#my ancient tablet couldn’t handle it but BOY was it worth it

[aftschmidt]

Sorry won’t cut it, Mike. Not this time.

[purkinje-effect]

The Anatomy of Melancholy, 73: Courting Disaster

Table of Contents. Third Instar, Chapter Four. Go to previous. Go to next. TW: Canon-typical body horror, insects, butchery mention, mild robot discrimination, food description.

So many people, so little time.

_________________

Although once a DeMarco-Boyle Housewares, this space no longer prided itself in selling quality furniture, appliances, or other domestic goods. 'Choly, Sticks, and Angel followed a wide corridor. ‘Choly took in the interiors of the place, mentally distanced from the clack of his cane on the wood flooring. With its complex, radiating door frames, and austere, faintly metallic chevron wallpaper, he could nearly believe the building had always been laid out in such a way--if not for its unusual inverted curly light bulbs and the chartreuse-to-vermillion tint they cast. They passed a dozen or so people before the corridor opened into a lobby, whose mode of dress suggested coarser more contemporary fabrics in unrestrictive, breathable cuts. Though something to which he normally wouldn’t have payed attention, it irritated his read of the place that he couldn’t with any confidence definitively say the color of anything.

He shrank smaller, if only internally.

The closer to the interior entrance to the mall, the more distinctly ‘Choly could discern the sounds of socializing. A stout Latin woman with teal-streaked victory rolls and dark heavy makeup sat at the front desk, bored with her literature. Above the desk, a sign from the ceiling read “Anchor Inn Concierge.” He nodded to himself, understanding very little.

As they stepped into the mall proper, 'Choly's jaw slacked. He had underestimated the population of this settlement. Unable to visually count everyone in open walkways or in shops, he instead returned his attention to the building itself. Store fronts of both floors now boasted neoteric neon lettering and icons, all in the same strange glow as the fixtures in the Anchor Inn... and the massive armillary-reminiscent chandeliers. Brilliantly streaked Barre granite comprised all the main interior façade, ornamented with all manner of sleek nautical lines and rounded corners. In intervals, an unassuming yet oppressive angular bronze-patina face repeated along both sides of the second story’s frieze, from intricate, motion-traced niches. He unlikely would have noticed them, if not for the chandeliers; though the skylights let in some amount of natural light, it would otherwise have been all but pitch dark inside without its unusual fluorescent fixtures.

Arriving at the first crossway, to their left lay an anchor location called The Hall, and their right, an anchor which read See’s. Sticks had to stop and think a moment before they continued to their left. ‘Choly’s head tilted, but he followed, suddenly admiring the teal and coral chevron tiling floor.

“I thought you wanted the food court,” ‘Choly mumbled, doing his best to keep close. “Is this place really running like a prewar shopping mall?”

“In a lot of ways, Ant Lane is a holdover from the before times,” Sticks replied. “Some tradition’s held fast, but it’s also adapted so people could legit live here. I told you earlier, let me handle the finances. I’ve got to see a fella about a can of Cram.”

The Grey & Gould Jewelers to the immediate left of entrance to The Hall, once a Fallon’s Department Store, now touted itself as a gold and silver exchange. ‘Choly nearly committed to staying outside with Angel, except the Mister Handy did not hesitate to enter with Sticks. He reclaimed his composure and followed.

Again, that green-red light illuminated the glass-top display counters and their contents. Hurricane fence provided a grate between customer and clerk; behind it, safe deposit boxes lined the two longest walls. He opted to stay out of Sticks’s way and instead browsed the various goods on display. Ancient jewelry, trinkets, and implements amounted to much of what he could lay eyes upon. He supposed it wasn’t so strange that weapons were absent from this pawn shop, but noticing it consciously set him on edge. Angel remained glued to him as he endeavored to identify if any of the jewelry caught his attention.

The broker did instead. It wore a blond hornet’s nest beehive, clearly a wig, a faded silk necktie, and nothing else. Its dark sunken eyes studied both his ghoul companion and the valuables laid out on a velvet tray, as did the two and a half long, thin, sinewy tentacles which seemed to have replaced its tongue. Its trapezius-thick neck and broad shoulders supported a head jutted forward, but its pale, muscular, mangled, venous torso lacked arms until the hip region. ‘Choly both loathed and appreciated that the counter itself censored what the lower half of the creature must have looked like, but he could make out at least two hands supporting its slouch across its side of the counter.

His cane dropped from his arm to the vinyl wood floor, eliciting the attention of the three other customers, the broker, and the blond ghoul. Angel picked it up for him and handed it back.

“Sir, you seem most on edge,” it spoke at a hush.

“I don’t think that’s an Unfolded.”

“Hard to say, though I suspect you’re right. You should go accompany Mister Hawthorne. You emphasized before how much you wanted to be up to speed with things. What better way than to be involved?”

He agreed with it. Once the shop resumed its activity, he sidled up to Sticks with bated breath.

“See anything you like?” the ghoul entrepreneur asked him with a furtive side glance. “And please don’t say Darryl.”

‘Darryl,’ the broker, slapped Sticks’s right hand playfully with a tentacle, and made eye contact with ‘Choly. The chemist let out a tepid chuckle and wiggled the fingers of a hand upheld, and Darryl waved back with a guttural affirmative.

“What you’re up to interests me more.” He squinted in thought watching Darryl resume plucking at a glass abacus while scrutinizing Sticks’s valuables. “...Wait a fuckin’ minute. If I had to cover the cost of your Pip-Boy with all my gold and silver, then where did this come from?”

Sticks stuttered, and crossed his arms to quieten a nervous laugh.

“Well, I couldn’t just leave all this stuff in the golf course safe. You weren’t about to press that robot to fork it up, now, were you?”

“You mean to say you stole all that from Bogey!” Angel exclaimed, furious. “How could you!“

“You’re right to point it out. Wicked big deal that I did separate these liquid assets from Bogey,” he grinned, watching Darryl in encouragement that the creature continued its appraisal. “We’re both broke as fuck. Aside from some clothes for you, we gave everything from the golf course to Sanctuary. This stuff is the only way we’re going to afford anything while we’re here, Mindy.”

Sticks’s angle stymied both chemist and robot. Meanwhile, Darryl had taken up a handheld chalkboard and diligently written on it with chalk in tentacle. It held up for them its declaration, crabbed and rapid, but no less efficacious: It’s impossible to steal from robots. They don’t have belongings. Knowing history on curios influences appraisal. Screwing over a robot’s worth 20% bonus. ‘Choly snorted, wide-eyed and aghast, but decided that saying anything further would just dig him in deeper. Sticks chuckled and applauded. Darryl gestured to the abacus, but neither could discern the value he’d arrived upon, so it erased its board and printed it right in the center of the tablet: 1260.

“Holy shit, man. You’re always too good to me.”

The amount of caps quoted choked ‘Choly up. Darryl went to the back of the room to scoop the payout from a bin, into a large fabric drawstring bag on a scale. The creature returned and slid the tray of the Cram tin’s contents under the counter. It plopped down the sack in front of Sticks, eliciting a pleasant grin.

“You’re a pleasure, my friend. Thank you.”

Darryl’s parting gesture by tentacle could have been genial or hostile, but ‘Choly waved again regardless, sticking even closer to Angel than before.

“You still all right to walk?” Sticks asked, sliding the sack into his apron. “The food court’s all the way at the other end of the mall, and you already look like you’re struggling. These folks might not like that security let Angel in here, but they can’t argue with a guy needing a wheelchair.”

