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skyward-floored · 11 months

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Different, Yet Similar

I woke up a few days ago with this fic in my head and for some reason I was able to write it out really quick, I don’t know how that happened XD I also decided it was the perfect opportunity to try out a slightly different writing style, and while I don’t think I’ll stick with it, it was an interesting experiment anyways :)

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“So... how did you guys all meet your Zeldas?”

Wind is the one to pose the question, said while looking around with curious eyes at the rest of the Links. Most of who now have varying expressions of surprise on their faces, the question unexpected.

“Why do you ask, sailor?” Time asks, his single eye watching him curiously. Wind shrugs, fiddling with one of the power bracelets that has taken permanent residence on his wrists. They’re good for fidgeting with, he’s found.

“I’m just curious if any of us met ours similarly or not.” His mouth turns up into a grin. “I mean, I met Tetra after she got dropped by a giant bird and got stuck in a tree. I’d bet none of you guys met yours quite like that.”

Snickers ring through the camp, though a few of the Links give the sailor mildly concerned looks as well. The nonchalance with which Wind speaks of the antics he and his princess get up to sometimes worries them.

“Was she okay?” Hyrule asks in concern, and Wind nods, waving him off with a small flick of his wrist.

“Totally fine. Tetra’s tough, it would take more than a fall from a giant bird to rattle her.”

“A giant bird?” Sky asks eagerly, perking up a little. Wind doesn’t perk up in return though, rather he cringes at the excitement in Sky’s voice.

This isn’t a giant bird like the kind Sky is used to.

“Not a nice one,” he replies, thinking back to the crimson bird that was Sky’s best friend. “Ganondorf was using the bird to kidnap girls he thought might’ve been Zelda. Tetra had been grabbed, but she got dropped because her pirate crew managed to score a hit on the bird... the Helmarok king. He wasn’t nice,” Wind finishes more quietly, an unusual dark thread of anger in his voice.

Then he sighs, and shakes off the memories, looking around at the other Links in curiosity.

“So? How’d you guys meet your Zeldas?”

“Um... which one?” Hyrule asks hesitantly, scratching his neck. He’s in the rather unique position of knowing two princesses by the name of Zelda, a fact which often confuses his traveling companions. “I kinda have two...”

“Do both,” Wild says from where he’s seated nearby, and Hyrule nods.

“Okay. Well... there’s not really much to tell, honestly. For the first Zelda, I just met her after I defeated Ganon. He’d captured her, and after I defeated him I got her out and took her back to the castle.”

Hyrule laughs a little then, and looks up at the sky, constellations just starting to come into view.

“We were both a mess when I got into the place where he’d been keeping her; I was dirty and bleeding in multiple places, and Zelda had basically been living in a dungeon for a few weeks. It wasn’t exactly polite company,” he chuckles.

The others laugh a little at Hyrule’s story, though some of them wince in sympathy at the mention of his wounds. Fights with Ganon were never easy.

They’re all aware of how powerful their greatest foe is.

“How about your other Zelda? How did you meet her?” Sky asks, and Hyrule suddenly blushes for some reason, fidgeting with his bracers.

“Well um, she’d been cursed into a long sleep by an evil wizard, so when I first saw her she wasn’t even awake,” he admits. “But after I woke her up, that’s when I actually met her.”

“And what happened then?” Legend asks with a teasing smirk, having noticed Hyrule was still blushing.

The traveler’s cheeks darken a little, but he admits to nothing. “She said thank you for waking her up.”

“And how did she say thank you?” Wind asks with a mischievous look in his storm-tossed eyes.

Hyrule blushes even darker, but still admits to nothing— though the face he’s making says an awful lot. The others really don’t need to know about the kiss he received in thanks for waking the second Zelda: he knows he’ll never hear the end of it if they do.

Hyrule manages to meet Wind’s gaze without faltering, crossing his arms with a firm look.

“With her mouth, of course. How else would she say thanks?” he says a bit haughtily, and Time decides to intervene before poor Hyrule’s face turns any redder.

“I met my Zelda in a fairly simple way,” he says, and the other Links turn to look at him, abandoning their pursuit of getting an answer out of Hyrule in favor of listening to what Time has to say. Their unofficial leader rarely gives them details of his adventures, no less his version of the princess they’re all so familiar with. “I was... about nine, I believe, maybe ten.”

He sighs, shaking his head as he thinks back to when so much of his life had abruptly changed.

“I was instructed to go see her, but they didn’t want to let a mere child in at the gate. So I snuck into the castle to talk to her, and succeeded, more than once. The guards hated that a ten-year-old could get past them without being seen,” he says with a chuckle. “They weren’t terribly good at their jobs.”

“That’s a little like how I met my version of the princess,” Twilight says thoughtfully, a hand on his chin. “‘Course I didn’t sneak into the castle, I was trying to sneak out.”

“Why, were you in the dungeon?” Legend scoffs, and Twilight smirks.

“That’s exactly it, actually.”

Legend’s face turns to one of surprise, and more laughter rings out from the Links, especially from Wild.

“I was wondering when you were gonna tell them you’re an escaped convict,” he grins at his mentor, and Twilight swats at him with a look both fond and annoyed.

“I’m not an escaped convict,” he says with an eye roll. “The enemy had overtaken the castle, they’re the ones who threw me in there. I committed no crime.”

“Mmm, I’m pretty sure some of the stuff you’ve done counts as crime,” Wild cuts in again, a grin twitching at his lips. “What about the time you blew up that old—”

“Somebody else’s turn,” Twilight interrupts, putting a hand over Wild’s mouth, much to his annoyance. He’d rather wanted to be the one to tell the others about that particular incident.

“Smithy? How about you? You’re pretty good friends with your Zelda, right?” Twilight asks, ignoring the clamor of the others to elaborate.

Four nods, and a bright smile stretches across his face at the reminder of his closest friend.

“You’re right, I’ve known Zelda as long as I can remember,” Four begins as he sets aside the dagger he’d been sharpening, eyes warm. They suddenly dim a little though, and he clears his throat. “I think the first true memory I have of her was at my... a family member’s funeral.”

The other Links still as the smithy speaks, Twilight relinquishing his hold on Wild so they can both better hear. Four looks down at his hands as he thinks back to that day, but then a bit of a smile returns to his lips.

“She came because the family member knew the crown fairly well. We were the only kids there, so we ended up talking a lot... That’s when I really got to know her, and we’ve been close ever since,” he finishes quietly.

“That was similarly to how I met mine,” Sky says after a moment of silence, his voice soft. Four nods at him to continue, and Sky returns it with a bit of a smile. “I knew Zelda a little before, it was impossible not to on Skyloft. There’s not all that much space... but that was the problem when the sickness went through...”

He trails off, then shakes his head as if to clear it, hair falling in his face as he takes a steadying breath.

The memory of the death of his parents isn’t one he likes to linger on, even if it inadvertently led to him becoming friends with Zelda.

“Anyways,” Sky continues, clearing his throat, “I ended up living in the Knight’s academy before I was old enough to attend, and since Zelda lived there with her father as well, we played together all the time. It was inevitable we’d at least become friends.”

“You became a bit more than just friends though, or so I’ve heard,” Warriors says slyly, and Sky blushes as the laughter returns. The captain’s attempt at lightening the mood has succeeded.

“We... haven’t officially become anything,” Sky says simply, and the rest of them shoot each other knowing looks. It’s no secret that Sky is head-over-heels for his Zelda. It’s only a matter of time before something becomes official.

Sky looks back at Warriors then, the captain still chuckling a little over the reaction to his comment.

“You haven’t told us how you met your Zelda, captain,” he points out, and Warriors’ laughter peters off, a fond look replacing the mirth in his eyes.

“Ah, you caught me. Mine is complicated though,” he says with a slightly distant tone in his voice, and the others settle in to listen again. Warriors has mentioned more of his Zelda than some of the others, but not everything they’ve done or been through.

And while he speaks of her with nothing but professionalism, there’s a fondness in his eyes that a few of the Links have picked up on, one that speaks of a deeper bond.

One that nobody’s called him out on yet, but it’ll only be a matter of time.

“I only sort of met her the first time,” Warriors begins, leaning back on the log where he’s seated. “The war had just started, and things were... complicated, to say the least. Messy. She disguised herself to keep her identity safe, so I didn’t truly meet Zelda for quite some time.”

“But when you did?” Wind asks eagerly, and Warriors chuckles.

“It was worth the wait. But I got to know her while she was disguised, so in a way... I already knew her,” he says with a bit of mystery, and Time smiles from the opposite side of the fire.

Time still remembers the day Sheik shed her disguise and revealed herself to be the princess. Warriors was so shocked he’d said something rather idiotic, and Artemis had laughed at him a bit nervously, and then the two of them had gone off to have a long overdue conversation about her true identitiy.

Time won’t bring it up though. He’ll let Warriors keep a few of his secrets yet.

“That leaves... Wild and Legend left who haven’t said anything,” Wind says after a moment, counting off on his fingers.

The two look up at their nicknames, but Wild has a slightly uncertain look in his eyes, and Legend seems oddly stone-faced. Wind looks between the two, and debates for a moment which one to ask first.

Hyrule beats him to it.

“Champion, do you... remember meeting your Zelda the first time?” Hyrule asks a bit hesitantly. The others quiet at the question, and look as one over at Wild.

They’re all aware of Wild’s memory problems, but nobody except for maybe Twilight is truly aware of the extent they reach their blank grip into the champion’s mind. He still doesn’t remember much of his old life, merely a handful of memories recovered here and there that snatch him out of the life he’s currently living, then return him just as abruptly.

But meeting Princess Zelda is not one of these.

“Nope,” Wild says lightly, somewhat in opposition to the serious mood that has fallen over the heroes. “Not at all. I have no clue how we first met... knowing what she thought of me, I probably accidentally insulted her.”

The heroes chuckle good-naturedly, and Wild waits for the sound of their laughter to fade before continuing.

“No, I don’t remember how we originally met. My first true memory of Zelda isn’t when I met her... whenever that must have been.”

A soft smile parts his lips.

“It... was her voice. Back when I was still asleep. Calling to me, urging me awake once the shrine had finally finished healing me. She guided me when there was nobody else, told me my name, and though I didn’t even remember hers... that was when I first met Zelda.”

Twilight gives his shoulder a squeeze, and Wild lets him, a look full of several conflicting emotions settling on his face.

Warmth is the one that shows itself the most though, and a ghost of a smile flits across Twilight’s face when he sees it.

“How about you, Legend? You’ve been pretty quiet,” Four asks, changing the focus to give Wild some privacy. The prickly veteran tugs his cap tighter over his hair in response, hiding a few more strands of the pink that’s still fading away.

“She called to me too,” he says, voice oddly emotionless. “Woke me up in the dead of night and asked for help, with nothing but her voice.”

Something flickers in his gaze, but it’s gone so quickly nobody can quite catch what it is.

“She guided me to the castle, and I managed to find my way to where she’d been imprisoned in her own dungeon by the forces of darkness. I freed her, and that’s where I met her,” he finishes.

“That’s it?” Wind asks in confusion, a slight tilt to his head, and Legend nods.

“That’s it.”

It’s short and to the point, and while some of the heroes nod, the others that are more aware of how their veteran works pick up on the holes in the story.

The Hero of Legend may seem sharp and fearless, but even he has weak points, moments where he has felt neither like a hero nor strong enough to ever be one. These moments he’s purposefully left out of this story, important though they may be.

These are not moments he shares freely. And especially not during what’s supposed to be a lighthearted answer to the boundless curiosity of the youngest member of their group.

“See sailor? None of us met our Zeldas the same way you did,” Legend says with a smirk, easily changing the subject, and Wind hums, looking around at the heroes as he fidgets with his bracelets again.

“That’s true. But there’s similarities between all of them,” he points out, “and some of them are really similar, like yours and Wild’s.”

“Hyrule’s second one was a bit like Wild’s too,” Twilight points out. “Just reversed.”

