#warriors tales

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Mistpaw awoke on the day of her warrior ceremony with a painful lump of dread lodged in her throat.

The sharp smell of newleaf bedding filled the apprentice den, mixed with the fear scent of the other sleeping apprentices.

Mistpaw sighed as she looked at the warriors already gathered below the Speaking tree.

Duststar was watching her already, and Mistpaw sighed before waking the other apprentices.

Mosspaw and Bubblingpaw were already waking up, trembling and avoiding eye contact with her, as though that would save them from a horrible fate.

Beetlepad poked his head in.

“Get up.” He growled. Despite only being four moons older than Mistpaw, he had the air of a much older warrior.

Mistpaw obeyed, ignoring Basspaw’s mew of protest as he was jostled.

If there was even the slightest hint of weakness, then she would be killed.

She walked out, half-tail twitching nervously.

Her mother-Shadepelt, watched her coldly.

Mistpaw looked down at the feathers laid at the bottom of the speaking tree by Turtleheart’s paws. She stifled a gulp as the medicine cat drew a circle around the feathers, eyes fixed on the items.

The gathered warriors were silent as Duststar spoke.

“Mistpaw. You have survived the Trials, and, as such, we must give you a name to honor your perseverance.” Turtleheart nodded and grinned, showing old yellowed teeth. “However, there is one more trial you must pass.”

The trial of Feathers. Mistpaw had seen it happen before, but the gravity of what was about to happen.

Turtleheart stood slowly, summoning the other healers- Quickyowl and Ganderpelt- to stand beside the circle.

Quickyowl stared at her, then- without breaking eye contact- he reached out and snagged a feather, pulling it towards him. Turtleheart nodded, still smiling.

“An owl feather. Good hunting will follow you wherever you go.”

Ganderpelt nodded approvingly, then turned to stare, moving slower, but grabbing a feather as well.

“A peacock. You strive to be known.” Turtleheart licked his forepaw. “Not a good omen. You can be blinded by hidden dangers and your own vanity.”

Then, moving deliberately, desperately, slowly, Turtleheart reached into the circle, and snagged a third feather.

Duststar spoke.

“Golden eagle. You will be ambitious. You pass. I now dub you.. Miststem.”

The new name was chanted quietly among the warriors, and Miststem took her place among them.

=============

HMMMMMM

[toyastales]

A beautiful family portrait

[gingermintpepper]

In my Zeus bag today so I'm just gonna put it out there that exactly none of the great Ancient Greek warrior-heroes stayed loyal and faithful and completely monogamous and yet none of them have their greatness questioned nor do we question why they had the cultural prominence that they did and still do.

Jason, the brilliant leader of the Argo, got cold feet when it came to Medea - already put off by some of her magic and then exiled from his birthland because of her political ploys, he took Creusa to bed and fully intended on marrying her despite not properly dissolving things with Medea.

Theseus was a fierce warrior and an incredibly talented king but he had a horrible temper and was almost fatally weak to women. This is the man who got imprisoned in the Underworld for trying to get a friend laid, the man who started the whole Attic War because he couldn't keep his legs closed.

And we cannot at all forget Heracles for whom a not inconsiderable amount of his joy in life was loving people then losing the people around him that he loved. Wives, children, serving boys, mentors, Heracles had a list of lovers - male and female - long enough to rival some gods and even after completing his labours and coming down to the end of his life, he did not have one wife but three.

And y'know what, just because he's a cultural darling, I'll put Achilles up here too because that man was a Theseus type where he was fantastic at the thing he was born to do (that is, fight whereas Theseus' was to rule) but that was not enough to eclipse his horrid temper and his weakness to young pretty things. This is the man that killed two of Apollo's sons because they wouldn't let him hit - Tenes because he refused to let Achilles have his sister and Troilus who refused Achilles so vehemently that he ran into Apollo's temple to avoid him and still couldn't escape.

All four of these men are still celebrated as great heroes and men. All four of these men are given the dignity of nuance, of having their flaws treated as just that, flaws which enrich their character and can be used to discuss the wider cultural point of what truly makes a hero heroic. All four of these men still have their legacies respected.