“Do allow me to help you, Sir. It ails me, to feel as though I must divide myself up until there’s nothing. Surely, you could manage the trip atop me?”

“Why the fuck do they hate robots?” he snarled, mounting Angel mostly in spite. He teetered upright with the reins, but held steady, glaring at the green-red internally lit glass shaft in the crossway which once hosted the mall’s central functioning elevator. “The Rust Devils didn’t come through here, did they? And what is Darryl!?”

“Wish I knew.” Sticks shrugged. “ The sentiment goes back a long way. Glad you’re rising above it, though.”

His frustrations distilled into a short-tempered sigh.

“Getting down there is one thing. Getting back to the inn will be another. --We are returning to the inn, right?”

“Only board available to visitors.”

Along the way, pockets of people in the walkway stopped to watch ‘Choly ride his Mister Handy, varying from appalled to impressed to confused. Without the requirement to heed the method of his gait, he more easily took in details around him from his vantage. A few black ants the size of house cats wandered through the mall, and its denizens didn’t so much as bat a lash, with the exception of two or three happily coddled as though pets. Children accounted for an appreciable percent of the population, as did ghouls. No other denizen resembled Darryl. Though he did not pause to browse, several pop-up tent kiosks at the center of the walkway enticed him despite their continued tradition of seeking one’s attention by any means necessary. He halted where the mall took a slight bend, staring at a large store which looked to host nothing but thousands of pieces of lambent glass, hung from the walls and ceiling.

“Burlington glass,” Sticks said. “It’s pretty, I guess. Pretty weird. Don’t want to know what’s in it to make it go.”

“The glow must last a long time, if it’s in the chandeliers.”

“Yeah, those folks handle all that. They’re electricians. Or maybe not, since there’s no electricity involved. I don’t think. All the lights, that’s their doing.”

“The installments are certainly not electrical,” Angel agreed.

Rather than speculate himself, he progressed the group on. At the second crossway of the mall, the guards processed visitors at the main entrance to Ant Lane to his left. To his right, the still-named Sutter Grove had become something between a library and bookstore. Straight ahead, the anchor store’s entrance façade still retained the staggered framed lettering of a General Atomics, though the title now read Customs House.

The food court lay between the Customs House and Sutter Grove. The Laners had erected a roof-high wall of salvaged car hoods and gull wing doors hoods to separate it from the walkway. Four armored guards screened both the incoming and outgoing traffic of its entrance, an extra measure of their guarantee of thoroughness. ‘Choly’s breathing shallowed as he dismounted in preparation of complying yet again.

He knew better than to question it. He remembered the harrowing checkpoints at Deenwood.

“Anchor Inn security warned us you’d be this way,” one of the guards said. “Can’t say why the Aldermen would okay your robot, but none of us is right to argue. No weapons, right?”

Angel demonstrated yet again, with a flourished weariness quickly becoming routine.

Two guards, both correctly male this time, patted down ‘Choly and Sticks.

“That some kind of bulletproof vest?” one asked ‘Choly.

“It’s a sort of back brace.” He bristled when the guard untucked his shirt and pulled up it and the cardigan to inspect his lower back. The guard could barely tuck a finger between the material and his skin.

“Can you even breathe under that thing?”

“Better than without it, that’s for sure. Are we all right to go in?”

“Ehh...” The first guard clicked the car handle button on one of the lowest gull doors in the wall. Once the pneumatic hinge raised it out of the way, he reached through to pull the handle of a second door, which opened the other direction. “Bone appetite.”

‘Choly sighed once the court-side door shut, relieved they had not bothered to check inside Angel, but the next breath slammed his olfactories. Aromas of roasted meat and fresh baked goods mingled with the tang of raw seafood and sharpness of bulk spices. He prinked at his shirt tails while his senses acclimated. Eight white Egyptian revival columns rounded the octagonal space, but no longer neatly divided the restaurants and grocers’ kiosks from the seating area. Tall standing lamps supported swirled Burlington bulbs similar to the chandeliers. ‘Choly looked at the bulbs a fraction too long, and their wavelength burned a reverse in his vision for some time. He rubbed at his eyes beneath his glasses, hoping to locate some kind of fresh food that might agree with him.

He realized the name ‘SEE’S’ emblazoned all the guards’ armor, even those at the main entrance and the Anchor Inn.

Sticks already seemed to have his stomach made up over dinner, though he still accompanied ‘Choly eyeing everything. Many fresh dishes resembled thick stews or dumplings. He could identify chowder and fruit pies without question, but struggled with all else. Menus’ numbering often contained slashes and several symbols, typically in a variation of P/C/$. A few listed ‘PULLS ONLY.’

“Those are the prices, then? And the exchange rate?”

Of course cash would be worth the least, typically requiring four or five times more.

“Cash, caps, pulls. Hope you like Vim,” he grinned aside.

‘Choly toed disgust and confusion.

“Vim?”

They wandered the grocers and spice merchants in curiosity. A couple of merchants shooed away ants trying to get into their wares, negotiating with them to behave sooner than strike at them in any way. The one restaurant that had existed before the mall’s repurposing which did not offer prepared food, housed the butchers with the largest selection. Much of it lay on ice beds in twin large deli refrigerators. ‘Choly skimmed all the different cuts of meat, seemingly more intent on feeding his brain than his body. Opalescent Mirelurk appendages and their louse-like hatchlings, like deformed crustaceans. Iridescent Fog crawler and Stingwing tails reminded him of overgrown lobsters. Husked Bloatfly and Bloodbug thoraxes, unidentifiably lumpy if not for the meat price tags. Dark Radstag rump and shank, ribs, and loin. Ruddy, well-marbled Brahmin flanks and tenderloin. All kinds of eggs filled one shelf, even some small jars labeled ‘Mirelurk roe.’ Skinned Pelts hung behind the counter, along with chickens strung by the neck, and rabbits strung by their feet.

Two girls ran the counter. The spindly elder, no more than sixteen, had long straight dark hair with a fringe, and wore a frog-knotted tweed bolero shrug over a crepe chemisette with a high lace collar, bedecked in jingling aluminum junk jewelry. While another patron arranged an order with her, she casually cracked into a can of Vim Refresh, ritualistically separating the ring pull tab from the can to pocket it. ‘Choly could hear the discussion involved Radfowl, and eavesdropped to reassure himself. The demure younger girl, likely no older than twelve, had short curly hair and wore a too-big cardigan over a too-many-layered pinafore. From a stool beside her workbench, she diligently tackled butchering the mutated geese the hunters had brought inside. Their Neapolitan mastiff lay calmly beneath the counter.

Several other prewar animal meats appeared amongst the mutants, but the one which stood out to ‘Choly had the label Iguana. Too many textures, colorations, and shapes comprised the hefty pile of over-butchered meat for him to believe it all originated from the same creature. He frowned to Sticks, who’d turned from the ice bed display to scan the court in thought.

“There’s wild iguanas running around?” he mumbled to the ghoul, with worried inflection. “None of that looks like lizard meat.”

“Hm? What, oh.” Sticks looked for the Iguana on display, and ‘Choly pointed to it. Hesitant, he dug for the right phrasing. “It’s slang for meat that you’re not sure where it came from. If you’re hungry enough, it’s hard to stay picky.”

“Can’t waste a thing these days, can we?” the elder ribbed in a viscous Maine accent, having just finished up with her customer. She draped herself over the deli counter to sip at her soda. “Name’s Phin. Little Lucy Grandchester over there’s my sis Wanda. And that down there with a watchful eye, that’s Box. We’ve got just about any cut of meat you could crave.” Her face messed up through a swig. “...Think I’d recognize two geezers with a robot. How the hell did you smuggle in that thing?”

