#I live love laugh fairy hyrule content

[commanderwindy]

Fairy Hyule and Warrior!!

They got lost

[bokettochild]

request: sometimes time likes to be alone underwater. with his iron boots and zora helmet, it's easy to just take a stroll at the bottom of a deep enough lake, away from the rest of the world. he did not expect, however, to find legend relaxing inside a small hole in the stone. Mer Legend.

Oh boy! I was vibing with this one for a while, I just wanted to make it perfect!

I'm pretty happy with what I made too, but man is it long!

(I hope this makes you happy, anon!)

When he and Malon have kids, he hopes they don't have this many.

Nayru knows he loves his boys, but they can get a bit much sometimes. They can get loud and overwhelming, and as a man who’s used to traveling primarily alone, with maybe a fairy trailing behind him or his trusted mount, it’s a bit overwhelming. He’s not used to being around people so much, Malon and Talon are his only consistent company and even then, the work they share means that often times it’s only him and his thoughts as he mucks, mends and tends things around the ranch.

Sometimes, when the boys get especially rowdy and playful, it’s just nice to get a moment of quiet to himself. Between Sky and Twilight he knows that nothing overly chaotic will go down, and he trusts the boys to keep each other in check.

So, when they come to the Pup’s Hyrule, their battle in this world over and most of their number restless as they wait for the next portal to arrive and whisk them away, Time allows his boys their space, and with a quick exchange with the only two he can trust to not burn something down (at least while the younger ones can still see them) he heads off into the forest to get a little space to himself.

Of course, he can’t really go far, not if he needs to hurry back, but he doesn’t really need to. His destination is Lake Hylia, which is only a short distance from their camp, maybe ten or fifteen minutes, and, when he gets there, he allows himself to actually breathe for once.

Wild, Warriors and Wind had been locked in a game of cards when last he left, the champion soundly beating the other two both at cribbage while Wars bemoans his poor luck, and Twilight and Sky were discussing wood carving with Hyrule, with the occasional comment from the smithy, who is only too happy to throw in something related every so often as he looks up from his book. That leaves himself and Legend, and he’s long since learned that the vet was one to disappear for his own space when possible.

He’s not overly worried. Legend has items and experience that far outmatch most of their group, and if he runs into trouble Time has little doubt that he’ll be able to get himself out of it to at least gather reinforcements, if not handle the issue by himself.

A deep breath of relief escapes him as the eldest of the heroes pulls a few items from his own bag. The boots are a familiar if not welcome weight as he slips out of his armor and dons the tunic and cap of the Zora, his breath bubbling softly as he steps into the lake before him with a contented sigh.

The cool water floods over the top of him, tugging at his hair and bubbling in his lungs, but it’s doesn’t burn the way that it should. He breathes easily beneath the rippling surface of Lake Hylia, the Zora tunic granting him freedom beneath the waves.

There is little sound beneath, only the muffled noise from above the surface, the flow of the water and-

Time’s ears prick forwards as a single blue eye turns to search the space around him.

Someone is singing.

It’s a haunting sort of melody, one that draws you in and makes you dazed, and Time finds himself stumbling over his own feet as he searches for the source. It is not a Cursed song, nor anything powerful from what he can recall, in fact, it’s almost familiar. It sounds similar to something he hears hummed about their camp at night while the boys take watch. He’d never been able to place which of the young heroes hummed the lilting melody, but he’s let it carry him off to sleep many a time before. Only this song, the one that twines about his head and whispers in his ears and makes his feet trek closer and closer to its source, this song is different, it’s haunted and Broken, and it is sung in a Voice.

Not a voice like most of those above the surface have, but a Voice like a fairy or spirit might have. One that pulls at your very soul and sings in your mind, un-hampered by wind or waves, able to carry across miles to be heard by those that it Sings too.

Heavy feet trod faster.

He’s under no spell, but he is a Link, and by now he has learned that all of their kind are blessed or cursed with courage and curiosity both, and to be without the latter is simply unthinkable for the young-at-heart hero. Something –the forest imp in him maybe- tells him to find the Voice, find the Singer.

He’s only made it part of the way across the lake, hasn’t even left the shoreline properly, when the song stops. Unease creeps over him as he looks around, alert and ready for trouble, only to see nothing but the peaceful stillness of the lake bottom around him.

There! His mind supplies as something pink flits in the corner of his vision, and he’s whipping around to come face to face with-

Long tangled hair drifts in the waves as glistening scales reflect the light pouring down through the waves. Too deep, too dark eyes stare at him in shock for a brief moment, and then-

The creature, the thing, is gone in an instant. Whipping away as it’s glimmer fades into the waves around him, speed no doubt granted by the brilliant tail of the thing sending it rocketing out of his grasp before he even has a chance to speak.

He tried to follow it. He does! But quite soon the adult part of his mind is reminding him how dangerous the thing could be, and that he still has his boys to return to back on the surface. It’s been exactly thirty-two minutes and thirteen seconds since he left them at their camp, and by now they usually would have sent someone to check and make sure that whatever member of their party had strayed off was alright.

Removing his boots is all it takes to float to the surface, despite the fact that he still holds the things in his hands, and it’s with no small amount of relief that he realizes that the bank of the lake is free of other heroes.

Time gathers his things together, wringing out his hair and clothes before returning to his normal gear and heading back to the camp.

Smiles and chuckles greet him as the young heroes tease.

“Go for a swim, Old Man?” Legend quirks a brow, staring up from his place by the fire.

Time doesn’t answer him, but he does shake his head violently enough to spray the younger heroes with water, earning shouts and shrieks from them as they try and shield themselves from the wet. “Seriously, Time?” Warriors moans, wiping lake water from his face. “What are you, a dog?”

Time smirks at the captain and, to everyone's surprise (which produces no small amount of delight for him), he barks.

“What sorts of people have you met in your adventures?” Sky asks a couple of days later, head cocked to the side as he watches his brothers. “You all talk about so many races, but I don’t think I've heard of most of them.”

“Well,” Wild smiles, there’s a glint in his gaze that isn’t quite mischief, but it’s a warning to be wary anyway, because they all know what a crack-pot their cook can be at times. “There’s Hylians, of course, and Sheikah, Yiga, Gerudo, Rito, Gorons, Zora and koroks! You’ve probably already met the Sheikah, since you mentioned knowing an Impa during your journey, and the Yiga are an offshoot of that group.”

Twilight blinks and stares, Warriors furrowing his brow as he two older heroes stare at the younger, but Wild seem entirely unaffected.

“Gerudo are a desert people. They’re really tall, and extremely strong! Most of their race have long red hair and slightly darker skin than the people around Hyrule. They are a society of all woman, with only one man being born to them every hundred years. They worship the goddess Din for the most part, and live out of an opulent city set in the desert where they specialize in the crafting of weapons and jewelry, and the farming of exotic plants.” The champion then proceeds to run down traits and knowledge about the other races, matter-of-factly, as if the details he is sharing are things that everyone from the surface knows.

“Wow.” Sky laughs as Wild finishes. “I had no idea.”

“There’s also the minish.” Four adds. “And the Wind Tribe, who are sky people, of course.”

Sky looks curious, but Four says nothing more, instead gesturing to the other heroes to share their thoughts, which they do.

“Terminans.” Time offers. “Very similar to Hylians.”

“Ordonians.” Twilight adds with a fond smile. No explanation is needed.

The others all nod along, but Legend rolls his eyes. “Humans, like, non-Hylian humans, Shifters,” The vet stares upwards with a light scowl as he ticks the races off of his fingers. “Technically they’re humans too, but Wild counted the Sheikah and Gerudo, so there’s also the Lorulians, Labrynninians, Holodrumese folks, Hytopians, Drablanders, Subrosians, Catalians-” Legend frowns. “I could swear there are more but I can’t really recall.”

Time, for whatever reason, he can’t really say why, cocks his head. “Any water people other than Zora?”

The vet snaps his fingers. “Mer-folk! Thank you, Time. I guess fae and animal folk count on that note.”

There’s a scoff and Warriors is leaning forwards with a smirk. “Fairies and animals, sure, but mer? Seriously, Legend? Have you even met a mer before?”

“Many times.” The veteran drawls, cocking a brow in the captain’s direction. “On multiple adventures. What about you, cap? Jealous you couldn’t snag one for your guild of brides?”

Warriors blusters about indignantly, earning laughter from the others as Legend smirks, but the man recovers quickly enough. “I do not have a guild of brides! That is- that is utterly disgusting!”

“Could have fooled me.” Legend teases, sipping some water from a flask.

“Give him a break.” Twilight snickers, shoving the vet playfully.

The unfortunate thing about Twilight’s shoves though is that the ranch hand doesn’t seem to know his own strength, and Legend is small enough that the light push is enough to send him scrabbling to not hit the ground. More laughter rings about their camp, but this time at the vet's expense, as Legend topples over into the dirt, spilling his drink and failing his arms as he goes.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.” Legend huffs, pulling himself back up and dusts off his clothes, scowling at the water spilled on him. “Great.”

