#LU Links reunite

[aroacenezhaanddainsleif]

(twilight princess link voice) i miss my wife (midna), folks. i miss her a lot.

[brendathedoodler]

Ooh I love this concept, can tell me I guess some differences between the journey you thought out so far?

Most of my focus so far has been on the differences in their previous adventures and how it might affect their interactions with each other, rather than any specific plot points on the journey itself. I do have some ideas, though!

First: the meeting. All the links are tossed through a portal all of a sudden and end up in an unfamiliar era with each other. Some handle it better than others.

Wind has seen enough portals in his life to know how this usually goes. Yup, another adventure. He’d been expecting it, since his last adventure had just ended.

Hyrule takes it very well too, especially once he sees Sky and Time. He recognizes them both from a few years prior. For him, anyway. The war across ages was almost 20 years ago for Time, and a mere 3 months for Sky. Poor Sky was just settling down from the war and was in the middle of a much needed nap when the portal yoinked him.

Twilight had a moment of panic when he couldn’t find Midna, but soon she’s back to resting in her spot on his shoulders and he can focus on the situation at hand.

Warriors is cautious and staying back, letting the other links interact with one another first before he joins. He’s used to danger, and doesn’t trust the others at first.

Wild panicked right away, since he couldn’t feel his loftwing anywhere. They’re soul bound, so he knows full well that his loftwing isn’t anywhere near them. His loftwing was his guide since the day he lost his memories, so having that comforting presence taken from him isn’t something he handles well.

The one who takes it the worst is Legend. His adventure took him through many different dimensions (all of which had been put in danger through Zant’s attempt to conquer the Twilight Realm), and his experience with portals is not good at all. He’s quick to lash out at the others, grief stricken and fearing that he’s lost everything all over again.

Beyond the first meeting, there are a few distinct plot points!

The first revolves around Wind. Being the youngest but having the most experience is a tricky thing. Wind is used to people underestimating him. It happens time and time again; every new adventure comes with a new set of people asking him if he’s too young for this. Having his fellow heroes go out of their way to protect him irks him when normally it doesn’t.

Another scene is meeting Marin. By the time this happens, they’ve passed through a few eras that the others recognize, and Legend has stopped showing so much animosity towards the others now that he knows he’ll be able to return home. Legend likes to be a bit mysterious, and hasn’t revealed much about his girlfriend, but he has dropped some hints about her. They arrive at Legend’s place, and he leaps into the pond next to his house. Before he can hit the water, a very large mermaid snatched him out of the air and drags him under (much to everyone’s alarm). He surfaces a moment later, telling them to stop gawking and put their stuff inside, he’ll join them in a minute. Legend doesn’t surface for another half hour, but when he does emerge from the pond, he introduces everyone to Marin! Immediately everyone is teasing him. He’s very easy to get a rise out of.

There’s plenty of other little scenes, but that’s all I have for now.

(Have a pic of Marin and Legend in his mermaid form, taking place sometime during his adventure)

[syncopatedid]

Thinking tl;dr thoughts about how Link Click clicks with the butterfly leitmotif just as well as the other wuxia donghwa because: 1. The Butterfly Lovers:  One of the great Chinese tragic love stories of its time, centered around the romance of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai who were soulmates but fate kept tearing them apart, and were only able to finally reunite after death when they are reincarnated as butterflies. Much like its theme of ill-fated soulmates, the pair seemed trapped in an inescapable fate that threatens to keep them apart.

2. The Butterfly Effect: Part of the Chaos Theory, the butterfly effect is the idea that small, seemingly trivial events could ultimately result in something with much bigger, unpredictable consequences. Key word here is unpredictable. This very much is a concept that is reflected in this series, on how Xiaoshi's... and later on, Lu Guang's actions, had resulted in changes in the timeline, with the final revelation being that Lu Guang's one action had led to the future being completely altered, but at what cost to follow?

3. Xiaoshi and Lu Guang as yin/yang butterflies: Butterflies in Chinese culture, for the most part, are good omens, symbolizing "rebirth" and "transformation". However, the conundrum is that for transformation and rebirth to occur, it implies there must be certain "loss" or "death". Most butterfly species also have very short lifespans, which directly mirrors Xiaoshi's life cut short. Far as symbolism goes, I see them as a Yin/Yang dynamic, so Xiaoshi would be a black one (like a Black Swallowtail) to Lu Guang's white (like a Cabbage white), but what gels perfectly in my brain about these two species is that not only do they contrast each other in almost every way (size and flashiness?), a white butterfly is specifically thought to represent the spirits of the dead revisiting their loved ones (see also: 1.) and I am alluded, ironically, to the imagery of Guang being the soul from "another world" returning to the past in search of his lost soulmate, and now existing in an alternative timeline, a world where he actually doesn't belong to... and must eventually let go of. Just something to think about.

[gekle-the-gremlin]

Reunited with Family - Chapter 1 -  A Trip into the Lost Woods

But, as he made his way closer and closer, the tree opened his eyes and, in a deep yet quiet voice, he spoke. “Link, it has been a long time. How have you been, my child?”

Years after his adventures has supposedly ended, and he had passed the time where he never thought he would return to them. Millions or Billions of years after he would have died, the lost woods called out to him. Begging him to come home. To return to his family and friends.

As they stepped out of the portal, the chain saw that there was almost nothing around them. Per standard protocol, Wild took out his Sheikah Slate to see if his usual map would show up on the slate. Thankfully, it did.

“We’re in my time,” he called out to the rest of the group, a smile creeping onto his face. 

Some groaned, others stayed silent, but all of them were thankful that at least one of them knew where they were. 

They were standing just to the side of a path, there was a river next to them. Looking around, the group were able to see a wooden bridge, and, in the distance, stood Hyrule Castle in ruin.

The calamity had gone, being beaten by Wild shortly before his current adventure. 

“We’re by a stable,” Wild continued. “Since it’s late, we should probably head there to sleep. It’s 20 Rupees for a normal bed or 40 for a soft bed.” He stayed looking at his Sheikah Slate. “Or, we could set up camp, but we risk getting attacked by some Yiga that are still out for my blood or stal-monsters, out for everyone’s blood.” 

“I think it would be nice to sleep in a bed for once,” Sky yawned. 

“I agree,” Legend answered. “20 Rupees is pretty cheap for all of us to spend the night sleeping on a bed, also, my back is starting to hurt from sleeping on the floor.” 

“Then that settles it,” Time said. “Wild, how far away is this stable?” 

Wild stood there for a moment, looking at his Sheikah Slate before pointing away from the wooden bridge and along the river. “It should only take us an hour to walk there at most. The next time we come here, I should teach everyone to ride horses.” 

“Pup, some of us already know how to ride horses,” Twilight said, putting a hand on Wild’s shoulder.

“I know,” Wild complained. “But others don’t, and they should learn.” 

Time subtly nodded in agreement with Wild, thinking about the next time that he could return home to Malon. Maybe there, he could teach them all. 

Despite it being dark, the chain set off on their way towards the stable. As they made their way towards death mountain, Wild followed a split in the path that led the group towards a tower that glowed blue in the distance. 

“The stable is just before the tower, you should be able to see it when we get to the top of the hill.” Wild continued directing them, making sure to stop to make sure that the others were following him the whole time.

It was about an hour before they all arrived at the stable. It was a miracle that they all had a bed each. Some even chose to pay more for the soft beds. 

Once the group had settled down, Wild started cooking, as usual. In the pot, he threw in a large handful of mushrooms and a few herbs before throwing in some rock salt and finally finishing the dish off by pouring in 9 bottles of fresh, Lonlon milk. 

Within what felt like seconds, Wild was handing out bowls of a creamy mushroom soup. It was a miracle how much food he was able to keep in his Shieka slate, it seemed like it was able to hold almost anything. 

There was a moment of silence as the group sat around the fire and ate their dinner. It had been a long time since they were able to have proper food cooked in a pot, rather than just food that was cooked straight over the fire, or even, in some cases, eaten raw.

It didn’t take long for the first few in the group to head off to bed. Sky was the first, starting to fall asleep while he was eating his food. Then it was Wind, being forced to bed by Wolfie, after denying that he was tired. Something that he had been almost complaining about for the past few days. 

Next, surprising both everyone and no one at the same time, was Legend. He had been up, watching the chain for the past few nights, refusing to take watch duty in shifts. 

This continued until it was just Time and Wild left. 

“It’s lovely, isn’t it?” Time looked up into the sky. 

“What are you looking at?” Wild walked forward to stand next to him. 

“The sky, but, more specifically, the moon,” He said, sounding melancholic in his words. 

“I thought you hated the moon?” Wild sat on the floor before laying down to continue looking at the sky.

Time joined him on the ground and chuckled a little. “I never said that.” He smiled

“But you said that you went to war with the moon.” 

“I fought the moon, but I never said that I hated it.” He put his hands behind his head, as he got into a more comfortable position on the ground. “In fact,” he continued. “I find it quite… beautiful.”

“Oh,” Wild replied, with a hint of embarrassment in his voice. “I don’t think anyone believes that you've fought the moon.”

Time stays there in silence for a moment before laughing. “Not even Malon believed that I fought the moon when I first told her. I didn’t expect anyone to believe me.” He smiled at the champion. “You can choose to believe me, or you can choose to not believe me. Only I know the full truth about that story. Oh, and so does a skull kid, two fairies and a creepy mask salesman.” He continued smiling at Wild. “As well as Malon, of course.” 

“Skull kids are those wood-like creatures that we saw in your lost woods, right?” 

“Correct! They aren’t much harm, but most of them tend to not like adults. I can’t blame them. If you were a child and you ran into the lost woods, you would probably have a dislike for adults, too.”

Wild hummed in agreement, as Time got up and started walking to the entrance of Minish woods. He stood there for what felt like hours, just touching the rough bark of the almost ancient trees. 

Time took a deep breath with his hand still on the tree. It was as though something was calling out to him further on in the woods.  

The wind blew stronger as Time was standing there. It was as though it was trying to pull him deeper in. Much like it did years before. 

Wild, holding his Shikha Slate to his chest, followed Time to the edge of the woods. “Where are you going? I don’t think that it’s a very good idea to travel through here alone, especially not so late at night.” 

“Champion, I think that I know where those woods lead to.” He took a deep breath as he removed his hand from the trunk of the tree. “Do not worry about me getting lost in there, alright?”

Wild just stood there in silence. “I should go back to the others, I’ll see you in the morning, old man.” 

Time chuckled, “Night, kiddo.” 