“And Twilight’s was kind of like the old man’s,” Hyrule mentions with a bit of wonder to his voice, and that sends the group into a flurry of comparing and contrasting the differences, debating the finer points and wondering if the similarities mean anything.

Four though, hangs back from the conversation, not as willing to discuss things. As he looks around the clearing, he notices he’s not the only one either, and he slips around the fire to where the veteran has retreated, watching the others in silence.

Sky sees him go, but doesn’t comment. He knows what the smithy is doing.

“Hey,” Four greets as he settles down, and Legend doesn’t look at him.

“You need something?” the veteran asks with a sharpness in his voice that threatens to slice Four into pieces. The smithy ignores it, well used to Legend’s prickliness, and continues to sit, watching the others keep on with their loud discussion.

“No. I just didn’t want to keep listening to... all of that,” Four says with a slight smile, watching as Wind lunges across Warriors’ lap to grab at Wild for some reason.

Legend doesn’t reply, face still stony.

Four doesn’t directly look at him, but he watches the veteran from the corner of his eyes, seeing how tightly he’s wound, how his expression is set in a way that seems to be solely for the purpose of keeping it from cracking into something vulnerable.

It’s a familiar look, one that Four’s seen on his own face. There’s a part of him that’s like that, sometimes, but that just means he knows somewhat of how to deal with it... whether Legend wants him to or not.

“It was my mother,” Four says suddenly, breaking the silence.

Legend looks over at him, a flicker of surprise joining the crease on his brow. He appears rather taken aback, and Four waits for his reply.

“What was?” the veteran asks. Four looks up at the sky for what feels like a long, long time before replying, and Legend almost wonders if he’s ever going to speak.

“The funeral where I met Zelda,” Four continues, voice full of a bittersweet pain. “It was my mother’s.”

Legend stares at him a moment, unsure of how to reply.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Four continues, still looking up. His eyes are a reddish color, hints of green and blue peeking through that allude to the emotions he’s keeping a steady control of. “I just wanted you to know... you’re not the only one who didn’t meet Zelda under the... best circumstances.”

Four continues to watch the stars, and Legend swallows, his stony indifference cracking despite his best efforts.

Legend doesn’t like to admit it, but despite how carefully he closes himself off, sometimes he’s just as expressive as Wind— what he doesn’t say actually saying more than anything he admits to. And it looks like Four, dealing with a similar pain, has seen right through him.

The veteran is silent for a long time, listening to the others laugh and carry on, and Four sits beside him in equal silence, waiting for as long as Legend needs.

“My uncle,” he whispers finally, and Four squeezes his shoulder.

He doesn’t say anything more. And he doesn’t need to.

#weird ending but everything else I tried was worse XD #linkeduniverse #linked universe #all the links #lu legend #lu four #linked universe fanfic #lu fic #writing from the floor #hurt/comfort #I hate naming fics YEECH #legend angst snuck in here it wasn’t originally about him

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starshipdecay · 2 days

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Toon Zelda redesigns! I've never been fond of the Toon Zelda design, and these girls deserve some individuality. Design notes and rambles below the cut :D

(time to turn the proper grammar off i aint capitalizing all this. warning: i am verbose)

first up, tmc zelda!

shes the one most like toon zelda, since i felt like the vibes fit the *most* (though not a lot). also, with her place on the timeline, i could justify a lot of bits, like the wings and the cape

the cape! obvs it comes from the toon zelda base design, but also it involves skyloftian fashion! i take the timeline as a challenge, and i once saw a take somewhere that the skyloftians all wear their family crests (most often birds lol) on their person. zelda here (and link too) do just that, wearing their family crests on little caplets. on the back is, of course the royal crest

i went very cutesy princess for her. tmc has such a *whimsical* vibe that i feel is very. muted? by the fact its stuck with the toon style. so i wanted to put in that vibe here. also her sprites make it look like her skirt is super poofy, so how could i not?

curly hair: i wanted something interesting, and most zeldas have straight hair. so! adds to the cuteness

i didnt draw it so well but she (and link) both have very sleepy expressions. zelda especially just has a sleepy expression in her sprite, its quite adorable.

shes not as decked out as other princesses, cuz i see tmc taking place before the royal family really starts to get *royal* as we see it. shes still of course got a tiara and some embroidery tho.

Tetra! her base design isnt all that changed from the original. her name is a fun hc of mine tho. i think "von Hyrule" sounds better as a surname than just "hyrule". shes not zelda, but shes still a descendant.

(WW) princess z (as i call her)

I went more oot zelda vibes for her, since she would be closer, temporally, to oot. i also went very warm, since ive never seen the flood as a *warm* endeavor.

shes got the shoulder danglies, as most zeldas have shoulder armor of some kind. the danglies instead of actual armor are supposed to kind of evoke a royal sea captain kind of vibe.

shes ghostly, with a fish-eyed stare. shes been dead and gone for a long time. shes also a bit taller and a few years older than tetra (as of ww). shes just some spectre the king saw in tetra, not at all a close match

tetra, being smaller than princess z, doesnt fit into the clothes. the dress is too big for her (as is in canon gd that skirt is WAY too long for her), the coat is baggy. the role of a princess *literally* does not fit her.

the ribbons! theyre my replacement for the wings, and they represent the wind in the game! since its represented by white lines, the ribbons are a perfect symbolic match. (also, a note, tetras hair is shorter and coarser than princess z's)

i mostly bullshitted the blue panel but the vague idea i gave it was 'a hope for the triforce to give good fortunes to the people' (pictured as dots, mostly behind her arms)

Pirate Queen Tetra

ph! about a year has passed, and tetra has really grown into her own! as well as literally grown!

shes still tetra, pirate and captain, but shes incorporated that royal heritage into her identity: quite literally! she made piecemeal of the original outfit (what was left of it anyway after the fight), and added bits and pieces to her new life.

she also takes full advantage of said heritage to call herself pirate queen. its great for branding. whos gonna say she CANT go by pirate queen?

the seagull feather is from Aryll. only crew member tetra wears a trinket from (who can say no to that ball of sunshine! certainly not tetra)

not many notes. yall can see whats there. (also she still wears her hair in a bun, its just in a low bun (you can almost see it) when she wears her hat)

st zelda!

first note is: shes not a princess! shes an heiress of the company tetra had made and left behind. hence her title of Lady zelda. ("new hyrule" rly just like-- the ending of ww was *literally* that hyrule is dead and thats okay. how did they miss that :sob emoji:) also calling her Lady Zelda fits with the train vibes

shes in a 1880s style bustle dress because 1) i am OBSESSED with bustle dresses. i love them. so much. 2) the more historical vibe works really well with trains! also a lot of the other outfits in the game have late victorian vibes, so shes certainly not out of place.

her hat (and gloves): any proper lady has a hat on when going about town, however, when she gets body snatched, she pulled out her hatpin to use (ineffectively) as a weapon (she IS tetras great-great-granddaughter), causing her to lose her hat *and* hairdo.

shes still got the hatpin in her ghost form, too. she uses it to threaten people for funsies

Ribbons! on the topic of hairdo, her ribbons! visually tying her to tetras design, the ribbons here instead take on the image of train tracks, with her pin (on the left side) evoking a train engine. the pin also makes her look rich and girly. when her hair comes undone, this makes the ribbons all loose, like how the train tracks disappear in game. (the hat also kinda connects her to tetra)

thanks for reading :D i hope you liked reading this as much as i liked typing it

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hyde-nseek · 5 months

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Link never liked attention.

Most of the time, he scraped by in classes and did just enough to move on in the academy. He was the son of everyone, but enjoyed his time alone on his loftwing. But after the Wing Ceremony, he gained more and more attention, first from Headmaster Kaepora (the only one who knew about the sacred sword choosing Link), then the rest of the knights, and eventually all of Skyloft. It became too much after rumors spread about him being the Youth from the Goddess's prophecy. "The Hero of Earth and Sky," they called him. That's when he and Zelda decided to start anew on the surface.

Link never liked attention.

Of course, Princess Zelda was a good friend, so he didn't mind her. But everyone else in Hyrule Town? He couldn't care less about. But when the Picori Festival arrived, things started to change. He set out to restore the Picori Blade, and along the way, he found friends. He even fused Kinstones! The whole town knew him and wanted to help him out however they could. It was too much for him. So after saving Zelda and sealing Vaati, he went into the woods to find some kind of peace and quiet.

Link never liked attention.

Looking back, someone else could have pulled the Four Sword and saved Zelda just as well. He shouldn't have volunteered to go to the sanctuary. Now, every fairy in Hyrule knew his name. They showered him in rupees and other gifts. It became too much for him. Sure Hylians were annoying, but fairies were so much worse. He never saw another fairy after his adventure. He kept himself company just fine, thank you very much.

Link never liked attention.

He enjoyed being just another Kokiri, living a normal life in the shadow of the Great Deku Tree. Instead, he was called by destiny to travel across time and the entire Kingdom of Hyrule. Everything depended on him, and everyone was watching. So when Zelda offered to send him back in time, he agreed.

No one in Termina knew his name, and he liked it that way. He could wear any kind of mask, disguise himself as much as he wanted. No one knew the true Link, the tortured soul behind the most powerful mask in the land. Until he called the giants. Then everyone knew him. He was the Hero of Time once again. So he left. Partings came more naturally to him than greetings.

Link never liked attention.

His first taste of it was when he helped Zelda escape Aghanim. All of a sudden, he went from the nephew of a knight to Hyrule's most wanted. Of course, he had a mission to save Hyrule from Ganon. That problem could wait.

Before he knew it, he was the Hero of Legend, and was sent away by the Triforce to unknown lands. He enjoyed anonymity for a couple of days before saving the world twice, three times, and once again for good measure.

The one place that truly felt like home was Mabe Village, but it was too good to be true. All of it was merely a figment of imagination. Not even his own dream. And the one he truly started to love was gone. No one saw Link return to Hyrule.

Link never liked attention.

Honestly, he never imagined getting any sort of fame. He was just some kid on an island far from the center of the Great Sea. But after saving Aryll, he knew that someone would have to get rid of whatever was lurking under the waves. He became the Hero of Wind because no one else would. And he left the Great Sea as fast as he could.

The pirates treated him like family. He liked Tetra a lot too. They never treated him as anything more than another member of the crew. And he liked it. So when they founded New Hyrule, he was okay with being a King, but only because he was never seen as one.

Link never liked attention.

And Ravio kept giving it to him. So he left his own home and didn't come back except for the few times he needed to "rent" an item. It was annoying, but at least Lorule was saved. And he didn't need to see him in his house again.

And when the rest of Hyrule began calling him the "New Hero of Hyrule," he left for a new land. But once again, adventure followed him and Link got caught up in the dealings of Hytopia. He never thought there'd be an escape from the attention. He tried to never be heard from again. Maybe both kingdoms would eventually forget him.

Link never liked attention.

He enjoyed being a part of the small Ordon Village. But when Twilight came, he seemed to be the only person who could do something about it. So he followed Midna and saved Hyrule. He went from a farm hand to the Hero of Twilight in a matter of weeks. After saving the Princess, he could never be anonymous. The only place that felt safe from peering eyes was Ordon.

Link never liked attention.

All he wanted to do was be a conductor. And then he was called to the castle. And then he had to keep Zelda safe. And then he had to save New Hyrule. And then he had to defeat a demon king... None of that was what he liked. He didn't ask to be a hero, not really. All he wanted to do was be a conductor.

Link never liked attention.

Attention was dangerous. He survived by being a shadow. But when Impa was in danger, he couldn't stand by and watch. And when he heard about Zelda, he couldn't let Ganon get away with it. That's when Ganon's army noticed him, and things got dangerous.

With a target on his back, he had nothing to lose. He left the Eastern Palace and looked for the Triforce of Courage. And Ganon's followers were as persistent as ever. He feared that it would be like this forever.

...

Link never liked attention.

