Author's Notes:
Content Warning: sexual themes & implied scenarios
A Star Returns
As much as the fierce god didn't want to believe the confines of the other culture he'd known for nearly two decades had infected his views in the slightest, the Golden Goddesses discovering them after investigating his uncovered temple for themselves resulted in a bit of culture shock. On one hand, the vast majority of him was ecstatic to see them and was even happier when they joined in. On the other hand, what was left of him was the part who couldn't believe how casually and how often they suck face around here…to put it mildly. Though, Hylia's prior remarks about how he'd been gone for so long helped to explain most of it. When they were finished, they cuddled up against each other along the walls of the bath.
'It's so curious how there's room for thoughts like this at all. I wonder how it's possible…' As far as he was concerned, while this second opinion constantly made itself known for as long as he could remember—which isn't technically that long—it was also his understanding it probably wasn't normal.
"So," he kissed Nayru's cheek, "who's going to refresh me on the proper manners for this celebration so I don't embarrass myself?"
They all smiled.
"Have you shown him the venue yet, Hylia?" Nayru asked.
Her tone was sly, "Hm hm hm~. Of course not."
Late evening had set in. Fierce Deity stood inside the grand entrance to the spectacular crystal ballroom. It was just as the Goddess of Wisdom described:
"You'll love it, my curious dagger. Everything is made of the clearest crystal you've ever seen from that cave in Frigarrd you love so much. The floor has a beautiful, intricate mosaic in the colors of your sword and bolts." She twirled a lock of hair around her finger, "We know you're not terribly vain, but we couldn't resist a little stained-glass portrait of you in the center." Nayru wistfully sighed, "I think your favorite part will be how the glass ceiling projects the light of the stars into the room! Ugh, they might as well be there, we've magnified them too!"
The only thing she failed to mention was how gigantic the entire room was. There must have been what seemed like a fifty-foot cap on the ceiling. He knew they were all far taller than that, generally speaking, but after being around Hylians for so long, it was the only way he knew to compare it.
"There'll be about a hundred or so guests," Hylia noted.
Starting from the top, the grand, glittering doors diminished into captivating sparkling shards, revealing the long line of gods and goddesses.
"And it's custom to greet them all. Then the event will begin."
Farore winked at him, "Don't be surprised if you get several propositions along the way. We know it's been a terribly long time since you've seen them, but they all remember you clear as day, my precious sprite."
She couldn't have been more correct. In some cases, it was a little jarring to be so abruptly subjected to another's fantasies about you, only to watch them smile and wave as they continued along to take a seat. 'Goodness, I must have helped a few of you in the past.' Those were greetings that went on for an envy-inducing amount of time.
Din poked his chin with her big toe, "Then, since we'll already be inside, you'll come and greet us all last, firefly." She quizzically looked to Nayru, "Then you'll give a speech?"
The wise goddess's gorgeous voice resonated throughout the ballroom, "My dear, wonderful, and most-esteemed guests! I am ecstatic to have you all here this evening! Even more so am I glad to announce our fiercest god's long-awaited return!"
He couldn't hide his bashful smile as the room erupted into cheers and hollers. 'Wow, so this is what missing for nearly twelve eras sounds like…I'm very flattered!' He glowed knowing so many were happy to see him again.
She chuckled, her long blue hair flowing behind her as she walked around the table to take his hand, "You can only imagine how we felt, really." Nayru waved off the short burst of laughter, "Now, I know we all want to reminisce and recall all the wonderful things he's helped us accomplish—"
'Did she just catch Farore's eye? Did I see that correctly?' They moved and reacted as fast as he did. He wasn't quite used to it yet.
"—but tonight," she gestured to the stars above, "let's cast our eyes to the future and simply rejoice in his return." Before they could clap, she threw her arms out, "Besides! We could throw a celebration for that too!"
The crowd roared in favor of this. It was so loud the floor shook.
Yet the wise goddess could still speak over them, "While this is a very special and historical event, we haven't gone so far as to change the progression of things. Chat amongst yourselves for now, food and drinks will be served very soon."
Water dripped off his finger as he tapped his chin, "Oooh, what kind of food is it?" Then he pretended to lunge after Din's foot. After watching her big toe poke at his cheek all this time, they snickered at her yelp as she hastily yanked it underwater.
Hylia knowingly glanced at Nayru, "Only all of your favorites of course.~"
He sat at a round table with the other four goddesses. All the others sat six, but, from his understanding, of course it was only going to be the five of them. 'Ah right. Hylia mentioned that I finally completed our sphere. Perhaps our group specifically resides over the sphere of protection?' Similar to their temples, they were rather removed from everyone else. He initially tried to sit on the end but was promptly re-sat in the middle by Hylia. To his right was Din, and to her right Farore. Then Hylia sat to his left with Nayru beside her.
Din excitedly clapped, "Ooh I can sense it! Here it comes!"
As her phrase ended, several shimmering wyrms smoothly glided through the air, carrying plates of delicious-smelling food. On their backs were glossy sprites who set the food and tableware. Naturally, their table was first.
Their eyes sparkled at the huge slab of meat and the colorful array of side dishes set around it. The plates and silverware were made of crystals just like everything else. Fierce Deity merely picked up a fork to inspect it before—
CRUNCH.
His eyes could've popped out of his head as he stared at Farore in disbelief, "Did…did you just eat one of the sprites!?" She didn't need to say yes, he could see the poor creature's wing dangling between her lips.
As her brow rose in question, Din snatched the wing off her lip and put it in his open mouth. She burst into laughter, "They're candy, silly!"
He felt it dissolve on his tongue. The sweetness was electric yet far from overkill. Nevertheless, his empathy for the animated sugar vanished, "Aaahh, you're right." He chuckled, feeling relieved, "You really concerned me for a moment there!"