With that, Wild walked back towards the stable, while Time stayed looking deep into the woods. 

He started thinking. 

Thinking about everything that could happen, if he were to make his way into the lost woods. The worst thing that he could think about, was somehow, finding his way back to Termina, but he quickly shook that thought away, before it consumed him, and the masks, too much. 

He knew that, if he left the group, they would be safe, at least for a few hours, but he also knew that the rest of the group would worry about him if they found that he had disappeared during the night. 

It took him another few moments to finally make a decision. He took one step, then another, and then a third. They were slow and silent, but he made them. Wanting nothing more than answers, he continued on with a fourth step. 

Before long, Time had walked so far into Minish woods, that he found that the air around him had started to feel off, and the wind started blowing in a number of different directions. But there was something inside of him telling him to go deeper in. 

The air around him started to feel familiar, as what appeared to be cliffs slowly appeared from the ground, acting as some sort of wall between these mystical woods and the outer world.

As Time continued forward still, he saw a stone wall with an archway. Within this strange and abandoned structure, there was a singular lit torch, showing the direction that the wind was blowing. North. 

Time followed the wind, as though he was being pulled in the wind’s direction. As he did so, he came across yet another torch, blowing in the very same direction. He decided to continue following the torches. 

North, West, West, South and then west. 

Eventually, he found two lit torches, blowing south, with an unlit torch next to the first lit torch, just resting.

He stood there, looking around at the trees. Many of them had been mostly hollowed out and had evil faces carved into the bark. “Likely a deterrent for anyone that wishes to venture into these woods. ” He thought to himself and the wind continued to push him South.

He continued in that direction until he felt the wind change directions quite suddenly, pushing him west. 

The change in the wind’s direction happened twice more, blowing North, and then West again, until he reached a clearing, with lots of odd looking creatures surrounding him. 

There was something familiar about the clearing that he was in. Though he wasn't sure what it was, exactly. It could have been the sounds of the forest, or the fact that he had to walk through what felt like a maze to get there, he didn’t know. But he did know that he was supposed to be there. 

He looked around at all of the strange creatures that had started to gather in front of him, all standing at his feet, looking up at him with their leafy masks covering their faces, being held up by what he could only describe as a long branch where their noses would be. 

Bending down, Time picked up one of the strange creatures and held it out at arms length. “Well, aren’t you a strange one.” He said, almost to himself. 

The odd creature looked on at Time in disbelief. “You can see us?” It asked, almost in confusion. 

Time, quite simply, just nodded. 

“You can see us!” Another one of the creatures exclaimed. “The only other person that can see us is Link.” it said, seeming happy enough that another person could see it.

As he finally looked up from the place where he stood, Time saw a large tree sitting right in front of him. Memories came flooding back to him. Memories of his childhood filled his mind with fear, sadness and loss, but also a sense of longing for his family. 

He decided to put the creature down and, as slowly and as silently as he could, he made his way towards the tree. It appeared to be asleep when he entered. That made sense, it was around 3:57 in the morning by the time he took his first steps towards the tree. 

But, as he made his way closer and closer, the tree opened his eyes and, in a deep yet quiet voice, he spoke. “Link, it has been a long time. How have you been, my child?”

[the-au-collector]

Idk why but I am drawn to writing and reading AUs where the LU Links reunite sometime after their adventure ends. It’s one of my favorite things.

These boys need each other. Just let them be a happy family forever goddamn it

[luna-loveboop]

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I feel like I say this every time I really like a fic, but this is everything I've ever wanted in a fic and more

TRIN!!!!! This is so good! And awesome and amazing and I am smiling

I love skyward sword it's literally the best and Sky is precious baby boy and the bird is literally like the bird it's the bird it's the BEST BIRD ever possible and also Zelda like Sun is so awesome and I love her and

.....

New headcanon. As evidenced by my incomprehensible response to bird.

Sky is only seen as somewhat air headed because that's just what happens when you think about a loftwing :)

honestly grateful no one was around when I read this... I probably would have started yelling at them if they liked birds because I like birds and. Anyways. My newly proven formula:

Loftwing + happy bird thoughts = no thoughts but happy bubble reactions

And yes I love skyward sword zelink I feel it is perhaps impossible not to? I also have no idea if anything I've said is understandable but that's ok because Bird. Bird bird bird bird bird bird. Bird bird

Thank you so much you are amazing and wonderful. Writing is such a precious talent... being a person who shares it is worth even more

Thank you, Trin

Happy belated birthday @luna-lovegreat !!! Here’s the Sky fluff I promised!

So sorry this took me awhile to finish!

—————————

“Just how strong is the bond between a loftwing and a Skyloftian?”

Sky has been asked that question quite often since plummeting to the surface. Even more so after he ventured from his timeline. He never truly knows how to reply. How can he explain their relationship? How can he put into words the utter exhilaration of soaring atop your loftwing?

From what he has observed, people usually place platonic love — and especially the platonic love between human and beast — somewhere beneath both romantic and familial, as though it is an inferior thing. As though it can never reach the same heights and depths as the others. The same precious worth. But Sky knows differently.

The love a loftwing and their rider share is like nothing else. As priceless and unbreakable as a diamond.

So, when, finally, a portal spits the heroes out in his era, Sky is overjoyed.

He can see Sun for the first time in forever, wrap her in his loving arms, hold her close and breathe her in, and whisper everything he’s wanted to tell her all these long months. He can see his friends, his family, the place that will always be his home, no matter how far he travels or what monsters he battles.

And —

He separates from Sun, runs to Lofty as the bird lands in a rush of wind and feathers. A grin splits his face and it feels good to smile after everything, so, so good…

— and he can reunite with his loftwing.

“Wow!” Wind gasps, mouth agape. “So, that’s a loftwing?”

“Close that mouth of yours before you swallow a bug,” Twilight teases, setting a hand on the sailor’s shoulder. His lips quirk up in a smile. “He’s beautiful, Sky.”

Lofty preens beneath the praise, ruffling his feathers and throwing back his head. Sun chuckles, and Sky sends her a grin.

“He is, isn’t he?” He sighs, leaning his forehead against Lofty’s beak. The next words leave his lips in a whisper meant only for the glorious animal before him…though if the beautiful woman standing close beside him hears he won’t mind. “I missed you so much, Lofty.”

A low trill emanates from the bird.

“He has missed you too,” Sun murmurs. “I’ve taken him out for a few flights to keep his wings limber. But you know he truly flies for no one except you.” She cocks her head, a grin on her lips. “You should take him out for a flight.”

He turns to her, a question in his eyes. It’s been so long, after all. He feels as though he hardly has enough time to catch up with them both. Much less Gaepora and Groose and everyone else….

“Are you sure, Zel?”

Sun nods and the breeze lifts her golden locks. “Go on, sleepyhead. We’ll have all the time in the world to spend together once you get back.”

Sky breathes in deep.

That’s right. They have time now. For the first time in a while, they have time.

He raises his eyes to Lofty’s, excitement alighting in his chest.

“You wanna go for a flight, Lofty?”

Feathers fly as the bird straightens, shaking himself out. His proud cry reverberates around the space.

Sky leans over, presses a kiss to Sun’s lips. And then, surrounded by the echoes of oohs and awws and ews that sound from his brothers, he climbs atop the loftwing’s back and is off.

The sky is a brilliant blue today. And while it’s always a brilliant blue in Skyloft – has been since he was born – Sky can still appreciate its splendor.

Even the brightest, most joyful heavenly display in another Hyrule cannot measure up to the plush clouds and soaring ceruleans of his home. And as Lofty climbs higher and higher, he feels a wide grin stretch his lips.

It is wonderful to be home.

He had known that he missed it – this little island full of vibrancy and life. The longing had eaten at him during the long nights and dogged at his steps through their arduous journey. But he supposes he had suppressed it to an extent — denied it even — if only to keep going. If only to keep from crumbling beneath the fear that always captures him when he sets foot on firm, grounded earth.

The fear that he will never again take to the skies.

But now as Lofty turns his grand body in a barrel roll and his sailcloth lifts and the wind sings in his ears and fills his nostrils with exhilarating freshness, those dark feelings are miles away.

Lofty pauses abruptly at the tail end of the trick. Then, he dives, plunging downward so suddenly that Sky’s stomach plummets along with him. His grin grows wider even as the brisk air steals any moisture from his mouth. He’ll be choking later, more than likely. But he is used to it by now.

A dry throat is a small price to pay.

Lofty shoots up, goes down again. Another pointed spin takes out a drifting octo. Sky’s echoing whoop turns to almost giddy laughter.

“Having fun, sleepyhead?” Someone calls from his right. Sky looks up just in time to catch sight of Sun streaking towards him. Her loftwing flips upside down as they soar over his head. Her delicate fingers reach for his and for a split second, the world seems to slow.

“Sorry,” she says as their fingers brush in the ghost of a caress, “I couldn’t resist joining you.”

Lofty lets out an eager call of welcome and Sky smiles.

“I’m glad you did, Zelda.”

She smiles and the world seems to grow a little brighter.

It always does when she’s around…

“How about a race, then?” She inclines her head toward the minuscule forms standing on the edge of Skyloft. “They’ve already cast bets.”

Sky chuckles. “All in favor of you, I’m sure.”

She doesn’t reply. But her smile grows just a touch larger, a hint of mischief in it.

Sky shakes his head.

He’ll admit it hurts a little to be betrayed by his brothers in such a way. They’re right though.

The only person who could ever beat him in a fair race was Sun.

“Alright.” His grin is more fierce now, teeth bared in playful determination. “You’re on!”

Yes, he thinks as they streak toward the designated finish line, the tips of their loftwings’ wings just touching, the bond between a loftwing and their partner is strong. As strong as the love he feels for Zelda. As strong as the love he feels for his brothers.

His family.

And maybe in it’s own way…even stronger.

[linderosse]

✨ Wisdomverse: Masterpost ✨

Welcome!

This masterpost covers Lin’s Wisdomverse; comprised of:

Wielders of Wisdom: a Zeldas-meet AU comic series

The Secrets We Keep: a parallel LU story featuring the Links

Wielders and Secrets take place in the same universe and their stories will intersect at times. However, you do not need to read one to understand the other.

