Note:

CW: Detailed Violence!

Far From Wise

Demons do bleed.

'They always have,' the fierce god thought as he stepped through the gate, rolling out his shoulder. He stretched the muscles in his neck as cool air hit his face.

The Betwixt is best described as a foggy haze—as it should be, considering it serves as the passage between the Sacred and Demon Realm. With a wave of his hand, the mist divided, providing a clearer path forward. 'A key difference between our kinds. Their bodies are mortal…yet their spirits are not.' He chuckled, hearing his voice fill the void, 'Goodness, what a senseless existence.'

Why was he visiting the Demon Realm? 'Tch, not for fun. A little songbird whispered in my ear that the pests need management. Apparently they've got something akin to a…leader? Really?' Another fault of Demons, they couldn't work together to save their own lives. 'Din and I would "visit" far more often if they knew how to do that. They could even figure out how to arrange gates into the Betwixt rather than stumbling into it and eventually dying.' The temperature slowly rose the farther he descended.

The realm seemed to operate solely on the desperate clash for power. Any semblance of it by any means. There wasn't much of a hierarchy to their people. Most demons are powerless grunts. If they have powers, it's not often they understand how to use them without mortally harming or outright killing themselves. 'Their powers tend to be abstract too…or useless. There's a five percent chance it's something formidable—worth paying attention to.' Because their spirits are immortal, their best ability is being able to reincarnate quite frequently. From his experience, this doesn't mean they awaken with any recollection of their past life, or how to use their powers if they have them. 'And we prefer it to be this way. It's less of a hassle for us if there's only a few to subdue every century or so.'

He snorted, rolling his eyes, 'If only they knew their coveted ancients sell them out to us. Honestly, the corruption is delicious. Your most respected elders who've lived long enough to understand they're but a beetle under a boot waiting to get squished the moment they breath wrong. You think they're powerful. You aspire to be like them. To live especially as long as they do. When you discover a significant ability, you rush off to tell them…' His smile could kill, 'and then they come tell us.'

Link's familiars appeared around him, their electricity snapping at the air. Finally, the scenery had changed. 'Oooof course…this region always seems to house the most troublemakers…' Was it bad he'd come to know parts of it by heart? He murmured to himself, "Yep…never thought that moss patch would grow back." His eyes drifted to the left, "Aha, that hole is deeper than last time." Now to the right, "Hmph, a shoddy statue of the last one I dealt with." He breathed a sigh; the purple sky developed a slight haze. Even the grunts knew by now this meant he was there.

He smirked at the sound of them skittering off as he descended lower, his form shifting into a violent, electric dark mist. He rushed through the canyon-like terrain, his clouds picking off those who were nearby. In the blink of an eye, his gaze bore into his "challenger" so to speak.

The demon froze in fear. It's beady, red-glowing eyes lost their luster.

"Adorable." He cooed, his daunting sword materializing into his hands as his aura brightened, 'Let's see if this one remembers to fight back.' Similar to Din, he wasn't opposed to playing with his opponents. He sent it flying across the clearing with a smack from the flat of his blade.

BOOM!

The god's laughter bounced off the walls. He ran his fingers through his bangs, incredulous, "What's this? Goodness, you almost seemed strong enough to wield your powers!" This was true. For demons, muscles indicated they were resilient enough to where their own powers couldn't rip themselves apart. Thus, the stronger they looked, the more likely they could use their powers as well.

This one's body appeared mostly black with red-lined scales. He quickly assessed the lighter portions were more fleshy, less protected. Fiery orange hair aside, Fierce Deity watched its red eyes light up again.

"Oh please," His almighty will yanked the demon in his direction. Smiling, the edge of his sword caught its ribs. He spun on his foot, slinging it in the other direction.

BOOM!

Link could hardly contain his condescending snickering, "This happens every time." His head bobbed from side to side, "I hit them once, they get this look in their eye, they feel emboldened, then I hit them again—" His white eyes burst into flames, his aura expanding ever further as he ascended. His warped, demented voice rang loud and true, "—and they realize it's pointless."

He pulled the demon back, suspending it in thin air as he disfigured his "challenger" with both his mind and blade. Black blood among other viscera and limbs coated the clearing when he dropped it. He hovered parallel to the corpse, his voice warping more, "You thought you were daring, didn't you? Asking for my hand in battle." In a fraction of a second, his sacred blade clubbed the demon's ears. With its throat destroyed, it could only respond with more blood dribbling from its eyes and nose. "What a waste of time you turned out to be." He drifted closer, hissing, "Honestly, I should kill you. Make your soul kill itself time and time again until it finally manifests a worthwhile body to withstand its own existence."

Fierce Deity shoved his hand through its chest, gripping its faint beating heart.

Never shall you forget this feeling.

My hand deciding your life.

He smiled, electricity sparking across his entire body until it raced down his arm and made the demon jolt and lurch. Wicked laughter unleashed a devastating storm to slaughter any who remained in the area. Feeling his task was complete, he found himself in the Betwixt once more. 'Hm, I bet Nayru would love to hear about this one. What a lovely start to my morning.~'

…

The Princess's knight breathed in the morning air as he held the door open for Zelda. He joined her as she took her place along the railing at the bridge between her quarters and her study. "So, you were saying before?"