“Oh, come on, you came back soaked to the skin earlier, what’s a bit of water going to hurt you, huh, vet?” Warriors ribs, smirking.

Legend shoots him a half-hearted glare.

“Legend,” Time starts slowly. “How would you describe the mer?”

The vet pauses, gaze resting maybe a moment too long as his hands as he brushes off the hem of his tunic. He’s already done so and there’s really no reason for him to do it again, but he does anyway. “What you’d expect.” He shrugs haltingly. “Hylian on top, fish beneath. Tail, long hair, that sort of thing.”

The old man hums. Legends ears twitch, nose shivering slightly as violet eyes flit over their group. “Care to expand on your sky people story, Four?”

“I’m good.” The smithy replies lazily.

Time would pass it off as a strange one-time thing, he would, but there are... other factors at play.

They’ve traveled to Four’s time, fighting off monsters and solving puzzles the same as they’ve always done. The boys are taking some downtime, playing hide and seek, and just like the last time, Time takes himself down to the river they’ve made camp ear and dons his Zora gear.

He isn’t expecting to see the creature, the mer, again, much less hear them singing -after all, this is a Hyrule far before his Pup’s- but there the creature is. It- or they- frolic in the water, chasing fish and singing softly. The tune is lighter than the last one he heard, a different song entirely, but there is no denying that it is the same mer.

Gold flecked, petal pink scales shimmer beneath the twisted lights that invade the water, hair of the same colors flowing in the current as long fingers, tipped with pointed claws, reach out to swipe at the fish swimming wildly away. They don’t catch anything, but Time hears it giggle anyways, the tune of its voice bubbling in merriment as it rolls like and otter and turns to explore some other part of the river bed.

The cursed curiosity of a hero niggles in Time’s mind. How is the same mer from before in this timeline, ages before Twilight would even be born? And why do they play and explore as if they’ve never seen this river bed before in their life?

Long claws pull through sand, and although their hair blocks their face from his view, he can still hear the warble of delight as the creature removes something sparkling and bright from the river bed. The mer floats in place, turning the item over in their hands curiously before whisking it out of sight and returning to their search.

A mer that likes treasure, huh? Why is he unsurprised?

His own soft laugh startles them, and for a half of a moment, golden ringed, violet eyes, wide and bright and full of shock, meet his own.

The mer is gone before he can make a move.

He asks Legend about it the next day. As they travel along the path towards the nearest town, Time falls back to ask the vet more about mer.

“Do mer like treasure?”

Legend starts, eyes wide as they meet his own, and something in the back of his mind is nagging him that the look in the vet’s eyes is somehow familiar. “What?”

“Do mer like treasure?” He repeats himself.

Legend stares at him, blinking slowly as they continue along the path, but eventually the vet shakes his head and answers. “Depends on the mer. They’re people too, Time, they can have varying interests and hobbies. There is no standard for mer. None.”

“Don’t they all swim at least?”

Legend’s gaze is flat. “There are disabled Hylians aren’t there? Not all Hylians can walk, and not Mer can swim. Some just choose not to because they don’t like it!”

Time frowns. How does the vet know so much about mer culture? “How do you know this?”

The vet shrugs, eyes darting away. “I’ve been a lot of places and met a lot of people. Mer are no exception.”

“I thought you hated swimming and the water?” Wind breaks in, falling back to join the two of them with an odd look on his face. He looks like a puppy and it’s killing Time not to ruffle the kid’s hair.

“Didn’t always.” Legend returns, smiling wryly down at the sailor. “But enough of that. The real question here is if you’ve ever met one, sailor.”

“A mer?” Wind furrows his brow, looking away with a soft sigh. “The water in my world isn’t safe for the people who lived in it. There’s hardly even any fish in most places. The Zora in my time had to adapt to the air instead in order to survive.”

Awkward silence falls over them, the vet looking guilty for a half a moment before he settles a hand on the kid’s shoulder. “The goddesses aren’t always fair, Maliit, it’s not your fault.

Time hums his agreement, heart aching for yet another young hero and a world that suffered for Time’s failure to have properly saved it.

He sees the mer again. Not just when he’s in the water himself, but when he’s keeping watch during the night or on occasion when he goes fishing with Twilight. The Pup says nothing about seeing gold and pink beneath the water, but Time finds himself watching it all the same.

It darts beneath the dock they’re fishing on one time, and when Twilight’s line gets a tug, the rancher pulls it up only to find the one of his boots dangling from the other end.

Time can’t help it, he laughs.

So, this mer is a prankster, huh?

He takes to seeking them out, trying to catch their attention or try to talk to them, but nothing works. The minute that gold and violet eyes meet his own, petal pink scales flick deftly in the waves and the mer is swimming away.

But Time isn’t dumb.

He knows that the same mer cannot reasonably exist across all of time, not with all the changes that come to the world with each hero. He knows that this being is somehow following them, and h’s got a rather good idea exactly how it’s happening.

It’s a long shot, but he knows for a fact that Legend is always gone from camp before he sees the creature, and enough times startling the vet when asking about mer has taught him that the expressions between the two are the same. All he knows on the mer’s face is shock, but the vet’s eyes glimmer the same shade of violet, even if they are different in size and shape, and the petal pink hair that the vet comes out of the forest with one evening after their group was separated is uncannily similar to the shade of the mer.

They’ve made camp again, and rather than climbing into the water when he catches a moment alone, Time settles on the shore, not in the mood to be in the water but in need of its calming song. The air has been tense the past few days, and Time welcomes a brief moment to relax, forcing himself not to think of the gaping wound in his Pup’s side or the ragged breath that wheezes between the rancher’s lips.

Twilight will be fine, he reminds himself. Hyrule and Warriors had worked together to tend the wound and while it would definitely leave a scar, the danger of losing their beloved friend and brother (and maybe son?) is not so high anymore.

He welcomes a free breath, away from the hurt gazes of his boys as they try and process that their beloved canine friend and the rancher are one and the same. A chance to think without having to stop those who were out of the know from bombarding those who were in it with questions.

He’s glad to be free of the questions himself.

Legend seems to be too, if the glint of pink beneath the waves is to be believed.

He doesn’t approach this time, doesn’t try entering the water to speak. He’s tired and he wants his spae, and he imagines Legend would like his own too. So, instead, he sits on the bank, feet trailing in the water and ocarina on his lips as he plays softly.

The tune is a sweet one, one he’d written himself that lilts and dips softly, very nearly perfect for a dance, but far more suited to a night by a fire or watching the sunset. And sunset it is, fading light stretching out across the water, glinting of the surface and reflecting off of gold and pink-

He stops, eye wide as he turns towards the flash in his vision.

Gold and violet stare back at him, framed in curling pink as Legend freeze half-way through pulling on his tunic again.

Gold fades just as the scales dissapear and leave the vet siting on the shore, tunic still bunched around his shoudlers and violet eyes wide with fear as he regards his leader.

“I won’t tell.” Time forces, turning away his gaze and returning his focus to the instrument in his hand. He doesn’t play, but he doesn’t look up either.

“It’s an item.” Legend forces, strained. His voice is still tainted with whatever power had shifted him between forms, and it’s sweeter and more melodious than normal. “I found it on my third adventure. Got cursed.”

“Like the rancher?” Time hums softly, not having to look up to know that Legend is shifting nervously, foot tapping madly at the ground beneath him.

“Yeah.” Legend huffs.

“Okay.” And he does look up them, calm and as open as he can make himself seem as he meets the vet’s gaze.

“Just okay?” One brow cocks as Legend crosses his arms.

“Just okay. It’s your secret, Legend. I can’t change what I’ve seen, but I won’t tell the others either.”

Legend nods, wary bit willing to accept the words, if only for now. “If you say so.”

They’re on their way back to camp, Legend carrying an armload of fish and Time carrying both of their bags when the vet stops and glares at him. “I don’t want to hear any jokes, alright? I get enough of those from Twilight and Sky.”

“They know?” The old man tilts his head in question.

Legend flushes, ducking his head and setting off again at a speed some might label a scurry. “No. Hurry up, these fish are gonna rot!”

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

Waves lap around his head and it’s all Time can do to break the surface, coughing and hacking as he struggles to remain above the water.

The portal had come at the worst time ever, and no one had been ready to be dropped into the center of the ocean.

Lightning crackles overhead as waves swirl and crash about him. The ocean rages and Time is again reminded how small Hylian’s are in the face of Mother Earth herself.

“Boys!” The shout rasps from his throat as he spins to look about, praying to every deity he knows that he’ll find the rest of them safe and sound, or at the very least together. Never mind that Twilight still can’t walk, much less swim. Never mind the smithy’s shattered arm and Wild’s fear of the water. He can’t panic about those right now, he has to find them!

“Over here!” Sky’s voice answers him. The Chosen Hero clings to the shivering form of the smithy, both are soaked and trembling, but they’re managing to stay above the waves.

“My Hyrule!” Wind calls out as Time strikes out towards them, and the sailor continues once he’s close enough to see that at least five of his boys are safe. “We’re near land,” Wind nods in a random direction and Time wonders briefly how the sailor even knows that. “It could be a challenge in these waves, but we can make it. Have you seen the others?”