🦋 Wielders of Wisdom 🦋

Timeline (TBA)

Information

Character Introductions

Sun, Dot, Lullaby [Details]

Tetra, Dawn, Fable [Details]

Dusk, Artemis, Flora [Details]

Phantom, Aurora [Details]

Intro (fic)

Chapter 1 [The Founder’s Call]: Start | Latest

Interlude 1 [Echo of the Past]: Start

Extras: Reunited | Failure | Delivery | Statue | Tears | Painting | Tea | Magic | Science | Moments | Remlit | Abscond | Smash | Morning | Echo | Monopoly | Moments 2

Zelda+Link Duos: Bladesaw (Flora) | Sail (Tetra) | Safe (Dawn)

🧩 The Secrets We Keep 🧩

Timeline

Main Story

Extras: Trap | Shadows | Dream | Tea | Waves

[wild-dagon]

Sometime I think about totk taking place after the Linked Universe adventure finishes.

Wild is 17 in LU. I don’t know if it’s official cannon but most works I’ve read have Wild join the chain around two weeks after his official quest ends.

So with that in mind Wild is with the chain at 17.

Totk takes place about 6 years after Botw. Making Wild and Flora around 23.

So let’s say Wild went on his adventure with the chain. Who knows how long it takes 1 year? Three years? Who knows but they all have to part ways when it’s over. Maybe the mailman can run in between timelines still but they can’t.

Wild’s back in his era helping Flora rebuild. It’s going well and he’s as happy as he can be with out his family.

But then TOTK happens. The story goes as it does and it ends with Flora returned to her Hylian form.

Flora who has traveled to the distance past once. Flora who had 10,000 years + as a dragon to have her powers grow. Flora with a sacred stone of time.

Maybe Flora has she watched over all the prior eras and saw some of the Chain and their adventures. Maybe she saw Lullaby and Time’s adventures with the Ocarina. Or maybe once she’s back she works really hard to master her time powers.

Either way she decides to surprise her knight with a trip. A trip through time.

Flora was always a little jealous that Wild got to meet and learn from other hero’s it’s her turn to meet other Zelda’s. She rationalizes the trip to Impa as an opportunity to learn how best to help her kingdom from the Zelda’s who came before. And if Wild gets to reunite with his family well that’s a bonus. (In reality this is the only reason they are going)

What have the others been up to during their time apart?

Have Sky and Sun gotten married?

Do Time and Malon have kids yet?

Has Twilight found the pieces of the mirror or has he moved on with his life?

What is a grown up Wind like? Has he established New Hyrule yet with Tetra?

Does Four still travel or has he settled down and running his own blacksmith shop? What of Shadow?

Has Hyrule found peace or is he still being hunted?

Has Legend finally moved on from Marin (maybe with a certain merchant?) is he still adventuring or has he been able to let go and relax?

What is Warriors life like with no war? How will Cia handle multiple Links and Zeldas traveling through time?

It’s so fun to think about. You can make it super slice of life where Flora is hang out with the other Zelda’s while the Links reunite. Or you can add a driving problem and plot.

You can make it so only Wild and Flora can move through time. But where’s the fun in that. Obviously not all the Zelda’s can travel but you can bet Sun and Tetra are all over this adventure.

I personally think Flora and Wild’s first stop is the period of Twilight to pick up their wolf.

What do you guys think.

[bandnerdlevel43]

Day Three- Reunion (Modern)

Lu Legend x Ravio (Ravioli) 

Summary: Ravio has been off on a business trip with Hilda for a month now, and Legend has been getting lonely. Now he's coming back- right on the day of the chain’s jazz band performance.

Word Count: 6,911 (This is a long one)

Warnings: If you read my first fic, you know I don’t swear but it’s there for the vibe; Legend has anxiety, Legend has a flashback in a flashback involving non graphic stab wounds and a reference to his dead uncle, improper use of a trumpet spit valve, Fable is a menace, Four has to deal with her, author has several agendas and she is pushing ALL of them today, fluff at the end, super über long fic

A/N (Please read this, it's important): I'm back! I procrastinated this one for way too long, but I finally finished it! I somehow also managed to finish day four and five before this one, so those will also be posted with this. Go check them out here and here!

…Anyways, it's time for me to come clean. I'm a band kid. And a proud one, too. I saw this post and went absolutely nuts, so of course I had to write about a jazz band au. Give the post some love (since op is inactive) because most of it was the basis for this au.

Important part: The last song they play in this fic is “Want You Gone” by the 8-Bit Big Band, feat. Benny Benack III, and I suggest you listen to it! The lyrics are hilarious but if you don’t listen to it before the fic itself you’ll get lost very easily. If you see any music words you’re unfamiliar with, either throw me an ask or you can look it up on your browser. Sorry for the long note; I hope you enjoy!

----

Good news: We’re on our way back! We’ll be home by the twenty-third.

We have a performance that day.

I won’t see you.

I can drop in. Don’t worry! We’ll make it, I promise.

Alright. Love you.

I love you too, Link.

“Texting your boyfriend?” Fable chirped.

Legend jumped, shielding his phone and glaring at his sister. “None of your business,” he spat.

Fable grinned, toying with the reed in her fingers. “You sure you don’t have that message memorized?”

“Shut up,” he hissed.

Wind blew into his trombone, imitating a wolf-whistle while wiggling his eyebrows. Legend snorted. “Real mature, Sailor.”

Sky paused the plucking of his bass’s strings, his eyes flicking from his tuner to Legend as his brows furrowed. “Isn’t he coming back today?”

“Yep,” Fable trilled gleefully. “And Legend is beside himself with lovesickness!”

“Fable!” Legend growled. Great goddesses, could she be any more insufferable?

Well, apparently she could. “His lonely heart, separated from his lover for what seemed like years,” she sighed, swooning dramatically. “Tonight they'll reunite in a passionate embrace, proclaiming their love to-”

Twilight appeared from behind her and swatted her upside the head. “Leave ‘im alone,” he chided. While Fable scampered away, giggling, he tossed a tiny bottle to Wind, who snatched it out of the air. “Slide grease.”

“Thanks, Rancher.” Wind saluted. 

“Anything you two need?” Twilight asked, looking at Sky and Legend. Both shook their heads. 

“Hey, Twilight!” Four sauntered up to the small gathering, tenor sax slung over his shoulder by the strap. “We need cork grease over here.” He blinked at Legend and pointed out needlessly, “Your face is red. You okay?”

Legend didn't think his face could heat any further. He was wrong. “I'm fine,” he muttered.

“He's just madly in love,” Wind said mischievously. Both Fable and Sky snickered. He glared at them, Sky in particular. I thought better of you, bird boy.

Four's lips twitched upwards in a smirk. “Ah. This is about Ravio.”

Legend dropped his head into his hands with a groan. Fable, for some bizarre reason that Legend couldn't place, thought this was hilarious, and cackled.

“Reign it in, loverboy.” Four leaned against the wall. “You still need to warm up, and no one likes to hold a cold hand.”

Legend kicked at his knee. “Watch it,” he threatened, “Or I'll make your lifespan as short as you are.”

A chorus of “oohs” sounded around the room. Four chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. “Cheer up. You'll get your kisses soon.”

Fable howled hysterically, slapping her thigh. Legend could feel how red his face was as Four ran through the smuggest scale he had ever heard. It wasn't even that witty, but Wind was still squeaking like a chipmunk, and of course Sky snorted. Twilight at least was trying his hardest to appear indifferent, but Legend knew how hard it was to keep one's composure when Fable leans on you for support while wheezing directly in your ear.

“Ledge!” Wars hollered from backstage. “Get your sorry backside over here; I want to run through this song with you.”

Legend aimed one last petty kick at Four before standing. He hefted his case and stomped off, pointedly ignoring the way Fable pretended to faint into a scandalized Twilight's arms, crying, “Save me, Mister Hero!”

That shook him more than he'd have liked to admit. He bit his tongue to keep from throttling Fable for making fun of Ravio. Well, even if she hadn't mocked him, he still would've done it. And she still would've deserved it.

Wars watched him approach, his expression neutral. Legend thrust open his case aggressively and jammed the various pieces together. His jaw was tense and he avoided Wars’ gaze.

“Careful,” his brother commented. “You'll scratch her.”

Legend exhaled a controlled breath and quelled the ache in his gut that shouldn't exist in the first place. He suffocated it with thoughts of flats and sharps, of staccatos and tenudos, of the cool metal on his lips and fingertips, and of the notes both painted on the page and burned into his very soul. It was a familiar ritual that helped ease a bit of himself into the music, breathing color into the diverse melodies, rhythms, and even his brothers. It never failed, even when Fable did it with him.

Until today.

Somehow, his thoughts still circled back to his blasted boyfriend. His cheery grin had that same brightness as the sheen on his trumpet. His eyes danced with the same mischief that Sky eased from his bass. His arms would envelop him, soothing in a way that reminded him of playing with his brothers and sister. His tears spoke the same words as an instrument in need of care: always frustrated with himself and never anyone else. His hands- they shook before adversity. Just how Legend's own trembled right then, his mind's eye suddenly brimming with images of hundreds of people, Ravio in the midst of them, staring unsympathetically as his fingers stuttered. 

Legend cursed, his hands dropping to his sides. He flattened himself against the wall, sinking to the floor. Hylia, he could already tell he was going to mess up badly.  He had practiced these songs with the others for weeks, and it was about to mean nothing. To make matters worse, he had a solo. Not any old solo, either, but an improvised solo. Improvising solos was nothing new to him. This stabbing pain was new. It twisted at his heart like a common school bully to a poor victim's shirt. Loneliness (And yes, Farore strike him down, but Fable was right. He was lonely.) had him at its mercy. And now, Ravio was so close. Legend was going to fumble the solo in front of him, and that fear alone blurred his thoughts until he couldn't discern one tangled bundle of nerves from another.

Wars sat down next to him. He laid a hand on Legend's shoulder and asked softly, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Legend shook his head hopelessly. There was nothing he could say that Fable hadn't said already. Besides, with how Wars fixed him with those knowing eyes, he understood better than Legend himself did.

“Breathe with me, alright?” Wars let go of his shoulder, hand gesturing to his chest. Legend didn't have much pride to lose, so he complied. When Wars' chest rose, he breathed in. When it sank, he breathed out. In, two, three, four. Hold… Out, two, three, four. It didn't take much time before Legend grew irritated, thinking that this was taking too long. His time would be better spent practicing! He should be tuning, warming up, looking over his music again, anything! Not some barely effective breathing exercise that his brother only did when Wind was having stage fright, or when Sky struggled through an asthma attack. Or when Wild had a particularly bad flashback. Or when Rulie awoke, screaming, from a nightmare. Did… Did he really look that bad? That distressed?

Wars lifted his trumpet to his lips. “Tune me.”

With that, the sound of the instrument filled the room. Wild’s snare hidden in the corner rattled in complaint. He forced himself to block it out and focus on the note as it wavered in his ears, settling on something just a little off. “Pull it out,” Legend said, nodding to the tuning slide.

Wars adjusted the slide, and the pitch dropped. Well, now it's flat, Legend thought irritably. He pointed upwards. This time, Wars shifted the position of his lips on the mouthpiece, which finally sharpened the tone enough to satisfy the two of them.

“Keep playing.” Legend lifted his own trumpet to his face. He played the same note until they matched, then tested a handful of notes that harmonized with his brother's. There was not a single sign of dissention between the two. What he would give to simplify his emotions like that. 

“Ready?” asked the man beside him. 

“As I'll ever be,” Legend mumbled.

Wars patted him on the back and helped him up. “Remember, it's just like any other performance,” he assured him. “Just keep playing, and you'll do great “

“Thanks,” Legend grunted. 

“Don't worry about it.” Wars smiled. “Let's run through the program. Start on my mark: one, two, ready…”

Wild, Flora, Time and Hyrule returned with dinner. Those who remained behind joined them to eat. The meal was quick, consisting of a tray of sandwiches and a bowl of salad. Legend didn't feel like eating. Everyone, including him, was eager to get back to practice, now as a full band, and they wasted no time in getting to it.

Rehearsal flew by uncomfortably fast. Everything went smoothly, if by smoothly, one meant “absolute disaster”. Oh, everyone else was fine. Legend made too many mistakes. This only gave Fable and Wind more ammo to torment him with, and only after a harsh reprimand from Wars did they stop. He wanted to feel grateful for his intervention, but the seed had already been planted. Now it was performance time, and he couldn't help the sudden panic that attacked him. He hyperventilated. His hands were clammy and they shook uncontrollably. Only Hyrule's calm comfort prevented him from losing control.

“Shhh,” Rulie whispered, rubbing his hands gently. “It'll be okay, Legend, I promise.”

“I can't do it,” he gasped, feeling lightheaded. “I can't go out there.”

“Yes, you can,” Rulie told him forcefully. “You're going out on that stage and you're going to sound amazing.”

“I'm going to mess up,” Legend said, his voice wobbling. “I'm going to ruin the whole performance in front of him-”

“No, you won't,” he interrupted. “And even if you did, his opinion of you won't change. Ravio loves you no matter what.”

Legend didn't respond. Rulie squeezed him in a quick hug and guided him to where the rest of the band waited. “Breathe,” he reminded him.

Time nodded at the two of them. He handed Rulie his bass guitar, who accepted it graciously. “Are you two boys ready?”

“Yup,” Rulie responded confidently.

Wild bared his teeth in a grin, twirling a drumstick in his fingers. “Let's light ‘em up, boys.”

Fable and Wind both whooped, each bodychecking Four. Legend swallowed hard.

With that, they walked onto the stage. Applause immediately assaulted his ears, causing him to wince. He squinted into the spotlights, their dazzling beams glaring daggers into his eyes.  He searched the crowd anxiously, his heart thumping when he couldn't find Ravio. He wanted to slap himself for that. His head yelled at him to just focus. 

Instinctively, he glanced at Rulie. The freckle-dotted face smiled encouragingly, mouthing, “You got this!”

He had to admit, that lifted his spirits, just a little. He took his place at his designated music stand and stared it down, scowling at each note.

“You better not ruin this,” Legend whispered menacingly.

Wars, who had just joined him at the stand, shot him a funny look. “What?”

“Not you,” Legend muttered.

Time stepped up to the microphone. He started his usual introduction, and the crowd quieted to hear his words. Legend hardly listened. His mind was on his sweaty palms. He wiped them on his pants with a soft curse. Did his own body think wringing itself dry of any liquid was going to help him? Brushing his hair out of his eyes also resulted in damp droplets on his fingertips.

“Ledge,” Wars said in a hushed tone, “stop chewing your lip.”

Legend wanted to punch him. He was only trying to help, though, which of course made him want to punch him more. Still, he restrained himself, both from hitting Wars and from giving into his anxious habits.

Cheering announced the end of Time's speech. The old man dipped his head and swept his arm, gesturing at Wild. Wild smiled broadly, raised his drumsticks, and hollered with his typical unhinged energy the usual countdown: “ONE, TWO! ONE, TWO, READY, GO!”

A snap of wood on snare and a plethora of clicks on the hi-hat cracked through the air. Sky plucked an upbeat rhythm on his bass. Hyrule and Wind joined next, hopping from high to low, up and down, badum, badum. Fable’s entrance infused the band with her bright, energetic spirit. She swung and leaped from note to note while the bass drum thrummed in Legend's chest. Fable climbed a scale and Four came in to support her. She hit the top, held it, and cued the rest of the band. Legend was unwillingly swept away by the current of music that was too fast, too quick.

And, of course, thoughts of Ravio came unbidden into his head.

“Do you remember when we first met?” Ravio murmured. “That day in the alley…”

Legend snorted. How could he forget? “Of course I remember.”

He let himself be twirled beneath his partner's arm before once again taking the lead. The two swayed in time with the music amidst the crowd of people, their movements not quite in sync compared to the others. Frankly, he was surprised how natural Ravio made it seem, considering how stiff Legend was. They'd made progress since their first time dancing, and although Legend kept tripping over himself in self-consciousness, they were doing fairly well. 

“All those cultists. You took them out so quickly!” Ravio chuckled. “I wasn't sure if I should've been more scared of you than them.”

“I was sloppy,” Legend muttered. “Too preoccupied with finally looking like the ‘good guy'.”

“Link, I thought I was going to die,” Ravio said seriously. “You were my practical knight in shining armor!”

“A lot of good that did me,” Legend grumbled.

“Hey!” Ravio laughed. “I'm not that bad, am I?”

“I-I didn't mean you,” he said awkwardly. 

“Oh.” Ravio deflated, hesitating. “...Yuga?”

Yuga. Yuga with a knife in his back, pinning him to the wall and tugging at his hair so his ear was to his mouth. He whispered threats while Link strained to breathe through the agony.

“You're not making it out of here alive, little hero,” he hissed. “Say hello to your uncle for me.”

Legend kicked and screamed against the memories. They were choking him, like Yuga all those years ago. The result? He only managed to squeeze out a pathetic handful of right notes. He hid behind Wars’ far more confident sound. Wars sensed what was wrong and covered for his sudden inability to read music.

The only note he really hit right was the last one. No style or soul went into it. He was having enough trouble staying within the key signature.

The audience applauded. Time acknowledged them with a hand.

Legend tugged at his suit. Had it always been this hot? He was overheating. And lightheaded. Was that normal?

“Ledge,” Wars hissed, shoving something cold into his hands. Legend blinked, dazed, at the object- a water bottle. “Water. Drink.”

He didn't have much else to do, so he obeyed. The freezing water was like ice down his throat, shocking him back to reality. He shook away the dizziness and drank more. It burned but was real.

“Breathe,” Wars reminded him for what must've been the fiftieth time that night. “Just hold on. Only two songs. You can do this. Just breathe.”

Why was everyone telling him to breathe? “I have to breathe to play my instrument,” he snarked. 

Wars raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Just like that.”

Before he could come up with a snappy retort, his eyes caught Fable slipping past. She avoided his eyes. Wild handed her his drumsticks and she sat at the drumset. Wild stood by the marimba, casually twirling the mallets in his fingers while Four set aside his tenor for a bari.

Legend paled. Oh. This one, he had forgotten.

This song relied heavily on trumpet to start the band. Fable had no sax to carry the melody.

“Relax,” Wars said sternly. “I'll be here, playing with you.”

Legend pursed his lips and shoved the water bottle back into his brother's hands.

Time finished stalling. It took Legend a moment to realize that Time was not, in fact, waiting for him. He watched for Wild’s, Fable's and Four's signals that they were ready. There was no screaming countdown to start them off this time.

Legend was alone.

He regretted giving Wars his water back. His mouth was dry again. He couldn't seem to swallow. He tried asking for it but the words died on his tongue.

All he had to do was put his lips to the mouthpiece and blow. Din! It shouldn't be this hard!

Twilight waited for him. He was relying on him to cue his part.

Rulie waited for him. His note was essential to harmonize with his counter melody.

Wars waited for him. He only expected him to endure through what little they had left.

“Fight it,” Wars murmured. “Don't let the fear win. You hear me, Link? Fight back.”

“Link? Link, fight it. Wake up!”

Legend gasped for air, greeted by the sight of Ravio's worried eyes fixed on his. Hands were cupping his face, steady and sure. Legend grasped their wrists by instinct, breathing heavily.

“Link, are you alright?” Ravio repeated anxiously. “Can you hear me?”

Legend's eyes darted across the crowded room with the urgency of a frightened prey animal, but when his eyes locked with Ravio's again, his heartbeat slowed. He nodded.

“Do you need some fresh air?” asked the Lolian.

“I- No, I'll be fine,” he said shakily. “Just a flashback.”

“Are you sure? Because we can leave if-”

“No, it's over,” Legend interrupted. “We're not leaving unless you want to.” He inhaled deeply, ignoring his trembling hands.

Suddenly, Ravio's arms were wrapped around him. Legend's breath hitched, his internal screams needlessly reminding him that they were in public!

Legend laughed nervously. “Is there, uh… a specific reason why we're so sentimental all of a sudden?” he coughed awkwardly.

Ravio didn't respond, at first. He buried his face in Legend's shoulder and hummed, “I'm just glad you're here.”

Oh. Well, that was no reason for his face to get so red, was it? So why was his heart beating so quickly? And why did he feel so unreasonably giddy?

Ravio gave him another squeeze before pulling away and continuing the dance. Legend somehow managed to stumble even more than before, but Ravio's bright laugh lightened his mood every time. He supposed this whole dancing thing wasn't too bad.

He was happy to be with Ravio, too.

“Fight it…”

Legend clenched and unclenched his hands. He placed his fingers on the buttons and lips to the mouthpiece. He took one shuddering breath, pouring all he had into his trumpet- all his terror and loneliness and inadequacy. 

What rang out over the stage was a soft, mellow E flat. A single-toned lament. It resonated within his bell before slipping away, eluding his grasp like a hushed whisper of wind.

I miss you, Rav.

It was only when he released the note that he realized that no one else came in. His gaze flitted to Wars. The zeal he found startled him.

“Yes!” Wars’ eyes shimmered with enthusiasm and pride. “Again- C'mon, Legend, you can do it!”