Her lashes fluttered. She seemed to hesitate, "I-I don't know. Quite frankly, I'm unsure if we spent our time wisely yesterday." Her green eyes met his, "I know you know that I mean Purah absolutely no offense, but we should've spent an hour at best in the library and then moved on to other logistics surrounding our other forces." She sighed, crossing her arms, "I agree the golden wolf is a terribly interesting happenstance alongside the guardians, but we already have someone we could ask about it."

'Well, that's hoping he'd answer such a question, Zelda.' "True," he agreed. 'Though I'm glad you also thought that was a waste of time.'

"Putting that behind, how are you feeling today? Is your throat still sore?"

"Oh," he couldn't keep his hand from feeling his neck, "no, not anymore. It's almost like it never happened, really."

This intrigued her, "And you don't feel strange at all from yesterday?"

He shrugged, "Indifferent at best. I will say though, it's like everything goes blurry, and all I can hear is a voice in my head." 'Damn…I had the feeling I knew you were powerful…but just how powerful are you, Time?' "Though, it's kinda enlightening isn't it? Someone above could simply not want you to say anything and you just…can't do anything about it."

Zelda nodded along, "Absolutely! Really I…" she placed a thoughtful hand over his, "…almost feel sorry it had to happen to you. Though, I can't help but wonder what it would be like for me. Would the voice guide me? How would it affect my powers?" Her eyes veered off, "I know he told me he would if he could, but I do wish there was a way Time could help me with this. I already understand that some things are out of his hands but…what if they weren't, you know?" She read his cautious eyes, "A-As a theory of course. An outlandish thought at best."

A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, "I've wondered the same thing too." He closed his eyes, trying to imagine how it'd happen, "Maybe it'd be a kind of blessing but it functions like a letter of recommendation." He chuckled, "I really don't know."

"That reminds me, he said he wasn't a very nice…you know what." She shrugged, "I don't know, maybe he can feel whenever someone uses the term. I'm trying to be respectful." Back on topic, "I know he was more like himself that morning, but he didn't seem very…mean I suppose. What did he mean by that?"

"I'm not too sure either." 'For starters, I don't think he even noticed you when he came to say goodbye yesterday. Which is…well I think it's insane.' "Though," he recalled what the god was like at the fountain with Mija and with the King, "he can definitely be a little snappy. He's not afraid to make it obvious he didn't like something you said or the way you said it…or that he doesn't like you in general…" He shook his head, "Maybe I'm not the best at explaining it, but I think it becomes clear he's operating on a different set of principles than our own." His hand was squeezed.

"Actually that's a great way of explaining it! How terribly interesting!" Her tone was inquisitive, "Can I ask what either of you did while you were gone?"

Link already knew how Time would answer this, "I don't think I can tell you, Princess." Her hand began to shrink away, "N-Not because I don't want to …or because we did anything bad. Like I said yesterday, their rules apply to us too." He sighed from his nose, "I just don't want to get in trouble…again."

This didn't help her confusion, "But you're not a god, Link. I thought the rule was between the Divine alone. It would make more sense that way anyways."

He thought of an example, "Think about it this way. Say the two of you go on a stroll somewhere and talk about…um…flowers. All you do is talk about flowers. It could've been in broad daylight around other people—I could've saw you—but if I asked you what you talked about or did, you wouldn't be allowed—because of that rule—to tell me. It was his 'affair' with you…or that's my understanding of it." 'Not to mention, at least for me, allegedly we're equals, so technically your logic still stands. It's probably considered the same to some degree.'

"Ah…I understand. How curious." She looked to the guardians down below, "Do you think he'll join us soon? I think I'd say it's mid-morning by now. After what he's previously said, I doubt it's like him to want to sleep in."

"Good question." 'I wonder what he's up to?'

…

Time contended with a cruel headache. An anguished groan croaked into the air as he smushed his forehead farther into his pillow. 'Ugh…this hurts so much…' Everything hurt. His muscles ached at the thought of working to get him to sit up. Yet. Worst of all, his heart practically pulsed in his cheeks! He was red. Red from his forehead to his neck. He managed the strength to limply eye himself in the vanity's mirror. 'Clouds above!' Fingers raced to his face, each contemplating attempting to rub it off! Groaning again, his clouds misted over his head. Their strikes provided little relief as he recounted everything he learned the day before.

'So…I've been missing from the Sacred Realm for twelve eras? How long is that?' Based on his understanding of the word, an era could last any number of years. What did it mean in their terms? 'I'm a sworn protector too? Which not only means I'm in a social circle with Hylia and the Golden Goddesses, but also means I'm probably one of the most powerful and eldest gods to ever exist.' A hand hung over his mouth in disbelief. Thinking about it made his head spin. 'Which also explains why all the goddesses like me so much when it didn't make sense before. We're all ridiculously old friends…'

He rolled onto his side, thinking back to his hall of horns, 'I used to capture demons who wandered into the realm? I apparently couldn't just kill them either, I had to hang them up in a decorative prison where they're trapped for all eternity too! That's…' he considered it, '…honestly just like me.' This brought him to Nayru's story, 'I beat the shit out of DEMISE? Like before he was responsible for The Curse? And that's the only reason I'm able to walk, let alone breathe on these castle grounds?' Jumping out of bed sent a painful pang to his temples, 'OH MY STARS IT'S BENEATH THE CASTLE?!' Time grasped his forehead, the intervals at which he was struck increased.