Hyrule looks up at him hopefully, the water-logged traveler fighting madly to stay above the water but succeeding despite the waves. Time reminds himself to help the boy learn to swim more effectively later, and more importantly how to properly tread water, but for now he focuses on answering Wind. “You're the firsts. We’ll have to hope the others are alright, getting y’all to safety is my first concern.

“But Wild!” Hyrule splutters, choking on some water as Time swims over to give the traveler someone to cling to. Freezing fingers latch ahold of his armor as teeth chatter, the waves are neither kind nor warm and with their health as it is he’s certain someone is going to end up with a cold when this is all over. “And Twilight! A-and Legend and Wars! They’re out there somewhere!”

“We have to hope Legend and Warriors can elp the other two. We can’t do them any good if we’re fighting to stay above ourselves.” He tries to same calm, but his own mind and heart scream with the same message that Hyrule’s voice does, and its all he can do to push it down.

Thunder rolls overhead and waves beneath as they push off towards the shore, each of the older heroes aiding a younger one as Wind guides them all towrads the supposed island.

Time hs never been so relieved to see sand in his life, and as Hyrule pulls himself up the bach and Wind helps Sky to settle Four, Time can only pray that he’ll find his way back again. “I’m going to look for the otehrs. Wind, stay and help Sky.” The sailor looks as if he wants to hesitate, but he knows better than anyone how a small body can be lost to the waves much easier than an adult. “Make a fire, warm up as best you can. Keep an eyes out. I’ll come back if- when I find the others.”

He stops only to shed his armor and don his Zora gear, but a single dive beneath the water is enough to tell him that it’s for naught. Wind wasn’t joking about his water being toxic, and a single breath of the stuff leaves Time heaving as soon as he breaks the surface.

His chances of finding the boys have lowered considerably.

Nayru above, don’t let anyone have sunk beneath!

Time swims for all he is worth, pushing past weariness as he battles each and every wave. And he’s just beginning to lose hope when he catches sight of something silver reflecting in the water as lighting flashes above.

“Time!”

Blue whips around to meet its twins as Warriors comes to swim beside him. “Have you found any of the others?”

“Wind, Sky, Hyrule and Four.” he breathes back. “You?”

The captian looks rueful but nods to his side. “Legend.”

Time can’t help but start as Legend’s eyes peek above the surface. Golden and violet are glassy in the pale ace of the vet, but they’re there and that means that Legend is alive.

“I’ve officially met my first mer.” Warriors sighs, but there’s worry in the captains voice and face both.

“Split up.” Legend’s voice rasps, and there none of the melodic song that Time is used to hearing from this form of the vet.

Legend is pale, far too pale.

“What’s-”

“Wind’s world.” Warriors tells him. “Water here is toxic.”

The water is toxic. The water, which mer have to breath to stay alive, is toxic.

Time’s gaze shoots to the vet but there’s only a flick of gold and pink as he disappears beneath the waves. Warriors groans.  “He keeps doing that! I swear, I have no way of knowing if he’s even still there, but he still insists on disappearing like the little shit he is.”

Usually, Time would scold his brother for such a tone, but he knows that Warriors is just sacred. He’s terrified, and it leaks into his voice and his actions, and the only way that the soldier knows how to hide the fear is by biting back with venom, not dissimilar to the vet’s own actions.

They swim together, searching and calling out for the two missing heroes. Hope is beginning to fade and Time can feel a gnawing fear eating away at his heart as he thinks of the gaping wound in his Pup’s side and the likelihood that Twilight would even be able to swim with it.

His pup’s chances aren’t high.

“Look!” Warriors shouts over the storm, jerking him from his thoughts as his eyes follow the captain’s pointing hand.

Pink bobs on the surface, backed by bedraggled and soaked black fur as Legend hauls Twilight’s limp form through the water.

“Pup!”

He’s taking the lad from Legend as soon as they’re in reach, and Legend seems to sag in relief as the weight is removed from his shoulder. “Was with Wild. Bring him to-” The vet wheezes and ducks beneath the water for a moment, coming up with a pained expression on his face. “Bring to shore. I’ll get Wild.” He gives them no time to respond, tail flicking as he disappears beneath the waves again.

Time and Warriors exchange a glance and head back to shore, supporting the weight of the rancher between them.

Wind and Sky have managed to get a virtual bonfire going on the shore, and the sailor has laid what blankets and bed-rolls he’s found of their equipment in front of it, allowing their dampened things to ry as he and the other three heroes bundle together for warmth.

It’s with a cheer that they al; greet Time and Warriors as the two emerge from the ocean, and Time can’t help but smile a bit in relief at seeing them all safe again. Only a little longer and Legend will be back with Wild, and then he can rest easy knowing they’re all out of the storm.

Rain still patters against already soaked skin and cloth, but with the fire flickering before them Time can’t bring himself to care over much.

Hyrule’s fingers shiver as they slide over the wound in Twilight’s side, cleansing it from the poisonous water that has soaked into the bandages, and while Twilight grits his teeth and winces, he’s at least conscious enough to do so, and that alone brings some peace to the others.

Warriors informs the others of the whereabouts of their two missing brothers, and Time helps to settle Twilight on one of the warming bedrolls. It made still be wet, but it’s better than getting sand in the pup’s wound.

They wait in tense silence, bundled together to share heat as nervous gazes watch the shore. Wind hasn’t stopped muttering under his breath and Four isn’t doing much better with his half formed sentences and steady murmurs.

It’s only when Wild’s golden hair can be seen on the shore that they all release a breath of air.

Cornflower blue is wide and glazed, likely from shock, but it doesn’t stop the champion from reaching back into the waves to pull out his companion.

Legend is a mess.

The veteran gasps and splutters for breath once he’s free, skin a sickly shade of white and eyes just as glazes as Wild's own as the two clings to each other, and when the two stand together Legend is leaning heavily against the shaking champion, and it’s only through sheer luck that Time and Sky get there in time to catch them before the duo collapses back into the waves.

Wild curls against Time’s chest, fingers shaking and eyes blank as the man carries him back to the fire. Legend doesn’t even stir, lying limp in Sky’s hold as the Skyloftian bustles back to join the other heroes.

Nothing is said about the glistening tail that fades into legs once Legend is warmed and dried, and even if anyone had dared the stern gaze of the first of their number would have been enough to silence them.

Violet blinks hazy and distant beneath the warmed fabric of Sky’s sailcloth, but they are all safe. They are all safe and they are alive.

“Thanks to Legend.” Wild whispers when he comes back, head resting against Times collar bone. “Without him I would have never got Twi back to shore.”

“Three cheers for the vet.” Wars forces a smile, and while the cheers are heartfelt and thankful, they do nothing to lighten the mood.

Legend doesn’t even seem to hear them.

[anthemxix]

Hey! i love your writing & I'd love to see a continuation of the 'Fairies' fic with Warriors and Hyrule! you wrote them both so well :)

hi! thank you so much! :D and thank you for your patience! i know it took a while for me to get to this. getting these boys to share their personal lives with one another is quite a challenge, lol. hope you like it! <3 (here's the first one) --- The screen door and front porch creak when Hyrule sneaks outside, but he's sure no one is awake to hear. Summer air, warm and welcoming even at midnight, instantly soothes him. Homey Lon Lon Ranch elicits a cherished sense of belonging and family that Hyrule has not previously known, but even here, the need for fresh air and open spaces needles him now and again.

Relishing the unobstructed view of a million stars and the cicadas chiming in the trees, Hyrule ventures into the peacefully empty yard that, between horses and cuccos and Links, was so lively a few hours prior. He decides to amble towards the rose bushes along the fence, where bowls of sugar water are secreted to attract fairies—but stops short when, to his surprise, he spots another nighttime wanderer.

In front of the rose bushes, Warriors lounges on a bench surrounded by fairies, their blue and pink lights lazily flickering in contentment. With a deep and gentle fondness, he smiles at his companions, looking younger and more relaxed than Hyrule has seen him.

Hyrule feels like he's intruded on a private moment. He's considering retreating when Warriors says, "I'm know I'm pretty, but are you just going to stare all night, Traveler, or will you join me?"

Surprised, Hyrule laughs, then sheepishly rubs the back of his neck. "Ah, uh, sorry. I can find somewhere else to sit."

"No need. I think they want to see you anyway."

Indeed, some of the fairies have started to drift towards him, compelled by unseen gravity like moons to planets. He grins at them, cupping his hands. A few nestle there, forming a pastel bouquet.

Hyrule settles on the bench, careful not to disturb the fairies he cradles.

"What calls you out so late, Traveler?" Warriors asks conversationally. Some fairies stir from where they've nested in his scarf and float towards Hyrule, curious about the newcomer.

"Just wanted some air. You?"

"Same, I suppose."

Hyrule admires the starlight that catches in the fairies' filmy, dragonfly-like wings as he remembers when he and Warriors (almost) spoke a few weeks ago in the glen. He likes the Captain--they get along fine, and they fight together fluidly--yet Hyrule's never really talked to him. Safe and relaxed as this summer night feels, he figures now is a prime opportunity to change that.

