#linked universe fanfiction

[mothfables]

“Should we be concerned?”

Hyrule’s question has Wars glancing up to follow the traveller’s gaze towards the fire, where a small ball of pink fluff lies facing away from everyone else. Legend, currently in the form of a rabbit, is curled tightly into himself. Warriors can see him trembling from here.

There’s a whine and Wolfie makes his way over from the other side of camp, moving slowly so as not to startle the other transformed hero. Legend doesn’t seem to notice.

There had been an incident earlier with Twilight’s shadow chrystal; the captain isn’t entirely sure what happened, but somehow both the rancher and the vet had been changed into animals. Wolfie they were familiar with, but the sudden appearance of a small pink rabbit had been a surprise to everybody. Legend had immediately refused to look at any of them, curling into himself with his ears pressed flat as if trying to hide in plain sight.

In any other circumstance Wars would tease and poke lighthearted fun, ruffling soft pink and getting snarky jabs in return. Right now, though, it’s clear it wouldn’t be taken well at all. Obviously this is something Legend hadn’t wanted anyone to know about, and a freak accident had outed that secret to everyone at once. Wars feels a stab of sympathy for how miserable he looks. No wonder he’s hiding.

Wolfie whines again and lowers himself to his belly to crawl forward and nose at the other. It takes a moment, but pink slowly unfurls to reveal a tiny, trembling nose and long ears that flick at every noise.

Legend stares at Wolfie with his dark eyes, so glittering and sharp even in this form, before he nudges his little face into the wolf’s side. Wolfie lets out a happy yip and wraps himself around him with a wag of his tail.

Legend gives a sound that’s surprisingly close to a sigh and settles close against dark fur. His trembling eases and then stops altogether as he’s surrounded by protective warmth.

Wars smiles at the sight and claps Hyrule on the back. “Everything’s just fine, traveller. They’ll be alright.”

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

Wild's Wolf: Febuwhump Day 6 -- "You (They) Lied to Me."

Tw: Implied child abuse, medical whump, human experimentation.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Wild knew what was coming by now, when he heard the metallic chime that preceded the opening of that metal door. The hazy memory of rough hands and voices, fear and violation, and above all pain, pain, pain sent his heart racing.

Beeeeep! The door swung inwards with a slow fwoosh! 

Wild backed himself into the furthest corner of his hiding spot underneath the bed, nearly sick with anxiety, as he eyed the man that stepped inside. That in and of itself was odd—these strangers usually dealt with him in overwhelming groups, so that any defense he tried to mount against them was easily crushed. The man even looked different—he wore not the universal white coats common to all of his tormentors, but instead a beige turtleneck sweater and black leather jacket. He was a lot taller than his regular tormentors, too, and broader, though he still had those rounded ears that Wild was learning to hate. The door hissed shut behind him.

He must be worse than all of the others combined, Wild determined, if he was willing to step into the room alone. And he was already coming towards him. Wild raised his shoulders, bracing himself for another fight for his life, a fight he already knew he’d lose like all the ones before it.

The man’s tall boots stopped at the edge of the bed. Then he crouched, stooping down to peek under the bed, and his single eye met Wild’s two. His singular eye. His other had been gouged out, signified clearly by the neat scar that ran over the closed eyelid. Vibrant, blocky tattoos streaked harsh angles across his face, and more climbed the column of his neck and poked out from the hem of his long sleeves. He was obviously strong and battle-worn, and he was coming for Wild.

A shiver of fear ran through the kid. A feral growl left him, and he scrambled back further into the little cranny made by the bed, ready to kick for all that he was worth as he bared his teeth. Oh Hylia, he wasn’t escaping this, he thought faintly.

The man blinked his singular eye owlishly at the response, then bared his teeth back in a wolfish smile. “Hey there, kid,” he said lowly, maintaining an intentionally jovial tone. “What are you doing under there?”

The professor’s voice crackled through the speakers. Behind the one-way glass, the researchers turned up the sound, tuning in through their earpieces.

The kid, of course, gave no response. Those odd long ears of his pinned themselves back against his head similarly to those of a wary cat. Time could see, now, the stark bruises left by cruel hands blossoming underneath the pale skin of his wrists and arms, the deep bags hanging underneath his terrified eyes. The hospital gown he wore hung loosely over his skinny, shivering frame. They hadn’t been kind to him.

If that was true, they’d be here for a while. He might as well make himself comfortable while he tried to earn a bit of the boy’s trust. Time lowered himself to the tile floor and sat against the wall with a groan, which prompted the boy to growl, louder that time. “Oh don’t be dramatic, I’m not threatening you, I’m just old,” Time said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’m sure you’ll be making all these sounds too, one day.”

Those long ears flicked forwards curiously. A bit of the defensiveness left the boy’s coiled up posture at his tone, and the snarl on his face faded into something softer. Then his shoulders raised as he seemed to remember himself, and he shifted back again, hugging his knees to his chest as he looked away. He warbled something that Time couldn’t even begin to decipher, though it sounded familiar—and those researchers were right, that was not a human language—but given the fearful edge to his young voice, he could translate with mild confidence all the same. Who are you? What are you going to do to me?

“I’m not going to hurt you, kid, don’t you worry,” Time said soothingly. He reached into his pocket. “In fact, I’ve got a little treat for you.”

Time withdrew the crinkly aluminum packet in his pocket, and out of that a jabber nut. They were disguised as regular candy—chocolate covered walnuts would be a good comparison—so believably so that they’d been okayed by the researchers without a second glance. He offered one to the kid.

The boy gazed at the candy sitting in the center of Time’s palm, reaching hesitantly out to take it, then flicked his eyes back up to Time’s face. Whatever he saw there made him go pale, and he moved back, resolutely turning away. Still, he snuck childish glances at the piece of candy, like the refusal hurt him. His stomach audibly rumbled in the cold, silent room.

“Oh come on, drama queen, it’s not poison or anything. I know you want it,” Time said with fond amusement. He popped the jabber nut into his mouth, and he made a show of chewing and swallowing in demonstration before he fished out another for the kid. “There, I ate one. Not poisonous, see?”

The kid frowned up at him, looking between the jabber nut and Time himself like he was trying to figure out whatever trick was hiding there. He put his hand forwards as if to take it, then drew it back to his chest, his face clouded with indecision.

“Go on, it’s okay, kid.” It was like feeding an untamed, flighty cat—like one of the ones Malon kept out in the barn, who even after months of progress could be sent scrambling with any sudden move—but Time was nothing if not patient. He kept an easy grin fixed to his face and the lines of his body intentionally open and non-threatening as he scooted a little closer, shoving the offered piece of candy forwards with a little inviting thrust. “It’s for you, you can take it.”

The boy seemed to have a sort of debate with himself as he eyed the candy in Time’s hand, his hands twitching at his sides. Finally, the boy's face screwed up, and he snatched the candy out of Time’s palm. He shoved himself back into the corner of the crawlspace just as quickly—knocking his head against the bedframe in the process, which made Time wince in sympathy—and hunched over the jabber nut, turning it over and over between his fingers. Time only just held back a laugh as he took a long deep sniffffffff of the treat, then darted his tongue out to sneak a taste of the chocolate coating. He jerked back from it with a delighted sound, his long ears waggling similarly to an excited puppy’s tail.

This… was odd, Time thought, eyeing those too-familiar ears, the ones he hadn’t seen in decades, maybe even lifetimes. The researchers had contacted him on the basis of getting his help in establishing communication with some feral child they’d discovered living in the forest. They’d spun a tale of a child raised completely divorced from any other human civilization before now, a golden opportunity for linguistic advancement in the study of him that Time just couldn’t pass up. But they’d mentioned nothing of the obvious otherworldliness about the kid, though the picture they’d sent him had spoken magnitudes, and once he arrived, they were talking about differences in species.

Details were being withheld from him intentionally, it seemed.

Finally, the kid put the chocolate in his mouth, biting down on the jabber nut inside with an obnoxiously exaggerated crunch! Time smiled to himself and tapped at his watch, timing out exactly minute.

Time didn’t even have to wait for that long for the boy to grow bolder. He edged forwards until he was nearly at the edge of the bed, holding his hand out in clear request.

“I’m sorry, you can’t have another one. It's not good to eat more than one at a time.” Time shook his head pointedly, then shot a glance back at the one-way window at the opposite side of the room. The researchers had said that he’d eaten nothing since they’d “gotten” him what seemed to be days ago, poor kid. “Maybe we can request some food for you, huh?”

The kid muttered something back darkly, his disappointment clear in his pout. Time glanced down at his watch. 15 seconds.

“Y’know, I wasn’t always a language professor. If you know what a professor is, I don’t know if you have ‘em where you’re from,” Time began conversationally. “Before that I was certified as a child speech therapist. Turned out to be a good thing when it came to my dissertation, because they’re really the best when it comes to the model of language learning. Y’know, one of my favorite projects, they have this dialect of ancient Mayan out in the really rural parts of Central America, way down south from here, and anyways my youngest went out with me that trip, his mother was a nervous wreck, but I told her that we just had to go, especially since they put us up in one of the nicest hotels down there…”

It was always funny to watch a jabber nut kick into effect. The boy uncrossed his arms, furrowing his brow and frowning as Time continued to prattle on—talking at length was one of his strengths, he knew, whether or not there was something worthy of being discussed. The boy scrubbed at his eyes and pressed his hands over his ears before lowering them again, his expression a perfect picture of bewilderment.

“Wha…?” the boy managed to get out, his eyes wide. “...you can…?”

“Magic,” Time whispered with a conspiratory wink—a blink, really—and a grin. The researchers watching would see nor hear any of their conversation—to their ears Time would continue to speak English, and the boy Hylian. He tapped away at his watch again, setting another timer for 10 minutes. “What’s your name, kid?”

The boy bit his lip until it blanched between his teeth, studying Time’s face as if trying to determine his trustworthiness from sight alone. “...I’m… I’m not supposed to tell my name to strangers,” he said at last, dragging his fingers along the grout lines of the tile floor. 

“My name’s Time Forrester. I have a wife, Malon, and a couple of kids of my own about your age,” Time answered. “We’re not strangers now, are we?”

The boy shrugged, shifting uncomfortably, but he finally offered up with a touch of shyness in return: “My… my name’s Wild.”

“Well, Wild, would you mind coming out here so that we can hold a real conversation?” Time said smoothly. “I don’t know about you, but my back’s getting all cramped, and there are two perfectly good chairs over there."

Wild shook his head, murmuring something about how they’d come back and hurt him that Time clearly wasn’t supposed to hear.

Time paused, chewing over that phrase. Then he spoke. “I know this is all confusing for you,” he said as diplomatically as he could manage. If he kept talking, he could almost pretend that his voice didn’t tremble. “I don’t know a lot, but I’ll do my best to answer any questions that you have, if you’ll answer mine in return, I promise. Is that all right?”

Wild nodded. And when Time stood, stretching out his aching back, then extended his hand down to him, Wild only hesitated for a second before he took it.

First Chapter >> Previous Chapter >> Next Chapter Coming Soon!

[mishwanders]

Hi again

Can I pat Time’s head please👉👈

I’d force a side part in his hair so he can be like the other Links

I love him I swear

Ima do you one better - wash his hair and give him head pats for sitting somewhat well lol.

Characters: Lu Time x GN!Reader

A/N+Warnings: N/A, we are forcing old boy to get his hair done. Safe for everyone. Written by Mishwanders - pls do not repost.

“Will you sit still, please?”

Time sat in front of you by the stream, crossing his arms as you continued to comb through his moblin gut covered locks.

“I would if you’d stop pulling so hard.” He muttered, ready for this whole experience to be over with.

You scoffed. “Is that a complaint I hear? You know I could go get Wars to come over here and deal with it.”

Goddesses, the thought of Wars trying to get the moblin guts out sounded like a nightmare with how meticulous that man already about his own hair. Time has more than enough memories of the wars with the man trying to do his hair, only for him to place his hat over it and ruin the look.

