Thank you so much for sharing you show with us! I love the t-shirt. Sounds like a great time.

[princesshawkins]

MERICCUP MONTH 2020 Week 1, Day 2; “I love you in a letter” 
Merida was sitting on her bed as she was sharpening her sword and keeping it nice and polished, like always. When suddenly her maid Mardy came in with a big smile on her face.
 “Your majesty ye have a letter here for yeuuu.” she said eagerly to give it to the princess. Merida groaned 
“Ugh Mardy I alreadyy told ye I dont want ye callin’ me yo majesty ! and I dont care ‘bout any shtupid letter, they’re just from those shtupid suitors that my mother has wrote to” she exclaimed with a annoyed look on her face.
“oh but but this letter looks like someting even better if i do say so maself” mardy said trying to convince the princess to take the letter as she got closer. Merida refused to acknowledge it when suddenly in the corner of her eye she saw the name..
“Hiccup…” she said under her breath,
she felt the butterflies in her stomach begin to flutter around. she tried to act nonchalant about it, holding back as much as she could not to snatch the letter from the tray in a hurry.
“um…thank yu mardy….I tink I will take it” merida said giving her maid a small smile. 
“i knew yu would” she giggled “and dont worry i wont tell da queen about thee letter” she promised as she left, closing the door behind her.
Merida giggle and thanked her then quickly rushed to open the letter…
it read:
“ Dear my beloved Merida,
Bet you thought this letter was another stupid letter from the other suitors haha, but hopefully mardy convinced you to take it and now you’re reading it…”
Merida rolled her eyes and giggled at the thought that he knew her too well 
she then continued to read it.
“I hope you’re doing good and not giving your mom a hard time with the whole arranged marriage. I know its not the best thing ever, but I’ve been thinking about it and I think you should go through with it….”
Merida couldn’t believe what she was reading! How could he say that?! and in a letter ! He couldn’t face her ! thoughts started to play in her head, did he find someone else ? what had happened to all the promises he had made her, saying that he wouldn’t stop till they could be together, was it all a lie?? Merida started boiling with anger, and tears started to build up in her eyes from the thought that she wouldn’t and couldn’t be with the only person she could ever imagine her self being with, and who accepted her for who she was but no, she couldn’t just stop there, she needed to keep reading and see what his reasons were to say such absurd things… 
“Your parents will never let us be together, you need a true King to rule by your side, one that is worthy for you. Someone that will truly fight for you and stand up for what is right, just like you do for what you believe in. Someone that loves those big blue eyes and firey red hair, that melts at every touch of yours and can’t stand to be away from you even for a second and to really know the real you, not just your princess side but the REAL side of you, the brave and fierce side but also nurturing, and love everything about you. A real Love. Now you must be thinking that I must be crazy and questioning the promises I made, but those promises are going to be made. Because I am that man that WILL be your King…”
Merida was so confused and didn’t understand a word this man was saying but she continued…
“ I’m competing for your hand. And I WILL Win. No one is going to stop me and your parent wont be able to interfere. My father has named me Cheif of Berk, I’m the Dragon king and I have defeated the Red Death. I still might be a Viking but I’m willing to take the chance of going to Scotland. Even if it kills me, because…..
I love you Merida of DunBroch. 
I’ve loved you since i first saw you in the woods when we were little, I’ve loved you since i can remember. You are my everything and I’m going to fight for that love.
see you soon my love.
Love, Hiccup Horrendous Harddock III ” 
Meridas tears of sadness became tears of joy and a big grin grew on her face, she couldn’t believe it hiccup was going to actually fight for her. And she was not letting anyone stop him either. And if he was coming to Scotland everyone would have to go through her to get to him.
“I love you too hiccup…” she whispered to herself hugging the letter to her chest.
___________________________________
Woohoo day 2 hope you guys like this it took me a while to come up with it ! hope it not too bad xD

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Yiga | Chapter 26

Glittering Cloud - Imogen Heap

I'm not always like this, it's something I've become. A terrible weakness, in my nature, in my blood. Save me, oh save me, save me from myself, before I hurt somebody else again.

When Paya returned from warding the property, she found them gathered inside around a long table. A map was rolled open on the dining room table, and a tablet sat on top of the map. Zelda’s fingers scrolled along the tablet with one hand, and the other hand, she pointed to various places on the map as she explained the whereabouts of the Yiga Clan. She stood in the doorway, and Talon peered in over her shoulder.

“It seems my place is now the base of their secret operations,” he said. “Yer one of the good Sheikah, right?”

Paya nodded and smiled.

“Good,” he said as he straightened. “Don’t need ta get maself in trouble for harboring a wanted hero, yanno.” He shook his head as he continued on, not wanting anything to do with whatever plans they were brewing in his home.

Zelda turned her gaze to Paya. “Is the place warded?”