"I love it here on the ranch," Hyrule admits, "and I love being with all of you. But sometimes I feel...stifled, I guess? Like I need to get out into open air. Get some breathing room. Does that make sense?"

"Sure. Some of the others are like that, too."

Warriors doesn't offer more, but Hyrule isn't willing to let go of the conversation so easily. "Do you feel that way ever?"

"Me?" Warriors smiles at the fairies as they circulate between him, Hyrule, and the refreshing bowls of sugar water hidden in the bushes. "Nah, not really. I'm used to being around people all the time, though. No privacy in the army."

"Oh, right. That makes sense. It was a dumb question."

"It wasn't." Warriors glances at him sidelong. "You're too hard on yourself."

Hyrule flushes. "What? No, I'm-- I'm the, the...right amount of hard on myself. No, that--that sounds weird, worded like that. I mean--"

Warriors laughs. The sound startles some fairies, makes them dart away with irritated squeaks. "I know what you mean. It's fine."

Still blushing, Hyrule slumps back in his seat. Maybe talking wasn't such a great idea after all.

Warriors, thankfully, changes the subject. "They really like you."

The fairies, wary of another outburst from Warriors, mostly congregate around Hyrule now. "They're just drawn to my magic."

"That's part of it, but it's definitely you they like. They're drawn to people with pure hearts. At least, the ones not trying to catch them in bottles."

Uncomfortable with the compliment, Hyrule squirms. "Oh, yeah, you're right, but it's... I mean, it's my magic, probably. I'm kind of...similar to them...in a way? I guess? I think they view me as, like, a weird, oversized, bumbling fairy."

Warriors reigns in his laughter this time. "Doesn't your spell just replicate their magic in some way? It's not like you're actually a fairy. I think they can tell the difference."

Hyrule squirms even more, suddenly aware he's on the precipice of an important moment. "Um...well, I... That's not strictly true."

"What isn't?"

"That I'm...not... Uh..." He bites his lip. Come on, just say it! You can't get close to people if you don't let them see you! "It's just that, uh, m-my spell actually kinda makes me transform into a fairy...?"

Hyrule winces and averts his eyes, bracing for the reaction to his blurted words. He's hardly revealed this ability to anyone, and he's not at all certain what the reaction might entail. Disbelief? Laughter? Prying questions?

He isn't expecting what Warriors actually says, which is: "Have you ever been caught in a bottle?"

Hyrule looks at him, head tilted in confusion. Warriors has adopted a calculated mask of calm, so Hyrule can't tell what he's thinking. "C-caught in a bottle? No, can't say I've had the pleasure."

"I see."

"...Why do you ask that?"

When he answers, Warriors sounds stilted and detached, like he’s delivering a report: "There was a time in the war when a Great Fairy assisted us. She carried me across the battlefield in a bottle to use me as her weapon."

Hyrule crinkles his brow. Simply imagining the magnitude of such claustrophobic horror stirs up anxiety, and he shudders. "Oh my gosh."

"As soon as I served my purpose, she’d plop me back in there," Warriors continues. "I tried escaping, believe me, but I never made a dent in that bottle."

"That's awful, Captain."

Sensing a shift in Warriors' emotional aura, the fairies drift to him again, snuggling into his hands or brushing him with their wings.

"It really was," Warriors whispers, calculated mask finally slipping as he allows himself to remember. He wilts. "I was totally powerless. It was the worst feeling."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Warriors watches the fairies for a moment, then shrugs, affecting nonchalance. "Well, that was a long time ago now. Doesn't matter."

Hyrule leans back and looks up at the splash of milky way and glittering stars. Pinks and blues twinkle in his periphery. "They say time makes things better, but it really doesn't. Not by itself. So yeah, of course it matters."

Quiet understanding passes between them, ethereal and peaceful as the fairies. Nothing else needs saying.

A sudden wave of drowsiness overtakes Hyrule. Perhaps it's from the emotional fallout of trading long-held secrets; though worthwhile, the activity draws on inner energy that Hyrule isn't used to tapping. The tiredness is pleasant, though, like the satisfying ache in his muscles after a challenging but rewarding day of adventuring.

"Can I see it sometime?" Warriors asks, his tone returning to its familiar smoothness.

Hyrule blinks. "See what?"

"Your spell."

"Uh...oh! My transformation spell? I--I guess so. Sure. Why not?"

"That's not convincing," Warriors laughs. "You don't have to."

"Ahh, no, I can. I'm just not used to, uh..."

"Showing off?"

"Er, yeah."

"You should show off your abilities," Warriors asserts. "Force other people to experience your brilliance. It's an enjoyable hobby."

Hyrule's laugh startles the fairies this time. They squeak and finally give up on these disruptive Hylians, opting instead to crowd around the sugar water bowls or disappear into the pasture grasses.

"Yeah, okay," Hyrule says, slumping back and closing his eyes. The night didn't turn out the way he expected, but he feels relaxed and tranquil nonetheless. A nap beneath the stars, cushioned by the rose bushes' fragrance, sounds perfect right now. "I'll keep that in mind, Captain."

[powdermelonkeg]

How about that mermaid from Link's Awakening?

Or hinoxes?

Or Pikango (he confuses me. He appears Sheikah but he said that he wasn't, if I remember correctly) ?

Zelda Merpeople

So, the mermaid from Link's Awakening is extremely cute, 10/10 would date her, but Link's Awakening's entire world is...a dream. There's Yoshi and Chain Chomps and things like that on the island. It makes it hard to worldbuild for.

Instead, though, we can decide where Link had HEARD of mermaids, and speculate what they would be like if they were a Hyrulean race.

So!

"The Legend of Zelda" is a popular tale among the Hyruleans, but it's FAR from the only one. Through milk bars and apple taverns alike, there are tales of grand sky cities, haunted undergrounds, falling moons, and just about anything travelers bring to the bard to tell the audiences.

One of those tales is of the Mermaid's Comb:

In the seas far from Hyrule, where the waters are clear and vibrant fish can be found anywhere you look, the Kingdom of Scales resides, full of people that are half fish, half Hylian. Some say they're a lost tribe of Zora cursed to need air, others say they're Hylians protected from the outside world by the intervention of the goddesses. These people are known as the Mers.

Among the Mers, a prince by the name of Ela lived, set to inherit the throne as soon as he wed. Suitors came from far and wide to ask his hand, yet, each and every one, he refused. His father implored him, begging him to consider at least one of the bachelors and bachelorettes who came knocking.

Finally, Prince Ela gave in. "Whoever can retrieve my comb," he said, "I will allow to court me." With that, he tucked a lovely comb, inlaid with pearls and bearing a flower carved of sapphire, behind his ear.

In the weeks that followed, everyone tried their hardest to get the comb. Pickpockets routinely tried to cross his path, spies kept track of his location, and some even went so far as to try breaking into the prince's room. With each transgression, more and more suitors were thrown out of the kingdom.

It just so happened that during this time, a wandering Zora named Nemony was visiting the kingdom to hawk his wares, weapons of finest silver. He had many customers, but one in particular always stuck around to chat with him; a young Mer who always wore an expensive-looking comb in his hair. Nemony enjoyed his company, and the two often took turns attempting to make each other laugh. Fish faces, jokes, overdramatically-recounted tales; they made a game of trying to be as stoic as possible, which only ever added to the competition.

During one such competition, an aggressive bachelorette from a neighboring city entered the weapons shop with a team of guards, attempting to snatch the comb away from Ela by force. Nemony dove into action, taking a silver claymore off of the wall and charging. In a matter of seconds, every one of the guards was defeated, and the suitor was held at blade's edge. "Get out," he growled through sharp teeth, "and never come back."

The bachelorette fled in terror, and Ela's eyes shone. As thanks, he pulled the comb from his hair and offered it to Nemony, who laughed. "What am I supposed to do with this?" he asked, gesturing to his fins. "Is this another of your jokes?"

"You'll have to see when you come to the palace," Ela replied, then swam away.

No one knows if the two did marry, as no one has been to the Kingdom of Scales since. But it's said that, ever since then, the Mer people of the Southern Seas forever offered combs as engagement gifts, and the Zora forever offered sapphires.

(Ask any Zora, though, and they'll roll their eyes. Sapphires mean so much more than a child's tale.)

Now then, if I were to put the mermaids in Hyrule, they'd likely live around Eventide. The waters are warm and tropical, and fish are in no short supply. Their colors would likely be less vibrant as they migrated further north, and they'd decorate themselves with armor made of silver crab shells and fabric spun out of sea grass. During the night, you'd be able to see the glow of their cities; it's led to rumors in Hateno and Lurelin that Eventide is haunted.

Hinox

Hinoxes are an interesting monster, and one of Ganon's creations. They're large, have a certain degree of intelligence comparable to Bokoblins, and are best defined by the singular eye they posses.

Hinoxes are EXTREMELY territorial. They fight each other for the best possible hunting ground, where they use whatever they have at their disposal to get the upper hand; bombs, fists, even trees as of late. They tend to be extremely destructive to the surrounding terrain as a result of this.