"Oowww…" His eyes flashed at his clouds, "Strike harder than that!" Maybe the baby lightning strikes were to keep the noise low, but he didn't care if they got a little loud, "Ahh…much better." His gaze went back to the floor, 'What do I do with this information? I'm pretty sure Hylia will strike me back into her Domain before I could mention anything about it…' No, he knew he couldn't tell them. He told her on the plateau he knew his place in these matters. 'At least that feeling of something cowering at me makes more sense. I wish I remembered what all I did. Seems like it might've been a fun fight.'

His mind drifted back to his celebration, 'I'm surprised Hylia had anything to say about "harvesting traitor blood." Not to mention it apparently doesn't last forever either…' Time winced, 'She'd rather have me go suck spiracorn blood? I assume because it'd last longer?' His brows came together, 'What purpose do my red marks serve when I'm not mortal, though? If the blood in them is meant to heal me…what about when I'm a hundred percent me? It wouldn't make much sense then.' He shook his head, continuing onto the other point the Goddess made, 'She wants me to deal with the Yiga the way I "normally" would.' He could feel his headache beginning to fade, "What's my normal?" he murmured. 'It must be something slightly more elaborate than killing them…but how? I'm pretty sure I've caused enough nightmares with how I deal with them in the first place.' He cupped his cheek in his hand, 'Well it must be worse in one way or another. Apparently I have an affinity for it too…seeing as my closer friends outside of my circle could all creatively kill someone.'

His cheeks grew impossibly warmer. He was back to square one as for why he was so red in the first place, 'Damn you Link! And the questionable things I did at that party! Ugh!' He buried his face into his hands, 'I really, really really, can't believe myself sometimes. Why did you have to touch my ear and see thaaaaat? I'm going to literally live forever knowing that you saw the result of my drunk bullshit!' The burning in his ears and cheeks flared, so much to the point it… "Huh?" He expected it to hurt but…instead a cooling sensation crawled across his skin. The heat was dissipating.

He massaged his temples, 'Why is this happening? Why does it seem nearly impossible to feel this way?' The fog descending over his mind and eyes was more numbing than his headache, 'It's like I'm trying to feel something based on a memory…one that's fading farther and farther away.' His eyes blankly veered to the wall, 'Is this for the better…or worse? It already pains me to realize that parts of me are fundamentally changing and I can't seem to do anything about it.' His chest ached as a familiar feeling rose within, it was the same as it was in the desert, 'This is not just a whim. I care about the things that happen here. I'm not blowing off steam like I was a couple days ago.'

Now he lamely chuckled to himself, muttering, "Y'know, I suppose to anyone else, finding out they're a god or goddess is probably invigorating, exciting. What can they do? What are their powers?" A smile curled the corners of his lips. He waved off his clouds from another strike, "Did it ever feel that way to me at one point? Probably not. I was busy trying to hide it all the time. And then I was busy being angry over the fact that I don't have all my memories…which admittedly," his fingers crackled, "is still a little pertinent."

Time breathed a sigh of relief. With his headache gone and his skin clear, he combined his familiars into one poof of vapor and embraced them. He happily smiled, "I appreciate your efforts to help me." They shrank and floated about his face, misting their thanks. 'Honestly, I like it when they're so white and puffy. They're so pretty!'

Listening to his stomach gurgle made his next destination clear. Gasps filled his ears as he pushed open the door to the Dining Hall. He was too sore to care, 'By the stars…my legs and core hurt sooo baaad. My lower back too…' He tried not to recall the…ahem…root cause of these issues. He waved his hand, his eyes glimmering at the food assembling onto his plate. They shined more as they found Godrick and Theo's faces, "Ah, good morning."

This shocked them further.

"Oh c'mon. It's just me." His posture straightened as he recalled the prior morning, "Right…I didn't mean to come off so standoff-ish yesterday. I was…kinda…" he shrugged, there wasn't much of an excuse for his attitude, "well I was hungry."

Theo continued to blink at him while Godrick responded, "I wasn't here, but I'll never pretend I ain't a little hangry sometimes. Mornin's are rough for everyone," he nudged his colleague, "ain't that right, Theo?" The co-captain rolled his eyes at his sustained silence, "Sorry, I guess his mistress bit off his tongue last night."

The god's laughter echoed off the walls, "No worries!" His clouds struck his cheek, "Goodness, my face is starting to hurt from smiling. I've missed your quips."

Godrick bashfully scratched the back of his head, "Aaaaaww! You're too kind!" He took Theo's forearm, "Here, we'll leave you be. Maybe I'll manage to find his tongue elsewhere. See ya!"

Time waved, continuing to eat is food. An ear flicked, 'Why did our conversation make the entire room silent? I didn't smite them, did I?' He rolled his eyes and tried to quickly finish his food. Later, he found himself gazing at the ceiling as he strolled through the halls, 'I suppose I was trying to grow to my actual height or something?' He crossed his arms, 'Weird…I wouldn't fit anyway…' One of his clouds tried to give the impression he might have fit.

