A Soft and Sealed Fate

A/N: This is my first creative writing attempt, so I apologize if it’s poor in quality. It’s also been a while since I played BotW so I also apologize for any mischaracterization. And I further apologize for potential poor formatting. Either way, constructive criticism is always welcome. This story is based on this fantastic art piece by Auroracuno (https://www.furaffinity.net/view/57058968/). I want to write more stories about his characters like the latex snake Blackjack and the mischievous Rayquaza plush (perhaps in the same story), but that will be for another day.

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“I’ll be quite fine, little knight.”

Revali attempted to assuage his comrade’s concerns as he took off to the skies. He was a capable Rito and had done these patrols many times since he was a fledgling. In fact, he hadn’t even told Link where he was going, only that he would be on time for supper. Besides, Revali had seldom seen anything on these outings as far as he could remember.

The biggest threat to me out here is boredom from repetitive circling. It’s so dull! I would do anything for a smidge of excitement, Revali thought to himself. As he sailed to his destination, he debated if he should bully some unsuspecting mobs for entertainment.

“Maybe not. It’s already late afternoon, and I can’t miss Link’s amazing cooking, so let’s just get this over with” he grumbled quietly, continuing onwards. He hated giving the hero compliments, even privately.

Once he was far enough away from the Rito Village, Revali started his monotonous circle pattern. Soon afterwards, the scenery beneath him blurred, and he began to drift off. As he sleepily glided over the rolling fields of Hyrule, something odd in the distance caught his eye and jolted him awake. He was too far away to get a decent view, but he could tell it was red and had an irregular shape to it. Diving in for a better glimpse, the object’s form became more well defined.

It wasn’t just red, but also had jagged lines of black running up along its body from the head, down the mouth, across the chest, all the way to its surprisingly large tail. It had two wing-like appendages adorned with claws relaxed at its sides, and gray nails decorated the tips of its red talons. The tail’s end had the same claw structure as the wings and was curled up slightly. An inky black covered behind the wings and tail with spots of gray, and it had a gray mane around its neck and shoulders. Two dark horns crowned its head, and it had the most piercing sky blue eyes Revali had ever seen. It put the Hylian’s cobalt ones to shame. Although it didn’t have an actual beak, its mouth still looked beak-like in shape. It appeared to be sitting from its posture. If Revali didn’t know any better, he would say this thing was a bird. Or at least an attempt at one.

“What an unsightly thing you are…” Revali scowled. The creature looked as if someone tried designing a Rito and made a monster instead. He pulled out his bow and prepared an arrow, but right before he released it, he stopped. Something was off.

Shouldn’t this thing be attacking me?

Normally an enemy would’ve thrown an axe or club at him before he even landed. But the animal remained motionless, the eyes only staring off into the distance. It was so eerily still, Revali wasn’t sure if the creature was actually breathing. Cautiously with slow steps and his bow at his side, he approached it. Although the bird wasn’t physically looking at him, Revali felt as if somehow he was the object of its vibrant, azure gaze. Absentmindedly he reached out his wing to touch its flowing mane, but right before it could graze the soft fur, he pulled back sharply.

Something about this really wasn’t right…

Revali leaned in as close as he could without touching the avian monster and squinted at its chest, focusing on the zigzag black stripes across the red torso. Its skin didn’t look like normal skin. In fact, it looked rather velvety and similar to the fabric of his scarf. As his gaze wandered up the creature’s neck, he did a double take when he saw a shiny metallic strip with a jagged pattern where its mouth should be. A glinting ray of sun alerted him to what looked like a little silver pull tab on the right side of the strip.

Wait, is that a zipper?! But that could only mean—

Revali stepped back in bewilderment as he dropped his bow.

Is this thing a toy?

He almost disregarded the notion because it was so ludicrous. Surely it couldn’t be, he mused. Who would leave a toy like this in the middle of nowhere?

The Rito rubbed his eyes and looked intently at the large monster before him again. As his vision came into focus, he observed faint lines sewn into what he once thought was flesh. Now there was no denying it: the lifeless body, the zipper mouth, the fabric skin, the careful stitching… Even the commanding eyes seemed to be synthetic orbs. This terrifying beast was nothing more than a plushie. It was a toy, a plaything.

Revali mentally smacked himself for being so asinine. He couldn’t believe he thought this big softie was a hostile enemy. He wryly laughed at his own idiocy and for being deceived by the plush’s intimidating appearance. But he had to admit it looked pretty convincing.

