THIS IS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN

Breakfast Time

My son’s stuck in a time loop again.

He thinks I don’t know, of course. He’s never told me that this happens to him (or that he can do this, possibly; I’m not sure which it is.) Maybe I’m a bad mother, if I haven’t proven myself worthy of that trust. But there is only so many times that one can watch their son trudge through a day with bored impatience, anticipating everything you say just a little too quickly and showing no surprise to even the most surprising event, and then come downstairs the next day disoriented but rejuvenated and with a new zest for life and a tendency to get blindsided by even the most predictable things, before one makes the obvious connection.

I don’t think he’s lived through this day too many times yet, because he’s not frustrated by my good morning joke but not surprised by the monster attack being announced on the news. He eats his toast makes polite conversation that sounds just a little too rote until his sister comes down, and he puts his toast down in that distinctive way that make her eyes widen in sudden realisation, a reaction I never would have noticed if I wasn’t looking for it. He told her about three time loops ago, I think, although it might’ve been earlier and I just never noticed the signal until then. I make sure to keep the smile on my face as I push a plate of toast towards her.

The thing on the news is some kind of flying beast, and my son’s eyes don’t leave the TV screen. I expect that calm, solid determination that I usually see in his expression on days like this, but instead he watches it only with a wary sort of calculation. I suppress a sigh – it looks like I won’t be remembering today, then.

The pair exchange glances and look to me. “Hey, mum, I figured we should go to school early. We’ve both got these big tests coming up and – ”

“Yes, fine, whatever. Go.” I know what you’re thinking – obviously they’re off to do something dangerous, and obviously they’re far too young for this sort of thing, and obviously I shouldn’t enable this, and I’m a terrible parent for letting them run off to maybe get themselves killed someday. But I put this to you:

How, exactly, do you expect me to stop them?

As my son heads for the door, though, I almost stop him. I consider, not for the first time, just telling him what I know, what I’ve figured out, and asking him to explain everything, to say where he’s going and what he plans to do about that thing and if his sister is involved and if they at least have help, to put my mind at ease. I don’t, though. Because, logically… I must have done that before, right? In at least one of the countless days that never happened. I must have gotten worried or angry or just fed up with this ridiculous charade and told him that he wasn’t as good at hiding as he thought he was. He has to know that I know, right? And yet, he still chooses to let it play out like this.

Or, perhaps, he told me once. That must have happened, right? I must have been there to help, to patch his wounds and dry his tears and listen to him confess his fears or his worries or his regrets about this big responsibility, about whatever he’s doing out there. He must have told me, at some point, at least once, in one of those nonexistent days. And afterwards, he chose not to tell the me that stuck around. Meaning that I must have given him some reason to keep this secret.

What did I do to him? What did I say to him? How bad a confidante must I have been, that he chooses instead to keep me in the dark?

They leave, they ‘go to school early’, and I start on the dishes. As I wash my daughter’s breakfast crumbs away, the plate slips from my fingers and shatters on the tiles at my feet. I sigh, and turn to get a broom.

Then stop. Pick up all the other dirty plates. And shatter them, one by one, on the tiles.

Then I leave the mess behind me, pull a full tub of rocky road ice cream out of the freezer, and resolve to spend the day eating junk and watching youtube videos. After all, it’s not like it’s going to matter tomorrow, right?

Shatter

(Alternate title: Warriors Gets Jarred)

HAPPY VERY LATE BIRTHDAY @adrift-in-thyme!!!! I finally finished the fic I said I was going to write for you :3 I hope you like it, and I’m sorry once again for taking I don’t even know how many months to finish this XD

Ao3 link

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“Ooooh, there’s something wrong about this place, I just know it.”

Time more than agreed with Wind’s anxious mutter, studying the trees at the side of the path. At first glance there was nothing strange with the forest they were all trekking through, but the longer they walked, the more nervous they all got. The forest was almost completely silent, no sound of squirrels in the underbrush, no birdsong in the trees. There was no life except for the foliage, and even that seemed strangely off, leaves more grey than green, flowers oddly dull.

Something seemed to hang in the very air, heavy and dark, and Time knew all of them had caught onto it, ears flicking, eyes darting towards shadows.

Something was wrong.

“Where did you say you think this great fairy was again?” Four asked in a quiet voice, and Hyrule hesitated, looking around the forest.

“There’s a magic source of some kind up ahead,” he said, but his voice was uncertain. “But these woods... they aren’t natural.”

“So something’s definitely up then,” Legend mumbled from his place on Twilight’s back. “Wonderful.”

“It’s not like we have any other options,” Sky quietly pointed out, gesturing with his arm that wasn’t in a sling. “It’s the hope of a Great Fairy through the unsettling woods or nothing.”

The rest of them murmured agreement, and Time looked back at all the heroes, worn down from a series of long fights, almost everyone injured without any supplies left to heal them. Legend was the worst off, a deep wound in his side and a concussion to boot, but they were all weary and in need of healing, broken arms and twisted ankles, bruises and cuts galore.

But they were in an in-between time period, one none of them recognized. They’d come across no towns or anywhere else where they could buy supplies, just monsters and wilderness, empty forests and fields.

So it was the Great Fairy or nothing.

A soft breeze rustled the leaves around them, and Time wasn’t the only one who stiffened, his ears twitching. Something like a laugh drifted on the wind, but it faded before he could pinpoint it.

He saw Warriors swallow next to him, and Wind rub anxiously at the dark bruise on his cheek.

“...Come on. This way,” Time said finally, able to sense the same magic Hyrule was following, and they all trailed after him, walking closer together then they had been previously.

It wasn’t long before the top of a structure poked through the trees, and Time steered towards it, following an overgrown, barely-there path. An old temple-like building rose up from the trees, thick vines clawing at dark stone, and they all paused to look up at it.

“This is it,” Time confirmed. Hyrule silently nodded in agreement.

They all exchanged looks, but nobody spoke further, and they all trailed inside.

Time relaxed just a bit at the familiar brush of fairy magic that drifted faintly around them, but he realized quickly that there weren’t any fairies inside, the space oddly dark. The Links looked around, studying dark stone and broken windows, and Time walked towards the pool of water on the far side of the room.

His steps were loud on the stones, and Time studied the pool uneasily, the water inside dull and dark.

Strangely dark.