“We didn’t smuggle anything!” ‘Choly defended. “I’m Melancholy.”

“...Yeah, well. You just gonna loiter? You’re blocking the path to paying customers here. Scram!” She finished off the drink and threw it at them. ‘Choly’s reflexes couldn’t get his hands up fast enough, and it beaned him in the mouth. She pumped a fist and stood to get another soda from buried under the ice. “Two points!”

‘Choly rubbed at his mouth and scowled, teetering on wielding his cane in retaliation. Sticks and Angel pulled him along, the former laughing at his pouting.

“...’Two points’... My face is not a basketball hoop...”

A flighty, younger man stopped them. He had slicked hair, plus-fours, an afghan-knit ulster, and a large lace shawl with no shirt.

“--Hey, listen. Word of advice, since you looked so interested there. Best be keen about what you buy from the Clark sisters. They’re turning a pretty pull by making sure they’ve always got Iguana for sale, but nobody could say for sure how come they’ve had so much lately. I’ve had my suspicions for a few months now, but I’ve seen it a few days ago. They’ve been provoking the Royces up the Lane, then scooping up what gets blasted off. And I’m positive similar could be said of the Radfowl hunt earlier.”

“I know full well what Iguana might be,” Sticks insisted, no less repulsed by the implications than before. “Sounds like you’re the girls’ competition.”

“Not that there’s any competition for their knife skills, but I’m no butcher. Look, your robot helped them out something wicked. Lots of small parts no one else bothered with. A PERSON could be next! You’d better turn that thing off the moment the ants say so! Or we’ll--”

“--I’m right before you, mate,” Angel spat. “I believe I’ve had enough of this hostile attitude. I attend my owner--and friend--to assure they’re taken care of. We’ve all complied with your settlement’s regulations. I mean no harm, and I swear by Asimov that I would never chop up any moral, law abiding citizen!”

“Just what a robot would say,” he sneered, fed up with the pair. “I have better things to do than argue with a flaming tin can.”

“Good,” Sticks muttered. “So do we.”

“Among other things, I’m brass,” Angel sniveled on their way to where Sticks had clearly wanted to eat from the start. “Not a tin part in me!”

“We know, chap. We know. Now, my belly’s getting impatient like you. How can we interest Mister Carey in eating tonight? Ant Lane’s food court has a bring-your-own-bowl policy, but this place has killer bread bowl stews. Dinner’s on me.”

The savory, yeasty aroma of the restaurant snared him, and he hemmed.

“...I’ll give it a shot. As long as it isn’t Iguana.”

Sticks eyed the menu.

“Radfowl tonight.”

‘Choly’s mouth skewed.

“Looks like we ended up seeing the fruits of our effort earlier anyway.”

“...Yeah, but now it costs me some pulls.”

Sticks ordered for them. Angel carried their tray in one tendril, and a Vim in each of the others, and took them to sit at a vacant cafe table. After setting down their meal and providing utensils from its storage, it held ‘Choly’s cane for him.

“Spasibo.”

“But of course! What are friends for? Now dig in, gentlemen!”

Beneath the lid sliced from the crusty boule, the center of the bread had been scooped out to house a thick creamy stew of earthy vegetables and tender nuggets of dark meat Radfowl. A few spoonfuls in, and ‘Choly swam in how hearty the whole thing was. He bit into the bread lid with a crunch, then sopped with the remainder of it, eyelids heavy with comfort.

He had his reservations opening his chilled can of Vim, but when he needed a drink, he popped the pull tab on it. He distrusted his ability to drink from the opening without cutting his mouth, if he folded the tab off now, but he promised himself he’d do so before discarding it. A sip yielded herbal flavors more at home to a tonic than a cola. Burdock shone out more strongly than any hint of sarsaparilla, with a bright, somewhat grassy back flavor of orange-vanilla. He hadn’t remembered much liking Vim before, but he liked it well enough now.

He took another bite of his stew. When he looked over to Sticks, the ghoul was already half done, ripping into his bowl to dip with.

“Delicious, though this thing’s so big. I don’t think I can eat it all.”

“I’ll be more than happy to help you finish anything you can’t,” Sticks smirked. “I always look forward to this place every time I visit. I can’t get ‘em but every few years, with how my travel arrangements tend to work out.”

‘Choly noticed then that Sticks had ordered more than the two bread bowl stews and two sodas: a slice of warm latticed pie sat on a square of parchment.

“Can’t not start off our stay at Ant with an apple pie. Some prewar comforts are still around. Split it with me? Surely, you’ll have room for at least a bite.”

‘Choly fell doe eyed.

“Fresh bread, familiar desserts. You’re right. I do think I like it here.”

Go to Next »»»

[beccalovesdarling]

Unexpected Chapter 6: Afternoon 2

Start at the beginning

Previous chapter

The picture Fu had zoomed in depicted an ancient Black Cat filtering magic on one half of the page while the other depicted an ancient Ladybug doing the same. The magic swirling about the Cat was like Chat’s Cataclysm while Ladybug’s resembled the Cure without the millions of bugs. The opposite page that Adrien had briefly seen held the strange code only Fu could understand, Plagg’s fur bristled as he caught onto Fu’s train of thought. “Have you gone senile, you old coot?”

Adrien frowned at his companion before cocking a brow at Fu. “How will Cataclysm save her? It’s meant to destroy.”

Plagg hissed and jumped onto Adrien’s shoulder. “Exactly. Nothing good will come from this wackjob’s suggestion. That’s why I didn’t even tell you about it.” He swatted a paw threateningly at the Master with another hiss.

Fu’s face remained expressionless. “Have you ever wondered where Cataclysm comes from? Energy and magic do not just appear. You are a scientific man, Adrien. You know the laws.” He reached for his tea and took a slow sip as Adrien rolled over his words.

“Energy cannot be created or destroyed,” Adrien recited. “It can only be transferred to another source.” He offered his kwami a head scratch before posing his thoughts to the elder. “Cataclysm takes negative energy from another source to destroy. And the Cure, it takes positive energy from another source to create. Our powers aren’t magic at all. They’re basic science.”

The older man shrugged as he lowered his cup. “Magic is merely an older form of science. It’s either powerful or unstable depending on the wielder. I had chosen you partially because you enjoy science, but it seems you never made the connection. Truly a pity.” He tapped the table beside the tablet. “Now, Marinette is meant to filter positive energy. While the negative—the destructive—energy is meant to be her companion, she can only handle small doses of it. She cannot wield it after being selected by Tikki. Dark magic is nothing more than condensed negative energy. If you had taken the attack, it would have acted as a power boost, so to speak. But Ladybug is not meant to filter the negative. Therefore, when she took the attack meant for you, it cancelled out her positivity.”

Adrien’s brows burrowed together. “I don’t understand, Master. If she can no longer channel the positive energy, then how can she still wield Tikki?”

Fu raised a finger and ticked it side to side like a parent scolding a child. “Have you forgotten, child? The energy does not simply go away. It’s merely locked away by the darkness. Her poor health is caused by the negative sway of the magic, so to speak. She is a light wielder, but the condensed attack she took set that balance off. Had it been an equal attack, nothing would have happened. The two forces would have negated the other.” He smiled kindly at Adrien. “Now, since you are a filter for the negative and Marinette’s energy is imbalanced, what do you suppose is the solution?”

