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factorialsfandoms · 2 years

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Whumptober day 7! Maybe. Alt prompt: Quicksand. This time we’re shifting from LU to @kjpurplepineapple‘s, au @linkedkeysau-official for a brief trip! I have plans for day 6 and tomorrow, but... it may be a bit before I get around to everything, tbh.

In this fic, big bad Nihrie kidnaps young Mask from the group while they’re under a sleep enchantment, and drops him in some quicksand. Rescuing him, however, proves a challenge...

CWs: harm to a child, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, dehydration, not 100% medically reliable

Fun fact: factorial lives somewhere where how to deal with quicksand is a legit thing its recommended you learn and there’s mini courses on it. Mask is not dealing with it well. Understandably given he’s a literal child not from this sort of place.

Less fun fact: this is 4000 words. It will go on ao3 when I can bring my self to proof read and spell check it so, um... bear that in mind if trying to read here?

Another fun fact: what Mask calls gross water is homemade oral rehydration solution. it is, indeed, very gross water. I know, summer is hell with my medical stuff.

So I guess... enjoy???

Too hot, too hot, too hot!

The thought was in Mask’s mind before he was even conscious, it forcing him awake. Sweat poured down his face in the midday sun, making him gasp for air. Despite just waking he felt faint, dizzy and nauseous as though the still world was instead rotating violently. His throat burnt in a desperate need for water, choking him slightly.

On instinct Mask reached for his water skin, only to find his hand trapped.

The horror woke him up a little more - what did he /mean/ midday sun, it had been dark when he went to bed! Dark and so cold that Paint had lent him his fire rod to try warm him up! And nobody would let him sleep so long! He felt a bit sick, yes, but it was probably just from not having had any water in so long.

And- And-

And his hand was trapped!

He tried to move, desperately squirming. Quickly he found that his legs and right arm were entirely trapped, as were his hips and left hand. Paint’s fire rod was still clasped tightly between his fingers, impossible to let go of as something pressed in.

That had been it, it really had, but somehow, in his struggling, Mask had managed to trap himself down to his left elbow below the… sandline?

Sandline.

Quicksand.

Oh… Oh no…

Mask wriggled more, desperately trying to escape. But the sand was just too strong - everything that went below the sandline was quickly trapped, able to be moved down but never up. In his desperation he only made things worse - he had turned somewhat to the side, his hips even deeper and his entire left arm had been trapped by the sand. While most of his torso remained free, part of it was trapped, a triangle carving out most of his tummy, but narrowing across his chest.

Breathing was tight, but enough of his ribs remained free that it was possible. Suddenly realising the possibilities, Mask fell entirely still.

If his ribs slipped further, it might not be an option.

The thought terrified him - the whole situation terrified him. Where was the chain - where was his /dad/? Surely they would not have left him here?

No, no, even panicked Mask knew the obvious solution; he had been taken.

But if he had been taken… That meant they would look for him.

Maybe not everyone, but Warriors would, right? Warriors was his dad, and his dad /always/ came for him. As soon as he was missing he always looked, and he always made it ookay.

So… It… It would be okay, right? Dad would be here soon.

That thought in mind, Mask lay back against the quicksand, trying to limit the dizzy feeling, and just focused on trying to breathe.

Dad would be here soon, and he would make it better. He always, always did.

---

Mask had been lying out on the sand for a long time. He hurt - everything hurt. Or, no, not everything; at some point he had lost sensation in his hands and his feet, anything deep in the sand. Everything else felt like agony, either crushed by the glooping sand, or burning hot.

The sun was lower now than before, but he did not feel any cooler - perhaps hotter, even. His exposed skin felt all crispy and sore, feeling more painful even than Shadow’s had looked, and there was no more sweat to calm it.

His pulse pounded in his ears, a reassurance his heart was beating at least, though it remained too hard to get air.

He was not sure how much longer he could wait; his dad would be coming, of course he would, but… But how much longer would he be?

Mask was hurting, and he was so, so, so scared.

“...Dad?” he tried to call, a dry sob breaking through his throat.

There was, of course, no answer.

---

More time passed, and Mask lost track of it. He was feeling even worse, barely able to think.

All he could comprehend was the fear and the pain, and the deep uncomfortable knowledge that something was very wrong.

His pulse still pounded, now deafening in his ears. His vision was turning black, and as much as Mask tried to fight, he could not.

Once, twice more he tried to call for his dad, but - even if anyone had been there to hear him - he could make no sound.

Unable to hang on longer, the child passed out.

Up above, the vultures swirled.

---

Mask awoke to his heartbeat and to agony.

He could not even focus on it before he slipped unconscious once again.

All he had time to do was vomit everything in his stomach into the quicksand, and scream on a raw, bleeding throat.

---

A vulture pecked at Mask’s face.

The sensation of being eaten was just enough to force him back to life. He could not even comprehend the pain, only able to huff a little in the bird’s face before immediately passing out again.