And yet everyone had their eyes on the Princess's chosen knight. The one with the darkness-sealing Sword on his back. The pressure was too much for him. Everyone knew, everyone expected him to defeat a Calamity that hadn't even arrived. And when it did...

He was free to be whoever. Except for a few people, he was only seen as another traveler. Of course, he had a mission. There was a darkness to seal and a princess to save, but who was really watching? No one but the wild.

All of that changed when Zelda fell into the Depths. Everyone was looking for him, and he didn't care at all. Sure the attention was overbearing, but the wild was still there. He had friends that saw him as more than the Hero of Hyrule. As long as Zelda was safe... he could handle it just a little longer.

Still, Link didn't like the attention.

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fruitysoupy · 3 months

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100 years later I finally drew all of my AU Links

Say hello to my lads! They're going to be in a comic I've been scripting and planning for about a year now I think? I'm calling it Link and the Links, latl for short!

More info under the cut :]

(please don't tag as LU/Linked Universe!!)

The Plot

The Links find themselves in a mysterious forest that seems somewhat familiar to all of them yet none of them know where they are. Now they have to work together to find their way home. On the way they'll discover a thing or two about each other and grow closer!

The Cast

I could talk about these guys for hours, but to keep it digestible I'll make it short

A bit of info before I get into it - all of them are taken from different points in time after the end of their adventure(s)!

Birdie (Skyward Sword)

Roughly 6 hours after defeating Demise

The start of it all. Unbeknownst to himself and the others, the space they find themselves in was created out of his desire to meet the heroes after him. He feels terribly guilty about the curse and very much blames himself for the possible suffering of future heroes. His main goal is to check up on everyone and help where he can!

Grasshopper (Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask)

4 days after leaving Termina

Somewhat disoriented after his journey still, he tags along simply because he thinks Birdie is an idiot who would get lost without him. He doesn't talk a whole lot but he likes listening to other people's stories

Seagull (Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass)

6 months after leaving the domain for the ocean King

He's a real genuine pirate, yarr!! Or so he'd like you to believe. He talks a great deal about his strength and bravery, but really is just afraid and terribly homesick most of the time. He wants to fit in with Tetra's and her crew's toughness so much he might go a little overboard on the act in a way that may or may not end up biting him in the butt.

Choo (Spirit Tracks)

6 months after peace returned to new Hyrule

He wouldn't call himself a hero, in fact he'd say it's a miracle he made it out alive. Self-esteem and confidence really aren't his strong suits, he often finds himself dragged along and unable to say no. He is very friendly however, and if you just give him a little space he might even open up to you.

Wolfie (Twilight Princess)

4 years after defeating Ganondorf

Left Ordon after intrusive thoughts convinced him he was a danger to his village, now works at Telma's bar as a waiter in exchange for a room. He's responsible well liked, though he's not too fond of himself. He has some complicated feelings about the whole turning into a wolf thing

Apple (A Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages/Seasons and Link's Awakening)

Just a few seconds after Koholint disappeared

From one dream right into the next (sorta?) he's understandably disoriented at first. He pushes that aside pretty much immediately though, much more interested in getting to know everyone. He's a kind and soft spoken, weirdly wise sort of guy and near instantly becomes the heart of the team

Wallflower (A Link Between Worlds)

4 years after wishing upon the triforce with Zelda

Bitter doesn't even begin to describe this uh.. Pleasant fella. After being bossed around for the better part of his life he doesn't take orders from anybody and is this close to quitting his job as a blacksmith. He hates being stuck here, he hates these strange people, really there's not much he doesn't hate. But that can't be all there is to him...

Puzzle (The Legend of Zelda and Adventure of Link)

1,5 years after waking Zelda II

Confused, disoriented, but still happy to help and ready for adventure. Though some of the others don't really like him around he's still just as friendly to everyone. Since he struggles to communicate he tends to stay quiet. He appears to be simple minded on first glance, but he'll prove to be a valuable member of the team.

Sprout (Minish Cap)

13 years after defeating Vaati

After his grandfather died he retreated into his house and dedicated himself to improving his blacksmithing skills to live up to his grandfather's name, he was quickly forgotten by his community and faded into obscurity. Now he may be the best blacksmith in Hyrule, so good that even the royal guard hires him, but among the general castletown population he's nothing more than a forest cryptid. He only leaves the house when he has to, carefully avoiding people. Not because they disgust him, he just has a major case of social anxiety!

Squire (Breath of the Wild)

3 years pre calamity

This absolute rascal couldn't be happier about his current circumstances. These unknown woods are his playground and all of these weirdos are his friends now! Though everyone's pretty sure he's a knight trainee, he insists that he's just a stable hand for the guard. His chaotic and carefree nature surprisingly doesn't get in the way of things as he's eager to help out wherever he can, seeing the whole journey as an impromptu camping trip.

Some funfacts :]

Most of them are neurodivergent in some way!

Birdie and Seagull have ADHD, Grasshopper and Choo are autistic, Squire gets the combo platter AuDHD and Wolfie has OCD

Additionally, Birdie has auditory processing disorder and dyscalculia, and Squire has dyslexia

A few of them also have speech disorders

Choo stutters and Puzzle has cluttering speech disorder

Apple has a weak voice, so after a while his voice gets tired and gets hoarse

Choo enjoys drawings and cartography, two skills that will be very important!

One of Seagull's hobbies is photography! He takes his pictobox everywhere

Wolfie also does entertainment at the bar from time to time! He sings or does card tricks

Sprout knows HSL (hylian sign language) because his grandfather was deaf

Seagull's piratey way of talking is 100% for show and painfully inconsistent

Wolfie speaks in a thick southern (in universe ordonian) accent but he's trying hard to mask it since he moved to castletown

Wallflower absolutely hates Puzzle

Squire's special interest is horses

Birdie is a bit of a doormat so he has the ideas but Wolfie is the one to actually get them through

A number of them are blood related (has nothing to do with the colours of their names in this post, I had to reuse some because there weren't enough orz)

That's all I have for you today! Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! :]

If any of you have any questions about my Links or AU you'd like answered, my inbox is open!

Have a lovely day everyone!

#links meet au #tloz #legend of zelda #tloz fanart #tloz au #legend of zelda au #link #artists on tumblr #not lu #link and the links au #LatL au #my art #triangles #IT IS DONE FINALLY #Apologies for my handwriting also orz I tried #LatL #the lads

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cookie-waffle · 1 year

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Tetra is such a funny fucking character. All the other Zeldas have this aura of elegance, and then there’s this juvenile delinquent who is in charge of a pirate crew full of grown ass men also she launched her fated soulmate face-first into a wall.

#legend of zelda #wind waker #telink #zelink #loz ww

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bokettochild · 1 year

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Does anyone remember Violet?

Okay, how about the Nancy LU animatic? Yeah, the fic I write for that, you remember? No? Yes? It doesn't matter

I wrote a sequel >:)

The Return of "Violet"

Wind is going to owe Four big time.

Of all the things to ever happen, he, a pirate, has been caught stealing, and honestly it’s probably the most ashamed he’s felt since he was seven and put a hole in the roof of their house while playing with Aryll. In this instance though, he’s not going to have his sweet and understanding granny that he’s answering too. No, this time he has to answer to Four, and probably someone else after that, because with the way things are going, he’s going to need more than just Four’s help to get out of this one.

They’re in his era, visiting one of the islands that he and Tetra had discovered after their adventures together. That almost makes it worse though because they’re here with Tetra. After finding themselves on Dragon Roost Island he’d managed to get ahold of her through the gossip stones, and although she charges worse fees than even Ravio (as Legend had made a point of complaining about) she and her crew have agreed to let the heroes sail with them until they find whatever it is that caused them to be brought to this era. So far though, they’ve had little to no luck, and for the time being, the ship is docked here while they gather supplies and allow the land-lubbers now in their company to enjoy being on land for a short bit while Tetra and the others do… pirate-y things. That was what she said they’d be doing anyway, and the heroes, in the interest of not inviting trouble for once in their lives, hadn’t asked.

Wind knows. Usually he’d be with them, but right now he’s a hero first and a pirate second, and so he’s with the heroes instead, picking his way through the bustling market with Four while the other heroes busy themselves at stands. Currently, Legend is trying to teach Wild some form of bartering, because the champion repeatedly has been overcharged already for basic items since, apparently, in his world those prices would fly. Not in this one though, and not with Legend in their group.

Twilight’s following after them, an amused expression on his face as he sits back and lets the vet have his way with teaching the champion, shaking his head and chuckling every so often at the duo as he turns and glances back to wherever the nearest brother is and exchanging silent words with them about it all.

Time is the most frequent receiver of Twilight’s laden stares, and the old man himself likewise shakes his head with a small smile before turning back to the captain’s side as Warriors picks over a display of knives that has been laid out in one of the nearby stalls.

The market is a colourful place, beautiful too, in its own unique way. Sea-salt breezes are carried up the island cliffs to them and play around their ears and hair, sending windchimes singing and overhanging fabrics and tarps swaying. Most are tightly tied down, providing brief shade to those who step beneath their protection and into the realm of one vendor or another, who will only too happily try and cheat newcomers out of their wages and will banter and barter in loud and fast moving phrases with the more experienced buyer.

Honestly, he’s surprised that Legend’s keeping up.

Colour surrounds them. In visiting the other eras, he’s come to understand that his is one of the more bright, Twilight’s being near drained of colour in most places by comparison. Here in the market though, that fact makes itself most apparent, the overhangs woven in bright jewel tones and tents and stalls hung about with the same over handcrafted poles and tables. The wares are bright and eye-catching too, and Hyrule is currently eyeing them all in awe, as though he’s never seen such an amalgamation of items and beautiful things in his life. He has though, because all of them have had at least a peek inside Legend’s storage shed, and that was truly a sight to see, even if it wasn’t nearly as attractively presented as the stalls and tables here.

As for himself, Wind’s more looking around for anything relatively useful, but more than anything, he’s keeping his ears open for the telltale sound of bombs going off, just in case he needs to create a distraction to keep the others from investigating. That would be incredibly awkward and he’s not keen on having to answer for that particular set of crimes.

Not that he ends up having to, because by the time that the bombs do go off (because of course they do) the heroes are too busy dealing with another issue.

It’s an artefact that catches his eye. Not one from his time either, but one he remembers seeing at the Hero’s Shrine in Warriors Hyrule at the Skyview Temple. Well, it had been the Skyview Temple, back in Sky’s time, but he’s not sure what it was being called in the captain’s era. It’d become something of a hall of history to the Hylian people, and there were shrines there for the heroes of the past, set in different alcoves, and the item in question had been one laid in the one for the veteran hero himself.

It was probably the first time he’d ever found out anything about Legend. Ravio had taken one look at the shrine and started talking about each of the items and their abilities, and while he’s not entirely sure what this particular rod does, he does know that Ravio had seemed very nervous about it being left at a shrine where someone could steal it. He’d been even more nervous though when someone had stolen it. Wind’s not sure who it had been, and at the merchant’s warnings the captain had had them all search and investigate, but the war took the most of their attention and the search had to be abandoned when the enemy had started moving again.

He’s still not sure what the thing really does, but he knows it’s the same one as he remembers. It’s just too similar to what he remembers, and the sight of it causes a sinking feeling to make itself known in his stomach.

“Shit.”

“Language,” Four murmurs to him, distracted, “cap doesn’t like that kind of talk.”

Usually he’d snicker at something like that, he imagines he’s probably half the reason that joke is still running (because Four knows he’ll still be laughing) but this time he’s too distracted for that.

“Four, I have to commit a crime.”

The smithy doesn’t even startle, just turns to him with a face far too calm as green eyes search his own. “What sort?” The question is spoken as calmly and casually as if asking after a flavour of pie, but he knows, based off of the fact that Four is looking at him at all, that he’s got the smithy’s full attention.

“I need to steal something.”