Plagg slapped a paw on Adrien’s shoulder. “Don’t do it, kid. It’s risky. He’s not factoring in Emma. There’s no way to know how it will affect her even if it works on Marinette.”

Adrien folded his hands together on the table and gazed down at them. “Let’s say Emma is not affected. Perhaps Mari’s light is protecting our child from the dark. I could, in theory, absorb the residual magic that’s corrupting her, correct?” He glanced timidly up at Fu. “I’ll power up and Mari will be safe?”

The man nodded. “In theory, yes. It’s been a long time since this spell was attempted. And,” he tilted his head towards Adrien’s shoulder where Plagg was seething. “The last attempt did not fare well. There are risks to every spell. Surely, you know the risks of using Black Hole?”

Adrien scrubbed at his neck as he looked away. “Yeah, for every year I went back. I lost a year of my life and for every day I stay, I lose another.” He directed his gaze back at Fu. “It’s just thirteen years and I can take them off my remaining cat lives as well.”

“Lives that are meant to be saved for battle,” Plagg hissed quietly. “But, seeing as neither of us want to lose the mollies, we decided it would be worth the risk.” Adrien knew Plagg was also referring to Tikki. If Marinette died, Tikki would go dormant once more. There was no reason for Nino, as the new Guardian, to reassign her. The world was at peace. Well, as much peace as the world could be without his father unleashing akumas once a week. Plagg continued. “But, this spell could kill you. And we still don’t know what would happen to Emma.” Plagg poked Adrien’s cheek roughly. “You’re meant to absorb the darkness in metered doses. If you absorb all her negative energy, it could be too much for your body. Not to mention, it would take years to learn to properly channel the energy. This plan sucks. On to plan B.”

Fu thumbed the tablet off. Adrien stared at his reflection on the dark screen as he began to guess at Fu’s next words. A sense of finality blanketing him as Fu voiced aloud his thoughts.

“There is no plan B.”

XXX

Adrien finished his pastry at last. With a sigh, he snuggled closer to Marinette. “You’re the best, Marinette.”

The girl giggled beside him. “Because I bring you pastries? Your dietician would hate me if he ever found out.”

He snorted. “It’ll be our secret, princess.” He turned his head and pressed a kiss onto her silky hair. He rested against her and inhaled deeply; drinking in her scent. It was easy to pretend they were just on a date in the park, but the looming threat of their future never completely left his mind. That threat was the very reason he was being allowed this time. Had her life not be in danger, he would be stuck in his room on this sunny Saturday no doubt doing homework, binging anime, or practicing piano. He squeezed her a little tighter and prayed to whatever god would listen to him would change their future. He couldn’t lose her. Even if it meant locking her up during the final battle with Hawk Moth or never being with her romantically, he would find a solution.

He refused to believe that their destiny was set in stone.

XXX

With Plagg tucked away in his pocket, Adrien trudged down the sidewalk. His ear piece was snuggly secured in his ear to allow him to speak freely to Plagg. “If Gabriel’s attack would never have hurt me, could I not just tell my younger self to take the hit? To watch her? Something?”

If he could change that one detail, maybe he would return home to a healthy and happy Marinette. His Emma would be safe, too. No risk on any of their parts.

Plagg squirmed in his breast pocket. “Say you tell him. Who’s to say he could even stop her? You know Marinette better than anyone. Unless you chained her to a post, she would still take that hit for you. That’s why you should have waited until after the battle to reveal yourself.”

“It’s not like I had a choice,” he grumbled. “I was kinda forced to. Not that I regret spending the extra time with My Lady.”

“You’re still going to do it, aren’t you?”

Adrien tilted his head back, his long hair shifting over his shoulders as he paused. His emerald eyes found the familiar landmark of the Tower in the distance. The Tower where he had fallen for his Lady. The Tower where he had revealed himself to his Princess. The Tower where he had proposed to his love. Tears pricked uncomfortably behind his eyes and fought them. “I can’t lose her,” he repeated his daily prayer and his kwami sighed.

“Alright, kid. We’ll leave tonight and I’ll help you learn the spell as soon as we get home.” Plagg said around a sigh.

Adrien nodded his understanding and smiled softly. “Thanks, Plagg.”

He resumed his pace towards the park and he could faintly see the forms of his younger self and Marinette in the distance. His pace increased as he found himself desperate to be close to Marinette. While she wasn’t necessarily his Mari, she could still offer the comfort he craved. With a quick glance at his surroundings, he popped behind a tree and called upon his transformation.

Chat Noir darted out. His sudden appearance noticed by the nearby children and fans that called out his name. A few parents pulled their children closer at seeing that he wasn’t exactly the Chat Noir they had grown used to. The commotion had caused Marinette and Adrien to stand from their bench and stare. Chat smirked as he drew closer and could see Adrien’s outraged expression.

“Hello, my Princess,” Chat purred as he stopped before them. He reached for the girl’s hand and bowed over it to press a kiss to her tender skin. The girl squeaked in surprise as Adrien practically growled at her side. The cat smirked at the kitten as he pulled the girl to his side. “Sorry, but it appears I need to borrow your date, pretty boy.”

He reached for his baton and elongated it. Adrien fumed in silence as he watched Chat leap away with Marinette in his arms.

Buy me coffee??

[ayma-nidiot]

In the White Light - Prideshipping fic Chapter 7

Also on AO3.

Chapter 7 – I’ll Soar Away

As shocked as he was, Yami Yugi allowed Kaiba to let him go, instead of trying to break free of his hold. “Kaiba… What is the meaning of this?”

“Dammit, are you as dumb as that shorter Yugi? Never before has someone told me that a game could be fun. Never before has someone provided me with a worthy challenge! Can’t you see, Pharaoh? I’m in love with you!”

“You… are?”

“Why are you surprised? Don’t you remember that time?”

“Oh!” Luckily, Yami Yugi wasn’t so dense as to have forgotten about the time travel to ancient Egypt.

“You would do all of that for me… Tell me, Pharaoh, do you feel the same?”

“Kaiba…” Between that kiss and this question, Yami Yugi’s mind was in such a fog that he couldn’t formulate an answer.

“Hey, what gives?” Joey interrupted. “Don’t put Yug on the spot like that! You know, you’ve always creeped me out because you’re way too rich for someone your age. Now you’re hitting on my best friend? Well, sort of my best friend.”

“Yeah. Don’t you think we have bigger things to worry about… Like, avoiding all of these monsters, for instance?” Téa added. “We just got done dealing with the Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, and we need to move!”

Wanting to avoid the topic of his dragon form, Kaiba replied in his usual grumpy manner, “Yeah, I know that!”

Just then, a familiar German voice called out from afar, “Mr. Kaiba! Mokuba! Are you guys hurt?”

“Roland! No, we’re fine,” Mokuba replied.

“That’s good, but I bring terrible news… The KaibaCorp building has been taken over by and monsters!”

“Great, more monsters…” Kaiba wasn’t too ecstatic to go back out there after what he had just gone through – unless, of course, it was in the name of his company.

“I’ve got a chopper ready for you and your… acquaintances, sir.”

“Thank you, Roland.” As everyone boarded this chopper, Kaiba spoke, “But may I remind you that I’m not your boss anymore?”

“Nonsense!” Another KaibaCorp employee answered. “We’re with you through the end.”

“See, Seto? We’re all here to support you?” Mokuba smiled as the chopper took off.

After an hour of awkward silence, Kaiba finally spoke up, “So let me guess. It’s Dartz, isn’t it?”

“Correct, sir. We’ve already dispatched a research team at the museum to decipher some tablets. We can learn even more about our enemy this way.”