Legend didn't give himself time to think. He hurled himself down the metaphorical leap of faith and howled into the trumpet. 

His brothers answered his call. 

Twilight hummed back, achingly familiar in its mournful cry. Hyrule took on the same tone, grasping it effortlessly but gently, like one would handle an injured animal. Wind's response was frustrated, like him. It was as much of a duet of music as it was a duet of feeling.

Legend released the note, and breathed. He sunk into the hopeful interlude led by Wild and Four. It felt much more real than himself. The sound wound its way into his ears and eased out a puff of air he hadn't realized he had been holding. 

It was startling, realizing that they were all mimicking what he had put into that note. Could it be that he was that obvious that he was pining? Four was the one who had made fun of him earlier. Yet here he was, weaving soft arpeggios of warmth and comfort. What was going on?

Wars poked him, jarring him from his reverie. “The Sailor’s trying to talk to you.”

Legend raised his eyebrows and shot a flat look the trombonist’s way. Really? the look said. In the middle of a performance?

There was a mischievous glint in Wind's eyes. “Solo battle?” he signed.

Legend almost laughed. Keyword: almost. “You mean a call-and-response duet?” he signed back.

“Whatever.” Wind rolled his eyes. “Are you in or not?”

Legend's eyebrows probably joined with his hairline then. “Isn't that in, like, three measures? Are you stupid?”

Wind flipped him off and stuck out his tongue. 

Oh, this twerp was going down. 

Fable jumped into action. Suddenly, the beat was moving at a relentless pace. The marimba perfectly channeled the devious smirk Wind carried. Legend found himself relishing the music again, tapping his foot along with Four's raw power. He bobbed his head in time with the vibrations he felt in his feet, most of which blasted from Time's guitar. He tossed the theme to Wars, who passed it to Four, who handed it to Wind, who promptly threw it to the floor and ground it into dust, laughing exhiliratedly. Normally, the rest of the band had to reel the dynamic in so the soloist could be heard, but most soloists weren't attention hogs like Wind. He would be heard, whether the audience liked it or not.

The Sailor moved with his solo. He tilted left and right, he stuck his slide into the air, and he bounced with each boom of the bass drum. Frankly, the drama of it all was rather obnoxious. It only charged Legend's eagerness to challenge him. There may be no winner in a solo battle, but he was determined to thoroughly beat Wind's ego into the dirt.

Legend waited for the perfect moment. He lifted his trumpet. He eyed the smug sailor out of the corner of his vision, a hint of warning in his posture. Secretly, though, he was excited to see the looks on the band's faces when he came in.

Now!

A visceral growl emitted from his instrument. Wind's head whipped around to face Legend, looking mildly offended. He barely restrained himself from snickering as the boy put a hand on his hip with an expression that looked hilariously reminiscent of Tetra's own pout.

As for the rest of the band… they were surprised, to say the least. Flabbergasted, as Ravio might've put it. Wind was given a fixed number of measures for his solos, and Legend cutting him off most definitely shook them. Four, the ever-reliable musician he was, was the first to regain his senses and improvise a good “backing track” for the others. Wars was ecstatic, and only Legend's lingering self-consciousness kept him from turning around and blasting in his ear. 

“I was just about- You interrupted me!” Wind pretended to look outraged, but frankly, he looked more like an indignant gerbil than anything else.

Legend shrugged. Wind puffed out his cheeks. It only encouraged the rodent illusion, which just added to the growing list of infinitely hilarious things that shouldn't be funny; what was he thinking? Goddesses, what was he doing? He shouldn't be stealing Wind's solo, he was going to make it worse, he was going to ruin it for the kid-

He stumbled. 

His blood had never drained so quickly from his face before. He scrambled to find a note that sounded right. Nothing sounded right! Why couldn't he do anything right? Why-

…Wind was covering for him. He covered up his mistakes by one-upping him, because that's how their solo battles went. Constantly improving on the last turn. Disguising his slip-ups by being better than him, all while pretending that was the plan all along.

Wars leaned over. He chuckled in amusement. “Are you going to just take that, Ledge? Gonna let him win?”

Legend snorted. “You wish this was your solo, pretty boy.”

He let the sailor have his little moment. Let him have his sly smirk and the roaring crowd, because while he practically owed the kid his kidney for saving him like that, it didn't mean he got to keep the spotlight. Even if it meant he had to strangle the butterflies in his stomach to keep them quiet, he would play.

Legend drew in a breath and blasted out the next note. Wind scoffed out a single “Dude!” but Legend overpowered that as well. He pouted again, and, to Legend's surprise, tried to play over him. Though, not really- he was harmonizing with him, forcing the dynamic up or down, and mixing his own energy in, one that Legend could not hope to synthesize. Not that he wanted to. It was a brattish energy, anyway. 

Four was getting louder. He was adding tension, and sending a message to the two of them: their time was coming to a close.

Wind heard it, loud and clear. He pushed against Legend’s melody. Part of him screamed at him to let him have control, to give him the finale, but his pride refused. He stood like a wall before Wind’s grabs at the spotlight. He had glissandos, grace notes, and pitch bends, but so did any half-decent trombone player. Not only could Legend do the same, he also knew exactly how to prod him where it hurt.

Let’s see how high you can go, sailor.

He blocked out the smithy’s warnings and began baiting Wind into a climb. He fell for it, hook line and sinker. B flat? Easy! C sharp? What a joke! He didn’t suspect a thing.

It was when they started to reach the higher portions of the scale that Legend detected some strain in Wind’s tone. He pushed higher. E. Running out of time, said Four. F, A flat. Wind didn’t follow. With a soaring sense of exhilaration, Legend landed the final high B flat. It was an easy victory, but a victory nonetheless.

At least, it was, until Wind hit an entire note higher.

Legend gawked at the cackling sailor. It was too late to make a comeback, the rest of the band had already moved on. Legend rolled his eyes. Just like him to get the last word. He had to laugh, though. Wind looked so proud of himself.

“Bet you aren’t thinking about your boyfriend now, huh?” he gloated.

Legend blinked. Had- Had that all been some grand scheme to get his confidence back? That rat! “I’ll think about wringing your neck!” he retorted angrily.

Unfortunately, he was right. Legend hardly felt any anxiety. Mental note: strangle him when we finish here.

It didn’t take long before the song was over and Wind was bowing theatrically. Legend was out of breath, dehydrated, and on the border of passing out, but he loved it. He felt alive again. He accepted Wars’ water bottle again. He practically emptied it, for how parched his lips were.

“Chapstick?” Wars offered, holding out a stick of his favorite brand.

Legend wrinkled his nose at it. “I’m not touching anything that has been anywhere near your lips.”

“What, like my water bottle?” Wars challenged lightly, waving the chapstick in his face.

“Fine. Gimme that,” he muttered, snatching the small tube from his brother’s fingers. He applied it as quickly as possible before shoving it back in its owner’s hands. He would never admit how useful it was, especially after so long arguing that it was for girls.

He only wished there was such a simple remedy for the ache that was beginning to form around his cheeks. That solo had really taken a toll on his embourchure.

Legend rubbed his face while Four walked by. The smith paused by him, his reddish-brown irises tinged by… guilt? Legend narrowed his eyes.

“That was a good solo back there,” he murmured. “You think you’ll be all right for this one?”

“I’m fine. Why do you care?” Legend responded tightly.

“Hey, look, I’m… I’m sorry. For teasing you.” Four winced. “I should’ve seen how badly it was affecting you. You’ll do great, okay? I mean, if I were Ravio, I’d be impressed regardless, but I know that’s not the reassurance you’re looking for.” 

Legend raised his eyebrows. An apology from the smithy? He knew it was bad, but not that bad.

…No, he shouldn’t make light of it, especially with how seriously Four was taking it. Or how seriously he took it, before the performance. That wasn’t fair.

“It’s not important,” Legend sighed. “I should be the one wishing you good luck. You’re singing.”

“Ha. So I take it we’re even now?” He held out his hand to shake. Legend took it, suppressing a smile.

“Thanks. Now, get lost, Sinatra,” Legend said.

Four chuckled and shook his head. He made his way to the piano just as Time finished up. Fable back on the sax and Wild on the drums, he raised his hand to cue the song.

He dropped it for the last time.

Wild tapped a smooth, bouncy beat on his hi-hat. Fable followed along, surprisingly mild for someone of her disposition. He’d never heard her handle the melody so… gently, before. Usually only Four had that kind of grace with the saxophone. Speaking of Four, the twinkling, playful piano notes complimented that laid-back style very nicely. Legend inserted his cup mute into his bell with a sort of contentment he hadn’t felt since Ravio left.

He had forgotten what it was like to actually enjoy music.

Four’s voice was glad to show him how much he had missed. If Wild and Fable were smooth, the smithy’s voice was like the outside of a fresh apple, ripe and shiny with morning dew. Warm, too, like pie crust.

Legend couldn’t wait to share another apple pie with Ravio.

“Well, here we are again

It’s always such a pleasure…”

Of course, this song wasn’t exactly meant to be cozy and reassuring. Legend was just getting restless.

Wind and Twilight, crescendo with a forte-piano.

An ebb and flow in Fable’s dynamic. Grow, pull back.

Wars counting rests under his breath. Legend felt an itch on the back of his neck. He was impatient, and his constant counting didn’t help.

“Oh, how we laughed and laughed!

Except I wasn't laughing…”

Legend could hear Four's smile. He loved this song. 

Soft falls muted by the cups in their trumpets. Mischievous, like a cat leaping nimbly from one bookshelf to the next. Or like the sailor, sneaking sweets from Legend's stash.

“You want your freedom, take it!

That's what I'm counting on!”

Wind crept into the lead, swaying from one note to the next gracefully. He treated the song like a waltz, but exaggerated comedically in its romance. Ravio swooning dramatically came to mind.

“I used to want you dead, but now I only want you gone!”

The whole band swung into action. Wild slammed on the snares, Fable sang into her sax with a dramatic volume worthy of Wind’s pride while the brass accented the offbeats, finishing with a flourishing trill.

The dynamic dropped. Four retained his eagerness, sounding just as smugly joyful as ever. The sax followed his lead.

“She was a lot like you-”

He chuckled. “Well, maybe not quite as heavy!”

That was Wind's favorite part. It took a considerable amount of effort not to snicker at the combined force of the lyric and the smithy's delivery.

Another band-wide crescendo, led by trumpets. Glittering piano notes followed, dancing daintily in Legend's ears. 

“One day they woke me up

So I could live forever

It's such a shame the same could never happen to you!”