However, despite all this, if a pair of Hinoxes are forced to team up against a stronger opponent, they may share territory from then onward; Hinoxes in relationships like these are called "brothers," as they avoid interacting otherwise.

A Hinox's diet consists of both meat and fruit, occasionally including fish. Its stomach, rather than dissolving what it eats in acid, torches its contents until the food dissolves into ash, which is absorbed by their intestines. This organ is valuable in alchemy for its heat-resistent properties. The thick lining and natural heating matrix allows for elixirs to be forced to a more controlled temperature during brewing. Unfortunately, it smells like burned popcorn no matter what you do to it.

Hinox don't chew their food, and lack taste buds. Rather, they swallow it whole, and their teeth are used more like tusks; the larger the two primary teeth up front, the more aggressive the Hinox tends to be. Desperate travelers can often find seared meat and well-cooked fruit in a defeated hinox's stomach.

A Hinox's size is indicative of the health of its environment; the larger the Hinox, the more resources are available to it, and in turn, the better quality ingredients it produces. Its nails, for instance, are only valuable at their peak condition, but when that peak is hit, they can be powdered and used as a focusing agent, increasing the potency of an elixir significantly.

And, lastly, Hinoxes are attracted to shiny things, which they adorn themselves with as trophies; some theorize that they're used to attract mates, while others say they're a warning sign to other Hinoxes about what happens if their territory is invaded. Regardless of their purpose, it's best to wear dark clothing and drink a sneaky elixir before you go anywhere near one of them.

Pikango

Oh, Pikango is a Sheikah! He's just not from Kakariko: "Since I'm an outsider, I can't get anyone to tell me any more details than that. These villagers never leave the safety of their village, so travelers like me are treated with suspicion."

Ever since he was a little boy, his parents told him stories of the Great Faries that once blessed the world with their presence. From a young age, he's often wanted to paint such beautiful creatures; though, his attempts without references have gotten him some strange looks.

He got his start in traveling while searching for paints. The Kochi Dye Shop served him well for a little while, but there were hues that it just couldn't make, so he set out to find his own colors. And, during his travels, he heard that Kakariko Village held a Fairy Fountain, so he HAD to go see it himself.

[linerwriter]

We Are Family

I’m back! And with something inspired by the LU discord’s prompt this week: fluff!

I had originally planned on a Sky and Wind centric story, but, uh, that’s fighting me, so have something I’m actually somewhat proud of.

Also! This is posted on ao3, if you prefer reading on that. Same username, linerwriter, on there. The only thing on there besides this is a Persona 5 fic, but I’m hoping to post some of the ones from here I really liked to there.

I hope you guys enjoy this!

The idea came after several months of travel and no breaks.

Time had noticed how several of the boys, especially ones used to family and companionship, would cast longing looks toward the houses with their lanterns still on in the windows, or would quietly look away after a child asked their mother for something. It tore at him to see them so depressed, and so when they finally returned to his Hyrule, he schemed.

It was hard. He was the unofficial leader of the group, the eldest (so to speak), so whenever something bad happened, he was the first one they came to. It was aggravating, to say the least, when Sky came to him for help with the cuccos, and immediately after Wind accidentally knocked something over and set off the horses.

It was a long time coming, but finally. The table was set. The food was cooked. It was time for the feast to begin!

He could see the joy in the boys’ eyes when he brought them out to the barn and they were greeted with the mountain of food Malon had cooked. Time and Malon had brought out the special table and chairs, the dark oak ones they had at their wedding, and decorated it with a plain white tablecloth with lace around the edges. They had placed flowers on the table, a mix of lilacs, gardenias, hyacinths and Silent Princesses Malon had convinced Wild to give her. Strings were strung up horizontally across the roof; they had managed to convince (re: bribe) some fairies to sit on the strings and enjoy the festivities for the night.

“What…” Legend spoke in shock, “How did you manage to do this?” The other boys nodded in agreement, their faces mirroring Legend’s. Time swore he could see a tear coming out of Sky’s eye.

“With some hard work, determination, and lots of love.” Malon spoke up from beside Time, “Now come on, let’s eat!”

They didn’t have to be told twice. Wind was the first to the table, a bright grin on his face. Wild was right behind him, sitting beside the younger boy and beginning to take some of the food set. The others soon followed suit, with Hyrule staying behind to thank Malon for all of the food.

“Oh, it was nothing, dear. Enjoying it is enough thanks for me.” She shooed him toward the table, turning toward her husband once he left.

“Proud of yourself?” She cocked an eyebrow at him, a small smirk on her face.

“Couldn’t have done it without you, love,” He kissed her, pulling away when someone shouted, “Ew, Mom and Dad are kissing!”

“Shush, you!” The boys laughed and continued dishing out food to each other and admiring the decorations. He looked toward his lovely, beautiful, fantastic wife and said, “Shall we join them?”

“We shall!” She cried with a flourish and dragged him toward the group. Malon had really outdone herself this time. Plates were piled high with mashed potatoes, salt-grilled vegetables and mushroom skewers. He saw some rice balls on the other end of the table, almost halfway gone. There were a few different types of stews being passed around, along with some cornbread. A big bowl of salad was near the middle, next to the main attraction: the Hylian turkey.

It was huge, a masterpiece among turkeys. The skin was browned to perfection, the meat nice and juicy. The stuffing looked amazing, filled with bread, herbs, and spices. He couldn’t wait to have some.

“How’d you manage to find one that big?” Twilight asked across from him, gesturing toward the meat. Time smiled behind his glass,

“Trade secret, pup.”

Twilight rolled his eyes and took some for himself. He took a bite and visibly melted.

“That good, huh?” Warriors spoke up from beside Four. Twilight nodded, a euphoric look on his face.

“Malon, you are a Goddess’s send.”

Malon giggled beside him, “Why thank you, dear.”

“Ms. Malon, is there any more?” Wind asked eagerly, his plate already clean.

“If you wait a little longer, Wind, I may bring out some carrot cake.”

“Really?!”

Malon nodded, “And some cookies and fruit cake, too, if you’re good.”

Wind gasped in delight, turning to shovel some vegetables onto his plate. Wild laughed and patted him on the back, urging him to slow down. Around the table, individual conversations struck up, securing the bond between them even tighter.

Twilight turned toward him, a grin on his face. “Ready to eat?”

Time grinned right back, “Absolutely.”

Hours later, after the feast was done and they had cleaned up, they laid together in bed, the house quiet and content. They had spent many hours in the barn, sharing stories and smiles over plates of food and, eventually, a campfire. The fairies had migrated with them, interested in the tales of the different incarnations, and had formed a glowing halo above them.

“Did you ever imagine your life would turn out like this?” She spoke from where her head rested on his chest.

He thinks for a moment. When he was his youngest, he hadn’t even known of the world outside of Kokiri Forest. He thought he was going to live forever, like the rest of the Kokiri. Then Navi and the Great Deku Tree and the Master Sword happened, and suddenly he was friends with a princess and had traveled through time, and then he stopped a kingdom from the moon. At that point in his life, he had considered settling down with something, maybe have a kid or two, but he felt he wouldn’t have deserved it. Now, though...

He sighed, “I don’t think I could’ve imagined anything that happened to me when I was younger. But,” he kissed her head, “I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

“Not even if someone put a sword to your heart?”

“Not even then.”

She huffed out a laugh, “Sap.”

“You love me.”

“I do, and sometimes I wonder if that’s a good thing.”

Time rolled his eyes, “Gee, thanks, dear.”

Malon sat up from his chest with a laugh. She kissed him, a soft smile on her face“I love you. And this family.”

Time smiled back, “I love you too.”

[hylianfury]

Do you read Linked Universe stuff?

No, not really. It seems really good but I do plan to write/do my own ‘all links’ story at some point and one of my biggest fears in general is taking content from others? So first I want to finish my zora!fic in which them all more or less appear, then prooooobably work on my ‘how the timelines merged’ story which is bound to be REALLY heavy… and I want to keep my headcanons for the heroes intact until I’m done with that?

Like, I have strong personalities for zelda I-II, Bird, Wolf and Fairy Heroes… example:

Fairy Boy saw all three timelines. Was married with Malon for a while but once the memories of the timeline in which he died started to flood in, followed by those of the world he left, and seeing the consequences scarred him enough he just… left. Insert story up to an early death without even knowing Malon gave him a child (-> leads to the hero’s shade)

Bird was the first Link cursed. I write often with the headcanon that all Links ‘survive’ as spirits to watch over Hyrule and guide their sucessors. When he died he was just alone in this korok-like forest without knowing why, where or how until the hero mentioned in the minish cap’s intro gave him a windows on the rest of the world.

Wolf is a nice old man? He loved Midna, had his ups and downs but at the end settled down with a local girl and just… had a normal life. He’s pretty much balancing the others? Voice of reason who keeps calm when the others are (inevitably) fighting.