“Yes,” Paya said as she stepped into the room.

“Good.” Zelda turned back to the map. “Now that we know where their base is, we need to come up with a plan to infiltrate and destroy them.”

“What about fixing Link?” Riju asked. “Shouldn’t we do that first?”

“The Yiga Clan is our priority,” Link said.

“And what if they have a way to fix you?” Daruk asked.

“Do you really think the people that want to turn the hero against all of Hyrule will have a secret antidote?” Revali sneered. “What good would that do them?”

Kit nodded. “Way too convenient,” he said. “It won’t be that simple.”

Zelda hesitated. She didn’t exactly want to tell them the truth; not just yet. As long as she was outside of the city, she needed to keep up her disguise as Sheik. And she wasn’t ready to return to the city anytime soon. She knew Link needed to be saved, and quickly. She had hoped that the Champions could take out the Yiga Clan, and she could get her hands on the slate at the same time. If they knew about the slate, she feared they would be too focused on finding it, too distracted to appropriately deal with the Yiga Clan and thus putting them in danger. Not only that, but with the Champions attacking, it would leave the Yiga Clan distracted as well, giving her a chance to find the slate. Of course, her friends were too stubborn to make her plan so simple for her. To her relief, however, Paya stepped in.

“There's a spring,” Paya said. “In the Faron region. The spring of Farore. She is the embodiment of the Triforce of Courage. If there's a way we can help him, I'm sure it will be there.”

“Don’t you think we should try that first?” Daruk asked. His eyes narrowed on Sheik. “And then we can go after the Yiga Clan.”

“He’s right,” Mipha said. “We don’t know how long…”

“How long until the darkness takes over,” Riju finished for her. She wiggled her fingers in the air. “We don’t stand a chance against Dark Link.”

Link crossed his arms. “The Yiga Clan need to be dealt with first,” he said.

“They are a threat,” Revali said in agreement. “And there’s a very good chance there is no fix for Link. We can’t waste our time. If we eliminate the Yiga Clan first, then we’ll have all the time in the world to search for a cure.”

“And what if he turns on us before we can do that?” Urbosa asked.

“If I turn, I’m a dead man, anyway,” Link said fiercely. “And you’ll need to kill me along with the Yiga Clan.”

Urbosa frowned. “But if we can prevent you from turning -”

“I want them dead!” Link shouted. His fist slammed against the table. “I’m not fucking dying until I know they’re dead!”

The room fell silent. His words sat heavily in their minds as they turned their gazes to the map on the table. After a moment, Zelda spoke.

“I strongly urge you to take out the Yiga Clan now while you still can.”

“Who the fuck are you, anyway?” Revali sneered. He turned his angry gaze to Paya. “Why would you bring this random guy along?”

“Because Aunt Purah trusts him,” she said. “He has more intel on the Yiga Clan than anyone else.”

“Except for Dorian,” Daruk pointed out. “That guy’s actually working for them.”

“Look,” Zelda started. “I’ve been tailing them for a long time. They’re not only trying to get their hands on Link and Zelda, but they’re trying to restore the Shrine of Resurrection.”

“Zelda mentioned something about that awhile ago,” Urbosa said.

“It’s useless without an item called the Sheikah Slate,” Zelda said. “The Yiga Clan stole it from Purah. I was tasked to retrieve it.”

“Could it fix Link?” Mipha asked.

“We don’t know,” Paya admitted.

“Why didn’t you say something before?” Revali scowled.

“Because this is a mission that’s far too delicate for everyone to be involved,” Zelda said. “I know what I’m looking for. I can’t have you all tagging along and getting in my way.” She hesitated. “My hope was that you would take on the Yiga Clan and provide the distraction I need to get in, get the slate, and get out.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Daruk said with a nod.

“You could have mentioned that in the beginning,” Riju said, rolling her eyes.

“I know how you work,” Zelda said. “You think you can do everything yourselves.”

“I’d prefer that,” Revali said. “I don’t trust you. What are you going to do with the slate once you get your hands on it?”

“Purah and I will bring it to the shrine,” Zelda said. “If we can get it to work, we might be able to use it to our advantage.”

“What do the Yiga think they’re going to do with it, anyway?” Kit asked.

“It’s a healing shrine,” Paya said. “If they succeed in bringing Ganondorf back, they can use it to keep him alive and make him stronger.”

“Oh, is that all?” Kit muttered.

“So, it’s settled, then?” Urbosa asked. “We go in, destroy the Yiga, get the slate, and get out.”

“What if the shrine doesn’t work?” Riju asked.

“We can try the spring,” Paya said.

“And what if that doesn’t work?” Revali added.

Zelda frowned. She recalled Paya’s words to her. You must accept his death as a very real possibility. There may be nothing we can do to stop this.