He’d rather pass on than experience that again.

“That’s not necessary.” He said, “I’d rather it be you than him.”

“Okay. I’ve almost got it all out, just sit still for a bit longer.” You replied, going back to your meticulous work of pulling the guts out. Thankfully it didn’t take much longer of the pulling before you finally set the comb down. But the next thing he knew you were soaking his scalp in cold river water, causing him to yelp at the sudden sensation before you began to lather up the lye soap in his hair.

“Is this really necessary?” He complained, taking hold of your wrists while he looked up at you.

“Do you want to continue to smell like moblin guts until we get to town?” You countered

He sighed, resigning and allowing you to continue your work. “Fair point.”

He could sense you were smiling in triumph over bring allow to take the reigns in this situation, your hands massaging the lathered suds in. It felt nice, almost enough to make him relax.

Almost.

He couldn’t help but also be hyper aware of where the others were, knowing for a fact that they (specifically the Veteran) would have something to say about it later.

When you were done, you had him bend over the water, pouring more cold river water over his head to get the suds out. When he stood up and looked back at you, he looked nothing like the hero you knew and more like a wet dog fresh out of the bath. His long locks were straight in front of his face, sticking to his skin.

You chuckled at the sight of it, before dragging him back without another word and forced him down in front of you. He was practically blinded with a towel as you ruffed up his hair again.

“Is this completely necessary?” He asked, his words muffled by the towel.

“Oh absolutely!”

You removed the towel from his head to find his hair had puffed up from the vicious way you were handling it. He could feel your hand gently patting it, hearing the small “boop” leave you.

Hylia, give him patience -

You also weren’t done there. You combed through it and messed with it in a million different ways, styling it in each of the other Chains hair styles for the fun of it, even taking to attempting to put some braids in it at some point (which he had to admit, he kind of liked) in an attempt to find something different he might like but you ended up styling it in the way you knew he liked the best, the same middle part and bangs you were accustomed to seeing him with. You could see the man visibly relieved to have his hair back the way he liked, moblin gut free as you stood in from of him, gently patting his bangs in place before patting the top of his head. By that point he was getting flustered and tired of sitting in one place, so you let him go free. “Okay, I’m done.”

He gently patted his bangs in place, ensuring the would stay that way himself before giving you his thanks. Your smile was practically beaming from his minor praise. He knew you enjoyed being helpful, even if it was something small like this. Your expression made a smile tug at his lips as well. “You did good. Maybe next time I could put in a braid or two.”

Oh that absolutely got your gears turning in your head, the ideas on what to do flowing like the river beside you. “Yes! And I can put some pretty flowers in too! Oh oh oh - what if we cleaned of some of the bones of one of the animals Wild hunts and use it as a hair piece? You’d look so cool with that! Which one do you think you’d prefer?”

He chuckled at how excited you were over it, although the thought of having bones in his hair was not something he ever considered. He gently patted your shoulder and responded.

“Surprise me.”

[oneweirdbookaddict]

“Better terrible truths than kind lies.”

-Six if Crows, Leigh Bardugo,

Promises are made and broken. How could Time watch his friend die when it’s possible the other is safe? Which choice is the right one?

4456 words.

Warnings for torture, kidnapping, vomiting. Let me know if there should be anything else!

~~~~

He thought things couldn’t get much worse when he was kidnapped with Sky and Four.

After days of starvation, he was losing hope of being able to break out of here. And they had, if his internal clock is correct (and it always is), one more day until their captors started torturing them.

His eyes find the smith, who’s shackled to the wall of his cell, bars separating them.

Sky lays unconscious on the floor of Four’s cell, the smith finally tearing his gaze from the skyloftian as the teenager clears his throat.

Storm cloud grey eyes find his, expression deadly serious. “Time. If it comes down to it, save Sky. Not me.”

He pauses, unsure of what to say to that.

“Four, don’t-”

“Time, promise me.”

“Four-”

“No, Time, I don’t want to hear the ‘it won’t come to that,’ or ‘we’re all gonna get out of here,’ you don’t know that. Promise me- that if it comes down to it, if you have to choose, you will save Sky and let me die if you have to.”

“Four I can’t-”

“Do it!” Four snaps, eyes flashing blue. “Sky has people at home who need him- friends who need him, family, his Zelda! I’ve got no one, ok?! It doesn’t matter to anyone but you guys if I make it! Sky has people who need him! He has a future! Promise me, Time!”

The desperation and raw fear in the kid’s voice makes him pause. Slowly nod, more out of surprise than actual agreement.

“Say it.” Four demands.

“I promise.” He says weakly.

“Promise what?” Four insists, arms crossed.

“If- if it comes down to… a choice… I’ll save Sky.”

Four relaxes, slowly releasing a breath and relaxing as much as he’s able with the chains around his wrists and ankles. “Thank you.”

He feels sick. How could he do that? Promise that?

But… it won’t come to it, he reminds himself.

All of them are getting out of here. Alive.

~~~~

He’s jolted out of the restless doze he’d managed to fall into by the sound of his cell opening.

Blearily, he raises his head to the bars. One of the weird soldiers in red is staring at him, laughing cruelly when he startles and yelps in shock.

“Wakey, wakey, little one! I had the honor of picking the first victim of our torture. Unless… you want to save us the trouble and tell us where the hero is?”

He slowly licks his dry, cracked lip, spitting in the face of his captor.

Instead of being angry, the man seems excited. “That’s what I thought. Come on, little boy.”

His chains are replaced with heavy shackles that make it very hard to move- especially with the lack of food and water.

He casts a cautious glance into Time’s cell- the leader is watching wearily, making the briefest of eye contact with him.

“Save. Sky.” He mouths, and Time looks away.

Then he raises his chin and allows the soldier to lead him out of the cell, down a hall, up a staircase that nearly makes him pass out, down another long hallway, and back down some steps and through a large room and into a little hidden door and through- he loses track, which he’s sure is the point of the ridiculous route.

But eventually the soldier stops him, and he’s forced to lay on a table as he’s chained up again.

“It has been five days, boy.” Another soldier says. This one is bigger, taller, holding a much larger sword. “Your friends are not coming for you. You will save yourself much pain if you simply tell us where the hero Link is.”

He stays silent, looking into the eyes of the mask.

“We can be merciful. We can release you, feed you, tend to your friend’s wounds. Where did your friend, the hero, run to?”

“I wouldn’t tell you even if I knew.” He snaps, cursing himself for replying. But hunger and dehydration make him woozy, and he can’t trust himself.

He’s glad he’s not sure where the others went.

A soft sigh comes from the leader-seeming one.

The smaller one pulls out a wicked looking knife, long and jagged and clearly having one intended purpose.

“We’ll do this the hard way, then.”

He raises his chin as much as he can. “Bring it. Come on.”

The first slice is to his leg. Another quickly joins it.

And another.

On his calf, one above another. Four long cuts, for the four colors on his tunic, the leader says.

A break, another question, another chance for him to talk.

They move up to his arm.

Four long, thin slices that bleed heavily and quickly are dripping all over the floor.

Then the other arm. Then the other leg.

He takes it without noise, keeping his eyes locked firmly on the leader.

I’ve had worse, he hopes it comes through. There is no part of me that isn’t broken and healed, and I am stronger because of it.

“Break bones.” The leader says in a bored tone of voice.

He grits his teeth as the soldier nears him, bearing his teeth. “Let’s go, then. Break ‘em. Which one you gonna start with? I recommend the ribs. Painful and damaging.”

Sure enough, the first blow is to his side. Knocks the breath right out of him, the fight in him faltering.

Then his wrist.

He has to bite back a yell, tears streaming down his cheeks now. But he forces himself to talk- he will not break. Never.

“That all you’ve got? Clean breaks. Those will heal up fine in a month or so.”

Mistake. The leader pauses, then hands something to the soldier.

A mallet.

A mallet.

“Smash his hand. Shatter the bones beyond repair. Maybe he’ll be willing to talk then.”

All the fight in him evaporates.

They can take a lot from him.

His sword, his armor, his tunic, hell, his dignity. But his thing, the thing he defines himself with is his craft.

Shattering his hand will destroy that.

The leader enjoys the fear he can’t hide in his eyes.

His breaths quicken, tears pricking in his eyes again, entire body trembling against the chains.

“Last chance, little boy. You’re a craftsman, I can tell. Surely the hero isn’t losing your work over?”

He swallows defiantly, making himself look at the leader once more.

Another sigh.

A wave of the hand.

The hammer swings down, down-

“I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY WENT!” He screams, squeezing his eyes shut.

A loud slam, the air of the hammer blowing an ironically gentle breeze on his hand.

His teeth are chattering.

The corner of the table collapses, leaving a jagged edge on the solid wood.

“I don’t know where they went. We- we were planning to get to the stable nearby. That’s all I know.” He whispers, closing his eyes again.

He’s shuddering violently, uncontrollably, even more when a gentle hand brushes his hair out of his face.

“What’s your name, little boy?”

“Four.” He whispers shakily, forcing himself to swallow.

“Well, Four. I think you’re lying to me.”

His eyes fly open.

“You kidnapped me! I’ve been here for days! How am I supposed to know where they went?! I-”

“He annoys me. Find an interesting organ and remove it.”

A knife plunges into his side, and all the air in his body is sucked right out.

In. Out. In. Out.

Slowly, the knife cuts his flesh open. Open. Doing goddess knows what to his body.

It hurts.

He’s been stabbed before, by weapons much worse than knives, but he’s never had surgery while wide awake.

He tenses as much as his body allows him to, sweat mixing with the tears running down his face, teeth biting his lip bloody.

He knows they just want to hurt him to get Time to talk. They know he doesn’t know where Wild and the others went. They know that Time does.

And one look at Time tells them the old man isn’t going to break through good old fashioned torture. But… maybe they can negotiate his torture’s end through Time’s information…

All they need him to do is scream.

Sound pained.

Act the part.

I will not, he tells himself, blood dripping down his chin from how hard he’s biting his lip to keep himself from screaming.

I won’t, he reminds himself as he sobs, thrashing as much as he’s able to- which isn’t much.

But in the end, he’s not Twi, with his strength, or Wars with his unshakable confidence, or Wind with his courage.

He’s a teenager who grew up privileged in a comfortable house where he knew little pain, went on a relatively easy adventure compared to the heros around him.

He never died or faced a god.

He thought he knew pain. How wrong he was.

The knife brushes his rib cage, and he screams.

~~~~

A scream cuts through the silence of his cell, echoing down the long, empty halls.

He runs for the cell bars, looking down the hall, calling Four’s name, but sees nothing and gets no reply.

Just another agonized scream.

Then- “Time!”

He falters. “Wars?!”

“Time! I’m here, where’s Four, where’d they take him? Where’s Sky? We’re gonna get you out.”

“Go get Four, go get Four, I don’t know where he’s at-”

Wars nods quickly, already moving down the hall. “I’ll be back! I’ll be right back!” The captain shouts, and then he’s gone.

He waits one long minute. Two. Three. Fifteen.

Wars comes rushing back, Legend and Twi behind him, a multicolored bundle in the rancher’s arms.

Blood on both Legend and Wars, whether it’s Four’s, their own, or… someone else’s, he doesn’t know.

“Bleeding out as we speak, we have to go!” Legend snaps before he can even ask, slipping a hand through the bars into his cell.

“Take this bracelet, touch the wall, activate it, inactivate it. I’ll explain later.”

He’s seen quite a few things, during his adventures. Been transformed and transformed again, into thing after thing after thing. A deku scrub, a zora, so on and so on. But he’s never been a painting until now.

He shudders once he’s back to normal, shakily handing the vet his bracelet back.

“You get used to it. Where’s Sky?” The vet say, sliding it back over his hand.

He shakes his head weakly. “They took him. He was hurt. Badly. Haven’t seen him since.”

The three share a long look.

“We have to go.” Twi says quietly, looking down at a beat up and very bloody Four. “He’s not gonna last much longer.”

Wars peers at the smith, checking his breathing and his pulse. “Five minutes to look. Split up, meet back here or get left behind. That’s all we’ve got. Twi, keep that wound covered.”

A tense nod, and they all split.

He searches room after room after room, hollering Sky’s name, looking, looking, well past five minutes.

But he finds nothing, hits a dead end, and has to go back.

And they leave.

Four’s barely breathing, deathly pale, and his pulse is so, so weak. They don’t have a choice.

They leave Sky somewhere in the building, getting Four back to the inn others had found in their absence.

Wars and Twi talk to him, pressing him for answers, but all he can hear is the promise he’d made to the smith ringing in his ears over and over again.