Zelda I-II was a kid warrior (We know he’s 16 in Zelda II, we know it was several years after the first game) who more or less broke under pressure (He did complete both his missions, tho) and has the horrible habit to laugh about horrible things, a really dark sense of humor and avoids people, even as a ghost (he used to be a living target for ganondorf’s minions during his second adventure, it’s deep seated in his subconscious his presence may hurt others.

So, yeah, I do have strong ideas in mind, I know the LU must be great (many people tell me about it and there’s this lovely commenter in my zora!Fic who brought it up more than once) but until I’m done with my projects I’m probably… not touching it? It is in my list, of course, but… sorry, anon.

[myssamyss]

Wings and Horses Pt 3: A Family of Ten

To be read alongside the following LU comics from Jojo: 

“Malon 1″ 

“Malon 2″

“Malon 3″

I won’t spend much time repeating what Jojo has already so masterfully portrayed. 

Part 3: A Family of Ten

Malon tried to busy herself with chores each day as she waited for her husband’s return. She was feeding the cuccos when she caught sight of a group of people coming down the far road. She picked up her skirt and ran out the fence gate, past the stone piles beneath the shady tree, and toward the road.

She recognized Link’s good armor glinting in the sunlight at the head of the group. He was half-turned away from her, chatting to one of the eight young Hylians trailing behind him.  

Her heart soared. Link was safe. Link was home.

“You’re back!!!” she shouted.  

Link turned and caught her eyes across the remaining meters of grass and clover. They sprinted to each other and locked in a long-overdue kiss.  

She wanted to draw out their reunion, but she could hear the boys beyond her husband whispering among themselves (along with the curious clink of what sounded like a bag of rupees). Another time.  

She turned toward them with a welcoming smile and placed one hand on Link’s shining breastplate.

“Everyone, this is my wife, Malon,” her husband announced proudly.  

She took in the large group of heroes standing before her. She had expected near-copies of her husband, but truly none of them looked much like her Link. Two were nearly a head shorter than she was! Though as she appraised them, she did notice a faint resemblance that the group shared, as if they were all distant cousins of a large family.  

Malon felt a small twinge of dismay as she took in each face. She hoped to pick out her descendant just by looking at him, but any of these other Links could be him! She resigned herself to patience. For now.  

“My husband has told me about you boys in his letters. It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” she said warmly. “Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch!”  

The boys piled into the house and introductions were made. She reveled in meeting every new Link. She knew each one had a life of adventures to rival her husband. Though it pained her to imagine the dangers and troubles that brought these boys together, she was nevertheless glad to have so many people visiting their cozy home. She felt honored to provide these boys with a small opportunity for rest in their lives of hardship.

When she lay in bed preparing for sleep later that night, her heart was content. Link was home again. He had filled their kitchen to bursting with boys smiling and laughing and enjoying her cooking.  She replayed some of the day’s best moments: The wonder in the Hero of Hyrule’s face when he discovered the fairies out in the yard. The Hero of the Wild cooking dinner elbow-to-elbow with her. The Hero of Twilight’s bashful reaction when she complimented his strength, and the Hero of Warriors’ pride when she took notice of his well-kept armor.

She wanted the chance to learn more about all of these wonderful boys.  

The door to the bedroom creaked open slowly. Link tip-toed in.

“I’m awake, silly,” she called to him quietly.  

“Oh,” he replied. “Well, in that case…” He strode to the bed without regard for the creaking floorboards and bent down to kiss her forehead gingerly.

“I love you,” he murmured, sliding a hand through her bangs.  

She giggled. “I love you too. So, about that argument...”  

Link groaned and straightened up. He spoke while walking to the other side of the bed. “Look, your father’s a grown man. I’m sorry, I just worry about you two when I’m away.”  

“No, no, I know that. I meant, do you think we scared the boys off of marriage?” she asked jokingly. “I mean, the looks on their faces!”

Link smiled. “Not for an instant.” He pulled back the covers and lay down beside her. Though he made no outward sign, Malon knew he was grateful to be back in his own soft bed.

“Another question: which one is he??” she pried. She propped herself up on one elbow and stared down at her husband through the dimness. He had already closed his eye in relaxation.  

A smile spread across his peaceful face.

“Tomorrow night,” he told her without opening his eye. “Let’s let the boys settle in for now.”  

She frowned and lay back down. “Fine,” she said, playing at being hurt.

“You’ll love him, Malon,” he told her sleepily.

“I know, honey. I already do.”

***

The next day, the heroes were back to helping with ranch chores. After instructing the group on which jobs to do, Link sneaked away to spend a few moments with his wife. He found Malon in the kitchen, scrubbing a mountain of dishes left over from breakfast and the dinner before.  

Link put a hand on her shoulder. “Darling, we have eight helpful young men outside, let me get someone to help you,” he told her.  

“Will you get our grandson?” she shot back, turning her head to him and raising her eyebrows in a dare.  

He smiled at her coyly. “I’ll bring whoever volunteers.”

A few moments later the back door creaked and three boys appeared in her kitchen. Among them was, to her surprise, the farmer. She eyed the Hero of Twilight suspiciously.  

“Now, why would a farm boy like you give up chores under the sun to help me in the house?” she asked.

She wasn’t sure if he could read the playfulness in her voice, because the young man gulped, then shrugged. She let it be. She’d learn who the descendant was tonight. Link had promised.  

She put the Hero of Sky and the Hero of Wind to work washing dishes.  

“What about me?” Twilight asked. His eyes shone.  

“You can help me with the pies,” she told him, taking note of the curious way he watched her. “Now that we have the dishes covered, I can focus on baking. We’ll put your strong arms to use cutting in butter for the crust.”  

Twilight smiled, looking pleased. “Just tell me what to do,” he said agreeably.  

The four of them set to work, chatting all the while.

“How long have you and Time been married?” Sky asked. “He’s much different with you. Relaxed.”

Ah, a romantic, Malon thought to herself as she tossed slivers of butter into her flour bowl. Judging from all his questions, Sky seemed keen on learning her entire love story with Link. Malon wondered who Sky’s special lady was. Perhaps he was taking notes.  

“We’ve been married for years. Things aren’t always this relaxed between us,” Malon told them. “We’ve had plenty of bad times, bad moments, fights. Even last night we were arguing,” she pointed out.

“I mean, arguing is one thing, everybody does that,” Wind cut in. “But you and Time fighting? Can’t picture it. He likes you a lot.” He shrugged and returned to the plate he was drying.  

“I like him a lot too,” she said with a grin. She handed Twilight two blunt knives for working the pie dough. “But sometimes things are hard,” she continued, “and he’s stubborn-”  

The three boys laughed.

“-and I’m stubborn too. We’ve gone through some pretty hard things together.”

A bird perched on the windowsill outside. Sky glanced up at it and his eyes brightened.

“Spouses have to be like two wings on a bird, working together to stay in flight,” he said as if reciting a familiar quote. He smiled to himself and gazed thoughtfully out the window.

“Or like two horses to the same plow,” Twilight added as he sliced at the forming dough. “If one’s hurt, it’ll just draw the plow around in a circle and you’ll never finish the field.”

Malon laughed softly at the metaphor. She knew just what he meant.

Keeping her marriage with Link aloft (or to put it Twilight’s way, plowing forward) was hard work. Marrying a hero wasn’t her happy ending. It just opened up the possibility of a happy ending. Along the way was the rigorous daily work of confronting their trauma and flaws. Of course, a little Goddess magic to soothe their fears about future children didn’t hurt either.  

She wondered again which boy was the legacy of all their work. Her feelings were mainly from curiosity at this point, she admitted to herself. Regardless of who was actually related to her by blood, her heart had already adopted them all.  

[mrneighbourlove]

Filling the Emptiness: Ch 7. Destiny Fulfilled

Leere stood by the kitchen sink, splashing herself with water. She couldn’t believe it. She was able to look at herself without fear of the future. And that scared her. The paradox was maddening. Her wedding was today. The last of her guests had arrived yesterday. Zarazu had sent so many dragons to pick up those that lived far away from Hyrule for this occasion. Leere’s list included her band mates, her family and extended family, and old colleagues, and the families of those who had died in her life. She wanted them to know she never forgot about them.

A knock came at her door. Rinku, who never wore dresses under usual circumstances, had a pretty green dress just for this occasion. As her best man, Rinku felt it was her duty to supply Leere with all the courage she’d need to get through the day. “Hey. You’re looking a little green under the gills.”

“As opposed to you being green all over? Worried that I’ll grow wrinkles from stress?”

“What, like me? I’m only starting to let those sink in.” Both of them chuckled as Leere looked back into the mirror. Her adoptive sister patted her back. “You ready for this?”

“….I am. I’m tired of being alone. Let’s fill that hole properly.”

“That’s my Leere.” Rinku took her hand and the two of them left for the dressing room. Sunny and her family were preparing on the East Wing, Leere and her family in the West. The plan was for the two brides to walk down on two separate ends towards each other. Upon arriving in her dressing room, Kanisa, Orana and Tebanam were ready for her. Kanisa was so excited to see her gothic sister have such a grand, almost fairy tale wedding.

“Oh Leere. The dress you picked out is simply wonderful. Has flair. I think your loved one is going to be so happy. You’re perfect dear.”

