#Loftwings

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Do you think Loftwings can lay unfertilize eggs like chickens? If I recall, Cawlin & Strich threw some eggs at Link during the wing ceremony which I’m sure were from Loftwings. And do you think, like chicken eggs, Skyloftians eat them?

I don’t see why not, most birds can do that. Can you imagine trying to get the eggs, though? Trying to get them away from a brooding loftwing who’s fluffed and clacking her beak and looking irate? Haha no thank you

[batrogers]

Summary:

Sky went out for a moment to clear his head, but they haven't run into everything that's shown up in Wild's Hyrule yet and brief bad luck in the air turns into something worse than even slamming into the ground could ever be. His knee brace might have survived the fall but it can only do so much.

Rated M for graphic violence. Choking and severe pain. Whump.

Somehow I have managed a more sadistic title even than Mangled Wild, huh? @l3ominor lets me do such lovely things to her bois <3

[ghirasdagger]

disclaimer for the theory i am about to present: im not saying any of this is, or should be, cannon, it’s a semi- headcannon that i find interesting.

i feel like it’s been fairly well established that the whole “rito evolved from the Zora” thing really raises more questions than it solves. I mean sure, the presence of both in botw can be explained by speciation, in which two groups of the same species becoming so geographically separated they emerge as two different species. but that doesn’t change the fact that the basis of the ritos creation is based on the idea that Zoras (creatures who live in the water) would have to evolve into creatures with wings because…hyrule was flooded? It could be explained by the idea that zoras are like dolphins and needed to breathe air but, that can be done without flying and Sidon is depicted as having gils (pic below).

Because of this, i kinda came up with my own theory for the rito that i feel like is a lot simpler and fits well with the timeline anyway.

thinking back to the end of skyward sword, it’s heavily implied that the people skyloft eventually colonize the surface, starting with Link and Zelda. As we can see in later games (most prominently ocarina of time), Hylians are an entirely land-based people. i would assume that over time, the people of skyloft/the hylians spent more and more time on land, using their loft wings to travel to the sky less and less. While the loftwings can travel to the surface once the cloud barrier has been dispelled (as they do at the end of sksw cutscenes), they are air-borne creatures who need to fly.

It’s my theory that the loftwings, now remaining in the sky while their masters have less and less use for them, have to become a bit more independent and more organized for the purpose of survival with less help from their previous owners. The loftwings are clearly intelligent creatures, able to sense the presence of their skyloftian counterparts in skyward sword, and being able to decide who their rider will be as children (although i understand that has a bit more to do with fate, ik). Eventually, over the thousands, tens of thousands (??) of years during which the minish cap, four swords, and oot take place, the loftwings evolve into the rito, albeit very slowly.

This explains a lot of things imo. The lack of rito up until wind waker is explained by the loftwings/rito still being mostly sky-bound and not evolved enough to act as a civilized race with the other peoples in tloz. It explains the coexistence of both zoras and ritos in botw and totk. the only thing it doesn’t account for is the lack of zoras in wind waker, but with how much water there is in that game, a case can easily be made for them just being somewhere else. Also this theory in its nature negates some of wind waker’s plot.

just some thoughts, also ik this is impossible given when the games were all made. This is purely based on the canon timeline given in hyrule historia

[nebquerna]

i love the Loftwings!!

[prince-of-goths]

"Nintendo, can we have loftwings for our better sky island zelda game?"

Nintendo: "No, we have loftwings at home"

Loftwings at home:

[aurathian]

Hand in Hand | AO3

for @zelinkcommunity Zelink Week 2023, prompt: hand in hand. this work doesn't contain any totk spoilers!

Fandom: Skyward Sword

Rating: G

Summary: Link and Zelda overcome their fear of jumping--together.

“Go on, you can do it. Jump off.”

Even though Instructor Owlan was known for his soothing, easygoing voice, his words were anything but to little Zelda. She stared straight down into the swirling clouds below, only a short, terrifying leap away.

“I can’t,” she whined. “It’s scary.”

“You’ve flown before, haven’t you?” the instructor asked. She nodded meekly, her body unmoving from its precarious position on the edge of the deck. She could practically feel the gaze of her father, standing just a ways behind, burning into her back.

“You know how to whistle, and we’ve practiced jumping before,” Instructor Owlan continued, resting his hand on Zelda’s shoulder. “I know it’s scary, but I also know you can do it.”

Still, she shook her head and stepped back from the ledge. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

“Maybe Link can show you how?”

Zelda’s normally courageous best friend stepped forward from underneath the shade of a tree, twiddling his thumbs and looking everywhere but Instructor Owlan. He shook his head too, and a wave of relief washed over Zelda. Her mind had been filled with horrid images of him falling and his bird never answering his whistle, images of Link disappearing into the clouds below and never returning.

They had met their Loftwings, played with them and cared for them numerous times before, but now that they were tasked with actually jumping off the island she wasn’t sure if her bird would answer. One time, her dress got snagged on one of her Loftwing’s talons and it screeched in pain. Did it forgive her after that? Would its payback be ignoring her call? She shuddered at the thought.