Why can that same mindset not be applied to Zeus? Zeus, who was a warrior-king raised in seclusion apart from his family. Zeus who must have learned to embrace the violence of thunder for every time he cried as a babe, the Corybantes would bang their shields to hide the sound. Zeus learned to be great because being good would not see the universe's affairs in its order.

The wonderful thing about sympathy is that we never run out of it. There's no rule stopping us from being sympathetic to multiple plights at once, there's no law that necessitate things always exist on the good-evil binary. Yes, Zeus sentenced Prometheus to sufferation in Tartarus for what (to us) seems like a cruel reason. Prometheus only wanted to help humans! But when you think about Prometheus' actions from a king's perspective, the narrative is completely different: Prometheus stole divine knowledge and gifted it to humans after Zeus explicitly told him not to. And this was after Prometheus cheated all the gods out of a huge portion of wealth by having humans keep the best part of a sacrifice's meat while the gods must delight themselves with bones, fat and skin. Yes, Zeus gave Persephone away to Hades without consulting Demeter but what king consults a woman who is not his wife about the arrangement of his daughter's marriage to another king? Yes, Zeus breaks the marriage vows he set with Hera despite his love of her but what is the Master of Fate if not its staunchest slave?

The nuance is there. Even in his most bizarre actions, the nuance and logic and reason is there. The Ancient Greeks weren't a daft people, they worshipped Zeus as their primary god for a reason and they did not associate him with half the vices modern audiences take issue with. Zeus was a father, a visitor, a protector, a fair judge of character, a guide for the lost, the arbiter of revenge for those that had been wronged, a pillar of strength for those who needed it and a shield to protect those who made their home among the biting snakes. His children were reflections of him, extensions of his will who acted both as his mercy and as his retribution, his brothers and sisters deferred to him because he was wise as well as powerful. Zeus didn't become king by accident and it is a damn shame he does not get more respect.

[descendinight]

实验。。

prints

[exocynraku]

lalalalala joy and whimsy

[trippygalaxy]

My Opinion on the LU Boys DND Classes

as a DM of 3 years and a enjoyer of dnd for MUCH LONGER, i have so sososos many thoughts on what classes the boys would be. This will also include subclasses CAUSE ITS MY POST AND IMMA DO WHAT I WANT! /LH SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!!!

Time -> Fighter, Eldritch Knight

Twilight -> Barbarian, Path of the Ancestral Guardian

Warriors -> Fighter, Battle Master

Sky -> Paladin, Oath of Devotion

Wild -> Ranger, Gloomstalker

Legend -> Wizard, Bladesinging

Hyrule -> Warlock, The Celestial

Four -> Fighter, Echo Knight

Wind -> Rogue, Swashbuckler

Taglist cause I know somepeople were interested! @catreginae @next-hero-in-line @unexpectedstormy @nancyheart11 @majorproblems77 @ladye-zelda @ajscico @mishwanders @violetregrets1837 @1dragon-mustard1

Under the cut will be explanations as to why i picked these classes! (as well as the official descriptions of the subclasses for context)

Time, The Eldritch Knight

Subclass Description; They focus their study on two of the eight schools of magic: abjuration and evocation. Abjuration spells grant an Eldritch Knight additional protection in battle, and evocation spells deal damage to many foes at once, extending the fighter's reach in combat. These knights learn a comparatively small number of spells, committing them to memory instead of keeping them in a spellbook.

--

Fighter is a go to for all the boys, but I think Time is a perfect fit for the class as he is shown time and time again to be a frontline fighter. He's quick to draw his sword and quicker to swing it.

Though Time is not a heavy magic user in the LU comics, he is known to have quite a few spells/magical abilities in his games and comics! Many of these abilities are defensive or to deal with large 'groups' of enemies at once, which is what Abjuration and Evocation spells are used for -respectively. The Class is still heavily rooted in melee rather than magic -like Time- but the magic they do use is to add a extra kick to their punch.

There are also abilities that make the Eldritch knight much harder (if not impossible) to disarm!

In higher levels, the subclasses allows the user to be more effective and quick with their spell casting who their actions are free for melee attacks, which would be a perfect fit for the quick and preciseness Time uses in battle.