The bird pecked him again, strangely gently for he was not really a vulture, and, getting no response, flew away with a red, red fire rod between its claws.

---

___

---

It had been too long. Knowing this in his heart and his gut, Warriors returned to walking in a random direction.

“Warriors!” Ravio called, chasing behind him. “Where are you going? We need to wait for Sheerow to get back.”

“I’m not waiting for your bird while Mask might be dying!” Warriors did give Ravio the benefit of turning a little to him, hiding his sob in a yell as he began walking again.

And… It really had. Despite it already being early afternoon, no member of the group had been awake for more than a few hours. Like a button had been pressed all of them had awoken at once as the sun hit its zenith.

A quick headcount and it was obvious what had happened - Mask was missing, and the group had clearly been cursed.

But with so long having passed, who knew what state the boy was in? What sorts of things could have happened to him in the twelve hours - Warriors prayed it was only twelve hours, not days - that he had been missing, and then in the hours since.

The group had, of course, immediately split up, searching for any sign. There had been a little hope when Twilight had found a trail leading from camp, only for it to vanish into nothingness.

Portal. Or teleportation. Or maybe even taking a flight on a bird - it did not matter which, only that they did not even know which direction to go in.

And then Ravio had noticed that his bird was missing.

Warriors… Was really, really struggling to care, and it looked like some of the others were too. The only reason that they had agreed to stop at all was that Mask had been holding Paint’s missing fire rod last night, and Sheerow apparently could hunt it down.

The chances of Mask and the fire rod being close by… Meant it might give them a direction, which was better than aimlessly wandering, Warriors knew that, but waiting when Mask - his son - was in danger was an impossible task.

Warriors refused to let the frustrated tears fall, though it took a moment for him to get them under control; Ravio reached gently out to him, surely about to offer some sympathy.

In the same moment Paint’s fire rod fell from the sky, landing heavily in Ravio’s hands. He umphed a little he caught it, immediately looking up.

Sheerow divebombed Ravio, stopping just millimetres from his face and chirping rapidly. Ravio said something back in a series of clicks and whistles, only to get another reply. The conversation lasted a few moments, before Ravio turned, looking frantically around.

“Hyrule!” he settled on.

Their healer jolted in surprise, having returned to trying to find anything that might be of help in the mud.

“Sheerow… I can’t quite make sense of it all, but he says Mask’s hurt, and there’s no monsters or people nearby but it's dangerous? And the place is bad? I- I have directions for us, but… It might be best if you flew on ahead…?” He trailed off, looking at Warriors, before his eyes snapped back to Hyrule. “he’ll give you a ride! You don’t need to try remember directions yourself!”

Before Ravio had even quite finished, Hyrule had grabbed his bag, shoved in a few extra potions, and transformed himself.

Warriors was still processing the burst of information and flurry of activity when Hyrule flew up to and mounted the small bird, but the fact their healer was already headed to his son both worried him and soothed his fears in equal measure.

“This way,” Ravio called to everyone remaining. “The terrain is a bit tricky, though…”

Nobody objected to following along behind him.

---

When Ravio had said that the terrain would be a bit tricky, this was not quite what Warriors had expected. Hacking through undergrowth, yes, but being led out of the trees into a desert, then Legend halting the entire group with an urgent call of “quicksand!”? That had not been it.

The call also caused even more fear; according to Sheerow’s information… Dangerous but not monsters or people… And Mask was apparently close…

Desperate, Warriors squinted out across the quicksand. There were… some shapes around, but between the damp slush of the quicksand and the distance it was difficult to tell specifics.

“I see him!” Wind called, spyglass in hand. “I… Don’t think we can get there, though…”

Warriors held out his hand, and the spyglass was immediately placed into it. It did not take him very long to find Mask. His head was above the sand - thank the goddesses - but he was clearly unconscious. His skin burned an angry, blistered red, and his lips were slightly parted almost as though he had been struggling to breathe. At this distance… At this distance he could not see if he was. Fear seized his heart a moment before he noticed the soft glow of Hyrule’s magic being cast from somewhere tucked by Mask’s neck - if he wasn’t breathing, if his heart stopped, if he was /dead/, then Hyrule’s magic would not work. And there was no flickering in the light implying desperate but hopeless attempts, rather a steady glow.

Handing the spyglass back, Warriors felt the fear in his throat, and relief settle into the pit of his stomach.

“How do we get to them?” Minish was asking. “I can run on quicksand, but I can’t stop.”

It was more than Warriors could do.

The relief was crushed by more dread - even if Mask were still alive now, he might not be by the time we got there.

“If we find some big planks, we could build a floating bridge!” Wind suggested. “It’s what we do when the tides make quicksand on the island.”

“Too far,” Legend shook his head. “Maybe if we used it as a raft, but the wind is too still, and oars would get stuck.”

“I have some gust leaves!” Wild offered.

Most of the group began discussing the feasibility of putting a raft on quicksand, and how they could even make a sail - none of it sounded like a fast solution, only a possible one.