“Not so loud about it,” the smithy snorts, setting a hand on one hip and side-eyeing him with a playful look, “I thought you were supposed to be a pirate. Isn’t announcing your pillaging against some code?”

“No, it’s not like that,” he catches the smithy’s wrist and tugs, and while Four stumbles just a bit, he lets himself be pulled a bit closer to the stall so Wind can point out the rod sitting innocuously amidst jewellery and fabric, like some sort of stylized cane or staff instead of a Cautious Ravio level of Dangerous Item. “I need to steal that.”

Four hums. “Okay, and you’re telling me…”

“I need your help.”

He expects some hesitation or thought, but all Four does is cock his head, stare at the item, one hand reaching to stroke his chin before aborting with a shrug. “Okay.”

He really thought Four would be more against crimes than this. Still, a partner in crime is a partner in crime (in this case literally) and Four seems to take no issue with following him over to the stall in question. He’s not sure, off the top of his head, how he plans to go about stealing the thing, but he’s a pirate and he’s good at theft, he can handle this.

As it would turn out, he does not end up needing to handle this, which turns out to be for the better, because the merchant who owns the stall watches him like a hawk. Of course theft would be a common problem in a place such as this, and apparently Wind, lanky, young, still just this side of man-hood, looks all too well the part of a troublesome youth looking to score a steal, and no matter if a customer comes to the stall or not, the man seems to keep an eye on him at all times.

Fortunately, Four, well dressed in bright jewel tones as he is, is not regarded with such distaste. If anything, the merchant motions to the smithy while speaking to a patron and points out “the cute lil’ lass” which Wind only very nearly prevents himself from laughing at.

Dark eyes trail back to him coldly at the coughing he makes while trying to avoid laughter though, but then the man is turning back to his patron. “Recken she’s some small thing from these merchant folk, her da’ll pay well for whatever catches her fancy, all these rich folks are that way; coughin’ up rupees fer what’er pleased their kids.”

With an eye on his customer and one on Wind, the merchant doesn’t have enough eyes to catch the scathing glance the smithy shoots the man’s way at hearing that.

Four would usually correct someone, but considering they’re trying to keep a low profile, the smithy blessedly keeps his mouth shut.

Wind turns back to a pile of jewellery. Absently, he wonders if he could barter a ring out of the man to provide a window for Four to stash the rod in his pack or something.

He doesn’t get the chance to try.

“Hoy there! Where do you think you’re going, lass!”

The sailor spins about just in time to see the merchant catch Four by the back of his bright tunic, and…

Oh Spirits, Four didn’t even bother to stash the rod. Is this the first time the smithy has stollen something?

In hindsight, it probably is; Four’s fame in his home era after all did start with him vanquishing pirates and dealing with thieves.

And that’s how they end up as they are. The merchant goes from laughing and smiling at the smithy to trying to twist the small hero’s arm and demanding answers about where he’s going, and- well, what was Wind supposed to do?

“Hey!” He squawks, and yes, he most certainly did overturn that display on purpose as he rushes over to his brother’s side. “Let go!”

“You’re together then,” the man hisses, narrowing his eyes, “I shoulda guessed. What respectable lass goes snoopin’ about without a guard or her mam around to watch that she ain’t taken? Thieves, the both of you!”

“We’re not thieves!” Wind protests, despite the fact that they are, in fact, thieves. Well, he is anyway. “We’re just kids!” And then, as inspiration hits, he adds, “now let my little sister go!” Oh yeah, he’s so going to owe Four one after this.

Luckily, Four doesn’t stumble once, instead squirming in the man’s hands and, somehow, managing to muster up a stream of tears as he fights weakly (as a small child would) against the hands restraining him. “Let me go!” The smithy squeaks, “I just wanted to show Mama!”

“‘Show mama’?” the man mocks, and shakes Four harder than is probably safe to shake a child, “and where’s your mama at, little miss snitch?”

“Right here.”

Wind could kiss Legend on the cheek, although he’d probably owe the vet even more if he did after the man has just stepped in to save their asses, Twilight and Wild both on his heels.

Oh crap, this is going to become another Violet situation isn’t it?

“Mum!” it bursts out of him as he darts to the vet’s side, hands catching on red fabric as he looks up at the vet as though pleading for help, and he is, he is so pleading. He is pleading so very much and genuinely, see?

No really, he really is. He really didn’t think this one through.

“We were just looking, I swear, and Violet wanted to show you something, but this mean man-”

Twilight is staring. Twilight and Wild are both starring in something between shock and confusion and Wild’s brows are very quickly disappearing under his hair as they rise higher and higher with every word out of Wind’s throat.

Oh yeah, he’s going to owe Legend big time.

“Mama!” Four wails, quite convincingly as he kicks at his captor, “make him let me go!”

For a brief moment, Wind can see the resignation and pain in Legend’s eyes, but then the vet is steeling himself and then, at the very top of his lungs (which only drives home how much like last time this will be) shouts “let go of my child, you horrid man!” in what is possibly the most hystericaly angry voice Wind has heard from anyone, never mind from the vet.

Wild chokes.

The scream, however, has what he can only assume is the intended effect, because the crowd immediately near them all whips around so fast he’s sort of shocked they don’t downright fall over, and then all eyes are on them.

Again.

Well, apparently if Legend’s going to cover up for your crimes and save your ass he’s going to do it by being as loud as possible. Honestly, Wind doesn’t care, as long as it works.

It does work. The man immediately lets go of Four, and then the smithy is all but flinging himself into the veteran’s arms, where he’s immediately caught and held while Legend once more adopts the same act as the time before, fussing and murmuring with terrifyingly believable distress as he looks at the bruising on Four’s arm and then immediately pulls the smithy closer, looking up at the merchant with fury in his eyes. “How could you do this to a child! She was only looking, she wasn’t causing any harm!”

Frosty violet eyes fix the merchant in place, and the man takes a step back at the sight of them.

Two kids causing trouble, he was prepared for. What appears to be a finely dressed young mother who perceives her child to have been attacked, he was not prepared for at all. “She was stealing!”

“She’s only eight!” Wind protests, wrapping an arm around Four’s shoulders and pouting up at the man accusingly, but also cutely because he needs to play up the role of a child right now, rather than even try and look at all serious and mature like he usually would try to.

“She’s only eight!” Legend repeats, likeways wrapping an arm around Wind. “How dare you! It’s her first time at a big market, how was she to know the rules! I’m teaching her the best I can but I can only be so many places at once!”

Past the vet’s arm, and now that the attention is on Legend and not himself, Wind can glance out and see the crowd. Eyes are fixed on them, murmurs already rising and disapproving looks being shot at the merchant even as crystal tears in amethyst eyes begin to garner sympathy and pity from the onlookers while Legend switches out the furious mother act for the overworked and struggling one.

Amidst it all, Wind can clearly see Time and Warriors, watching them. Time has the most confused expression on his face, neither privy to the events of last time or apparently aware of what’s happening now, but Warriors…

Oh gods, Warriors looks so done already.

“I don’t care how old she is, a thief is a thief!” The merchant yells, and with his words, Legend starts back, dragging Four and Wind with him and drawing the sailor’s attention back to the man before them. Said man is currently red in the face and huffing, both trying to uphold his right to punish the thieves who attempted to steal from him, but also under the judgemental stares of the whole market.

“You can’t hold a child responsible for such a silly mistake!”

“You’re right,” the man breathes, and while it almost sounds like he’s trying to contain and calm himself, Wind sees the flash of his eyes before the man steps closer and raises a hand, definitely and truly beyond reason at this point, “the parents are the ones to be held responsible.”

Legend could catch that hand. Wind could, Four could. Any one of them could do something to avoid it, but that would come at the cost of dropping the act, and while unspoken, the rule remains to never drop an act, although at what cost he’s not sure.

“Stop right there!”

Hang on, is that-? And it is.

Warriors is storming over, and it’s such a dramatic and poetic image; the captain stalking along the street, armour glistening and scarf billowing out behind, that if he wasn’t playing a part, Wind would definitely be grinning a bit at it. After all, it’s like something straight out of one of the stories he’d told Aryll when they were kids. Well, younger kids.

To the merchant however, Wind knows that’s not the case. The merchant sees the blazing blue eyes and the silver sword and he stops mid-swing, face paling as the captain comes to stand beside the three younger heroes, hand settling on Legend’s shoulder and stare stone cold. As someone who's seen that stare employed before, Wind’s honestly surprised the man doesn’t piss himself.

“Lay a hand on my family,” the captain growls, and yes, he actually growls, “and I’ll cut it off.”

Twilight whistles lowly.

Oh dang, add Warriors to the list of people he owes. This is really getting out of hand.

“Who are you?” The man stammers, stepping back but not away, gaze trailing up and across the knight and taking in sparkling armour and steely stare, sweat beading across the salesman's face with each passing second.

“Papa,” Four whimpers, and oh gosh he’s good, “I was just trying to show Mama the pretty staff…”

“I see.” Warriors doesn’t even look down to the smithy still plastered across Legend’s front, instead staring until the merchant squirms under his gaze. “What pretty staff, precious?”

Oh no. Oh Hylia, the endearments. Oh gods Wars is so going to sit him down about this. Endearments aren’t uncommon from the captain, but “precious”? Oh no, that one isn’t one he uses, and it’s a clear warning to the sailor at least that he’s going to be answering a lot of questions later.

Dang it, all this over a stupid rod!

“That one,” Four turns and points to the item lying on the ground by their feet, “I thought it looked like something Mama could use for her magic.”

Ah, yes Four, drop the fact that Legend can do magic, that’ll definitely scare the shit out of those present and hopefully convince this guy to just let the scoot. Please? Please let that work?

Except it doesn’t because Warriors recognizes the item too, and he’s bending to scoop up the troublesome rod in question even as the merchant protests and splutters.

“Ah.”

Oh yeah, someone’s screwed.

“Is that…” Legend pauses, and the act drops for a moment, however brief, as he stares at the item. His item. His thing that Ravio never explained but said was his and which now looks very, very old.

“Where did you get this?” Warriors demands, and now he really is mad. Someone threatening to hit his family is bad, but knowing Wars, he wasn’t really all that mad since he knows they can all defend themselves with ease. Stealing from a shrine? Yeah no, that’s territory even Wind isn’t willing to cross.

The merchant huffs. He’s got guts, Wind will give him that. A lesser man would have caved or run away or even just tried to snivel and plead to avoid the wrath of this odd little family and the crowd watching them, but he doesn’t, and for that Wind has to give him props. He’s got guts. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I traded for it. It’s a powerful magical rod, capable of-”

“Nothing.” Legend interjects, releasing his hold on Wind (rude) to reach for the rod in the captain’s hand, and Warriors lets him, gaze trailing down to watch the vet inspect the thing with a frown. “It’s damaged,” Legend continues, frowning as gnarled fingers trace the stone set on top, the actual source of the thing’s supposed magic. A sigh. “Violet, this was hardly worth the fuss,” the vet frowns and hands the item off, casually, to the captain.

Warriors holds it, scowling. “Probably best if we didn't buy it then, love. Besides, it being stolen from a shrine, Hylia only knows what sort of curses the gods would have put on it.”

Oh. Oh yes. Wind is very near smiling, but doesn’t even as he watches his older brothers play it out perfectly, not a word passed between to communicate, not even a look, but picking up the threads the other lays with all the skill of the most masterful weaver of lies, and it’s working too. While the heroes look at each other in confusion, and Twilight is sort of smirking in that utterly lost and confused but also humored way he does, the merchant is quickly paling again.

“Cursed?”

“Of course,” Legend scoffs, straightening up but not shaking off the arm Warriors still has about his shoulders, “anything stolen from a shrine would be cursed. The souls of the dead never take kindly to people disrespecting them so blatantly.”

“But I didn’t steal it!” The man protests.