Four's voice swelled brightly, leading the band from a mezzo-piano to a forte. Fable acted like this was her solo, announcing her counter melody to the whole audience. Wild mimicked the accents Wars and Legend made with a crash on the cymbals. He was having just as much fun as Four was. 

“I'll let you get right to it-

Now I only want you gone!”

The rest of the band dropped away, allowing the piano and the drums to lead as Four began his monologue. Legend bit his lip. His solo was just around the corner. He grabbed Wars’ water bottle again and stole a quick sip. 

At Four's “Take it away!”, his brothers took the lead. 

Legend hardly paid attention to the rise in energy. This was it. He promised Ravio a good show. After that trick Wind played on him back in the last song, he intended to follow through. 

Here!

He climbed into his solo. He imitated Four's languid ease with Wind's cocky eagerness to show off in the little slurs and tremolos he slipped into the solo. His heart pounded viciously against his chest. He went from note to note with little flourishes that were subtle but painted with just enough color to give it life. Thank Farore for Sky's bass, keeping him in time while his fingers itched to go faster than he had the ability to. But he kept it smooth and lilting as he repeated the melody of the chorus-

And just like that, it was over. His solo, finished. Audience clapping excitedly at the performance. Fable easing the band into a soft dynamic before dropping away completely. Before he knew it, Sky was playing his own solo while Four sang along:

“Goodbye my only friend…

Oh, ha, did you think I meant you?

This song really fit Four, Legend thought vaguely. Quick-witted, mischievous, and laid-back. Maybe  even a little arrogant. 

Had he really just done that? Had he really just pulled off that solo like it was just an everyday warm up scale, after all his anxiety just put him through? He snorted softly with incredulous indignance. 

It shouldn't have been that easy. But it was.

Wild's cue! Legend snapped dizzily back to attention. Neither he nor Wars were coming in any time soon, but he had to be ready. He listened in on Wars’ counting and quickly found his spot in the rest.

“Well, you have been replaced

I don't need anyone now…”

Again, Fable’s time to shine. Crescendo. Getting bigger, louder louder louder, play, support Fable, louder louder, howl out your part until you're faint from using too much air. Legend's lungs felt ready to burst, his lips burned. 

“Go make some new disaster!

That's what I'm countin’ on!”

He could do it. He could reach the end of the song. The light was at the end of the tunnel. The light was in his eyes, he had shifted too far to the left and now a spotlight was beaming directly into them, he kept playing.

“You're someone else's problem; now I only want you gone!”

Keep playing, it's almost done, just two more lines and he could see Ravio-

“Now I only want you gone!”

Ravio, had he seen the solo? Was he even here yet?

“Now I only want you gone!”

Focus, finish off strong.

“Now I only want you gone-!”

Four sustaining the note, steady, swing into the accent, hold hold hold, drop down low-

“I want you gone!”

With that, the band pulled back, Wars finished the song with a flaunting swing and grace note, Wild thumped his bass.

Done. Finished. Over. No more. He finished the song, and he hadn't messed up.

And the crowd went wild. 

Time bowed. He gestured to the soloists- him and Sky and Four. They dipped their heads, Four with significantly less humility. Legend licked his lips as he stared at his feet. He felt like he had just run a marathon.

A poke on his shoulder. Legend straightened his back. He followed Wars' outstretched finger, past Time's hand showing him off as a soloist, and- oh.

There he was. Standing in the middle of the audience, clapping his hands eagerly. His adoptive sister was beside him, but Legend's eyes never left the man for a second.

“Ravio,” he whispered.

He moved without thinking. He pushed his trumpet into his brother's hands. Wars gawked as he leaped off the stage and into the rows of chairs. Heart racing so quickly he feared it might escape, he ran up the aisle. 

There he was. Right there, grinning from ear to ear, calling out his name with a voice too soft to be heard over the crowd. Goddess d— him. That insufferable smile. It had no right to make him feel this way. So unfairly happy.

The rest was a blur. Ravio wrestled his way to the aisle, Legend only increased his breakneck pace; Ravio beamed, laughing his name, and they collided.

Ravio's arms squeezed him tight, twirling him around like the couples in those cheesy romance movies. Even as his feet planted on the ground, Legend didn't want to let go. He wanted to make sure this stupid rabbit never left his sight again.

Ravio pulled away, holding his face with the gentlest hands, grinning through teary eyes. “I take it you missed me, Mister Hero?” he chuckled.

By the Three, now he was crying. “Of course I missed you, you idiot!” he choked out.

“I missed you too,” Ravio breathed. 

He leaned forward and the last bit of Legend's restraint crumbled. His lips crashed against Ravio's before he could draw out the moment any longer, his hand reaching to tangle with his partner's smooth, inky locks. Ravio let out a tiny squeak of surprise before leaning into the kiss.

Legend's lips buzzed; he couldn't tell if the sensation came from his trumpet or Ravio. He couldn't care less. His mind was on Ravio's soft hands, on his tender touch, on the ghost of a smile he could feel through the kiss. 

Legend's heart had climbed up his throat by the time it was over. He noted vaguely that the audience was roaring and clapping, and that Fable's voice boomed over the speakers, hollering, “That's my brother!” Meanwhile, he couldn't decide whether to punch Ravio or let the tears flow. He swallowed hard, his eyes locking on Ravio's rupee-green ones.

“You kiss like you've been playing trumpet for an hour,” he teased.

Legend's face flushed red. “Shut up,” he grumbled.

“Aw, I didn't mean it,” he giggled, squishing him in another hug. “I just missed seeing your grumpy face.”

“You're the worst.”

“Don't get too sappy, you two.” Legend whipped around, greeted by Ravio's boss herself. Hilda, with a cocked eyebrow and folded arms, dressed in a blazer and skirt not unlike Fable's slightly more masculine suit. Her violet-painted lips twitched upwards in amusement. “You'll make the audience gag on their lunches.”

“I think I'm gagging on my lunch,” Legend complained.

Ravio gasped in mock offense, but Hilda shrugged. “Your sister does seem to be enjoying this…”

Legend glanced over at the stage and groaned. Of course she was. Of course she was hopping up and down in ecstasy, shaking poor, helpless Four back and forth while screaming with Wind. Of course she had to rope Sky and Wars into it- and was that Rulie cheering with them? Well, now Legend felt extra betrayed.

Warm fingers lacing with his drew his attention back to his partner. Ravio squeezed his hand and smiled. Legend had to wrestle his own into a disapproving scowl before he could see it.

“What do you say we put your trumpet away and go out for dinner?” he proposed. “That way we could get some time alone to relax and catch up some way other than over text?”

Legend folded his arms. “So, you expect me to forgive you, just like that? After being gone so long?”

Ravio laughed nervously. “If you wouldn't mind?”

“I suppose I can give you another chance,” he muttered. “And I'm paying. Yes, Hilda, I know you paid for everything back there.” He waved dismissively, then eyed Ravio out of the corner of his eye. “I'll let him hold on to his rupees just this once. Now excuse me while I go murder my sister.”

He dipped his head politely to the businesswoman before dashing off to the stage. He leaped up, much to Wind's delight and Time's resigned disappointment, and jabbed a finger at Fable. She squealed and hid behind Four, who sighed and stepped aside. 

“You!” Legend barked. “Get over here before I break your reeds!”

Fable gaped dramatically. “You wouldn't!”

“I will!”

“Whoa there, Ledge,” Wars said lightly. “Save the death threats for when the instruments are away, hm?”

Legend sniffed, swiping his trumpet from his hands and not-so-subtly emptying his spit valve on his foot. Wars yelped and jumped hilariously. “Legend!” he swore. “That's disgusting!”

“I bet it tastes like your lipstick,” he snarked.

Fable snickered. Legend brandished his trumpet threateningly and said, “What, you want some too?”

His sister screeched and ran off backstage. Legend made to pursue her, but Twilight gave him a look. He wrinkled his nose and dusted off his suit. She wasn't worth the trouble, anyway. 

He decided to make his way offstage to delicately take apart his instrument. He had a date to prepare for! Fable could wait.

Besides, he had plenty of time to daydream of revenge on the way out.

Legend grinned devilishly. She won't know what hit her.

He left the building whistling cheerfully.

----

A/N: Thank you for reading, but I do have to add a disclaimer. Please, please, please do not jump off a stage like Legend did. The last time someone did that at my school, they broke their ankle. I repeat, do not jump off a stage. 

Take care, all of you! ❤️

[rheeses-pieces]

Using this as inspo to write a story with chapters surrounding each Link. How are they all doing post-LU, and each of them has something small that reminds them of their journey together.

I had a dream last night that there was animated LU short film. Like, professionally animated, with trained voice actors and stuff.

It was maybe 8 minutes long? and it opened with an absolutely killer theme song that I can’t remember the lyrics to :(

And the plot was basically that one of the Links- I don’t remember which, but I think either Wild or Four- was working on something in a lab of some sort. Then they find a small scrap of fabric tucked away in a corner, and we’re sucked into a flashback sequence as the Link reminisces on how he got the fabric.

Turns out the fabric was actually a part of one of the other link’s clothes. It came from the typical antics of the chain which ended up with someone’s clothes being ripped, and the protagonist kept the fabric as a memento.

Then we go back to present day, and the Link’s family interrupt him and forces him to put his work aside to go do something fun.

[onecantsimply]

Record of Ragnarok x Reader  Masterlist

Got tired of scrolling on my profile- So I’m making a masterlist- 

The amount of tags on here is disgusting-

Lmfao my JTR masterlist is filled gat dayum-

If there’s any wrong link I put on the masterlist, don’t be afraid to notify me about it. 

Rules for Fanfic:

The basics of who I accept and the rules for my fanfic

Lu Bu Works:

N/A yet.

Thor Works:

Older Brother Thor and how he would react to you being cheated on Headcanons

Adam Works:

N/A yet. 

Zeus Works:

N/A yet. 

Kojiro Sasaki Works: 

Kojiro Sasaki NSFW Headcanons

Poseidon Works:

N/A yet. 