And then, after rooting around in his bag for a bit, Paint looked up. He squinting at the sand, and measuring something with his thumb. After a moment he nodded to himself, grabbing Warriors hand and beginning to drag him east.

“Paint?”

“I have an idea, but we need to get closer,” Paint continued tugging him, and Warriors began to run behind him. “And higher - there’s a cliff just this way.”

Warriors had no idea what Paint was talking about, but he sounded like he had a firmer idea of a plan than anyone else; Legend was abandoning the raft group to join them, though Sky had been left to supervise.

“Sand rod?” Ravio questioned, running a little slower and behind Legend.

“Sand rod,” Paint confirmed, patting his bag even as they ran.

Warriors was unsure what a sand rod was, but… It sounded like the most hope they had. If it failed, there was the raft plan, but that really was a stretch.

Trying to swallow his panic, he followed and he ran.

---

At the closest point between the cliff and Mask, they stopped. Paint let go of Warriors hand, pointing the yellow rod out across the quicksand. In a series of strange motions the sand began to rise, almost pulsating as the water slurped out of it. The very beach itself twisted and warped to accommodate, until a steady bridge led out across the quicksand. Still made of sand, but solid and dry.

Warriors did not stop to check that before he sprinted out onto the bridge; a few hundred metres and he collapsed to his knees at Mask's side. His son had been raised up alongside the sand, unconscious and still half buried. Panic in his throat Warriors began clawing at the sand; with every sweep some fell back in, making it hard to get any sort of grip on him.

"Warriors, you need to breathe."

In his panic, Warriors had entirely missed Hyrule; still in fairy form, their healer had tucked himself onto Mask's shoulder. A little magic flowed between them, though it was clear that Hyrule was pacing himself.

Nearly sobbing in relief to see the fairy there and already treating his son - of course he was, Warriors knew where Hyrule had gone, but seeing it was something else entirely - he none the less continued scraping at the sand.

Mask remained unconscious, and his face was covered in cracked and split burns, sand aggravating the injuries. His breathing was shallow and rapid - part of the boy's ribcage was below the sand line, and Warriors had no idea how much that accounted for it - and his heartbeat was just as fast. Not shallow, though, instead it pounded against scalding hot, dry skin. Warriors’ heart stopped for a moment, looking scared towards Hyrule; there was no good reason for a child to be so hot without sweat, nor their heart trying to escape their body.

"We need to get him to camp," Hyrule chimed as softly as a fairy could, face carefully blank. "Do you have a shovel?"

Warriors had been about to shake his head, when another figure - a little breathless - appeared behind him. Legend fell to his knees at Mask’s side, biting his lip as he dug through his bag. A moment later, he pulled out the requested shovel.

"I'll move the sand," Legend left no room for argument in his tone. "Warriors, grab him when I say. Rulie, can you-?"

Whatever that sentence was supposed to end with, Legend cut himself off with a glance at Warriors. Whatever he meant, it surely had to do with Mask’s condition, and something grim.

"I can," Hyrule's expression was not entirely confident, though his words were firm. And if there were one person in all the worlds whose words could be trusted, they were his.

Legend did not leave Warriors with time to question the pair; as soon as he had confirmation from Hyrule, Legend dug the shovel in close to Mask and used his weight to drag back the sand.

As soon as the blade of the shovel was keeping enough sand back, Warriors lurched forward. He grabbed Mask tightly, pulling him up, gathering the unresponsive child into his arms, and clung tight to him.

The glow from Hyrule's hands picked up, wrapping around Mask as the fairy frowned in concentration. After a moment he moved to land again in the crook of Mask’s neck, before bringing back the glow and continuing to channel life into the the hurting boy.

With only a moment to check that the extra passenger would not fall, Warriors stood up and hurried back across the sand bridge. Legend used his Pegasus boots to run on ahead, surely to brief the others; as Warriors jumped up onto the cliff, Paint lowered the rod. The sand bridge shuddered once more, collapsing back into the watery mess.

Warriors paid it no mind as he ran towards the camp.

---

___

---

It was dark when Mask woke up again. Dark and too bright both the same. Uncomfortable in every way, he tried to shuffle. Whatever was wrong caused pain to spike, and he could not help but moan.

“It’s okay,” a hand stroked over his hair. “You’re safe now, Sprite, I’ve got you safe.”

… Dad?

Hearing the voice, Mask did his best to approach the surface of his brain and open his eyes. Everything was still a bit hazy, but the fear and the deep need to see his dad remained.

Struggling against his body he cracked open his eyes, finding the tense form of Warriors resting him on his lap.

"Dad?" He whispered, lips cracking as he did. Everything about speaking hurt his throat and face, so he stopped.

"Mask!" Warriors seemed almost to drop, bending low over Mask as he stroked his hair and squeezed his hand. "Oh thank the goddesses. It's okay now, it's all going to be okay, I'm here now."

Weak and in pain, Mask whined pitifully, trying to convince his dad to hug him. His head hurt and his legs hurt and his everything hurt, and he just wanted everything to stop.

"I'm sorry," and Warriors really did look it, reaching out to stroke his face rather than pick him up. "Could you drink something for me? It tastes bad, but I promise it'll help."

Not wanting to speak again, Mask gave a tiny nod - making his head pound as he did so. He whimpered at the pain, trying to reach up with grabby hands - only to find his arms immobilised.

"Shhh, you'll be okay," Warriors did not sound entirely confident as he slipped behind Mask, raising his head to his lap as he pulled over a bottle. "I know it hurts, I know, I know, but it'll be over soon. Just drink this for me?"

Trying to comply - there was only one person in all the world that Mask trusted completely, but that person was Warriors - Mask opened up his lips. Warriors brought the bottle to him, gently pouring it into his mouth.

For a moment all was fine, and then the taste hit.

Potions he had long agreed were disgusting, but this? It tasted like someone had dumped a salt shaker into the bottle, then tried to use sugar and apple juice to hide it. It was not even badly cooked, it just never could have ever tasted good in the first place.

Despite the pain it caused, Mask crinkled up his nose in disgust.

The action earnt him a watery laugh from Warriors, but no release from the liquid - another sip's worth poured in each time he swallows.

"Yeah, it's not nice," Warriors agreed. "But I promise it'll help - after this you can have a potion, then if you drink some more of this after I'll let Legend take you out for more ice cream once you're feeling better."

More ice cream?

As much as the bribe was meant to make Mask comply, he knew how scared his dad had to be to offer that, and whatever scared Warriors had to be very scary. More worried now, Mask looked around; everyone else seemed... Fine? There were no other bandages and no other visible injuries, though Four was looking a bit sick and Hyrule was clearly sleeping off the worst of some magic exhaustion.

Still... If the fear was about him...

Mask let Warriors give him more of the gross water. He refused to stop pouting about it, but he still took it willingly.

Next to the gross water, the potion he was given after was almost, almost /tasty/.

Definitely still nasty, but not as gross as appley gross water.

And then came another bottle of the novel concoction.

The process of drinking three bottles was painstakingly slow, Warriors very careful to let Mask do no more than sip at them. By the time he had finished, however, the pounding headache had lessened to a dull ache, and it felt a little less like his skin had shrivelled up.

Then came some very familiar looking cream. Not because Mask had had to use it much before, no, but because Shadow was constantly using it.

From the one time he had had sunburn before, however, Mask did know just how badly it would sting.

"Just let me put this on, then we can cuddle," Warriors promised. "Once the potion has taken effect it should be safe… Just make sure to drink a lot, okay?."

Mask did not want to sting, especially not with everything hurting already, but he did want cuddles...

Still unhappy he let Warriors smear the cream all over his face and ears and neck. Trying to deal with the discomfort, he went to wriggle his toes.

Only to find that they would not move.

In a panic he looked down to see his lower body entirely bandaged up, presumably tight enough that he could not wriggle. With a lot of effort he managed to shift a knee, but it took far, far too much effort.

He remembered the pain, and then the way all sensation in his legs had cut out. That was bad, wasn't it? Stopping feeling your legs, that... that was when they stopped forever, wasn't it? What would he do without his legs? The group was travelling, and even if not, how would he manage to-

"Mask!" Warriors voice cut into the fear. "Mask, Mask, its going to be okay. The sand hurt them, but they will heal, I /promise/; Hyrule promised me, I promise you. You'll be alright, you just need to heal. Just need to drink and rest and heal, I promise."

That... If... If Warriors promised? Warriors wouldn't lie to him, not about this, right?

"I /promise/ you," Warriors repeated, leaning down so that Mask could see the sincerity in his expression.

"Promise?"

The word slipped out without permission.

Warriors nodded, a whispered 'yes' on his tongue as he scooped Mask into his arms, and cradled him to his chest.

Mask did his best to wriggle closer, not caring for a little more pain so long as his dad was close.

"It's alright to be scared," he whispered. "Like this... Its /sensible/ to be scared. But you'll be okay - Hyrule just needs to rest, and he can fix more of it. We found you, we've got you, we'll always find you... I'll always find you."

Mask tucked himself away in the strong arms, trying not to think of the ordeal of the past day. Instead he curled up in his father's arms, listening to the promises.

"... How did you find me?" Mask whispered.

Warriors clung a little tighter, nodding into Mask's hair, "Ravio's little birdy found you, and told him how to get to you. Paint has an item that stopped the sand from hurting us while we got to you, Hyrule flew out to keep you safe, Legend helped me dig you out... Wild made the water solution from Hyrule's recipe for you, too. Did his best to make it less gross - and /everyone/ was looking. Everyone."

Mask would remember and thank them later, but for now... "You came?"