The vet sniffs, tossing his head and looking down his nose at the man, even as the captain follows his lead and likewise stares the man down with all the revulsion one would assume someone married to a great mage might have. “That hardly matters, sir. Frankly, anyone who disrespects such a sacred thing, be it in sale or theft, is simply begging suffering on themselves, and I’m hardly inclined to wish that upon my children.” Violet eyes then turn to them, and both he and Four can feel the weight and warning in them as Legend stares, not dropping the act but also not entirely acting anymore. “Which is why I’ll be sure to make sure this never happens again.”

It won’t.

“All the same, love,” Warriors murmurs, and there’s a step made, and they pulled along, “it’s likely best if we finish our business as soon as possible. I’d rather we head back to the ship and leave port before whatever bad fortune that thing is cursed with reveals itself.” He shakes his head, staring at the item even as the vet takes his lead and starts ushering both younger heroes away. “They say that shrine was one for a goddess’ son, so I can only imagine how that will play out.”

The weight of their words seems to hit as the captain makes a turn, and while Wind can’t see it, he can definitely hear the feet pattering after them and the man calling out, now suddenly closer. It makes him stop and try to peek around Legend, who sighs but follows his lead to look as the man thrusts the rod in question at their captain. “Please! If you know where it’s from, send it back! Maybe the spirits will forgive me if I restore what was taken from them. Please sir!”

“After you attacked my wife and child?” And Warriors definitely learned that haughty, contemptuous voice from all the balls and dealings with nobles he’s suffered through after the war, “I don’t think so.”

“But you know where it came from!” The man tries, “I don’t!”

“Darling,” and the word almost grates off of Legend’s lips, hand coming to settle in the crook of the captain’s arm.

Wind is going to owe Legend the best freaking thing ever, although what, he’s not sure, since Legend has everything already.

“Perhaps we should help.”

“Someone like this?” He has no clue why Warriors is making this harder than it has to be, and with the attention of all others on the captain and vet, he and Four exchange a quick glance of confusion.

“Think of all the innocent people this fool has endangered,” Legend continues, still glaring at the man and item in question. “We can’t let his greed and foolishness cause their demise! Such a thing would surely disrupt the spirits even further.”

Ah yes, the warning of a mage. It sets the people about them fussing and worrying, until there are others stepping out from the crowd and begging until at last Warriors 'concedes’ and accepts the rod, which is quickly handed back to its original owner and stashed away in the vet’s bag.

That should be the end of it, but like last time, it’s not. Because people.

Wind really loves people most times, but right now he’d rather they just… not. He’d rather they not watch, or worry, or fuss. He’d rather not, but he’s sure that even if they didn’t, Legend would still be catching Four’s hand as they walk and Warriors would still be setting a hand on his shoulder that is heavy, oh so very heavy.

He’d also rather they not because when he sees Tetra staring at him from within the crowd, face red with unreleased laughter, he can’t do anything about it except keep his head down and silently bemoan the loss of whatever sort of respect he may have gained among his fellow pirates.

He botched a simple theft. He had to be rescued by a soldier and a teenage boy in a dress pretending to be his mother.

He is never going to live this down.

“At least,” Four murmurs, once they’ve moved to the edge of the market, finished with their shopping and with the eyes of the others all trailing after them with innumerable questions, “I got to be older this time.”

Legend sighs, releasing the smithy’s hand to rub at his temples, figure blocked by the captain’s own and thus out of sight of the market behind them. “Oy vey, you two.”

“We owe you guys big time,” he tries.

Warriors snorts, grip tightening on his shoulder. “You owe us an explanation, but yeah, big time, sailor.”

Ahead, the ship is waiting, Tetra leaning against the bulwarks and smirking down at him with danger in her eyes and laughter already touching her lips, and Wind sighs.

This is never going to go away.

He kind of regrets teasing Legend now for last time.

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alphagirl404 · 1 month

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#legend of zelda #king rhoam #king rhoam bosphoramus hyrule #rhoam bosphoramus hyrule #breath of the wild #tears of the kingdom #skyward sword #ocarina of time #twilight princess #wind waker #link between worlds #four swords #phantom hourglass #spirit tracks #disclaimer: I do not hate rhoam #i know that he was put in a bad spot (to put it lightly) and I understand why he acted the way he did #HOWEVER #it does not take away that he was a bad father to zelda #this is just a poll i thought would be fun

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mistymandalas · 7 months

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wind waker is legitimately so angsty

Spoilers ig

also tw for mentions of murder

OOT’s world is dead. Drowned beneath the waves by the hand of the gods they worshipped. It is a relic of the past that only serves as a place for the master sword and a prison for Tetra. On top of that, Gannondorf is a bitter old man now, caught in the past of his failures, the death of his entire people. He is the only gerudo left in WW. And at the end of everything, Gannondorf feels the winds that always meant death for his people, this time coming for him.

the pirates legitimately thought link died after being thrown off the tower at the forsaken fortress. Grandma, in your absence, has grown sick and is slipping in and out of consciousness when you find her. And if you’ve ever seen one the Redeads from wind waker you’ve known true fear lol

and the only person who are actually doing anything are children. Link, Tetra, Medli, Makar (whose age is debatable but he’s young in korok years so shhhhh). When you get to rito village medli is the first person to do something about Valoo. None of the adults volunteer to help save Aryll. Makar and Medli take the role of the new sages, one of which is still getting the hang of flying.

and the past sages? Oh yeah Gannon murdered them.

The ideas and standards of the past are no longer relevant- in fact, they hinder the protagonists. Mostly Tetra. She gets an entire makeover from the king of red lions, whitewashed, and is told that she must stay in this dusty old castle a thousand miles from home ‘for her protection’.

And it dosen’t even matter in the end, because she gets kidnapped anyways. She would have been safer with her crew, where she belongs, and where her wisdom actually applies: her knowledge of the world and the people and the sea. She certainly knows more than link does (saves his life multiple times and is instrumental to the 1st half of the game), yet because of her ‘role to play’, she has to play princess while the real work is being done.

the goddess that were so present in OOT have drowned Hyrule and all its people. You meet three whole Goron’s in the game, with no mention of where the rest of them are or if they have been reduced to traveling merchants. As mentioned, the gerudo are extinct. Presumably, countless hylians were left to drown when the great sea came.

at the end of the game, I feel like it’s one of the only games that shows you how TIRED link is. And how young he is. He collapses after the fight with gannondorf is over, clutching his injured arm and staring at Gannondorfs dead body. That he has just STABBED IN THE HEAD. (Side note: up until this point link has done this silly little happy dance when he defeats a boss, jumping up in the air and pumping his fists. It is that much more striking when the final battle, full of dramatics and speeches and harsh color pallets, is served in silence. Link looks absolutely haunted by his actions).

Gannondorf towers over him, and dosent even give him the choice to fight him at first. He punches a literal child because he cannot afford to lose again. Link leaves him and the last remains of Hyrule to drown.

all of this is wrapped and packaged under this timeless cartoon artstyle that people take (or took) one look at and decide is a children’s game. All my Linked universe fans, this I feel like also applies to Wind. He’s almost 14, has killed a man and looked him in the eyes while he did it, yet the chain takes hits for him and underestimate his talent.

this game is so relevant to today it’s scary. The loss of land, the emphasis on how the next generation is what matters, how Gannon and the King look at the great sea and only see it for what is was and not what it is now, how beautiful and exciting it is for Link and Tetra. I love wind waker to pieces.

anyways thanks for coming to my Ted talk pls remember to drink water, do some stretches and take care of urself!! <333

#Really went on a tangent there wow #wind lu #linked universe #wind linked universe #wind waker

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jazzjlan · 3 months

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ok look, this has been scratching my brain the past few days and i had to let it out, fair warning though it's not THAT shocking it just fascinates me and i was going insane as the damn linebeck stan i am

midway through this blog i just checked the zelda wiki and hyrule historia again and found out 100 years passed since then, so just a small warning this is all BEFORE i found out about the 100 year gap between the games, and theory's rather going with the more "logical" 70-80 years

This is basically related to Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, and specifically Linebeck himself. Based on some rambles of mine one random night at 4 am, with no prior research but facts from Hyrule Historia, and autism.

In Spirit Tracks, you come across Linebeck III, who looks very similar to Linebeck himself from Phantom Hourglass. He gives you a letter from his grandpa, which is signed "Linebeck Senior". Initially I thought; "Is his grandpa Linebeck's father? Is Linebeck this guy's dad, then?" But turns out I was wrong.

I was reading Hyrule Historia the other day (i have the french version, hence the french screenshot underneath) and it says that Linebeck III is not only Linebeck's descendant as mentioned in-game but also his grandson. Therefore, Linebeck Senior is in fact the guy we all know (and love) from Phantom Hourglass.

don't worry, i got you covered, put a translation at the top as well

But then I was confused. I asked myself; "Wait, how did Linebeck ALREADY have a grandson???"

Putting Linebeck aside, if we pay close attention to Niko, the silly hehe pirate from Tetra's crew who appeared since Wind Waker, we notice that he's aged up, from possibly a child/teen to a grandpa. I'd like to pretend Niko's around 14-15 during TWW and PH.

So if we think about it, a lot of time has passed since the events of Phantom Hourglass, let's say 70-80 years. we love you grandpa niko

Anyway, going back to Linebeck, let's say he's in his 40s, and so is Linebeck III (maybe younger, he seems like it), and if we still say that the average human life expectancy is 80 years, that means Linebeck III is born when his father's the same age, being 30-40 years old.

If we take this same pattern with Linebeck (Senior) and his child (Linebeck II), that means...

Linebeck's a father during the events of Phantom Hourglass???

i'm honestly shook over this fact idk why. it's just so funny to me to think of linebeck as a dad, seeing his personality and the way he acts and so on. i just always see him as some bitchless pathetic stinky garbage man LMAO

With whom did he even have this child? Jolene? Who knows?

Personally, I just think it's funny to think of Jolene's being after Linebeck's ass because of that child he possibly abandoned. But that's not the canon reason why she's after him, that being just pure revenge.

honestly i'd like to think of it like that it's just hilarious like "LINEBECK FOR FUCKS SAKE WHERES THE CHILD SUPPORT"

However, if we delve into the more canon timeline, being ST happening 100 years after PH, that would mean that Linebeck possibly had his child after finding land, by the end of PH. It's either that, or he could just be much older than I thought (like, maybe 60?) and he's already had his child.

and niko's old as fuck and somehow still thriving

wild

thanks for listening to my rambles baibaiii

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zarvasace · 3 months

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1931 Vampire AU!

For those unaware, I wrote a bit of a neat Linked Universe setting AU last year that I haven't done much with, but I really like it and want to share a bit more about it! Links to the existing fics where relevant.

The series on AO3 is here!

(It would also be fun to develop this AU a little more, and I'd like to draw some stuff for it, so if you send in an ask about it, I might answer with a doodle. ;) )

AU basics: a hidden magic world in America, the year 1931 after WWI. None of the boys are human (except Twilight, at least at first), but they all think they're hiding magic from everyone else, at least for a time. :) There are a lot of magical peoples in this world, organized in their own ways, e.g. merfolk kingdoms, fae courts, the vampire councils, entire hidden cults, and hunter organizations. Ganon exists, but he's a hidden threat that they've all faced in one way or another.

Character summaries!

Wind: the focus of this AU. (The original fic was an excuse to make him very cool.) He was born 1696 in Florida ish, at the height of the golden age of piracy. He was turned into a vampire by Tetra in about 1710 and is eternally physically 14. He sailed with her crew (all pirates) for a few decades. She was invited to the western vampire council in Spain in 1750 as the vampire pirate queen, but... stuff went down. (fic: Body and Soul Marooned) She and her whole crew died, along with a lot of vampires. Wind survived, getting a nice angsty scene in there where they said wedding vows as she died, and went on to try and warn other councils about the upcoming massacres. Because most vampires died during that time, Wind is one of the oldest vampires still alive, and most who survived that time owe their lives to him.