Several more wyrms floated into the room to serve the other guests. Nayru announced the different dishes, "This dinner is themed off our star's favorites. For the main course, the ham of a giant Yespir Griffin glazed in wine-honey, wyvern soup, and stuffed wishcarp. The sides include Éos's famous bread rolls, roasted spice nuts, savory vegetable pasties, salad with pomegranate sauce and Dywing bacon, and pumpkin casserole!" A mischievous twinkle caught her eye, "As for drinks, your preferred elyxor should be on the way." She giggled, "Oh, and please, don't be afraid to enjoy yourselves! I know I will.~"
The deity cocked his head at the term "elyxor" as he willed the steam from the bath to flow away from them, "What's that?" 'Not sure what a "Die-wing" is either, but if it makes good bacon, I can't complain.' He considered the overall selection of food the wise goddess mentioned, 'I must really like meat.'
Nayru and Farore gasped, both of them covering their mouths in shock.
Din wore an incredulous smirk, "Pssh, that's probably the most lackluster trick you've ever tried to pull." She scoffed, "You and I used to hold fight nights in my temple over who could last the longest!"
This sparked a brief recollection of them sitting cross-legged in front of each other with a line of short glasses filled with what appeared to be pale ale. Then someone, not sure who, rang a bell and they both rapidly downed the row of liquid and went to trying to wrestle each other to the ground with their bare hands. 'Ah, elyxor is just our version of the Hylian's ales and wines.'
The red-haired goddess clicked her tongue, "Ugh, I'll never forget the times you managed to beat me." Then she smiled, "But you know what I like to say, don't you?~"
"'How inevitable?'" He could vaguely recall the way his losses often went, "I suppose you're not wrong." He got back on topic, "But really, it's been too long since I've been here. At least remind me of the different kinds."
Soft melodies from self-playing string instruments added to the joyful, relaxing atmosphere in the ballroom. The god remembered their explanation as a flute glass materialized next to his plate. Crimson colored liquid filled it to the brim. 'Hm, this looks awfully similar to blood.' He shrugged, 'Here goes nothing.' The marks on his cheeks exploded with light as the elyxor touched his lips. 'I…I didn't drink it. I absorbed it.' He held the glass back in surprise, catching Hylia's attention.
She tapped her glass against his, smiling, "Aged Spiracorn Blood Elyxor. In this case, aged for twenty-thousand years—your favorite. I quite enjoy it too." Her eyes quizzically traveled to his cheeks, "It really has been a while if your cheeks are glowing, my sweet. Normally you…"
His ears perked at her voice fading away. He stifled the want to flinch as her thumb grazed over his marks, lightly catching on their edges, "Yes?" 'Oh goodness, even my voice reflects how I feel. It's as if honey was poured all over my brain…'
She slid his chair closer to hers, speaking quietly yet maintaining a cheery smile, "Hm, take this with a grain of salt, for I know it's rude of me to intrude, but harvesting Sheikah blood from those traitors is not productive, my sweet. If it's of any significance, I've long awaited to see you deal with them the way you've dealt with prior nuisances." The Goddess sighed, "Otherwise, unfortunately mortal blood eventually dies and thus you lose what you've stored." She placed her hand over his, "Perhaps you and I could go hunting for spiracorns soon. I think you'll find them more suitable, silver star."
He wobbled a nod, whispering back, "I think this body isn't helping so much either, honestly. I doubt this was meant to be consumed by something finite."
Hylia rose the glass to his lips, chuckling, "Try drinking it this time, dear."
"Fair point." His cheeks glowed brighter, but this time he was pleasantly surprised. 'Very interesting. Whatever this "elyxor" specifically is doesn't sting my nose like the bar back in Gerudo Town did. It's strong in a different way.' Before he could comment on the taste, his gaze quickly landed on Din's glass, "Could I try yours, my dire flame?"
The tips of her ears ignited as she coyly smirked, "Pulling out favorite names, are we? Of course you can. Though—"
Fierce Deity blinked as the glass was stopped short of his mouth.
"—I don't want a hole singed into your throat now that I think about it." She apologetically kissed his cheek, speaking with a mushy tone, "I won't be able to shove my tongue in there later if I let you, firefly. Here," she whisked Farore's straight from her hands, "try hers."
He at least looked to her for permission, 'I'm just trying to figure out what exactly the "elyxor" part is.'
The daring goddess shrugged, though a peculiar glint hung in her eyes, "Go ahead. I'm curious of what you think since I've recently taken a liking to this one."
Nayru laughed, teasing, "If you consider roughly eight thousand years ago recent, pretty rose!" Her laughter was muffled as petals flew from her mouth.
Whatever she was drinking was a pale pink. One sip both answered his question and, "Oh stars…everything's more pink than I remember." His entire view of the ballroom was vaguely tinted rose.
Farore stared into her glass as she retrieved it, muttering, "Very curious physiology, my sprite…"
The elyxor—based on two sips— seemed to be the dead-edge-taste he managed to distinguish between either drink. The forest goddess's was very sweet with expected notes of flowers…or maybe that was grass. As for himself, 'I can see why this was—is my favorite. I'm hardly surprised it's blood, but it's smooth and doesn't dry my mouth out like the other did. It has a rich yet slightly sweet flavor.' The light tang in its aftertaste paired nicely with all the savory food too!
So long as he actually drank it, he was free from feeling disoriented like before. His head cleared within five minutes after returning to his food. Speaking of which, he had to pat himself on the back. It was definitely the Hylian taste buds, but every dish nearly brought a tear to his eye! Eyeing the other guests gave him a theory as for why they eat at all. He chuckled to himself, 'Ha, here I am making sure I've tasted everything before I get full, meanwhile Din and a few of the other brutish-looking ones easily ate four times my helping of this Griffin ham.' A thoughtful finger came to his chin, 'Hm, I eat because I must, but we normally eat because we can. Perhaps the same can be said for drinking too.'
Soon, Hylia stood from the table, instructing Nayru to do the same with a wink. "Shall we dance?"
Fierce Deity recoiled into Farore, causing the still, hot water to tremble, "There'll be dancing too?" He knew he was in trouble when they all snickered.
The light dimmed with a snap of the Goddess's fingers, allowing the rays from the stars to dance and sparkle throughout the ballroom. Those who wanted to partake stood, their plates of food disappearing as they came to the open floor.