The dress Kanisa was referring to was a beautiful white dress with markings traced in the dress. Leere slipped the fingerless gloves onto her hand and examined them. The top of her hands held the design of the triforce, with diamond designs going down the arm. As Kanisa took note of, the dress was puffy, with a long trail of cloth. Leere didn’t think she’d ever be the type, and yet, it’s what she wanted in the end, able to fulfill her childhood dream. The dress sparkled, like stars. Her sisters and brother helped her get dressed into it. “It’s a little tight.”

Orana gave her a thumbs up. “You fit perfectly into it. You’re so pretty Leere.”

Tebanam added to the pep talk, adjusting the ruby collar around Leere’s neck. “You deserve this moment.

Leere felt a light blush, appreciative of the comments. “Thank you.”

Covarog gave a knock at the door, with Ralnor flanking him. He was incredibly impressed seeing Leere in such a dress. “Wow. Great work you guys. Can I get a hug?”

“Of course you can.” Leere practiced walking towards her brother with the weight of the dress and wrapped her arms around him.

“Glad to see you in high spirits. Here.” Covarog handed Leere a bouquet of blue hydrangea flowers for Leere. “Zarazu had Zizi grow these up for you. We thought some theming would be appropriate.”

Leere was amazed by the vibrant light colour of the flowers. Smelling them, she relaxed. “Thank you. That’s incredibly kind.”

Ralnor raised an eyebrow, seeing Leere’s hair was little tussled from putting the dress on. “Leere, stand still for a moment.” Reaching for a brush, he quickly settled her wild hair down. Towering over his tiny sister had its perks, as he was able to reach everywhere without asking her to sit down. “Where would you be without us?”

“Going down the aisle with messy hair.”

“Exactly. But now, you don’t need to. There you are.”

Rinku checked a watch, and snapped her finger. “Alright. Places. We need to be ready in our positions and have you go down the red carpet in ten minutes.”

Leere took deep breaths. How she wanted to see her lover. “Well then, I better take my place. All of you… thank you. Thank you for all your support over the years.”

Leere held a group hug with all her siblings, telling herself not to cry. The five Gerudo siblings were like a protective wall, with Rinku and Leere softly in the middle. Rinku smiled softly, using a finger to wipe away a single tear forming on Leere’s face. “And we’ll always be with you. Till the end of line.”

The Mortuus held her head against Rinku’s and softly smiled, closing her eyes. As her siblings held each other close, Leere thought about all good times ahead of her. She was casting off her shell of misery and hardships. As they all let go, Leere looked to each one, seeing the happiness every Gerudo and Hylian had on their face. It was time. “Thank you.”

Walking to her destination, Leere waited behind one of the towers for her father to walk her down the aisle. As she waited, she heard scratching come from one of the tower windows. Looking up, she saw an old friend, hissing with delight at her. “Bonegrinder thinks he hasn’t seen such a pretty dress on an even prettier woman in a long time.”

Leere chuckled, glad to see he showed up for her wedding. “I see you have a comfortable view from the tower.”

“Oh yes. Bonegrinder would never miss out on your big day. Rumor has it that you have a little one on the way.”

“That we do. Sunny has something going on in the tummy.”

“Babies don’t come from the stomach?”

“Bonegrinder… it’s a figure of speech.”

“Ah. Apologies.” Bonegrinder sensed someone coming. “Anyways, you go have the best experience of your life. Bonegrinder will throw a party in your honour in the Underground.”

“Oh? I thought you didn’t do parties.”

“Well, today is cause for celebration. We won’t do it for long, but I’m sure my children would want to celebrate in their own way.”

“Thank you for being my friend Bonegrinder.”

As Bonegrinder slithered away, Leere looked around, expecting Ganondorf, when she saw a person covered in bandages with a long flowing braid. They wore sheikah robes, and had an air of elegance about them. If it wasn’t for their silver hair aged by time, it would be their voice that gave them away. “It’s been a long time since I took this look for you.”

“Mom?!” Leere couldn’t believe Zelda had shown up as Sheik. “What are you doing wearing that? What’s happened to father?”

“Your father sprained his back, running around excited for your wedding. I just had Malik rest him in the chairs next to the alter. And I knew it was tradition for a father to walk you down. So why not the first male figure that helped lead you out of the dark…”

“…and into the light.” Leere felt her soul sore freely. Her mother cared so deeply for her.

“You’ve been through darkness. Terror. And pain. But through all of that you have grown. And you never turned into the darkness that haunted you. The woman I see before me is no longer scared. No longer feels alone. Your ballad is one of peace and serenity now. You are a daughter of shadow, but does not make you dark. You are adopted from the light. You are about to marry the sun that fills that light. May the shadows that surround you only leave you feeling cooled, and content. You are my Leere. My precious daughter. And I’m so, so proud of you.”

“Mom…” Leere threw her arms around Zelda, hugging her deeply. Her mom indeed always had some words of wisdom for her.

“Don’t cry dear. Those tears are for your wife to be.”

Leere nodded, allowing her mother to lock arms with her. Walking to the door of the garden courtyard, they opened it up, and stepped down the path. Music from her band played, using the organ and beautiful harps to set the mood. Hundreds of people had gathered for both the newly weds to be. As Leere got closer, she saw the woman that was the architect of her love.

Sunny was wearing a stunning dress to match Leere. Her collar instead held a dazzling sapphire, and she carried red roses. Both women couldn’t help but laugh internally, as they each held the others colour of flower that would match each other. If Leere’s dress sparkled like the stars, Sunny’s glowed like the sun. The beauty of each other made the other tear up. They quickly had to blink to stop crying, overwhelmed by the joy of this day. Finally, the met each other face to face, and Zelda and Sunny’s father handed them off.

The music died down and Zelda took her seat next to Ganondorf, undoing her head gear. Next to Sunny and Leere, were Rinku and Galaxia as their bridesmaids. Down the central lane came little Skyla. She was tossing pellets everywhere, and finally, arriving to her aunt, held the ring box up she had been holding onto. Leere loved how adorable Skyla was as their little ring bearer. The pastor at the alter smiled to the couple. “If you’d please, take your rings from the ring bearer and place them on your hands.”

Sunny and Leere did just that, placing the other ring on their respective lover’s hand. Leere made a sign language of ‘thank you’ with her moon ring on her finger to Skyla. The little girl sign language back, ‘Your welcome. I love you.’ With that, she ran down to sit in Faris’ lap.

“We are gathered here today, to bring together two women in holy union under the eyes of the goddess Hylia, and all the holy spirits of the world. Sunny Ingo, leader and prosperous worker of Hyrule. And Leere Dragmire, Hero of Hyrule.” Leere didn’t expect to be called hero. Why did everything conspire to make her cry tears of joy? The pastor continued, gesturing to Sunny. “Sunny Ingo. Do you love Leere Dragmire? Do you wish to be by her side, and keep her warm in your coldest nights. Do you take her hand in marriage?”

“I do.” Sunny’s smile burned like the fire of the gods, indeed keeping Leere warm. She squeezed Leere’s hands, thinking of nothing except a bright future.

“And do you, Leere Dragmire, love Sunny in return and ask her hand in marriage? To give her only dreams and hope? To live out the last of your days with her?”

“I do.” Leere felt that the future had everything worked out for her.

“Does anyone object to this union?” Not a peep from the audience. Skull Kid thought about shooting a water balloon at Leere, but decided against it. He could always get her tomorrow. “Then without further ado, I pronounce you wives. You may kiss the bride.”

Leere leaned up, with Sunny holding her close, and both of them kissed intimately. The crowd of people cheered, throwing flowers into the air, hollering and clapping. Ganondorf was wiping his eyes, and all the siblings of Leere and Sunny were so proud of them. Leere and Sunny, now wives, broke off the loving kiss, and looked into each others eyes. Life was going to be ok.

~

The area was quickly cleared, and everyone set up tables for partying and celebration. Leere got on stage, tapping the microphone. “Hello? Everyone? I just want to say, before we get started, I just want to say, from the bottom to the top of my heart, thank you. Thank you for standing by me. I know for a fact, I wouldn’t be here without you all. Fighting the monsters is the easy part. It was living with being a survivor that was the hardest part. But now, I’m at a point in my life where I don’t have to be that. I just get to live. So thank you. Now with that out of the way.” Leere strummed her electric guitar. “Let’s get this reception started!”

Leere and her band played a sweet song of love and fun in the sun. Once she sang her heart out to the crowd for the opening act, Leere stepped down and allowed her band to play some more. The instrumental consisted of trumpets, flutes, drums, and the slow strum of a guitar. Leere found herself on the dance floor, and met Sunny for their first dance. They spun, laughed, and moved together gracefully. The sun shined with glory on the two, keeping each other warm.

Rinku interjected after the couple had a few dances. “Hey, sis. Everyone is gathering for photos. You two want to join up? I mean, if you’re too busy undressing each other with your eyes, I understand.”

“Sunny, welcome to the extended family. Such a joy.”

“I know you’re being sarcastic in your use of the word, but I believe joy is exactly the right term to use. Unironically. It’s how feel about our future going forward. How’d you feel about that?”