He playfully scoffed, "No, you know that can't be true." Now he eyed it, suspicion creasing his lower eyelid, "In fact…you know quite a lot, don't you?" 'If my clouds have been around for as long as I have…then they must know what happened to me! Right?' It appeared to mist with confusion, "But you would, wouldn't you? I doubt I'd make new clouds." Blue electricity briefly connected between them, "Well, I suppose water vapor doesn't last that long, but surely…" He was struck again, "You're only ten thousand years old?" 'Seriously? Well that means you definitely don't know. I'm…way older than that…apparently.' It still felt strange to think, or rather, believe. Another appeared beside him, "I made you yesterday?" A hand went to his hip, his tone dripping with sass, "Really? Right…I don't think I believe you. You know I'd remember that."

Then another zapped his cheek, confirming his suspicions, "See, I knew I didn't!" He steered around a corner, heading to the Princess's Quarters. "Either way, I'm taking it that none of you…well any of you know what happened to me, correct?"

They agreed.

Time frowned, grumbling, "Ugh…of course." A realization struck him, "Then wait, what have you been up to all this time?" He pushed through Zelda's doors, gesturing to the first familiar he spoke to, "What did you spend ten thousand years doing?" He mentally facepalmed, 'Did my clouds just sigh at me? Oh my goodness…'

His hand stopped on the second door handle as he listened to their short explanation. Another frown tugged at his lips, "You did not just sum up ten thousand years into one long 'I don't know!' You just…existed knowing you were mine but had no idea what to do?" One crackled in dismay while he opened the door, "Ah. Good for you, I'm glad you were up to something useful. Still," one flattened above his head to block the sun from his face. His voice was thoughtful, "I don't intend to scold you, but I'll admit it's unfortunate. I was hoping you'd be able to help me."

The deity sighed, gingerly running his fingers through their fluff, "I guess it's beyond your control. Oh well. Behave." He dismissed them, his focus falling to his intrigued friends with a smile, "Good morning! What are we looking a—" blue eyes took in the two guardians under examination by the Sheikah researchers below, "—a-ah…" His ears perked up. No use in giving away his dislike for them in front of the Princess. "How are they coming along?"

Zelda shrugged, gesturing to the one to their left, "Slowly. I mentioned this to Link earlier, but sometimes I feel their techniques lack…direction." Her expression was keen, "I wish I didn't have to be so far removed from their research in particular. As you saw, it's much different at the Citadel."

"I can only imagine what would get done if that weren't the case. It's a shame if you ask me." He gestured to the familiar still shading his face, "In the meantime, I woke up with the worst headache of my entire life." The cloud misted otherwise, making him roll his eyes. "Okay, maybe that's not entirely true. I wasn't talking to you. Either way, after that, what you heard was me wondering if my lovely clouds remembered anything." He smirked at sensing their joy from the compliment, "Lovely as they are, they're not wise."

Link chanced a half smile while the god's clouds struck away at their master. The Princess appeared more cautious at the display.

"Goodness…they don't seem too happy to hear that," she muttered, folding her hands.

Time snickered, "They'll take my teasing whether they like it or not. Though, they're bothered because they wish it were otherwise. I appreciate their want to be helpful nevertheless." He waved the cloud away, wincing at the late-morning sun.

A thought brightened Zelda's eyes, "That reminds me. Yesterday, Robbie brought up these guardians aiming at the citadel and then some golden wolf and black rider duo crossing through all at the same time." Her hands returned to the railing as she sighed, "I was simply curious if you happened to know anything about it. We dove through nearly the entire library on the premise of some wolf god and archeress."

'Why the hell is this happening right now?!' The same fog crept into his head. A wave of apathy washed over him, his tone shifting into one of disinterest. "I'm not exactly the best person to ask, no? I understand where you're coming from, but if I'm to be treated as a divine encyclopedia, you best remember nearly all the pages are missing."

The Princess raised her hands, "Right…sorry." Yet she continued, her fascination showing in her voice, "Actually, before all that, something strange happened with Link. All the sudden he couldn't speak and then a different voice made him speak!" She nodded along to her words, "It said something along the lines of the 'Laws of the Sacred Realm.' I know you don't remember nor know everything, but isn't that interesting? I'd never heard of it before!" Her tone was assured, "And believe me, my religious studies have known no end since I was a child."

By now the fog cleared enough for his prior coldness to subside. He crossed his arms, a smile daring to appear as he looked to Link. "Very interesting indeed." He nudged the knight, "Looks like someone was trying to say something someone else didn't like, hm? Though really," he looked back to Zelda, "I'm surprised to hear that happened." A hand went to his hip as he contemplated how he should answer her question, 'To be fair…do I really even know the laws? I was kinda just saying that to spook them yesterday…and then I ended up telling on myself. Ugh…'

He cleared this throat, "As for laws…whoever was saying it through Link was probably talking about not meddling in affairs, and through their divine power or right, they'll ensure it doesn't happen." A finger rose to his chin, "I suppose it's a little abstract then, isn't it? With that said, there are definitely real laws—that's certainly one of them—but yeah I…I haven't exactly been…so…I wouldn't know." 'But from what I've gathered, it seems everything is structured around us not offending each other, or rather making sure the proper respect is shown. There is the "hierarchy" and whatever extent it extends to, but I dunno. Everything seems like common sense. Don't do things that'll piss someone off. Mind your manners and whatnot.'

"Ah I see!" Her hand swiftly reached for her waist only to come back empty. She chuckled, waving away her slip up, "Well, I suppose I can record your response later."