For some reason, the god also found himself standing as well. He internally sighed, 'They did say it would be easy to catch on to. Maybe my muscle memory will kick in.' He took Hylia's hand, watching as Nayru sauntered over to the instruments. Before he knew it, the floor became farther and farther away as the wise goddess began to sing, and, by the stars, did the muscle memory immediately kick in. It felt like he'd done this same dance hundreds of thousands of times. Back-one-two, forth-one-two, back-one-two, forth-one-two, twirl your partner, spin, and then normally you'd switch partners. Though, he expected the Goddess to momentarily hog him to herself.
"So, what do you think of the celebration so far, Link? Can you tell we've missed you?" She quietly asked with a beaming smile.
"You're going to remind me for a fourth time? Believe me, I can tell." He wistfully sighed as he twirled her, "Everything's so beautiful and so exceedingly far beyond my wildest expectations. By the way, I've been meaning to say your dress is heart-stopping-ly enchanting. I almost feel silly that I'm not nearly as dressed up."
Her cheeks shimmered, "Aaaaaw!~ You're much too kind! Really!" She still sported a white gown with off-shoulder sleeves, only this time they fanned out at the wrists and continued down to her knees. The skirt fell to the floor with a small trail behind it, leaving any spectator mesmerized by the way it flowed as they danced.
He had to smile to himself, knowing that after all her delicate braids and sparkling jewelry she still absolutely refused to wear any shoes. Not too long after the bath, the goddesses decided to head back to their domains to get ready. Turns out Hylia did have more than just her cloud plain; she had an entire white palace! It was just far from where she enjoyed peering through the clouds! After showing him around, he quickly figured out it took them hardly any time at all to morph their clothing and hair into whatever they wanted. Instead, all their time was spent deciding on what to do in general, especially when it came to the details.
Then he was being twirled as the Goddess giggled. "Besides, don't feel too bad about what you're wearing, everyone's dressed up for you."
He grinned, "I know, I know…but still." 'I think I'm more so wondering what my version of "dressed up" looks like. Strangely, I can't fathom it.' A few more turns later and she finally let him switch to someone else. The next goddess he danced with had dark green hair twisted into two spiral buns. Her jawline could kill along with the deep V in her sparkling black dress. Not to assume, but her overall dress screamed "seductress." He could recall her name, V'trix.
"Myy!" She kissed his cheek to greet her new partner for the round, "I'm so jealously impressed at how you've managed to stay so young-looking all this time! I'd ask if you had a secret, or perhaps killed a few stars, to achieve to such a feat, but that seems to be a feature of you protectors hm?"
"Perhaps that's so." 'I really…have no response to that. You can kill stars? Literally or figuratively?' Their conversation didn't last long before they simply smiled and danced.
Next was a god with short, curly dark hair and purple eyes. He certainly made a lasting impression considering he went straight for the lips. In fact this felt a little familiar from earlier.
"That's right! Éos!" He was one of the few who took their time when it was his turn to greet the fierce god. After subjecting himself to far too many of the delicious rolls, he remembered exactly why he liked him too. His mastery over breads and cakes was simply unmatched. Ugh, and he could stab your heart out with a cooking knife. Just wonderful. "If I hadn't stopped myself from eating those rolls, I probably could've killed myself. They're so so so good."
He fanned at his face as clusters of his freckles began to sparsely glow like embers, "Ha! I'm hardly surprised. You say they're your favorite for a reason! How have you been?"
"Pretty great for the most part. How about you?"
"Well I bet you could imagine my face when Hylia tasked me with baking for this! I knew this had to be for someone really important." He laughed as he was twirled, "I coated my floor in frosting when she finally told me who it was for! Squeezed the bag so hard it burst!"
Unfortunately it was time to switch again as he kissed his hand goodbye. The next was another goddess he could recall from greeting her earlier, Millicentra, or just "Milli" as he liked to call her. His memory of her was a tad fuzzy, but she would occasionally ask him to go hunt down some big animal or capture splights from Betwixt to use in her potions and tonics. Not to mention, she's an esteemed elyxor brewmaster as well! And could totally skin you alive. 'It seems my respect is earned based on one's ability to terribly kill someone. Nice.~' He had to swoon over her flattering, dark teal dress. It made her ginger hair stand out. "I really like this dress you're wearing!"
She tugged at the sleeve of his tunic, "And when I heard a whisper about scars, here I am wondering why you're wearing anything at all, fierce one.~"
Lightning briefly scattered across his cheeks, "These are some very fantastical whispers I keep hearing about."
Milli leaned closer, whispering, "Well, between me and you, the rain tends to talk from time to time." She winked.
'So it was Nayru who told you…of course she did.' His brow rose, "How interesting…"
"Say, if you don't mind my asking, if you've got scars that means this skin is a tad mortal isn't it?" She twirled, "Why is that?"
They must've been quite close for her to ask such a personal question, "I'm not sure honestly. It's a little mystery I'm still in the midst of solving."
"Mmm~ a mystery." She grinned, "And, don't worry, I only asked out of personal curiosity. A cauldron never spills, remember?"
"Of course." With that it was time to switch again…but this time no one came. Glancing around, he noticed things had gotten quite lusty between the other pairs. 'Hm, I suppose now wouldn't be a bad time to take a seat. Maybe I could fit another roll in me…maybe.' Though, he couldn't deny he was a bit green on the whole walking-on-air-thing. Going in the direction he wanted to go in wasn't an issue…but descending was. Eventually Farore came and pulled him back down to their table, "Phew! Thank you for that."
"Any time, my precious sprite."
A thought came to the fierce god while they still soaked in the bath, "Oh right, is there any way I could bring my companion since the celebration is for me?" He figured asking for a plus one would be rude if it were someone else's party.
They all simultaneously swooned at the idea.
"Aw, I'd love to meet your little knight.~" Din's smirk would have caused an army's worth of heart attacks.
Hylia playfully rolled her eyes, "That's what I've been trying to get him to let me do!"
Nayru's gaze flit to Farore's, "Ooooh, can we ask him now?"
The daring goddess shook her head, "Certainly later."
She sighed, explaining, "Unfortunately Hylians are about thiissss big." She put half an inch between her forefinger and thumb, "So he'd be far too small and all the preparations were made in advance. Sorry! Hylians don't grow very well either, and to that note, after growing, they definitely don't shrink very well either. Poor things."