~~~~

Their arrival at the inn is a chaotic mess.

Everyone scrambles to find potions, medical supplies, anything that might help Four.

Time sits on a seat at the table and stares out the window, refusing to allow anyone to look over him.

Wars and Hyrule get Four to a bed, working over him for hours and hours.

Four stops breathing once.

They get him going again, but the poor kid is still fighting for his life well into the night, well into the morning, all the next day, until Wars emerges from the room with Hyrule at his side.

“He’s stable.” The captain says quietly, then promptly falls into a chair and passes out.

Rulie follows suit mere minutes later.

Both men had been up all night. They let them rest, moving them carefully to their own room, and he takes to watching the smith.

“Let me watch him for a bit, Vet. Get some sleep.” Twi offers once, but he waves the rancher away.

Nothing happens for days. Four refuses to wake up. Sometimes they can get him to take some broth, coax a bit of water into him, but the teen remains unmoving on the bed.

The morning starts as usual- he wakes up, checks on Four. Wind reports that he’d been awake for a couple seconds, weak and confused, then fell back asleep.

That’s new. Over the past couple days, Four’s gained his color back, gotten skeletally thin, and the jagged cuts all over his body had slowly started healing up.

His heart rate picked up, breathing became less labored, even moving every so often. Rulie and Wars were optimistic he’d wake up soon.

And later that day he does, managing to scare the absolute crap out of all of them when he does.

Wild makes dinner, gathers them into a larger meeting room, wakes the two snoring heroes, and serves them all dinner.

It takes five minutes for them to start discussing plans to go back, find Sky, who should go, who needs to stay, when they're going-

Four stumbles into the room, pale and shaking. Barefoot, stripped to his underclothes, panicked and on the verge of hyperventilation.

“Where’s Sky?” The kid demands, swaying dangerously. Eyes scanning over the silent room, face paling when he realizes a face is missing.

Wars leaps up to grab the teenager, steadying him quickly. “Smithy, hey, kiddo, let’s take a seat? Just breathe, Buddy, just breathe…”

“Sky.” Four pleads weakly, struggling with all the minimal strength Four’s tiny body possesses.

“Want to try something to eat? You’ve been out a few days, let’s try-”

“Where’s Sky?!” Four demands, dragging his heels on the floor. Wars falters, giving him a slow look.

“Four, buddy… take a seat, kiddo, we’ll explain everything.”

“Tell me.” Four begs, eyes welling up.

“He’s still there.” Twi says softly, gently, eyes full of apology. “We had a plan… it went wrong. Almost immediately. We went to go find him, but we didn’t… we had to go, you were bleeding out- Four- Four, no!” Twi shouts as Four lunges over the table at Time.

“You lied to me!” Four screams, slapping the man across the face. “You promised me! You promised me! You’re a liar!” Four howls as he and Twi wrestle the kid off of the old man as gently as possible.

“You son of a bitch!” Four screams from the ground, tears running down his face and into his hair. “I hate you! I hate you!”

Time’s expression shatters, all the emotions he’d been hiding since their return on full display as the old man breaks down into tears.

“I’m sorry, Four, I-”

Four goes ballistic, breaking out of Twi’s grasp and raking his fingernails over Time’s face hard enough to draw blood the second he’s close enough.

“Sorry isn’t going to help you when I kick the shit out of you!” Four screeches, eyes flashing.

Twi leaps to try to intercept the teen, and chaos erupts. Four’s screaming, Twi’s yelling, Wild’s just staring in shock, Hyrule’s frantically rummaging through his bag and calling to someone, he’s running to try to help Twi, shouting over his shoulder, and Wind’s just burst into the room with a yelp of surprise, likely trying to find out what’s going on.

“Suck my ass you motherfu-”

Hyrule sticks a needle into Four’s arm when Twi wrestles the kid back to the ground, the smithy cutting off his cursing to howl in pain.

“You… you’re a liar…” Four pants, chest heaving, eyes fluttering as the kid clings to consciousness. “You ruined… everything…”

“Four-” Time pleads, but Four’s eyes flutter closed.

“Hate you.” The kid breathes out, hand tightly grasping Twi. “You… lied.”

And the kid’s out.

~~~~

They all stare in shock, Twi openly gaping at the smith underneath him.

Slowly moves his arms, sitting back so he’s not holding Four down anymore.

There’s blood on his hands. Despite his efforts, he’d ripped Four’s wounds right open again.

Wars slowly moves to tend to the scratches down Time’s face as Hyrule slowly starts on Four.

“Look up, did he get your eye?” Wars says quietly, and they all watch.

Time lifts his gaze to the ceiling, revealing the damage done.

Hyrule offers a towel, and the old man presses it to his bloody face. The scrapes aren’t bad, shallow and barely spotting blood, but long lines go down his cheek, to his jaw.

Very narrowly missing his eye.

The rancher carefully gets Four off the ground, the kid still out cold in the rancher’s arms.

“What’d he mean you lied to him?”

“Twi.” Wars says softly, disapprovingly.

Time’s eyes hold a deep sadness, a hint of guilt as he looks at Four. “He made me promise to save Sky instead of him if I needed to choose.”

Silence.

“Time…” Twi says softly, hand raking through his hair.

“How could you break such a promise?” Wild says in horror, staring at their leader.

“What, is he supposed to just let Four die?” Legend says incredulously.

“He promised he would.”

“If it came down to it, would you have the guts to watch your friend die?!” Wind asks, gesturing wildly with his arms.

“If I’d made a promise! I don’t break my promises!”

Time flinches.

“Wild, so much was going on, we didn’t know where Sky was, our best assumption was that he wasn’t being tortured like Four was and we’re hoping he’s in better condition than Four, the smith was bleeding out in my arms, we did what was best-”

“You promised him! Hylia above- if I’d begged someone to make me a promise like that to find out they didn’t keep it-”

Wild’s eyes find Twi’s, words faltering. Swallows thickly, turning away. “I’d rather be dead. Then… that.”

Twi gently shifts the teenager in his arms.

There’s a long moment of silence.

“I’m going to… get a bed for him.” The rancher finally says awkwardly, moving to leave. Hyrule stops him quickly.

“Wait! He’s uh… going to be nauseous when he wakes up. Should only be a few hours. But he’s… yeah.”

Twi nods, taking a deep breath and leaving the room.

They all silently watch him go.

~~~~

Hyrule said it’d be a few hours.

He’s not sure if he forgot to take Four’s size into account, or if Four’s just… sleeping, but the kid doesn’t as much as move for five hours.

The only sign he’s alive is the very slow rise and fall of his chest.

After those long hours, though, he slowly starts shifting, turning, hums groggily when he gently shakes the kid, and he lets him be for a little longer.

Not long after that, the teenager slowly opens his eyes and gives a groggy mumble.

Tries to sit up, flopping right back onto the bed.

“Easy.” He says softly, putting a hand on Four’s shoulder. “We… really knocked you out. You must still be groggy and…”

Four’s expression turns… weird, lips pressing together and swallowing thickly.

“Want some water? It’s been nothing but rain for days-”

He leaps back as Four shoves his hand away, rolls over just enough to get his head over the side of the bed, and vomits all over the floor.

“Eauughaahhehh! Wars! Wars!” He shouts down the hall, taking a cloth from the little table next to the bed and dunking it in the water meant for the poor kid, wringing it out and wiping the smith’s face down.

The teenager is still totally out of it, mumbling disorientedly and weakly trying to shove him away.

Wars bursts into the room just as Four manages to weakly grab his hand, mumbling forcefully and weakly shoving it away.

“Sorry, kiddo, I know, I gotta get you cleaned up, though.” He says softly, soothingly, Four’s gray eyes heartbreakingly confused.

“What is it?” Wars says, helping him calm the poor kid.

“He freaking- threw up everywhere, I’ve got him, any chance you could…”

“Yeah, I got it, he alright?” Wars asks, watching him gently try to get his hand back.

“I don’t know, man, I think he’s just scared.”

Wars leaves, likely to go get something to clean the room up, and he carefully gets his hand back from Four’s ironclad grasp.

“Hyrule said you might be a little nauseous… you feeling any better after that?” He asks gently, getting a dazed blink in response.

He gently moves to the side of the bed, fingers brushing through Four’s soft hair.

The kid seems to be calmer now, no longer struggling.

Just dazed and weak and confused.

“Hey there.” He says gently, and Four’s eyes find him again. “You want anything? Food, water… bathroom?”

Four slowly shakes his head, eyes closing as he slowly relaxes.

“Still tired?” He asks softly as Wars returns, starts mopping up the floor.

A small shrug.

A tear slips down the kid’s face.

His heart sinks.

“Four, buddy…” he says softly, hand finding the smith’s shoulder. “He’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna find him.”

Another slow tear, then another.

“He’s gonna be fine.” He repeats as gently as he can, trying to get Four to look at him and failing.

“They’ll kill him.” Four whispers, voice breaking.

And the smith dissolves into sobs, not listening to a word he says.

“They’re gonna kill him they’ll kill him they have no reason to keep him alive now he’s gonna be dead-”

“Shh… no no, buddy, he’s gonna be just fine-”

Four tucks his knees to his chest, forehead touching his knees, and just sobs.

Flinches away from his touch, curling into a ball and flopping down on the bed.

Wars looks sadly at the kid, at a loss for words like him.

And all they can get out of the kid is sharp, broken sniffles as the kid hides himself away from the world with the blankets on the bed.

The captain sits on the edge of the bed, hand slowly finding the lump of blankets that’s currently their smithy.

Four slowly allows him to lay next to him, leaning his protective barrier to curl carefully into Wars’ side.

They they start coaxing answers out of their friend.

“Are you in a lot of pain, kiddo?” Wars asks softly, and Four shrugs awkwardly.

“Chest.” Four manages, blinking at the ceiling.

“Yeah… you busted your ribs, probably reaggravated them hurdling a table to kick the shit out of Time.” Wars smiles, which gets a sheepish twitch of the lips out of the smithy.

“Let’s see… your wrist was broken, though Hyrule’s sure he got that fixed up ok. The cuts all over… we weren’t able to magically heal those, we just tried to heal the worst of it. So the stab on your side was a priority, then your wrist, then your ribs…”

“Did you crack his sternum giving him CPR?” He asks without thinking, then both of their gazes snap to Four.

Four blinks. Eyes flicking from Wars to him then back to Wars.

“Bruised it, most likely.” Wars offers quietly.

Four doesn’t react.

“Think you could get your shirt off, bud?”

Four shakes his head. They leave it be.

Silence falls over them, lingering for a long couple of minutes.

“Do you know…” Wars starts finally, trailing off when he glances down to the smithy. He’s dozed off again, silently, eyes closed and breathing even.

Hand holding his, calloused skin pressing into his.

Wars sighs slowly, gently tucking a blanket over the kid and carefully sitting up.