Jack The Ripper Works: 

Jack The Ripper x Reader headcanons

Jack The Ripper x Chubby and Insecure Reader + Hermes and Heracles Headcanons

Jack The Ripper x Side God of Hell Reader Headcanons

Vampire Jack The Ripper x Reader headcanons (NSFW included)

Jack The Ripper Accidentally harming his s/o Headcanons

Jack The Ripper x s/o who cuts from a bullying situation Headcanons

Jack The Ripper x Shy and insecure reader Headcanons

Jack The Ripper x Artist Reader Headcanons

A reader who keeps escaping when he tries to kill them Headcanons

-

Platonic Jack The Ripper x teen reader (Part 1)

Platonic Jack The Ripper x teen reader (Aftermath of after Jack abducts them) (Part 2)

Platonic Jack The Ripper x Teen reader (Reader getting into a fight at school) (Part 3)

Platonic Jack The Ripper x Teen Reader (Reader waits for him to get home after his “work”) (Part 4)

Platonic Jack The Ripper x Teen Reader (Headcanons of their daily life together) (Part 5)

Platonic Jack The Ripper x Teen Reader (Reader getting the killer role for a play and asking Jack for advice) (Part 6)

Platonic Jack The Ripper x Teen Reader (Reader gets catcalled on the way home) (Part 7)

Platonic Jack The Ripper x Teen Reader (Jack visiting Reader while they’re at work) (Part 8)

Platonic Jack The Ripper x Teen Reader (Christmas Headcanons) (Part 9)

Platonic Jack The Ripper x Teen Reader (They bake him an apple pie) (Part 10)

Platonic Jack The Ripper x Teen Reader (Reader meets Red Widow) (Part 11)

Platonic Jack The Ripper x Teen Reader (Reader gets abducted and fights their way out) (Part 12)

-

Bayonetta Reader x Jack The Ripper (NSFW included)

Witch Reader getting scared of a “Burn The Witch” poster on Halloween Headcanons

-

Jack The Ripper x Mistress Reader (NSFW Handjob) (Part 1)

Jack The Ripper x Mistress Reader (NSFW Blowjob) (Part 2)

Jack The Ripper x Mistress Reader (NSFW) (Part 3)

Jack The Ripper x Mistress Reader (Reader tries on a wedding dress) (Part 4)

Jack The Ripper x Mistress Reader (Reader gets flirted with, and Jack gets jealous) (Part 5)

Jack The Ripper x Mistress Reader (Jack gets sick, and reader takes care of him) (Part 6)

Jack The Ripper x Mistress Reader (Jack meets Reader’s ex) (Part 7)

Jack The Ripper x Mistress Reader (Reader spoiling him in and out of bed) (Part 8)

Jack The Ripper x Mistress Reader (Reader getting overworked and having to be taken care of by Jack) 

-

Platonic Jack The Ripper x Kidnapped Sibling Reader

Reuniting with Dead Lover in the afterlife (NSFW included) 

Jack The Ripper meeting his s/o’s abusive parents Headcanons

Stressed Reader x Jack The Ripper headcanons

-

Jack the Ripper x Mitsuri Reader 

Jack The Ripper x Mitsuri Reader (Headcanons)

-

Jack The Ripper x Reader that has a blank / dull expression, but is a good person and just anxious Headcanons

Jack The Ripper with a virgin reader NSFW headcanons

Jack The Ripper x Reader Whammageddon headcanons

Jack The Ripper x Reader that lets other Gods step on them

Jack The Ripper x Nanami Kento Reader Headcanons

Jack The Ripper x Reader (Him reacting to being called beautiful / handsome)

Servant Jack The Ripper x God / Goddess Reader Headcanons

Jealous Jack The Ripper x Reader Headcanons

Jack The Ripper meeting someone who sees emotions as colors 

Jack The Ripper with a stone cold s/o, but has a more emotional / hysterical personality behind closed doors

Yandere Stalker Jack The Ripper x Mercenary GN Reader Headcanons

Jack The Ripper having a nightmare and getting comforted by Reader

Jack The Ripper x Demon Reader Headcanons

Submissive Jack The Ripper x Dominant Reader (NSFW)

Jack The Ripper fucking a reader wearing his clothes (NSFW)

Jack The Ripper x Wednesday / Morticia Addams Reader

Jack The Ripper x Alice Madness Returns Reader

Jack The Ripper finding out his s/o is pregnant

-

Jack The Ripper x Tanjiro Kamado Reader

Jack The Ripper x Tanjiro Kamado Reader (Part 2)

Jack The Ripper x Tanjiro Kamado Reader (Part 3) 

-

Jack The Ripper x Male Reader Fluff

Jack The Ripper x Tired and Depressed reader

Jack The Ripper x Perv Reader 

Cultist Jack x Savior Reader (NSFW)

Modern Father Jack and Daughter Reader get sent to the realm of Record of Ragnarok, meeting the other Jack, and Hlökk. 

Jack The Ripper x Yoriichi Reader (Reader is self conscious of their scars)

Jack The Ripper x Yoriichi Reader (Jack gets jealous) 

Jack The Ripper x Stressed Devil Reader

Jack The Ripper giving head (NSFW) 

Heracles Works:

Heracles x S/o who fights on the Human side + Hermes and Odin

Heracles x S/o who fights on the Human Side (Part 2) + Hermes and Odin

Heracles x Chubby and Insecure Reader + Jack The Ripper and Hermes

Raiden Tameemon Works: 

N/A yet. 

Shiva Works: 

Older Brother Shiva and how he would react to you being cheated on + Buddha and Thor

Buddha Works:

Yandere Buddha + Zerofuku

S/o with sharp mood swings

Older brother Buddha and how he would react to you being cheated on + Thor and Shiva

ZeroFuku Works:

Yandere Zerofuku + Buddha Headcanons

Qin Shi Huang Works:

N/A yet. 

Hades Works:

N/A yet. 

Nikola Tesla Works:

Nikola Tesla Fluff Headcanons

Beelzebub Works: 

Beelzebub x Immortal Reader 

Hermes Works: 

Hermes x S/o who fights on Human Side + Heracles and Odin Headcanons

S/o who fights on Human Side (Part 2) + Heracles and Odin Headcanons

Chubby and Insecure Reader + Jack The Ripper and Heracles Headcanons

Odin Works:

S/o who fights on Human side + Heracles and Hermes

S/o who fights on Human side (Part 2) + Heracles and Hermes

Loki Works:

N/A yet.

Ares Works:

N/A yet. 

Heimdall Works:

N/A yet.

Adamas Works:

N/A yet. 

Valkyrie Works:

N/A yet. 

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Do you think you could make a master post of all the stuff you wrote this month for easy re readability? :D

Aww, yeah, of course! :D I’ll put a link to this post in my pinned post as well (I don’t want to change my pinned post, it’s so old I’ll never find it again lol)

Lovely Prompt Event Master List!

Day 1 - Breath of the Sky Ch 15, the Champions, Destiny Duo, and Lovebirds all finally go on a road trip!

Day 2 - Imprisoning War, Link and Hemisi meet

Day 3 - Blood of the Hero, Abel eats something he really shouldn’t have and Tilieth has to save him from the ensuing delirium

Day 4 - Hero of Shadow, TotK Link and Shadow get to know each other a bit better and have a fluffy moment

Day 5 - Forsaken AU, Mystery Link & Friend versus monsters! With bonus comfort for Mystery at the end

Day 6 - LU in Healthcare, A glimpse at Legend’s ill-fated cruise, featuring Marin

Day 7 - Linked Universe, after the events of Elastic Heart the Chain arrives in Sky’s land and he gets to reunite with Groose and Zelda

Day 8 - Linked Universe, Legend angst and hurt/comfort with Twilight and Warriors

Day 9 - Linked Universe, Sleepy time for sleepy Time with family fluff/comfort

Day 10 - LU in Healthcare, aftermath of Abel’s heart attack

Day 11 - Imprisoning War, Link and Zelda have a quiet moment and Link reassures Zelda

Day 12 - Imprisoning War/Golden Mercy, Ganondorf reflects on his family and meets Hyrule Warriors Link

Day 13 - Blood of the Hero Ch 15, Abel reaches his breaking point and Tilieth saves him

Day 14 - Secrets of the Shadows, Rusl is struggling after the events of the story and goes to a friend to sort it out

Day 15 - Breath of the Wild, a younger Link is captured by the Yiga shortly after finding the Master Sword, and his dad rescues him

Day 16 - Chronicles of the Domain, little baby Link is sick in Zora’s Domain and his dad takes care of him… then Abel gets sick and his baby boy takes care of him :)

Day 17 - Linked Universe, Four fell asleep in Minish size and wakes up tucked into Twilight’s sash because Twi is a protective and sweet big brother

Day 18 - Imprisoning War, Impa comforts Link after his attempted suicide

Day 19 - Skyward Sword, middle aged Zelink fluff and family time

Day 20 - Dad Squad, Captain Link is captured by the Yiga and Abel and Rusl rescue him

Day 21 - Age of Calamity, Link and Mipha recover after the Water and Fire mission, and love confessions blurt out in their delightfully awkward fashion

Day 22 - Breath of the Wild, Link gets some quiet comfort in the early days of preparation for the Calamity

Day 23 - Twilight Princess, Mayor Bo discovers Wolf Link with Colin but Rusl’s lying skills saves everyone from a panic

Day 24 - Linked Universe, Warriors and Twilight encounter a silent realm and all the strangeness and horror within

Day 25 - Breath of the Wild, Zelda and Link bonding/comfort/fluff

Day 26 - Skyward Sword, Link comes down with pneumonia far from home and Zelda rescues him

Day 27 - LU in Healthcare, some of the boys discuss a frequent flyer

Day 28 - Linked Universe, Time finds out Malon is pregnant and Wild is suddenly insecure about losing a father figure

Day 29 - LU in Healthcare, the nurses teach Twilight how to start an IV

Day 30 - Hero of Shadow, TotK Link sees Shadow for the first time, and Shadow finally gets in a small victory

Day 31 - Golden Mercy Ch 1, After Cia’s defeat, Zelda, Link, and all of Hyrule mourn the fallen from the War of Eras, unaware of Ganondorf’s return from his imprisonment

[hollysoda]

Really glad to see a lot of ppl liked my Draconified Links Au (yes that’s the official name of it now) so I’m gonna talk about some of my ideas surrounding lore and shit

Of the nine dragons, Wild is the ONLY one to have swallowed a secret stone in order to become a dragon. He encounters the other eight dragons during his totk journey (lu hasn’t happened) after they all appeared during the upheaval and is confused why they all seem to accept his presence. In this au, the dragons have some sense of a personality but it’s limited to Legend not liking people climbing on him and flying erratically or Twilight keeping watch of Wild if he walks around his flight path. Just little hints to how they used to be.

Sonia and Rauru were unable to restore Zelda’s human form, and in a desperate attempt to reunite with her Wild takes Mineru’s secret stone and eats it, becoming the Dragon of the Wild.