“You got this, Link,” Owlan encouraged, but the little boy only shrunk back into the shade. The instructor sighed. “Headmaster, I just don’t think today is the day.”

“That’s alright, Owlan,” Zelda’s father said, stepping forward to meet their group by the tree, safely away from the edge of the deck leading to her doom. Thank the Goddesses, his gaze was much softer than she imagined. “I remember my first time jumping off. Actually, it took me a while. We can try again tomorrow.”

“Of course.”

Instructor Owlan said his goodbyes and gave some final words of encouragement to the children–which they didn’t find at all encouraging–and went on his way to the Knight Academy to teach the last classes of the day.

“We’re sorry,” Zelda said to her father.

“Have I ever told you two of my first time diving?” he asked. The pair shook their heads and began to walk with him around the front of the Goddess Statue. Gazing up at Hylia’s smiling face, he reminisced.

“I was a fussy kid,” he began. “I went to the deck kicking and screaming. I was terrified of the sky and much preferred to call my Loftwing to the island instead. I didn’t want to fly it; I was perfectly fine just grooming and feeding it and then letting it go on its way. But… riding Loftwings is a fact of life for our people. Everyone has that first jump, and for some, it’s effortless. For me… well, it took over a week of bringing me to the deck everyday, coercing me, until finally I jumped. Maybe I was sick of the hounding.”

“Why did you jump?”

He hummed in thought before casting his fond gaze down at Link and Zelda. “My mother dove with me,” he said. “She held my hand and we jumped off the island together, and I whistled for my bird and everything was fine.”

“I don’t think I can do it,” Zelda murmured.

“The sky is big, but it’s even bigger when you’re just a child.” His words were meant to be comforting, but the pair still wore uneasy faces. He knelt down and took one of their hands in each of his. “What are you scared of?”

Link leaned up to Zelda’s ear, cupping his mouth and whispering something only she could hear.

“Me too,” she replied aloud. “We don’t want to fall into the clouds. We don’t know what’s down there. We could… could…”

“You won’t die,” Gaepora chuckled. “Nobody has fallen beneath the clouds before. Our knights make sure of it, and they’ll keep you two safe.”

“Okay,” Zelda sighed, unconvinced.

“We’ll try again tomorrow. You two go on now, but Zelda, you be home for supper.”

“Yes, father. Bye bye.”

And the two children ran off towards the waterfall to play, down rickety flights of stairs and through stone plazas. For a few hours in front of that waterfall they forgot about the Loftwings and the clouds and the great big sky and the thought of falling far, far below them, never to return…

…until Link pushed Zelda a little too close to the edge and she scrambled backward as quickly as she could.

“I’m sorry,” he said, speaking only as he does around her. “I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay,” she reassured him, standing up and dusting herself off. “I’m just… scared.”

“Me too,” he admitted. “I don’t think I can do it at all.”

Link, timid as he was, was usually the one who dragged her along on his grand adventures around Skyloft. Sneaking out to the graveyard at night, going into the cave when they aren’t supposed to, running through the Knight Academy halls–he spearheaded those operations and Zelda gladly tagged along, practically glued to her best friend. Maybe…

“We could do it together,” she offered. “Even if we don’t jump. Maybe if we just stand there together, we can get the courage.”

“You’re brave for standing there,” Link frowned. “I can’t do it.” He slumped onto the grass, plucking strands from the earth. She sat down beside him.

“Remember when you hit Groose down there once because he was picking on you?”

Link nodded, fighting back the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Or that time you took an extra helping of soup from the mess hall?”

“When I wasn’t supposed to? Yeah… and then I got caught, so it wasn’t that cool.”

“It was cool to me,” Zelda huffed, crossing her arms and sticking her nose up. “It was also cool that night you snuck into my room from the roof–how did you even get up there? And then we spent all night reading books in the dark and playing games.”

“Yeah, I did do that.” Link dropped his head into his hands. “I don’t know why you’re telling me about it.”

“You’re brave, Link,” she replied, “and I think, if we do it together, we can do anything.”

“You were right with me all those times.”

“So, come on!” Zelda leapt up and extended her hand. “Let's at least go stand on the deck. Then maybe tomorrow, we can look over the edge.”

“Okay…” Hesitantly, he took her small hand and hoisted himself off the ground. Together, they walked back to the Goddess Statue as the sun began to set over Skyloft, casting its golden rays all around them. The evening breeze blew steadily, warm and soft, as they climbed the stairs back to the statue. Zelda insisted they stop for a quick prayer.

“For safety,” she said.

“I don’t think the Goddess can catch us,” Link replied.

After praying (and Zelda ending hers with, “Also, I pray that my father does not serve meatloaf tonight.”) they went behind the statue to one of the most isolated decks on Skyloft where they had been practicing– er, trying to practice, earlier. They’d jumped off of high points around Skyloft before, but the heights weren’t drastic and there was always a mountain of cushions and people below to break their fall. Now, only the clouds awaited them, and whatever lay beneath should something go awry.