“Sleep well, kiddo,” The captain whispers as he carefully leaves the bed.

~~~~

He wakes up slowly, groggily, stomach churning.

Slowly turns to lay on his back, and has to take a long moment to fight the urge to throw up anything in his stomach.

Once he’s sure he’s not going to vomit, he swallows carefully and grimaces at the taste in his mouth.

Maybe he had thrown up.

Upon opening his eyes, he can see Wars next to him, passed out in a chair, snoring softly, and- Time.

Sitting next to the captain, watching him intently.

He pulls his face into a scowl.

Time looks away, guilt flitting over his face.

“Four-”

He ignores the old man, slowly pushing himself to sit up. Has to pause and take a few deep breaths in order to not vomit, sitting back once he’s all the way up.

“You alright?” Time asks softly when he slowly relaxes.

“Don’t talk to me.” He mutters, the words not nearly as strong as he’d like.

Time has the audacity to flinch.

Look away for a minute, saying his name softly-

He snaps, sitting rigid again and shooting a harsh glare at the old man. “Don’t even,” he growls. “You lied to me. You promised me- you promised. And you still left him behind. He’s dead because of you.”

Time looks like he’d been slapped, but he stands and storms out of the room.

Staggers down the hall, hands clutching the wall, vision swaying and blurring and the floor sways under his feet…

Stupid blood loss. He’s dizzy and woozy and it won’t go away until he rests… but how can he when Sky…

Over the buzzing in his ears, he can hear familiar voices, soft conversation.

He staggers to follow them, down the hall, pausing at a door, listening intently, turning the handle and stumbling inside.

“Four!” Someone says, soft hands steadying him immediately.

“Hey, bud, how you feeling?” Another voice asks, and another asks if he wants anything to eat, water, a blanket, is he cold? He’s shivering, people are touching his back and his shoulders and someone’s hand touches the back of his head.

His arms reach out, finding as many of his friends as he’s able to, sinking into warm, soft arms.

“Sky.” He mumbles, eyes growing heavier and heavier.

“Shh… we’re gonna get him back, kiddo, you just rest. You’ve been brave enough already, we’ve got this one.” Someone whispers, and he thinks he manages a groggy nod.

Hands brush through his hair. His headband had been removed, leaving his hair free and in his face.

“We’re gonna get him back, bud. You just rest.” The voice says again, and he nods again. Gives a slow breath out, letting his eyes fall shut. That, he can do.

~~~~

[huneyproses]

Concept: LU all boys meeting their pre-adventure selves (as a chain)

I'm posting in shorter parts than will be posted to AO3.

Part 1/? (Aiming for 20/10)

Note: Switches POV throughout, I am a firm believer in "give them some oddities funny little man" It is explained in this part (with reasonings), but for ease of reading: Soldier -> Warriors Guard -> Wild Rancher -> Twilight Farmer -> Legend Crimson -> Sky Smithy -> Four Traveller -> Hyrule Outset -> Wind Green -> Time

Oh how glad he was to never grow up.

Link placed his hands below himself, giving a small cushion for his tail bones to rest on. The harsh rock of the cave floor had begun an all out war against his rear end with how many positions he had shifted to in an attempt to get comfortable. Oh how he wished to return to the soft cushion of his own bed back in the forest, sleeping till the sun began wain in the sky, and only waking up from Saria’s incessant shouts at the base of the latter. There was always something to be done—always something Link would forget about until she reminded him.

He brought his knees in closer, resting his forehead on them. He really did miss her. Not just her, the whole lot of them. The very forest itself.

They had been trapped in the cramped cave for a long time. He wasn’t fully sure how long, but time felt immeasurable during the tense silence that had preceded the discussion. When they had arrived in the cave, the man that appeared to be a Hylian soldier motioned for immediate silence, only whispering a short “Do not speak” before turning his attention to the gap between the stone. 

Link had assumed, based on how easily the man had commanded authority over the eight that he would be the one to break the silence, but instead it was broken by an all too pitiful yip from the small brunette in a ratty cloak. It was difficult to see with the little light streaming in, but even so the bright red of his cheeks was somehow readily apparent. A few had responded with a chuckle, Link, himself, even let out an involuntary giggle. 

His hushed explanation—“It was a really big spider”—and the muddled, yet frantic apologies made it difficult to not let out another laugh. 

But with the glare the soldier had levelled at them, any jovial atmosphere that could’ve emerged was snuffed out. He had followed it up with a loud sigh, dismissing any sort of plan he may have had with a wave of the hand. And following, the man began his interrogation, citing the need to be familiar with those he would need to fight alongside—and, based on the way his eyes flicked towards Link and the other three younger boys, protect.

It almost seemed like some sort of game they would all play back in the forest. The soldier had instructed them all into a circle. Saria would’ve named the rules, taking charge as she always did. Eventually, halfway through the game, Mido would’ve gotten fed up with losing and have started some dumb argument that somehow was always Link’s fault. They’d fight, kicking and scratching their way through an argument—all before someone threatened to tattle and it ceremoniously ended with forced, muttered apologies. Despite how at-odds Link and Mido seemed to be, Link still found him to be a comfortable constant. He never changed, and his antics could be amusing. Sometimes.

But he wasn’t in the forest, these people certainly weren’t his friends, and going around in a circle naming their names, oc-u-pations (?), and fighting ability wasn’t a game. Link drew his gaze up once again, avoiding the eyes of the older men, looking towards the fidgety brunette. He seemed incredibly downcast after the silent reprimand the soldier had shot them. Without thinking, Link nudged himself a tad closer to the boy. If it was for his comfort, or the boys, Link wasn’t all that sure.

Though, the more introductions they went through, that feeling of defiance and wariness had shifted to befuddlement. Occupations, Link had surmised, meant jobs. That was all fine and dandy; A farmer, a smith's apprentice, a rancher, and quite a few knights. The loud boy didn’t have a job, and the boy beside him called himself a traveller. All the knights seemed confident in their fighting experience, and even a few of the others seemed to have training, which was probably good news, if the loud grunts of the monsters stalking the perimeter of the cave was anything to go by.

But somehow there was something wrong. Something very odd. Each and every boy began their introduction with their name: Link. They were all named Link. It sure surprised Link (himself)—sure, he’d never been out of the forest before, but having 9 people all with the same name, that was definitely odd, right?

Link (him, Link. This was already annoying!), was the last of the group, having refused to speak the first go around, the soldier offered another chance. But, given the pure look of awe mixed with indignation Link gave the man, he simply let out a sigh.

“Right.” Soldier-Link had started, brows knit in a mirrored way as a majority of them, “We…all share a name. That will get confusing quickly.” He crossed his arms, closing his eyes for a moment, “I suppose we can refer to each other via occupation, though a few of you have none…therefore…”

“I will simply assign one.” With a forming smirk and a renewed confidence, Soldier-Link leveled a pointed finger at each Link.

For himself, “Soldier.”

To the stoic boy with a ponytail, “Guard” for his occupation of being a guard for the princess (however dismissive the eye-roll Soldier-Link posed while giving the name—he still gave it).

The boy beside him denoted “Traveller” for simply being such. For a short second the brunette caught Link’s eye, offering a reassuring smile. Link turned indignantly; he was trying to comfort the boy, not the other way around!

The same was true of “Farmer” and “Rancher” and “Smithy”; the former two being older boys. One looked like he could toss Link across the room, another that had a deer in the lantern light look about him. The latter was the younger of the three with relentless strands of tuft out the back of his head that gave a real funny look to him (especially with his contrastingly wise face).

The sickly boy with a weird outfit was nearly coined “Knight'' but was deemed too confusing with the other two. After a moment of deliberation, he offered up “Crimson”, with an explanation cut short by a sudden fit of coughs with intermittent apologies. Rancher gravitated closer, bringing a hand up to his back.

When Himself-Link refused to speak (he began to be unsure if he was doing so because of a lack of trust, some complex, or because he was genuinely frightened), he was called only “Green.”

“And for you—”

“Outset! I’m not anything yet so that makes the most sense since it’s the island I’m from.” The boy with messy hair and bright expression blurted out, “Plus I’d rather not be called, like, lobster.” He gestured to his shirt (The same thing Link was definitely named after), before placing his hand on his hips. He must be proud of one-upping the older guy, Link sure would be.

As if to confirm, the Soldier huffed, “So that was why the air smelled salty.” brushing his hair back, he moved to lean against the wall of the cave. He had opened his mouth to speak before the serious one—Guard—spoke up.

“—We are nowhere close to the sea.”

“Hm?”

“I don’t know exactly where we are but…” He trailed off, bringing his attention to the side of the cave, tracing around the wall to the entrance. “These caves were carved as encampments—as safe havens from the creatures, but also for the possibility of war before…” He trailed off momentarily before continuing, “The entrance is marked. They were only built in certain areas around Hyrule. None are close to the ocean.”

Soldier remained silent, having brought his own gaze towards the slitted entrance of the cave. After a moment, he scoffed incredulously, “You’d think a soldier of the castle would know about safe havens;” challenging Guard, he moved closer, “Lying about something as great as being the Princess’ royal guard when it's so easily disprovable. You’ve sure got some balls.”

Guard remained silent.

Suddenly, Soldier grabbed the collar of Guard’s shirt, lifting the smaller man with discomforting ease, “Stop fuc—” He cut himself off, glancing towards Link, “Stop lying. Who are you? I won't hesitate to throw your sorry excuse out of here if you don’t answer. You’re short, certainly not Sheikah, and not to mention a man, so you’re certainly not her highness’ guard.” 

Guard matched Soldiers vitriolic glare, gripping his arm with a vengeance even Link could tell wasn’t going to end well. Rancher stood from his spot, placing his hand firmly on Soldier’s shoulder.

“You need to calm down man; we can do this later. You’re gonna scare the kids.”

Soldier glanced between him and Guard, taking a deep breath before dropping his collar. He leaned into Guard’s ear and whispered something indecipherable. Turning around he pushed back his hair again, “Weapons. What do we have?”

“I have a sword,” Traveller said, bringing it out into his hands. Guard followed suit, flashing a shiny sword with a purple and green hilt. Compared to travellers, it was stunning. Alluring in a way Link couldn’t understand. It had a triangle with four smaller triangles inside at its base. It was so long it nearly stood at half Guards’ height. It was probably too big for Link to even hold. 

And yet, just looking at it made him feel an indecipherable sense of dread. He looked away, tucking further into his knees.

Soldier had approached Traveller, from what Link could tell, his voice echoing from directly beside him. He had even squatted down to meet their sitting position, “Do you mind if someone borrows it, Traveller? I assure you it will come back—if not I shall purchase you an even better one.”

His voice was deceivingly sweet compared to his earlier disposition, but, even so, Traveller handed it over, if the steps following the exchange were any indication. 

Link turned his head towards Traveller, legs crossed as he focused on the fate of his blade. He hadn’t had a good look at him before, but with their renewed proximity, he got a better sense of the brunette's features. He was definitely close to Link’s age, with girly features and freckles dotting his face. Were it not for his name and clothing, Link certainly would’ve definitely thought him as a girl. He was pretty.

“Green?”

Oh—he hated that nickname, “...You really gave your sword to that guy?” He cursed himself for how pathetic the voice that echoed from him sounded: quiet and frightened with a higher pitch than he swore was normal. Link discreetly cleared his throat.

“Well he’s an adult. He seems to know what he’s doing with it—well, better than I would anyway. It’s mostly just for protection.” He let out a small laugh.

“He’s some adult. You really trust him?”

Traveller blinked, averting his gaze as his smile fell. After a moment, he shrugged, “I don’t have a choice right now.”

“What?” Link sat a bit straighter, furrowing his brows, “Why wouldn’t you? It’s your sword.”

“If I want people to stay safe, it isn’t. I shouldn’t be reckless. These guys work with the kingdom from what they’ve said; they know how to handle a sword better than me. I’d rather have them wielding it.”

“You trust them more than yourself, then?”

“No!” Traveller let out a short laugh, earning a glare from Link, “Sorry, sorry—I don’t mean to laugh at you. Of course I don’t.”

“Then why are you giving them your sword?”

“Um…” His bright expression had all but dissipated, leaving only the trace of a smile as he finally set his eyes back on Link’s. Suddenly, his face seemed a lot older than it had before, “I just think it’s the best thing I can do to keep everyone safe.”