Could have done that a week ago…

“I regret to inform you that Dartz has bought out all of KaibaCorp’s shares, too. They’ve hacked into your account as well as the building.”

“Well, that’s nothing I can’t handle.” Kaiba could tell the chopper was close to their destination. “As the former president, I am really the only one who needs to go in there. But just out of curiosity, is anyone coming?”

“I will, Seto!”

“Mokuba, no. You’ve been through enough danger for one day. Stay with Joey and the others, where it’s safe.”

“Uh… I guess… Téa, Joey, Mokuba, and I will go find the cops,” Tristan affirmed.

“So you guys are so creeped out by me kissing Yugi that you don’t want to be anywhere near me? Is that it?”

It was then that Yami Yugi spoke up and said, “I’ll go with you.”

Kaiba tried not to show his inner joy at this news as everyone exited the chopper, faced unexpectedly with Duke Devlin and two strangers.

“Professor! Rebecca! Duke!” Téa greeted these strangers. “It’s good to see you’re well!”

“Eh?” Kaiba only needed to take one look at the little girl, Rebecca, to decide he didn’t like her. “This isn’t a field trip, kid. You need to go home and take care of your grandpa.”

“Looks can be deceiving, Kaiba.” Rebecca pushed up her glasses. “If you’re going to retake KaibaCorp, then you’re going to need someone who can hack the computers. Someone like Grandpa and I.”

“Fine, then. I suppose you could tag along, kid.” Kaiba turned around as Yami Yugi went after him.

“I’m not a kid!” Rebecca and her grandfather followed suit. “Why don’t you try showing a little more gratitude for those of us sticking our butts out here for you!”

“Yeah, whatever.” The four soon arrived at two trap doors with ladders. “You need to take that trap door over there to get to the control room. Yugi and I will go this way.”

“Right! You’re going to be glad I ‘tagged along’ for this ‘field trip!’” With that, both Rebecca and her grandfather had taken off.

Though he was now alone with Yami Yugi, Kaiba didn’t let the events of a few hours prior cloud his judgment. “Try to keep up, Yugi,” he dared as he led the pharaoh down the other trap door and started running when they reached the floor.

“Keep up? To where?”

“This here is a shortcut to my central computer, designed for emergencies. Dartz shouldn’t have been able to disable it.” Kaiba explained when they reached the door to an elevator, and used his card key to open it. “See? Now come in.”

Yami Yugi had no qualms about entering the elevator, but as it started up, he couldn’t look Kaiba in the eye.

Ugh, this tension is killing me. Though the elevator ride was short, Kaiba didn’t exactly feel comfortable in this situation either. “So, um… Thanks for doing this for me, even though you could be doing your time travel thing instead.”

“Sadly, as things are right now, I can’t just leave the modern world as it is. My selfish wishes are nothing compared to what people of this time are going through.”

“Such a desire to fight for what you believe in… How gorgeous.”

Hearing such kind words, Yami Yugi could finally look at Kaiba again. Before he could say anything, a one-eyed furry monster dug a hole through the ceiling of the elevator and then through the elevator doors.

“What in the fu- No, it doesn’t matter what that was; we’re getting off here and now,” Kaiba asserted, ramming his Duel Disk into the elevator buttons. “Let’s go! Help me get these doors open!”

Even though the elevators were now broken, prying the doors proved to be easy; however, the new task of traversing the monsters that appeared wouldn’t be.

“They all have a weird green symbol on their heads… Yugi, what does this mean?”

“It means that these are real monsters, not holograms of yours.”

That’s what I was afraid of… Kaiba gulped. Only this time, I have to face these monsters as a human. “These can’t be real monsters! You’re no better than the lunatics who took over KaibaCorp.”

“Oh, they are. I don’t know how, but monsters from a different universe have found their way into our world. Do you have any better ideas, besides my ‘superstitious bullshit’ ideas?”

“I think you’ve gone batshit, but this isn’t the best time to argue.”

“We’ve got nothing to lose!” Yami Yugi proclaimed, getting his Duel Disk ready for battle and prompting Kaiba to do the same. “Let’s go, Kaiba!”

“Vorse Raider, go!” Kaiba called forth a monster.

“I summon my obnoxious Celtic Guardian!” Yami Yugi spoke as he put this card on his Duel Disk. He knew that these mid-level monsters would not be able to last long, and led Kaiba to the other end of the corridor. “Make a run for it! Say… There’s a card key slot here. You can get us through this door, right?”

“What do you think I am, stupid?” Kaiba attempted to use his card key to get in, but only got an “access denied” response, even after trying twice.

“Yes… Yes, I certainly think you are.” When Yami Yugi looked up again, the enemy monsters approached even more closely. “Our monsters are gone… We’re done for!”

“No you’re not!” sounded a voice from the card key slot.

“Rebecca!”

“Need some help, boys?” Rebecca spoke as the doors opened, letting Kaiba and Yami Yugi enter the next corridor safely, and her voice continued over the P.A. “With my computer, I can hack into the KaibaCorp system. Kaiba, let me know if you want me to upgrade your system for you.”

“Can it, you kid… I mean… Thanks.”

“However, there’s just one problem… I can’t access the central computer.”

“But I can! Incidentally, guess where we just arrived? I’ll take it from here.” With that, Kaiba got to work on the central computer right awake. “With this, we can enhance those photos my men took at the museum.”

Kaiba swiped his card key again as the computer took biometric from him. “Voice recognition, set! Reboot with the backup system! Begin analyzing images! Cross-reference all the archaeological databases!”

“You… came prepared,” Yami Yugi remarked.

“It’s a week’s worth of hard work.” Symbols and inscriptions showed up on the large LED screens above, and Kaiba asked, “Professor, if you can hear me, what do these inscriptions mean?”

“Let’s see… They translate to, ‘After its 10000-year-long slumber, the black serpent will swallow the sun, and then paradise will rule once more.’”

“That insignia… I know I’ve seen it before…” Kaiba spoke as he typed into the computer. “It’s… the symbol of a secret financial organization, Paradius! And its president is… Oh, no! Yugi, it’s Dartz! This situation just got a lot stickier… We don’t know what we’re up against.”

“As a matter of fact, I do. You see, during a vision quest, I saw that man fight in an ancient Atlantean war. What confuses me, though, is how this 10000-year-old man is still alive today.”

“Make no mistake about it, I am indeed very much alive,” a voice spoke before the computers started to blow up, and distorted shadows started taking their places.

“Who are you? Show yourself!” Kaiba demanded.

“My, oh my… If it isn’t Seto Kaiba and the legendary so-called pharaoh. How is Timaeus’ eye, by the way?”

“Dartz!” Starting into the eye of his new enemy. Kaiba drew the Fang of Critias from his deck and held it at the ready. “Give me back my company, you prick!”

“And release the souls you’ve stolen!” Yami Yugi held the Eye of Timaeus in his right hand. “Duel us!”

“Hmm, let me think about it…” Dartz crossed his legs as he floated in the air, and looked up. “No.”

“That does it!” Kaiba and Yami Yugi summoned their dragons in unison. “We summon the dragons Critias and Timaeus!”

“Timaeus, attack!” Yami Yugi ordered.

But before Timaeus’ attack could hit Dartz, he had summoned a dragon, which shattered into a thousand holographic pieces.

“I don’t feel like dueling you today… Farewell, gentlemen!”

“Wait! Dartz, come back!” Yami Yugi shouted, but to no avail as the dragons – and warped shadows – disappeared to reveal the real world again.