Twilight, The Barbarian of Ancestral Guardians

Subclass description; Some barbarians hail from cultures that revere their ancestors. These tribes teach that the warriors of the past linger in the world as mighty spirits, who can guide and protect the living. When a barbarian who follows this path rages, the barbarian contacts the spirit world and calls on these guardian spirits for aid.

--

Barbarian is a common pick for Twilight as it is the most strength based class and while I agree with it always never quite sat right with me due to the violence the class is stereotyped to lean towards.

The subclass itself was picked because I connected it with not only the Hero's Shade but also the light spirits that Twilight encounters on his journey. Its very much a spirit heavy class that deals with a lot of themes regarding 'guardian' like figures which fit perfectly for the 'guardian' spirits Twilight runs into -and is trained by- during his adventure. I also choose this one because of how defensive it is, especially when it comes to protecting others!

Twilight is a protector, in the LU comics, in his games, in his manga, he is shown time and time again to protect others so to have a subclass to reflect his protective nature is a perfect match for his character!

Warriors, the Battle Master

Subclass Description; Those who emulate the archetypal Battle Master employ martial techniques passed down through generations. To a Battle Master, combat is an academic field, sometimes including subjects beyond battle such as weaponsmithing and calligraphy. Not every fighter absorbs the lessons of history, theory, and artistry that are reflected in the Battle Master archetype, but those who do are well-rounded fighters of great skill and knowledge.

--

Another fighter! Like I said for Time, this class is very much a 'go-to' class for any and all of the LU boys! But warriors fits so well for this class, a undeterred and seemingly never ending energy in a fight, Fighter fits perfectly!

I think that we all can agree that Warriors is one of the top 3 swordsmen in the group, his way with his sword is unlike the others as he holds an elegance and swiftness that can be rivalled by very few. The Battle Master subclass is built upon the idea of 'Yeah, you can try to hit me but get ready for your shit to get rocked.' It is about countering, using the enemies weaknesses to your gain and getting your hits in whenever you can.

A Captain in a war would be a battle master without a doubt!

Sky, Paladin of Devotion

Subclass description; --They hold themselves to the highest standards of conduct, and some, for better or worse, hold the rest of the world to the same standards. Many who swear this oath are devoted to gods of law and good and use their gods' tenets as the measure of their devotion. They hold angels – the perfect servants of good – as their ideals, and incorporate images of angelic wings into their helmets or coats of arms.

--

Is...Is this a surprise to anyone? A little cliche yes, but how can you blame me when it suits him so well!

First, Divine smite? PERFECT for the Skyward Strike, without a doubt and I don't think theres anything that could fit it so well! A mighty strike blessed with divine power and -depending on what spell/ability- can shed a great amount of light and cause lightning/thunder to burst from the strike! There is also abilities with the subclass that makes your weapon a beacon of light for a short period of time

Sky is devoted to many things. But its obvious hes devoted to his Zelda -the reincarnation of Hyila, a goddess- so much so that before he knew of her divine spirit he was willing to head into a world unknown just to look for her. He is so devoted to her and Skyloft that he fought a GOD to keep everyone he loved safe and sound.

Wild, The Gloom Stalker

Subclass description; Gloom stalkers are at home in the darkest places: deep under the earth, in gloomy alleyways, in primeval forests, and wherever else the light dims. Most folk enter such places with trepidation, but a gloom stalker ventures boldly into the darkness, seeking to ambush threats before they can reach the broader world.--

--

Since TOTK I feel like this would be fitting for the hero to be proficient in fighting in the darken places of the world. The name of the subclass is also suits him considering a huge part of the game -The Gloom- is apart of this class in a way.

Ranger is a great class for Wild, it is the definition of a hunter, an explorer, one that finds there own path in the wildness. Wild, though seen to get lost in the comics, has a great understanding of his Hyrule and its geographic locations and terrain, both surface and depths. He is also a great archer, and a even better hunter!

The hero is a survivor of the wilds, and Rangers are the best suited to do such a thing

Legend, The BladeSinger

Subclass Description: Bladesingers master a tradition of wizardry that incorporates swordplay and dance. In combat, a bladesinger uses a series of intricate, elegant maneuvers that fend off harm and allow the bladesinger to channel magic into devastating attacks and a cunning defense.

----

Legend is one of the more magically inclined Heros, and though thats mostly through his artifacts and magic items that doesn’t take away the fact that the hero has a broad knowledge when it came to magic.

I picked bladesinging specifically because while it’s main focus is magic it still uses the sword and it’s connection to ones-self. Legend is still a fighter at heart so i don’t think he would toss away those skills in this situation. He is shown in a few panels to have some sort of connection/bond to the mastersword and likely his own weapon, so it was important for me to somehow intertwine his two biggest skills together.

And a bit selfishly, i think he would look very very cool dancing around with his sword-

Hyrule, The Holy Warlock

Subclass description: Your patron is a powerful being of the Upper Planes. You have bound yourself to an ancient empyrean, solar, ki-rin, unicorn, or other entity that resides in the planes of everlasting bliss.

---

I know most people would make Hyrule either a wizard or nature based magic user but in all fairness, I dont think Hyrule is one to learn magic by the traditional means (reading/studying it). This isn’t to say the kid isn’t capable of doing so, but with the whole “hero of Hyila,” you’d think there would be a bit more a divine connection there.

Warlocks make deals, pacts, with some sort of higher being for their magic intentionally or not and Hyila ,a holy celestial, being fits perfectly to be his patron. The magic granted to a celestial warlock is based on a clerics abilities, healing, protecting from the undead and fiends, lighting a path etc. Warlocks also are also a little more focused on melee/combat and if picking the right pact boon, can have a special relationship/connect to their sword!

Four, The Echo Knight

Subclass description: Echo knights harness fading shades of unrealized timelines, pulling a shadowy duplicate of themself called an "echo" to fight by their side. The echoes are somewhat fragile, but the echo knight can summon another at any time.

--

Okayokayokay— HEAR ME OUT ON THIS ONE!!!

One of the echo knight’s main abilities is being able to make shadowy versions of themselves to fight alongside them in a battle. These shadows or ‘echoes’ are an extension of the person’s form/soul and are able to communicate and aid the original knight. They are able to project their consciousness into these shadows to get the information they have seen/witness and collects it all once they all fuse back together.

TELL ME THAT AINT PERFECT FOR FOUR!!!

Wind, The Swashbuckler

Subclass Description: You focus your training on the art of the blade, relying on speed, elegance, and charm in equal parts. While some warriors are brutes clad in heavy armor, your method of fighting looks almost like a performance. Duelists and pirates typically belong to this archetype. A Swashbuckler excels in single combat, and can fight with two weapons while safely darting away from an opponent.

--

….i feel like this is pretty straightforward as to why i picked this for Wind.

Wind, shown to be quite a sneaky Link in his games, is probably the most rogue like in the Chain. He’s a strong kid, but he specializes in quick strikes and keeping his opponents on their toes and unexpecting. He is also, very clearly, a pirate! So it isn’t surprising for the hero to have one of (if not the only) pirate theme-d subclass! The class is very agile, but the subclass specifically is focused on disarming, ‘backstabbing’ and overall being sneaky in plain sight!

And thought i do think this is a great fit for the hero, i could also see him as a Storm sorcerer, which was my second pick!

UHHHH! YEAH THATS IS! if you're reading this, thank you so much for listening to me ramble and if you have any ideas/thoughts of your own i would LOVE to hear them!!!

[mothfables]

“Should we be concerned?”

Hyrule’s question has Wars glancing up to follow the traveller’s gaze towards the fire, where a small ball of pink fluff lies facing away from everyone else. Legend, currently in the form of a rabbit, is curled tightly into himself. Warriors can see him trembling from here.

There’s a whine and Wolfie makes his way over from the other side of camp, moving slowly so as not to startle the other transformed hero. Legend doesn’t seem to notice.

There had been an incident earlier with Twilight’s shadow chrystal; the captain isn’t entirely sure what happened, but somehow both the rancher and the vet had been changed into animals. Wolfie they were familiar with, but the sudden appearance of a small pink rabbit had been a surprise to everybody. Legend had immediately refused to look at any of them, curling into himself with his ears pressed flat as if trying to hide in plain sight.

In any other circumstance Wars would tease and poke lighthearted fun, ruffling soft pink and getting snarky jabs in return. Right now, though, it’s clear it wouldn’t be taken well at all. Obviously this is something Legend hadn’t wanted anyone to know about, and a freak accident had outed that secret to everyone at once. Wars feels a stab of sympathy for how miserable he looks. No wonder he’s hiding.

Wolfie whines again and lowers himself to his belly to crawl forward and nose at the other. It takes a moment, but pink slowly unfurls to reveal a tiny, trembling nose and long ears that flick at every noise.

Legend stares at Wolfie with his dark eyes, so glittering and sharp even in this form, before he nudges his little face into the wolf’s side. Wolfie lets out a happy yip and wraps himself around him with a wag of his tail.

Legend gives a sound that’s surprisingly close to a sigh and settles close against dark fur. His trembling eases and then stops altogether as he’s surrounded by protective warmth.

Wars smiles at the sight and claps Hyrule on the back. “Everything’s just fine, traveller. They’ll be alright.”

[nymfheii]

(((o(*ﾟ∀ﾟ*)o))) I've finished this fanart of Aurora, I feel happy ♡♡

https://www.instagram.com/nymfheii?igsh=em5xdXJvcmlkMmN2

[anthurak]

Hey remember in Fairy Tales of Remnant when Tai was reading The Warrior in the Woods to Ruby and Yang and it was the story of a blonde boy who looks a LOT like Tai falling in love with a Silver Eyed Warrior who looks like a cross between Summer AND Raven that ends tragically when the Warrior vanishes into the night?

And then it turns out that’s exactly what fucking happened to Summer and Raven?!

Gotta say, it feels nice to be vindicated XD

[thekainlegacy]

very effective way to break open a door i think!

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

i said i was gonna deliver the angst, and ding dong here i am with ur package

The small apprentice followed his elder sister through the familiar yet oh so strange territory. He fought off the feelings of dread within his stomach, and the wrenching guilt around his heart.

The elder of the two slowed, and eventually stopped, and moved so the poor apprentice could see what she had needed to show him.

The apprentice moved closer, and that dread that resided in his stomach swallowed him whole.

There lay a cat, his brother, the only cat he felt he could ever trust, with his fur matted in blood, a gash on his throat being the offending culprit.

Sweetpaw felt his entire world go still, everything stopped, and he felt his face drain of blood. He refused to believe it, he didnt understand, he couldnt understand, he refused to understand. He let out quiet sobs, his tearless cries seemed to silence the forest.

He sat vigil with the others, sharing tongues with him one last time, he was bitterly reminded of all the times that he and his brother would share stories like this. They would talk of all they would do together, the ways they promised to protect eachother, the ways they talked about nothing whilst everything was too much for the two of them.

As he cleaned his brothers fur of the now dryed blood, he felt something brush against his back, despite him being the only one to still be grooming his brother. His fur bristled, and he turned around, ready to tear into the creature who dared disturb him, but was greeted with the last sight he ever expected.

There sat his brother, almost as in life, but yet his presence felt wrong, distorted. Sweetpaw attempted to quiet the guilt and rage that ran rampant through his bones and mind, and tell himself that he was only seeing what his mind wanted him to, he tried to deny the fact that he could feel his brothers fur, as fluffy as it was in life, no longer matted with blood and water.

But nothing could change the fact that he sat infront of sweetpaw, smiling as kindly as he used to, the way he only smiled at sweetpaw, the way he told sweetpaw that it would all be alright. Sweetpaw could try all he wanted, but there was no denying that his brother sat infront of him in that moment.

The unfortunate cat wound himself around sweetpaw, and he whispered words of comfort that no other cat would have ever heard from him. His voice was quiet, and uncharacteristic from someone who used to be as brash as his brother, but it was too familiar to sweetpaw to unnerve him.

It was the same voice his brother used to comfort him when their mother belittled them, the same voice he used after their father was violent in ways they never knew another cat to be capable of.

Sweetpaw relaxed, and allowed his phantom brother to murmur in his soft voice. They both laid down, wrapped around one another, reminiscent of their days in the nursery, and as Sweetpaw drifted in and out of slumber, he whispered one last statement,

"thank you, Angelpaw."

===========================

COULDN'T RESPOND ON MOBILE, SORRY

THIS IS GREAT

[toyastales]

Catober

[alackofghosts]

i want to do it too, take in all the sweet life caught inside this world

[internationalemeteorologie]

Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Untitled series of the Kanadehon Chûshingura performed by bats, acts 1 to 6, published ca. 1847 by Ibaya Senzaburo

[phantomrin]

Inktober 2023

Day 21 - Marya Morevna

Ivan-tsarevich asks, "If there's a man alive, answer me! Who defeated this great army?" A man alive answers, "This great army was defeated by Marya Morevna, the fair princess."

("Marya Morevna". A.N. Afanasiev's collection of Russian folk tales.)

New stuff available to my Boosty subscribers ;) https://boosty.to/phantomrin

[mothfables]

It happened in a crash of thunder.

They were making their way along one of the roads in an unclaimed Hyrule when the storm hit. It had been looming all day, making itself known in tight scars and aching joints.

They had just come upon a rocky cliff when it happened. Thunder boomed out of nowhere, making everyone jump. The rain came a moment later, bringing with it a chill that had some of them gasping.

“Let’s find shelter!” Warriors called. There were enthusiastic sounds of agreement.

Twilight pulled the hood of his pelt over his head only to pause. Something felt off. He did a quick headcount. All of the usual troublemakers - Wild, Hyrule, and Wind - were ahead, eagerly searching for some place to take shelter from the rain. The rest were trudging along as well as they could.

Everything seemed fine. He continued walking.

…Wait. Someone was missing.

The rancher stopped in his tracks, counting again. Wind, Wild, Hyrule- that was three. Time and Wars in their armor, glancing worriedly up at the clouds, five. Sky holding his sailcloth over an unhappy Four. Seven. He made eight.

…Where was the Vet?

Twilight glanced around, trying to spot his missing brother. He turned around and-

Oh.

Legend stood frozen in the middle of the road, hands clasped over his ears and eyes shut tight. Thunder boomed again and Twilight watched as he flinched, curling into himself with a barely-audible whimper.

Oh no.

It was no secret among them that Legend hated storms. Twilight hurried back towards his brother, calling out to try and get his attention.

There was no reaction. Legend remained frozen.

“Lege, hey, lookit me.” Twilight knelt down before him, noting with mounting worry how pale he was, just how tightly he curled into himself. Thunder rolled again and Legend flinched hard with a choked sound.

Twilight frowned. Calling his brother’s name again produced no result; Legend stayed unresponsive. A fourth bout of thunder had him shuddering and Twilight biting his lip.

He wasn’t sure what to do. He hesitated to touch him, but calling his name wasn’t working. Legend hated being touched without warning, but Twilight didn’t see any other way to get him out of the rain. With a sigh, he shrugged his pelt off and draped it over the smaller boy, making sure the hood was securely over his head before scooping him up and hurrying back to the rest of their brothers.

The Captain was the first to notice as he approached, his brow furrowing at the shaking form held close in protective arms. He sent Twilight a concerned look which only deepened when Legend let out a small, scared noise.

“We needta git ‘im outta the rain,” Twilight said. Wars nodded and was about to reply when he was interrupted by a shout.

“We found a cave! It looks like there’s enough room fer all of us!”

Wind waved at them from a large opening in the cliffside. The heroes still on the road hurried over, grateful for the chance to get out of the storm.

Inside the cave was thankfully dry and large enough for them to spread out and have their own space. The roof was even high enough they could have a fire without having to worry about the smoke.

Twilight moved to the back of the cave, as far from the entrance as he could. The sound of rain was quieter there, and he felt Legend’s trembling lessen a tiny bit.

“Shh, shh. I gotcha,” he murmured. “Let’s getcha outta those wet clothes, yeah?”

Legend whimpered and clung weakly to him as Twilight tried to gently wrangle him out of his wet things. Warriors came over after changing out of his own soaked clothes to help. Together they managed to get Legend out of his wet clothes and into something soft and dry.

The younger boy didn’t resist, only pressing closer as thunder echoed through the cave. Twilight and Wars shared a look over his head.

“Reckon he’s small, if he’s actin’ like this,” the rancher muttered lowly.

Wars sighed. “Yes, I think that might be the case. Do you think it was the storm?”

