#(it counts because there's a 'lu' in it)

[weepingtalecowboy]

I am surprised and kind of not surprised at all by how undeniably bad Hyrule's politics are

Like there is a demon knocking at your doorstep every decade or so

And instead of creating a system of actually destroying the demon again and again

You just throw your daughters at the problem and wait till a little blond boy comes and saves you

Like why is the whole kingdom so underprepared for calamity ganon

They had 10.000 years to prepare for it and instead chose to procrastinate till they had less then a year left and only then did they try to find a way to fix the situation

Like telling Zelda to get on and start zelding would have been useful when they had several thousands of years to prepare

But only like 17 years without a link to be found

Is just stupid they should have recovered the divine beasts the second that Zelda came to be or even earlier like several hundred years before the reawakening of the calamity

But that also makes total sense for a kingdom that won’t stop sacrificing daughters and relies entirely upon a single man (most Times a boy even)

And that is so fucking hilarious and pathetic

Like if I was an outside observer

I too wouldn’t want to involve myself into such a mess

[cosmetichorror]

Pssst, hey, imagine this:

When the hero’s die, instead of moving on their spirits get sucked inside the mastersword, (don’t question how those who don’t use the mastersword get sucked in there) and they’re left to be a guide for the next hero to use them. Fi is there too btw.

Anyways as each person gains the mastersword, they also gain a handful of guides who can either be super helpful or super annoying.

POV Wild:

Legend: well well well! Look who finally decided to pick us up again.

Time: Ledge, don’t be rude, he died. He’s allowed to take a while

Hyrule: im just glad to see him back!

Sky: how are you, Link? Are you well? Are you okay now? That was quite the scare you gave us! How is your face? Do your scars hurt? Can we help?

Wild: Who the fuck are you?????

[summertimemusician]

Linktober 2024, Day 1, Mirror (Self)

Alright here we go again.

Technically a sneak peak of a bigger thing to come in the future that I'm repurposing, and the result of my final playthrough and readthrough before EoW dropped being Four Swords Adventures and that made me sad about Shadow Link again.

Note that this is for the Four Swords Adventures iteration of Shadow Link that might evolve into an LU Shadow, not Dark Link in either LOZ or LU, I have other plans for him.

This one shot was brought to you by Scars by The Crane Wives, Ribs by The Crane Wives, Ruin by The Amazing Devil and Two Minutes by The Amazing Devil because the author's playlist decided to be incredibly cheeky when they blacked out to write this like an ancient seers being cursed with visions and then called mad and hearing they've been put up for execution.

As always the nature of the relationship can be romantic or platonic, mostly due to the author's time constraints and further plans.

Anyway enjoy the reading!

It was cold.

The sort of cold after a wildfire, when everything's turned back to ash, the sort that left burned your vision white after the flames licked through your veins and left an ache in your bones. He shuddered, coughed black onto the stone floor, shaking with a muffled whimper.

It never got any easier, being dragged from the Dark World and into the Realm of Light, the goddesses' world itself revolting against an intruder, wanting the wound torn asunder into their oh so precious realm cauterized. To purge the intrusion and smite it where it stands.

Too bad for them (and for him), his master didn't particularly care about what the world wanted. Didn't particularly care that he hadn't grow accustomed to the pain or the cold, he had to stand up. There was work to be done.

(Shadow gritted his teeth, willed himself not to think about the prophecy of a golden haired princess- because whether he liked it or not, it was prophecy. As those with divinity running through their veins are wont to spill from their throats so carelessly- of violet eyes and a smile a third moonlight and hands holding a hammer.

It always hurt more, after one of the heroes liberated one of the maidens, or the jewels, the pain lingering for days afterwards and carving a home in his metaphorical bones. But just this once he'd take the cold bite of the Four Swords over the pain in the hole in his chest that Vio's betrayal had left, something that felt so much worse than every other time before.

Just this once he wished that maybe, just maybe, the hurt would be too much to bear, that he wouldn't wake up again-

Why? Why does it hurt so much but he's still here? He already knew the Light was uncompromising and unforgiving, but he thought them at least above curses.)

His ears twitched as soft, almost silent footsteps came up to his side. Someone crouching by his fallen form, setting a cautious hand over his own that Shadow couldn't help but draw away from with a hiss, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the world again, to your face, carefully blank as you guided him to lean against your side, a silver choker with a crimson gem winked mockingly at him, the shade closing his eyes and going boneless against your side.

Shadow was so, so tired.

He heard you quietly sigh, plucking his cap from his head and running your fingers through dark amethyst, smoke and mist made hair. "I told you so."