Warriors: the secondary focus of this AU. He was a legitimate soldier during WWI, proper age and everything. When Wind enlisted, Wars took it upon himself to guide this seemingly young kid, and got killed doing so. Wind turned him into a vampire, not wanting him to die. (fic: In the Chill of Battle) He has a fun relationship with Wind, both of them taking the big-brother role in turns. Wars is a younger vampire, but his brain and body was able to mature more, so. Before Wars knew Wind, he was also captain of a division with Time, not that Time remembers that right off. Wars acts the responsible adult, so he gets them both hired as part of Time's team.

Time: he's Twilight and Wild's uncle. When he was a kid, he was whisked away to Faerie and replaced by a changeling for a few years. He fought his way back to find that time had passed differently for him, so he's mentally older than he appears. He didn't get out without being touched by the fae, and is beholden to some of their rules. He's the only one old enough to have enlisted in the military at a legal age, and used his status as a veteran to get a job at a local police station as a sort of detective. That's how he collects all the boys. :)

Wild: half-vampire. He's aging slowly, but still aging. He's close to Twilight, but always felt like he didn't exactly belong. Vampires as an organization don't believe there are many dhampirs out there, and don't like them, but a few underground cells have been organizing. Wild had a few run-ins with them. He's aware of a lot more magic than people think he is, having networked out to several kinds of magical peoples. The Yiga are a cult of shapeshifters that are out for his blood. (fic: Caged) He joined the team when the existing members came to save him and Twilight from them, later in the "story." Wild is one of those in the group willing to do Mad Science. :)

Twilight: is human. He dealt with Wild his whole life, so he's aware of vampires, but not much else. Over the course of the "story," he gets turned into a werewolf, so all of the boys get to deal with that.

Sky: he's a lynchpin of the team! Without Sky, not everyone would be there. He's an air elemental by birth, fairly important in those familial circles but mostly separated from them these days. His natural form is not exactly... physical. He knows Time from the war (he enlisted at too young an age near the end, and didn't see much combat, but made connections), Legend from some of what Legend did (aka everything, but specifically some merchant connections in this case), and found Four on his own. Sky doesn't count as fae at all, but he's in-tune with the environment and flow of magic around him. (He's not happy about the dust bowl.) He is pretty oblivious to the others being magical, though.

Four: he's rather disconnected from the others, in terms of backstory. To understand him, you have to know that there are six courts of the fae: one for each season in the wheel, with a light and a dark in the center and outside. Four grew up in the Light Court, full fae. One of the princess's Minish advisors betrayed the Light Court and gave power to the Dark (hi Vaati), and Four helped to restore balance. In the process, he had to change. The courts didnt generally trust each other, so Four split into four fae with the help of magic, one for each seasonal court. More magic and betrayal happened, and Four is semi-stuck as a Dark fae now. He can become a shadow and hide in other shadows, but he's vulnerable to light in general. When he left Faerie for the mortal world, he found Sky, who pretty much adopted him as a little brother. He's very protective of Sky.

Legend: is a prince of one of the merfolk kingdoms. He saved each of the underwater kingdoms at least once, then ventured to the surface to find more wrongs that needed righting. He isn't obvious about it, but he has a good heart. He's kind of sort of employed as a spy and informant, but he focuses on supernatural issues. He's more of a special ops agent than anything, though he does like to find people who'll pay him for doing what he wants to do anyway. He's been practically everywhere and done practically everything. He definitely heard of Wind, but didn't connect the dots right off. Merfolk aren't considered fae, but his particular family line made contracts with fae long ago, and he has some of their geases in a lightened form. He figured out pretty quickly that everyone was magic and trying to hide it.

Hyrule: is full fae, like Four, but of the Spring Court. He lived in the human world his whole life, a street kid who had to keep his fae nature tightly under wraps, which could get difficult around the promises and names and iron of daily life. He moved around a lot. He was captured for a year or two by unscrupulous scientists and rescued by Legend, who took him to Sky and Time. (fic: EPISODE SEVEN: Lost and Found) He's the resident healer and mad scientist.

Other Fics

More Than You Can Chew: the beginning of the "story." Starts with Wars confessing he's a vampire, and then they go rescue Wind, who's been captured by wannabe hunters.

Council: sort-of ongoing fic about Wind taking the rest of the Chain to the latest vampire council meeting. >:)

#1931 vampire au #linked universe #my writing #uh should i.... yeah ill tag the boyos #lu time #lu twilight #lu wild #lu warriors #lu wind #lu four #lu hyrule #lu legend #lu sky #why not

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gliphyartfan · 9 months

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@yanderelinkeduniverse @stars-for-thought @imprisioned-in-the-hole @screaming-until-god-hears-me @crestfallenmermaidan @ice-cream-writes-stuff @linked-heroes @justanerd1

I wanted to punch my screen. This one was frustrating to get started but it seemed to get easy once I got a flow!

(I took too long I know! I'M SORRY!)

The bottom rung of the ladder wasn't a position Niko enjoyed. More often than not, this position meant that he was the crew's errand boy rather than a fearsome pirate in his own right.

Dishes to be cleaned, a deck to be mopped, the assortment of chores that the rest of the crew members couldn't be bothered to handle were left to him to deal with. It was an endless cycle of thankless tasks, and while Lady Tetra was a wonderful pirate to lead the crew, Niko was growing tired of the mundane routine. He longed for the excitement of the seas, of heart pounding dangers that made the best stories.

The only source of excitement lately was when captain Tetra had been taken by that giant monster bird and soon after was the brief arrival of an islander who's sister was kidnapped by mistake.

The newest swabbie on the crew was rather strange though, kinda on the quiet side.

In fact, the only time Niko had heard him speak was when he had to convince the captain to let him sail with them.

He even simply nodded when he was introduced to the rest of the crew.

"Hey, newbie," he said, clapping him on the shoulder. Niko remembered having approached the new recruit with a excited smile.

"Learning the way things work on this ship will be tough, but stick close to me and you'll be alright!"

The newbie had simply nodded in response and followed him down below the deck.

It had honestly astonished Niko how fast the new guy finished the initiation trials. (and on the first go too!)

But Niko wasn't going to question his underling's natural skill. (Which may have been aided by his obviously helpful advice)

Perhaps the newbie isn't one for chitchat.

And perhaps he noticed the newbie looking up at the stars with a (lifeless) distant expression on his face from time to time.

As the days passed with the newbie. Niko couldn't help but acknowledge how strange he was, how he would stare at everyone and not say a single word.

Particularly Captain Tetra.

While normally, Niko understood the desire to stare at the captain, as she was the very example of a capable pirate. Anyone who was confronted with her would be fools to not notice her skill and leadership.

But the newbie didn't stare at her like that. Didn't look amazed or in awe. Instead, his expression was...one of detachment, as if he wasn't actually seeing her at all. As if he could look past her, looking at someone else entirely.

It was unnerving, (and Niko sometimes wondered if there was something wrong with him.)

Despite the mystery surrounding him, Niko couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the new recruit. He was setting sail for his sister's sake.

Even Niko couldn't deny that going so far for someone needed a certain level of inner strength and determination that Niko could only dream of having. (So it was such a confidence booster when the newbie listened to his orders without a single complaint.)

Niko tried to talk to him when they weren't on duty, but he would always brush him off with a shrug, or stared at him until Niko made a quick retreat.

Sometimes, Niko couldn't help but wonder what the newbie was thinking about, but before he make anything out of his curiosity, the newbie left as quickly as he came. (though he did manage to make a spectacular view as he was shot from the catapult)

And for Niko, that was that. He was back to being the lowest member of the crew, barely having enjoyed ordering the underling around.

It was back to mopping the deck, cleaning the dishes, and doing that HORRIBLE laundry.

He eventually pushed the former newbie from his mind the days passed like nothing new ever happened.

Recently though, the captain had been on the trail of some big treasure and had decided to stop at Windfall island to 'procure' some bombs. And of course, Niko was tasked to watch over the ship as the crew made their way to the bomb shop.

Niko couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. There was something about that night that didn't feel right. (If there's one thing he's confident about is his ability to keep track of time, and it should have been daylight already.)

But before he could voice his concerns, the crew had already made their way off the ship. He busied himself with some below deck cleaning. Nothing better to do at a peaceful island.

It was when he was sweeping around the boxes that a loud crash was heard from above, followed by the sound of something moving.

As he looked up towards the ceiling he could hear the door leading to inside the ship swing close, which meant whatever came onto the ship was now below the deck.

..And it was his duty to guard the ship while everyone was gone.

...

After a moment's hesitation, Niko made his way up towards the door way to the stairs, his heart pounding in his chest.

...Not that Niko was scared or anything. He was a pirate after all.

He has sailed along with his crew through many storms! (Even if all he did was hide below deck.)

Along with facing down the most fearsome of sea beasts! (Even if all he did was hide below deck.)

Niko could feel a chill in the air. The ship eerily silent despite the occasional creaking. He tried to peek around the corner, trying to catch if anything else was there or a glimpse of whatever had made that noise.

But there there wasn't a good angle that didn't expose him, just the empty space even as he heard slow footsteps making their way to the stairs.

He cautiously pressed himself against one wall, his hands shaking. The footsteps got closer, and as Niko was about to reach for his dagger, he saw a figure emerge from the shadows.

It was the new recruit.

Niko hadn't expected him to have survived, given what he had heard about the giant bird. The newbie looked around, clearly searching for something, before his gaze landed on Niko.

Niko straightened up, his hands moving to hide behind his back, even though technically he wasn't the one who should have been nervous. "N-Newbie! Wha-what are you doing here?" He stuttered, smiling weakly as if he hadn't been in hiding.

"I-I mean, you're alive! My swabbie Link is alive! The others said you got done in by that bird monster at the fortress, so I had assumed..." He grew quiet before shaking his head and smiling at the newbie.

"Never mind what I thought! You're alive!" He laughed, the tension quickly dissipating as he realized he was just being silly. "What are you doing here? I thought you were dead!"

The newbie, Link, looked at him with that blank expression he seemed to always have, his eyes hiding everything yet nothing at all.

"...I was looking for you," he answered back, the sound of his actual voice making Niko jump in surprise, not having expected a response.

The newbie's voice was scratchy...rough, as if he hadn't had a sip of water in a long time.

Niko couldn't help but feel a sudden sense a unease. "Sure...what do you need?" he asked, his voice betraying his nervousness.

Link cocked his head a bit, his eyes fixed on Niko's. "I need bombs," he said. "I need to locate something."

Niko gulped, "Uh..O-Okay," he said, his voice shaky.

Link nodded and turned towards the rest of the under deck.

"I just...have to do the second rope challenge, and clear the area before the gate to the bombs close, right..?"

Staring at his back, Niko noticed how...thin...his shoulders were.

Actually...now that he focused, the newbie's clothes, they were rather worn out. Torn at the edges, and was that...were those bloodstains on the cuffs of his sleeves..??

Niko flinched when the newbie looked back at him, staring into his eyes before slowly shifting them over to the doorway across the room.

"U-uh..yeah! I bet miss Tetra must've already told you about our latest acquirement huh?" He laughed nervously when he noticed the newbie's eyes narrowing a bit towards the end.

Clearing his throat, Niko quickly focused on the matter at hand.

"So uh! You want the bombs? I guess if you pass the second rope challenge, I can give them to you." Even though he knew he'd get in trouble when the rest of the crew found out, something in the back of his head told him giving the newbie any other answer was a mistake he shouldn't make.

Link nodded, his eyes never leaving Niko's. "Thank you," he said simply before turning back to get into starting position.

As he started to make his way across the hold, Niko couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Something about the newbie just didn't sit right, and Niko couldn't shake the feeling that he was toeing the line with something dangerous.

But he shook the feeling away, telling himself that he was just being paranoid. The newbie was just on the track of finding some treasure, just like any real pirate would.

Yet as he watched the newbie swing across the hold with ease, Niko couldn't help but think that the newbie had done this before.

The closer he swung over, the more Niko grew more and more anxious for some reason.