Revali tilted his head to the side with a smug grin. “Well, now that I know what you are, maybe I should take a nap. You seem to be as good a resting spot as any,” he said to the plush.

Ha! As if it could hear me.

“And of course, you wouldn’t dare challenge a Champion such as myself. Not much you can do anyway with wings like that,” Revali mocked the plushie as he stepped closer.

“Now be a good pillow and lie down, little bird,” Revali teased as he jumped onto the tail and put his wing firmly on the toy’s torso, staring directly into its crystal glare as a final challenge.

And then it happened.

Unbeknownst to Revali, the plush toy’s eyes flashed to life. An ecstatic pleasure filled his body as he twitched his limbs. It had been so long since he could move or even think. It had been agonizing to remain in that pathetic sitting position day after day after day, unable to react to anything around him, unable to be alive. But now, all that was over.

He was free. Yveltal was finally free.

Yveltal looked down to see what wonderful being had given him this generous gift, and a wild, gleeful mania filled his vision when he saw the Rito Champion before him touching his chest. A sadistic smile sprawled across his zipped-up mouth. What a foolish, beautiful mortal, completely unaware of the magical power he awakened. And he was right where the Destruction Pokémon wanted him.

But Revali was too focused on why the toy didn’t budge under his shove to notice.

“Oh, being stubborn, aren’t you?” Revali continued to tease the plushie as he pushed his full weight onto it, trying to tackle it to the ground like a linebacker. “Come on, don’t you want a cuddle buddy?”

Ahh, more than you think, my dear Rito…

“W-who said that?” A startled Revali yelped as he hurriedly looked around to see where the voice came from. Surely he was the only one in this empty field, wasn’t he? But the voice sounded like it came from nowhere and everywhere. Was it…inside his head?

Look up, my sweet little bowman.

As Revali slowly lifted his gaze, he found the plush’s crystal eyes boring directly into his, and much closer to his face. But something was different about them. They somehow gained a chilling glow, giving them a much more lifelike appearance. And the zipper had become the most creepy smile Revali had ever seen. But his thoughts on the plushie’s puzzling orbs and Cheshire grin were pushed to the side by a significantly more immediate and troubling concern: Did this thing just talk? How is this even possible?! There is no way in Hylia that this toy just spoke to me. Much less inside my own mind.

Anything is possible with enough magic, my alluring Revali. You of all Champions should know that.

“H-how did you know—”

That you are a Champion? Simple. You are radiating with the boundless energy of one, much more power than any other Rito. As for your name, well, a magician must not give away all his secrets.

The toy darkly laughed. The zipper mouth remained closed, but the voice from the plush monster came through in his mind as clear as day. Revali’s brain spun with countless questions. He pricked his leg with his other talon to make sure he wasn’t dreaming and winced when he felt the acute sting.

As Revali finally accepted the absurdity of these events, he put on his bravest face and defiantly questioned, “Who are you and what do you want from me, beast? A fight?”

Oh goodness, of course not. Yveltal sounded offended at the suggestion. You can call me Yveltal, and you already know what I want. After all, aren’t I your cuddle buddy?

“My…what?”

I have been terribly lonely for so long. I yearn for intimacy and close contact. But I have no friend to embrace, no companion to sleep with on cold winter nights. I was made to be a bedside protector, but alas, I have no-one to protect nor bedside to watch over.

“I fail to understand what any of that has to do with me,” Revali scoffed. During this back-and-forth, Revali couldn’t shake off this warning sensation in the back of his skull. Like this monster was hiding something and wasn’t telling the truth. Like this seemingly harmless toy in front of him could not be trusted.

My dearest Revali, it has everything to do with you. Because you will become that friend, that companion, the one I protect. I will become your closest ally, the one I cherish, whether you like it or not.

Revali tried to stifle a giggle before he burst out laughing, “Oh, really? ‘Whether I like it or not?’ What will you do if I refuse? Hug me to death? Hahahahaha!”

Revali was so preoccupied with his eyes-closed, belly-aching laughter that he didn’t even notice the plushie’s talons start to slowly close in around him.

I guess you could say that. But it will not really be a death. More like an…everlasting sleep. A nap that you will never wake up from. A dream that will never end.

“And how do you plan on doing that, you pathetic excuse for a children’s toy?” Revali brazenly challenged.

Like this.

The red plush talons swiftly clamped around the Rito, pinning his wings to his side and his legs together. They didn’t hurt him, but he could barely move his muscles. A panicked Revali looked desperately around for his bow, only to remember he dropped it in the grass some distance away. Still, he struggled with all his might to break free. Or at least he tried to.