"Shut up." He grumbled, nuzzling further into the crook of your neck. One clawed hand curling against your free wrist, digging into the skin. Absentmindedly noting there were new scratches just above the metal.

It was routine by now, the warmth of your existence against his own a welcome balm, not quite of the Realm of Light where it's unpleasant, not too close to the Dark World where he felt like melting back into the embrace of the darkness, only to howl in agony at being dragged out.

Memories not quite his own bled into his mind all the time. How you'd shape ice into flowers for the princess in winter with nary a though, of blinking and from one second to the next you'd have whatever sword he had hostage if you though it was time for a break with a smile brighter than the sun.

His master had changed that though. It took months for you to stop trying to claw the collar out and to stop trying to fight Vaati.

(Funny how holding a mage's dragon as a bargaining chip is just as effective as kidnapping a ruler.)

Your gaze flicked to the polished obsidian of the Dark Mirror, to the gold, ornate frame. "The offer is still open, you know. Let me take the suffering from you."

"No." He scowled, leaning back to glare into your eyes, a hint of fangs poking out from a maw struggling to keep the shape of a human jaw, "You helped him. Helped them." Shadow spat, there is that hurt again.

You shrugged, a movement that's just slightly awkward as you flinch, "That I did." You confirmed simply, it almost made Shadow see red as he leaned away, knocking your hand from his head in the process, but if there's anything him and the heroes shared, was a lack of a desire to hurt you. It was a little grating to be honest, "Vio even offered to take me with him, to be honest."

"Then why didn't you leave?" He demanded.

Why did you stick around?

Your eyes shuttered, a hint of conflict in your pursed lips. Before you found your words, they come out softly, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you why. You'll just have to find out yourself."

You tug your wrist from his grasp, and Shadow lets you go.

(Stubbornly pushing down on memories and emotions that arearen'tarenotanymore quite his.)

You stand and turn away, pushing the curtains away from your sight, you turn your tired eyes to Shadow with an emotion he can't put a name to. "Just keep it in mind that there's more than one way to end this. Nothing is truly inevitable."

Shadow watches you go. 'There's nothing that can be done. He tells himself, hand hesitating above the Dark Mirror, briefly, it curls into a fist. The hero's original self stares back at him.

'… Does he really believe that?'

He shakes his head, and focuses on willing the Dark Mirror to show him his counterpart.

His chest still hurts.

[m5or]

I have been thinking about something in the Linked Universe Au comic. In Twilight Princess when you are in Arbiter's Grounds you follow the scent of a poe soul. So, by that logic, TP Link knows that souls have a sent to them.

What would the hero's spirit smell like to Twi? Of course, there would be variants to each link respectively. (idk why but I think the "hero's spirit" would smell like cinnamon) In Shifting Shadows part 5, Wolfie could follow Dink aka Dark Link via scent. Would Dink's scent be similar to the hero's spirit? I am curious because it's not a malice-related color at all. I don't know, It could not be relevant at all here but it's a thought.

I could see the chain adjusting to this info and realize it's a Dark Link. Or maybe the chain already knows it's a Dark Link. It probably belongs to one of the two mysterious links yet to be seen. What did Dink's Link do to make it Link the Universe?

Does anyone have better info than I do?

[zeldalizzy]

My older sister and I watched The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) tonight and I did some doodles while watching. It is an INCREDIBLE film, its one of my favorites! I would highly recommend it! I guess this counts for another couple of characters in the LU style. I think that Time and Edmond Dantes would get along well 😂

[starlight-eclipsed]

Thanks for clarifying the sentence—it mostly made sense but that middle part was giving me serious trouble. I don’t think I would have figured it out without help.

Makes sense that I didn’t get it though—haven’t played totk—so I had zero references. I like seeing the language differences between what I presume is some variant of sky’s Julian compared to wild’s! It’s still intelligible but with very clear differences in spelling.

Adore that the Zonai were the ones to continue on telling the story of the hero of the sky and why. Of course the funky cat/dragon sky people told the story of the hero of the sky! It’s really fun world-building and yeah of course the people living in the sky would relate to a hero from similar circumstances (added bonus of claiming the god slayer to their line of succession). It’s a multipurpose legend!

Furthermore, it explains why Hylia is so prevalent in botw compared to literally any other game (not counting Skyward Sword). The retelling of the hero of the sky meant that some of those cultural practices got passed down to Wild’s era but it shifted from formal worship to more intimate worship. It’s utterly fascinating!

Please continue to give me world building! Are there any other headcanons you have on the other Hyrules or characters?

I wonder what sky’s reaction to knowing how prevalent he is still in wild’s era is?

Of course! To answer that last bit first: he's surprised to know that his hero title is remembered, but he doesn't know the true extent of how much people still know about him. He also isn't aware of how much time is between their eras--he knows that it's pretty distant, but to be fair he's used to interacting with long-lived beings from distant times. Sky hasn't really processed what it means for Wild's era to still remember him.

As for the rest: I'm not sure you understand what you're opening the door for, but I'm always down to talk world building and headcanons so let's go :D

Termina is in Lorule. It's from a timeline where their Triforce was never destroyed, so it's a lot healthier and resembles Hyrule more. Rifts between the lands still exist but are significantly more stable, so it's not uncommon for someone or something from one land to cross into the other. That's how Hilda was able to learn of Hyrule's Triforce--someone from Hyrule fell into their lands. It's more difficult in the other direction, and anyone who left Lorule while it was crumbling away was more than happy to pretend like it never existed, so that's why Zelda didn't know about it.

Seers are a big thing in Hyrule, and are the reason the different timelines know about each other. That said, visions of the past/future are indistinguishable from alternate timelines, so they don't actually know they sometimes see things from alternate realities--they just think they must've gotten something wrong. Seers that are able to catch glimpses of the heroes on their journey will often have their visions recorded as 'history'. This is why the mural in TP's castle town is so weird: it's an amalgamation of OoT and WW.

The Oocca tribe was related to the Interlopers. They used to be the same tribe of Hylian sorcerers that lived within the Sacred Realm. Much like the Sheikah/Yiga of botw, a schism formed and fighting broke out, with the force of their magic threatening to destroy the land. Those who would become the Twili were banished to the Twilight, and the others were sent to the sky (being given the Rito treatment in the process). Neither side would recognize the other, between the physical transformations and the amount of time that's passed.

Agitha(TP) is a descendant of Strich(SS). Her family is one of the oldest in the kingdom--and among the wealthiest.

Weather in this world is the work of spirits (technically they're a kind of fairy). It's all very localized, so that's why things like the Rod of Seasons and Song of Storms don't have disastrous global consequences. The Gale Boomerang houses one such spirit.

The moon cycle is associated with the Golden Goddesses. This is actually something I wrote in one of my wips (this one is gonna take years to finish, I just know it), so I'm gonna copy that section over:

“The moon’s magic only changes during a full moon, but I was talking about the offering part. Nayru is a-so-see-ate-ed with the in-between full and new moons.” Zelda chewed her lip in thought a bit before lighting up. “Because she’s the Goddess of Time!” He nodded with a face-splitting grin. “Din’s the new moon, ‘cuz she’s the start of the cycle and you need her fire to see well during it. And Farore is the full moon, ��cuz she’s the end of the cycle and blesses the land with new life.”

To build off that last point, the Blood Moon is Ganon hijacking the full moon's normal power of respawning natural resources. And yes, this is my in-universe explanation for how Hyrule's ecosystem recovers so quickly and is so abundant. Ganon is very rightfully jealous--the one from OoT keeps trying to grab the Triforce of Courage for Farore's association but it never works.

And yes, the respawning thing applies to those who hold the Triforce of Courage.

The Downfall Timeline is already a retcon in of itself so I don't care too much about changing details: the hero never opened the door to the Sacred Realm in that timeline.

Chuchus take on the properties of magic they absorb, with varying degrees of efficiency depending on the era. Most are carnivorous and prefer to eat things while they are alive--the ones in TP have a broad enough diet to consume all ingredients necessary to brew a potion with their own body.

Cuccos aren't actually animals--they're actually related to the Lizalfos/Dynalfos/Aeralfos line. Much like Wolfos, Hylians domesticated them anyway.

[legendoflozer]

Random phobias among the chain

Hmmm this one is a bit tricky but fun to think about! And this became way more angstier than I planned 😅

I think for a long time Hyrule was scared of any sight of blood due to his fear and anxiety of his own blood spilling. Took him a while to not blanch at blood at all, thankfully he’s not so put off by other people’s blood, though he still has a huge phobia of his own blood!

I think it’ll be interesting if Legend is scared of his dreams, he’s always terrified that he’ll get stuck in another Koholint Island situation. This turns into him being afraid that the adventure he’s on with the others is just a dream, it really haunts him at night.

Warriors has the fear of being poisoned, and it tends to be irrational. After repeating poisonings during and after the War, Warriors has a need to make his own food or watch his food being made. Unfortunately even with watching Wild make his food, Warriors still has that constant fear and sometimes has to resort to eating rations/ingredients/fruits & vegetables. He genuinely feels awful for doing this, he knows that the others would never poison him, but he needs to protect himself.