“We can worry about Dartz later…” Kaiba noticed more monsters breaking in through the doors, and opened another elevator as an escape route. “Come in, quickly!”

Fortunately for them, this elevator was much quicker than the last one, and promptly took Kaiba and Yami Yugi to the roof. That didn’t mean Kaiba enjoyed what awaited him thence. “Great, what a surprise! More monsters!”

“There are too many of them, even for monsters as strong as ours.” Yami Yugi wasn’t afraid, even in the face of these odds, and said, “I know the best way to stop them.”

“Yugi, are you insane? I’ll call a plane and-” Kaiba wanted to search his deck for a strong monster before Yami Yugi could sing more words of the incantation. But it was just then that a couple of Assault Wyverns grabbed his arms and dug their claws into them. “Oh, no…”

Too busy dealing with the monsters in front of him, Yami Yugi didn’t notice the Red-Eyes Black Dragon about to attack him from the rear.

“Yugi! Watch out behind you!”

Though Kaiba now escaped from the monsters holding him back, it was too late, as the Red-Eyes Black Dragon set Yami Yugi’s back on fire. “Aaaaah!”

“Yugi!” Kaiba desperately searched his deck for a water-based card. “Water Hazard, do your thing!”

“Kaiba… Thank you,” Yami Yugi spoke when Water Hazard dissipated. “Even after I… practically rejected you. Even though you appear to be… urk! Even if you appear to be a… cruel person, I know there’s some good… in you… No matter what… Joey says…”

“I don’t give a damn about that right now! Just… please, don’t die…”

“What’s already dead can’t die, you know that.” Yami Yugi let out a weak chuckle, then passed out.

“Pharaoh… Pharaoh, no!” Kaiba cried as he held Yami Yugi’s unconscious body close to him. He hardly noticed, but all the while he felt a warm light brewing within him. “Please… I love you. I want to save you… Please, dear gods, I’ll do anything.”

Though this event occurred at the roof of the KaibaCorp building, Téa and Tristan could see a column of light towering to the sky.

“Oh, gosh… Tristan, something is happening at KaibaCorp, and it doesn’t look good!”

“Hey, what’s happening?” Rebecca – along with Duke and her grandfather – had caught up with the pair at last.

“Something tells me that Kaiba and the pharaoh are in trouble!” Tristan started running before the others could really get a handle on what was going on. “Come on, guys, let’s go!”

“Um… I don’t understand, but I trust you.” With that, Rebecca followed the others in the direction of the KaibaCorp building.

Still aglow, Kaiba hoisted Yami Yugi onto his back. With all the confidence he could muster, he jumped off the roof, and after freefalling for five seconds, he had morphed into the Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon once more.

“Raaaaar!” Kaiba unleashed a Shining Burst on the Red-Eyes Black Dragon that had attacked them, disintegrating it instantly.

This attack – and a few others that followed – was loud enough to awaken Yami Yugi, who had been sleeping at the base of Kaiba’s neck. “Kaiba…”

Having just defeated the last of the nearby enemies, Kaiba turned his head slightly to get a good look at the pharaoh.

“Don’t be shocked; I know it’s you, and I know you’ve saved me… I’m so fortunate… to have someone like you.” Yami Yugi reached his arms as far as he could around Kaiba’s neck, burying his face into it while he hugged him.

Too embarrassed now, Kaiba simply continued to fly while facing forward.

Before Kaiba could fly much further, Yami Yugi’s friends noticed the both of them – and Téa was the first. “Hey, it’s that Shining Dragon again! And he’s got the pharaoh!”

“You’re not getting away this time! I’m going to save the world from you today! Hermos, go save Yug!”

This time, Kaiba wasn’t so far into his own madness that he couldn’t think for himself. Oh Dweeb Patrol, your timing couldn’t be any worse! Unable to parry the Claw of Hermos in time, Kaiba had taken the full blow, plummeting to the ground along with Yami Yugi.

“Yugi! I’ve got you!” Téa caught Yami Yugi right before he could hit the concrete.

“Wait, look who else it is… It’s Kaiba! W-Whoah!” Before Joey could react, Kaiba landed on top of him, though Joey felt well enough to get up right away. “Ow, lay off the steaks, ya turd.”

“Ngh…” Kaiba managed to awaken upon crashing on top of Joey. “For the record, this ‘turd’ just saved your friend the pharaoh.”

“But we didn’t even see you up there on that Shining Dragon…” Joey ran a hand through his hair, and in a mocking tone he said, “Wait, let me guess. The dragon ate you and you somehow managed to slice it open from the inside. Quite a tall tale, if you ask me.”

“Joey, look!” Rebecca pointed at the claw wound on Kaiba’s chest.

“No way… That’s from the Claw of Hermos! So do you mean to tell me…”

“It’s about time you twerps figured it out. That dragon was me.”

“What?!” Everyone exclaimed in unison.

Kaiba used the ball of his hand to help himself get up. “And did I mention that I was the same dragon that you guys attacked about a week ago? The same dragon that fled from you because I was too damned afraid to show my face to the pharaoh?”

“Yeesh… Sorry.” Joey felt tempted to punch Kaiba earlier for landing on him, but let it go. “Look, for what it’s worth, we’ve helped you take back KaibaCorp… Well, at least the building. Isn’t that a good enough apology?”

“Hmph.” Kaiba held out a hand to shake, which Joey accepted. “Even I know to give credit when credit is due. But don’t expect me to be this nice again!”

Just when things started to get cozy, Joey could hear a loud motorcycle in the distance. He couldn’t quite catch the face of his opponent, but noticed a flash of spiky brown hair. “That was Valon…”

“I’m sorry?”

“Valon, come here, ya bastard!” Without another word, Joey had taken off in the direction of that motorcycle.

“Joey, you reckless buffoon, wait up!” At those words, Tristan was gone too.

“Must want revenge on him for stealing Mai Valentine…” Téa turned back to her friends. “So… So is Yugi- I mean, the pharaoh going to be okay?”

Kaiba scooped Yami Yugi up and carried him bridal style. “Once I get him to the hospital, yeah.”

“Don’t be stupid! You’re almost as badly injured as he is!”

“You underestimate me.” Kaiba left the vicinity before his own employees could find him. Besides, the pharaoh has his own score to settle, and I’ll make certain he does.

[heroofhyrulelink]

It’s Finally Here!

Ah yes that Revalink fic is finally here! It’ll post the first chapter here on Tumblr but after this all updates will exclusively on AO3 and Wattpad (I suggest reading it there anyway because Tumblr likes to mess everything up). Want there Links? (Get it?) well here they are! AO3 and Wattpad. 

I’ll be putting most of it under a read more, hope you guys like it!

Being a Rito Warrior meant Revali had to go through merciless training regularly. He had to train not only his body to endure freezing cold temperatures far more extreme than the "stay at home" Rito could handle, but he also had to train his mind. Being a Rito Warrior meant that he would have to spend many lonely days doing nothing but spending his hours at the Flight Range shooting arrows at targets to make sure his perfect aim remained perfect. Being a Rito Warrior meant that he would train like there was a threat to the village and the only one who could stop it was him. Being a Rito Warrior meant he would protect his people for whatever the cost.

Yet despite all these things, Revali was being summoned by his village's elder to return at once. Revali shot a glare at the poor Rito who was sent to inform Revali that Kaneli needed him back. Sure, it wasn't the guy's fault but Revali was going to be mad at him anyway.

"Did the Elder at least explain what he needed me for?" The Rito Warrior asked in a rather annoyed tone as he secured his bow on his back.

