Linked AU One-Shots

24. Portal Chasers

Prompt: Crossover

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

When the group was greeted with another portal, one with a purple outline and dark swirling colors, they thought nothing of it. It looked exactly like any other portal they had seen before. And so, using their usual formation, they went through. 

The sight they were greeted with was nothing short of horrendous. It was an ancient settlement made of nothing but crumbling cobblestone and vines. Fires spread everywhere, but oddly they didn't seem to actually be burning anything. To complete the scene were craters littered everywhere, and the scent of what seemed like rotting, burning flesh. 

"Where is this?" Four asked. They each turned to each other, everyone confirming that this place was unfamiliar to all of them. 

"Great... Yippie, double digits. Are we really getting yet another member?' Legend grumbled to himself. 

"No, not quite." a voice said behind them. Each one of them whirled around, each one drawing their weapon and pulling up a shield. Who stood there in front of them was certainly not hylian, that's for sure. They floated in the air, carried by the three pairs of wings on their back. Their face was obscured by not only one more pair of wings covering their eyes, but a white mask as well, bearing some kind of broken square-like shape. Their purple satin robes and bare feet gave them a look of some kind of deity. "Tell me, why is it that you transverse through so many portals? To trust in the power that created them? That you've decided that your life's mission would to be to follow where they lead?"

"Who are you?" Legend asked in a low growl as he clutched his sword tighter. "Where is this place?"

The person's lips curled into a slight smirk. "Me? Ah... You wouldn't have heard of me, would you? If you did, perhaps you would be bowing, or spitting curses. Most have, but you nine certainly never would have." 

The Heroes all glanced each other, not sure what to make of this. Time swallowed. "Are you a friend? Or a foe?" He asked cautiously. 

The person that made a sound similar to a laugh. It was hard to read their expression with their eyes covered, but they were smiling in some form. Perhaps it was just due to circumstance, but it seemed rather dubious. "I was created to be the essence of perfect. But perfection, ... eh.If perfection is good, then I am rather wicked. But I offer another solution: I propose that perfection itself is twisted. Make of that what you'd like." 

"What?" Twilight whispered to the others. These answers were making his head spin. Couldn't it just be a yes or a no? 

But there was one in the group who was familiar with more than a few rhymes and riddles. "You are a rebel, then?" He asked. That perhaps didn't answer the question, but it was... something, at least.

The person hummed in agreement. "Certainly something like that." They flew towards the group of heroes, flying just out of their reach. "You ought to put those swords away. They will serve no use against creatures like me."

Time hesitated before putting his sword away. The rest of the group hesitated before they followed his lead. 

"Now you must be wondering why I brought you here." They continued. "I used to be much like you, you see. I too followed the portals. I spent day and night following them, searching for clues to the next one. I thought that after I went through them enough times, I would get my heart's desire. Is that not true for you, Heroes?"

They waited for a response, but no one spoke. That was enough of a response. They clasped their hands behind their back as they flew so their face would be mere centimeters away from Hyrule's. The hylian startled as they tried to move back. It failed, since they only flew closer. "My, that is something of a tunic, isn't it, Hero of Hyrule?"

"It's... just a plain green one.." He hummed as he continued trying to move back. The person kept following them until he finished his response. Then, they moved, doing the same to Legend. 

"Stop that!" he scolded, trying more frantically to get personal space. It still didn't work. 'And that's quite a cap." Then they flew back up. "I had a tunic like that before, and I had a hat just like that too... only it was green..." They hummed, moving their blond hair out of their face. 

"Wait... Are you trying to say that you're--?" Time interpreted. 

"Don't remember." They only shrugged. "All I remember is this." They gestured to the hellish landscape. "This was my home you see, when I was merely human. I was a lot like you all, not in your heroism, but I too believed that I was destined to save. Save myself, save my friends. The gods would be my guide! No matter who was behind the lock of our cages! The Watchers would help save us all!" They laughed and laughed, tears beginning to stream down their face. "Never once did I question their power, or that there would have to be two very similar forces for their tale to be true."

"What.. why are you telling us this?" Time asked. If they were anything like the Kokiri, there was always a reason for every word. 

"Watchers get bored you see. We watch and watch, centuries fly us right by. We can see all, but... Soon even war and bloodshed gets old. And so they came up with an idea: to make their own fun. See how much they can get dotted on by those that they play with. I was a fool, I played their games. And what prize did I win?" They held their head back and laughed all the more as the tears streamed down their face. "There were ten of us. Now there is one, and he's -- I'm-- not even human, anymore." 

Hyrule felt his face pale. "Are you saying that we're --" He bit his lip. "That that's going to happen to us?"

"Maybe, maybe not. If they get bored of their playthings. But I've watched you this entire time... You remind me so much of them. Usually I can look away, turn off my heart to their games. But not this time. I went to the palace, blew it sky high. They are scrambling, I can see it now. There will be consequences if they ever do find me... I must flee... but I could not bear to sit idly and watch this time." He lifted his hands, which now glowed purple. He made a circular motion, and at once nine different portals appeared. "I cannot stay here any longer. This is your final portal; whichever calls to you is your homeland. Take it and never look back, never play the part of the toy, the player again. Never heed the call of the Watchers again." 

And before they could respond, the Watcher was gone as though he were merely a dream. 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

This was a crossover with Evolution SMP. The Watcher was Xelqua (Grian), who happened to wear a Link skin for the series. Also there are similar creepy portals in both that look quite similar, so uh... it seems to fit, lol.