"Of course I came," Warriors hugged a little tighter. "Nothing - nobody - can stop me coming for you, Mask; I love you. I'll always come. I'm just... I'm so sorry it took so long."

"But you came."

It did not matter how long Warriors had taken, not really - he had gotten there in time. Mask was hurt and scared and shaken, but... Warriors had come for him.

His /Dad/ had come for him.

And that's all he needed to know that everything was, truly, going to be okay.

#whumptober2022 #no.7 #quicksand #altprompt #Linked Keys #harm to minor #LK Mask #LK Warriors #LK Paint #LK Ravio #LK Sheerow #LK Hyrule #warriors is mask's dad

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aquilamage · 7 years

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Slipping Through My Fingers

I couldn’t get @lesbianlinkle‘s Hyrule Warriors post out of my head, so I wrote fic for it.

Summary: Cia had waited thousands of years for Hylia to return to her, but eventually, she finds she must take matters into her own hands to rescue her love from her own mistakes.

(Also on Ao3 and FF.N)

Zelda leaned her arms over the edge of her balcony as she surveyed the castle grounds below. Although it wasn’t even bright enough out to count as sunrise, the courtyard was already packed with trainees, going through their drills with a more solemn, determined aura than was usual. The upper ledges and pathways, too, bristled with troops just getting off night patrol.

She sighed as a signal went out to wake the general population. It meant the end of the little time she got laone, stolen from time meant for sleep, since dawn meant Impa would come to prepare her for another day commanding her troops in this war.

Fighting itself wasn’t the problem. Despite the masses of bokoblins and other monsters that crowded at Hyrule’s borders like a tide, they so far proved to be more of an annoyance, occupying soldier’s time and causing structural damage to towns. What kept the princess on edge were the smaller, well, they were calling them ‘raids,’ on many of the land’s temples and libraries. Witnesses all told the same story: a bright fog would descend on them, forcing people to flee the area. When they returned inside, it would seem as though nothing had been stolen, for nothing valuable they would expect to have been taken was lost. It would only be after that someone would realize that a book or relic was missing, all regarding either the Triforce or the ancient goddess Hylia.

It wasn’t even certain that these events were even related to the invasion, except that they had started at the same time. Besides, if someone was interested in the Triforce…. Zelda had resolved to take any measures necessary to protect its power.

“You’re just as lovely as I remember.” A soft, almost pained murmur came from inside the room.

Zelda spun around, hand instinctively going to her side, forgetting that it still lay against the side of her bed. In her nightgown and against the bare stone of the balcony, she had nothing to defend herself from the figure that slowly emerged from behind the slightly pulled-back curtain of the window.

The woman was tall, imposing in her flawless posture, both only accentuated by the grace with which she walked in her heels. She wore a dark purple robe, every inch decorated with gold and jewels. But most striking was her expression, hands held at her side with the palms open, nonthreatening, and staring at Zelda with the deepest expression of soft but barely restrained joy.

“Who are you?” Zelda called out to her, dropping her weight in a defensive stance with her arms in front of her as a guard. While she appeared to be unarmed and unthreatening, the princess knew there was something off about the woman. She had never seen her before, and there was no way she could have gotten past the guards without some kind of aid, likely magical.

At Zelda’s words, she flinched, reversing the forward step she had just taken. Lowering her head, she sighed. “I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.” She spoke more to herself than to Zelda.

“I’ll not ask again. Who are you, and what do you want from me?” Taking full advantage of the woman’s distractedness, she calculated the easiest way around and back towards her weapons, and if need be, out and towards backup. “Answer!”

The woman slowly raised her gaze, bright purple eyes even more contrasting against the deep brown of her skin as they shone with gathering water. “It’s me. Cia?” She watched Zelda intently now as she swpt a foot towards her, raising one hand in a slow, controlled motion, careful not to make any sudden moves and startle the princess. “I’ve waited for you, you know. So long. Centuries upon centuries alone, keeping the balance, watching over your people.”

Zelda was frozen in place, stunned by the gentle tone and the words. It didn’t make sense. The woman spoke as if she was someone she knew, and to speak of lifetimes as if it were nothing…she didn’t know how to process it.

“You promised me. I agreed to your plan, of course I did,” her voice trembled. “Mortals were always so precious to you, so how could I stand to see you pained over their suffering?” Cia had edged so close to Zelda now, almost within arm’s reach. “But you don’t have to do this anymore. Come back to me, my Hylia.”

“!” The mention of the goddess clicked everything together in Zelda’s suspicions. This woman standing before her had to be the one searching for information on Hylian ad the Triforce. She backed up until the cold stone of the railing chilled her back through the light fabric, regarding the other with narrowed eyes now. “You’re the one leading the monster attacks, aren’t you?” It wasn’t completely for sure, but Zelda was confident in her suspicions.

Cia bit her bottom lip, clenching her hands closed and then opening them again. Then, she straightened up. “I have them under my complete control. I know how much these people mean to you, and I wish them no harm.” A slight tilt of the head, and her eyes took on an excited gleam. “I’ve figured it out, a way to restore you to immortality, and things can be like they used to be.” She clasped her hands together in front of her, mouth open in a desperate but happy smile. “We can watch over them together, protect the land and the Triforce better than any mortal could. Please, my dear.”

Although the impulse ran through her to shout her refusal, shove at the woman and run from whatever magical retaliation a goddess could summon on her, Zelda knew that option was foolish. She had to think of the long-term. While Cia seemed to hold no grudge against Hyrule, even claiming a desire to protect it, the princess sensed that it existed more out of a regard for the other goddess than any real love of mortals. “I-that’s… I understand the logic behind your proposal, but, reincarnation of the goddess though I might be, I am not Hylia. My mind and soul are mortal, and my obligations as princess and sole holder of a rightful claim to the throne, not to mention a few deep personal connections, would make it irresponsible and selfish of me to accept.” She did not mention that she had no desire to take it up anyway. Her personal feelings on decisions mattered little as princess, she had learned that long ago. Besides, the prospect of all eternity stretching before her with no end was frightening.

“Irresponsible… I see…” She closed her eyes, looking away again, only to swing back with startling speed, closing the distance between herself and Zelda in a single step so that they were face-to-face. “I suppose irresponsible I can understand, so obsessed you were with your duties,” Cia hissed, “but selfish? No. No, selfish was you giving so much of yourself, so much power and connection t those humans. Selfish?” As she repeated the word, Zelda felt a palpable thickening in the air, a high note like the moment before a lightning strike. “You forced me into letting you seal way all that power, that potential, that boundless love, and becoming a simple human when we both knew there were other options. SELFISH?” Cia slammed a hand on the railing to either side of Zelda, leaving deep cracks in the stonework. “Selfish was you abandoning me completely, leaving me completely alone for centuries to complete your duties as well as mine without giving me even the slightest hope of ever seeing you again. So tell me Hylia,” Her voice crescendoed with the force of thunder, “WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW OF NOT DOING THE SELFISH THING?”

Zelda could do nothing but tremble at the force before her, sure that even if she had her weaponry and magic and the entire forces of her army at her back at that moment, that she would not be able to do anything to oppose the goddess. She had always known deities to hold immeasurable power, but reading of it and having it shown up close were completely different things.

Cia raised her hand above Zelda’s head as if to strike, but she tightened every muscle in the arm, stiffening it before letting the clenched fist fall open. Sighing, she lowered it, locking her gaze with Zelda’s. “I…can’t…” Fingertips trembling, she placed one hand against the curve of Zelda’s cheek as the well behind her eyes broke and tears began freely falling down her face. Cia let the hand rest there as she took the princess in. So much like her dearest. She guided the other forward to close the distance between them and laid the softest kiss on the top of Zelda’s head. “It’s alright.” Leaning back to look at her once more, she spoke in a choked whisper. “I shouldn’t blame you because you don’t understand. But I promise you, once I get ahold of the Triforce, I’ll fix everything.”

And just like that, she was gone. No longer being supported, Zelda staggered under her own weight. When she fell back on the balcony railing, the already abused stone gave way under her, sending her to the ground with a loud crash.

At the same time, her door burst open and guards began to fill the room, Impa at the front and heading straight for Zelda. In the ensuing chaos, the princess was too stunned to react beyond registering the cold marks and slight ache in her temples that accompanied her own tears, and the unfamiliar, deep impression of sadness that the proclamation had made in her, the sweetest and most despairing words she had ever heard.

#lesbianlinkle #loz #hyrule warriors #Cia #princess zelda #Cia/Zelda #Hylia #fanfiction #also not relevant to most but note anyway: this isn't LK Cia canon #my writing

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linkedkeysau-official · 1 year

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Can I offer an emotional support Rulie in these trying times?

#linked keys #not lu #lk #lk hyrule #mod kj

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linkedkeysau-official · 1 year

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I'm obsessed with Hyrule right now and you've written so much for him lately! Please tell me about the boi <3

Aaaaa another one I've been excited to talk about!!!

-Hyrule is half fairy. His mother was a Great Fairy. He has not seen her in a very long time, though. All of the Great Fairy fountains have been sealed off for their own protection, as Ganon's followers attacked and attempted to kill the Great Fairies for aiding the hero. The smaller fairies, Hyrule's half-sisters and cousins, are still around, however, and still willing to help.

-Hyrule is trans, ftm. I thought it made sense, given that nearly all fairies are girls (plus I wanted more queer bois). Though strangely, presenting himself as a boy began as simply a disguise for his own safety, as it was especially dangerous for a young girl to be running around on her own. It's just that over time, he began to realize that was his true self and he was much happier that way, so he went on living his life as a boy named Link, a name chosen after the many heroes before him.

-Hyrule is also AroAce. Not interested in romance (or anything more) in the slightest. All he wants is a friend.

-He is completely unfazed by blood, unless it's his own. Having to look at a really deep, bad, bleeding wound in order to heal it? Perfectly fine. Accidentally cuts his finger while sharpening his sword? He's lucky if he doesn't faint.

-Hyrule has severe anxiety (totally not projecting here wdym). He is constantly worried about everything. Constantly on edge. So high-strung, you'd think he was about to explode. This served him well in the years where he was on the run, as it kept him out of danger. But it became a great concern once he had the rest of the Chain to protect him, especially when it was causing his self esteem to go through the floor. He's... Working on it.

-He can't handle spice. Like at all. He can hardly handle regular pepper in his food. Goron Spice? Forget about it. Of course he'd eat it no matter what, because he's learned to never waste food growing up in a barren wasteland where edible things were fairly hard to come by. But excessive amounts of spice will make him sick, and his mouth will not stop burning for hours afterward.

-He can't swim, read, or cook. Given that his father died when he was young, and he literally lived in a cave for most of his childhood before spending years on the run, he never bothered to learn any of that. Not that it was that badly needed on his quests, where all he had to do was fight monsters, help people, and navigate dungeons. But it definitely made things a bit more difficult later on...

-Hyrule still holds the entire Triforce, and he is the only one of the Links who does.

-Despite everything he's been through, Hyrule is somehow the most innocent of the Links. Of course this also comes with childish behavior and absolutely no social skills, but he refused to let bad experiences corrupt his mind, and finds beauty in everything.

-He needs to eat extra sugary foods in order to keep his magic replenished. His fairy heritage makes him much more gifted with magic than the other heroes, but at the cost of needing additional nourishment, specifically that for fairies, in order to maintain his full magical potential. Honey does make for a suitable substitute, however.

-in addition to his extensive spell list and ability to use magic, he is also able to sense magic of various types, and even track it to its source. This makes it easier for him to find his way back to the others if (when) he gets lost... But also good for getting him into trouble, as he often feels compelled to follow trails of dark magic as well for investigation purposes.

-He cries. A lot. Very emotional, soft boi.

-He does not like to fight. He's a healer. He's always wanted to be a healer. Of course he will fight if he has no choice, but usually he will try to talk things out first (rarely works, as again, he has no social skills) and if the opportunity presents itself, he will run. However, if one of his friends is threatened, he will absolutely obliterate the threat.

-since meeting the Chain, he can no longer sleep without cuddling someone. Usually it's either Sky or Legend. He is also the only person Legend can tolerate unsolicited hugs from.

-despite his extremely sweet disposition, he can be quite strict when it comes to his teammates' health. He is the only one who can overpower the stubbornness of even Legend, Four, and Time. Even if he'd never hurt any of the other heroes in his sometimes-forceful caretaking, when he says you need to sit down and rest, you better fucking do that.

And finally,

-his Link dolls (the extra lives you can get in AoL) double as anxiety plushies. He only had one left at the time of Linked Keys, and that one got used up during the adventure, however. BUT because of this, Legend actually made a new one for him. It doesn't have the same revival magic as the old one, but it still works perfectly fine to hug when he's nervous.

#linked keys #loz au #lk #not lu #lk hyrule #mod kj

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kjpurplepineapple · 1 year

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So. Attempting to play Zelda II: Adventure of Link (i know what you're thinking and no I am not a masochist). And the stupidest thing happened.

Now my question is, knowing this happens in his game... How does Hyrule not have severe trust issues?!

#Zelda 2 #lu hyrule #lk hyrule #lm hyrule #hero of hyrule #fuck this #I certainly no longer trust the NPCs...

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linkedkeysau-official · 1 year

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Linked Keys Febuwhump

Days 1/2 - Touch Starved & Flinching

From the day they met, Hyrule had been clinging to Legend like a baby sloth, figuratively AND literally. Holding his hand, attempting to hug him, even insisting on cuddling him while he slept. Legend did not like it. He did not like being touched. Nothing he did changed the kid’s odd behavior, however, and more than once, he had lashed out on accident. Hyrule always backed off, apologizing profusely, but the attempts at affection just didn’t stop.

Around the fourth or fifth time, Legend finally snapped. Rather than lashing out verbally and yelling at him, Legend actually spun around and slapped him right across the face. Both stood there in stunned silence for a solid minute— Hyrule in shock at the impact of Legend’s hand against his face, and Legend in complete disbelief at what he’d just done. In truth, he hadn’t meant to hurt the kid. He only wanted to make it clear that he needed his space. Perhaps going that far really was necessary to make a point, but that didn’t mean Legend felt any less bad about it. But even he couldn't anticipate how much worse he was about to feel…

Following the incident, something changed about Hyrule. As if a switch had been flipped in his brain, he suddenly became the complete opposite. He became distant, more so than even Legend had been; attempting to run off on his own without bothering to drag Legend along (Legend didn’t let that happen, knowing that the kid would most certainly get lost as he always did), rarely even speaking to him, even casting the occasional wary glance behind him as if checking to see if Legend was still following him, before running off again. It was… unnerving, to say the least, seeing his new companion change so drastically. Legend was glad to have the space now, to not have to deal with the incessant hugging and touching, but somehow seeing Hyrule like this was worse. Despite his seemingly constant need for affection, the kid’s cheerfulness, innocence, and immense sense of wonder and appreciation for the world around him reminded the veteran hero of the child he once was, roughly six years ago. The child that was lost at the end of his first quest, replaced with the bitter, apathetic, emotionally empty shell of a hero that was Legend now.