"No, but I did see two Hylians with him. One of them was the Princess. Zelda is her name, I believe. The other...I don't know. He looked like some sort of soldier." Revali grunted and muttered a thank you before he extended his wings and flew off into the sky, heading back to the Rito Village. He flew a bit slower than his normal speed, he just wasn't in the mood to be interrupted in the middle of training for some kind of meeting with the Elder and supposedly the Princess of Hyrule. He supposed it was kind of an honor though, whatever it may be.

Revali landed gracefully on the platform and looked over to the Elder's home. He could already see the Princess in her royal blue gown and some other fellow who definitely did look like a solider. Now Revali was really wondering what was going on. He sighed and prepared himself mentally before he began walking to the Elder's room.

"Ah, what wonderful timing!" Kaneli smiled and gestured to Revali as he walked in. "I was just boasting about you my boy! Come! Allow me to introduce you!" Revali nodded stiffly as he silently stood besides Kaneli and faced the two Hylians. "Princess Zelda, meet Revali. A fine Warrior- the best there is!- and the most skilled archer in all of the Rito! His skills are most definitely something you'll need! He can create updrafts of air to boost his flying you know, something no other Rito can do!" Princess Zelda smiled and shook Revali's hand.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance Revali." Revali smiled politely and knelt down, bowing his head in respect. "As you know I am Princess Zelda. This here is my appointed knight, Link." Link nodded at the Rito warrior. "He's a very gifted fighter and a master with the sword."

"Pleasure to meet the two of you. Now I don't mean to seem rude but may I ask what I was called in for?" Kaneli laughed again and patted Revali's back.

"For a job! A wonderful opportunity for you to show off your amazing skills!" Revali raised an eyebrow questioningly. "These two have come to seek out the bravest, most skillful warriors in all the land! They've asked me handpick one of my finest warriors and I have chosen you." Revali nodded and was about to speak before Zelda spoke again.

"I'm not sure if you know this but my father has tasked the Sheikah tribe to find things on our ancestors regarding the ancient evil that forever torments our kingdom. We have found four mechanical creatures in each corner of our country and we're currently excavating smaller machines. Of the four creatures we found one in the Hebra region. Our scientists have discovered that this one is called Vah Medoh, one of four Divine Beasts." Zelda turned to Link and held out her hand, Link nodded and un-clipped a thin tablet with the Sheikah eye on it and placed it on her hand. Zelda turned the tablet on and showed Revali a picture of the Divine Beast that was displayed on the screen. "Vah Medoh is obviously a bird. With the information we have so far we know that this Beast can actually fly. We need a pilot for Vah Medoh to help us defeat the evil we know is quickly approaching and I was hoping you would accept the position."

Well now this certainly was flattering. The Princess of Hyrule was coming to Revali for help to pilot a piece of ancient technology crucial to Hyrule's safety. Revali knew that that wasn't the way to think of this situation but he just couldn't help it. He loved when people sought him out to acknowledge his skills in some way.

"Of course I will do it. It would be my honor to pilot Vah Medoh and help protect Hyrule as well as my village." The Princess smiled and did a small bow.

"Thank you, thank you so much. Now I'd like to run some things by you. First of which is that since you are the first of four pilots you have to accompany Link and I on the rest of our journey to find the next four. Second, once all four pilots are chosen my father has proclaimed that we all must train together. That will come later though so we don't have to dwell on that too much. Lastly, Link here is...well he is the most crucial part of our plan. While he is highly advanced in sword fighting he will need help in his archery. Since you are the most skilled archer there is you and he will have to train one-on-one for a while. But don't worry, he will be training in other areas as well. We just need him to be highly advanced with all sorts of weapons. I hope this isn't too much all at once."

"No no, not at all." Revali waved the worry away, smiling pleasantly. However on the inside he was squinting his eyes and staring at Link. What could be so special about this boy that learning every kind of weapon there is was a necessity? "I shall head to my home and pack some things then we can be on our way." The Princess nodded and walked off, her knight obediently following her.

"Ohoho, Revali I'm glad you took the position. I have to say I was a bit unsure if you would."

"That's insulting. Of course I'd take the position to pilot a so-called Divine Beast. Better me than someone less capable." The Rito Warrior mumbled that last part as he began walking out of the Elder's home. He sighed and walked over to the nearby landing, flying up into the air and onto one of the rock pillars close to the Village. Revali liked the solitude of having his home a bit separated from the rest of the village, that and he enjoyed how the morning sun made the village look as beautiful as ever.

Revali packed up some belongings in a bag that he mostly used when he went out into the Hebra mountains. He didn't have much to pack, just the necessities. Some scarves and extra pieces of armor along with a book or two and some necessary items to care for his beloved bow. With everything packed Revali slung the bag over his shoulder and flew right back to the Elder to say one last goodbye.

"Revali," Kaneli sighed as he proudly gazed down at the Rito Warrior, "I have watched you grow from a young boy barely learning to fly to a very skillful warrior. You have protected our people from countless enemies and proven your worth time and time again. I very proud of you." Revali smiled and bowed his head. "For your trip I have taken it upon myself to give you a small amount of rupees." Kaneli handed him a small pouch that was quite heavy. Revali opened it up to find that there was mostly gold and silver rupees inside. "Now I know it isn't much but I don't want you running out of supplies anytime soon." The Elder stood up slowly and gave Revali a hug. Revali reluctantly hugged him back (physical affection wasn't his thing but he never knew when he'd see Kaneli next). Kaneli let Revali go and told him once more how proud he was before the Rito Warrior and future hero of Hyrule left.

The Princess and her knight were waiting by the stable. The knight- Link- was with tending to the horses attached to a carriage. Revali landed besides him. The smile put on Link's face by the presence of the horses vanished once Revali made his own presence known. Link nodded at the Rito Warrior, gave a horse one last pat before he turned to Revali and bowed his head.

"Don't let me stop you from tending to your pets." Revali muttered as turned back to look at the Rito Village. "Tell me Link, what's your role in all of this? Do you pilot a Divine Beast as well?" Link shook his head. "Oh, then what is it you do?" Link said nothing but he looked rather uncomfortable. Revali was about to open his beak and say something a bit rude about Link's silence when the Princess returned.

"Sorry about the wait, I was asking for the quickest route to Zora's Domain. Hopefully King Dorephan has chosen someone already." Link helped Zelda into the Royal Carriage and held the door open for Revali who seemed unsure if he was exactly allowed in. "It's fine, Link is...Link will be fine out there, it is his job after all. Besides I have plenty of guards as well. This is your moment of relaxation before we begin our preparations." Revali nodded and stepped in, sitting a good distance away from Zelda. Link waited until the two were settled before he prompted the horses to begin walking.

There was silence between the two in the carriage. Revali didn't exactly know what to say or do really. He's never really had the opportunity to talk to Hyrule Royalty before and he wasn't the best at socializing either... Reavli sighed and looked around, he caught a glimpse at blond hair and a light blue earring. He found his topic.

"That boy, your knight, what is he?" Zelda tensed up at looked down at her hands.

"He's the knight my father appointed to protect me. According to prophecies he is an important part of our plan to seal the darkness. I'd rather not explain too much of what he does right now, it'll be easier once we gather the others." Revali nodded. "...But I can...say certain things...for one...he doesn't talk as much as he did before. In fact he never talks. I don't know why but it's been frustrating. Communication is kind of important and not everyone understands sign language but whatever." Well that explained his silence from before. "He's been training nearly all his life to be a knight like his father. When he...proved himself to be something special my father assigned him to protect me as well as...other things. He lived out in Hateno Village but would constantly make a journey to Zora's Domain. His family owned a small farm of cows and has always had a love of animals."

