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Language:
English
Series:
Part 5 of A Chain Reaction
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Published:
2024-03-19
Words:
923
Chapters:
1/1
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8
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100
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The Moon on High

Summary:

After a long hard month Time has a nightmare fortunately Warriors and Twilight are there to help him.

Notes:

Wolfie is called Twilight because Time knows Wolfie is Twilight but he is in wolf form for this.

Work Text:

It had been quite a long month of traveling and dealing with monsters in Wild’s Hyrule and others. Towards the start of the month, while they had been in Wild’s Hyrule there had been a Blood Moon. Time had somehow sensed it, as had Twilight, though of the two Time was the one who seemed more sensitive to the moon. He knew why. Time could have told them why if they had asked. Some of the monsters they fought he thought he recognized from that adventure, the monsters and the moon both brought memories back that Time thought he had laid to rest.

Even so when Time managed to fall asleep that night, something that seldom happened on nights of a full moon while away from home, the red moon overhead brought back too many dark memories, it flickered changing between the bloody light and pale white. With the white came flashes of a grotesque smile and the rumble of something horrible happening, both filled his vision. The fear that both events sparked spurred him on as he ran, in the distance he saw his family. The boys were fighting to protect someone, several someones, and they were losing. Time’s heart leapt to his throat as he watched them fall one by one while he ran as though through the thick muck of a swamp.

All at once the moon crashed down, flames seared out from it. Time smothered a yelp as he tried to focus on the fire in front of him, a small campfire not the great searing flames from his dream. There were others around, breathing softly as they slept. For a long moment Time tried to focus on that to chase away the lingering remnant of his dream. It was no use though, the vision of the moon high above, tainted and cursed, filled his mind with a sickening dread to the point where he was afraid to even glance up and see that it was normal. In response his throat felt tight, shuddering breaths panting out as he slowly sat up.

The movement felt exhausting, almost oddly so but it was familiar to him, and finally he curled up on his bedroll with his arms resting on his knees and his forehead lightly touching them. Hearing movement nearby sent a surge of panic through him but the gentle wet touch of a nose to his arm jolted him from his memory a little. Time looked down at the grey and white wolf and reached a shaking hand out to run through the thick fur, opening his mouth to say something before closing it again.

'I'll be okay.' He signed slowly, the movements shaky. 'Everyone safe?'

Seeing his companion roll his eyes at that nearly caused him to smile but the mirth faded as quickly as it appeared. Abruptly he felt himself shoved onto his back with the heavy warm weight settling on top of him. A wet nose pressing to his cheek then to his neck before settling there for a moment.

'Twilight' He signed, moving his hands up where the wolf would be able to see them, his hands were steadier now. He felt a puff of air as Twilight huffed at him. Twilight shifted to try to pin his arm and tucked his head under Time's chin where the soft fur was a comforting warmth.

"Go back to sleep."

Time almost jumped, he had forgotten that someone else should be up instead of Twilight, and turned his head towards the fire. Seeing that it was Warriors he frowned then shook his head. If anyone would know about dreams that wouldn’t permit more sleep it would be the Captain.

"Time, if you don't go back to sleep-"

Time opened his mouth intending to say something, to explain or even just say he couldn’t sleep. Somehow the words ended up lumping together and catching in his throat. The more he tried the harder it became to find them to explain at all. At last he sighed and nudged Twilight a little so he had both hands free to sign.

'Can't.' Time signed after trying to say the word. Twilight was watching Warriors, that was obvious when Warriors made a gesture and Twilight moved to lay across his legs instead of pinning him down. Carefully, as though he wasn’t sure he was allowed to, Time sat up again, his hands running through Twilight’s fur.

"It was a nightmare."

'Also memory. Bad. Can't sleep.' The words were harder to find and put together properly as the remembered pain and fear came back. Time closed his eye and breathed out harshly. When something wet pressed to his cheek Time jumped a little, eye opening startled. Twilight was looking at him concerned from far too close.

"You're crying." Warriors murmured gently, sitting next to him. His hand gently ran through Time’s hair as he settled there, the soft touch helping to ground him to the present.

Time brought his hand up to his face and found it wet. Twilight seemed to take that as permission and pressed his head against Time's shoulder. With a soft sigh, relieved that he wasn’t actually alone this time, Time wrapped his arms around the wolf, curling around him. Warriors wrapped his scarf around Time's shoulders then hugged both him and Twilight while running his fingers through Time’s hair to help soothe him. The tears came quickly now yet silently, witnessed only by his brothers as they let him find what comfort in their presence he could.

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