“You need to kill me,” Link said, his eyes cast down on the table. “If there is no way to fix this, you need to kill me before I destroy Hyrule.”

Zelda’s lips pressed together. She pulled her gaze off of Link.

“There’s a very real possibility that this cannot be undone,” Paya said softly. “That is something you all need to accept.”

Revali grit his teeth together. “What are we doing wasting our time here?” he muttered. “Don’t we have a slate to find?”

“We need to talk to Zelda,” Urbosa said. “Is she aware of any of this? She should be here.”

“The Yiga Clan are searching for her,” Paya said. “She cannot be a part of this. She’ll be walking right into her death.”

“She needs to know what is going on.”

“I will keep her informed,” Paya said.

Revali regarded Paya and Sheik with wary skepticism. “Where is she?”

Paya hesitated. “She’s in the city.”

Revali drew his bow. “What did you do with her?”

“Revali,” Urbosa warned. “What are you doing?”

“Zelda has been gone for almost a week,” he hissed.

“What makes you think that?” Paya asked carefully.

“A trustworthy source,” he said as he narrowed his eyes on them. “Said she went out to try to find a way to fix Link.”

Link’s eyes darted to Sheik and Paya. His lips pulled back angrily and he quickly drew his weapon.

“Teba,” Zelda muttered.

Revali’s gaze narrowed further. “If you so much as touch him -” But he didn’t bother finish. He let his arrow loose, but Paya was quick to throw her arm to the side, throwing the arrow off course where it plunged into the wall.

“Enough!” Zelda shouted. “For the love of Hylia, Revali! I will kill you myself! I’m Zelda!”

Revali held his gaze on them. “Of course you are,” he sneered.

Sheik crossed his arms, and at that moment, Zelda’s piece of the Triforce began to glow on his hand. The room was quickly cast in a blinding light, causing the Champions to shield their eyes with their arms. When the light subsided, Zelda stood before them, right where Sheikah once stood. She regarded them with exhaustion.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Revali barked.

“The Yiga Clan are hunting me,” she hissed. “I can’t exactly just waltz around Hyrule, you know!” Her hands balled into fists at her side. “Why do you have to ruin everything? You’re all so damn stubborn!”

Link sighed and pocketed his weapon. “We’re stubborn?” he said. “You took off without us.”

“Like I said,” Zelda sneered. “I know what I need to get. You’ll all just slow me down and fuck everything up.”

“Hey,” Riju started. “We’re a team. We’re capable of doing this together.”

“You’re not part of this,” Urbosa hissed at her. She turned to Zelda. “But she’s right. You could have told us what you were doing.”

“Would you have stopped me?”

“Yes,” Link said. “Do you know the danger you put yourself in?”

“No one had a clue who I was,” Zelda said firmly. “I was not in any danger.”

Link threw his arms up in exasperation. He turned and left the room, making his way outside to fume angrily. Zelda was the first to follow him outside, with the others on her heels.

“Look,” she said when she reached him outside. “We’re on thin fucking ice right now. My father will do anything to get his hands on you. He will kill you if he has the chance. I’m doing everything I can to keep that from happening.”

“You went behind my back,” he hissed. “You could have gotten killed.”

“We didn’t confront them,” Zelda said. “We simply found their hideout. I never planned on going in without you guys. But we couldn’t exactly all go into that damn desert searching for something. I had an opportunity and I took it. And now we know where they are. Now we can take them on and get what we need.”

“You lied to me!”

“I didn’t lie,” Zelda snapped. “Goddesses, Link. You want so badly to be a part of this, but there’s nothing you can do. Don’t you see that? You’ll just get in our way! We can’t defend you and try to defeat the Yiga Clan. Stay out of this!”

Link stared at Zelda, his anger boiling through him and clouding his mind. He cursed under his breath. He was losing control. He could feel the darkness taking over him again. He dropped to his knees as it surged through him. Zelda dropped beside him, calling to him, but he could no longer hear her voice.

Mipha pulled Zelda backwards and out of the way as the darkness took over Link. His red eyes flashed up at them, and he lunged at them. Daruk’s red barrier quickly sprung up around them, knocking Link backwards, and Link turned his furious gaze around to the rest of his friends. They stepped back warily as he regarded them. He lunged at Revali, who was the closest to him, but Revali was quicker, stepping out of the way and letting his elbow smash the back of his head.

Link stumbled forward, but was quick to catch his balance. He threw his arm to the side and the ground began to tremble. But before he could finish his attack, Revali lunged at him, his blade slicing across his gut. He turned and caught Link as he fell backwards, his arm wrapping around his neck. But a strong force shot out from Link’s body, and Revali was thrown backwards into the side of the barn, where he fell limp.

But before Link could turn around to make his next attack, Daruk pinned him against the wall. His strong hand wrapped around Link’s throat. Link struggled against him, but even in his powerful, darkened state, his strength did not match Daruk's. Daruk pressed against him until Link began to choke and sputter under the pressure to his chest and neck. Only then did his struggles slow and quiet, and Daruk loosened his hold slightly.

“Come on,” he growled to Link. “Snap out of it!”

Link's red eyes narrowed on Daruk, and once more his struggling resumed. Every time he pushed against Daruk, he pushed back harder, stronger, until Daruk's grip fell away and he stumbled backwards. He looked up in horror as Link approached him, and he immediately surrounded himself with his red shield.

Link raised his left hand. The Triforce piece that once shone brightly had turned dark and began to pulse. Link thrust his hand to the side, causing a force to thrust Daruk off his feet and sliding against the ground until he hit a clustering of boulders, hard enough to cause them to shatter and crumble.

He picked up his dagger and his gaze fell upon his next target. Mipha stood with her own dagger in hand, held up in warning, but Link ignored the shaking dagger as he stepped forward.

“Link,” she begged, her voice breaking. “Don't do this. I know you're in there, Link. Fight it!”

She gripped the dagger with both hands as he closed in until the tip of the blade rested against his chest.

“I won't do it,” she sobbed softly. “Please, Link. Don't make me do it.” She pressed the dagger harder into him, only enough to slightly break the skin.

Link looked down at the dagger, then back up to meet Mipha's gaze. In one, swift movement, he knocked the blade from her grasp and wrapped his fingers around her throat. Mipha clawed desperately at his hands as she gasped for air, but his fingers only tightened, cutting off her airway completely. She could feel herself fading fast at the hands of the man she loved. She met his gaze, but she could not see the blue eyes she had once found comfort in. She choked out his name one last time, pleading with him.

And then his grip loosened. His hand fell away from her throat and she collapsed to the ground, gasping desperately for air. Her hand moved to her throat, bruised and tender from his hard grasp, and she rubbed her fingers against the marks that were left there.

“Mipha.”

Her gaze met familiar blue eyes. Link stepped backwards, his face whitened in horror at the realization at what he had done.

“Link,” she breathed. “You're okay.”

Link took another step backwards, his head shaking. He quickly looked around himself. Revali was unconscious on the ground. Daruk was still on the ground, groaning as he tried to sit up. Paya, Zelda, Urbosa, Riju, and Kit stood grouped together, Paya at the front to defend them. He dragged his palms down his face, muttering to himself.

Mipha hurried to her feet, grabbing his wrist in her hand. “Link-”

Link pulled his wrist out of her grip. “Don't!”

Mipha hesitated, her arm still stretched out towards him. “Link...”

“Stay away from me,” he hissed. “Don't you fucking come near me.”

“Link,” Mipha begged. “Wait a minute. Please. Just wait.”

Link's eyes darted around once more. His friends regarded him warily, watching his every move. And as they should be; he had tried to kill them all.

His stomach churned sickeningly and his head began to spin. He took another step backwards, his heel hitting the edge of his blade. His eyes moved to the dagger and in that moment, he saw his only escape. He scooped up the dagger, holding it out before him, his hands shaking. He took another step backwards, followed by another, then another, until he hit the wall of the barn.

“No!” Mipha shouted to him.

But before Link could plunge the blade into him, it was knocked out of his hands. Revali was suddenly at his side, hunched over in pain and gasping for breath, but the blade was now in his hands. Revali dropped to his knees, but glanced up at Link with fury in his eyes. His lips pulled back in a pained snarl.

“Don’t think you’re doing us any favors,” he hissed. He tossed the blade aside as Mipha hurried over to them and started to heal him. From across the way, Daruk was already back on his feet.

Before Link could even think to react further, Kit was pulling his arm and guiding him away from the others. His hand gripped his shoulder hard when they stopped, and Link realized then how weak his knees felt, though he forced himself to remain on his feet.

“I can’t do this,” Link said softly. “I’ll kill someone. I can’t, Kit. I can’t.”

“Stop,” Kit hissed. “They won’t let you, alright? You know that. We can fix this.”

Link glanced warily at Mipha. She and Revali were both on their feet again. Revali regarded him carefully, but Link’s gaze was on the bruise on Mipha’s neck. She tore her gaze away and her hand moved to her neck to cover it.

Zelda jumped as her phone rang. Her fingers fumbled for the phone in her pocket, answering it quickly when she saw Teba’s name on the screen. She answered with a simple “Yeah?” Her brows furrowed as she listened. Her head nodded and after a moment, she ended the call.

“We need to get back to the city,” she said, turning to Paya and Urbosa. “We won’t be long. When we get back, we’re going straight to the Yiga Clan.” She met Urbosa’s gaze. “Don’t let him out of your sight.”

Urbosa nodded wordlessly and in a snap, Paya and Zelda were gone.