“Let…me…go…!” Revali demanded, gritting his teeth. He couldn’t believe he was losing to a toy, a plush toy at that!

I am afraid that you will be staying with me for a while. Yveltal’s sadistic smile had transformed into a more conceited, but still terrifying grin. He greatly enjoyed the peril the smaller bird was in. He loved seeing him struggle, the look of helplessness on his face.

Revali spat out, “You…wicked…beas—”

Yveltal tightened his grip. I think that will be enough out of you. Now, my sweet Revali, look into my eyes, and feel all your worries melt away…

Revali tried to shut his eyes as tight as he could, to keep his head down and avoid Yveltal’s stare. He didn’t know what would happen if he looked, but he knew for a fact the result wouldn’t be anything good.

“N-never!” Revali’s cadence quivered. He could hear the fear in his own voice, and he was certain the beast could too.

Calm down. There is no need to be so afraid. I promise that you shall not be harmed. Under my protection, you will not have to fret about monster attacks, nor your Champion duties, nor the other trivial matters that keep you up at night. Just trust in me, and everything will be okay.

Yveltal’s telepathic baritone was soothing and coaxing, steadily chipping away at Revali’s mental defenses. He tried to hold strong, but he could feel himself giving in to the giant bird’s commanding power.

“No, I-I won’t! You can’t make me…!” Revali continued to protest, but then, a new emotion surged over him: anger. Why was he showing fear to a stuffed animal? If anything, the plushie ought to be afraid of him since he was gonna tear him to pieces when this was all over. Surely the plush couldn’t keep this charade going. Whatever was powering him would drain eventually. And then he would seize his bow and teach the monster a lesson about what happens when you try to kidnap a Champion.

Suddenly Revali had an idea. But it came so abruptly that it felt like it was not his own.

What if this thing is bluffing? He might be strong and able to move, but he’s still just a toy. Are you really gonna be humiliated like this by a toy? Even if he was lying about not wanting to hurt him, it’s not like he could actually do it. I should glare directly at him as a challenge, to let him know who’s boss.

Revali took as deep a breath as he could with the talons still squeezing against his chest, and stared directly back into the monster’s luminescent eyes, expecting the beast to cower or at least hesitate under his gaze, but instead…

…oh no…

As soon as the Rito made eye contact, Yveltal’s eyes began to swirl. His typical azure and a lighter faded blue comprised the spirals. And the longer Revali was entranced by Yveltal’s hypnotizing spell, the more his own eyes began to reflect his captor’s whirling pattern. He tried to look away, he really did, but he couldn’t even focus his vision on something else, much less move his head. He squirmed, struggled, tried to kick, but to no avail. No matter what he did, he couldn’t break free from either Yveltal’s grip or his swirling eyes.

Gradually, Revali put up less and less of a fight. His beak hung open slightly as he could do nothing but stare at his kidnapper’s spinning orbs. He didn’t know how long he was held like this until another peculiar thought came to mind.

Pull back on the zipper.

Almost as if on cue, the talons slightly relaxed so Revali could pull his wing out and reach for the shiny pull tab. As he reached forward, the last little vestige of his internal self was screaming at him to not do it, to stop and fight back! Please! PLEASE!

It won’t be so bad. You will be safe from all the monsters that want to hurt you. And isn’t safety better than freedom? Yveltal’s presence drowned out what was left of the Rito’s self-preservation instincts. Finally, he grabbed onto the tab and pulled across.

*ZIIIIIIIP*

Like a robot, Revali put his wing down so the talons could squeeze and pin his limbs to his sides again, all while still staring into those hypnotic eyes. The instant Revali opened the plush’s mouth, a colorless, faint mist began to billow out from between the zipper teeth and onto Revali’s face. Even in his trance-like state, Revali was aware enough to not inhale it. He held his breath, but Yveltal knew the little bird couldn’t hold it forever. And on top of allowing him to expel this strange mist, opening the mouth had also given Yveltal the ability to talk, which only spelled worse news for the Champion in his clutches.

“Ahh, much better, don’t you think?” Yveltal asked as he leaned in even closer to Revali, their beaks almost touching. He noticed the Rito’s face turning red as he continued to hold his breath.

“Are you having trouble breathing? Have you forgotten how to? Here, let me teach you,” Yveltal teased him. He puffed up his chest as if he was actually intaking oxygen.