"That seems rather personal information, Princess."

"Yes well when someone as important as Link comes around we needed to know as much of him as possible." Revali nodded but that didn't stop him from believing that everything the Princess knew was a little creepy.

The rest of the trip was spent mostly in silence. The two attempted to make small talk; talking about Revali's life, how he became a Rito Warrior, his daily training, his interests, etc. None of those conversations lasted too long. Finally after what felt like weeks they reached a point in their path where the horses could no longer pull the carriage along the path. They had to travel to Zora's Domain by foot. Not even five minutes of walking passed and Revali offered to carry the Princess on her back and and fly her straight to the Domain. She accepted the offer and Link had to take one of his many shortcuts to the Domain.

When they arrived they were greeted by the young Zora Prince who was no older than seven. Surprisingly enough Link had beaten Revali and the young Prince tore his attention away from Link and whatever frog he caught on the way over to tell the Princess hello. Zelda smiled and asked the Zora Prince (Revali later learned his name to be Sidon) to please show her where his father was. Sidon happily took her hand and led the way. Revali and Link followed behind her.

"I'm impressed with how fast you made it here, Link." Revali mumbled, keeping his eyes straight. "I didn't expect you to get here so soon. There's nothing but mountains around here and I didn't see you climbing anything. How did you manage to get here?" Link shrugged and quickened his pace. Well so much for Revali trying to make some kind of effort to talk to him.

This meeting with the Zora went much like the meeting with the Rito. The King announced the one chosen to pilot the next Divine Beast, Vah Ruta, and then introductions were made. The chosen pilot was Princess Mipha. King Dorephan gloated of how much she was an expert in spear fighting and how her gift of healing would most definitely be something of use to them. Mipha already had her belongings, all that was left was the goodbyes. Mipha hugged both her brother and her father warmly, her brother being the more emotional one in this situation. Once Mipha let go and began walking over to the other three the young Zora Prince ran in front of her and hugged Link's leg. By now it was quite obvious to Revali that Link did in fact spend a lot of time here. With everything said and done the four of them went down the path and back to the carriage, they all climbed in and off they went to Gerudo Town in search of their next pilot.

Mipha seemed nice. Though Revali didn't deem her to be someone worthy to be fighting for Hyrule. She seemed too...quiet. She kept her voice low and it almost always sounded like she didn't want to upset anyone. She spoke only when directly spoken to and just didn't seem like much of a warrior. Then again she was classified as an expert fighter. Perhaps she was a monster out on the battlefield with her spear in hand. Revali decided he wouldn't try to judge her (or further his judgement) until he saw her put that Lightscale Trident to use.

When they finally arrived to a stable near the Gerudo Desert everyone was too tired to even consider crossing the desert. Zelda agreed to stay at the stable, she needed a good night's rest on a bed and not sitting up in a moving carriage. The kind stable workers allowed them to rest for free, Zelda accepted but Link knew how hard it was to tend to animals so he slipped them a silver rupee. The two Princesses fell asleep almost immediately. Revali was going to sleep but he noticed someone wasn't in any of the beds.

Link was outside with the horses, as expected. He sat on a wooden box and wrote in what appeared to be a journal. The only light he had to write with was that of a fire a good five feet away. When Revali found him like this he was kind of surprised. The Rito walked over and simply stood in front of Link. Link closed his journal, tucked it away in sack strapped onto a horse, and waved to Revali.

"What is it you're doing out here?" Link made some incredibly confusing hand signals that Revali only assumed to be sign language. "I don't speak or understand that." Link then took out another book and began writing in that. He lifted it up and read it aloud. "Protecting Zelda? We're in the middle of nowhere. Who will harm her?" He wrote in it again and lifted up the book. "It's my job to protect her from anything, even if there is no danger. Hm, well carry on I suppose." Link nodded and closed the book and turned to the horse. Revali didn't move. Link ignored him.

"Right, well. Have a goodnight." Revali muttered as Link nodded. That conversation was a complete disaster and he was quite sure he had just embarrassed himself. Great. Revali sat down in his bed and sighed looking outside. In a few hours he'd have to wake up and begin his journey across the desert to Gerudo Town. He thought of how nice it would be to fall asleep right now, covered in blankets and their warmth. But it was just that, a thought. He didn't get any sleep that night and when the sun rose and the new day began he was as tired as ever.

They managed to make it to the Kara Kara Bazar without anyone dying of heat stroke. Zelda insisted on stopping, Mipha needed to re-hydrate and Zelda had to take a bath and change into another dress. Revali didn't mind the break, it would be nice to get  out of this heat and have a nice meal. The rest and relaxation only lasted a couple hours but Revali more energized than before. Before long they stopped in front of Gerudo Town.

The Gerudo Chief, Urbosa, walked out. Zelda explained that she was there for the next pilot of Divine Beast Vah Naboris. Urbosa wasted no time in announcing that she would do it herself. Zelda was shocked to say in the least. Urbosa let Zelda try to convince her to stay and assign someone else- perhaps a warrior? A soldier?- but Urbosa explained that her duty as Chief was to protect her people and helping fend off evil was the best way to do so, besides, her lightning abilities could work wonders for the team. The Gerudo Chief assigned a younger Gerudo (who Revali assumed to be Urbosa's daughter but he wasn't too sure) to manage to their people while she was away. Urbosa invited both Mipha and Zelda into the town but Link and Revali had to stay out due to their "no voe law".

The two of them were left alone yet again and Revali was beginning to feel like this would happen a lot. They were silent for a long time, Revali was, of course, the one to break this awkwardness.

"Will you ever talk? It's getting to be rather annoying to be the only one attempting to talk." Link looked over at Revali and grinned. Much to Revali's annoyance Link took out his book, scribbled in it and showed his answer off to Revali.

"Not in a hundred years."

The Rito rolled his eyes and decided to ignore the Hylian for the rest of his time there.

A good hour later and the three came out of Gerudo Town. Urbosa properly introduced herself to both Revali and Link and with that they all ventured back to the Gerudo Canyon Stable.

Their next stop was Goron City. No one was looking forward to that meeting, especially not Mipha. Once they reached the Foothill stable Mipha tested the fireproof elixir on herself (her being a Zora meant that any sort of small contact with extreme heat like that of Death Mountain's would most likely fry her) but sadly it didn't seem to work. Urbosa suggested having a traveling Goron fetch the Goron Boss and his chosen pilot, Zelda thought that to be unprofessional but she agreed.

They waited for a few hours at the stable, it was around dusk when the traveler returned with another Goron. This new Goron introduced himself to be Daruk, The Goron Boss. He had chosen himself to be the pilot of the next Divine Beast, Vah Rudania. His reasoning for this was similar to that of Urbosa's, he wanted to protect his people and all of Hyrule. He also mentioned he had some sort of protection power. Zelda didn't argue with Daruk but silently hoped he placed someone capable in charge of the Gorons while he was absent.

Now that all pilots were chosen Zelda made the announcement that it was time to stop by one more place before returning to the castle. She looked over to Link and he nodded, preparing the horses for the trip. As they climbed into the carriage Mipha asked where they were heading. With a sigh, Zelda spoke.

"The Lost Woods where the sword of legend- The Master Sword- lays deep in the heart of it. We're going so Link can...begin his duty of becoming the ancient hero of Hyrule."