“I dunno what else it could been. ‘e was fine earlier, just grouchy cause his scars were actin’ up.”

Wars nodded before crouching down to be level with Legend and speaking softly. “Hey, bud. Are you feeling small right now?”

A muffled whine was his answer and he exchanged another glance with Twilight.

“Do you want me to hold you while Twilight gets changed? You can go right back when he’s done if you want.”

Legend didn’t respond, instead pressing even closer to Twilight as his right hand drifted towards his mouth. Warriors was quick to catch it, rubbing gentle circles into his palm in apology when Legend made an unhappy noise.

“I know, bud, I know. But Twi’s gotta get out of his wet clothes too. Come here.” He gathered Legend into his arms before shuffling around to sit against the wall with him in his lap.

He held his little brother, still rubbing circles into his hands, as he watched the rest of them work to make themselves comfortable to wait out the storm. Wild had managed to get a fire going and was in the process of preparing dinner. Four was furiously toweling himself dry while Wind went around gathering everyone’s bedding, most likely with the intention to make a nest for them all to cuddle in later.

Things had just gotten to a point where they were calm and relaxed when the weather took a turn for the worse.

Lightning flashed, painting the world a blinding white, followed by the loudest clap of thunder yet.

Legend jolted from his place against Warriors’ chest with a cry. Wars managed to catch him before he fell, wrapping his arms around him securely. Legend let him, staring into nothing for a long moment before he burst into tears.

He wailed, shoving his face into Wars’ chest to hide from the storm raging outside. His brother held him close, covering long ears and rocking side to side in an effort to calm him. Soft humming filled the air, a welcome distraction from the dull roar of rain outside their shelter.

It took time but eventually Legend’s tears slowed. Wars ran a soothing hand through his hair as he hiccuped, letting go of the tight grip he had on the older hero’s shirt to rub at red eyes. The captain gently wiped the tears from pale cheeks before pressing a kiss to his brow.

Wet violet eyes peeked up at him from behind damp hair. Wars smiled and tucked a lock behind one of those long ears. Legend sniffled and moved to nuzzle against his neck. He let him, used to the other boy’s way of seeking comfort.

“You feeling a little better, honeybun?”

A small nod against his collarbone. Wars leaned his head against Legend’s, earning a sigh.

“I bet yer tired, huh, kit?” Twilight murmured, laying a hand against Legend’s back. “Let’s git ourselves t’bed, yeah? Wind’s got a nice comfy nest built fer all’a us.”

There was a beat, then a tiny “…okay.”

“That’s th’ spirit. Awright, let’s go!” Twilight helped Wars make sure he had Legend in a secure grip before standing. Then they made their way over to where the Chain was waiting in the aforementioned nest. Wild was the only one missing, still working on dinner.

Wars settled down near the middle, Legend curled in his lap. Sky crawled over with a blanket and tucked him in with a smile. Then he took Legend’s face in his hands and pressed several kisses to his cheeks with exaggerated ‘muah!’ sounds. Legend gave a wet giggle at the affection.

Sky beamed. “There’s my little bird! Are you feeling better, baby?”

Legend nodded before his face scrunched and he yawned, nose quivering. He laid his head on Wars’ shoulder again with a content sigh.

“You can go to sleep if you want, honeybun. It’s alright.” The rain had died down a fair bit, a quiet patter on the cliff outside. Wild finished dinner and came over, plates in hand, and smiled when he saw Legend cuddled up to the captain.

“I’ll save his for later,” he whispered.

“Thanks, champion. I know he’ll appreciate it.”

Warriors began running a hand through Legend’s hair, feeling the boy in his lap relax at the soothing motions. He leaned more and more heavily into the captain, one hand grasping loosely at Wars’ shirt while the other rested under his chin. A moment later tiny squeaking snores sounded.

Sky cooed. The other heroes exchanged adoring smiles at the sight.

“Alright, that’s bedtime for us, I think,” Wars whispered. “Sleep well, everyone. See you all tomorrow.”

With that, he carefully moved to lay down, Legend still wrapped in his arms and snoring quietly. He felt more than saw someone lay a blanket over him, his own eyes already drifting shut from the assurance of safety and family.

“Goodnight, captain,” was the last thing he heard before he let sleep embrace him.