“...This is really a fairy fountain?” Wind asked as they all gathered in the middle of the area, and Wild limped over to the pool, setting a foot near the water.

“I mean... it kinda looks like one,” Wild said, leaning out over the water. “Just... weird.”

“Careful Champion,” Warriors cautioned, slowly moving to stand beside him. “Something here isn’t...”

“Oh, some Heroes have come to visit, have they?”

All of them froze at the echoing voice, strangely harsh to their ears. Hyrule flinched and Warriors stiffened, but Time barely noticed, gaze focused on the pool.

The water was rippling, bubbles appearing on its surface.

“Seems they’ve come seeking help,” the voice continued, tittering when they all took a step back. “Oh, even injured they’re strapping specimens indeed...”

“Ew,” Legend muttered.

The voice laughed, and Time stepped forward, ignoring his unease. “We’ve come in need of healing,” he spoke in a level voice, and the voice went silent a moment. Time was sure he could feel eyes on them all.

“Healing, hmm... I don’t know. You all look so dashing with blood on you...”

“This doesn’t feel right,” Four whispered as the voice hummed. Time nodded, still watching the water. Great Fairies could be on the... unsettling side, but not like this, and he could feel the dark magic in the air now, thick and pungent, like an oily weight that sank into his skin.

Time set a hand on his sword.

“No. It’s not,” he said grimly.

“Does this magic feel familiar to anyone else?” Twilight whispered, a hand ghosting along his side where the Shadow’s axe had struck.

“Something’s wrong here,” Hyrule breathed behind them, hand still pressed to his chest. Time glanced at him and saw his eyes darting around the room, sweat beading on his brow. “Something’s really wrong here...”

“I think we need to leave,” Sky whispered.

The voice laughed like it had heard him, and they all went silent, watching the bubbling water.

“Leave? You just got here! Such fine heroes deserve a rest,” the voice almost purred, and Time‘s grip tightened on his sword. “Lovely specimens indeed... in fact...”

The water abruptly stilled, and the Links held their breath, every muscle in Time’s body alert and tensed.

“...I think I’ll keep you!”

The ground began to tremble under their feet, and Time felt the hair on his neck stand up, the water somehow growing darker as it bubbled again.

“Boys, get away from the—!”

A pale hand shot out of the water at the same time Warriors shoved Wild away, the hand closing around Warriors and pulling him under with a cry.

“Captain!” Twilight gasped as Time’s heart lurched, and they all ran to the water with their weapons drawn, Four helping Wild back to his feet.

The water had gone still again, but it was still frothy from the recent movement, and Time scanned its depths, looking frantically for any sign of Warriors below.

Nothing but dark water met him.

“I’m going to find him,” Sky said suddenly, marching forward as he pulled a necklace with a scale on it from under his shirt.

Time moved to stop him, prepared to argue that he couldn’t swim with a broken arm, but then the ground lurched under their feet. They were all knocked off-balance, and Twilight nearly dropped Legend with how harshly it shook. Time had to steady Wild, and they’d all barely regained their footing when something erupted from the pool, water splashing outwards and nearly soaking them as a laugh echoed around the room, unusually harsh and high-pitched.

Hyrule gasped and several of the others did along with him at the sight, horror rooting Time in place at the sight of what stood before them.

It was a Great Fairy, but wrong.

Her skin was ashen, her hair dull and lifeless, lacking any of the usual sparkle it should hold. Her dress was tattered, and the vines twirling around it and her body were dead and grey, like bleached bones of the plants that had once grown there. The only spot of color she sported were her eyes, and those barely counted, a sickly yellow and glowing with malice.

But worst of all was the sight of the large bottle she held possessively in her hand, long nails curled around the jar as she gently caressed it.

Warriors just barely visible inside with his hands pressed to the glass, soaking wet and looking absolutely terrified.

“Captain!” Sky gasped, and Time could only stare at Warriors for several moments, unable to tear his gaze away from the hero trapped inside of the glass.

Warriors met his eyes, his own unusually bright with fear, and all of a sudden Time was eleven again.

“Great fairy, we need your help. We can’t win this battle without you.”

Mask stood to the side as the captain knelt by the pool, the clash of weapons and screams of monsters and men coming from right outside. The squad they’d brought with them shifted uneasily as something howled, and Mask swallowed.

The Great Fairy was their last hope of victory here, and if she wasn’t willing to help them... it wouldn’t be pretty.

Right when he was about to grab the mask at his hip and see if he could do anything, the Great Fairy finally rose from her pool, leaning over the edge to smile at the captain.

“Of course I can help, little hero,” she laughed, bells in her voice. “...But not without a price. I trust you are willing?”

Something in her voice made Mask frown, but the Captain nodded without hesitation, determination on his face. The Great Fairy grinned at the confirmation, and leapt out of the water with a laugh and a twirl, soaking a few of the soldiers standing too close.

Then she snatched up the Captain, and dropped him into a bottle she pulled from thin air.

“Hey!” Mask shouted, but the Great Fairy waved a dismissive hand at him.

“It’s just until we’ve won,” she giggled, holding the bottle up so she could see the Captain better. He took a step back, eyes wide and uncertain. “Unless he’d like to stick around afterwards... but regardless, I need some help, and you’re just who I need.”

Her eyes glinted a bit.

“Let’s go, little hero. Show me how well you can swing that little sword of yours.”

The harsh laugh rang through the air again, and Time snapped back to the present as the Great Fairy gave the bottle in her hand a light shake.

Warriors looked ill.

“Let him go!” Wind shouted, tightly gripping his sword, but the Great Fairy only laughed again. “He’s not yours, let him out!”

“On the contrary little hero,” she smiled, unnatural and wide. “I caught him, so he’s mine. That’s how it works.”

“As a Great Fairy you should know that that’s not how it works,” Time said as he glared up at the corrupted fairy. “Release him.”

“No,” the fairy said plainly, and Warriors pressed his back to the glass as she held him up mere inches from her face. She smirked. “I haven’t had a toy this good-looking in a long time.”

Warriors lost what little color he had left, and Twilight chucked a boomerang at the fairy’s arm.

She flicked it out of the air with a tsk, the weapon clattering to the ground, and her gaze narrowed, the bit of red around her pupils seeming to grow.

“It’s not polite to attack your hostess.”

“Then release him!” Wild shouted, nocking an arrow and aiming it towards her. “None of us are staying with you, you creep!”

The Great Fairy looked at him, and sighed.

“Well then I suppose I have no choice.”

Dark magic glowed at her fingertips, and suddenly they were all scrambling for cover, most of them only dodging the burst of darkness she threw at them at the very last second.

“This must be the Shadow’s work,” Four wheezed as he ducked behind the same piece of stone Time had sheltered behind. “What else would be able to corrupt fairy magic like this?”

“It has his dirty fingerprints all over it,” Wild snarled from nearby, pulling out a stronger bow from his pouch.

“But how did he corrupt a great fairy?” Hyrule said in dismay, and Twilight yanked him out of the way of another harsh spray of dark magic.

“It doesn’t matter how he managed it, we need to get rid of it,” Time shouted over another harsh laugh. “And save Warriors.”

“How do we do that?!”

The Great fairy kept laughing, and the piece of wall they were hiding behind was suddenly destroyed, the Links scrambling away from the debris. The bottle was swung at them all as they scattered, and Warriors flew by in a blur of color.

Wild whirled around and shot off a round of arrows, several hitting their mark, but the corrupted fairy didn’t even seem to notice, still blasting magic and swinging her bottle.

Time ran forward with his blade raised, and the Great Fairy twirled out of his way. She laughed at his attempts to hit her, then slammed him backwards with the bottle she held.

Time managed to get his shield up, but he was still knocked to the ground, pain radiating up his arm where he’d taken the brunt of the hit.

He thought he heard a muffled cry from Warriors, but the bottle was swinging around too much for him to be sure. Wind covered him while he got to his feet, and Time joined the others as they tried to get close enough to the Great Fairy to actually fight her.

There was too much magic flying around though, dark bursts that made Time’s stomach roll when one exploded too close to him. Between the magic and the way the fairy swung the bottle Warriors was trapped in, nobody could get close enough to cause any real damage.

A larger ball of darkness formed in one of the Great Fairy’s hands, and everyone ran for cover again as more dark magic exploded through the room. Most of them ended up behind a larger chunk of stone, and Twilight slid down next to Time, Legend no longer on his back.

“This isn’t working,” Twilight growled, laughter ringing through the room. “Any suggestions?”

“I’d try the Master Sword, but I can’t get close enough,” Sky wheezed from nearby, his face worried and grim. “Her magic would doubtlessly help, but I don’t know how...”

“Oh! Light arrows!” Wind said with a gasp. He wiped some dust off his face, then began fishing in his pouch. “If it’s dark magic, then light arrows should help!”

“But will it hurt her?” Hyrule asked worriedly, and Time sighed.

“I don’t know, but we don’t really have a choice. Hopefully this will purify her. We can only hope for the best at this point, we don’t have the strength for a drawn-out battle.” He looked around at them all. “If anyone has long-range light magic or weapons, use it now.”

Warriors needs us.

Dark magic hit the stone they were sheltering behind, and the Links scattered again, several grabbing in their pouches.

Wind quickly took out his bow, and pulled back an arrow, the tip lighting up in gold. It grazed the fairy’s arm, and she shrieked, the sound so piercing Time and the others put their hands to their ears.

“It worked!”

“Keep it up!” Time shouted, getting his own bow out.

He shot a light arrow of his own at the Great Fairy, but she dodged, eyes flashing with anger.

“Insolent boys!” she screamed, blasting more magic outwards.

Her attacks came twice as fast as she avoided the light magic, but her aim was less precise in her anger. Time found himself dodging so much he only had time to shoot off a single light arrow before he had to move again to avoid all kinds of stray shots.

He caught sight of Legend tucked behind a piece of stone, still looking dizzy, but shooting some kind of light magic anyway. Hyrule was beside him also shooting arrows, and the Great Fairy grew more and more enraged, shooting magic and throwing her bottle around much more violently.

There was so much noise he couldn’t be sure, but Time could swear he heard Warriors cry out more than once, and his throat tightened with fear.

We need to get him out of there, now.

Time paused in his assault, slipping behind a piece of stone and waiting for the Great Fairy’s attention to be drawn to the other side of the room. Someone cried out, and Time ran forward and went to a knee as he carefully aimed.

He shot an arrow directly at the Great Fairy’s wrist, and as it pierced her flesh, Time felt some kind of magic snap, a protection he hadn’t realized was there.

The fairy shrieked as she clutched at her wrist, and the bottle with Warriors dropped from her grasp.

“Captain!”

Wind’s cry was cut off by the bottle shattering as it hit the ground, broken glass scattering like fallen stars across the dark stone. Time was already running, and he slid to his knees beside Warriors, heedless of the glass he was crouching in.

Blood ran down Warriors’ face from a cut on his temple, and he didn’t move when Time gave him a cautious shake. Dozens of cuts from the shattered glass trickled tiny lines of red across his skin, bruises already forming from his time in the bottle. Wind ran up seconds later, and the sailor’s face went pale as he looked at the captain.

“Warriors?!” he said frantically, but the captain didn’t react.

Time quickly checked Warriors’ breathing, relieved when he felt his chest going up and down. But his leg was at an odd angle, blood still weeping from various cuts all over him, and Time swallowed, taking in how truly battered Warriors was.

His mind fell back to the war again against his will, the Great Fairy fighting with the captain in her bottle. Some of the men had muffled laughs as she’d done some especially odd attacks, and Mask had snickered at a few of them as well, ignoring the flicker of unease that had still been bothering him. His laughter had died the moment the battle had ended though, and the Great Fairy had shaken the captain out of the bottle.

Link had barely been standing, and as soon as the Great Fairy had left he’d emptied his stomach into a bush. He was shaking so hard he could barely walk, and Mask had had to help him back to camp, supporting him as they walked.

But he couldn’t do anything to stop the shaking, couldn’t take away the look in his eyes.

The bruises and other injuries the captain had gotten from being knocked around in the bottle stayed with him for days, but the fear in his eyes had stuck with Time ever since.

That was the first time he’d realized that his big brother wasn’t as unshakable as he tried to appear.

Warriors groaned, and Time snapped back to the present, looking down as Warriors’ eyes flickered.

“Captain, can you hear me?” he asked urgently, placing his hand back on Warriors’ shoulder. He flinched at the touch, breath stuttering, and Time quickly removed his hand.

“Warriors?” Wind asked again, and Warriors opened his eyes a little more, looking dazed.

And scared.

“Link, we need to get you somewhere safe,” Time said, throwing his shield up to block a stray blast of darkness. And despite knowing the answer, he added, “Can you stand?”

Warriors breathed in shakily.

“I...” he croaked, voice barely a whisper. “N... dunno.”

He begin to faintly shiver, and Time breathed out, looking at the fight, then back to him. The other Links were doing their best to keep the Great Fairy’s attention away from the three of them, but he didn’t know how long it would last with how battered their group was.

They were all flagging.

“I’ll go help them,” Wind said, giving Warriors a fearful glance before looking back at the battle. “...Can you get him somewhere safe?”

“I will.”

Wind nodded and ran off, lighting up another light arrow to shoot as he rejoined the battle. Time turned his attention back to Warriors, and saw that his eyes had slid closed again, his expression tense as his breath softly wheezed.

“Captain. I’m going to help you up, we need to get you out of here,” Time said. Warriors didn’t reply, and Time carefully pulled him up, not entirely carrying him, but supporting almost all of his weight. Warriors stiffened at his touch, then began shivering harder. “It’ll only be for a moment, hold on.”

Time stood, keeping his shield at the ready as he began to get them as far away from the water as possible. The Great Fairy screeched in rage again as she was struck by another light arrow from Wind, and Time heard someone shout.

Twilight dodged his way over to Time and Warriors, blood smeared in his hair, and wordlessly covered them as they moved further away.

Warriors’s head hung forward, blood dripping from his face as his breath shuddered, and Time didn’t stop until they were safely behind the stonework, carefully lowering Warriors to the ground. He didn’t even know if the captain was awake any more, and Time’s heart pounded loudly in his ears.

“Warriors?” he asked, patting his cheek. “Hey, wake up.”

The captain twitched a little, and let out a full-body shudder as the Great Fairy yelled. His eyes stayed shut though, and Time knelt beside him, unsure of where to begin. They had no supplies apart from bandages, and he could only do so much with those.

“Captain,” he said in a cautious voice, but Warriors didn’t move. “Link, where are you most hurt?”

Warriors only gave a small shake of his head, faintly shivering. Twilight made his way over to them mere moments later, and he kneeled beside Warriors with a wide look in his eyes.

“Are you okay, Captain?”

Warriors swallowed again, and looked like he tried to raise his head, but couldn’t quite manage to, still shaking and bleeding. He choked on his next breath, and Twilight looked at Time as Warriors’ breathing picked up, rasping and trembling.

“Warriors,” Twilight said more gently, fingers twitching like he had to fight the urge to comfort him with touch. “It’s alright, the others are handling things.”

“We need to tend to your injuries,” Time added, pulling out the few bandages he had left. “Your head is bleeding quite a bit, as is the rest of you.”

Warriors swallowed thickly, and Time watched as he shook harder than the leaves on the Great Deku Tree did when the first spring winds blew in.

His mask had cracked, the one he easily slipped on in battle and stressful situations, hiding his true emotions behind it. Warriors was trying desperately to scrape it back together, but he’d been struck too hard this time. Being put in a bottle again had slashed open scars that had been hastily bandaged in the first place, and now there was no going back.

Not until the threat was gone, at least.

Warriors’s breath hitched, and Time looked at him, bloody and broken, flinching every time the Great Fairy made a sound. Time’s hand was resting near Warriors’s own, and Time reached out, gently twining his fingers with his brother’s.

“You’re safe, Link,” he said quietly, and when Warriors didn’t pull away, he put his other hand on top of his. “Me and Twilight are going to patch you up.”

We won’t let her touch you.

Warriors’s fingers shakily clutched back at Time’s, and Time nodded at him, pulling out his canteen to hopefully wash any glass out of his injuries. Twilight stayed close, his sword still held at the ready, and Time was already planning how to convince him to also be patched up as he cleaned Warriors’s cuts. He hadn’t missed the blood in his descendant’s hair.

Warriors pulled in a shaking breath as Time worked, swallowing as he wiped some blood from his face, fingers shaking. His eyes stayed closed, but Time knew he was awake with how he flinched and kept his face as neutral as possible. He didn’t really succeed in that regard, but he tried anyway.

His other hand stayed firmly in Time’s though, and even though it made his job harder, Time never let go.

Someone shouted nearby, much closer then before, and Time glanced up, frowning as the ground shook beneath them. He held tighter to Warriors, and then jumped as Twilight shouted in alarm.

Time whirled around, and saw a face that should have been beautiful leering mere feet away from them, eyes blazing.

Somehow the Great Fairy had gotten past the other heroes.

“You... are... MINE!” she screamed, voice somehow lyrical and ragged. She stretched a hand out, fingers like gnarled branches of an old, dead tree, and her eyes glinted with desire.

Warriors finally opened his eyes at her scream, and there was such an expression of terror on his face that Time felt something inside himself snap.

He clasped Warriors’s hand that was still in his, and drew on the strength of his gauntlets to bodily throw him out of the way, tossing him towards Twilight. He knew the rancher would catch him, and in the same movement, he grabbed his bow again, calling on the dregs of magic he had remaining.

With her initial target gone, the Great Fairy lunged for Time, dark magic swelling at her fingers. The shouts of the others rang in Time’s ears, but as he drew back a light arrow, he felt strangely calm, even as the sickly feeling of darkness began to reach him.

He was doing this for his big brother.

Time released the arrow at the same time the Great Fairy shot her magic, and the two met in the middle with a shear of pure energy.

It threw Time backwards, and as a scream louder than any of the others rang through the room, something else seemed to snap, thrumming in the very air around them.

Time painfully hit the ground, an oddly-colored smoke rising off of him, but he lurched to his feet anyway. There was an awful smell in his nose and mouth, and his head spun as he stumbled backwards.

Warriors.

Where was Warriors?

Time heard a muffled shout, and turned, lurching towards the smears of green and blue he could see nearby. His skin burned as he moved, muscles screaming as loud as the Great Fairy was, and Time dove forward and covered Warriors and Twilight’s heads.

All three of them closed their eyes against the wave of energy that suddenly rushed outward, rustling their hair and making Time flinch. It only made his body hurt more, but Time gritted his teeth and held on, covering as much of Warriors and Twilight as he possibly could.

Then it went deathly quiet.

Time felt his hands shaking as he waited a moment to be sure, then pulled back, gently releasing Warriors. He seemed no more worse for wear, and Time exhaled, relieved at the sight of both him and Twilight unhurt by the magic.

Twilight was staring at him with a wide-eyed look, but Time ignored it, and somehow got to a shaky knee so he could look around the room. He saw the other Links picking themselves up, wiping blood off injuries, helping others stand.

The water in the pool had stilled, and was now light and clear, faint sparkles drifting on the surface. The whole room seemed brighter now, less oppressively heavy, and Time could feel that the dark magic had been cleansed.

The Great Fairy was nowhere to be seen.

Wild let out a weary cheer from the other side of the room, then listed to the side, Wind barely catching him. They both toppled to the ground, giggling a bit hysterically, and Twilight faintly smiled when Time looked back at him. His descendant still looked worried, but he was just as relieved the fight was over.

Warriors stayed unmoving halfway on his lap, blood still trickling from his brow.

Time swallowed, feeling again every injury he himself had sustained, and he slid back to the floor, placing his hand over Warriors’s again.

His brother’s eyes flickered open, and Time gave him a small smile.

“She’s gone,” he rasped softly, and Warriors exhaled, the sound exhausted with relief. “We did it.”

“You mean you did it,” Twilight added, looking a little awestruck. “I don’t know how you threw the captain and then turned around and shot that arrow barely a second afterwards, but it was mighty impressive.”

“Practice,” Time said with a small smile that hurt to make, and helped Warriors sit up. Warriors held on a bit tighter for a minute, then let go, still trembling just a bit. Time studied him worriedly, but he was interrupted by Twilight fussing over his own wounds, pulling away with a hiss as he touched painful skin. The magic had burned him... more than a bit.

Everyone shuffled their way over to where Time and Twilight were, giving them and Warriors concerned looks. Everyone was at least as bad off as them though, and both Legend and Four were unconscious, so Time thought they were all being rather hypocritical.

A sudden chiming noise rang softly through the room, and the heroes all tensed as the water in the pool rippled. Time recognized it for what it meant, but he still watched in suspicion when a head rose slowly from the water, hair glimmering a soft pink.

Warriors stiffened beside him.

The great fairy’s eyes were clear and bright as she looked around at them all, though her face was lined with a deep sadness. The heroes watched her in silence, hands hovering near weapons, and she let out a heartbroken sigh.

“I’m terribly sorry dear heroes,” the she apologized in a whisper, keeping only her head poking out of the pool. “Such a great darkness fell over me... I was not myself. I see I have only made your situation more dire, and I cannot apologize enough.”

She closed her eyes, and the part of Time that was raised alongside the children of the forest grieved when he saw the shining tear that fell down her cheek.

“I owe you all a debt,” she whispered.

“Healing us might be nice,” Wild spoke up, and Twilight elbowed him.

The Great Fairy didn’t seem offended. “Of course, Hero of the Wilds. It is the least I can do.”

She lifted her hands out of the pool, and as water poured from between her fingers, it faded into gentle sparkles that drifted around the room. They floated around and settled across the hero’s injuries, sweeping them away with a touch like that of flower petals.

Hyrule leaned into them, looking grieved, but calm as the sparkles healed him. Legend watched them in silence when he awoke, as did Four and Twilight, and Wind had a thoughtful look on his face as they sealed a gash on his knee. Sky sighed in relief as they twirled up his broken arm, and Wild faintly smiled when the sparkles trickled up his side, healing whatever the cause of the blood all over his hip was.

Warriors tensed as they reached him, not moving an inch as the sparkles sank in around most of his body. Time kept his hand on his shoulder as they drifted past, and Wind slid up to his side as well, both of them watching as they grew thicker around the captain’s leg and forehead for a few moments. The tiny cuts on his skin were sealed, and the bruises faded until they could only barely be seen.

Time felt his own injuries get healed as well, a smell like honeysuckle and morning dew accompanying the light. They soothed the hurt in his chest from the magic recoil, healed the burns and eased the aches and pains he’d already had in addition.

He waved the sparkles away from his scarred eye once they finished, then turned to help Warriors stand, feeling much more relaxed.

The captain looked relaxed as well, oddly enough, though not as much as everyone else. He still watched the Great Fairy with suspicion, even though his trembling had stilled and his expression had settled back to usual.

And he stiffened again when the Great Fairy’s gaze landed on him once more.

She looked at him steadily, eyes shimmering with remorse, and bowed her head. “My deepest apologies, Hero of the Shattered Eras.”

Warriors nodded, and didn’t look her in the eye.

The Great Fairy waited a moment, as if she was hoping he would verbally respond, then turned her gaze away from him and swept it over the rest of the Links.

“Heroes across the ages, I again offer you my thanks for ridding me of the shadows,” she said, her gaze resting on Time as she spoke. “If you wish to remain here and rest, you are more than welcome to stay as long as you wish. The little wings should return with my release, and I’m sure some would be happy to accompany you.”

“Thank you,” Time said respectfully, and gave Warriors’s shoulder a squeeze. “But we should be moving on. I thank you for your gift of healing, and I’m glad we could be of service.”

The Great Fairy looked disappointed. But she nodded, and with one last grieved look at them all, slipped back into her pool, a few errant sparkles the only thing left behind.

Warriors drooped when it was evident she was truly gone, and Time wasn’t the only one who looked at him with worry. Nobody said anything about it out loud though, just stayed close, and told him they were glad he was okay. Wild thanked him profusely for pushing him out of the way, and Warriors waved him off with a painfully forced smile.

Wind merely leaned on his arm, and Warriors softly ruffled his hair, the sailor looking at him in relief.

They all turned to leave then, beyond ready to get away from the fountain. But a another soft chime caught their attention, making them look back.

A few sparkles were drifting on the edge of the pool, floating together into a vaguely cylindrical shape. The light swirled around, then flashed, before fading away to reveal a small, crystalline bottle, filled with a deep purple liquid.

Looking at it, Time felt oddly sad.

The Links all looked at the bottle with emotion varying from curiosity to suspicion, and Twilight was the one who finally stepped forward and knelt down to pick it up, his eyes going wide as he studied it closer.

“Great Fairy tears,” he said softly, lifting the bottle with great care.

“What do they do?” Four asked, and Twilight looked at the bottle in wonder.

“They heal any wound. And grant a brief blessing to whoever uses them, one that protects from any harm for a short while,” he said, and Legend whistled.

“I can think of some times that would’ve been handy.”

“No kidding,” Wild said with a small glance at Twilight.

“I suppose it’s another apology,” Sky said quietly, and Twilight hummed, about to place the bottle inside of his pack, then hesitated.

“...Do you want to carry it?” he asked, turning to Warriors. “I... have a feeling it was meant for you.”

Warriors shook his head, and looked away. “No. You can take it.”

Twilight didn’t press, and he nodded and gingerly put the bottle away. Everyone took that as the signal to begin making their way out of the restored fairy fountain, and one by one they stepped out into the sunshine.

Time squinted as the light reached his face, and he looked around at the forest they’d emerged into with wonder. It barely seemed like the same place they’d left earlier—it was like a spell had been broken, and life was returning to the plants and very earth around him. Time even heard a bird singing somewhere above their heads.

Everyone was looking around with content expressions, satisfied despite the tired way they held themselves. It was always good to see evil purged from the land. They’d done a good job today, rough as it had been.

Time looked behind him at where Warriors stood back from the others, still-damp hair shining in the rays of sunlight. Time wouldn’t have guessed anything had happened to him, except for the pallor of his skin, and the blood still staining his clothes.

Time moved closer and gently set an arm around his shoulders, light enough that the captain could pull back if he wished. He felt Warriors stiffen at the touch, but then he abruptly leaned into it, his eyes squeezing shut.

“You all right?” Time asked, soft enough to only be heard by Warriors.

“Yes,” Warriors whispered back, slowly breathing in, and then out. Time moved his arm from his shoulders, and turned to face him so he could see him better. “I’m sorry I wasn’t much use in the battle.”

Time felt a sharp prick of guilt, and swallowed. He could still see his brother’s terrified face, the franticness with which he slammed his hands against the bottle, the way he’d been unable to stop shaking after getting out.

How still he’d looked, surrounded by blood and shattered glass.

“It’s hardly your fault,” Time finally replied. “I’m so sorry we weren’t able to free you sooner.”

“You did what you could. I didn’t even know those bottles could break, that was impressive,” Warriors admitted, his expression unreadable. “The light arrows were a good idea. Thank... thank you,” he said in an even softer voice. His shoulders gave one quick shudder, and Time hated how it made him feel. “For getting me out of there.”

Time swallowed, and leaned forward, lightly setting his head against Warriors’s. ”You would do the same, big brother.”

Warriors gave him a hint of a smile, and Time held him just a little closer as they leaned against each other.

They would still need to have a proper discussion of everything, figure out how the Shadow had corrupted a Great Fairy, try to make sure Warriors wouldn’t just brush over this incident like he tended to do. Warriors would doubtlessly try to avoid it, but... the discussion could wait.

For now... Time just wanted to enjoy standing here in the sunshine. The battle won, the danger past.

Warriors closed his eyes, and Time drew him into a proper hug, Warriors letting out a shaky sigh as he let himself be held.

His brother alive and safe beside him.

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xanthousflame

1 year ago

this is so upsetting, PLEASE rb to spread awareness

99K notes View Post

xanthousflame

8 months ago

zombie by the cranberries

ATTENTION

If you see this you are OBLIGATED to reblog w/ the song currently stuck in your head :)

Muddlebud

Since everyone voted for Muddelbud, here it is! Just an idea I wanted to play with. The effects of the Muddlebud is brutal!

Warnings for drugging, implied…. I don’t want to say torture but not good stuff…. And some racism. Rip Rusl he turns out fine.

After a long day of traveling the harsh terrain, the men searching for heroes of Hyrule were relieved to find a town on the way to their destination. It had an inn attached to a tavern, and Leon suggested that they stayed there for rest. None of the others argued—they were absolutely exhausted.

The men gathered around a table large enough to hold seven, and they excitedly ordered food, having eaten nothing but berries and nuts for days. Though much to some of their dismay (mostly Linebeck’s), Leon encouraged them to avoid alcohol.

“We have a long day of traveling tomorrow. Trust me, you don’t want to be hung over,” he said when the sailor complained.

“Oh come on, I won’t drink that much,” Linebeck argued. “I just need a little bit to recover from today!”

“That’s a horrible way to recover,” Leon said flatly. “But I suppose I can’t stop you. Though I promise I will make your life a living hell if you’re hungover tomorrow.”

Linebeck glared at him and stopped pressing the issue. The barmaid came by with water for everyone, and Leon began to talk about what they were going to do next. Despite being a pain to deal with, he was a natural born leader and took charge when no one else would. The men had to give him some respect (though it didn’t stop Benji from teasing him relentlessly). Though the chatter around the table melted into mundane conversations, and it was overall relaxing from the long trek they had to go through before. Throughout the night, however, one of the men began acting strange. They had all eaten their food, drank their waters, and they were simply sitting around the table chatting. But Ammon picked up on Rusl acting fidgety and anxious out of nowhere.

“Rusl, are you ok?” He asked as the man rubbed his eyes aggressively for the hundredth time. He shrugged and let out a breath, sweat dripping down his face.

“I-I don’t know… Something ain’t right,” he said softly, occasionally glancing over his shoulder.

Ammon looked at Leon who was frowning. Even though the men have been pursued by the puppeteer, he didn’t feel like they were in any immediate danger. But Rusl’s anxiety was starting to rub off on him, and the others picked up on it as well.

“Maybe it’s just one of those days?” Benji suggested when Rusl got out of his chair to pace around. Leon got up as well and began to move to the barmaid.

“I’m going to get us a room so we can rest up,” he said before he left, and the group watched Rusl as he picked at his nails. Leon returned and led the men to a room, which was surprisingly small for a bigger group like theirs; it only had one bedroom, and a small common area with nothing except a tub of water.

“Are you kidding me?” Leon yelled, marching to the room with the bed. “I said there were six of us! How will we sleep with only one bed?”

“Uh, together, duh,” Benji teased, and Leon shot a glare at him.

“You better shut your mouth before I do it for you,” he threatened, but Benji only laughed mockingly at him. The two were interrupted by a yelp from Rusl, and the group spun around to see him pressed up against the wall, away from Ammon who looked confused.

“Is everything ok?” Leon asked, walking up to the two, Rusl swallowed and ran a hand through his hair, taking off his headband.

“Y-yeah. Sorry, I was just startled.”

Ammon glanced up at Leon. “I don’t think this is nerves. I think he was drugged.” Rusl would get anxious from time to time, but this was too abnormal for him. Having been drugged before, Ammon could tell that it was some outside force.

“With what?”

“I don’t know.”

Leon looked at Rusl concerned and frowned. “Alright, I’ll find out if they did, and with what. I pray it wasn’t something lethal. Rusl, stay in that room and try to get some rest. We’ll take care of you.”

Rusl nodded and wobbled into the other room with Talon following close by, shutting the door. Leon looked at the others and nodded.

“If something happens, don’t wait for me. Get help.”

“Yes sir,” Linebeck said, and the first knight left, leaving the group of men alone in the small room.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ammon was fidgeting with his prosthetic as the time passed. They had Talon watch over Rusl in case anything happened, and fortunately nothing happened yet. But Leon wasn’t back either. Ammon almost wished he went with Leon to find out who drugged Rusl; if he was attacked because of it, no one would know. The others were anxious as well, with Linebeck occasionally pacing the room. The door to the bedroom opened, and the men shot to their feet, startling Talon.

“Is Rusl ok?” Ammon asked, and Talon nodded.

“He’s tryna sleep right now, I’m just grabbin’ him some water. He’s sweatin’ pretty bad,” he explained, walking to the tub of water with a bowl in his hand. The others simply watched as he did this, staying silent when he returned to the room. Linebeck groaned and got up again, pacing the room.

“Where is Leon?”

“Maybe he got kidnapped again,” Benji muttered, picking at his guitar strings, and Linebeck gave him a look.

“Don’t say that.”

“Why?”

“Because that would mean that we would have to go looking for him! Again. And we’re too busy looking after Rusl!”

“Why don’t you go look for Leon then?” Benji asked, looking rather annoyed. Linebeck huffed and looked away, his arms crossed.

“It’s dark out.”

“Ha! Coward.”

Linebeck frowned. “Ok, fine! I’ll go out and look for him! But you’re coming with me!”

“Heck no I’m not looking for Leon!” Benji fired back, and Linebeck rose an eyebrow.

“Coward.”

“I’m not a coward,” Benji defended, pulling out his guitar. “I’m just lazy. There’s a difference.”

Ammon rolled his eyes and Kass sighed.

“I’ll go looking for him with you, Linebeck,” Kass suggested, and Linebeck opened his mouth to say something, but there was a loud yell followed by a crash from within the bedroom. Ammon shot up and threw the door open, gasping at the sight of Talon on the floor with Rusl on the bed, his hands up defensively.

“Get away from me!” He shouted, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at Talon.

“Rusl!” Ammon ran up to him, jumping in front of Talon. “Rusl calm down! It’s us!”

Rusl’s eyes landed on him, but there was no sign of familiarity. Just fear and hostility. Ammon’s eyes widened as he jumped off the bed and charged at him, barely giving him time to react. Ammon rolled out of the way, but Rusl grabbed onto his leg, pulling him closer to him.

“W-wait, Rusl, it’s me! It’s Ammon!” He pleaded, but he was already on top of him, his hand on his throat. Ammon struggled underneath him; despite only being a human, he was strong, and Ammon found himself unable to throw him off. Black spots started to appear in his vision, but Talon appeared, grabbing Rusl and tearing him off of Ammon. He let in a gasp and started coughing, rubbing his sore throat. He looked up to see Talon with his arms wrapped around Rusl, holding him in place as he struggled against him. Talon’s eye was swollen shut, but he had a determined look as he helped Rusl against him.

“Rusl, it’s us,” Talon started, his voice strained yet gentle. “Calm down!”

“LET GO OF ME!” Rusl yelled, continuing to struggle, but he wasn’t able to move in Talon’s grip, and the farmer was avoiding his thrashing head. He went limp for a moment, panting as if he were about to cry.

“Rusl? We’re not gonna hurt you,” Talon tried again, but he started thrashing again. Ammon walked up to him, his brows pinched together as he watched Rusl. Whatever he was drugged with, he couldn’t tell apart friend from foe. He probably thought he was being held captive or something.

Someone walked up behind Ammon, and he flinched away, only relaxing when he realized it was Leon, who had an intense look in his eyes.

“Leon!” He rasped, rubbing his throat. “What did you find out?”

Leon gave him an angry look, then he looked back down at Rusl. “The barmaid drugged him with something called a muddlebud. It won’t kill him, but he’ll be thinking he’s in danger for a few hours. Considering he’s a human, it might be longer.”

“Why would anyone do such a thing?” Talon asked, his grip remaining tight around Rusl.

“Because he’s a human!” Leon spat. “They wanted to prove that humans are wild and dangerous so they drugged him with it!”

Ammon looked down, anger boiling within him as well. He didn’t know why this Hyrule hated humans, but it was getting harder and harder to see Rusl being treated in such a way. Rusl was a good man—kind, selfless, and strong. He’s taken all the scorn and hatred with grace despite it clearly affecting him, and it was hard to watch. But this was too much.

“What do we do to help him?” Ammon asked, and Leon shrugged.

“All we can do is to let it go through his system. At least that’s what the barmaid told me.”

“Was she lying?”

“She knows better than to lie to me,” Leon growled.

“How did you find all this out?” Talon asked.

“...Persuasion,” Leon answered darkly.

“Well, Talon can’t hold him forever,” Ammon mentioned, and Leon sighed.

“Can we keep him locked in this room until this passes through?” Talon suggested, but Leon shook his head.

“He’ll probably try to escape through the window,” he said, and the group grew silent.

“I have rope,” he heard Linebeck say from behind them. “We can just… tie him up or something.”

“What? We can’t do that!” Talon protested, but Leon gave him a sad look.

“There’s nothing we can do. We can’t leave him in here or else he’ll hurt himself or escape. You can't hold him forever, and we certainly aren’t strong enough to hold him down. We’ll… we’ll have to tie him to the chair.”

Talon looked sad but he nodded. It hurt Ammon as well, tying his friend to a chair, but there was no other option. Rusl had grown exhausted and was limp in Talon’s hold, but he squirmed as he was set on the chair, starting to panic as rope was tied around him.

“No… please…” he begged, occasionally thrashing against the ropes. “Please let me go… please!”

“I’m so sorry, Rusl,” Talon muttered, finally stepping away from him as he was tied down. “I’m so sorry.”

Leon rested his hand on Talon’s shoulder. “He’ll be ok. We just need to let it go through his system.”

Talon nodded glumly and sighed as Rusl started crying, exhaustion starting to get a hold of him.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Leon said, “the rest of you should get some rest.”

“I’m fine—“ Talon started, but Leon shook his head.

“No you’re not fine. I’m not sure if you know this, but your eye is swollen shut.”

“Oh please. It’s not a big deal. I’ve been kicked by horses several times! It’s nothin’.”

Leon shook his head again. “No. You and Ammon get some rest, I’ll stay here.” Talon was reluctant, but Leon nudged him towards the door. “He’ll be fine. I promise.”

The farmer sighed and finally left the room. Ammon followed before looking back at the sobbing Rusl, his heart twisting at the sight of his strong friend like that.

“Uli…. Uli please…” he sobbed, and Ammon finally left, shutting the door behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ammon didn’t sleep that night. The group occasionally heard Rusl screaming before he melted into bumbling sobs. It happened for hours, as if on a schedule, and everyone was exhausted from the lack of sleep. Finally, the screams stopped, and it was silent for a long while. The others fell asleep during the silence, but Ammon remained awake, staring intently at the door. He glanced at the clock in the room and noted that it was 5 in the morning, and he sighed. It had been seven hours since they went into the room, and he didn’t know if Rusl was finally normal or not. Talon woke up and he looked around, his one good eye landing on Ammon’s.

“Is Rusl…?”

“I don’t know.”

Talon sighed and stared at the door as well. “I’m worried about him.”

“Me too.”

Talon hummed, a contemplative look in his eye. “Muddlebud… That’s what the barmaid drugged him with… have you ever heard of a muddlebud?”

Ammon frowned. He’s never heard of such a thing, but clearly it was dangerous to anyone who came into contact with it. It could turn any gentle and kind man violent and fearful.

“You think the maid worked alone?” Talon continued to ask, and Ammon shrugged.

“I doubt it. But she was definitely the one who did it,” Ammon looked around, his eyes landing on the window. It was dark out, and nothing could be seen, but he couldn’t help but feel unsafe in the town. Leon cryptically said that he used “persuasion” to get the information, but what type of information? What did he do? And why was he gone for so long? Leon was always a goody-two-shoes who followed the rules. Ammon wondered how far he was willing to go for their protection.

It was both a comforting and unsettling thought.

The door suddenly opened, and Ammon jumped to his feet. Leon walked out, staring at Ammon and Talon, and Rusl came up behind him.

“Rusl!” Ammon exclaimed. His friend looked terrible. His eyes were blood-shot with heavy bags underneath them. His hair was sweaty and matted as it stuck to his forehead, and his arms had red lines circling around them, which made Ammon wince. But his eyes held familiarity in them, and Ammon knew he was back to normal. “Are you alri—“

Rusl buried him in a hug before he was able to say anything. He was shaking as he hugged Ammon, clearly crying.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” he said over and over again, and Ammon patted his back.

“It’s alright, you weren’t yourself.”

Rusl pulled back, looking more of a mess now that his face was soaked. He started fidgeting with his hands, looking like he was about to start pacing again.

“I… still don’t feel like myself,” he mumbled, and Leon rested a hand on his shoulder.

“That’s alright, they told me it would take a few hours for the muddlebud to leave your system. It may be longer since you’re a human. You’re probably feeling the after-effects of it.”

Rusl let out a breath and nodded, looking utterly defeated. Ammon went to say something but Rusl glanced up at Talon, his eyes widening at the sight of his swollen face.

“Oh—”

“It’s ok!” Talon quickly said before Rusl could get a word out. “It’s ok! I’m ok!”

“No… no no no…” Rusl started to stagger backwards as Talon stepped closer, his hand covering his eyes.

“I’m ok, Rus’, I’ve been through much worse,” Talon tried to reassure, but Rusl was a sobbing mess again.

“I—I can’t… Spirits I—I hurt you—” He cried, his back up against the wall. Talon got close to him and quickly pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back until he relaxed again.

“I’m ok, I ain’t fragile,” he said more sternly, and Rusl sniffed.

“I-I can’t stop hurtin’ the people I care about,” he whimpered. Leon and Ammon glanced at each other, but didn’t comment.

“It’s ok, like Ammon said, you weren’t yourself,” Leon pressed, his voice soft and gentle.

Movement picked up in Ammon’s peripherals, and he saw the others watching them.

“Rusl’s back to normal,” Linebeck announced, and Kass shot to his feet.

“Oh thank Hylia! I was so worried about you!” He proclaimed, wrapping his wings around Rusl and Talon.

“Yeah, remind me not to get on your bad side,” Linebeck chuckled as he walked up to the group, and Leon hit his ribs with his elbow.

“Not now!” He hissed, and Linebeck gave him a glare. Ammon rolled his eyes and smirked at the two, walking up to Rusl.

“I’m happy you’re back to normal, Rusl. But you should get proper rest now.”

Rusl pulled away and rubbed his wet eyes. “Y-yeah… ok… I’m sorry I can’t stop cryin’ right now.”

“It’s alright,” Leon said with a soft chuckle. “You can’t help it. Get some rest, ok? We won’t be traveling anywhere tomorrow.”

There were sighs of relief from everyone, and Rusl finally smiled genuinely. “Thanks Leon.”

The first knight nodded and led Rusl back into the room. He looked back nervously and Talon walked up to him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep ya company.”

Rusl looked relieved and Leon volunteered himself as well. The three entered the room, leaving the rest out in the common area, where it grew uncomfortably silent. Ammon, Kass, and Linebeck all glanced at each other, and before either of them were able to say anything, a loud snore came from Benji, who was still asleep on the couch with his guitar hugged to his chest. Linebeck turned away from the man and rolled his eyes while Kass chuckled.

“That man…”

Ammon snorted and sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall. “We should follow his lead and get some rest, I’m pretty tired myself.”

Kass and Linebeck nodded, both sitting on the ground, and Ammon finally allowed his eyes to fall shut after the intense night.

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