Time has arachnophobia, terrified of skulltulas and even the tiny insect spiders. House of Skulltula was where he gained this phobia, being cursed as a skulltula frightened him, he still saved the sons, just definitely had nightmares afterwards.

Wild has claustrophobia, once he realized that he was in Shrine of Resurrection for 100 years, he’s been scared of being trapped in tight places ever since. Most of the time, he’s able to overcome this in caves, wells, etc. But sometimes the haunted image of his body in the Shrine gets to him.

[wutheringmights]

next ctb will probably not be next week but the week after, if only because i can't use my saturdays to binge write this month

[luna-loveboop]

I'm alive by the way just in college

[aparticularbandit]

Someday I will not make everything about Danganronpa.

Brain just. is refusing.

So don't ask me when that day will be, exactly.

It might be a few months.

[thephilosophersapprentice]

hello I'm back on my "Warriors is the fastest Link in a flat run" apologism again

there's so much running in that game and zelda does it all in heels

[llegato]

actually wild how add couldve just kissed literally anyone in the el search party and like .one of the guys would've probably understood why and kissed him but he had to narrow it down to the girls because he didnt want to like out himself 😭

[summertimemusician]

Linktober Day 8

Constructs

Way too late if ya ask me because Nayru and Hylia have decided to forsake me but it's done. *Collapses* This one did NOT want to write itself no matter how hard I tried even if I have so many feelings about constructs, in the end Hozier, the SS and TOTK soundtrack carried this to the final stretch even if it's just a small drabble lol.

Mostly referenced this time though, something soft and nice about Sky and Reader and Constructs, can be interpreted as platonic or romantic. Day 9 and 10 prompts will be released on the same day if it all possible though depending if I actually get some darn rest and have the time (because Legend is being a bit difficult on the Linktober Shadow one in contrast to how deity is going and I have irl stuff to get done, hopefully this is good enough until then.).

Wild’s Sky Archipelagos couldn’t be different from Skyloft, though no less breathtaking. The eternal beauty of the sky ringing true and everlasting over the cloud barrier enforced by Hylia, though if the sky found in your favorite Godslayer’s was beautiful due to the life that thrived in the loneliness in spite of it all, of creating a community that would outlast the wish for entropy Demise attempted to enforce into the world with the black hole heart of his greed, then Wild’s was because of the echoes of what once was there, that it was lovely and beautiful even in ruin as nature reclaimed what belonged to it by right. That even if the people were gone they existed, they thrived and lived and loved and even in tragedy, that mattered.

And nothing reflected that better than the Constructs which of outlasted the civilization. Made out of now decayed copper and sturdy ceramic, made cute, so the people would remember to treat their new helpers kindly, and made sturdy so they’d remember the people who loved adored them and their built in sense of duty and kindness to aid any guest of friend in need and given voices so they could listen to them speak, to make them just a little closer to humanity.

‘Many of them are deactivated now,’ Wild had told you, the first time you’d all stepped foot onto the main island, it was disorienting for you and most of the Chain (except for Sky, because of course your heavenly, cloud trailblazing boy would have taken to the abandoned, atmosphere cold and echoing sun gold clear beauty of the sky island the quickest like a fish whom was questioned on their ability to swim or a falcon on their ability to hunt, you were almost jealous if not for the fact you or Four always made lunges for his collar – Crimson didn’t come with through the portal after all, nor First’s Russet’- when he attempted to follow Wild’s lead and in consequence give you heart attacks), the little beings of ceramic and old bronze completely non hostile, going about tending to the islands with their faint whirs of gears and whistles of self sustaining magic batteries, voices cold but calm, almost comforting and the first pieces of technology far away from Sky’s them that weren’t immediately hostile towards your boys, ‘Mostly the soldier ones, the Stewards have remained though. Carrying on with their duty, making the place homey even if the people are gone.’

Something about that gave you pause, lagging behind your group in a long abandoned garden, the scent of Sundelions and lavender tickling your nose and a deactivate Soldier Construct coiled up in slumber. Remembering the ancient robots in Sky’s Era, carrying on in their little pockets of time, unaware that the people they were created to aid have long since gone, that their time had long gone, of Fi, everlasting, ever sleeping Fi, bound to duty, always remembering the one’s who created her, of Sky who treated her as a friend, and always watching as people so very unlike him but achingly similar came and went, unable to do anything. Loving like a ghost.

“Guest?”, came a little mechanical chirp, you blink yourself back into awareness, a Steward floating over with a tilted head, jade ceramic earrings clinking, “If I may, you look troubled. May I offer unsolicited aid?”