Link crossed his arms incredulously, breaking off the conversation with a discomforted huff. That conversation gave him more questions than answers. He supposed that could just be what Hylians were like—confusing! The guy’s reasoning was dumb. How can you give away your protection for someone else’s and still say you trust yourself more?

Watching the quiet conversation between Soldier, Crimson, and Farmer. Soldier gestured towards them a few times before they both nodded, eventually turning their backs on Soldier and venturing closer. Link spotted Traveller’s sword on Crimson’s back. At least it’d be close to Traveller.

At some point, Outset had also joined the newly formed group, hands lazily laced behind his head. Smithy followed him at a distance, fidgeting with the band on his head.

“We’ll split into two groups.” Soldier started, gaining everyone's ear, “Guard, Rancher and I will get the attention of the monsters. Farmer and Crimson will take the kids east towards some stable that should be there.” Link didn’t miss the distrusting glance Soldier shot Guard before continuing, “It’s a risky plan, but it’s our best chance of getting out of here before night falls and we become stuck without food or water.”

Link glanced at a few of the others. Guard hadn’t offered a readable expression since the encounter with Soldier. Smithy looked uncomfortable, tossing his gaze around the room. Outset had a sour expression, pursed lips in a pout with his gaze towards the cave wall. Rancher looked sceptical, scratching the side of his head with averted eyes, yet spoke nothing in contrast to it. Traveller and Farmer looked worried and uncomfortable respectively. Crimson had placed himself beside a cave wall, head leaned against it with his eyes scrunched closed since Soldier had begun to speak. 

All in all, great plan. 

But it wasn’t as if Link was going to offer anything better; As little as he trusted this Hylian soldier, it wasn’t as if he had a choice. No weapons and no real fighting experience bar practice duels with other Kokiri….

“Alright, we’ll head out on my signal.”

They all shimmied their way toward the mouth of the cave, Soldier remaining just outside the entrance. For a discomforting amount of time, he waited with his right hand palm up. Yet, with the ambient sounds of the birds and unfamiliar buzzing whirring outside, silence had yet to add to it.

Suddenly, his hand moved. Three fingers up—

Two—

One—

“Now!”

[pinkalmondcake]

Fun fact about Fierce Warrior!

masterlist

I'd like to think that in the linked universe branch of the story, his eyes would act like the mask of truth does because he may not 'see' but with the abilities that have been left over from the Goddesses he can sense and see what cannot be seen...like his eyes can see the figures of things in a distorted way, as though they're smokey shade-like figures - similar to that of how one sees with the ring on in Lord of the Rings - but he cannot see colour of anything else besides the auras of life around him and distorted, shady figures.

During his early days as a Sheikah Warrior, he relied heavily on sense of hearing to the degree that he can hear further than that of a highly skilled Hylian and his skills are far greater than any, and relies on the vibrational waves of his shadow magic to detect any life around him.

Though he hardly uses his Sheikah abilities, yet he feels heavily connected to the spiritual life around him and prays to the Goddesses when no one watches and has a great respect for the Great Deku tree.

Based on this idea of mine.

<<previous fact>>

<<next fact>>

Responding to everyone soon!

[transmascnaotoshirogane]

pond

got impatient. woe, fic be upon ye

the format is fucked up (read; not indented) because tumblr was pissing me off. and i cannot fight with it at 2am. we might fix it later

ao3 ; x

Legend is a man of many talents. He has a lot of hobbies and skills, all picked up over his many years of adventuring. ..but sometimes, he surprises himself with what he can do. It’s a little intimidating, to think you know what you’re capable of just to be informed you can do something you’d never even considered, but…it is what it is. It’s best to just accept it when it happens.

That being said, Legend isn’t used to the fact these strange, rabbit-like creatures in Wild’s era seem to like him. A lot.

Rupee stuck around, following close behind Legend whenever they walked anywhere—as if he was afraid Legend would disappear if left alone for one minute. For a little while, this was cute—Rupee would even trail after Four, sometimes—but eventually ‘cute’ became ‘annoying’, and Legend kind of wishes the rabbit-creature would stop toddling after him all the time.

“Ledge, your lil friend is trying to get your attention,”Four spoke up quietly, not looking up from whatever book they’re reading. Wild had given it to them as a birthday gift, when he’d learned Four’s birthday had passed without the smithy saying anything. He also made Four a cupcake, despite the smithy’s protests.

Four shared it with Legend and Rupee later on. Rupee seemed confused at the idea, but had eaten his third of it after Legend had. Legend noted that it was carrot cake, and that he absolutely needs to get that recipe from Wild before this adventure is over.

Sometimes, Rupee will run off and find things to bring Legend, and other times he all-but-drags Legend with him to show the veteran something. It’s a little endearing, and sometimes Rupee finds some interesting stuff. That’s only sometimes, though.

In the span of a few weeks—he thinks, anyway. It’s a little hard to tell—he’d gained the attention of three more bluepees, none of which stayed too long but were present enough to have been named Koholint, Puddles and Blueberry (that last one came from Four. He’d let the smithy name her when they were upset one night) respectively.

Much like Rupee, however, they fussed over Legend too much. He’ll say he doesn’t know why they do it, but he does, and he hates it.

Just because his bunny form is a little…smaller than the average bunny, doesn’t mean he’s a baby.

Legend sighed. “What’s up, Rupee?”He tilted his head at the creature, groaning in annoyance when Rupee pawed at his leg before turning and hopping a small distance away, before stopping and turning to see if Legend was following.

Looks like he wants Legend to follow. Reluctantly, Legend stood up. “If the others ask, I’m just taking a walk. Rupee wants to show me something.”

“Okay. Be careful, vet.”

“Will do.”He hums, turning and following Rupee as he began to lead the veteran somewhere.

Belatedly, Legend realises that his sword is still with Four, but he doesn’t think he’ll need it. Not really. Rupee doesn’t drag Legend anywhere dangerous—hell, half of the time they don’t even go too far from wherever the chain had set up camp anyways.

Rupee kept going, occasionally slowing down to see if Legend was still following and allowing him to catch up before hopping off in front again. How considerate.

Honestly, Legend doesn’t know why he bothers entertaining it when Rupee leads him away; but no matter how much he questions himself, he still chooses to follow. If asked, he’ll deny the fact he questions himself on it. Nobody needs to be inside his head, except the ones already there. “...you’re not serious here,”Legend sighed out, watching as Rupee disappeared, appearing in a puff of blue smoke at the top of a nearby cliff. “You want me to climb up there? With these bones? No way in hell.” …he climbs up the cliff anyways. He’s admittedly curious about why Rupee wants him up there in the first place. Once he’s safely made it up, Rupee begins to lead him along again, stopping every so often so Legend can catch up. They don’t travel much further, as Rupee leads Legend into a clearing with a pretty tree and a pond in the centre. Vaguely, Legend recognises that this place reeks of magic. It doesn’t feel hostile, though, just…curious. “Okay, Rupe. What’re we here for?”He kneels down to the bluepee cautiously. In return, Rupee nudges his hand, and Legend belatedly realises that Rupee was trying to comfort him. He’s not leading Legend anywhere else, now, just sitting with him and nuzzling up to him. He still seems to think Legend needs to be comforted. Legend would be mad if it wasn’t Rupee. But it is, so he doesn’t, and instead settles onto the grass with him. He has to admit, this place is calming. It’s quiet, and absolutely soaked in protective magic. It’s safe. Even if the magic here feels curious, like it’s trying to figure out who and what Legend is, it doesn’t seem like whatever it’s coming from seems to be hostile. The veteran relaxes, running his fingers through the glowing blue fur of his little companion. Rupee seems to appreciate it. Legend doesn’t relax like this often. At home, he does. He has plenty of animals back home that he can do this with, he just…doesn’t do it while adventuring. His ears twitch. Something blue moves near the pond, but it’s too small to be a bluepee. It’s…a horse, he thinks. But it’s…not a horse. He knows what a horse looks like. He has one of his own at home. Twilight’s got his horse, Epona, with them. This is a horse, but it’s…not.

It has a similar glow to the bluepees, and Legend registers that the magic he felt earlier is coming from this being. How weird. The horse-thing seems to stare at Legend, and all he can do is stare back. He swears this thing has more eyes than it should. It has antlers, too, sort of like the ones that the bluepees have. After a solid, uncomfortable minute, it takes a step closer. And closer, up until it’s right in front of the veteran. Legend stares at it, before slowly standing up. He never takes his eyes off of the creature, and doesn’t even think about moving too quickly. Once he’s standing, he offers a hand out to the creature. He can feel the aura from the thing. It’s curious. Protective. “I’m gonna call you Pond,”Legend decides, once the…horse (he’ll keep calling it a horse, for now) nudges into his hand. “I don’t have any food with me.”He mumbles. “I’m sorry.”He does feel a little bad about it, but how could he have known?

Pond seemingly doesn’t mind. He spends a while just,,,sitting there, in the presence of a fluffle of bluepees and Pond. It’s…nice. Their presence almost feels healing, as he doesn’t seem to have a single complaint about how his body feels. Eventually, though, he realises that he did sort of leave without telling anyone except Four, and they might be getting worried now. “Rupe, we have to go,”Legend sighs. He doesn’t want to. He sort of just wants to stay here. Rupee hops up, though, and Legend pulls himself off of the ground. He turns to Pond, and runs his fingers through their mane. “I have to go now, Pond. It was nice to meet you.” Pond doesn’t seem happy. Makes a sound of protest that Legend’s only ever heard from Pepper, when he does something that she doesn’t like. “I know,”He frowns. “I’m sorry. I would stay if I could.”And he would. He would spend so much longer here if he was able. Pond seems to make a decision. Starts trotting away from the body of water, towards where Rupee is sitting. Legend, confused but needing to go that way anyways, follows. This is how he finds himself walking down a beaten path with a bluepee and a strange, horse-like creature who feels like a deity. This is how he finds himself back at camp, still with the two in tow. “Hey Ledge, enjoy your—”Wild cuts off, staring behind him. “This is Pond,”Legend informs. Then, “Do you know what it is…? I think it’s a horse? But it’s not.” “That’s—Legend, that’s the lord of the mountain.”Wild blinks rapidly. “That’s basically a minor god. How did you..” “Oh. Pond just kinda followed us back.” “Pond.”He wheezes, and Legend thinks he might be dying for a second. “You somehow befriended a minor god, and you named it Pond?” Legend pouts. “I think it’s a good name.” “For a pet, maybe.” Legend frowns and turns to Pond. “Do you like the name I gave you, or do you want something else? Nudge once for you like it, twice for you want a new one.” Pond nudges him once. “See? Pond likes it!” “Vet. You’re back.”Four hums, wandering over to scoop Rupee up into their arms, tilting their head at Pond. “Made a new friend?” “Yeah. Named ‘em Pond. Wild says they’re a minor god. Cool, right?” “So cool.”Four nods, petting Rupee. “Is that what Rupee wanted to show you?” “Yeah.”Legend fetches an apple from his bag, feeding it to Pond as he speaks. “There’s a little pond up on that hill. Pretty tree. There’s a lot more bluepees there, and that’s where Pond was.” Four hums, still holding Rupee as they step a little closer to Pond, tilting their head curiously. Legend notes that Four stays behind him, as if Pond might get spooked by Four’s very existence. “So creepy…Pond is so cool. Can we keep them?” “If they’re a god like Wild says…we shouldn’t, no. Pond really didn’t like the idea of me leaving their side, though. Like. Got so upset when me and Rupee went to leave that they followed us all the way back.” Four whistles. “Damn. Hey, can we swap Epona out for Pond? Pond looks cooler.” “Four!”Sky scolds with a frown. “I’m joking~ Relax. We can have both.” “You can’t keep the lord of the mountain!”Wild whines. Despite Wild protesting it, though; Pond hangs around the group for the rest of their time in this era, hovering over Legend and Rupee. Wild accepts this.

