#what if Victor was actually just a fainting goat

[luminositymoth]

Victor Frankenstein fainting as a fear response

[seekingseven]

Last one: Twilight & Legend bonding! I'm thinking maybe they get stuck somewhere after a world-switch, and that means they actually have to talk to each other and work together. And not lamenting over lost loves - rather, learning how to work together despite their differences (e.g. Legend's use of magic and Twilight's avoidance/lack of)

they are my favourites and I'd love to see them together more!

Linked Universe Prompt Request #9!

What an awesome prompt to end off this little series with! It was really fun to work on this one; I hope you'll enjoy it too!

(You can also read the fic here on Ao3, or view the entire drabble series here!)

"You really think they left without us?"

Legend chewed idly on a fingernail as he stared at the ground, eyes fixated on a sprig of daisy blooming in a pavement crack. Beside him, Twilight crossed his arms and huffed.

"Not intentionally, I'm sure, but yeah. They're gone."

"How could they forget us?"

Legend's question was flat-toned, but his syllables pinched at the corners in his characteristically melodramatic way. Twilight rolled his eyes. Of all the people he could be stuck with in an unnamed Hyrule in an unnamed timeline, it had to be the veteran.

Oh well. Could have been worse.

"I guess they didn’t realize we were still here,” Twilight began, taking a seat on an upturned rock and flicking ants off his arms. “Still a surprise to know that those portals don’t wait or anything.”

Black steam curled off the pavement by Legend’s feet, the only memory of the gaping portal that had stood there just seconds ago. Legend carded his hands through his hair and gripped the back of his head.

“What are we supposed to do now? How can we get back to them? Are we permanently separated? Are you even listening? Twilight! Hey, are you just going to stand there? We need to find someone to give us directions!"

"Directions?" Twilight snorted. "We don't need directions."

"We do, too!"

A swing and a clatter of metal, and Twilight was back on his feet. His arms were crossed tight across his chest. 'We're heroes, we don't need directions."

"Yeah, if we want to get lost! Listen, let's at least buy a map."

"For what? Where are we even planning to go?"

Legend opened his mouth, then closed it again, lips pursed and pulled to the side. "Huh."

"Getting all huffy about nothing. I suggest that we just stay here."

"Stay here? We're in the middle of some goddess-forsaken road, who knows what'll come along and trample us!" With a dramatic sweep of his arm, Legend gestured to the crumbling brown pavement underfoot and the greying sky overhead.

Goddess-forsaken might have been a little bit of an understatement.

"Well, what else do you suggest we do? Walk off and let the others try and find us?"

"That's what they did to us, in case you weren't paying attention."

"Do you really think being petty is going to get us anywhere?"

"What, so you think being high and mighty is going to get us out of this?"

Blue locked with blue. Legend narrowed his eyes. Twilight snorted. The veteran's personality was like corn whisky--pungent and sharp, and pleasant in only small doses with a generous distance. The rancher's upper lip curled at the thought.

"Hey, don't look at me like that," Legend demanded. Twilight's eyes remained trained on the ground. Legend tried again. "Twilight? You listening?"

"I don't know, maybe."

"Listen, man. I'm, uh, sorry."

"...what?"

"Don't--just, uh. Sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I'm a little stressed, obviously, but that isn't an excuse, and I apologize. I didn't mean to make it sound like it's your fault or something." Legend's eyes flickered to Twilight's, whose own had widened to take up half his face. He coughed into his fist before continuing. "I...uh...if you think it's best that we stop here, then we can. They'll come back. Probably."

Twilight was still staring. The muscles along his arm relaxed, and the bitterness from earlier faded to guilt.

"Oh," he began, "I didn't mean to make it sound that your idea was bad. I was just worried...I don't know where we could go from here."

Legend nodded. The move wasn't sympathetic, not yet, but at least his mind was doing the talking. "Yeah. Do you think we should stay?"

"Here? I think so. What do you think?"

Silence. Legend's eyes slimmed in thought. Mind goaded on by the quiet, Twilight slipped into his own brooding bubble. His eyebrows flickered upward as he alighted on a compromise.

"Legend?"

"Yeah?"

"How about we wait? Maybe an hour or so, and if they're still not back, we can move on?"