He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the newbie make it to the other side, and Niko tried to smile in support.

"Well done, newbie!" he called, trying not to sound too anxious. "You passed the second rope cha-"

The newbie didn't pause as he walked passed Niko and headed straight for the chest holding the bombs.

"Ah...um, Newbie-" Niko raised a hand, as if to reach out to him, but just as Link finished placing the bombs in his pouch Niko jumped as a familiar voice rang out of nowhere.

"That's mighty courageous of you...trying to steal treasure from pirates."

Niko felt his heart race as his captain spoke to the newbie through the same stone she had, especially when she mentioned stealing. (Miss Tetra hadn't sent him??)

Niko looked towards Link when miss Tetra finished the conversation, hoping that some form of explanation was given.

But the newbie didn't react, just kept his gaze fixed on the chest with the bombs, his hands clenched into tight fists. "Um...so, you have a stone just like the captain huh?" Niko asked, his voice shaking slightly. "You know, you're really lucky... to have her... her attention...uh..."

The newbie didn't respond, his eyes still fixed on the chest.

"I'm just glad..you know...she didn't seem to mind the fact that you were...uh, stealing from her..." Niko rubbed the back of his neck, unsure what to even save right at that moment.

"I mean, I'm sure she wouldn't have tolerated that from anyone else."

The newbie finally turned to look at Niko, his expression unreadable. "Don't worry, Niko," he said, his voice distant. "I'm not stealing anything. I'm just doing what needs to be done."

"What needs to be done huh? Boy, you must really want to rescue you sister." Niko said.

The newbie shook his head, his eyes intense and focused. "I'm not here to rescue my sister." He paused and shook his head again. "I mean, I am...she's my sister..I love her."

Niko took a step back, feeling a sudden chill run down his spine as the newbie looked at Niko, his expression still unreadable. "But I need to reach...the others," he said simply before turning and walking towards the doorway. "I don't know if they'll be there but...I need to see with my own eyes what's true, to see if She's waiting for me at the end."

Niko stood there, feeling a mix of confusion and fear as he watched the newbie leave. Something about him just made Niko feel uneasy, like he was walking a fine line between danger and insanity. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he contemplated what to do, but before he could speak up, the newbie paused.

"Actually...I'd like to ask you something...Niko," he said, Niko flinching as he heard his name spoken.

It shouldn't have intimidated him as much as it did.

"...O-Okay?" The newbie turned on his heel slowly as he began to speak.

"Imagine you woke up one day...and a flood of memories made their home in your head," The newbie began, his voice low and soft.

"Memories of people and places you didn't know existed. That you shouldn't know existed, shouldn't even find familiar," He exhaled through his nose, "But you do, you do and it all makes so much sense even though you know it shouldn't. All those precious memories, but not knowing whether they are real or not." He paused, his eyes fixed on Niko. "What would you do?"

Niko took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. "I...I don't know," he admitted honestly. "I never really thought about something like that before."

The newbie continued to stare, his eyes never leaving Niko's.

"I don't think I can tell what's real in my head anymore," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "And I need to know. I need to know for sure."

Niko nodded slowly, unsure of what to say. "I understand," he said finally. "But...what does asking me do to...help?"

The recruit slowly looked at him, and with the light of the small room, Niko finally got a good look at him for the first time since he was last on the ship.

...and he looked...horrible.

His green clothes looked more worn out than he realized. (And that was definitely blood on his sleeve cuffs.)

He was a bit thinner then he last remembered, skin was so pale, as if he hasn't seen the sun in months, and his hair was almost limp, strands clinging to his face.

His eyes...They didn't focus on Niko...not entirely.

Almost as if the recruit was staring through Niko.

And something told Niko that the last thing he would ever want is his undivided attention.

"...I hate her..." Niko tilted his head in confusion.

"Your captain," he clarified simply, to Niko's shock. "I hate her."

"I-uh-you..." Niko was completely bewildered by the sudden confession. "Why would you say that?"

The recruit shrugged, his eyes blank. "...I can't trust her. I can't trust the witch's vessel. I can't...I can't trust anyone that sides with the vessel..."

He stared off to the side, the corner of his mouth twitching for a moment before looking back.

"If I think about it...l can't even trust you."

Niko took a step back, unsure how to respond. He didn't know what to say to something like that. He could feel the tension in the air, and he knew he wasn't safe.

He wasn't safe at all.

"But..you were nice to Her..." he continued, unconcerned by Niko's state.

"You helped make Her smile."

"Um..." Niko swallowed dryly. "Who-uh w-who are you-"

"She looked so happy when She was up on the crow's nest," he continued, a smile stretching across his face. "The way you helped Her with the rope challenge, the little trinkets you gave Her as a prize."

It was absolutely simple smile, a smile anyone would have as they reminisced about a fond memory.

Just looking at it sent a chill down Niko's spine.

This kid wasn't okay, Niko could clearly see that now.

But he couldn't leave him alone, not knowing what was going on in his head.

(Not knowing if the crew would be in danger if he let the new recruit go now.)

"Look, I know things have been... tough for you lately," Niko started cautiously. "But you have no reason to distrust anyone. At least not us, right?"

The recruit shook his head, his smile quickly fading. "No, wrong," he said firmly. "You and I are not on the same side. You follow the vessel, and I have no interest in being loyal to her."

Niko could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he looked at the recruit, a sense of unease growing inside him. He knew this wasn't the safest situation, but he couldn't just leave the recruit alone. "Listen, I-I know you don't trust me," he began, his voice gentle. "And I don't know what...vessel you're talking about, but I'm here for you, okay? We're crew mates after all."

The recruit stared at him for a moment, his eyes unreadable. "You don't know what I need," he said finally. "You don't know anything."

He stood back and started to walk away, but Niko grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Tell me about those memories." He blurted out as the recruits eyes returned to him.

"What do you mean?" the recruit asked, his voice emotionless.

"You said you couldn't tell what's real anymore. What memories are making you think like that?"

The recruit paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing, Niko thought his question didn't work when he began to speak.

"The memories..." he started slowly, his voice distant. "They're...mine...I think? They feel mine. But...I don't know. It shouldn't make sense, I never even met any of them...or will I? I-"

He pressed his hand against his head, "I can't accept anything yet," he repeated, his voice frustrated. "Not until I know for certain."

Niko let go of his arm, feeling a sense of helplessness. He didn't know what to do or say to help this recruit. He felt like he was out of his depth.

"But..what makes you think the memories are fake?" Niko asks him.

"...What makes you think they are real?" He asked Niko in return.

Niko frowned, unsure how to answer. He had never been faced with something like this before. "I just...I don't know what to think," he admitted honestly. "It all feels so confusing."

"..I suppose.." The newbie said, his tone changing oddly. Niko swallowed, could feel the blood drain from his face as he saw the recruit's eyes turn into pure ice. It was the chilling to even look at it.

Like a raging sea storm that had frozen under a wall of solid ice.

"T-T-The memories, how clear are they?" Niko continued to talk, hoping that if he kept the conversation going, he'd find something that could help him get out of this encounter intact.

"Clear enough to hate your captain." Came the blunt answer.

"O-oh..." Niko really didn't know what he was doing. "O-Ok, um-"

"Do you know how much I want to hurt her?" The newb-Link said, Niko could see how tightly he was clenching his fists.

Niko took a step back, his heart racing. "I-I don't," he said, his voice shaking. "I really don't."

"I thought I knew hatred...when I first laid eyes on my sister's kidnapper." Link continued, his voice low and dangerous. "But this is different. It's like...a thousand knives twisting in my chest, and I can't make it stop."

Niko felt a chill run down his spine.

"I want to squeeze her neck until her face is completely blue." He kept going, taking a step forward.

"Uh, I-I don't-"

"I want to bash her face against the ship's handrail until she bleeds." Link went on, his eyes glowing with anger. "I want to crush her head under my boot until her skull cracks and she stops breathing."

Niko could feel himself starting to panic. He knew that he needed to defuse this situation, but didn't know how. "I-I-" he started to say, but Link cut him off.

"I want to tear her heart out with my own hands." He said, his eyes murderously cold, his voice heated with hatred. "I want to break every bone in her body until she is nothing but a pile of twitching meat and broken pieces."

Niko was horrified by Link's words.

"Link, please, c-calm down," he said, his voice shaky. "We can talk about this. You don't have to do anything rash-"

But Link wasn't listening. He let out a guttural scream, his entire body shaking with rage. "I want to kill her!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the empty ship. "I want to hurt her so much! So much that she can't even dream of living after what I've done!"

Niko could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, and he took several steps backwards, feeling utterly helpless. He had never seen anyone like this before, and he didn't know what to do. "Link, please." Niko watched as Link breathed, his chest heaving. "Please, j-just calm down. We can talk about this, you don't h-have to do anything rash!"

But Link didn't listen. Instead, he charged towards Niko, his fists clenched. "That damn witch had something do with this!" he shouted, his voice filled with anger and pain. "I know it. I shouldn't be here! I shouldn't be here without any of them! Without Her!!"

Niko tried to grab Link's arm again, a bad choice that resulted in him immediately lashing out, catching Niko off guard and sending him crashing into the wall. The recruit's fist connected with Niko's jaw, and Niko tasted blood as his teeth bit into his tongue.

Before Niko could gather his wits, he felt hands grasp the collar of his shirt and hold him up against the wall. Blinking away the stars from his eyes, he looked at Link.

And Niko took back what he had previously thought earlier about the newbie's first expression.

The expression Niko currently saw was by far the coldest he had ever seen.

Anger so cold, it was burning.

Link's eyes were empty, like a distant ocean. His lips were pursed in a tight line, his knuckles white as he gripped Niko's shirt. "Did she plan for you to ask me these questions?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. "Did she order you to keep tabs on me?"

Niko rapidly shook his head, feeling fear crawling up his spine, was the newbie losing it? Did he think Niko-

"N-no," he stammered. "I'm just.. a c-crew member..a swabbie! I don't know anything about-"

Link cut him off, his voice a cold whisper. "Don't lie to me Niko."

"I'm not!" He cried out, tears building up in his eyes.

"I-I just clean and do the chores! Please don't hurt me!"

Link stared at him for a moment, before letting go of Niko's shirt and stepping away. "...sorry," he said, didn't sound very sorry. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Niko felt relieved, even though he wanted to curl up and cry, but knew that the danger wasn't over yet. The newbie was still clearly not alright, and he could snap again at any moment. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. "It's...okay," he said, his voice still shaky.

"I just hate your captain so much..." Link muttered, his eyes fixed on nothing in particular. "She was so disrespectful to (y/n), and I could barely stand to look at her after that."

...(y/n)? Is that the one he speaks about? Niko never met someone with that name.

And miss Tetra never interacted with someone with that name either.

As Niko tries to make sense of Link's words, the young hero continued to mutter, uncaring if Niko was even paying attention. "She never appreciated Her kindness. Always complaining about Her presence, unworthy witch's vessel. Unworthy of being near such warmth. I need to rid of her, got to make sure everything is perfect."

"But miss Tetra never did anything!" Niko exclaimed. "She was always kind to everyone, even to the most lowly crew members like me!"

Link turned to face Niko, his eyes still distant and cold. "You don't understand," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "The only thing that matters is making sure (y/n) is safe. I can't let anyone or anything get in my way."

Niko watched Link carefully, unsure of what to say. He had never seen anyone so unsettling in his whole life.

"T-This girl...(y/n).." Niko flinched when the newbie returned his focus back at him again.

"S-she...ah..you say she's in those...memories?"

"Yes." Was his answer. "She's there, in all of them. I need to find a way to get back to her." Link said, a hint of desperation leaking into his voice.

"She's in the memories...that you don't know are real-ugk!" Niko felt Link's hand wrap around his neck, squeezing tightly.

"Don't talk about her like that!" Link growled, his eyes burning with anger. "You don't know anything, nothing! so you have no right to talk about her like that!"