Later, he tells Legend that he’s lucky to be able to befriend Pond—who, Wild reveals, is actually called Satori—so easily. Legend doesn’t get it, though. Never does. He’s not really that lucky. Animals just like him. Wild throws something at him when he says that. Genuinely throws his soup ladle at the veteran, while the others laugh about it. Distantly, Legend wonders why animals trust him so easily. It can’t just be because he’s sometimes a bunny. It’s weird, but welcome. He does need to look into it, though. Preferably before he accidentally befriends another deity.

[druidbottles]

Birdsong

Legend knows that Marin is gone. He knows he will never see her again. But sometimes he has moments where he can still feel her around. And maybe that's enough for now.

Hello! This is my first time writing something for Linked Universe!

I am very new to Legend of Zelda as a whole, but I have been loving what I've experienced so far. I'm almost done with Link's Awakening (I watched the Game Grumps play the Switch remake a while back, but I'm finally playing the Gameboy Colour version for myself!) and I love Marin so much... I completely understand why Legend would have trauma about her loss.

I know that the ending of Link's Awakening at least heavily implies that Marin's spirit became a seagull, so this story can either be read as existing under the interpretation that she didn't, or that Marin's spirit lingers in other places as well, watching over her beloved Link. I really like the second option.

You can also read this over on AO3!

Legend knew he could never see her again.

She was gone, and he wasn’t stupid enough to hopelessly believe she could ever come back, but that didn’t change that there were moments when it felt like she was still around.

It was early morning, and the group was already moving, making their way through the dense forest despite the occasional yawns that echoed through the air from party members who might not have gotten enough sleep the night before. Every so often, someone would say something, and someone would respond, but it never led to a conversation. It was far too early for conversations.

The only sounds surrounding them were the calls and chirps of birds greeting the morning. It made walking through the forest while tired and still stiff from sleep feel actually somewhat peaceful.

And then the song started.

The sound of a bird gently singing, like a beautiful voice floating between the trees, making the peaceful atmosphere feel even more soft and relaxing.

It was Marin’s song.

Legend stopped dead in his tracks, unable to move for a moment. All he could do was listen to the bird singing, feeling a multitude of emotions rush through him. The others immediately noticed his sudden pause, and it was Sky who turned to cast a questioning and worried glance at him. “Is everything alright?”

It took a moment for him to be able to respond, but eventually Legend was able to nod, his voice coming out a bit shaky and unsure. “Yeah… Something just came over me. I’m okay. Let’s keep going.”

The group seemed hesitant, but continued to move, and Legend walked with them while continuing to listen to the birdsong, feeling his lips turn up into a small smile. That beautiful song that he remembered her singing so vividly, now being performed again by a twittering bird.

Legend knew he could never see her again. He knew she was gone, and that she was never coming back no matter how much he hoped she would someday.

But sometimes the world was kind enough to grant him a moment where he wondered if she still existed somehow, even if he would never be able to speak to her again or tell her how much he still cared for her. Her spirit still lingered, in the songs sung by birds, and the beauty of the nature that always surrounded him. Even in a Hyrule other than his own, that spirit remained.

And that thought was enough to give him some comfort.

[occasionallyprosie]

A Thousand Ways

Chapter 11: "Frost Over Charcoal"

Legend learns that he's really bad at saying no when someone is being sincere and genuine, especially when he trusts that someone.

First | <<Previous | Next>>

Febuwhump 2024 | Prompt 8: "Why won't it stop?"

Read On AO3 Warnings: Implied Character Death

----

"What happened in there?" Warriors asked, his voice so uncharacteristically soft that Legend just--He didn't know how to respond.

They had found the black blooded monsters on the road from that town to a larger, merchant village (Mabe Village, Hyrule said that it would survive to his era remarkably. Legend did wonder why that village had been the one to appear on Koholint) that would've had the information they'd need.

From there, a portal took them to the usual places of eras between their times.

They got to a local inn, but it only had two rooms with two beds each. As a result, they split into two groups with Time going with the four youngest heroes if Legend was excluded from the list, though none of them actually knew how old he was except for Wind. Either way, that left--and Legend was certain it was on purpose--Sky, Twilight, Warriors, and Legend in the other room.

Legend inhaled slowly, trying not to break down again. "I cannot emphasize how much I really do not want to talk about it."

He knew it was obvious, especially since he felt their eyes on him when he changed not five minutes ago. It didn't help that his current outfit was short sleeved either, and didn't have the really high collar he used to wear. 

He knew his new scars were obvious, but he also knew that they weren't too familiar with his old ones that they shouldn't be able to tell just how many of the new scars were actually new. All they knew was that not a single stretch of skin on his arms and torso was scarless anymore.

"I know," Warriors promised, and Legend wondered why he was the one taking point in this conversation when both Twilight and Sky were harder to look in the eye and deny anything. Warriors, Legend just had the instinct to deny him everything out of pure spite.

Legend realized how wrong he was when Warriors approached, careful and slow, and guided him to sit. Legend just sort of stared, he didn't want to snap at anyone. He really didn't want to be sharp, driving them off was dangerous now. If he drove them off, who could he look to, who could he hope for see, if he ever got captured again? Besides, those almost three months of being separated put into perspective that yeah, he actually cared about them.

So he couldn't snap, he couldn't drive them away during what little time they'd have together. How could he taint such memories when soon enough those memories would he all he had of them?

Warriors had him sit on the bed beside Twilight. Sky was sitting just opposite them.

"I'll make a deal with you," Warriors said gently, "if you just answer three questions for us, a simple yes or no will suffice, we won't bring it up again unless absolutely necessary."

You see, Legend had teased all three of these heroes for being mother hens, for being fussy and worrywart's, he teased them and called them the group's "big brothers" to Time's group "dad" thing, the others even agreed!

This was just unfair. All three of them ganging up on him and even though he thought Warriors would've been the easiest to shut down, the earnestness and sincerity was almost overwhelming, combined with Twilight leaning into his side, warm and grounding, and Sky just being there and offering an encouraging smile.

He didn't break, but he huffed and had to look away and curl in on himself as some kind of measure of defense.

"Fine," he bit out. "Three questions."

"Are you--Is it okay?" Sky spoke up immediately.

He didn't respond for a long moment, debating lying. Finally he just quietly shook his head and muttered, "No."

Warriors squeezed his hands gently and Twilight's arm wrapped around his shoulder. It made the pressure behind his eyes worse but he really tried to ignore it.

"Those tools on the table--"

"Yes."

Warriors' mouth clicked shut and the soft look was briefly replaced by something blazing and violent. Legend flinched into Twilight just as quickly as that look was snuffed out and replaced by something sad.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Twilight asked.

Legend shook his head, not pulling away from how he had curled into him as a result of Warriors' anger. "No. Just--stay."

"Of course," Sky promised. "You’re stuck with us, vet. I don’t think the Rancher's going to let you go anytime soon anyways."

He snorted, forcing the amusement out more than anything to just please, get rid of this heavy atmosphere. Stop all this worry and claustrophobic caring.

Warriors cracked a small smile. "I guess we know how the bedding situation's going to be."

"Shut up, you’re just jealous I get the kid," Twilight retorted playfully. Legend startled a bit as the second arm wound around him and pulled him into the warm chest behind him, but he knew who it was so he didn't jump too bad.

Warriors huffed. "As if I'd want to share a bed with him, he kicks."

"Like a bunny," Sky commented, a grin on his face that had Legend immediately squawking.

"Not if you cuddle him enough," Twilight chimed in and hugged him closer.

Legend felt his face heat up as he tried to escape. "I will kick you right now--let me go."

"Aww, don't be like that, bunny," Sky teased.

"Don’t call me that!"

Sky cackled and Twilight and Warriors both laughed too. Legend squirmed but couldn't escape Twilight's grip without actually trying.

Eventually he just gave up, and about that time conversation shifted to something far more calm and casual.

The older heroes mostly talked between themselves over Legend's head. And older they were, none of them were secretive about their ages. Sky was the youngest of the three at 23 and was six years post his adventure, Twilight came next at 26 and eight years since his last adventure, then Warriors was 28 and ten years in the aftermath of the war. Legend just relaxed into Twilight and let their voices become a white noise as he played with his magic in his hands until he ended up falling asleep first.

The three older heroes knew what had happened in that cell. Twilight had told them that Legend confirmed it was his torture cell, and they had an idea of what tools had been used, and they knew that he wasn't okay in its aftermath.

Thankfully, as promised, none of them said a thing to the others. As far as the younger heroes and Time knew, Legend just lost his cool and ran off into the woods before he exploded the rest of the building like he did the front door.

After a few more unnamed eras, Legend stepped through the portal and was immediately greeted by the familiar magic of his era.

But when he opened his eyes, his blood went cold.

They were on a path just outside Kakariko, but the late afternoon sky was darkened by smoke rather than the setting of the sun. A huge plume of black and darkness filling the air, he turned too slowly, despite getting whiplash from the action.

The billow came from the wrong direction.

Fire should not be burning that high that way. Ever. That kind of fire was a forest fire, a house fire, it was something damaging and dangerous. That was no campfire.

"No," he breathed.

"Vet? Whe--COLLECTOR WAIT!"

He did not, in fact, wait.

Instead he ran headfirst toward the forest. He ran right where that fire was burning.

Showing up far too late, Legend came up to a large crowd that had already formed. He shoved through, people yelping and beginning to scold him before going silent as they realized who he was.

He reached the front of the crowd and the edge of the property and he stopped.

Oh goddesses, no.

A farmhouse too familiar for his rabbit-fast heart to handle was burning sky high. Deep red and orange marring the oaken walls, staining it black and eating holes through the wood, windows either blocked by flames or burned beyond transparency.

"Link?" Someone called. "Is that--Link, I'm so sorry--"

"Where are they?" He demanded, searching the faces of Kakariko's villagers. "Where--My grandparents, they're not--"

"We hadn't seen them leave, but they may not have been home," one of the ladies--Elizabeth, the wife of the mason-- said.

Legend inhaled sharply. He couldn't lose them--Not them too. Not like this. He couldn't--

He ran toward the burning farmhouse ignoring all the cries for him to wait and stop as if this wasn't his home, as if this wasn't where he grew up and it wasn't where his grandparents may be dying or already be dead at.

He never wanted to return home to this.

The fire had started in the house, it was spreading but the plants were well trimmed and the ground well worn from walking. It did not spread easily to the pasture, but the barn was caught in it. He threw a blast of pure magic at the cucoo coop as he passed it. He saw the pasture empty and hoped to the goddesses that Epona and the cows had ran by now. The fowl were escaping quickly and Legend was about to slam his whole body weight into the burning front door.

Someone grabbed him from behind.

"Vet no! You can't--"

"Let me go!" He fought against their hold.

"It's about to collapse! You'll die!" 

He didn't care. He had to find them. He needed to find them. They were all he had left! They weren't supposed to die like this! They were supposed to grow older, maybe even be there when he finally settled, they were supposed to live to their natural ends! He had to--

The farmhouse that Legend spent half his formative years in collapsed. The burned walls giving in to the weight of the upper floors. It crashed to the ground and whoever grabbed him pulled him close and curled their body around his protectively.

A rush of ash and soot surrounded them, turning the world dark.

The dust settled and the fire still burned, though it was more of a huge bonfire that tried to spread.

Legend shoved Twilight away and grabbed the Ether Medallion.

Winter came early in that moment, an explosion of frost and ice exploding off him and leaving every person untouched but the flames were subdued.

He wanted to collapse, magical precision like that was exhausting, but the muddled voices stopped him. He couldn't break, he couldn't fall and scream and beg the goddesses to just please, let him have someone.

Why did they need to take everyone from him? Why was he doomed to lose them all?

He couldn't. He couldn't break. There were people here and he was still the hero. He had to stay strong, be that damned pillar of strength and courage for the world that was out to break him.