“Feel about what?”

“Calling our daughter Joy?”

Leere tilted her head, a twinkle in her eye. “That’s a beautiful name. But what if it’s a boy?”

“I have faith that the gods can’t the pass the perfect combination of two women like us into a little girl.”

“God. Such the optimist. I adore that about you.”

Rinku watched awkwardly as the two kissed deeply. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “Ok now. We have all day to do that later.”

Sunny and Leere giggled, and walked with Rinku to their respective families. Sunny’s father and Ganondorf were having a respectful conversation of how they once each led their business and kingdom respectively. Sunny’s brothers and along with Covarog and Tebanam shared embarrassing stories of their sisters, having laughter spread amongst them. Luna was seeking advice from Kanisa and Orana on how to raise more than one child, and Galaxia and Ralnor quietly talked about how they hoped their sister’s future would play out.

Once the brides arrived, congratulations were given to both of them. Rinku motioned both the women together. “First things first. The lovely brides. Smoosh you love birds.”

Leere and Sunny obliged. They took pictures kissing, holding hands, leaning against each other for support, and even made silly gestures. Sunny smiled fondly. “You know. It’s nice to have pictures of the three of us.”

“Three of us?”

“You, me, and our little bundle of joy growing inside.”

Leere settled on the final picture, holding Sunny’s stomach fondly. “Yeah. I suppose so.”

“Hey sis. Get your pretty butt over hear and show off why you’re the most photogenic.” Apollo called over to Sunny. With a grin, she got close to her family for a group shot. Sunny felt that this day was the happiest moment of her life by far.

After her photos were done, Rinku handed Sunny the camera. “I’ll be sure to get all your good sides.”

“Hey now, all our sides are good.”

Leere patted her sisters back, joining with the rest of her family. Leere was in front, with Zelda and Rinku flanking her left and right. Kanisa and Orana squeezed in right behind them. Then Covarog, Ralnor, Tebanam, and Ganondorf surrounded them all. Everyone squeezed in tight, smiling with excitement. Leere was with her family. She was married. At long, long last, she had found peace. No more monsters to hunt. No demons in the dark. And no one dying on her watch. She found the perfect balance in her life. She filled the emptiness in her soul. She got all the good photos in before tears of gratitude came down her face. “I love you all so much.”

~ Five Years Later

Leere sat down, reading a book, when she heard the bounding thunderous steps of tiny feet jump up to her. Her daughter, Joy, smiled fondly up at her mother. “Momma says you have to come eat dinner now and have birthday cake.”

“Does she?” Leere set her book down and smiled happily at her daughter. Ruffling her dark hair, Leere scooped Joy up. “You do know that, because it’s your birthday, I get to have 25% of your cake. That’s the tax I get for bringing you into this world.”

“Noooo. Momma brought me into this world.”

“But I helped. I’m thinking that the crime of sass means I get to have an additional slice.”

“No. You want to know why?”

“Why’s that?”

“I love you a million.”

Leere showed surprise. “Wow. A million. That’s new number for you. A million what?”

“A million love.”

Leere felt her heart flutter, and slowly smiled. “Holy cow. That is a lot of love.”

Arriving at the table, she sat her daughter down at the table. Sunny finished baking a chocolate cake that said ‘May 5th. The Biggest Joy in Life Came to Be.’ “Good job dear. It’s not an easy task wrangling your mom from a good book.”

“Well, she got me good. Costed a million love.”

“A million?”

“Yep.”

Leere and Sunny shared a kiss, cooking up some potato soup to have first before cake. They looked down at their daughter, who smiled back to them with a twinkle in her eyes. They made this life work for them. It brought them so much peace. Joy swung her feet back and forth under the table fondly. “Mommy. Momma?”

“Yes dear?”

“Can we go look at the stars after food?”

Leere looked to her wife and shrugged in good humour. “I don’t know. You have your P.J’s cleaned?”

“Yes.” Joy said, matter of factly.

Leere looked to her wife, serving her daughter soup and each woman taking their seat. “I think we have an activity than after dinner.”

“That we do I reckon.”

Each of them looked to each other, and without words, exchanged the peace they felt with their eyes. They did good. They found their happiness, and most importantly, to Leere, she did right by making her daughter never know what emptiness felt like. Everything was right.

https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/184658907816/filling-the-emptiness-ch-6-big-changes Previous Ch.

[tmntransformer]

tag, you’re it;;

i was tagged by @coral-fairy the cutie  (ؑ‷ᵕؑ̇‷)◞✧

rules: always post the rules. answer the questions asked, then write 11 new ones. tag people to answer your questions, as well as the person who tagged you. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1) what type of music do you listen to?

uhm all kinds! lately i’ve been listening to stations on radio.garden & my fave ones have been in almaty, dublin & santa cruz de la sierra so far, but i’m still working my way around the world so  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

& i’ll always have a sly soft-spot for mcfly,, 💖 they were my favourite band when i was 11 & i have all their albums & have seen them live a lot ??? anyway they’re cute. 

2) do you have any pets?

not at the moment, ///3 

in my life i’ve had: 1 cat, 1, rabbit, 1 fox 1 banana slug, 2 dogs, 2 chipmunks, 4 guinea pigs, 4 african snails, 5 hamsters, 100s of fish, a wormery, an ant farm & a selection of chicken °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° …but not all @ the same time !

[the dream of my life is to own 2 jerboas, a cat, a dog & chickens !!]

3) if you could be a pokémon what one would you be?

!! UHHMMMM THIS IS A HARD ONE !!

because i want to say i’d be a fire type (vulpix, flareon, fennekin, torchic, cyndaquil, litten or charmander) or haunter or psyduck or duskull. but cubone is my favourite pokémon of forever,,, idk if i’d wanna be cubone or just befriend cubone tho?? because i want to love & protect them (∗ᵕ̴᷄◡ᵕ̴᷅∗)՞ !

[my friends call me bidoof. so there’s also that]

4) what was the last book you read and would you recommend it?

n.p. by banana yoshimoto (•‾⌣‾•)و ̑̑♡ i would 100% recommend !!

[tbh i’d recommend anything by banana yoshimoto, her books are mostly skinny so really easy to read in a single sitting & i just love her style~~]. 

5) what was your first fandom?

the first fandom i read fanfics for was twilight LOLLL orzzz, because i was dissatisfied w/ the werewolf content & i liked reading fics about seth… let me live.

the first fandom i contributed to was haikyuu! ;D

6) pirates or ninjas?

i can’t tell if this is ‘pirates or ninjas’ or ‘one piece or naruto’ !? 

anyways i love naruto (i honestly have akatsuki themed shoes that are my favourite), but one piece is my BIG LOVE. ٩(*ゝڡ◕๑)۶♥ so pirates.

7) if you could be any type of supernatural being what would you be?

dragon, nymph/sprite or ghost.

[i was born the year of the goat so feel like i should add satyr,, pftksartmlov]

8) if you could travel anywhere in time or space where would you go?

if i had to remain in that time & space forever then nowhere because i love the people i have in this one. (/ 3 \)

but if i could come back then i’d like to travel back in time & meet my grandma & grandpa as i was born too late to. preferably when my mam was already born so i could see her as a wild child too, that would be fun i think. 

9) meaning/story behind your url?

…i feel attacked.

okay when i first joined tumblr i just combined my two childhood loves (i didn’t count them as my first fandoms because i didn’t know what fandom was when i was a toddler child person) teenage mutant ninja turtles + the transformers = tmntransformer ƪ(‾_‾)ʃ

10) what is your favourite food?

(っ˘ڡ˘)っ─∈ fruit, ice cream, pad thai, lasagna, shepherd’s pie, rice,,, 

11) if you could live in any fictional universe what would it be and who would you want to be your best friend/significant other?

one piece universe or hyrule (legend of zelda universe) ;; 

in one piece luffy, law, sanji, chopper, marco, & vivi would be my bffs & zoro would be my husband ;; 

in hyrule epona would be my best friend 💕💕💕 nabooru & tatl my 2nd best & all the gorons my family because i love the cute noises they make /wuahhh/, /oawwuuu/. me, ravio, link & princess ruto would be poly… ( ￫◡￩♡).:｡

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

OKAY~ now i’ve finished waffling on i’m going to tag @vivalakoala, @buckettkun, @roronoaxd,@cxrx-s, @zamora-siona, @dontminditsjustrehearsal, @blueliun, @mokuba, & whoever wants to join in  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

my qs 4 youuu =

1) what’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

2) what’s the best place you’ve been to?

3) what’s your favourite word?

4) what’s something your parents/sibling(s) tricked you into thinking was true when you were younger? 

5) if you were an animated character, what would your default outfit be? & what style would you like to be drawn in?

6) do you have anything you collect?

7) if you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

8) what’s a ‘bad joke’ that never fails to make you laugh?

9) when you’re sad what movie/tv show do you watch to cheer you up?

10) if you were a meme, what meme would you be?

11) how do you feel about pineapple on pizza?

ᕙ( * •̀ ᗜ •́ * )ᕗ