"Oh yeah, I'm curious. What all is planned today? Aren't the Champions coming?"

"Oh, yes! Yes, they are!"

He tried to pay attention to her itinerary, but out of the corner of his eye…

"This morning I thought I'd—"

His head snapped to the researchers below, a death glare putting a chill in the air. He blinked a split second afterward, recollecting his composure, "S-Sorry, I…please continue."

Zelda glanced below too, so did Link. She shrugged, "No worries! Anyways, I have a meeting planned and—"

Again. His eyes shot daggers into a researcher with short hair. A prickly, threatening energy seeped from him.

Link caught on, grabbing his forearm, "Time wait. What are y—"

The god's voice warped, "I'll be back." The passing seconds ticked slower as he hopped over the railing and zipped behind the "Sheikah" in question. Grabbing them by the neck, they warped down into the prison beneath the castle. His fierce markings burned onto his face as his silver light lit a portion of damp lock-up. Frightened and desperate hands clawed at his grip as he slammed them against the wall.

"Pl-please!" He begged, flailing his legs in an attempt to kick off his attacker. He choked on the thick, moist air, coughing up flecks of blood, "It's…" he gasped, "it's not what you think!"

"Aaww~…" Fierce Deity cooed, condescendingly clicking his tongue and lifting him farther off the ground, "But it is exactly as I think, little traitor." His eyes flared with a low rumble, "Hold still.~" Feeling blood rushing beneath his fingers induced a drool. Using his will, the faux researcher continued to hang before him. The god clawed off the fabric shielding his torso and cracked open the traitor's ribcage with his bare hands, tearing through skin like paper. An ear-splitting shriek harmonized with his sadistic laughter echoing through the stone halls. Crimson poured onto the floor. Curious, he tasted a finger, spitting it back in his face with dismay.

The Yiga in disguise began to convulse, his dull eyes fluttering while blood gurgled from his mouth and nose.

Meanwhile he poked and prodded at his pulsing heart, only he managed to nick it and send blood spraying onto his face. Still he smiled, his marks glowing brighter, "Now for your soul." He ripped out the spurting heart and tore it to shreds. A small, pale-yellow soul wisped into view. An eager fist squeezed around it, 'Mine.' He let the corpse fall to the ground with a wet smack, disregarding the bout of frightened whimpers from the nearby prisoners. Satisfied, he felt he made good on his promise.

Clouds gathered next to the Princess's knight, taking the form of the fierce god. White puffs faded from his gaze to reveal a very startled pair of faces… 'Mm…well they look a little terrified.'

Zelda's eyes flicked between his face and hands as she took a step back, "Wh-What just happened? Why are you dripping blood?"

A demented smirk slowly unraveled across his face. 'That's right, I did want to show the little soul to my companion… ' But he caught himself, his silver aura vanishing with his ethereal influence. Blue irises blinked back into view. He was straightforward, "Ahem, I'll not have traitors gaining insight on your guardians, Princess." The blood on his face and fingers turned cool from the breeze, "Though I uh…kinda couldn't help myself either." He bashfully smiled, "It's beyond me why they thought it was a good idea to stand out in the open like that."

Her pupils narrowed into pins at notion the Yiga could be spying within their labs and research groups. She wore her disturbed realization in her expression, "Oh…th-thank you for that." She glanced between them, sounding frazzled, "I…I'm going to call a brief meeting with…with…" Zelda shook her head, annoyed, "I'll be back soon!" She briskly walked to her door and yanked it open, muttering under her breath.

Slam!

Their eyes slowly met. Time pointed a thumb in her direction, "Are you sure you don't wanna…?"

Link quickly nodded, "No yeah, I'm—I'll…I'll see you in a bit."

He eyeballed his hands after hearing the door shut, watching the blood turn to dust rather than get absorbed.

…

When the knight had time, he warped them to an open plain in the Faron Region…well, as open as grass up to the waist allows. The day was bright, and the sun brighter. Forest air was nothing compared to the breeze in the heavens, but it offered a distinct sweetness he nevertheless enjoyed.

Link grabbed a tuft from the top, "Geez, I can only imagine what some horses and cows could do for this place! Makes me glad I'm pretty much covered from the neck down too."

"Really?" Time asked. This got him a look of surprise.

He crossed his arms, "Grass has never made your arms or legs itch?"

"No?" 'Not that I can remember anyways…not even when I was "younger" so to speak. Maybe Kokiri Woods just had softer grass or something?' "Anyways, what happened after both of you left?"

Judging by the length of his sigh, this was going to be a long story. "Sooo, Zelda called a meeting with Purah and basically started with, 'Time just found a Yiga disguised as one of the researchers. How much of our progress could be compromised?' She then asks if she somehow knew or if there was a way to tell." His eyes veered straight to the ground, "Well, Purah wasn't exactly thrilled to hear this. Then she mentioned lining everyone up and having you discern who was Yiga or not and that she'd be losing staff either way."

"Ooohh," It takes some nerve to sass the Princess, "yikes…"

Link bobbed his head up and down, "That's what I thought! Anyways, they both realized that wasn't the nicest way to approach each other, they apologize, and Purah says she's gonna keep an eye on some of the newer recruits." A hand hung off his hip, "Apparently the King isn't too fond of their research at the moment and wants them to put their energy into something else. …Everyone is stressed out."