Link?

He turned, looked down, and a little ash covered cucoo was approaching him.

You came back, Piyoko clucked, nudging his leg. I'm glad to see you... I don't know what happened, one moment things were fine then the next the house was burning. Your grandparents had just gone inside for dinner too.

Legend sighed softly. "Gather the others. I'll get you guys to safe farmers."

Piyoko clearly had her own opinion about his response but thankfully didn't push it. She chirped and went toward wherever the other animals had run to. Legend turned to head back to the crowd, his throat trying to close up and his eyes stinging.

It's just the smoke, he told himself.

"Link? Are you..."

"I'll see what animals survived and check on the crops," he told them as calmly as he could, and a few--people who knew him--looked even sadder. "I'd--I would like to see it cleaned, but I don’t have the time do so, though I'd be willing to pay for it to be done. If you’re willing to help out, or willing to take what surviving animals there are, then I'll be here tomorrow morning by dawn."

The heroes looked confused and a bit against that decision, but Legend could care less. Most of the villagers gave him looks of pity, some mixed with concern, others with contempt.

"Everyone should get back home before it gets dark, monsters still roam these parts even if it's rarer than before."

Murmurs seemed to agree with his statements and the townsfolk left, some muttering about how sorry they were for the fates of his grandparents, others promising to be back in the morning. None of them actually referred to them as his grandparents, only calling them by name and telling Legend they were sorry.

Then they were all gone and left the nine heroes in the melting aftermath of the fire.

"Why'd you promise that?" Wild asked with a frown on his face. "We have a job to do, can't the family's next of kin handle this, or maybe the nearest town's mayor--"

"I'm the next of kin."

The following silence was horrible and it further ripped at his chest as he directed his carefully crafted blank look at the champion.

"This was my grandparents farm. Go hunt monsters if you want, I have things to handle right here and that starts with finding the animals that survived while the rubble finishes cooling, that ice is still steaming after all."

This time, nobody stopped him when he turned his back. Twilight and Hyrule both followed him.

Piyoko was on the edge of the survived forest, the fact that none of the surrounding trees were caught in the fire... There were four cucoos, Epona, and a cow. More than Legend expected frankly.

They saw him approach and he knelt down in front of them. Piyoko was quick to press against him and Epona nuzzled his face. Ali, the cow he had won in Labrynna and sent to the farm, drew closer too.

What now, Link?

He let out a steady breath. "Hopefully some of the other farmers around will take you guys in. You guys know as well as I do that I won't be... Rebuilding to stay here."

Epona nudged his head. We know. We'll stay with you, I can keep up.

We'll go, don't worry. It isn't a surprise, Autumn, a russet hen, cooed.

He got a headcount. All the hens intended to go, Piyoko stubbornly insisted on staying with him, and Epona promised she'd follow him too. Ali assured she'd be fine on a new farm.

After that he went and got them all under shelter, he didn't care what the other heroes were doing, he just made sure the shade out by the pasture wasn't about to collapse and then collapsed there with the remaining farm animals.

Twilight and Hyrule had been nearby, but they didn't come too close. Twilight did, eventually, but he just sat beside Legend while Hyrule headed toward the small orange glow over by the nonexistent front gate.

"I'm sorry," Twilight said quietly.

Legend tried desperately to keep himself in check. "It's fine," he managed. "I don't--They're... They were inside when the fire broke out, I-I can't--Why didn't you let me go in?"

There was a chance they were still alive before the building collapsed.

"If you went in, you would've died. It was about to collapse and it did seconds later. If you'd gone inside... I'm sorry about your grandparents."

If he'd gone inside maybe he'd have stopped killing all the people he's cared about.

"Go join the others," he grumbled, wrapping his arms tightly around himself.

"I'm not leaving you alone right now."

"I'm not alone. I have Piyoko, and Epona, Ali, Autumn, Britt, Nettle, and Thorn."

"I'm still staying. I promised to help you and that's what I'll do."

Oh he was unsteady. He had to keep strong, don’t break... He's broken too much this adventure, too many times.

Twilight wound an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug slowly, giving him plenty of time to escape but he went rigid and didn't quite process what was happening until the rancher was holding him to his chest, a hand in his hair and carding through it gently.

Oh.

He buried his face into his chest and sobbed. The dam broke and so did he.

"It's okay, it's going to be okay. We're all here and we'll help you get through this."

"I-I can't--I--" Legend gasped, choking. "I can't keep doing this," he forced out.

"I know--"

"Why doesn't it stop? Why won't it stop?" He begged, he needed to know.

Why did he still hurt? Why did every single person he cared about get hurt? How could he protect them if he's the reason they're hurt?

"Why won't it stop?"

Next>>

[legendofzoodles]

Another LU thought:

Time, Twilight and Wild are Honorary Gorons

Let’s start with the ace of the chain: Wild. He got to prove himself to the Gorons numerous times, by calming Vah Rudania, doing side quests and shrine quests (like the gut check challenge). Not to mention he was already an honorary member of the tribe 100 years ago through his friendship with Darunia. He definitely visits Yunobo and the boys at Death Mountain to vibe and eat rock roasts.

[Training at Death mountain in Twi’s era]

Darbus: I think we should take a break for lunch.

Wild: [excitedly] Are we having rock roast?

Dangoro: What’s that? 

Wild: [running off] A really good dish made from rocks. Sit tight you two, I’ll make some!

Darbus: ...Can Hylians eat rocks?

Twilight: We can’t, but that doesn’t stop him. 

Twilight’s approach to making friends with the sentient rocks was unconventional in a traditional sense. Typically when trying to get on someone’s good side you don’t go on a rampage through their home fighting and throwing around all their friends. But the Gorons are tough so in this case that worked, and after Twilight beat one of the Goron’s most respected members he earned their trust and was permitted entrance into their sacred mines. 

[After Twilight told the story of how he climbed Death mountain]

Warriors: Is there a Goron in your era you haven’t assaulted? 

Twilight: They were fair fights.

Wind: Like hell they were, you used iron boots that’s cheating!

Twilight: ...

Twilight: Well, I haven’t fought any of the kids or elderly. 

The chain: ( ಠ_ಠ)

After saving their patriarch and helping them reconnect with the people at Kakariko they would’ve definitely considered Twi as one of them. I can imagine him taking trips to Death Mountain post TP to train with the Gorons, chuck rocks around, rock climb and of course sumo wrestle.

Ooh what if Twi teaches Wild sumo so that they could pass it to the Gorons in his era. The sport must have died out by that time since I don’t think it comes up in BotW. I imagine that Time already knows it. Since it was stated to be something of a tradition for them and his era is less than 200 years behind Twi’s. 

Speaking of Time, during his adventure he got really close with the Gorons, although he didn’t do any official challenges like Wild (I think) or brute force his way through their territory like Twi. He just kind of showed up as a kid, solved their problems and then did it again 7 years later. 

In the child timeline the adult part of OoT means diddly squat, but I’m pretty sure a little kid strolling in and doing what grown ass members of your tribe couldn’t would be enough for you to respect him. Plus Time has Biggoron’s sword in LU, meaning he did that side quest for the master craftsman. If that isn’t one brother helping another then I don’t know what to tell you.

Going over now to LU, the three of them would spearhead the shenaniganery that would ensue if the chain were ever let loose in the Eldin region (in any era). Wild would be climbing around all over the place making friends and Twilight wouldn’t resist a few friendly sporting matches and yeeting half the population off the mountain. 