His wide eyes said it all. 'I almost can't believe it. We're that huge?! We're taller than the tallest mountain I've ever seen!' The realization didn't stop there, 'So that means those amphipteres from the fields are actually fully grown dragons who are capable of causing massive destruction to a Hylian town or village…now what do those pests they catch look like!?'
Six…ten…definitely not fifteen glasses of elyxor later, he felt good… in an awfully loopy, happy, gonna fall-down-some-stairs kind of way. The goddesses of courage and wisdom were not any farther from grace than he was. Farore scooted into his lap while Nayru leaned on his shoulder. 'I hope they don't think I'm some kind of lifeline. If I fall we're all going down.'
"Heeey," Nayru giggled, "You know that question from earlier? Well, we were wondering if we could follow you back to…well… get to know your companion a lil' bit better." She giggled more. "Especially around the wai—"
Farore cut her off, "Yes yes yes, but this is mainly about you not sharing, understand? You up and get a companion and now you won't let your sphere meet him?" She held his cheek, "A little skin-to-skin never hurt anyone!"
"Especially a mortal!"
The god winced, taking a deep breath before replying, "Okay, well the issue is that he's at the castle." He sniffed, "If Hylia can't be bothered to walk on those castle grounds, I'm not sure how either of you can too."
"Ugh, he has a point," the daring goddess scoffed, "I can't decide if the fact that he still cowers at you is pure luck or a testament to your power, pretty fae."
"Ooooooohhhhh yeeeaaaahh!" A wide smile stretched across the wise goddess's face, "After all, you did beat him to brink of death a long, long, long time ago before he reincarnated into the most sinister form he's maintained since The Curse. No wonder you can stomp all over his 'bed' so to speak."
His brows came together, 'Ah…so The Curse was clearly the day the First Hero defeated Demise.' He was nodding along to her words, but it was also interesting to compare the difference of how the same event was characterized by the Hylians and divine.
"Ooooh! Now it's story time!" She sloppily wiped away whatever strands of blue hair tickled her face before clearing her throat. "So! By that point, neither of you were natural enemies, but the demon offered himself to spar to see who was better." Both goddesses laughed. "Silly imbeciles! They're forever so taunted by your title Fierce Deity. They simply can't believe someone who isn't a demon could possibly be fiercer than them." Nayru kissed his ear, "When I think about it, he probably knows your blood burns hotter than it used to. I can't imagine how I'd feel having lost to you in the past yet being able to feel your immense power now." Kissing his ear again put a twinkle in her eye.
Farore rolled her eyes with a knowing smile, "Here it comes…"
"By the stars!~ My favorite part is when you clipped his ears for wasting your time! You practically cursed him with clubbed ears without actually cursing him! So deliciously awful, I love it!" She fanned at her face, contently sighing, "Well, anyways, what if we instead took your companion to my palace of fountains? It's not as wet as it sounds if he doesn't like that sort of thing." Then she murmured, "Mortals are quite sensitive to the elements after all…"
The courageous goddess fawned over the idea, "Ooh, not bad, songbird.~ The room with the pretty floors and dew curtains? That would be wonderful." Her golden eyes returned to the god's. "We'd accommodate him too. After all, it's no fun if you can't have any, pretty sprite."
With every ounce of spiracorn blood sloshing about his body, he… considered it, but, "As compelling as all that sounds, I'll tell you the same thing I told Hylia: he has more important things to focus on. Seeing as I was once in his position, I think it's best if we let him carry on with his fate-related tasks first."
They sighed in defeat, Nayru more dramatically than Farore. Then the green-haired goddess perked up, "How about the three of us then? Shall we join them out there?"
'Oh right, the um…what's the word?' It came to him after blinking a few times, 'Yes, the divine dissipation occurring in the center of the floor, right on my portrait, I might add. …Really not sure which way I'm swinging on that fact…' Fierce Deity shrugged, standing, "Well, it's been made crystal clear this is the celebration of the century, if not era, if not eon. If this is history, I might as well be a part of it, hm?"'
The other two strongly agreed.
He squinted, searching the crowd of skin, "Now where's Éos?" 'I wonder if his skin tastes something similar to his bread…'
…
A whirl of dark mist seeped under the Hylian champion's door. The fierce god heard a gasp as the vapor swirled upward to take his shape before scattering away. He appeared poised at first, but immediately lost it to his drunken stupor. His eyes flit to the arrow he held, "Aawww! My spark was admiring his blessed arrows? How flattering.~"
Link appeared relieved as he sat it on his nightstand, "Good, it's you." His tone was frank, "Honestly any longer and I would've fallen asleep." He yawned, stretching, "I didn't know you could do whatever mist-thingy that was."
Fierce Deity gazed at himself in confusion, "I what?" 'Mist-thingy? Huh?' He winced, deciding to figure out whatever that meant later. "Well, anyways," he wobbled over to his bed and let himself in it, "it's wonderful to see you again, Link." The god cuddled up to him, unloading a massive sigh at the alluring sensation of being able to lay down. At the same time, he made a face, 'Ugh, it's always hot in here.' To that he willed the conversion of the moisture in the room into misting, cooling clouds and disrobed, "Aahh, much better."
"Whooaa…" He was mesmerized by the clouds forming from thin air. They mystically hovered over whatever they touched. "That's so c—" Lips pushed into his cheek.
Given the kind of night he'd had so far, it was easy for his mind to slip into more lecherous scenarios should he continue, 'And by the stars I'd love to but…perhaps later.' Instead he pecked his cheek once more and resumed resting on his chest, "Sorry to cut you off, but good evening. Also thank you, I always enjoy a cooler room, plus they keep our conversation within these walls." An ear flicked, "I can't sense a waking heart near us…but a bit of privacy never killed anyone."
"R-Right." He smiled, fixing his messy bangs, "Good evening to you too. How was your day?"
"Spectacular!" The god chimed, "I reconnected with some old friends, visited my temple—" he gasped, "—that reminds me! You'd love the hot bath there! Very relaxing. Then I went to this grand party celebrating my return—hence why I'm so…wasted." He chuckled to himself, "I'm not sure what you're seeing, but my world is terribly everywhere at the moment to me." 'Sometimes there are three of you, it's great.'