"And then Zelda told you to give her some space," Time recalled. This was before they left.

"Yes," he held up a finger, adding, "but she said it was for no particular reason."

"Right. We'll go with that." He found his nonchalance about the whole ordeal funny enough to laugh.

"Hey speaking of which, what did you do to the 'researcher?'" He made the quotation marks with his fingers, "I thought I heard something about the prisoners crying while I was trying to find you."

He told him the short version, "I killed him. Yes, down in the prison. But that's it."

"Time." Link knew damn well that wasn't the whole story.

"Fine. I ripped his clothes off, ripped his chest open, and ripped his heart out." He couldn't help his smile as he leaned in closer and opened up his palm, like showing him a pretty seashell, "I've got his soul now, see?"

"Dear Hylia…" His eyes widened, "Just how powerful are you? First you just," he made a motion with his hand similar to how he disappeared into thin air, "and then you're able to talk to me through my head, and then you just will me to not be able to speak about certain topics, and NOW you can take people's SOULS?"

"So," he pressed his hands together, pointing them in the knight's direction, "you make a lot of great points. Now, what if I told you that I'm probably one of the oldest gods um…ever." He spoke in a frank, I-can't-believe-this-either kind of way, "I'm so old I think my mortal mind—and this is weird for me to say out loud by the way—can't comprehend how old I am." Time slowly raised his hands out to his sides, "As for how powerful I am: maybe it matches my age, maybe it doesn't. I," he motioned to his head, "don't remember either way."

Link mouthed in awe, "Dear Hylia…" Then he looked down at the pair of hands sitting below his chin, "Pfft, what are you doing?"

"Your jaw looked loose enough to fall off your face!" He laughed at getting shoved.

The knight wasn't done with his questions, "So, how did you get a hold of the star you gave me?"

"Easy! The celebration was close to the stars so at one point, I just reached up and grabbed one." He had Farore assist him in coming down from doing so, but still.

"Speaking of which…"

'Is that a shit-eating smirk?' "Link I don't want to hear it!" They both laughed, "I know you can't tell, but I am so sore. My core is on fire, my thighs want to kill me—"

"Okay okay! I won't tease you!" His head shook, "Anyways, you were very adamant about me trying out one of your arrows yesterday. I assume we're still doing that?"

"Yep! And as far away from the castle as possible, obviously." He breathed a sigh, taking in the sounds of the surrounding forest, "It's so peaceful out here since I killed all those monsters. Maybe Farosh might visit again."

"Really?" Link readied one of the blessed arrows, his pupils twinkling at their glow, "Gosh, these are still so pretty…do I really have to shoot it? Can't we just stare at them for a while?"

He heartily pat him on the shoulder, snickering, "No silly! Feel the power I've bestowed unto you dammit! Wield it with pride!"

"Alright, alright…" His companion aimed around the small field, "So, what would happen if I hit that tree, or like a rock or mountain?"

"Goodness, a tree or rock? Whatever did they do to you?" He waved off his playful words, "In short, obliterate them beyond any recognizable means. A mountain? It would be irreparably damaged, though not split in half like the Dueling Peaks. I'm not going to be responsible for breaking something that big."

"Fair. What would happen if I shot a big monster, like a lynel or hinox?"

Imagining it made him grin like the devil, "Instant, delicious death, my sweet." He laughed as Link turned on him, aiming right at his torso.

"Dun dun dun! What if I shoot it at you?"

He laughed more, "Link I can't be hurt by an arrow I made that no less contains my powers. Nothing would happen!" He pinched the tip of it between his fingers and wiggled it around, "I probably wouldn't even feel it haha!"

"Ha! Glad to know I can't accidentally misfire and nearly kill you. I'd feel terrible!" He pointed it elsewhere, "Do I have any rules?"

"Don't shoot something high please. It would ruin the point of trying to be discreet." 'This is going to be huge regardless of what you hit.'

"Hmm…I'm really not coming up with anything. I there something out here giving you some bad feeling?"

"Pshh, you'd hope not." He pointed to an old stump in the middle of the field, "How about the poor stump? It's seen better days after all."

"Fair enough." Silence filled the air as they watched the arrow faithfully fly toward the decrepit bark.

BOOOM!

A thick, blue and purple band of lightning slammed into the ground! Time pressed a hand against the knight's back just in time to keep him from flying backwards as the intense shockwave rushed past them, disturbing the surrounding area with a powerful quake. 'Haha! The blast made him flinch!' When the flying grass and dust cleared, he found Link beaming with an almost chaotic glow in the depths of his pupils. He smushed him into a side hug, "Amazing isn't it?!" 'Yes! I knew you'd like it!'

"Can I do it aga—"

"Okay whoa there!" He had to grin at his eagerness, "You've only got four shots left! Save it for something important!"

Link chuckled, "Yeah yeah, I was joking." He put up the other arrow, "But yes! That was awesome!" He nudged him with a knowing smirk, "I guess that says something about how powerful you are too huh? Also that could totally split a mountain in half, are you kidding me!?"

He ruffled his hair, "Well don't go trying dammit! " Time checked the sun, "Hm, it's twelve o' nine, think it's time to head back?" 'You're scowling?'