As for the others, I’m still not 100% sure but the idea I’m leaning more towards is that all of them died at some point in their adventures and to ensure their spirits live on/are remembered in some way Hylia resurrected them as dragons. They’re sort of in a purgatory where they’re neither dead nor alive and Wild joins them in this state but can sort of communicate with them more. Suddenly Hyrule’s sky becomes filled with dragons that barely anyone can see but those who can often see multiple flying around together at once. No conversations or anything, they’re just chilling

I’ll eventually draw out some designs, maybe as part of my October challenge, as well as go more in depth on their flight patterns, drops and nature but for now it’s all very loose ideas and nothing really makes sense at the moment. If anyone does have better ideas let me know!! I am sick rn so brain is not completely braining

[crazylittlejester]

DAILY BRAINROT

Rejoicing in the fact that it is Friday, and I'm home free for the weekend! Which means more time to dedicate to my projects. >:)<

I've been feeling very inspired by somerknights' Burial Rites and Zarvasace's White Walls. They're both very fantastic, creative stories, and I particularly like the way that they use little details to seem more bizarre or unsettling or horrific. I am aspiring to have that level of awesomeness someday.

Anyway, I've been thinking about the AUs again because when am I not thinking about the AUs?

I started thinking about LU EAH AU Fi again. Her story is so tragic because it really was preventable! But nobody did anything, so now she's not exactly dead and not exactly alive. :( And I was thinking that, if she didn't lose her memories, she'd be a very different person.

Best case scenario, simply a sad story about loving someone so much you sacrifice your own happiness because you believe that they're inherently more valuable than you are. Which is the truly tragic part about this whole thing. Fi believes that Hylia's happiness is more important than her own happiness, to the point that she is willing to lie and suffer and give up her entire life for Hylia! And while her soul is being put to good use to save the world, there is absolutely no reason why she should treat herself as less morally valuable just because she's in love.

Worst case scenario, she'd become not only a holy weapon, but a likely corrupted holy weapon. I think it'd be awfully hard on her to be wielded by the reincarnation of Hylia's lover over and over again so that Hylia's reincarnation can be reunited with him, and that would probably allow space for some vices to grow. I get that the whole point is defeating evil and saving the kingdom, but the cycle started because Hylia loved Link so much she gave up her immortality for him. She basically died for him. Which... is romantic, but probably not the best idea.

Honestly, at this point the only person who hasn't died for their lover is Link, and that's probably going to change with the way this story seems determined to emulate Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare.

YIPPEE FREE TIME!!

ooooh, i havent read those two. I’m familiar with the authors, but not the fics

OUGH. OUGGGGGH. god im so obsessed with this au and fi’s story for it. grabbing it in my evil little hands and squeezing it with the upmost care and appreciation

[smilesrobotlover]

Whumptober 2023 master post

This is all written for my links meet au called Link between Links, and strangers across eras, with other aus sprinkled across it. NONE OF THIS IS LU SO DONT TAG IT AS SUCH

~~~~~~~

Day 1- swooning: lbl, Minish gets a concussion and Legend helps him out

Day 2- they don’t care about you: sae, Leon get a fever from working to hard in finding his son.

Day 3- solitary confinement: lbl, spirit is held hostage and is losing his mind.

Day 4- shock: kotg, Ammon and Orman are exploring a ruin with Terrako, suddenly all technology goes out in an electrifying way, including Ammon’s prosthetic.

Day 5- debris, pinned down: lbl, Warriors gets trapped under rocks after an explosion, and he and Hyrule hope they can get out.

Day 6- alternate prompt, reluctant whumper: original loz au, Link hurts himself and doesn’t want Beck to know.

Day 7- alternate prompt, shaking: vw, Vio brings Shadow back and he’s not vibing.

Day 8- outnumbered: sae, wolfos attack and Rusl refuses to fight one, even when it’s trying to kill him.

Day 9- mistaken identity, you’re a liar: lbl, Wild and Windy meet a fake Hyrule and get abducted by the yiga.

Day 10- alternate prompt, panic: lot, Rusl is teaching the kids how to fight, but the idea of fighting monsters scares Talo.

Day 11- captivity, no one will find you: kotg, young Ammon and his brother get kidnapped by yiga during an errand.

Day 12- insomnia: original loz au, Zelda can’t sleep and Link accompanies her alongside his cat biscuit.

Day 13- infection: thof, Link has an infection but he refuses to let Groose or Farore check it out.

Day 14- water inhalation: lbl, Sky goes to rescue Twi after he disappeared underwater for six hours

Day 15- makeshift bandages: lbl and sae, Rusl accidentally throws a spear at mermaid Legend.

Day 16- flatline: kotg, continuation of day 11, Ammon and Georgie try to escape, but it doesn’t go well.

Day 17- collar, touch aversion, leave me alone: sae and vs, Vaati and Ghirahim accidentally kidnap Linebeck.

Day 18- blindfold, tortured for information: lbl, continuation of day 9, Windy gets tortured for information on Hyrule, but he’s a tough cookie.

Day 19- floral bouquet: TCOD, Maria and Link visit his parent’s grave on the anniversary of their death.

Day 20- found family: tp, RUSL ADOPTS LINK DBSJSBSKSBK

Day 21- restraints, don’t move: vw, after Vio brings back Shadow, he accidentally brings another, dangerous person back as well.

Day 22- glass shard, vehicular accident: sae, Kass finds Linebeck with a concussion and Benji impaled with glass from a boat crash.

Day 23- shadows, stalking, who’s there: lbl, Twi finds a kitty and defends it with his life.

Day 24- alternate prompt, aftermath of a failure: AOC, Revali teaches Zelda how to use a bow so she can use the bow of light.

Day 25- alternate prompt, betrayal: sae, Ingo takes over the ranch in Time and Talon’s absence.

Day 26- working till exhaustion, you look awful: lot, Link has a fever but works till the point of collapse.

Day 27- matches, scars: sae, Leon and Linebeck find themselves trapped in a cave, and Leon discovers a nasty scar that Linebeck has.

Day 28- bloody knife: lbl, Hyrule gets attacked by a puppet of the puppeteer and gets poisoned with magic draining poison.

Day 29- troubled past resurfacing: lbl and sae, Wild meets Ammon and it goes as well as you’d expect.

Day 30- bridal carry: lbl and sae, Time and Talon find Malon in Gerudo desert. Some of the boys reunite with their dads!

Day 31- emptiness, setbacks, take it easy: lbl and sae, the rest of the boys reunite with their dads, but something bad happens

~~~~~~~~~~

Art!

Whumtpober days 1-7

Whumptober days 8-14

Whumptober days 15- 21

Whumtpober days 22-28

Whumptober days 29-31

[the-au-collector]

Epic: The Musical and Linked Universe

So I’m sure someone else noticed this already but Epic: The Musical gives off Linked Universe vibes. So I’m honor of the Circe Saga releasing next week, I thought I’d put in my 2 cents about what songs I associate with each Link (+some non-canon LU Links). There’s a bit of another LU-Links-reunite AU building up in my head but there’s no real direction yet so have this brain vomit instead:

- The Horse and The Infant - Warriors. So this goes into my headcanon that Warriors is the hero of 10,000 years ago. No I have no foundation for that theory. It just IS. Anyways he’s fighting the Yiga with an army of Gerudo and Hylians. He has to kill the Yiga leader’s son, who’s the new incarnation of Ganondorf. The kid is an infant. I don’t think I need to explain more but yeah.

- Just A Man - Hyrule. This song is the ultimate Hyrule song for me. It explains his character in my Relinked AU too. It’s just… it’s Hyrule’s song. As for the story based off of Epic: The Musical itself, I think he’s running from some sort of war in his Hyrule (either a civil war or a war with Calatia). The details aren’t that clear yet, other than he kills someone and feels bad about it.

- Full Speed Ahead - Wind. Need I say more?

- Warrior of the Mind - our first non-canon Link: First! I Imagine First and Hylia kicking ass together during this song

- Polyphemus - Okay, we’re getting into true AU territory with this one, but this is Twilight’s song. He’s trying to piece together the Mirror of Twilight again and accidentally angers a Hinox or other large monster. With him is Dusk, Rusl (or maybe Colin), and Dusk is stabbed at the end. That’s all I’ve got for this one.

- Survive - Time. And this one has a Story. Ganondorf attacks Time’s castle town with an army of Gerudo and monsters. Time and the Sages fight him off but at the last second he breaks free and slaughters everyone, including Time. However, just as the song ends (the point where Polyphemus falls asleep), Zelda rewinds time and sacrifices herself to seal Ganondorf into the Mirror of Twilight. This is the moment the Downfall Timeline is created too.

- Remember Me - Our second non-canon Link, Shadow! He, Four, Dot, and others are fighting this monster. The Four Sword shatters, Shadow takes charge but in the end wants to do the noble thing. Oh and he gives his name as “Link” and not Shadow (or Shade, as Four’s beginning to call him in my headcanon)

- My Goodbye - Legend and Fable have a falling out. Legend’s sick of feeling used because he’s the hero, so he decides he’s had enough.

- Storm - Our third non-canon Link, Age! Basically a Tears of the Kingdom scenario except Age and his Zelda (Fauna) never went down below the castle. He never loses his arm and Fauna never goes to the past, but they have to evacuate Hyrule to the sky with the help of the Light Dragon who clears the way.

- Luck Runs Out - Sky and Groose. Idk what went down in Sky’s Hyrule but they’re having a disagreement about how Sky’s handling it.

- Keep Your Friends Close - Our last non-canon Link, Spirit! This one also has some story behind it to make the song fit. Idk why, but he and his Zelda (Phantom) have gone to speak to their Wind God, Zephos (the same from Wind Waker) who gives them a challenge. They fail and Spirit gets separated from the group. I imagine it might have something to do with Ganondorf who’s still stuck under the receding Great Sea.

- Ruthlessness - This absolute bop goes to Four. It’s also a follow-up to Remember Me, so that means the monster Shadow refused to kill is Special. Related in some way to Fierce Deity special. So the story here is after the encounter with the monster, Four, Shadow, and others (I’m debating giving Vaati a redemption arc?) decide to try to get help from the god Fierce Deity. Except Deity is pissed because he thinks Four is a weakling when it was actually Shadow who took the blame for what happened to the monster. Fierce slaughters all of Four and Shadow’s men, Four seals himself into the Four Sword to distract/hurt Fierce, and Shadow escapes but feels really guilty.

That’s all I’ve got for now. I’ll add the Circe Saga when it comes out.