“Breathe in,” Yveltal said as he put on a devious smirk. After a few seconds, the plushie then exhaled a massive burst of mist directly into Revali’s face. Tears were forming in Revali’s eyes. His insides burned as his body begged him to take a gulp of air. But he couldn’t! He knew, he knew that if he dared to inhale that haze, he would be fully under the monster’s control.

“And breathe out,” Yveltal finished. “Shall I go through it once more? This time I will take it nice and slow,” Yveltal mocked Revali’s predicament. He knew his victory was all but ensured.

“Now, breathe in…” His red and black chest filled out again. Revali braced himself; his face was almost purple now.

“And finally, breathe out…” Yveltal huffed out another blast of mist, and Revali broke.

The burning, the pain, the hypnosis. It was all too much. Revali couldn’t help it.

He took a breath.

As soon as the strange air permeated his lungs, a wave of drowsiness hit him like a whack from a Lynel. His eyelids became heavy, and he struggled to keep them open. He didn’t know lassitude could be this potent. He felt as if he hadn’t slept in days, and most comfortable bed he could’ve asked for was sitting right in front of him.

Is this sleeping gas?

While still expelling the odorless mist, the edges of plushie’s zipper mouth curled into a devious, smug expression. It was only a matter of time until the little bird fell to his power for good. In fact, he could see him teetering on the edge. Yveltal laughed to himself in his deep, sinister tone. One last gust should do it…

Revali felt the plush beast’s warm “breath” on his face a third time. He was already slipping in and out of consciousness, but with yet another assault on his waking mind, he could no longer fight back. The hypnosis and sleeping gas proved to be a lethal combination that even the Rito Champion couldn’t withstand. With exhaustion overtaking him, his eyelids shut, his head bowed, and his entire body slackened.

Yveltal grinned in satisfaction: Revali had fallen asleep. Now he could possess what he truly craved.

Yveltal released Revali from his talons, but at the same time loosely wrapped his claw wing around the smaller bird’s body. He opened his mouth like a hungry serpent, tilted his head back, and lifted the sleeping Rito towards his gaping, silken maw. First slid in Revali’s feet, then his legs, his wings and torso, and soon enough only his head could be seen poking out of the monster’s mouth. Yveltal lethargically closed his beak, as if savoring the moment and torturing the poor Rito by slowly taking away his last glimpse of the outside world. Yveltal swallowed, and Revali disappeared into his immense body.

At first, he was a small bulge by the throat, and then an even smaller bulge in the chest, and by the time Revali had reached Yveltal’s tummy, you couldn’t even tell there was supposed to be something inside the gargantuan plush. After sliding down the silk-lined esophagus, Revali fell into the stomach chamber, surrounded with an immense amount of stuffing. His back landed and bounced on the stomach lining like a springy mattress before coming to rest, somewhat waking him and snapping him out of his daze. The environment around him began to shift as the stuffing poured on top of his body, pinning his legs together and his wings to his sides, but leaving a space for his head. He felt as if he were tucked in with a thousand weighted blankets pressing him into the softest bed. He weakly tried to lift the stuffing off of him, forgetting that the beast encapsulating him was still very much aware of his movements.

“Ohh, still trying to fight back, are we?” Yveltal teased him again. Revali could hear that damned baritone in his head and in his ears now. It was inescapable. “You know, I thought about sealing myself up into a cocoon around you. I loved the idea of you trapped in such a tightly enclosed space with only my swirling eyes to look at. For you, it would have been like being inside an egg again, except with an impenetrable shell that would never hatch.”

“But,” Yveltal continued, his voice filled with bravado and superiority, “you were so adorable with your pompous arrogance that I had another fate in mind. One that gave you a permanent safe haven and gave me a captive to kidnap. Let this be a lesson for you: there is always a bigger bird. Now, go back to sleep, little one.”

Yveltal zipped his mouth closed as his stomach chamber became filled with that same sleeping gas. Revali’s squirming only lasted a few minutes before he was out like a light. Once the Destruction Pokémon was certain that Revali was soundly snoozing, he stood up and looked towards the sky. He planned his next move as he gently rubbed his tummy with his wing claw.

“I would like to get to know you better, my dear Revali,” Yveltal said, emphasizing the possession. “Let us go somewhere far away from prying eyes, shall we?”

Yveltal crouched, spread his wings, and soared off into the sunset, with his passenger dreaming in him.


And so ends Revali’s adventure in Hyrule. It’s a pity he didn’t tell anyone where he was going…