You can’t help but chuckle, shaking your head gently, an idea stitching yourself in your mind like threads of silk upon a gown, “No no, sorry, I’m alright, I was just wondering. Is it alright if I come on by to pick some flowers? They’re lovely, you did a great job caring for them.”

It inclines their head, chiming, something close to delight, as much as it can express as a machine, “Ah, I see you were admiring them. If I may offer a bit of trivia, Sundelions were the queen's favorite, you may. Will you take care of them?”

You smile, gently reaching a hand to pat it’s head with a nod, it clicks and whistles, surprised, but doesn’t pull away, “Of course, may I ask you a few questions as well? I’d like to know how many Soldier Constructs are resting now.”

You should also ask Sky what Fi’s opinion is on flowers, as well.

It might be a bit silly, but they deserve it after so long.

(Later, much later, when the Chain notices you’re gone after talking to Zelda in the Temple of Time high up in the. Sky finds you in the garden, gently weaving blossoms into a crown, the construct from before amicably chatting with you as it tends to the Sundelions with a ring of flowers around it's long, long neck.

He joins you, and when asked what his and Fi’s opinion is on flowers, he tells you she won’t mind, much less him.

Later that day, Fi’s gains a crown of yarrow, bluebells and morning glories

It’s not much, but it makes Sky smile, you hope she likes them.)

[journey-to-the-attic]

One day Ik calls Satan 'Sanana the skenana' and thats what finally breaks him

SUSTAINED, I LIKE THIS VERY MUCH

oddly fitting that the sans joke successfully gets satan to lose the game (that he and only he has decided they were playing)

(he's probably going to convince ik to try the name thing on lucifer, just so he can gloat if lucifer doesn't last as long as him)

[merriclo]

what if Mask had scars caused from redeads holding him. what then.

[rebornofstars]

Hi @la-sera! Your artwork is so intricate and just absolutely stunning, and has inspired me to continue creating for this fandom. I admire you a lot, so I wrote this short piece for you as part of the Fan Joy July challenge based on your artwork. I hope that’s okay!

Legend lifted the torch. Flame danced over the wooden pallet and the body laid out across it: agonisingly, gut-wrenchingly still. Legend forced his eyes away from the light and down. If he squinted through the tears he could almost pretend that the body was just sleeping. That the jumping firelight was a healthy glow in the body’s cheeks; that it masked the rise and fall of a chest. He smeared his wet face across his sleeve, and cupped the body’s face with one hand. “Hyrule…” he whispered. The traveller’s body was cold and quiet, the same as it had been every other time Legend had called the kid’s name. Each time, he felt the same half-second of desperate hope. Of longing. Of denial. “Hyrule… please. Please.”  Each time, his heart was torn apart anew. Legend sniffed. The kid looked peaceful in death. The creases on his brow were smooth. Twilight had laid a spare tunic over the mangled stomach and closed his eyes, just before they lifted him onto the pyre. A gesture of respect for the d— Legend felt more tears escape him. Hyrule was dead. He was dead.  He was dead. The thought was earth-shattering. “I’m b—burning,” he forced out through wet sobs, “your b—your body. Just like you—you made me promise.” He felt a steadying hand at his back. “Do you need help?” Twilight asked. Legend squeezed his eyes shut and shuddered silently. “No,” he lied. “N—no, I’m—good.” “We have to be quick,” Twilight reminded him. “The monsters are approaching. They’re still—” “I know,” said Legend. He brushed his thumb gently along Hyrule’s skin, even though he knew the kid would never feel it. Smooth and cold. Like porcelain. So easily broken. “I know. His blood.” The memories of that fight would be burned into his eyelids forever, red and bright and hot like the flaming torch he held. Hyrule being pinned down by a horde of monsters. The way he arched away from the knife, begging, pleading. The knife as it slid through his skin like butter, and the dark blood that began to bubble out of the cuts. The way it pooled in the hollow of his abdomen. The endless gushing as it coated the monsters’ hands down to the wrist.  Legend blinked the stark images away, hoarse screams ringing in his ears. He tasted bile. How was he supposed to walk away now knowing that he’d failed? That the kid had been ritually sacrificed in the worst way possible? Died seeing his worst fear realised? “I’m sorry,” he choked out, and lowered the torch. The bloodstained clothes caught alight. Hyrule was never going to finish the story he’d been telling Legend to pass the time while they trekked through the endless woods. He was never going to cast another spell or swing a sword or introduce them to his princesses. One day, Legend would forget the way the corners of his eyes used to crinkle when he laughed. “I’m so sorry.”

Fan Joy July Masterpost

"burn my body"

Hyrule dies in his Hyrule. The monsters managed to sacrifice him to resurrect Ganon.

Legend wants to grant Hyrule's last wish: burn my body.