The knight scoffed, "Seriously? It hasn't been thirty minutes! Besides, the meeting doesn't start until late afternoon anyways. And," he slung his bow on his back and pulled out the Master Sword, "I think I've got this spin attack down pat."

"Oh yeah? Let's see it then." He watched him walk out into the tall grass.

Shing!

He performed it perfectly.

"Oh shit, yes you do." The god clapped as he walked closer, "What the hell!? That was incredible! You're not even sweating!" His brow suspiciously rose, "So what happened?"

"Oh shut up!" he playfully pushed his shoulder, "I figured out the trick! I was thinking about it yesterday in my free time and I just—I got it!" He put a hand on his hip, "Now, to be honest, I was struggling per usual and then I wondered, 'What if we're in the height of battle and I die?' You should've seen how fast that sparkle-thing went to the edge of my sword!"

Now both of his eyebrows raised in surprise, "That's um…great Link but… lease don't ponder death. Is that really—"

"Okay look, it's not exactly about me dying. I mean more like, all these people are counting on me so…" He puffed a sigh, "It's like putting the extra weight on my shoulders into something. My purpose if you will."

"Aaawww!" This made his heart beam with pride, "You're going to make a great hero.~"

He cheesed a grin, "I'm glad you believe in me."

"Okay! Now one more ti—" His ears perked at an all-too-familiar voice giggling in the wind. "—Actually…" 'You're kidding me right now.' "…one second. I'll be right back." He pinched his cheek, "You just stay here, okay?"

Link preemptively looked around, shrugging, "Okay. Just don't take too long."

The deity zipped away, finding himself walking toward a large maple tree. 'I knew it!' Sitting on one of the higher branches was Hylia herself. She pet an aqua-colored snake who coiled in her lap.

The Goddess looked up with a pleasant smile, letting the snake mount her shoulders before she stepped off the branch. She gradually descended as she strolled toward him, lightly kissing his cheek, "Hello, my love.~"

He couldn't hide his questioning demeanor after kissing her back, "My twinkling star, what are you doing here? I'd like to think the both of you aren't spying on me, correct?" As if he didn't notice the snake possessed a golden flicking tongue.

The snake morphed into Nayru, who pensively bit her lip. She knew she'd been caught by the sorry look in her eyes. Hylia was far better at saving face. "Aww of course not! We were talking about the party from yesterday!"

"Really?" He put his hands on hips, his head cocking to one side. Every fiber of his being knew otherwise. 'You're either spying or—'

"Okay fine," The wise goddess huffed. "Hylia took me here because" she began to bounce on her toes, looking around the plain, "I wanted to sneak a peek at your little companion!" Her lashes fluttered as she fanned her face, "You entrusted him with arrows more powerful than any weapon or magic known to man?" She sang, "That's adorable!~" Both goddesses' eyes flit to the right at the same time.

'Oh shit.' He could sense the knight's gaze too. 'LINK! It hasn't even been that long! What are you doing?'

"Splendid, I think he's looking this way." She started to wave her arms, hopping up and down, "Hey! Hey Link! Over here!"

"What the—that's my name!" Lightning whizzed off his ears, "They're not the same!" He tried to grab her, gripping water instead as she reappeared a step away from him, "Quit that! Don't call him over here!"

Even Hylia leaned one way, a curious yet hopeful gleam in her eye.

He clawed at the air with a growl, 'Hylia you kill me!' Yes. This was her fault. 'You know damn well I told you to leave him alone, so you go and get Nayru in on this too so it's not YOU explicitly disobeying me!' It was admittedly so clever yet irrationally bold that it was beyond aggravating.

"Time?" Link called, his voice faint and puzzled. He was maybe fifty yards away, "I think I'm hearing voices! Can you hear them too? Where did you go?"

"Yes this way! Come here!" Nayru called back, jumping and waving more.

"NAYRU!" He hissed, "You'll all get to meet him later!" The mere thought of the bullshit that could come from their antics made his head ache. Not keen on the wise goddess getting her way, he sped over to his knight, spun him back in the opposite direction, and ushered him along.

"Ah, there you are." Of course Link didn't immediately question his actions. "I thought I heard voices. Am I going crazy?"

"I know I'm about to go crazy. Let's go back to the castle." His tone matched his brisk pace.

He planted his feet into the ground, "We just went over this! We've still got an hour and a half tops! Hell, you literally teleported us here!" He crossed his arms, "It's not going to take hours to get back to the castle, Time." Now he tried to look over his shoulder, "Did something happen over there? What's wrong?"

"Yes, and I'll tell you when we get back." 'I don't know why I'm bothering with walking in the first place. I should've just warped as soon as—'

"Who's that?"

His silver aura exploded out of him, "NAYRU!" He warped in front of Link, shielding them from her wall of water falling on top of them. "Are you fucking serious right now!?" He fumed, his native tongue warping at the sheer nerve, the gall she possessed to do something as outrageous as this.

Her smirk was smug as she valiantly summoned her golden rapier, "Oh ho, you don't think I'll spar you over this?" She took her stance, her blue aura lashing out as well, "Think again, silver star.~"

What was left of his memory told him it'd been a long time since they fought. Yes, in the literal sense, but he didn't get the idea they fought much in the past in general. His black sword materialized into his hands. He was quick to temper it with lightning.