Link looked him up and down, blinking in surprise at his admission, "And here I thought you were just tired."
"Link, you wouldn't believe how many faces I had to kiss before the event began! I don't mean to say it was a bad thing, but clouds above! You can imagine how long my friends took to greet me and how…well… interesting that was to me because it was before I could recall who they were! It's customary to greet everyone before the celebration starts." He flashed a grin, "I wish I could've taken you too, my spark. One of my friends explained to me that, to us, Hylians are about half an inch tall, so unfortunately you'd be far too tiny."
The knight checked how small it was with his fingers before making a face, "Damn!" He seemed to imagine how tall the gods would truly be, "I—that's insane!"
The fierce god nodded, "I'm still amazed at how dangerous even the tiniest of our creatures would be to your kind." He recalled a more recent instance from the celebration, "Ah, you should've seen everyone's faces when you were brought up. They were way more eager to meet you than I thought!" A loopy chuckle escaped him. When his knight was brought into the conversation, they were all in the middle of partaking in each other. 'I can still remember how everyone paused before practically leaping at me with questions!' "They'd say: What does he look like? What does he do? Is it true he has the Master Sword? What's his name?" He picked at a fold in his companion's shirt, "Well, then some of them would ask why, and I'd reply 'why not' just to satisfy an answer. Of course this isn't true, but the funny thing is, there's really no such thing as circumstance for my kind. It's only true for a few of us, one of them being me, no doubt."
Curious, Link crossed his arms, wearing a sly look in his eyes, "Well what if it wasn't circumstantial? Why then?"
"I can tell you're thinking of Mija's explanation, and since she doesn't inherently know everything, you can take it with a grain of salt. In hindsight, I was made well aware that I'm as mysterious to them as I am to myself." Fierce Deity shrugged, "Either way, taking someone as your companion implies the desire to be around that person. Besides," His cunning charm set his tone as he smirked, "I've quite the interest and respect for those capable of more lethal abilities. I would've been drawn to your skills regardless, hm hm~."
This clearly fed the champion's pride despite his ornery eyeroll, "I guess I won't deny that it's flattering to hear you say that."
The topic made him smitten with him. His eyes glowed brighter, "Ah~ if things hadn't devolved the way they had, I'd have loved to have you sit beside me and the others. Since it was for me, everything was based on my favorite things. I think you would've liked the…the uh…" He cocked his head, "Well it's a type of dragon with two wings and two legs but made into soup. What do you call it in your tongue, my sweet?"
He wore a thinking frown, "I…I don't think we've ever seen a dragon like that in these lands." Link shook his head, grinning, "Time, I never saw a dragon in my entire life until we met the one in Faron and the other fire-one at the bridge. I only half-believed the legends too!"
"Ah well, either way, I think you would've liked the wyvern soup. Oh, and I know you would've loved the Dywing bacon on the salads too! The only thing I was able to slip out was one of—" he thought better than to mention his name, "—another friend's amazing dinner rolls." The fierce god sat on the edge of the bed, trying to visualize just how huge the roll truly was. To be safe, and mainly to not knock anything over, he called a decently sized slice of it instead.
Fierce Deity watched his companion's eyes nearly bulge out of his head as the bread pressed against the ceiling and the floor. He compressed it into something much smaller, about two-thirds the size of his face. He snickered as he handed it to him, "Don't worry, you won't taste the floorboards, my spark. The dark filling should be…hm," he scratched his head, "I have no clue how to say any of that. Well, nevertheless, I think you'll enjoy it.~" 'You've got a far better understanding of how tall we actually are, don't you?' Witnessing his eyes light up produced a grin, "So?"
"I think I'm gonna cry."
He saw the gloss gathering in the corners of his eyes in real time. "Happily?"
Link spoke between bites, "Dear Hylia, yes."
"Aw, you're cute." Which reminded him, "Speaking of the party devolving and those who're eager to meet you. In your terms, I'd say you've got quite a handful of divine suitors from my little sphere."
His face scrunched in disbelief as he swallowed the rest of the bread, "Divine su—what now? A-Are you serious!? I thought you said they wanted to meet me!"
"They do but…well…" he took a breath, feeling his head beginning to clear. It seems his body was granting him a spare moment of sobriety, "meeting means several things to us. Though, you would mostly take note of how…mm…forward they are. They won't have any regard for your restrictive quirks like I care to do, pretty spark."
"Right…" He thought on this, "You said something similar yesterday. How would that apply to meeting them?"
"From my understanding—because even my clouds know I don't remember when or how this happened—I'm a part of a very particular sphere. We're all confidants to one another, our temples reside together, we sat together at the celebration—in fact, two of them did all the planning and preparations! From the venue to the food to the guests! It was quite the surprise when I got to see their elaborate work in person. You would say we're good friends." He got back on topic, pecking his cheek, "Anyways…you know what 'friendly' means in my terms, my spark. It's…not uncommon that we all mess around together, and I've been asked on more than one occasion if I'd have you join too since you're my companion."
It's a wonder the knight's jaw was still intact as he flinched, nothing short of looking stunned, "Wai-wai-wai-wait. WAIT. S-So you're—for example—getting ready to basically have sex with one of them—I dunno why you don't just call it that by the way—and then sometime before or in between, they just go, 'Hey, do you think your companion wants to join us?'" His eyes fluttered as he scoffed in astonishment, "It's that casual?"
He sweetly nodded, "That's actually pretty spot on!"
"WHAT."
The god held up a hand as he chuckled to himself, "Forgive me—if there're reasons to forgive—but clearly I said no. Her idea was…" it crossed his mind, "…I won't trouble you with the details." He considered his other point, his head tilting to either side, "Also, knowing the weight your kind attaches to the word 'sex' is the reason I don't call it that, even if the acts are similar."
Link practically snorted steam, waving his words away, "Alright, alright, fair enough as for why you're picky about your choice of words. I just…" he exhaled, exasperated, "…well after Mija said they'd maybe-kinda-never look at me the same way you do, I'm very surprised this is a thing at all!" His hands rose in question, "She was seriously that wrong?"
"It was her understanding of it, anyway. Perhaps this is true for newer gods and goddesses, but clearly it can't be said about those of us elder ones." He could feel the wonderfully terrible haze lurking within him, "Mind lying back down for me? I wasn't done laying on you."
He pursed his lips, "At least you asked…"
The god cheekily nodded, retaking his comfortable position, "To continue, their interest in you stems from my interest in you. I know they have no idea why I like you, but it's my understanding that my liking you makes them like you as well…so naturally they'd like to include you in our activities."
"Huh," he rubbed his chin as he took this in, "As many questions as I have about that…I'll save it for some other time."
Fierce Deity groaned as the intoxicating haze returned, "I…have questions myself." 'This was far more fun earlier than it is now…especially when I'm trying to maintain my composure.'
"Are you okay?" He sounded concerned. "What's going on?"
Lightning scarcely crawled across his cheeks, "This body handles our elyxor in a rather adverse way. For every sober moment I achieve, another long, mystical fog is soon to follow." He drunkenly giggled after witnessing his companion frown. "Oh it's not as bad as it sounds.~ If anything, you appear far more kissable than usual, fair knight." He let the side of his face sink into the knight's chest, "By the stars…laying down is soooo nice. " 'It'd be perfect if this flimsy shirt wasn't in the way.'
Link laughed at his sentiments, slight sarcasm lining his tone, "I'm happy to see you enjoyed yourself."
"I certainly did.~" He resumed from before, "Anyways, the two goddesses, who'd go so far as to follow me back, mentioned something about 'accommodating' you should you ever meet them."
His brows came together, "Y-Yeah?"
He thoughtfully sighed, "They're extraordinarily beautiful and knowledgeable, and while my memory tells me I trust them with my life," his voice dropped into a whisper as he closed his eyes, "I have no idea what that means and it makes me a tad wary for your sake." When they opened again, he couldn't control another bout of snickering due to the knight's speechless expression.
Link tried to shake him, "What the hell is so funny?" Then he scoffed, "And why are you not wearing anything? I just realized you've been naked this entire time."
The fierce god managed to control his laughter. He breathed, speaking with a smooth tone, "My apologies, the expression on your face tickled me. Otherwise, it's not about to be my problem that someone gave you the stuffiest bedroom in the entire castle, my spark." More clouds misted into existence at his words.
Link flippantly went to poke at his ear as more electricity jolted across it. Purple sparks briefly lit the air between them. Blood rushed to his face while the perpetrating hand rushed to cover his mouth in shock.
Now he couldn't help the reinvigorated net of lightning buzzing across his face! 'Well…I'll admit I didn't intend for you to see the proposition floating around my head, but oh well. Oops.' Yet a charming smirk unraveled. "My, you're not doing that because it's a bad idea, are you?" He teased.
The champion gasped with his whole chest, "TIME!" He clawed at the air, flustered, "What the HELL was that!? That is—" he huffed, "if your vision-thing was zero, that was at least an eighty!"
"I'm teasing, I'm teasing." He rested his chin in his hands, "Otherwise, that's also what I meant by the evening devolving, my sweet. We ate, then danced, and then, before my eyes, the guests decided dessert ought to be each other." He loopily stared off as he recalled the scene, "It must have been the drinks…well…they may have helped." He wore a thoughtful expression, "Tonight is a historical one for us: 'A Star Returns.' I'd be remiss if I didn't join in." He bit his lip, sighing through his nose, "I'm going to be very sore tomorrow…"
Still, his eyes brightened, "With that said, it wasn't inherently in my plans to ask, though you managed to chance it anyways. Honestly I'm glad it didn't shock you instead." 'Really I am. I'd hate for you to accidentally lose a finger over something so small.'
His blush lingered as his gaze shifted elsewhere. "Pfft, you really meant what you said, not asking me to do something I couldn't do." He appeared to consider it further, now chuckling to himself, "I think I'm more surprised you think I have the gall to do that to your face, Time!"
The god lightheartedly shrugged, "Think what you may, fair knight."
"I will. " Which reminded him, "In fact, while we're on the topic, you might as well translate what you whispered to me too." He defensively put his hands up, "I told you I'd bother you about it until you told me!"
His smirk twisted something sly, "Very well." His cheeks crackled as he recounted his shameless words. After his phrase, a wishful expression took over as his head teetered to one side, "I truly wish I could remember how to get to my domain.~" He caught a glimpse of the knight's face, "Goodness, was it really so bad? You didn't mind it then."
Link's face dripped red, "That was different!" he snapped, "I also had no idea at the time either! It was loopy-sounding gibberish for all I knew!" He facepalmed, "You're entirely something else. That's the only way I can think to phrase it right now…"
"Then let's change the subject, shall we?" Though eyelids slid to half-mast as his haze threatened to grow denser, "Ahem, right, what brought about your interesting conversation earlier?"
As if cued, the knight immediately slumped against his pillow, exasperated, "After you turned into sparkles, of course Zelda asked me what was going on. For all I know, there's probably someone watching us all the time and I really don't want to get cursed because of my Princess." He mindlessly messed with the same cowlick on the top of the god's head, "Either way, after you spoke through me, they made the connection that you're speaking with a god or goddess whenever your eyes roll back into your head." A finger went to his chin, "I'm a little surprised none of them deduced that I was speaking to you considering the question that made them aware of it had to do with what you called me before you left. You're probably lucky they're still not entirely adjusted to the idea of you being…you."
His brow vaguely rose, especially as he could sense a portion of himself feeling annoyed. 'Strange, it's not as if I care whether they know I was speaking to him or not.'
"Anyways, despite your efforts, they all think you've been talking to Hylia whenever that happened to you in the past."
Fierce Deity's ear flicked, "Tch, I figured my tactics proved to be insufficient." The sky gave a low rumble, "I'll not make the same mistake twice." For once he aligned with the second voice in his head. It found this development to be a nuisance as well. His blood began to warm until he felt fingers combing through his hair.
He spoke in a hushed tone, "Let's not wake people up with scary storm sounds, okay? Please?"
His tongue clicked at the request, "Only because you asked." 'And nothing more.'
"Thank you. To be honest, you're not going to like what I say next either." He shrugged, sounding forward, "They also think/know you spoke to Hylia on the Great Plateau too. I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say they know because, according to Purah, all of her giant statues were ordered to be built by her, so there's no way it wasn't her." He grumbled to himself, "Apparently the academy doesn't go into that much depth about them…ugh."
His ears flicked again. There wasn't much the elyxor could do to stave off his annoyance, "And what's the significance of their supposed discovery?"
"Well…Impa was wondering if either of you spoke about the Calamity, but really, if I were them, I'd probably feel a little betrayed if either of you talked too. I mean, how could you be speaking to the one Goddess who can help us and not somehow ask her to help us?" The knight shook his head, sounding matter of fact, "Maybe it's just me, but with you being what you are, regardless of the previous circumstances, you don't owe us anything." He sighed, "Trust me, there was a time where I thought we could face this Calamity together. The more I thought about it, the less sense it realistically made." A light frown pulled at the corners of his lips, "Plus, I thought of this earlier, but you're nowhere near being depicted in the prophetic tapestry. With all due respect to my peers, they're kidding themselves."
"They are, but understand my involvement is not within my control." He smiled, "It's certainly not my place to intervene in these matters…though I might add that I haven't done a very good job at that."
"Mhmm." He held up a finger, "By the way, I can talk however I want now, right?"
"Of course."
"Sweet. After that, Purah took the other three to the library to go try to find any legends about a wolf god and their archer god/goddess companion. This is because Robbie saw us when we were crossing through the citadel yesterday. Oh, and Zelda definitely thinks it was you controlling the guardians somehow." He crossed his arms, trying to keep himself from smirking, "Ooof course you don't really care."
"Oh I doubt they'll get far, especially seeing as they might want to prepare for their champions to arrive tomorrow." He sat up with a grin, catching himself from going too far forward. "Pretend that didn't happen. Ahem, in the meantime, I brought you something else."
"What?" He got up as well, "Time, you didn't have to—"
"It's a star in the color of your eyes." He pushed his hands flat together before he called it forth, only slightly raising the edges to let the light out, "It's a bit too bright to simply pull into a room. You understand."
"Time!" Link's hands covered his mouth, "Dear Hyli—"
His head bobbed with his words, "I know, I know. This doesn't exactly belong in a drawer. That's why I thought you could throw it back into the sky instead. Wherever you want." He snickered at the stunned face before him, "Oh and don't worry about arm strength, you will throw it far enough, promise."
The knight buffered, "W-Well when c-can we…?"
"Right now works. Want to? Where do you want to go?" His tunic and armor threaded around his skin.
He stared off as he thought, "U-Uh…my um…my house, in Hateno." He nodded, "Yeah, from on top of the roof too!"
"Sounds perfect to me!"
"Hold on a sec," He grabbed his sword and slung it on.
The god took his hand. Soon the slightly damp smell of his room shifted into fresh night air. The prior silence was replaced by a chorus of crickets and beetles. "Here we are!"
Link watched the mist disintegrate at their feet, grinning, "I genuinely can't believe some of the things you're able to do sometimes. Wow."
"Aw, you're too kind.~" Fierce Deity placed the star in the palm of his hand, pointing to the ocean of them above, "Make it count! You only get one shot, my sweet."
He reared his arm back and chucked it straight above them. They both bounced on their heels as they watched the bright trail of light soar behind it. It sparkled particularly bright once it set in with the others. The knight threw himself into a hug, "Oh. My. Gosh! That's just—and it's there? Forever?"
"Yep! Consider it a souvenir from my outing today!" He planted a smooch on his forehead.
Link laughed, now perking up, "Oh hey, we should say hi to dad while we're here! He'd go crazy if he saw you now!"
"Sure, if you'd like to." The knight already slid down the shingles and dropped into a roll.
"C'mon!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming." 'And may I ever maintain my composure in the process.' He could hear him rapping on the wooden door as he strolled around the house. Moments later, heavy footsteps clambered down the stairs before the door swung open.
"Dad!" Link threw his arms around his old man.
"What in the!? Just how the hell are you here right now?" His hearty laughter paired well with the nature around them, "Aw hell! As if it matters! How's my boy been? And what's this aboutcha gettin' snatched up? I'm starting to think the trainees down at the fort are just comin' up with stuff!"
"I've been great actually! I just put a star in the sky, believe it or not!"
"A-A what now? You're kiddin' m—" His father's eyes widened at the sight of the deity. He spoke slowly, "Uh…who's your friend?"
"This is Time, remember? He was the kid I brought back from the castle a month or so ago. Well, turns out he's absolutely not a kid, he's a…well a uh…a god!" He laced his fingers together as he seemed to realize what was coming out of his mouth, "But yeah, cool right?"
Fierce Deity twisted into his less becoming form, waving hello, "Ring a bell, perhaps? Only I had blonde hair and bluer eyes at the time too." He shifted back, startling him more, "It pleases me to know you're still well." His brows rose in surprise. He kept the father from bowing with a wave of his hand, "Ah, that's…that's not necessary."
"Dear sweet Hylia from above…I can hardly believe it!" He looked between his son and the god.
"In any case, the rumors from the fort about your son are true." 'I can't believe I can feel my eyes wanting to close.'
A flash of concern caught his eye, "D-Does that er…mean all the carnage and bloodshed-talk was true too?" He looked to the knight, "Did those Yiga nearly kill you?"
"Haha! Not sure nearly can truly describe it when this guy can basically move faster than time itself." His tone was bashful, "Don't get me wrong though, I hope that never happens again. As long as I've got him around, I doubt it ever will. After that we…pretty much went camping and treasure hunting!"
"Well I'll be!" His gaze switched to the god, "And I'm forever in your debt for savin' my son, Time. Man to man, I appreciate ya with my whole heart." He scratched his beard jokingly looking him up and down, "Ha! And what a little devil you turned out to be too! I'll be surprised if ya haven't had anyone tryin' to pray to ya yet!" He looked to the night sky, "Now, you said somethin' about puttin' a star in the sky?"
The knight pointed to it, "Yep! Just there past the chimney!"
"Dear Hylia, Link! How'd ya get your hands on something like that?"
"It was a souvenir from my travels today." The father's words admittedly gave him a reason to smirk as he joined their gazing. 'I could pass out right now. I can't believe it.' The lavish fog grew even thicker than before. His hands held each other, he knew he hid it well. Not talking helped.
This boggled Link's father, "That's…well I…my goodness!" He held up a hand as he laughed, "Pardon me, this is just really…hittin' home now! Wow my golly gosh!" He took a deep breath, "Y'know, I think I should head back to bed before I think about this too much." He went to wrap his arms around his son, stopping dead at the sight of the Master Sword.
Link giddily nodded as he watched his dad cover his mouth in disbelief, "See! I said I'd show it to you the next time I came by!" He pulled it out of the sheath, doing a faux-serious voice, "The sword that seals the darkness."
"Hylia above…" A careful hand hovered over the blade.
The knight nodded to the god, "Y'know, he wielded it once too."
His incredulity grew, "That's right! One of your letters said the youngster was actually the Hero of Time!"
He took this as his cue to hold the sword next, chuckling as he watched the others' eyes nearly pop out of their heads at its mighty glow, "She's quite bright when she wants to be." He returned the blade. 'She scolded me for being so intoxicated. Some nerve…though respectable.'
Link shifted his weight to one side as it lost its luster, "Yeeaah… I'm working on it." Kshk.
His father pat his head, "Aw hell! As if that matters to me! Of course it's gonna glow in your hands one of these days! I can't wait to hear how you kicked this Calamity Ganon in its face and showed 'im what for! You can tell me about how the Princess sent the bastard all the way to hell too!"
"You know it!" They hugged, "Well, we should get back to the castle before they think he took me again. Night, dad!"
"Goodnight, son." He waved a finger at either of them, "Don't y'all be gettin' into too much trouble, ya hear?"
The god chuckled while his knight bobbed his head up and down. After waving goodbye, he took Link's hand and misted away before the father's eyes. They reappeared in the knight's room. He smushed a kiss into his temple, his exhausted, fucked-up voice ringing true, "Goodnight, pretty spark." 'Not my voice too!'
Link tried to hide his snort and failed, "Whoa, what happened to your voice? You sounded completely fine a second ago."
His brows furrowed; he could feel his surroundings begin to phase. His words slurred together, "I'm genuinely going to fall over if I stay any longer. I'll likely come for you later in the morning. Perhaps I'm grateful to be able to sleep for once."
He laughed, "I'll see you then!"
"I'm surprised I found you here," Din joined Hylia's side on the highest balcony within her white palace, placing her hand on hers, "Taking a break from your perch?"
The Goddess smiled at her as a gentle breeze blew by, "You know me better than that, my wildfire." She kissed her hand, "What did you think of the celebration?"
A wide grin spread across her face, "I was so excited when Nayru told me last night! I'm always so impressed with both of your stellar work! It's an understatement to say I enjoyed myself.~" Her grin morphed into a cunning smirk, "But you're right. I know why you're here." She gazed up at the stars as well, viewing their shining constellation, 'It's not hard to find when his star still flickers.'
Each of their stars shined in their respective colors. Farore's faintly green, her own was red, Nayru's blue, Hylia's yellow (although they liked to base it off the color of their aura, so gold), and finally, Link's was white (silver, for the same reason). Din glanced back at her, "What are you thinking about, sunshine?"
Her tone was solemn, "It's done this since I spoke to him at the little feast the castle had for their new champions. Before this, it was dark…as it'd been for eras." She breathed, closing her eyes, "He told me with sheer wonder in his eyes that he could see me…as if he truly couldn't believe it. I could tell not a memory of ours played in his head." She opened them once more, "Yet I'm hardly convinced at the same time."
"To be fair, I remember when he managed to flip my entire bedroom upside down and I didn't notice for at least a thousand years…I still have no idea how he did that either." The fiery goddess leaned against her shoulder, "Anyways, I came to look at it too. I'd finally snuck him away for myself and he was so gentle, never mind tired, that I thought I took the wrong god!" Her lips pursed, "Much like everyone else, I was also curious about his mortal body…though I'll admit I don't know how I'd find an answer to it here." She clutched the gem of her necklace, the topic reminding her of what happened earlier, "By the stars, for all the soft skin he has, I somehow managed to nick him with my nails!"
"Yes?" Hylia was confused.
Meanwhile Din felt the heat rising in her face, and not the good kind. She brought the Goddess's hand to her cheek, confessing, "It was only a scratch, but seeing his blood frightened me so much I cried!" The sound of her gasping when it happened still rang in her ears. The image of her vision growing blurry as sparkling tears pricked at her eyes and dripped off her cheek.
"Are you okay, my love?" She searched her crestfallen gaze, "He seems fine to me."
"I practically turned into a puddle of lava while he kept reassuring me he was completely unharmed." Her voice echoed off the surrounding walls. She sniffed, squeezing her necklace harder as her heart beat faster, "But I knew that! I watched it heal in a matter of seconds! He doesn't seem to understand that he's never ever EVER bled, let alone because of me! I don't care how tiny it was!" She could smell the smoke her skin gave off as she let herself sink into the Goddess's hands, huffing, "I need him to do something about this soon because my heart can't even take the idea of it, never mind that it happened before my very eyes!" The soft kiss on the bridge of her nose radiated a cooling sensation throughout her face.
Her ears drooped at the sight of her being upset, her tone understanding, "I can't imagine I'd be any better off if we switched places and the same happened with me." She wrapped an arm around her waist, "You're welcome to stay with me if you'd like."
Din's ponytail flipped behind her as she turned back to his flickering star. She puffed a sigh, her brows furrowing, "Why does it do that anyway?"
The Goddess's ever-flowing hair fell flat behind her, "I wish I knew."
Author's Notes:
I think I'll always enjoy writing out small sections pertaining to goddesses, but I especially enjoyed writing the party because it flip-flops between two scenes (or that was my intention lmao).
Phew! I'm glad I could at least give y'all something over my Thanksgiving Break!
I'm still in the same pickle with all my schoolwork, but things could be changing. We'll see. I'll get the next chapter(s) out when I can :))