Also I’m thinking that the chain would meet up after an afternoon of doing their own thing only to walk in on Time winning an arm wrestling match with a really strong Goron. Whether he’s using the golden gauntlets or not doesn’t affect how hyped the group are seeing their leader kicking ass with the biggest grin on his face. 

~~~

Thanks for reading.

Masterlist

9th place in the LU character design ranking

Character analysis posts:

Hero of the Sky, Hero of Time, Hero of Twilight, Hero of the Wild, Hero of Warriors

Parkour team - LU drabble

How each member of the chain laughs - LU headcanon

Remember that Wild eats rocks. Never forget this vital information. 

I’d like to include Wars but I don’t think he connected much with Darunia during the war and he’s too busy being a high ranking soldier to take trips to Death Mountain. 

[mothfables]

♡ Bunny Flops ♡ - Part Two

(Legend has like 0.5 seconds of angst cause ✨trauma✨, but then it’s just fluff <3)

The second time it happens, the Chain is taking a much-needed break at Lon Lon Ranch. Several weeks have gone by since the first Incident (as they’ve taken to calling it when Legend isn’t around to hear), and it’s mostly passed from everyone’s minds by now.

Legend refused to answer any of their questions, growing embarrassed and awkward any time someone brought it up. Eventually they gave up and let him be, to his relief. He doesn’t want any of them knowing it’s a holdover from his Dark World form - or that he suspects that isn’t the only reason for his more...rabbit-like tendencies. Luckily (or, perhaps, unluckily in this case), those tendencies really only show themselves when he feels truly comfortable and safe, with a few exceptions.

(He doesn’t want to think about what it means that it’s happened around the other heroes. Thinking about it means acknowledging it, and acknowledging it means he has to face the fact that he’s let himself get close. Close to people who will just get taken away go away again.)

(He can’t go through that again. He can’t.)

As it is, Legend is curled up on the rug in front of the fire in the main house, his hands wrapped around a steaming mug and a fluffy blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Quiet chatter mixed with soft music flows around him. Chores are done for the day, none of his weapons are in need of maintenance, his belly is full, and he’s warm and cozy in a house that makes him feel as safe as he’s ever been.

Legend feels himself start to drift, his mind growing hazy and soft. Each blink is longer than the last, and he fumbles to keep from spilling his drink as he begins to drift off. Someone takes it from him, their hands gently easing it from his own, before patting him on the head. Half-asleep, he barely registers giving a soft chirring purr in response to the affection, hearing the other chuckle warmly as they continue petting his hair.

Sky smiles down at him as the younger hero begins to doze. He pauses for a moment to twist around, searching for the coffee table so he can put down the mug he’d taken from sleepy hands. Once that’s done, he turns back around to continue his ministrations, only to blink as he realizes the other boy is not where he’d left him.

He glances around, confused, before looking down and seeing Legend curled up on his side before the fire, blanket clutched in his thin hands and violet eyes blinking sleepily into the flames. Giving a relieved sigh, Sky shuffles closer and lays a hand on soft pink locks. Legend starts purring again as Sky gently pets his hair.

He only half-listens to the sounds of the other heroes in the room with him, most of his attention on the cozy bundle before him that is the young hero. As he weaves his hand through his hair, marveling at the softness of it, he senses more than sees someone moving to sit next to him.

“He’s doing it again, huh?” Warriors’ voice, hushed in the quiet peace that’s settled over them all, comes from his left. He joins Sky in reaching out and laying a gentle hand on Legend’s arm. The Vet sniffles once before sighing. Wars runs his hand along his arm in a soothing motion, and his eyes slip shut as he finally nods off.

“So, it’s not anything to worry about then, do you think?” Sky asks, keeping his voice low. “Since he’s just sleeping when he does this?” ‘This’ being tipping over and falling asleep with ease as compared to the restless, guarded nights they’re all used to.

Wars shakes his head. “No, I don’t think so. This is-” he stops, looking for the right words. Sky nods; he understands what his brother means.

This is an incredible show of trust. For the Veteran, prickly and snappish and guarded to his core, this may very well be the equivalent of lowering every wall he has and opening the door straight to his heart. Sky’s own heart warms at the realization. He lets himself trust that they will not hurt him, and in turn allows them to protect and care for him at his most vulnerable.

The Chosen Hero turns his head to meet the Captain’s eyes. They both nod, coming to an unspoken agreement that they will do everything they can to keep this trust. Their brother deserves to be able to let his guard down, to be able to open himself up, to know he has people he can depend on, and that none of it will be taken from him.

With a content sigh, Sky lets himself lean into Warriors, resting his head on his shoulder. They each keep a hand on their sleeping brother, protective and soothing both. The two of them will keep watch over their brother tonight, here in this house of safety and warmth and love, to make the most of every ounce of trust they’ve been given.

<< First : Last >>

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

Who Heals the Healer? Febuwhump Day 7--Suffering In Silence

Four passed out at last. That gaping wound in his stomach, scraped out and still lined at the edges with singed, blackened flesh, was finally cleared enough that Hyrule could lay his hands over it and touch living flesh. He worked his magic, knitting muscle and skin back together by feel alone, until his magic began to sputter and peter out and Legend pulled him away, already scolding him for overextending himself. Hyrule stumbled after him, his mind numb, as Legend pushed him down onto a log by the fire and ran a rag over his sweaty forehead, yelling for Wind to fetch him a drink and some sugary snack from Wild’s Slate. 

“Rulie, how many times have I told you not to exhaust your magic reserves like that?” Despite the harsh words, Legend’s voice was fond. It took Hyrule’s eyes a while to adjust to find his scowling face. “You’re going to hurt yourself like that one day, I should know.”

“...sorry…” Hyrule got out vaguely. He leaned into the cool palm pressing into his forehead. “Is he…?”

“He’s okay,” Legend answered. He pulled away with a frown, then took one of Hyrule’s hands in his own, rubbing it briskly between his own. Then he paused. “You’re… warm. You’re usually cold after you use too much magic.” He looked up at Hyrule, his eyebrows raising. “Have you been sick recently, Rulie?”

The words took a while to make their way through Hyrule’s exhausted mind. “No…? I don’t think so…” Suddenly, there were two Legend’s looking up at him. He blinked hard, and they solidified back into one. “I’m just tired… I think I might need to lie down for a bit.”

“Okay…” Legend said dubiously. “C’mon, give me your arm, I’ll help you over there.”

Hyrule found himself nearly slung over Legend’s shoulder. The walk to his bedroll seemed to be miles long. He stumbled, and Legend cursed, distantly calling out for Warrior to help him. He was there in an instant, supporting Hyrule’s other arm. Somewhere in the back of Hyrule’s mind, he realized that the outside of his right leg was burning, but he was much too tired to pay it any attention. He took one step towards his bedroll, then another.

“Rulie, this is more than magic exhaustion.” Legend’s voice warbled in from afar. “Are you sure that you’re okay?”

 “I mean, it… it could also be… be where that monster got me.” Hyrule panted out. All he had to do was get to his bedroll. One step. Another. “Didn’t really have time to… to deal with it, before Four was all hurt."

“Hyrule,” Legend said somewhere, his voice growing high. “What do you mean, where that monster got me?”

Hyrule, very helpfully, passed out in answer.

[insert-original-lu-sideblog-name]

Word Count: 8,010

Characters: Four, The Colours and The Chain

Summary: Four thought he could hold it all together; he had to after all. The colours wanted to reveal themselves on their own accord and not by force but... Four had really underestimated just how bad he was feeling.

The moment the Smithy tried to get up he was hit with a sudden wave of nausea that was accompanied by a dizzy spell, causing him his to lose his balance and fall over with a yelp.

Which then turned into multiple yelps as Four felt himself come undone.

He could no longer hold everyone together.

[hero-of-courage]

Here are some short writings from Linked Galaxy!

Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?

Warriors snickered unashamedly as Four pulled a stormtrooper helmet over his head. The two of them and Legend had snuck aboard an imperial cruiser and were in need of disguises. The captain decided to tease the boy as he adjusted the plastoid armor on his shoulder.

"You've definitely gotta be the shortest stormtrooper I've ever seen." The man chuckled.

Four yanked the helmet off and leveled him with a glare.

He muttered bitterly, "Hand me that cadet helmet."

Legend slid in next to Warriors in full armor. "Honestly, he should really be posing as a captured Ewok or Jawa instead."

Four roughly pulled the cadet helmet over his head and growled in a filtered voice, "Shut up or I'll stun you."

Legend knocked on the top of Four's helmet with a daring smirk. "Try it. We'll see how this op goes when you're dragging my limp body around."

The captain cut in with a mock serious tone, "Don't do it, Four. It won't go over well."

Four scowled underneath the helmet. "Why did I have to be assigned this mission with you two?"

Where's your padawan?

Time peeked over the crate carefully. Standing at attention, in front of their escape was an outrageous amount of troopers. He sighed then turned to address the two boys next to him.

"Now, this is a tight situation. We are out numbered by a lot and our chances of getting out of this hanger with guns blazing is out of the question." He shared a glance with his former apprentice. "I think it best to employ stealth-"

Time glanced around. "Twilight, where's your padawan?"

The sound of an explosion and screaming bucket-heads rang out behind him. "That's him isn't it?"

Twilight rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah..."

Time pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I'm going to have a word with both of you later. Let's get moving before Wild gets himself killed."

Point and Shoot

Legend fired his blaster at an approaching trooper and swiped his gun. After examining it briefly, he tossed it to his companion.

Hyrule fumbled to catch the weapon as Legend spoke, "There. Use that."

Hyrule turned the blaster over in his hands, looking for the grip. "I have never used a blaster before."

Legend stared at the younger boy blankly for a moment before continuing his march down the hallway. "What am I going to do with you, kid? It's simple. Point and shoot."

She's a good speeder!

"Rusl can drop us off at the spaceport and then bring Epona back home so we don't have to worry about leaving her," Twilight summarized his plan for leaving Ordon.

Time raised a brow. "You named your speeder?"

"She's a good speeder!" Twilight defended himself with his arms crossed over his chest.

The exasperated master shook his head. "I'm not going to argue about this."

Please tell me we won't...

"Please tell me we won't have me launched full speed in an escape pod into an imperial space station?" Wind huffed after speaking what seemed to be utter nonsense in a down right serious tone.

"I'm sorry?" Sky leaned forward to glance at the boy in concern and confusion. "We uh won't do that?

Wild grinned like a mad man. "Yes. Yes we will."

Four is a droid?

"Who needs a droid when you have Four to fix things? Am I right?" Wind elbowed Warriors next to him.

Legend chuckled. "Do you think he can make it past the detectors in a cantina?"

"Probably not," Wild jumped in. "Not with all that scrap metal he carries around with him."

Four's eye twitched and he gripped the wrench in his hand. "I am so close to strangling all of you."

Warriors didn't bother to hide his amusement. "He's got the attitude for it too."

"Say goodbye to your heaters. Don't come to me to fix it when you're all freezing in your rooms tonight."

I'm a fighter pilot!

Sky stumbled into the captain's seat of a freighter and scanned over the controls frantically.

"How does this thing work?" He yelled towards the back of the ship.

Legend stopped his decent down the ladder in shock. "I thought you were the best pilot!"

"I'm a fighter pilot!" Sky shot back in frustration. "I've never seen a ship like this before!"

Legend blinked at him in disbelief. "This is a simple freighter! How have you not seen one?"

"My people never traded with outsiders!" Sky explained as he guessed at the switches and successfully started the engines. "The biggest ship we have besides our loftwing fighters is the Skycarrier itself!"

"Blast it all!" Legend swore as he mentally declared this conversation a lost cause. He let himself drop into the lower turret position. "Just figure it out! I'm manning the guns!"

How'd you get so skilled with a lightsaber?

"How'd you get so skilled with a lightsaber?" Twilight asked as he and Sky boarded their home ship.

Sky pondered a moment. "I was trained by the ghosts of ancient Jedi."

Time, who happened to hear them as they entered, spilled his caff in surprise.

"Is that right?" Twilight grinned.

Sky nodded. "I think facing off against two supposed long dead Sith Lords was a big part of it."

The captain, who had walked past them at that moment, turned to face the eldest in the corner.

"Did he just say what I thought he said?" Warriors spoke in a panicked tone.

Time didn't reply as he cleaned up his spilled drink.

[iolitemoth]

sometimes i think about reading This Is An Adjuration by @not-freyja but i’m pretty sure it would break me irreparably

[oneweirdbookaddict]

Sky gets a concussion, Wild helps him out. And Time's there, too.

704 words

No warnings, let me know if anyone wants that changed!

Same for tags.

~~~~

His day was going pretty well until he took a bat to the head. 

It’d been a lazy morning. The crisp fall air was brisk, making them hide under the protection of their blankets for longer. And Time had let them. 

But eventually, they roused themselves and got to walking down the trail they’d been following for days now. 

Twi had been tracking a group of monsters, hoping to find the shadow with them. 

And boy, had they found them. 

Easily outnumbered, the advantage of surprise hadn’t lasted long. The battle quickly took a turn for the worse, but they’d kept going. 

Between the chaos of his fellow heroes fighting, he can hear someone swear. 

“Wars!” Someone shouts. 

“On it!” The captain calls back, and he takes a valuable moment to glance away from his own fight. 

Someone’s down- he can’t tell who- someone else standing over them, on defense. 

He goes back to his own fight. 

Dodges a blow, parry, step forward, gain the advantage, loses it when another monster comes after him, steps back, slashes, attacks, blocks- 

“Sky!” 

And something slams into his head, sending him sprawling to the ground, vision blacking out. 

When he has any sense of what’s going on again, Wild’s kneeling next to him, grabbing him and pulling him to the side. 

The movement makes him groan, but he staggers to his feet and Wild quickly moves to support him. Especially when he nearly falls right back over, knees weakening.

“Yeah, you’re done, take it easy, yeah? How many fingers am I holding up?” 

He squints blearily at Wild’s hand. “Erm- seven.” He says the first number that pops into his head. 

Staggers, the world swaying around him. 

Wild’s arms grab him, and he mindlessly processes the feeling of sinking back to the ground. 

“One hell of a concussion…” Wild is muttering behind the ringing in his ears. 

“Sky. Hey, Sky.” 

He squints. Time’s in front of him. 

How’d he get here? 

“I followed you guys, they're doing ok out there. What do you need, a potion?” 

Potion… do they have any? They were out the last he remembered… 

“Yeah, we’ve got some, we stocked up in town yesterday, remember?” 

Is he… talking out loud? 

“Uh… yes, Sky. Drink this for me, it’ll fix you right up.” 

Something is nudged into his hands. Slowly propped to his lips, he takes a few mouthfuls of the potion. 

His head clears immediately, the ringing in his ears fading. The pounding he hadn’t even noticed was there easing to a dull ache. 

“That feel better?” Time asks, and he nods slowly. 

Closes his eyes, rubbing his head. 

“Who else was hurt?” He groans, slumping back.

“No one, Hyrule took a tumble but he’s alright. You need anyone to stay here with you?” 

“No, you guys… go back. I’ll be fine.” 

Time hesitates, unsure about leaving him alone, but he forces a smile. “I’m alright, Time, I’ll finish this potion and be fine. You guys go back, they’ll need your help out there.” 

The two nod, standing, leaving him alone. 

He takes a breath, taking another drink of the potion. 

Hears something behind him, standing and frowning. 

Hand reaches for his sword- two things someone had called Bokoblins spot him. 

“Oh, come on.” He mutters. 

They rush at him. 

He dodges one, then the other, blocks an attack, steps away from a hit- 

His vision flashes. Pain spikes through his head. 

He raises his sword just in time to block an attack going right for his stomach, head pounding. He’s overdoing it- he’s still concussed. 

Ears ringing, blades clashing, one of the monsters gets a hit in, he stumbles back- 

And he’s on the ground. 

Dizzy, the world teetering around him. 

“Time!” He shouts, shoving himself to his feet. He’s not able to fight right now, and definitely can’t run. 

He stumbles away, grasping onto trees to keep himself upright. “Time! Wild!” 

“Sky?!” Someone shouts back, and he nearly collapses in sheer relief. 

Then something hits the back of his head, sending him right back to the ground, head pounding ears ringing world swaying. 

“Sky!” He hears again, but he’s too far gone. 

~~~~