And Legend felt awful knowing he may have just ruined that. When Hyrule wandered off now, it was to try to escape Legend’s pursuit rather than to marvel at a cool bug or a pretty flower on the side of the road. His silence was more out of not wanting to speak to Legend than quietly admiring his surroundings. His childlike excitement had disappeared completely, replaced with sad, almost fearful seriousness.

Another day passed in silence like this before Legend finally decided to confront him about it. There was definitely something going on, and Legend wanted to understand exactly what, so he didn’t repeat this mistake. Yet as he lightly placed a hand on Hyrule’s shoulder from behind to get his attention, the younger hero jumped, spinning around so fast that he stumbled and fell to the ground. This may be harder than expected, if just a gentle touch like that made him flinch so bad that he fell on his ass...

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!!” Hyrule cried.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare—” Legend tried to say.

“GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!!! STOP FOLLOWING ME!!!”

“Kid… What’s wrong? Why are you acting like this?” Legend asked.

“Like what, keeping my guard up so you don’t try to kill me when I least expect it? Don’t try to deny it! I know that’s why you’ve been following me!”

“What?! NO! That’s not at all…” Legend argued, slightly offended, “What gave you the idea that I was trying to hurt you in any way?!”

“Why wouldn’t you be?! What else could you possibly want with me if you’re not after my blood?!”

“To keep you safe and out of trouble! Why do you think I’d hurt you?!”

“BECAUSE YOU HIT ME!!!” Hyrule shrieked, “I thought you were nice… I thought you were on my side… I… hoped you might even be my f-friend. But you hit me!”

“Oh, Link… That’s what this is about? I swear I didn’t mean—”

“Guess I was wrong… There really isn’t anyone I can trust, who isn’t going to hurt me. I don’t know why I believed otherwise… I’m so stupid…” Hyrule muttered, pulling his knees to his chest and letting out a muffled sob into his folded arms. Legend was stunned. He hadn’t realized losing his temper like that would have that much of an effect. He really fucked this up…

“I’m so sorry, kid. I never meant to hurt you like that. I lost my temper, and I… There’s no excuse for what I did. I thought it would fix something and in the end I only made things worse.” Legend explained calmly, sitting down about a foot away from Hyrule; within arm’s reach, but far enough that he wasn’t invading the kid’s personal space, “You don’t have to forgive me right away, or at all. But… I want to know what I can do to help.”

“S’nothing. I’m fine. Just leave me alone. I’m… always better off alone.” Hyrule muttered. Legend thought about that response. Suddenly everything was falling into place. He wished he’d connected the dots sooner.

“Kid… How long have you been on your own?”

“Dunno. Long time. Been on the run for about six or seven years, but even before that I never really had anyone…” Legend barely heard anything else he said after that. All he could think about was the fact that this kid seemed to have had next to no friendly interaction with people in the same amount of time as Legend had been running errands for the goddesses. All he wanted was someone he could call a friend. And Legend had been so stupid, pushing him away and snapping at him and for what? Because he himself was too afraid to let his guard down? Because he was afraid to lose another person that he cared about, so he just stopped caring about anyone?

“That’s why you were so attached to me. Because I was the first person in a long time who was actually nice to you…” Legend realized. Hyrule was like a newborn animal, imprinting on the first person he saw. Being so brutally attacked by Legend out of anger must have been like the mother rejecting that newborn. Gods, he just wanted a friend! He was just tired of being alone!

Despite his own aversion to touch, Legend wrapped his arms around the younger hero, hugging him tightly. Hyrule was surprised, but leaned into it, pressing against his companion’s body and enjoying the warmth and comfort of the embrace. More tears welled up in his eyes and soon he had broken down into another wave of uncontrollable sobbing. Legend was resisting the urge to cry as well. He’d been so wrapped up in distancing himself from others that he’d forgotten how good it felt to just hold someone, or be held by someone.

“I won’t let that happen again. I promise. I swear on my life, I will never hurt you again.” He said softly, fingers gently carding through Hyrule’s messy brown curls. Not only that… Not only would he never hurt this kid again. He would do everything he could to protect him from here on out.

“So we’re… friends?” Hyrule sobbed, staring up at him hopefully, earning a kind smile from Legend,

“Yeah. We’re friends.”

#linked keys #lk #lk legend #lk hyrule #febuwhump2023 #mod kj

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