They met each other in the middle with a clang! The goddess left herself open as she reared back a deadly jab. He dodged the blade aimed for his face and grabbed the fabric beneath the neckline of her dress, throwing her across the plain. He hurled javelins of electricity after her.

She flew into a tree, cracking it in half. Getting back to her feet, she tore her clothes off, "Ugh! I knew I hated fighting in that dress." A wicked smile spread from cheek to cheek as she held her hand out to catch his next attack. She snickered, "Did you forget I can conduct you?"

…Maybe it wasn't best to keep his distance from her.

Nayru ominously rose into the air, blue and purple sparks harmlessly dancing over her skin, "Try something else." With a wave of her hand, she sent powerful, electrified geysers in his direction, switching from her rapier to her spear.

"Will do." He leaped into the air, imbuing his sword with ice, 'I doubt she forgot I'm entirely immune to lightning.' Stabbing the geysers froze them into pillars. He ran along them as they fell, dodging her raining spears. Catching an opening, he threw himself at her with the intent of tackling her out of the air. He bit his tongue as he was caught by the neck and thrown to the ground. 'Dammit, that was stupid!' Then he caught her attempt to spear him, making a bewildered expression, "Nayru what?" He ripped it out of her hands and tossed it away. 'Even I know you know better than to try that. It never works!'

"Shut up!" She kicked his sword across the field.

They switched to hand-to-hand combat, skillfully dodging each other's swings and kicks. In one moment, he ducked away from a swift punch. In another, her foot came swinging at his face quicker than the speed of sound. He could imagine himself making a hole in the adjacent rock face had it not connected with the palm of his hand. They locked eyes.

"Fuck!" She hissed.

He threw her into the air, recalling his black sword into his hand. 'Fuck…this…stupid body…' Dodging her fists and feet left him exhausted. Fierce Deity launched himself after her, grabbing her face, 'I'm so…tired…' The sword shined bright with ice as he stabbed it through her neck, freezing her solid. He stopped their fall, floating in midair as he finally panted. "Hah…hah…I win."

He dismissed his sword, throwing his arms over her shoulders. He wasn't even angry anymore; his voice lost its warp as quickly as he attained it, especially once it became obvious she didn't intend to genuinely hurt him. The same went for himself considering he didn't feel the need to summon his armor. He could never truly intend her any harm. "Do I need to unfreeze you?" He did so anyway, kissing her, "Hmph, not your wisest whim, was it?~"

"Tsk, who's to say?" She willed away his clothes to reveal his chest, moodily running her hands along his waist. Her gaze was disrespectfully thoughtful, "Besides, I can tell you're about to pass out, Fierce One. You might reconsider who the true victor is."

He scoffed, "Please, you're not stupid enough to continue this nonsense." He sweetly leaned his forehead against hers, "Why push so hard against my wishes?"

The wise goddess stole another kiss before staring into his eyes with a defeated sigh, "I'm too impatient for all this Hylian-ness surrounding your companion, I think."

His tone was soft, "I think you're forgetting to consider the future, sweet Nayru."

"I think it doesn't matter." She took a breath, finding her composure. Her eyes were wistful, apologetic, "Don't misunderstand, silver star. I can't foresee the future, but all I'm saying is I sense the opportunity beginning to slip." Then she whispered in his ear, "But who knows? I might catch you in a more agreeable mood later.~"

The fierce god pecked the edge of her jaw, "Try me.~" He caught her arm as she began to move away, "But give my energy back first."

Her eyes shimmered, "Gladly." A blue sparkle formed at the tip of her finger.

"What are you—" His brow rose at her shoving it into his mouth mid-sentence. Then she warped away with a splash—literally. The front of him was soaking wet. He wasn't any drier after his clothes returned either. He descended toward his companion, his divine influence vanishing as he kissed his cheek. His nose wrinkled at the taste of salt, "Haha ew, your cheek is all sweaty."

Link puffed, "Is that seriously all you have to say after that!? What did I just witness!?"

"Oh right, sorry about that." He tried to keep it simple, "She was someone from my circle. In fact, believe it or not, she was actually wanting to meet you." He pointed over his shoulder to the maple tree, "That's who I ran into over there, she was calling for you to come over."

"Really?" He made a face, "All of that was technically over me?" The knight rolled his eyes, "Why didn't you just let her m—"

"Because I said no. And no means no." He could feel his energy returning. "Besides, I already explained this to you. Our version of meeting someone is more than just shaking hands."

Mentioning it made him throw up his hands, "Okay fair! I get it. I don't think I want to know."

"Good."

One hand lowered to his hip as he thought out loud, "She's from your circle, huh? At least that explains how you went from throwing her into a tree and stabbing her in the neck to kissing her." A slight hint of concern tried to hide in his eyes as he chuckled, "Damn Time!"

"What the!? None of that even hurt her! She's indestructible!" Time hastily snatched his hand, "C'mon. Let's go back."

Note:

Oh my goodness! When was the last time I posted!?

Well, that goes to say, I've been very busy. Adulting sucks lmao XD. Having a job and other hobbies has definitely killed the time I used to spend writing. Though, who knows, that might change somewhat soon. I still intend to finish this after all! Promise! I will!

Either way, hope you all enjoy the chapter! I enjoyed writing the first section. Fierce Deity is so disrespectful XD