Niko struggled to breathe, feeling the grip on his neck tighten even more. "P-please," he pleaded, his voice weak. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just..I just..!"

Link let go of Niko's neck, but his eyes were still filled with rage. "She's real," he said, his voice shaking with emotion. "She means more to me than anything in the world. I can't lose her, she's real!"

Niko watched as Link began to pace back and forth, muttering to himself.

"It's real. It's real. They're real. She's real. She's waiting for me. I'm making Her wait. She's there. She has to be there."

Niko was nervous, very nervous.

No, he was utterly terrified. He didn't know what to do, what to say.

As Niko watches Link pace back and forth, his mind is racing.

He takes a deep breath, trying to steady his frayed nerves. "Link," he says softly, trying to draw his attention. "Link, please calm down. You're not making any sense."

Link continued to pace, continued to mutter, more frantic, more desperate.

"She's real. (y/n) is real. They are all real. I can't lose Her. Lose them." His voice was cracking, his face looking less cold and more upset.

"But I don't know. There's not enough evidence! How can I know for sure? Do I wait? Finish this whole thing? See if the end is the same as I recall? Will she be there? Will I see any of them? How will I-"

Niko watched as Link's voice trailed off, his mind lost in thought. He had never seen the young hero so lost and confused before, and it made him feel uneasy.

Link looked at Niko, his eyes hollow and distant. "I can't lose her," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I can't lose any of them."

"You..." Niko took a moment to think about his words before continuing.

"You're scared she isn't real, that the...memories of her aren't real...right?" He swallowed as Link returned to silently staring at him.

"B-But..the reason you..h-hate..miss Tetra...is because of those memories too...right?"

The recruit was still frowning, and still staring at him, but didn't react negatively.

"I..I mean, I don't really...know this type of stuff, so there always a chance, no matter how small that-" when he noticed Link's frown deepen further, he switched tactics.

"L-Look"I-I mean..I don't understand what you're talking about-"

"You really don't." The recruit suddenly interjected.

'-...But if it WAS real..would..wouldn't you not need to... hate miss Tetra?'

Wind simply looked at Niko.

'...W-Well, no matter WHAT memories you have, y-your body reacts to..things you actually experienced. I-I heard once that every time you experience something, it leaves a mark in your brain and-"

"Get to the point." Niko nodded rapidly.

Right. Sure. To the point.

"The point is that...maybe the memories you have of (y/n) are real. Because...the anger you have for...miss Tetra is real too."

Link blinked slowly, head tilted to the side.

"You remember dates and names right? Locations..faces..and the voices attached to those faces right?" Niko asked, trying to keep his voice steady. "So maybe the memories you have are real too. And if they are, that means (y/n) is real too."

Wind remained silent, his eyes fixed on Niko. The silence stretched on for a several moments, Niko shifting where he stood, his heart pounding harder then it ever had before. Finally, Link spoke, his voice quiet and low. "Maybe...maybe you're right," he said, his eyes still on Niko. "The memories..they are real.."

Niko nodded rapidly in agreement, even if he didn't understand anything that was currently happening. "Yes, yes. I'm sure of it! And if they are real, that means (y/n) is real too. She must be out there, waiting for you to find her!"

Niko watched as Link nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on some distant point.

And slowly, Niko watched as his face shifted from it's despondent expression and blossomed with a animated liveliness he had never seen on his face before.

He truly appeared like a completely different person.

"Thank you Niko," Link said, his voice warm and sincere despite the roughness it held, the difference in his tone was genuinely like night and day. "You've given me a lot to think about."

As he turned to leave, Niko called out to him, his voice hesitant.

"Newbi-Link...are you...(Sane? Stable? Capable in not killing someone?)...okay?" Link paused for a moment, then turned to face Niko, his eyes glinting with...something that hadn't been there before.

"I'm fine, Niko." He smiled, it was..strange..so very alien on a face he never saw smile before. "and I'll be more than fine when it's all over."

And with a pat on Niko's trembling shoulder, he disappeared through the doorway, leaving Niko to watch him make his way out of the hold and disappear up the stairs.

After he could no longer hear footsteps from above, Niko collapsed. his whole body trembling from the whole ordeal he just experienced.

He was unsure of why exactly, but he felt this intensity within him, as if he had prevented something catastrophic that wouldn't have ended well.

Not for Niko. Nor the crew.

And definitely not for miss Tetra.

Niko had prevented something that none of them would have been able to recover from.

(And no one will ever believe him.)

His trembling breath quickened as his eyes grew blurry with more tears.

He had survived something dangerous.

That...thing...wasn't normal. Not human. There was no way that thing was a kid, no way he could be human.

Not with those eyes...those unsettling eyes.

(...no one would believe Niko.)

He didn't even believe himself, and he was the one who endured it.

He survived a demon.

He survived a monster that not even the whole crew assembled would have been capable of defeating.

(No one would believe him.)

No one would believe that the new recruit wanted miss Tetra dead.

Because of memories even he didn't know if they were real.

(No one would believe Niko.)

No one.

Absolutely no one.

As his thoughts spiraled out of control, Niko buried his head in his knees, trying to stifle the sobs that tried to escape his mouth and failing.

It was too much for him to take in.

It was all too much.

The bottom rung of the ladder may have been a position Niko did not enjoy, but he’d take it happily, stay beneath the ship and do all the chores necessary.

He'd do it with glee if it meant the unsettling recruit stayed far far away from him.

Stayed far away and found no reason to see Niko as a target.

Yes, the bottom rung was a good place to be if it meant staying away from monsters like that.

----

"What happened to make you take so long Link? I could not see through the charm."

"I got the bombs, dunno why the charm didn't work." The young sailor shrugged at the King of Red Lions. "Tetra could reach me just fine."

"Ah, I see." The King of Red Lions nodded, his expression unreadable.

"Well, I'm relieved we were able to obtain the bombs without too much trouble. We need them if we're going to speak to Jabun."

"Yes, I'm aware." The young hero replied as he climbed into the sailboat.

As Link settles into the boat, the King of Red Lions turns his head to him.

"Are you alright, my boy? You seem a bit distracted." Link nods, "It's nothing, I'm fine."

The King of Red Lions studied Link for a moment, seeming not satisfied with the answer. "You've had a experience, I can tell. and I can not ignore how you've lately been eating and sleeping less. Whatever it is, it's clearly left you shaken."

Link averted his eyes, not wanting to speak about his experience, not to him at the very least. "It's fine, really. I just need some time to myself."

The King of Red Lions nodded, understanding. "Take all the time you need, my boy. But know that I am always here for you if you need to speak." The young hero didn't say anything, merely nodding at his words.

With that, the King of Red Lions looked forward as Link guided the boat away from Windfall to Outset island.

Leaving the young sailor to his thoughts. Still so far away from the end of this journey. And then there's the other one...

After that...Wind would be met with the portal that would lead him to the good captain's battlefield.

If the captain didn't remember him...didn't remember (y/n)...

...

Wind shivered, pushing away the horrible thought. He took a deep breath and focused on the task at hand.

As he navigated the boat through the ocean waters, Wind reflected on all that had happened to him so far. Waking back up on Outset Island, watching his sister being stolen away by the Helmaroc King, the unexpected reunion with Tetra, and the possible knowledge that his beloved (y/n) might not be real.

He still didn't know how to process it all, but he knew that he needed to keep going.

He had to believe that there was still hope at the end of this.

Finishing this journey is step one.

Step two is regaining his phantom sword. Which involves dealing with saving Tetra from being turned to stone. An unpleasant fact he had to face but he'll deal with it.

Step three, be patient and wait for the portal to the captain's era to appear.

He didn't want to wait, wanted all of this over with so he could stop being left in suspense and know for certain that the memories in his heart were real.

They had to be real.

She had to be real.

And Niko...goofy, silly, cowardly Niko.

Wind hadn't expected listening to the scared little pirate to be so helpful, Wind had spoken to him on a sheer whim.

But the cowardly pirate was right, if his hatred towards Tetra was real, then (y/n) was real as well.

It was such a simple thing, almost flimsy in it's simplicity.

Yet it was enough.

It was enough to keep the Hero of Winds going just a bit longer. if he stopped now, all hope of ever seeing (y/n) again would be lost.

He needed to find the determination to continue, no matter how hard it was.

And he knew that he would.

The Spirit of Courage he and his fellow heroes held would not allow him to falter.

The wind picked up, blowing through the sails of the King of Red Lions, sending Link towards his home island.

The future was as certain as it was uncertain, but he knew that as long as he kept moving forward, he would find what he was looking for.

And he knew that he would find it.

Because the memories in his heart were too real to be fake.

(y/n)...

Sweet, beautiful, perfect, wonderful (y/n). Wind's mind drifted back to memories of her, her smile and her warmth. He remembered the simple moment when he was holding her hand as they walked along the beach, sharing a quiet moment.

He remembered the feel of her lips on his cheek as She cheered for his win during a sparring session. And he remembered her laughter, bright and free, echoing across the camp.

(y/n)...

How he desperately missed her.

Yet instead of being by her side alongside his fellow heroes, here he was...

Here he was. Nobody. Nothing.

Not a form of proof of his trials and suffering that he knows happened. Of the joys of being in Her presence.

Just memories that even he still had doubts about.

But that would change soon wouldn't it?

Soon he would kill Ganon and be in his way to the World of the Ocean King.

And soon after...the War of Eras.

Just a bit more.

Soon...he'll have an answer.

Just...Just a little bit longer...

But it's hard...

It's so hard when when he had to deal with a bossy girl who didn't learn act nice to him until she properly awakened as Zelda. Then, it was as if she wanted him near her all the time.

And back then he, blinded by his own naïveté, had let his delusions of friendship convince him to like someone like her.

Tetra...(blood inheritor/Witch's vessel/worthless/unwanted necessity) was a very smart girl, loath as he was to admit it. A keen eye and she'd figure something was happening if he doesn't play nice and amuse her.

And the King...he would be with Wind for as long as this journey took. There was no doubt he was already looked at with suspicion.

So, loathed as he was to accept, he had to behave. He had to play along. He had to keep stay brave and strong and confident, even when he felt anything but.

As the ship sailed towards the next destination, Wind relaxed against the boat, watching the dark waves crash against the side. The ocean breeze blew through his hair, and he felt a sense a calmness that he had not felt since waking up as he sailed the darkened sea.

He would find the proof that She was real. He would see (y/n) and make up for his failures.

And he would make sure that his mistakes would never happen again.

He'll be reunited with Her and his trusted sword brothers, he'll be away from the Witch's blood heir and he'll be happy. Besides, the guys would be upset if he gave in and killed his Zelda.

(And if they remembered, he had no doubt that they were in the same boat as him.)

And (y/n)...

While there wasn't anything truly worse than losing (y/n).

Disappointing Her was always high on the list.

Wind had promised Her to take Her across the Great Sea. To show Her New Hyrule and teach Her the beauty of sailing.

He needed to keep his promise.

He had to be responsible, had to show he had good self control.

He was going to do this. He had to.

'I'll be good, so don't be mad.' Wind whispered nearly silently, the sound of the waves covering what noise he made.

'I'll be good...' he whispered, wiping the tears that had built up in his eyes on his dirty sleeve. 'So please be real.'

Sweet (y/n) Kind and trusting (y/n). She made the weight of responsibility feel like nothing when he was around Her.

Sweet, kind (y/n), who was always ready with open arms when one of them needed it.

She was what he always imagined a true Angel could be.

He had to keep going. He had to see the end of this.

It's not like Tetra wouldn't be easy to kill when this was all over if she tried to push him.

He could behave.

He would behave.

(y/n) deserved nothing less then a Sword that not just protected her, but made her smile.

He just has to keep going.

"A bit more now." He whispered to the ocean breeze which stole away his words and vanishing them into the darkened sea.

"Not much longer."

#linked universe #yandere linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu #loz #yandere #linked universe x reader #lu wind #ttau rewrite #rewrite

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