Legend nodded slowly, then beamed. "Yeah! Let's do that. Okay then, huh, could you scooch over? I want to sit too."

Cloth ruffled as Twilight slid to the side, then patted the grey rock beside him. Legend sat down with an awkward grunt. A hot breeze swirled up debris on the side of the road, and a squirrel hurried across the pavement. Far away, a goat brayed.

"We really are in the middle of nowhere," Twilight mused.

"It's not so bad, though. The sky is pretty."

Twilight glanced at the pinking, sunset-flecked clouds overhead. "Yeah. Huh. It's sort of a nice day, isn't it."

"Mhm. Hey, I've got a question."

"Shoot."

Legend idly knocked the sheaf of rings on his finger against his teeth. "Magic. You have some sort of problem with it. Am I right?"

If Legend's earlier apology hadn't soothed Twilight's prickliness into an ashamed buzz, there was no telling what his response might have been. Yet with the clouds puffing their way across the sky and the gentle hum of music, distant, Twilight's reservations faltered.

"It's just not my thing," he began. "I like doing things myself. With what I've already got. Augmenting things or changing them...that's not my deal." Upon noticing the incredulous look on Legend's face, Twilight's mouth pressed into a culpable smile. He scratched the back of his neck as he continued. "But maybe I'm just old fashioned, favoring my hands and whatnot. It's nothing against you."

It was only upon Twilight's last words that the tight look on Legend's face faded. The veteran really did take things too seriously and too personally, didn't he? Maybe that's why he panicked so easily.

"Well," Legend began, "I guess I can understand that. You should try it sometime, though. Magic."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. That familiar stubbornness, the complete lack of tact...sometimes he forgot that the others were quite literally iterations of himself. "Thanks, but I'm good."

"Really, Twi, I mean it. I mean, of course it takes some time getting used to, but I think you'll enjoy it. It's more down-to-earth than you think."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. And anyway, it takes you way too long to start a campfire with a twig and a flintstone."

Twilight huffed, then, upon seeing the frustratingly serious expression on Legend's face, leaned forward and flicked his nose.

Legend's eyes went wide. Twilight recoiled. Had he gone too far? It was just instinct--he had flicked the champion's nose more times than he could count, but never the veteran's...had he crossed some sort of line?

His internal monologue stuttered to a stop with Legend flicked his nose right back.

"Hey!" Twilight protested, shielding his nose and surprised smile behind his arm, "cut that out! Cut it--cut it out!"

"Not unless you promise to try on some of my spellcasting rings."

"I won't!"

Flick!

"I--hey! Stop that!"

"Say 'Legend, I promise to practice magic with you and I'm sure you'll be a good teacher' and then I'll stop."

"Are you crazy? No way!"

Flick!

Twilight tried to protest again, but his words muddled into an embarrassingly high-pitched giggle. He blinked quickly against the water building in his eyes and tried to hide his head between his knees.

Flick!

"Fine, fine!" Twilight exclaimed, hands in the air and nose pink. "I'll do it! I'll do the magic thing with you. Just--uh, you promise to go fishing with me. Or something. Don't--Legend, I swear to Hylia, if you do that again I'll kick you in the nuts."

Legend paused, pointed finger pressed behind his thumb in a menacing 'o,' and considered the peace offering (and auxiliary threat) presented. After a tense moment, he let his hand drop into his lap.

"Fine. Surrender accepted."

"Wh-surrender? I didn't surrender anything."

Legend smirked and laced his hands under his chin. "History is written by the victors, you know. Now, stand up."

"Why?"

"And take these," Legend added, dropping a few golden bands into Twilight's lap. A faint vibration, like music rumbling from the floor, oozed off the polished metal. "Put 'em on and stand up."

Twilight did as instructed and slipped on the rings. His mind caught up with his arms just as he began to stand up.

"Wait, hold on; are we starting this thing now?"

Legend raised an eyebrow and crossed one leg over the other. He bore a surprising resemblance to an irritated schoolteacher. "Of course we are."

"By Nayru's teeth, are you serious?"

Flick!

~~ Fine ~~

I hope you enjoyed! Thank you so so much to everyone who submitted prompts--I hope you enjoyed how they came out--and a big shoutout to everyone who read them! I hope some of them were able to make you smile :D

Until next time!

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