Zelda forced herself to walk onto the deck, making sure to keep her gaze straight ahead and not stray to the sunset-golden void beneath her.

“Come on,” she beckoned Link, who had stopped behind her. Outstretching her hand, he hesitantly took it, steps shaky as he closed the distance between them. Side by side, they approached the edge.

Link’s eyes searched Zelda’s face, noticing the way she gulped and swiped at her forehead. He couldn’t help the shaky exhale that came from his lips.

“What if…” Zelda mumbled to herself, briefly releasing his hand to sit and dangle her legs over the edge. “See, this isn’t so bad.” She offered her hand once more and he took it with less reluctance this time, gingerly putting his legs out into the air. The tension dissipated and they dangled beside hers. The pair sat in silence, basking in the evening breeze and dying light, relishing in each other’s company, purposely ignoring the task at hand. She never said they had to do it right now, but… with him, she felt like anything was possible. So she stood, bringing him with her.

“I’m going to do it,” she declared. “You don’t have to do it with me. I can show you how easy it is.” Inside, she was screaming. She was terrified, but if it could help Link overcome his own fear, she would do it.

“No,” he said. “I’ll do it with you.” His hand squeezed hers a little tighter out of fright and fondness, and she smiled.

“Okay. On three.” And she counted. One, two, three…

They leapt off the platform, hands entwined as they plummeted through the sky, and for a moment the excitement was so overwhelming they almost forgot to call their Loftwings until Zelda positioned her fingers at her lips and blew, causing Link to follow suit. With a whoosh their birds swooped beneath them, close enough that with outstretched arms their fingertips still grazed against one another. Their hearts pounded in their ears, breathing heavily, enjoying the relaxing glide of their Loftwings.

They flew side by side (if they had hands, Zelda thought, would they be holding them too?) and as the little girl looked upon her childhood hero, who had bested bullies and teachers and risked getting caught for countless things, now beaming in the shining sun, she knew they would be alright. Shifting a little closer, she held his hand just a little tighter.

[breannasfluff]

Hey, I love your wingbois au, it's such an interesting concept and I love the character dynamics. I am curious though - how would having wings change things in Skyloft? Without the need for Loftwings to transport them, are the Loftwings more just beloved pets/companions? Or is there something else?

Thank you so much!! Character dynamics is one of the defining things I like to focus on. Not a lot of action all the time....but a heck of a lot of talking haha. Also birds. Birds are cool.

So I'm actually going to link you here, because I just recently wrote up a nice little bit about loftwings! Nothing else to add to it at the moment, but hopefully that answers your questions!

[thecalendork]

Were you lucky enough to have clear skies for the eclipse yesterday? Or did you have to peer through the clouds? We were lucky in that New Brunswick was perfectly clear all day 🌒😁

[deiliamedlini]

Linktober Day 12: Flying

[alphagirl404]

Loftwing Variety

We know Loftwings are inspired by the Shoebill Stork bird. But would it be kinda cool if there were different types of Loftwings? Each based on a real life bird with their own strengths?

Examples:

Eagles are strong, so eagle based Loftwings could be very strong too. Good for fighting sky monsters or carrying heavy loads

Falcons are fast, so maybe falcon based Loftwings can be fast. Great for Skyknights to catch people who fall off Skyloft, or for getting to places in a hurry

Owls are known to be nocturnal, so owl based Loftwings would be night flyers. Perfect for Skyknights patrolling at night

Those are just some examples I can think of.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

I should be going to sleep right about now (even took my sleep meds like a responsible adult!) but I'm thinking about loftwings again.

I have to wonder if they use molted feathers and down to make mattresses and pillows on Skyloft. They look super soft and warm.

I mean, it’s a symbiotic relationship between the two, so probably! Birdies are so soft, I love nuzzling my baby loftwing ☺️

[corndoggoose]

My favorite quote from the best character ever

[greenokapiarts]

I wasn't really planning to do Linktober but while I'm recovering from my surgery I wanted to just doodle some small things...and also featuring Ghirahim because I am hyperfixated and predictable... 

That said, (a very late) Day 1: Bird

Is Ghira’s loftwing he got in a comic I drew a while back~

[linktheacehero]

Day 12: Flying

@linktober

[skyward-floored]

So wait, I've been seeing the designs for the Reverse Stork and it's making me think--are loftwing's Hyrule's version of the stork, as in, 'where do babies come from'?

Youknow, I had a conversation with my brother to this effect once, he didn’t believe me though :/ I think I drew something about it too for him, but I don’t know where it ended up XD

Anyways, I think they are! I can totally imagine little skyward sword Link being told that he came from the stork and absolutely believing it. He wonders where his Loftwing goes at night and realizes “oh he must be delivering babies!”

[kiiibs]

I forgot to post stuff again 💀💀💀

Here's my peice the June game of telephone in the link universe discord server (: