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myfavlinkistwilight · 5 months ago

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Okay, so I've been writing this fanfiction where the chain meets villain versions of themselves, and I I just love them so much, so here is my villainAU chain!!

Gloom/ Villain Twilight

As his name suggests he's a rather gloomy soul, serious, and vicious in combat. He's tall, with a mask that Feral gave him, and with heavier tattoos than Twilight, though not overboard. He's an assassin, though mostly working for Gen, as he's not one to be hired easily. He uses his wolf dorm quite a bit, as nobody would suspect him for any maulings, and he can get away faster. He despises Azure for hurting someone he cared about, and hopes to one day get his revenge on the man. He doesn't hate the royal family as much as most, having interacted the least with them, but still considers them dirt scum, and even assassinated one of the princesses. While Twilight is kind and steady, Gloom is cold and rude at times, however if he cares about someone, then there's nothing he wouldn't do to keep them safe. Most wanted ranking #3

Feral/ Villain Wild

Anybody would say if Wild were a villain, he'd be an arson, and thats very true in this case. He doesn't hate the royal family nearly as much as the others believe, and even might kinda like some of them... While some may break laws for survival, or for revenge, he does it for fun. His strange obsession with lighting things on fire usually ends up with mad dashes from forests so that the group doesn't burn with it, but usually he tries to resist. His redeeming trait is that he can cook, and quite well for their standards, though he burns almost every dish, and only really can make two dishes. With an illegally smuggled fire rod from Tetrad, his job became a lot easier, much to Glooms chagrin. While Wild is honest and brave, Feral is unreliable and shifty, though is good for a joke. Most wanted ranking #6

Tetrad/ Villain Four

Out of the whole group, along with Hyrule, he is the one who doesn't want to hurt people in his feud with the royal family. So, he smith's, and smuggles illegal items to sell on the black market. Often times he buys from Myth to resell stolen wares, though many things he creates himself and distributes. He extremely dislikes the royal family, and if anyone were to start a coup, you could bet he'd support it with his stocks. Very mature, and with a business mindset, he's likely also the least loyal to the rest of the villains, and is the least morally skewed. While Four has strong common sense and loyal, Tetrad can be a bit greedy, and if paid enough, maybe he'd be willing to switch sides... Most wanted ranking #8

Myth/ Villain Legend

He is one of the ones who hates the royal family the absolute most. After they cut off supplies to his home island, despite all the hero work he did for them, he grew resentful. Having to watch someone close to him slowly starve without being able to do much, he wanted to take away from the royal family. Deep down inside he was never blood thirsty or a killer, so he stole. From the two years, it's estimated he stole over seven million rupees worth of stuff from their armory, treasury, and general palace. Most of which he has stored up or sells to Tetrad or his friend Ravio. A master thief, he's high on the wanted list, and has never been seen stealing, except once by a certain hero... While Legend is sharp and good deep down, Myth is hardened with tribulations, and rather callous to others. Most wanted ranking #4

Realm/ Villain Hyrule

He holds almost no personal resentment for the royal family. But hearing the hardships from Myth, he questioned if he was on the wrong side. He decided to join Myth on his stealing ventures, helping pull off nearly impossible stunts, like stealing princess Dusk's rapier, and princess Flora's slate. Desperate to prove himself to his friend, he's willing to go to far lengths to prove his worth, as often times he feels he doesn't belong in their group. He eventually was good friends with Feral, and the two got into many scandals. He's by far the most trusting and innocent of the group, but not naive. While Hyrule is humble and reliable... so is Realm! *gasp* Most wanted ranking. N/A

Gen/ Villain Time

He holds the most resentment out of all of them for the royal family. Having been exploited and used for their purposes as an orphaned kid, they experimented with magic, trying to lasso time itself. Instead, he ended up as a kid in an adults body. The project was called off, and he was given a small fund of compensation. Fueled by a want of revenge, he plunged into the underworld, and with ruthless measures became a crime lord. Known from the petty thieves to the blood thirsty killers, his reach is everywhere. He has knowledge of much, and his plans involve over throwing the royal family, though that would come in due time... having pitied Twilight, he mentored him and occasion hires him to take out competition. While Time is mature and wise, Gen is rather immature, and manipulative. Most wanted ranking, #2

Azure/ Villain Sky

Likely the most different from his counterpart, Azure is a blood thirsty killer. Many said his heart died with princess Sun, which may as well be true as that triggered his first mass murder. Having no goals, instead to kill anyone he wanted, his sanity is questionable. On his figure he wears a torn bloodstained clothe around his neck like a cape, a gift from his lover. He hates Gloom with a loathing, and the two cannot be left alone or he may snap and attack the man. He hates the royal family for their lack of response for the death of his lover, and partially blames them for it. He's a talented musician though, his harp playing a soothing melody. While Sky is gentle and joyful, Azure is unstable and sadistic. Most wanted ranking #1

Legion/ Villain Warriors

Holding a large grudge against the royal family, his most famous move is the attempted coup of the royal family. It is said he managed to get the princesses at sword point, but was convinced by an old friend to spare them. He now considers it a moment of disgrace, and works as a mercenary, doing jobs for money. He eventually met Gust, taking to him like a younger brother, and funding the boy's pirate crew. He's intelligent and a genius in strategy, the main reason the group managed to evade the royal family for so long. He can kill very casually, and isn't afraid to get a job done. He was once revered as a military leader, he felt disposed of when the royal family forced him to retire after a war many considered to be his fault. While Warriors is prideful and charismatic, he's rather blunt, but still prideful lol. Most wanted ranking #5

Gust/ Villain Wind

Just a young lad, yet having been through as much as most of the other villains, he's a bit unhinged at time. He hates any and all authority, but will listen to Gen, as he looks up to and adores the man. Deeply tanned with scars that tell of his trials, and a hook he wears because he thinks it makes him look cool, his time of being a pirate have worn on him. While he travels with his friends, his friend Tetra watches their group. He doesn't despise most of the royal family, though thinks they are annoying. When his home island was in trouble he needed to save it himself by grouping with a pirate crew. After being chastised by the royal family, he decided to screw them and join a pirate crew. An absolute menace on the seas, he raids any royal ship, surprisingly successful often. He will raid villages if he needs food, but that's it. While Wind is outgoing and care-free, Gust is unhinged, but surprisingly thoughtful at times. Most wanted ranking #6

hehe, doubt anyone will see this, but I've been thinking about them alot...

#villain au #linked universe #lu #lu twilight #lu time #lu wild #lu four #lu legend #lu sky #lu warriors #lu hyrule #lu wind #my fanfiction #alternate universe

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sparklyfaerie · 1 year ago

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Zelink Week - Day 1: Yearning

Since Ao3 is still down, I'm posting my submissions here until such a time as I can get it on the archive. This is yesterday's. @zelinkcommunity

Title: Oblique Summary: In which Zelda is obvious, and Link still manages to completely miss what’s staring him in the face.

Words: 5,071 Rating: General Relationships: Zelink (Twilight Princess) Extract:

He doesn’t think there’s a man among the peerage that isn’t falling all over himself to ingratiate himself to her. “I find that hard to believe.” She’s not looking at him, peering off to the west. The sun has almost set, the sky above painted in pinks and oranges. She seems otherworldly in the fading light, almost like a fairy queen slipped into the mortal realms in her finery. The gold of her tiara glints in the sunset. “Oh, I’m fairly certain.” She shoots him a crooked smile. He tucks it away in his chest, knowing that very few are privileged enough to see her so informal. “He is, perhaps, the only man in all of Hyrule who does not seem interested in the least.”

Ao3 Tags: Talking Link (Legend of Zelda), Minor court politics, Zelda is just blatantly flirting, Link is not good at the nobility’s version of it though, Gossip, there’s not much more to this it’s literally just Link being dumb

Ao3 Link

Oblique

There are entirely too many people in the room for Link's liking. Having grown up in the pastures of Ordon, he's not one for large crowds; the crush of bodies makes him uneasy. Usually, when he's surrounded by this many living things, he's either herding them or fighting for his life.

He thinks the Queen might be displeased if he tries to do either in the middle of her ballroom.

He's only here because she wrote and asked him to attend. He's still a relatively social unknown, even if rumours of how he earned his barony abound. Some are close to the truth—that he saved Her Majesty's life on some unspecified occasion—and still more are utterly ridiculous. He'd once heard a rumour that he'd earned his title because he'd fought and slain a hundred shadow beasts at once during the invasion.

Link doesn't think he killed a hundred of them all together, let alone at once.

His doublet is overly-starched and bordering on uncomfortable, but the deep burgundy blends in better than his customary green ever could in such a sea of self-importance. He tugs at the collar and tries to fight the urge to rip it so he can breathe.

Link does not like formal events. He doesn't have the breeding or the manners to fit properly in such a crowd, so he keeps mostly to himself. There are other things he could be doing—teaching Colin and Talo swordplay, or dealing with that pesky bokoblin incursion in the Faron Woods, for example. Instead, he's spent his afternoon—and will probably spend a good part of his evening—pretending to be one of the painted elite.

It's times like these that he can still practically hear Midna muttering snide comments into his ear from his shadow, mocking the pretentiousness in the very air. He's been without her now for longer than she'd ever accompanied him, and yet, he still finds himself missing her sarcasm in times like this.

"Oh, excuse me!" A young lady stumbles into him, her cheeks warm with a telltale flush that speaks of inebriation. Fortunately for him, the drink that sloshes everywhere misses everything except the very toe of his boots. Unfortunately for the girl, it ends up staining the front of her bodice.

She cries out in dismay, and Link shrinks away as she begins to draw attention to herself. He vaguely recognises her—some minor lord's daughter. The type that he seems to attract every time he comes to town; eligible bachelorettes who are more enamoured with the title of 'Hero' than they are put off by his manners, and whose fathers are more covetous of his close relationship with the Queen than they object to his humble birth.

"Trying, are they not?"

Link does not give the Queen the satisfaction of jumping. She is one of the few people in the country that can manage to sneak up on him—though how she manages such a thing when she's so very visible in a public setting, Link doesn't know. He suspects magic.

She would probably tell him if he asks. Instead, he merely turns to her and bows in greeting. "They are the same as always. Good evening, Your Majesty."

Zelda, Hyrule's young Queen, is as beautiful as ever. Link can understand how some of the other young men lose their powers of speech around her—she's almost ethereal, her skin glowing in the light from the chandeleirs and shining off of chestnut hair. Blue eyes glitter at him over the rim of a wine glass as he straightens.

"Good evening, Link." She doesn't bother with formality with him, even in such a public setting. His status as her Favourite is well known and resented throughout the kingdom. "I'm pleased to see that you made it, despite your distaste for such company."

"You asked me to come." He looks around pointedly. "I assumed it was important."

She hands her empty wine glass to a passing serving girl. "Perhaps I simply wanted to see you." She teases lightly.

He raises an eyebrow. "There's no need to throw a party for that."

She smiles properly. It does wonders in making her look less like an ethereal Goddess and more like an approachable, mortal woman. She reaches out, and he offers her his elbow; she tucks her hand into the crook of his arm and sighs as they start to pace the edges of the ballroom. "The ball is to appease my Councillors."

"What do they want this time?"

"The usual." Zelda rolls her eyes. "Three years on the throne, and still no husband, let alone an heir. They're growing anxious. I must at least give the impression that I'm looking for a consort."

Link reaches over and pats her hand in sympathy. If he's sick of young women throwing themselves at him over his hero status, he can only begin to imagine how much worse she has it. Link has watched countless men try to win her favour over the past few years, some getting even more brazen as time goes on.

"That doesn't explain why I'm here." He points out mildly as they slip out through a large set of glass doors and into the gardens. The music follows them into the hedges as they disappear from view.

Link is not of a high enough station to be considered a suitable suitor for Her Majesty, so he doesn't know why his presence is required at such an event. In truth, at first, he hadn't really been interested in getting to know her—Midna's loss had still been fresh when she'd Named him. But time spent in each other's company in the years since has made him fond of her. Still, he doesn't forget himself.

He can be a confidant. Nothing more. He holds himself at the appropriate distance and does not presume to greater intimacy than he is entitled.

…even if he might have started to wish otherwise, recently.

She hums noncommittally. "Perhaps I wanted at least some sensible conversation tonight that does not contain empty flattery every other sentence." Her voice is bland.

Link smirks. "Your suitors aren't up to your standards, Your Majesty?"

She's quiet for a moment. "More like… the one I want doesn't seem to be interested in presenting himself as a suitor."

He shoots her an incredulous look. He doesn't think there's a man among the peerage that isn't falling all over himself to ingratiate himself to her. "I find that hard to believe."

She's not looking at him, peering off to the west. The sun has almost set, the sky above painted in pinks and oranges. She seems otherworldly in the fading light, almost like a fairy queen slipped into the mortal realms in her finery. The gold of her tiara glints in the sunset.

"Oh, I'm fairly certain." She shoots him a crooked smile. He tucks it away in his chest, knowing that very few are privileged enough to see her so informal. "He is, perhaps, the only man in all of Hyrule who does not seem interested in the least."

Link snorts. "Well, it's his loss." He says with conviction. "Any man who doesn't want you is a fool." Of course, he's not at all biased. And even if he were, it's true. She's the Queen. Quite literally no one in Hyrule could do better.

"Thank you." She lowers her voice. "But I think we had best return to the party, before the gossips miss us."

Link grimaces. "Probably a good idea." The last thing either of them needs is a scandal.

"Perhaps you'll be so good as to dance with me?" She asks lightly as they step out of the hedges and towards the doors again. "I hear you've been practicing."

Link wonders how she knows, but refuses to ask. He'd embarrassed himself a few months ago, at the last ball he'd attended, and he'd hired a private tutor to teach him to dance so it would never happen again.

It wasn't so that, if he ever got the opportunity to dance with the Queen, he could do so without tripping over his own feet. Again.

Certainly not.

He isn't going to complain, though.

"If Your Majesty wishes."

They slip into the ballroom unobserved, blending into the crowd as if they'd never left. Zelda tows him toward the dancefloor, where they slip into the circle of dancers while the band is beginning a slower piece. She releases his arm and he faces her, bowing before offering his hand.

She sets hers into his, her other hand coming to rest on his shoulder. His other hand finds her waist, and they begin to move with the music.

It's a simple waltz, thank the goddesses—one that he already knows. Zelda smiles encouragingly as he lifts his arm to spin her, her hand clinging to his until she returns to him. His palms are sweaty beneath his gloves, his heart beating rapidly as she steps back into his personal space.

They dance a few measures, the Queen's eyes getting brighter. "It seems I must reevaluate my assessment of your skill." She murmurs as he moves to spin her again. When she comes back into his hold, her lips are quirking. "I must place you solidly in the intermediate. You've improved, from what I've been told."

The back of Link's neck warms. "You heard about that?"

Zelda laughs a little, a slight chuckle that doesn't draw attention. "I think everyone has heard about that."

He can feel his cheeks heating up now, feeling every inch the farmhand dressed in finery that he is. It was bad enough that some two dozen nobles had witnessed his embarrassment the last time—to know that the gossip has made it to the ears of the Queen is mortifying.

The dance ends, Link spinning Zelda to a perfect stop. He reluctantly lets go of her hand. He bows—she curtseys.

His fingers tingle beneath his glove. Idly, he wonders what the skin of her hands feels like. He's never seen her without gloves of some sort. Would her fingers be callused from all her fencing and archery, like his? Or would her moisturisers keep her skin supple and smooth?

He shakes himself from these thoughts as she's asked to dance by another man, and he steps aside as she accepts with courtly politeness. She looks at him over her shoulder and smiles, almost invitingly, as she allows herself to be led away.

Link flexes his hand and tells himself not to get any ideas.

She invites him to go riding the next day, as part of a small, intimate party consisting of her closest friends.

He accepts. Of course he accepts—one does not refuse an invitation from the Queen unless they are ill or otherwise incapacitated.

In reality, it's an excuse to take a picnic by the river. Link, never one to be idle, spends most of his time strolling along the riverbank, eyes alert for roving bokoblins. He knows the Royal Guard are on watch, but he knows these fields better than them; there are any number of caves or thickets that a monster or five could be hiding in.

Zelda joins him after nearly an hour, frowning at his intensity. "Do you see something?"

He shakes his head. "Being in the open makes me… tense."

When he'd been roaming Hyrule as a wandering swordsman, he'd been beset by beasts on the roads more times than he could count. Even now, he never spends more time out in the open than he has to.

She smiles indulgently, putting a hand on his arm. "I sent a scouting party out this morning. There is nothing here."

Link hums, eyes flicking to her before surveying the area again.

"Do you know this area well?" She asks lightly, keeping pace with him. "I must admit that I don't manage to travel beyond the castle walls all that often anymore."

He nods. "Do you see the Bridge of Eldin, over there?" He points to the structure in the northeast. The top of the watchtower is just visible over the rolling hills.

She follows with her eyes. "Yes?"

"I fought King Bulblin there." He says matter-of-factly. He knows she likes stories of his travels, having asked him for details before. She'd been trapped in her tower—and then comatose, after saving Midna's life—for most of the occupation. "He'd kidnapped a boy from my village and was parading him about like a trophy. I gave chase."

She stares out over the hills. "Was the boy alright?"

Link nods. "He's fine. I've been training him for the past few years as a favour. His father was the one who taught me swordplay."

She nods, frowning thoughtfully. "I recall that you introduced him, once. Rost, was it?"

"Rusl." Link corrects. He can't hold it against her—she'd met the man once, very briefly, more than two years ago. That she remembers the encounter at all is impressive, considering how many people she meets on any given day.

"Oh, of course. I apologise."

He shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. He'd be honoured you even remember meeting him at all."

Her smile is melancholy. "He was a part of the resistance that assisted in liberating Hyrule Castle. Of course I remember meeting them." She tightens her grip on his arm, drawing him to look at her. "Won't you come sit? You haven't eaten; there might still be a sandwich or two left over. I promise you that the Guard have our protection well in hand."

He wants to refuse, but she looks at him from under her lashes—a feat, given that she's taller than him—pretty face drawn into a frown of concern. He sighs. "Very well, Your Majesty."

The blanket is vacant by the time they reach it to sit, its occupants scattered about the riverbank. Zelda keeps him company as he picks over the remnants of the food, keeping up a light stream of conversation about inane topics that don't truly interest either of them. He's careful to keep a proper, respectful distance between them, but she keeps leaning in to him, smiles tugging at the corner of her lips.

She practically ignores the rest of her guests unless they approach to ask a question—and though Link basks in her attention, he worries that rumours of her neglect will begin to circulate at court. There are already whispers of dissatisfaction with her single status. She doesn't need rumours circulating about her and him of all people.

But she doesn't seem to be concerned, smiling at him as if she doesn't have a care in the world until the Captain calls that it's time to return to the Castle.

He tries not to be too pleased, and fails.

He overhears the serving women without really meaning to, dropping by the kitchens for a late breakfast after sleeping in. It's not an uncommon occurrence during his stays at the Castle for him to oversleep and miss breakfast; the staff have come to expect him.

"That's what I heard." Two young women are huddled over by the door as Link waits for the head cook to bring him something. He can't see them, but he can hear their words clearly enough. "Her Majesty is sweet on the farm boy from Ordon."

Link freezes.

"Well, who wouldn't be?" Her conversation partner titters. "A little on the shorter side, but he's handsome. And he's got those gruff country manners that those silly noble girls like in their book heroes."

"Shh! Cheshi will hear you!"

"Oh, pish. She's busy." But the speaker lowers her voice. "Do you think it's true, though? Would Her Majesty really—?"

The other woman scoffs. "What woman wouldn't? Gods above, I'd takea crack if I thought he'd go for it."

A giggle. "Why don't you? He's so uptight. He might like a tumble."

"Oi!" A third voice shouts across the room. "You two! Get back to work! We ain't got enough hands for you two to be flappin' yer gums all day!"

There's some grumbling and shuffling of cloth as they go back to work, leaving Link wide-eyed and filled with dread on the other side of the wall.

He's not bothered by the comments regarding himself. The Gods know he's heard it all before, having been approached by more than one brazen chambermaid or kitchenhand. It's the rumours surrounding the Queen's supposed interest that bother him more.

A rumour like that could materially damage her chances of making a good match down the line, if it stuck around. Nobility are proud—even the merest whiff of interest in someone viewed as 'lower class' could cause her judgement to be questioned. And Link knows enough about castle life to know that if even the kitchen staff—who are usually very isolated from the rest of the household—are talking about something, then the rest of the castle is probably talking about it, too.

He stalks away without even getting his breakfast, already mentally planning his departure the following morning. It's a shame—it's his first real visit in months, and he'd been enjoying himself for the most part. Zelda has made more time for him this time around than she usually does, perhaps sensing that he'd begun to miss her.

Which is a stupid sentiment. She's the Queen. She has more important things to do than indulge a country-bred ranch hand, even if she'd given him noble rank.

There is a page stationed outside his door when he reaches his chambers, blinking up at him in awe as he approaches. He gets that a lot from the pages and squires in the castle—boys who aspire to grow up and become heroes, looking up to someone who is already labelled as such.

"Pardon, milord," the boy's accent has an eastern twang. Most likely, he's from around the Kakariko region. "But Her Majesty wanted me to deliver this." He holds out a folded sheet of paper, held together by a wax seal.

"Thank you." Link slips the boy a blue rupee, and he scurries off.

He doesn't break the seal until he's in his chambers, mouth pressed into a line as he unfolds it. Usually, a written message from the Queen is an invitation of sorts.

Inside, he's proven correct; it's an invitation to take supper with her in her chambers. He feels a mixture of anticipation and dread. This will only fuel the rumours.

But he can't refuse. She's the Queen; an invitation from her is an honour that he doesn't want to turn down.

She notes his unease right away. As soon as the serving girl closes the door behind her, Zelda peers into his face with concern. "Is everything alright, Link?"

"I'm fine." He lies. "I was just considering the best route home at this time of year." It's not technically a lie; spring rains usually flood the roads, making passage difficult if one is unprepared.

She blinks at him in surprise. "You're leaving? Already?" She straightens in her seat. "Have you had bad news from home?" He shakes his head. "Then why, if I may be so bold as to ask? Do you truly find castle life to be so unpleasant that it puts that dour look on your face? You've only been here for two days."

Link frowns down at his dinner. He realises that he's hungry; he'd skipped lunch, too, in his haste to make preparations. "Not at all."

In truth, he doesn't feel exactly comfortable in the castle. The day to day aspects of actually living here are fine; his discomfort is more due to the nobility sniffing around in everyone's business.

He is not a proud man, exactly, but he knows that he's seen and done more in his short life than many of them will achieve in generations. He knows himself and is comfortable with who he is and his role in history… but he will never like the feeling of being scrutinised and found wanting.

She spreads her napkin on her lap and picks up her fork, spearing a piece of roasted vegetable and looking at him with raised eyebrows. "Then what is the matter?"

He shrugs—a casual gesture that he would never indulge in with an audience. Zelda has always insisted they do not stand on ceremony when it is just the two of them, perhaps sensing his unease with learning to navigate court politics. He's gotten better, but she has yet to insist on any kind of formality between them. He suspects she finds the lack of it refreshing.

She lowers her fork, her expression inscrutable. "I… have not made you uncomfortable, have I?"

He looks up at her, confusion writ clear on his face. "What?"

She shrugs, a line creasing between her brows. "My attentions have not been exactly… subtle." She presses her lips into a line.

He stares. "Attentions?"

His confusion appears to be contagious; she peers at him with an incredulous look on her face. "You… have noticed, haven't you?" She asks bluntly. "I have been obvious."

"Noticed what?" He blinks, re-examining the past two days. She has certainly sought out his company often—but that's no different than usual. She quite often keeps him close. He'd always assumed that it was to protect him from the vicious tongues of her nobles while he found his footing, and then became a habit borne of friendship.

She exhales in a huff that might have been laughter. "Goddess above, I cannot believe it." She mutters, more to herself than him, he thinks. To him, she says "I have been making a fool of myself for months, it seems."

They stare at each other over their meal, steam warping the air between them. When it becomes obvious that he has no idea what she's talking about, she continues, "Link, I have been trying to gauge your amenability to beginning a courtship for nearly a year. And you haven't even noticed!"

"What?" He croaks. He remembers their conversation the night before last, in the gardens. "But—you said—you said you wanted someone who wasn't interested?"

She looks like she wants to shake him, frustration plain on her features. "And so you appear to be. You are incredibly hard to read when you want to be, you know. I suppose I should have just asked, but I do need some plausible deniability in case of rejection. Aside from making our relationship awkward, if word got around that I had been turned down, it would… well, it would not reflect well on either of us."

He sits back in his chair, staring openly at her. He has a vague suspicion that his mouth is open. "I had… no idea." He has been so careful not to get too close, conscious of wagging tongues and dismissing her familiar overtures as friendly behaviour.

He feels like a fool.

Well, maybe not a fool, exactly. Any reasonable person would have drawn the same conclusions in his position—a lowborn man, only recently elevated and who would usually be beneath the Queen's notice. Perhaps poleaxed is a better word.

She stands abruptly, skirts swishing around her ankles as she moves to look out the window. When he follows, he's astounded to see that her cheeks are pink. "Well, I suppose this is an answer of sorts to my question." She says airily, feigning unaffectedness. "Please, forget I spoke."

He sputters. "What? No!"

Zelda grimaces a little, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "Link, please. It is bad enough that—" she purses her lips. "Never mind."

"I'm sorry, I really had no idea." Link cringes inwardly.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." She makes a dismissive gesture. "I am merely astonished that you didn't notice." She laughs lightly, the tone ringing false in Link's ears. "Even the servants have been gossiping about it. One of my handmaids informed me just two hours ago."

Link presses his lips into a line. He looks out the window. "I overheard the gossip this morning, in the kitchens."

"And you didn't think to connect it to my behaviour?" She stares at him, disbelief written all over her face.

He shakes his head. "I'm aware of my circumstances, Your Majesty." He nearly trips over his words in his rush to explain himself. "My position is a very precarious one; your court barely tolerates me, most of the time. I dismissed the rumours as malicious gossip."

"Malicious?" She scoffs, tossing her head imperiously. "Your position is secure, Link. If anyone implies otherwise… well, quite frankly, I do not care what they think."

"You should." He asserts, frowning himself, now. "They all hold wealth and power—"

"At my leisure." She reminds him. "I can revoke a title as easily as I can grant one, remember."

"I can't see your council approving." He presses his lips into a line.

She shrugs a shoulder. "The Privy Council is split on the matter." She admits. "But I am the Queen. They are merely my advisors. All that matters is that whomever I ultimately attach myself to is beneficial for Hyrule."

"Then that should exclude me from the get-go."

She rolls her eyes at him. "Oh, yes, the hero that the entire populace looks up to should be excluded from the list of men who would be good for my kingdom." She drawls sarcastically. "It is a moot point; your feelings on the matter are clear. I apologise for my presumption."

He gapes at her. "Presumption?"

"I assure you," she turns her smile onto him, "that your indifference will not change—"

"Wait." He holds up a hand. "Indifference? What indifference? I never said I was indifferent."

"It's alright." She says soothingly. "It was not an offer of marriage. You haven't offended me. There's no need to pretend—"

"I'm not pretending anything." He runs his hands down his face in frustration. "Your Majesty, I am far from indifferent."

That shuts her up. "Excuse me?"

He sighs, rubbing his temples. "Perhaps my low station doesn't matter to you, Your Majesty," he begins carefully, "but it does to others. I've been attempting to… not fuel gossip. It's not that I'm not—that I wouldn't be… if it were up to me…" he clicks his tongue in aggravation.

"Link." She finally turns to him, tone serious. "If I were to ask you if you wanted to—to begin a formal courtship… what would your answer be?"

"I would… well, I would ask 'why me'?" He answers honestly.

She frowns in thought. "You are a good man." She answers slowly. "You treat me with respect, but without sycophancy. And your service to Hyrule—"

Link holds up a hand. "If you're only trying to… reward me, or something, please—"

"I'm not."

They stare at each other in silence. What must she be thinking, he wonders. He admires her mind—sharp, analytical, practical. She's not a woman given to sentiment. Every move she makes is calculated thrice over.

Which is why this conversation makes absolutely no sense to him.

"Your qualifications are unorthodox, it's true." She allows. "But that does not mean that you are without them. I respect you, and I enjoy your company. You are attractive. I… well, to be frank, I have great affection for you, and would like to see if this relationship could be expanded upon. It is not an offer of marriage—not yet." She waves her hand between them, as if to lighten the mood. "But if we find that we are as well suited as I hope, I may extend one."

Link forces himself to breathe. "I see."

"It is alright if you wish to decline." She offers gently. "It will not change our friendship."

"I don't want to decline." He hastens to reassure her. "But—you know what people are going to say."

"I don't care what people say." She shakes her head. "There is not a single objection that any of my council has made that was legitimate. There will be talk, of course, but you know as well as I do that most of the nobility are selfishly out to further their own agenda. They will complain no matter who I choose. And I could certainly do much worse."

Link finds his lips twitching despite himself. "You could be interested in Duke Tirrul, I suppose."

"Exactly." Her eyes crinkle at the corners with her smile. She takes one of his hands, folding it between both of hers. "I would like to see where our relationship could lead. Are you open to that?"

The answer comes easily. "I am, if you don't mind the gossip."

"I do not."

"Then there's just one problem."

"Oh?"

He rubs the back of his neck and grins sheepishly. "I have no idea what a formal courtship entails. Where I come from, these things are simple. I assume this will be very different."

She laughs, releasing his hand. Carefully, she tucks her hand into the crook of his arm and tugs him back to the table. "Don't worry. I will guide you. Or," her smile becomes something of a smirk, "perhaps I can hire you an etiquette tutor. We would not wish for you to misstep."

Link groans as he takes his seat. The food has cooled, but it's not yet cold. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

She chuckles as she sits. "Most likely not." She acknowledges, fixing her napkin on her lap and picking up her discarded fork, popping the vegetable speared onto it into her mouth. She chews thoughtfully before swallowing. "I'm sure they'll find something else to talk about, though, in time."

"Great." Link groans, poking at his meal with his fork. "Just great."

He looks at the Queen over the table, truly allowing himself to read into the lines of her smile for the first time. Her eyes are bright as she brings a glass of wine to her lips, and he wonders that he hadn't been able to recognise the fondness in her gaze before now.

He supposes he might have, if he'd allowed himself to.

"So," he picks up his fork, "when can I expect this new tutor?"

She chuckles. "I'll begin looking for one tomorrow."

#zelink #zelink week 2023 #day 1: Yearning #my fanfiction

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uniquevoidflowers · 1 year ago

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Whatever day of Whumptober this is! It's short, but I think it ended up fine. Prompt: ”But now this room is spinning while I’m just trying to fill in the gaps.” Safety Net| Swooning| “How many fingers am I holding up?”

The timeline. It was…so very complex. Time should know, after all he had split it. The old man knew he had caused the flooding of Wind’s Hyrule, and that had plagued him every waking moment of his life. What he was not expecting was to get another load of information about the timeline that involved him splitting it again.

“Does anybody else have stories of past heroes?” Wind wondered, eyes darting at the chain.

“Legend speaks of a hero in my time who died 10 000 years ago. He was the first to seal away Calamity Ganon along with a princess.” Wild offered.

“I don’t speak of that.” Legend scoffed.

Warriors nudged the vet for the joke, grinning. “Don’t turn into me or Time.”

“Ew, no.” Legend scrunched up his face in disgust.

“I take full offence to that.” Time huffed.

There were a bunch of chuckles heard around the chain as they walked around in an unfamiliar Hyrule.

“…Is there anymore heroes you guys have heard of?” Wind questioned. Time eyed the sailor, wondering why the kid was so invested in getting an answer for that question. “I could name one or two.” Hyrule offered, eyes darting to the veteran hero.

“Tell me!” Wind demanded, almost tripping over a fallen branch because he had turned his entire focus on the traveller.

“Well, other than the Hero of Legend, there was faint talks about the Fallen Hero. Don’t remember learning much about ‘im except that he died.” Hyrule replied easily.

“You know about the Fallen Hero too Rulie?” Legend startled.

“Yeah, but like I said, I don’t know much. I was more…fixated on the Hero of Legend.” Hyrule affirmed.

“What do you know about this Fallen Hero, vet?” Time wondered, a little surprised at the information he had just gained.

“Oh, yeah, I know tons.” Legend huffed, glaring at the ground as he walked like it had personally offended him.

“Tell us!” Wind urged, ignoring the stares he earned.

What was up with the kid? “Fine. The Fallen Hero, true to his name, had died during a battle against Ganon. Once Ganon had killed the Fallen Hero, he was able to take all three pieces of the Triforce, turn into a beast, and cause destruction. In a last desperate attempt to rescue everyone, the sages sealed Ganon in the sacred realm. The people nowadays in my Hyrule have two opinions. Either you hate him, or you respect him. Some people scowl at the name and will call the Fallen Hero a failure, while others will sigh and call him noble and courageous. Depends on who you ask.” Legend informed everyone, staying neutral the entire time.

There were a few moments of quiet, the only sounds heard were light footsteps and the background noises that were barely even there. Time thought over what the veteran had just shared. He had a gut feeling there was something very important that he was missing about this. “Does this Fallen Hero have an actual name? Or is he just known for his death?” Twilight grumbled.

“Mmmmm, probably has a name on his grave, but that’s the name he’s known as." Legend shrugged.

“Huh.”

“Guess we’ll have to find out when we get to you Hyrule, vet.”

“If we can get to the graveyard.”

Time’s bones started aching from all the walking, his legs wanting to give up. But the old man didn’t give in. “The Fallen Hero was a child when he died. They said he was accompanied by a fairy, the Great Fairy Navi, and I can’t help but wonder how that Navi fairy is doing now.” Legend sighed.

Time froze. Navi? That name was all too familiar.

“Old Man you okay?”

Then it hit Time like a bullet through his skull.

Time was the fallen hero.

Stumbling back, he tried to calm himself, vision blurring as he felt too dizzy from the reality of it all. Had Time somehow failed Hyrule and caused another split in the timeline? The voices in the background were fuzzy, Time not completely registering them.

“Link!”

Time could see the fluttering of Navi’s wings as the blue fairy chimed with fond irritation. “Hey, Listen!” Navi would demand, and Time would always ignore her.

“Link, come on, what happened?”

Vision slightly returning he looked to see blurs of blue and grey atop him and he felt the cold hard ground on his back.

“Time? Link?”

Time was able to take a shaky deep breath and clear his vision. He saw Warriors standing over him with concern palpable in his eyes. “How many fingers am I holding up?” Warriors asked, holding his hands up.

“Four fingers.” Time answered, sitting up.

There were some sighs of relief.

But all Time knew was the image of him being the one to leave Navi, and to let Ganon loose.

#linked universe #linked universe fanfic #ao3 #lu legend #lu warriors #lu wild #lu time #lu wind #lu hyrule

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summertimemusician · 2 years ago

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Thinking about The Original Attempted Calamity Hero and Ganondorf again and the implications of the Calamity even existing in the first place.

(Warning, this post has spoilers for basically all of the Zelda franchise and is pretty long, if there's a game or thing you did not read but would like to like the manga then please turn back, or stick around if you don't care lol)

I know there's a lot of theories about him floating around, that either he was half Gerudo, part of the Zonai tribe or at least half Zonai and Zonai raised or even Ganon himself because for some reason something might have happened to that era's Link, but that's a fairy better released at another day. But can y'all imagine being the guy back then? I don't think we discuss this enough to be honest.

So far, almost all of Ganon's incarnations have been at least somewhat mortal before BOTW, with the exception of obviously Demise who was a deity, and the whole thing with the Four Swords Adventures portion of the timeline that kind of itches at me that it has time travel involved though that's yet another fairy, but almost every single one of them started as a human even if they do get more and more animalistic over time. What with Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker's Ganondorf being by far the most human, but during the second part of Ocarina of Time and later on Twilight Princess they descend into Beast Form, which is a power boost yes but definitely a downgrade as it doesn't leave him as sane or cognitive, given that at the end of Twilight Princess Ganon returns to human form to fight Link rather than remain in that form. It's telling that he much prefers being human to being a feral boar.

Then we have OG Zelda's Ganon, the general downfall timeline Ganon that is, from A Link to The Past to Oracle of Seasons/Ages to A Link Between Worlds to the very first Legend of Zelda and Link's Adventure, it's clear that Ganon has fully descended into a feral state and that whatever bit of humanity there and cognition as a result was, he very rarely talks in LTTP, in a LBTW he's at his most coherent when Yuga fuses with him, by the OG Zelda he doesn't speak at all and twice in that time frame he had to be revived rather than come back on his own like his more human like iterations can if they wait and chill for a couple hundred years. He's basically no more than a feral animal, he isn't interested in ruling Hyrule, he's very darn interested in destroying the hero and making Hylia herself suffer and definitely doesn't care about burning Hyrule to the ground and killing anyone in his path if that does the trick, whatever sanity there was is too far gone.

Stick with me here, I'll get to the point.

It's an interesting descent and detail to pivot and follow after. It's obviously a result of Demise's corrupting divine fury and curse, you know what's technically a similar case? Zelda.

I think we can all agree that Zelda isn't Hylia, she's Hylia brought to earth or at the very least her vessel if we go by Breath of the Wild, because Zelda praying for herself wouldn't make any logical sense otherwise even if by order of her father, with no memories or rememberance of what she was, just that she is the holder of Hylia's divine power and her will and responsibility to protect the people and specially the Triforce/Light Force the Original Three left behind. No Cost Too Great you could say in the words of the Pale King from Hollow Knight, the only time she remembers in full is in Skyward Sword, it's confirmed that Zelda gets Hylia's knowledge and maybe even her memories after praying in the springs and it doesn't matter if she's just a vessel to her power or a reincarnation or if this is a Cú Chulainn situation where she is Hylia yet isn't (Schrodinger's Deity?), and her behavior shifts a bit then, not by much but it's definitely noticeable if you look at the text.

What if it's a similar case for Ganon? Zelda is what you get when you don't have the memories, when you take something barely comprehensible with a though process you can't even begin to understand with an intense capability for emotion that's practically suffocating and compress it into a mortal form to start again as a blank slate and it mostly remains that way. Ganon is what you get when the memories slowly seep back in as well as the intense, overwhelming, all consuming divine rage and fury and wish for vengeance seeps into a mortal vessel that very obviously can't fully hold it, couple that with Demise's curse and you have a cocktail for disaster, Ganon was doomed from the start just by being Demise's vessel, man never stood a chance. Though there's no way to say wether he fought against the influence or not, that's something we are unlikely to ever know since we only play and read from Link's and Zelda's perspective.

The Calamity and Malice is the result of when that divine fury breaks out, when there's a break in the already spilling over and cracked goblet. But it couldn't have broken on it's own you know? We see that cursed enemies were always a thing in Zelda games and as far back in the timeline as Skyward Sword it already existed, remember that corrupting and harmful 'water' at the Ancient Cistern's basement? The cursed enemies and dark crystals there? Possibly a leftover of Demise's power after the original break through the surface as seen in the First Hero's manga, a prototype of Malice, hence why Ghirahim was sniffing around there for a way to bring him back, it's the only other place in the franchise after BOTW we see a prominent number of cursed enemies, and the Malice is clearly a thing that can learn and evolve, it can possess enemies and technology, it can revive the dead and control it and possess people too and create beings from it (remember the Phantom Ganon in OOT and PH guys), but it's not a discernible pattern, we didn't know much about it at all until recently and that right there? Is some terrifying lovecraftian/ancient mythology thing.

Because we clearly see it puppeteering scattered pieces of Sheikah Tech in the form of the Blights, possessing the Divine Beasts and the Calamity Ganon form in BOTW, Tears of the Kingdom shows us how Ganondorf's corpse is still around and clearly was revived, like a lich being corrupted from it's own energy. It's not Ganondorf doing anything anymore, it's the curse, it's Demise's Will, and as his corpse has not fully perished yet it likely is but a puppet to it.

It was not a pattern anyone could have predicted much less the hero back then, would he and his Zelda have an inkling about the pattern of Ganondorf always reincarnating and maybe have tried to do something about it early? Absolutely, heck maybe Ganondorf was even sane enough to fight back and try to go off script. Would they have predicted that some kind of freaky kill switch would actívate to keep his reanimated corpse going only powered by the original curse Demise set up, which is basically fueled by pure divine will for vengeance on the one with the spirit of the hero who bested him not once but twice and the goddess that twarthed him at every turn from throwing that little green glad bastard at him with a sacred sword to seal him to basically sabotaging the Triforce so divine beings cannot use it and fury so strong it transcends time and space if we count games like Cadance of Hyrule and Hyrule Warriors (which we are doing here by the way) being a thing and presumably happening in different worlds? Absolutely not.

Honestly I see people compare BOTW and AOC Link to the guy back then and how they should have done better in game and that BOTW Link failed not living up to the standard he set up and how he stopped talking under the pressure and I'm just, y'all ever pause and think he wasn't anymore prepared than you people? Maybe I'm remembering it wrong due to sleep deprivation, I haven't slept well in months and woke up in a cold sweat at 3am to start writing this down but just- He didn't have Shrines to prepare him, he didn't have the Divine Beasts back then to weaken the Calamity before they were built by the Sheikah with presumably Zonai aid (and oh boy to I have thoughts and headcanons on that) and that would have taken time, it was basically just him, Zelda, the other races and Fi as the Master Sword (or heck even without her, we all know it always takes any Link time to get the Master Sword in the games, he likely didn't pull her out straight away like how presumably BOTW and AOC Link did) holding the fort against Malice enhanced monsters and likely revived undead because we know even while sane the previous Ganon's were definitely not above doing that.

So it was most likely a Phyrric Victory, the few times we hear about things that happened to previous heroes, is that we either don't know what happened to them at the end of the story (which is extremely concerning if you ask me because something should have been recorded right? They should have at least recorded how Zelda got her powers to give other Zelda's a better point of reference that just stay in a spring and pray to yourself apparently) Or that they just straight up died (The Hero's Shade being OOT Link, The First Hero being left behind rather than being able to ascend with the other humans to Skyloft, OG Zelda's previous Link most likely being killed in an attempt by Ganon's cult to revive him or to seal him away again), and we don't hear what happened to him or Zelda or the original Champions. History is written by the victors after all, Hylian history has a tendency of erasing details, take from that what you will.

TL;Dr My headcanon is that him and his Zelda were unwittingly cataclysms to the Calamity being unleashed in the first place, and that's why we don't hear much about what happened to them and, since 10000 years have passed there was likely a lot of time for erasure and cover up to happen by the crown. And that the man himself would be very proud of his descendants for being able to deal with at least part of the problem he unintentionally caused and surviving even with worse odds in spite of being better prepared unlike him who most likely died even if BOTW Link and AOC Link should get at least one sucker punch in if they're told that wasn't even the original goods they thought they dealt with as a treat if we go the LU route, in this essay I will-

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aca-4 · 2 years ago

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To Thaw a Frozen Heart (MLP Fanfiction)

Summary:

During a family visit to the Crystal Empire, Spike finds a starving changeling. By helping him he is forced to learn a hard lesson about friendship, family and what it takes to be a true hero.

(aka “The Times They Are a Changeling” rewritten but I added more ~drama~ and personal headcanons for more depth)

A/N: Very different from what I normally do, I know. First time writing fanfiction and in another language no less. Should have enough years of experience with English by now, but in case I made any grammatical mistakes, please do correct me; I would love to learn! Also I know I should probably be posting this on an actual fanfiction site but I don’t wanna create an account just to post this one story

Rated T

Word Count: 5.255

Genres: canon-divergent, angst with happy ending (technically includes hurt/comfort?)

Warnings: mentions of starvation

It was supposed to be a simple family visit.

Although, being the adoptive little brother of the Princess of Friendship and brother-in-law to the Princess of Love made that hard sometimes.

Trouble always seemed to find them, as if they were heroes from one of his comic books. Considering how many times they had actually saved the world (and that one time they were truly stuck in said comic book), Spike figured they might as well be.

Still, he was looking forward to the trip. Visiting his family in the far north would be a great and relaxing vacation. Even Starlight tagged along in order to visit her fillyhood friend Sunburst.

But instead of being welcomed with open arms upon arrival, they were held up by the royal guard.

A changeling had been spotted in the Crystal Empire.

The news had shocked them. The last time they saw these dangerous creatures… well, that almost had not ended well.

Obviously the royal family was distraught. They had already doubled and tripled their security, checked each and every visitor; whether it was a tourist or a resident returning home.

Twilight and Starlight immediately offered to help. Cadance said she was happy enough to have them here at all.

Her voice may have been calm as always but Spike could tell the whole situation was stressing her out. Especially with a newborn filly that had practically turned the empire into a changeling magnet with all the love that poured through the citizens.

He wanted to help, too. And it seemed the crystal guard was overjoyed to have him join their search party.

(Shining said they’d wanted him to accompany them, but deep down he was certain they were only humoring him.)

Spike somehow found himself leading the troupe in the snowy landscape, giving them directions to search this and that way.

He felt a little silly ordering them around like that.

Just a few years ago he would have happily played along with his "adoring fans" (in the only place anypony had ever treated him as a hero to begin with).

Now, as he suddenly found himself all alone in the icy mountains and freezing his scales off, he only felt like a lost little child.

Not that he was still a child, mind you! He was already a teenager in dragon years by now. Although, he had to admit, he was still lost.

And when he slipped through the snow and ended up in an empty ice cave, he was about to give up completely and just turn around.

Except the cave wasn’t empty.

And he just found the dangerous creature the guards had been looking for.

Turns out there was no threat at all.

The changeling - no, Thorax - was nothing like the changelings they’d seen back then at Shining and Cadance’s wedding.

He was still young, barely a year or two older than Spike, and he felt like an outsider in his own home. While the other changelings learned at a young age how to hunt and feed on their prey, Thorax had always found their methods to be too barbaric.

It wasn’t until his very first mission in Canterlot (to "watch how it’s supposed to be done", so he could "learn from the older ones how to do it right") that he saw what real love was.

The ponies’ friendship had inspired Thorax, but at the same time it had made him feel even more out of place in the hive.

In the end, he found he had no choice but to run away.

He’d been on quite the long journey thus far. Yet no place he visited had even let him explain himself before ponies started running or chasing him out. It must have been the recent Crystalling that had instinctively driven Thorax to go even further north.

All the while, Spike listened attentively to his story. Hearing how someone was disowned by their own kind like that brought him to tears. No one deserved that, especially not someone like Thorax.

Growing up as the only dragon among ponies, he had always been an outsider himself. But it had taught him to keep an open mind and not judge another creature by what they looked like.

Considering the way Thorax’s skinny legs were shaking (from the cold or exhaustion, he wondered?), Spike found he could believe him.

Still…

he couldn’t help but ask: “Are you not going to steal my love?"

Thorax’s eyed widened at that.

“No! I wouldn’t- I would never take it without permission!"

Huh. That he hadn’t expected.

“But isn’t that how it works?"

“Well, yes. I mean, I’m not sure- It just feels wrong to steal it."

Odd. Why was Thorax so unsure about that? Shouldn’t he know about his own species’ biology?

Then again, Spike hadn’t known until he was four years old that dragons could withstand temperature as hot as lava.

Logically it made sense now, with being able to breathe fire and all.

But at the time he had curiously crawled into the open fireplace, which had almost given his parents a heart attack as they had quickly pulled him out - only to find him completely unharmed.

(It was Twilight who had happily suggested heading to the library and looking for a book on how to properly care for a dragon. Sadly, the interspecies relations had been pretty much non-existent back then and no pony-made place could help them on the topic).

Spike shook himself out of his pondering (literally, for the freezing cold made him shiver) as another more urgent thought brought him back to the present.

“Wait, so when was the last time you ate something? I doubt you could even ask anypony before they ran off."

“Uh..." Thorax started to awkwardly rub one foreleg against the other as he thought. Then he winced and stopped. “A few days? Maybe a week…"

“An entire week?!"

“There was this one… bird on my way that offered me some love." (Spike didn’t like that pause mid-sentence, nor the image of a vulture that immediately sprung to mind.) “Tasted like pity, though. N-not that I’m complaining!"

The more Spike learned about Thorax, the more it hurt seeing him like this. He had to do something!

So he made a decision right then and there.

“That settles it! I don’t know how this works but… I hereby grant you permission to eat my love!" he declared as confidently as he could, so Thorax would accept his offer (and a little to convince himself that this wasn’t a crazy and stupid idea after all).

“Are you-" Thorax couldn’t even protest as his legs nearly gave out underneath him and Spike had to steady him.

“Yes, I’m sure!"

With the last bit of strength Thorax had left, he made a small noise of agreement before finally lighting his horn.

Poor guy wasn’t used to being treated as kindly as this, Spike thought absentmindedly. But that just made the dragon all the more determined to help.

Having his love taken from him felt… well, he wasn’t going to lie, it hurt a lot.

His head was pounding and it felt like his heart was being pulled. Or rather tugged, surprisingly gently, which was probably the least painful thing about all of this.

He wasn’t sure if the ground moved or if it was him. Everything was becoming more and more blurry, but he wasn’t about to give up.

He wanted to do this and if this is what it took to keep Thorax alive, he just had to bite his tongue and endure it a little longer.

Spike didn’t even realize it was already over until he heard Thorax’s worried voice over him (over him?) and he looked up to see the ceiling of the cave and two bright cyan eyes.

“Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?"

Of course he would ask that. Even after almost starving to death because he absolutely refused to take any love that wasn’t given to him with consent, Thorax was still more concerned about Spike’s wellbeing than his own.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Still a little dizzy. Don’t know what I was expecting."

Spike hadn’t even noticed he’d fallen to the ground in the process. At least the snow had somewhat softened his landing.

When Thorax extended a hoof to help him up, the dragon had to do a double take. Weren’t there more holes before…?

He saved that question for some other time. There were still more important things to do first.

“You know, the others got it all wrong", Spike began. „They think they’re looking for some evil monster, but that’s not you at all."

“Well, at least you believe me. You’re the first one who even listened to me."

“And I won’t be the last!"

That concerned look was back on his face. “What?"

“You said not a single creature even let you explain your situation before the already assumed the worst, right? But if I’m there and tell them what’s up, they’ll realize there’s nothing to be afraid of and they’ll let you stay."

Thorax seemed less convinced of these words. “You really think so?"

“Well, yea-"

Spike cut himself short when he thought back to what had happened to his now sister-in-law and how she’d been trapped and replaced.

And his brother and how he’d been brainwashed.

Everypony’s reaction when Chrysalis had revealed herself.

The attack on Canterlot that had followed.

Then he looked back to Thorax, a little healthier now but still weak from almost starving. Cold and lonely and still way too nice to simply take what was needed in order to survive.

The image before him clashed horribly with his memory of the wedding.

Sure, In the end love had saved them and the changelings were quite literally sent flying back to where they had come from.

But this was Thorax.

Would they hurt and banish him as well?

“On second thought… maybe we should ease them into it.“

He’d been a fool. An utter fool to believe his presence would be enough to change everypony’s minds so easily.

It’s not like Spike hadn’t thought this through at all.

Thorax still disguised himself as a crystal pony, going by the (admittedly uncreative) alias “Crystal Hoof“. They had come up with a quick background story as well, but other than that, Thorax could just be himself.

The locals were soon very fond of him and his lovable personality and Spike had been so certain that, with a little more time, Thorax could stop hiding behind the fake pony form completely one day.

Of course things couldn’t be that simple.

Happy to have a distraction from the tense situation at hoof, Cadance was eager to invite Spike’s “pen pal“ into the palace to meet Flurry Heart. That’s when everything went downhill.

There was so much love in the room coming from both the family and close friends. It must have been too much at once for Thorax who had barely eaten anything up to that point.

Self-preservation instincts briefly got the better of him, making him reveal his true changeling form as he let out a few sharp hisses.

Everyone gasped in terror.

The guard was called immediately and in a matter of seconds they had Thorax surrounded, pointy spears directed at him. Even Cadance spread her wings, ready to fight, leaving her daughter in Sunburst’s nervous grasp.

Meanwhile, Twilight and Starlight looked ready to cast either defensive or offensive spells.

“I-I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!“ Thorax apologized meekly. But of course, nopony listened during all the commotion.

“Spike! Get away from that thing!“ Shining Armor shouted.

“Wait, you don’t understand-“

Spike’s protests fell on deaf ears as Twilight enveloped him in her magic and pulled him to her side.

Next to him, Sunburst thought something out loud about disguising itself to get to Flurry Heart, while Shining tried to interrogate the cowering changeling.

“We have you outnumbered, so don’t even try to escape. Now tell me, how did you manage to slip past our security and how many more of you are out there?“

“I’m alone! A-And I don’t want to fight!“ Thorax barely managed to stutter.

Watery cyan eyes searched for Spike, silently begging for help.

It was at that moment Spike realized what the decision he had made earlier truly meant. And there was no going back on it now.

He ran forward, placing himself between the captain of the guard and the encircled changeling.

“Stop! Can’t you see you’re scaring him?“

“He’s scared? I think I almost fainted…“ Sunburst quietly commented somewhere in the background.

Spike paid him no mind. He only focused on Shining’s reaction.

„That’s exactly what it wants you to think.“

“No no, you don’t understand! He’s my friend!“

Another round of gasps echoed through the room.

“See, it has already brainwashed you!“ Shining only yelled in return.

His concern for Spike’s safety was clear, but so were his growing frustrations with him and the deep loathing towards Thorax.

“Spike, please. It’s going to be okay. Let us handle this.“ Twilight tried to reason with him.

This time she used no magic. But he could tell by how rigid her outstretched hoof was that she’d still teleport him out of here if necessary.

Spike felt guilty for what he had to do next, especially after knowing very well how desperate Twilight had been to get everypony to believe her about the “evil Cadance“ years ago. She’d been all alone in her efforts then, but now so was Spike.

“I’m only asking this once as your older brother: Get out of the way.“

The stallion fixed him with an intense glare. Spike mirrored him, before taking a deep breath,

turning around,

and spitting out green flames.

He made sure to hit each and every one of the guards on their helmet - high enough to both miss Thorax completely and only leaving the ponies stumbling back in confusion.

“RUN!“ Was the only thing Spike could scream before Shining grabbed and pushed him to the side while using his magic to charge an attack.

For once, Thorax didn’t hesitate.

In a flash of light he turned himself into something small enough so that he was hard to catch. A buzzing noise soon faded out of the castle and the guards were left to aimlessly follow it.

An insect probably wasn’t the best choice for this climate but as long as Thorax escaped unharmed, Spike could breathe a little easier again.

It didn’t last long as Shining marched up to him and started yelling.

“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! Siding with the enemy? What’s gotten into you?!

“Maybe Spike’s been captured and replaced by a changeling?“ Sunburst piped up before immediately being shushed by Starlight. The mare still had her horn lit up for a spell of some kind.

Both were ignored by the arguing siblings.

“He’s not evil! All he wanted was to make friends and you attack him! He could have gotten hurt!“

“WE could have gotten hurt! Don’t you remember what happened the last time we saw changelings?“

Of course he did.

He had been much younger then, still not used to all the adventures he’d suddenly been dragged into alongside his sister. When Chrysalis had revealed herself, all he could do was stand there and watch.

He’d been too scared to move or even make a noise. While Twilight and her friends had been out there fighting, he’d hidden behind Cadance, lucky enough not to have been put into a cocoon like Princess Celestia.

Even the bride, glued to the spot with whatever that gooey substance was, had still looked fierce.

But exactly that had been the problem, hadn’t it? Unlike the others, he didn’t spring into action. He was only ever on the sidelines watching and playing moral support, because what else could he do?

It’s why he never got called a hero.

And now that he could be one, he’s being told he’s doing something wrong.

The one time someone truly needs him and he knows he can help, they tell him he shouldn’t.

As it turns out, a real hero doesn’t simply fight for what others think is good, but for what he knows deep down in his very soul is the right thing.

Even if it means he has to do it on his own.

“I don’t know how often I have to tell you this,“ Spike tried to keep his voice as calm as he could, “but Thorax is nothing like that. You would know that if you actually talked to him.“

“It’s been telling you lies then! And if the Crystal Empire ends up under attack because you chose to pity that creature-“

Shining fell silent when his wife laid one steady hoof on his shoulder.

“Dear, that’s enough“ Cadance told him gently but stern, and, internally fuming, he eventually listened.

The situation had been a lot for her as well.

If anything, Cadance should hate changelings the most. But she was the Princess of Love for a reason, and it seemed impossible for her to hold a grudge for as long as her husband apparently could.

Twilight was the next one to try and mediate between the two.

“Spike, it is very noble of you to stand up for a friend like that, and I know you just wanted to help, but we can’t be certain yet if that changeling really is as innocent as he claims to be. For all we know, he could have brainwashed you with his magic.“

Her concern was evident but Spike could tell she was still not getting it.

“You still don’t believe me, do you?“ He didn’t mean to show how hurt he truly was but his voice betrayed him.

Suddenly, the room that had been filled with so much noise just minutes ago, fell very quiet.

“Of course I believe you“ Twilight reassured him, “It’s just that…“

“You think I’m still just a dumb kid“ Spike finished for her.

“I never said-“

“The guards did the same thing earlier, don’t think I didn’t notice that! I know you’re just looking out for me - and I’m grateful for that! - but you have to understand, Thorax doesn’t have family or friends like you. He’s all by himself, so if I didn’t help him, no one would. F-For crying out loud, when I found him he was starving-!“

Spike choked on his last words. He didn’t even want to imagine what might have happened if he hadn’t met Thorax at all.

Another very worrisome thought raced through his mind at that: If love fed him, what would hatred do to him?

“Spike…“ He ignored Twilights attempt to comfort him.

“I have to find him“ he whispered to himself and ran off without another word.

Everypony else remained frozen in place. None of them knew what to say after all of that.

“Just so you know…“ Starlight eventually spoke into the silent room, „he wasn’t under any form of mind control.“

Everypony’s heads turned to look at the unicorn in confusion.

“I checked if there were any foreign spells cast on him while you were distracted by your arguing“ she elaborated. “Just figured you, uh, might want to know that.“

“That means he really was acting on what he felt in his heart was the right thing“ Cadance concluded. After a beat of silence, she looked out of the window and added: “Looks like the wind is picking up. I fear a storm might gather.“

Twilight and Shining looked at each other then, both their emotions now settled down.

“We should look for him. Make sure he doesn’t get caught in a snow storm out there.“

“Spike or the changeling?“ Twilight dared to ask.

Shining left without answering.

Spike found him in the same place they had met hours ago.

Thorax was lying all alone in the cold snow, covered head to hoof in holes, and for a moment the dragon feared he was already too late.

But at the call of his name, Thorax stirred and just barely lifted his head. He looked more sick than ever.

Spike was at his side right away, gently holding the changeling’s head and resting his own forehead against his.

Neither of them had to say anything as Thorax already fed on the love he was being given.

It didn’t hurt this time. Probably because Spike was practically giving out all his heart - a strong push instead of the pull from before.

The effect was more positive as well, reducing the amount of unsettling holes until they only reached just above the knees.

Spike leaned back after Thorax finally recovered but kept his claws cupped around the other’s cheeks.

He still couldn’t believe how anyone could be so cruel towards someone this kind.

If only he had known what such direct exposure to hatred would do to a changeling…

“I’m so sorry about all of that. I didn’t think they’d go so far.“

“It’s okay. I didn’t expect it to go well anyways. I’m just so glad to have you as my friend.“ The small but genuine smile Thorax gave him right then could have thawed all the ice in the mountains. Or maybe it was just Spike’s face that suddenly felt warm.

Their quiet moment together got interrupted by hoofsteps trudging through the snow.

Thorax tensed up at the unexpected sound while Spike couldn’t decide whether he should stand up and get ready to fight or keep Thorax close to him.

He ended up with one claw clenched to a fist and the other pulling Thorax closer protectively, but relaxed slightly when instead of an armed guardspony he only saw Twilight.

“Thank Celestia, there you are…“ she breathed out in relief.

Her mane was disheveled and the scarf she was wearing looked like it was haphazardly thrown around her neck in a hurry.

She wasted no time in pulling Spike in for a hug and quickly checking if he was alright.

“Wh- What are you doing here?“ Spike asked, more hostile than he’d meant to.

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you two. The weather is getting worse and I don’t want you to get stuck out here during a snow storm.“

“Wait, both of us?“

Twilight nodded in that curt, polite and princess-ly manner she’d picked up over the years since she became an alicorn. Despite the seemingly detached formality, her eyes shone with an honest kindness.

“Well, I’m not leaving without Thorax“ Spike made clear as he freed himself from her embrace. “So I’m not going anywhere unless he’s allowed to come as well.“

Another nod.

“I understand. I also just wanted to say, I’m really sorry about before.“ She made sure to address both of them. “I didn’t even consider the possibility of a changeling being friendly. I was too caught up in the moment and didn’t listen to what you had to say.“

Twilight raised her hoof in an invitation then.

“So if you’ll allow me, could we start over?“

She looked directly at Thorax this time, a hopeful and almost sheepish expression on her face.

Thorax couldn’t quite believe what he heard. He quickly looked at Spike for confirmation before he got up and shook the alicorn’s hoof.

„I’m Thorax.“

„Twilight Sparkle. A pleasure to meet you.“

Thorax visibly relaxed at the quiet echo of emotions passing him by. Still hesitant, ever so slightly afraid, but also clearly willing to put any prejudices aside and get to know him if her actions were anything to go by.

Spike noticed the more confident posture his friend had; head held higher and ears perked up. It made him feel at ease, as well, knowing that he’d at least managed to change one pony’s mind about Thorax.

The feeling didn’t last long, however, as Twilight spoke again: “I’ll let Shining know I found you, so he can stop the search.“

She lit up er horn and let the magic wander to its tip. It formed a small magenta light orb, then floated away through the cave’s entrance.

Spike had never seen her cast that particular spell before but he didn’t like what it implied.

“You’re not gonna lead him here and let him capture Thorax, are you?“ The changeling in question let out a small scared noise at that.

“Of course not“ Twilight was quick to calm him. “But he was worried about you, Spike. And it’s still him you have to convince about Thorax.“

“You should just go without me then.“ Thorax suggested all of a sudden, much to Spike’s surprise.

“What? You can’t stay out here in the cold all by yourself!“

“I’ve managed a few nights before. Besides, you’ve already done so much for me. I don’t want to cause you any more problems with your family.“

“First of all, none of that was your fault! And secondly, when I said I was going to help you, I meant it. That includes getting you out of this freezing cold.“ Spike paused briefly as he considered the probability of actually finding a better shelter in case things didn’t work out with the Crystal Empire, and looked to his sister for aid. “Right, Twilight?“

“I’ll… see what I can do about that“ she chuckled.

She didn’t have that much political influence, at least not in this kingdom, but she figured trying was the least she could do. She owed it to them.

The wind howled outside as the three of them stood there inside the cave, waiting for the inevitable confrontation they still had to face.

The darkness creeping in made everything look a little eerie. Yet, when Spike shuddered, it wasn’t out of fear.

After everything that had happened, he completely forgot why dragons lived far in the south again. He was rudely reminded when the frost started to bite at the tip of his claws.

Twilight only wordlessly took off her scarf and wrapped it around him when she noticed.

The peaceful atmosphere changed when a new voice resounded through the stone walls.

“Twilight? Spike? Are you in there?“

Thorax immediately ducked his head when he recognized the stallion making his way towards them. Spike was shielding his friend from the new threat in a matter of seconds.

Despite his strong built, Shining Armor wouldn’t even have looked that menacing. Like Twilight’s, his mane was ruffled from the weather outside; Snowflakes were stuck to the blue strands and slowly melting.

He really didn’t seem all that intimidating until he laid eyes on Thorax, and the changeling felt like he was staring right at his soul and judging him with his piercing eyes.

Further back, more hoofsteps followed. Thorax let out an involuntary whimper at the memory of all the guards that had cornered him.

The captain, standing tall in front of the unlikely friends, turned around to give new orders. Spike listened with bated breath as the other stallions were told to fall back and return to the palace.

When Shining faced them again, he addressed his little brother first.

“Could you move out of the way?“

“What are you going to do?“

Spike stood his ground while Twilight kept her distance. Shining did search for her gaze briefly but she only gave him a knowing look, silently telling him she’d done her part to make things right. Now it was his turn.

“I just want to talk.“

Spike frowned at him and wavered slightly. He really wanted to believe he got through to Shining after all, but the prior events still made him worry for Thorax.

“Are you going to tell me I’m wrong again? That I don’t know what I’m doing? That I should stay away from my friend?“ He was still bitter about their argument and didn’t hide it. He’d felt so betrayed when his own family, the very ponies that had taken him in when he was a baby, were acting so hostile.

He’d always thought ponies could be easily swayed with something as sappy as a song, but today proved it was nowhere near as simple.

“Actually, I’m the one who was wrong. And I want to apologize. To both of you.“

The two were baffled at that. Whatever nasty remarks Spike had planned to say remained unspoken as he let Shining continue.

“I did what I thought was right in order to protect my kingdom, but I didn’t realize I would hurt my family in the process. Spike, I want you to know that I don’t ever want to keep you from making your own choices. You clearly see something in this changeling that I don’t. And while I still don’t fully trust him, I do trust you. So if you say he’s your friend, I will treat him as such.“

Somehow, Shining Armor, captain of the guard and co-ruler of the Crystal Empire, had never looked so small. Maybe it was because he truly felt guilty for his actions. Or maybe because he only allowed himself to show weakness in private conversations like this one.

Either way, Thorax could sense the stallion’s faint emotions. All the burning wrath from before had long simmered down and instead all he found was unconditional love and care for his family. (He wished, someday, someone would direct these emotions at him.)

“So you’ll give him a chance?“ Spike asked, almost afraid to be hopeful, but also finally lowering his guard.

Shining nodded firmly, then looked at the changeling cautiously stepping out of his hiding spot behind Spike.

“So, you’re Thorax, right?“

His eyes widened just a little before he gave an awkward reply.

“Yes. I, uh… come in peace?“

Shining almost laughed at that. Almost. But it was enough to ease his stress and make his lips form a tiny smile for the first time that day.

Thorax ended up staying in the palace with permission (and for the first few weeks under supervision) from the royals themselves.

Spike had wanted him to come with them to Ponyville at first, but then he remembered how prone the locals were to herd panic.

At least in the Crystal Empire news about a changeling wouldn’t spread so fast to other places.

Besides, Thorax himself had insisted on staying as far away from his former home as possible, still unsure and a little scared if Chrysalis would send someone after him for treason.

At least among the friendly faces of the crystal ponies he felt more like he belonged than anywhere else before.

That feeling wasn’t mutual at first, but eventually the royals as well as the rest of the empire warmed up to their new resident.

Even Sunburst, despite his previous fears, was surprisingly the most interested in learning about Thorax. Twilight and him occasionally exchanged notes on the positive effect sharing love had on their changeling friend compared to the rest of his kind after Spike had mentioned his own observations.

As for the friends themselves, they kept in touch by frequently writing letters to each other. (Twilight was absolutely thrilled to let Spike borrow her special “Pen Pal Quill Set“ to do so.)

It took a while to get to where they were now. It certainly wasn’t easy, either.

But it gave Spike hope that maybe one day Thorax could come visit him in Ponyville. And this time when he introduced him, his friend would receive nothing but love.

——

MLP:FiM and its characters belong to Hasbo

I only own the artwork and (I still can’t believe I’m saying this) the story

#mlp fim #story + art #fanfiction #right after i told myself i'd never write any xD #tw: mentions of starvation #changelings are starved love bugs headcanon #implied queerplatonic(?) Spike and Thorax #no seriously there is something implied here but i don't know what it is myself #this is why i'm an artist not an author #no beta because i'm too shy to ask anyone

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pico-digital-studios · 8 months ago

Text

Into, Across and Beyond! Scripting: Canon Aversion Attempts

(Shadows in the mockups by @becdoesthings)

Dimension EV-2019 - Memorial Park, Calteron

One day following the full memory restoration of Team Sonic, Nitro and Amy were just out by Calteron's memorial park to pass the time together.

Amy: Ahh... Such a wonderful day today!

Nitro: Heh, yeah. And it's definitely more wonderful with what happened to change our dimension to be better.

Amy: I agree. Is Melanie doing okay, by the way?

Nitro: Yeah, he's getting there. It's just gonna be a couple more days until the seizures he's been having die down.

She sat on one of the park's benches.

Amy: Wanna have a sit down?

She noticed Nitro was a little worried about something.

Amy: Nitro? Are you feeling alright?

Nitro: Amy, I...

Nitro: I think it's about time I admitted something important to you while we're alone together. It's related to the whole timeline shebang.

Amy: Oh?

Nitro: You know those alternate versions of myself we've come across before? Well... most of them ended up being of my OWN making.

Amy: Huh? How?

Nitro: I'll explain as best as I can to you. So, following the whole reset, me, my family and Amelia retained our memories of the old timeline, and I wanted to do what it took to ensure all of us could live through that fateful attack that cost my dad his life. However, it seems to be a locked-in "canon event" for me... Nothing I did could keep him safe; only my mom and siblings made it through again to this timeline. However, with each alteration I made, something changed each time; where I went in each alternate universe.

(MLP cast sprites by urimas on DeviantArt; custom Nitro Platinumheart sprite by me)

Nitro: One iteration was when I ended up in Equestria, which became my home after I befriended the Mane Six. Nitro Platinumheart mentioned that he was found by Twilight and Spike in a storm, and after she and Princess Luna uncovered the harsh past, Twilight phased through into my world with NP following, in a bid to ensure those close to him were alright. He didn't take long to settle in as his new self, however, when he took time to get used to Equestria in general, alongside the adjacent human world Twilight had visited before.

Nitro: The second one I remember most was a counterpart of myself ending up in an alternate Philly. I think I remember his nickname became "Nite-friend", since, in that universe, Daddy Dearest managed to kill Boyfriend, though he passed on his mantle to the guy before the finishing blow, which caused DD's family to drift apart from him. I'm happy they were able to take him in for safety, as he would've been homeless otherwise. Ever since, feelings began to blossom between Nitefriend and Girlfriend, and, well, the rest is history there.

Nitro: The third one I remember was a version of myself who ended up in a binary world of horrors, Sonic.EXEs included, thanks to Toxinfect almost stopping his escape. Having been infused with dark matter energy, he developed an immunity to regular lethal attacks from monsters like an alternate version of Exault he came across, but it came at the cost of giving him a glaring headache every time. Nitro.DLL, as he became known, was out to help survivors from other realms, including alternate Earths where Sonic.EXE was conquering the land and claiming people's souls, with all survivors being taken to an out-of-bounds space base for medical care and accommodation.

Nitro: I know there's many iterations of me in alternate universes, but there was always a few things in common between them:

The places of residence me and my siblings camped at before the split were Royal Woods, a town where Isabelle (AC) lived, and the WNA Academy in Eagle City.

My father, Marc Smith, was always doomed to die, no matter what. The only timeline he DIDN'T die in was that one where the attack never happened to begin with, and the one where me and Amelia started our family.

All of my counterparts except my adult self contracted EXE blood at one point, either from a sustained injury or following a first EXE encounter. It... must be why I'm able to sustain energies like the Sacred Ring without my body breaking under pressure.

The two had been having a small walk while discussing this, stopping by the park's sunflower field.

Amy: To think this all happened because you miss your dad so much... Oh, I'm so sorry to hear, Chris.

Nitro: Yeah, I really appreciate your concern for me. It's just... trying to play God to find a definitive happy future is just so hard for me. I really wished we could've had it all completely worked out before this point, but it's just so difficult...

Amy: Hey, look at me. If anything, your self-awareness of the old timeline actually did a LOT better than you may have realised.

Nitro: Wait, you really think that?

Amy: I don't think it, I know it. I mean, think about it. You coming into my life helped me see myself in a new light, and gave me a chance to just step back and not intrude on Sonic's love life. Plus, even in this timeline, you saved all of Mobius from Toxinfect's tyranny, and we all remain grateful to you for that!

Nitro: And... what else?

Amy: Well, the fact your actions in this timeline snapped Seak out of his insanity, kept Wade and all his newer friends out of that sentient virus's grasp, and even ensured we still have an Eggman to take on at the end of it all. Besides, no matter what iteration of yourself you may be, there's one thing I know you've always maintained.

She stepped closer to him with a smile on her face.

Amy: The kind heart you've always had, which I'd never trade for anything else.

Nitro smiled back.

Nitro: Thanks, Ames. I... I'm really happy you're here for me.

Amy: No problem.

The two shared a quick hug with each other.

Amy: You know, why don't we head to the Fish-n-Chips place after that talk?

Nitro: Heh, that's a wonderful idea!

Amy: Brilliant! Let's get going!

They started walking off.

Nitro: You know, I'd really like one of those jam and cream doughnuts for dessert.

Amy: Sure! We'll see what we can do about that.

#sonic exe #sonic the hedgehog #spider verse #sth #sonic #sonic fandom #sth au #sonic au #spider man #mlp friendship is magic #mlp oc #friday night funkin #fnf oc

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fudgecicles · 1 year ago

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So there is news that they are making a live action Zelda movie. Now, I am a little skeptical how it's going to turn out, not gonna lie. Now, I won't touch on the logistics of live action or who I want casted or why I would prefer animated TV series. What I do want to talk about is what I am looking for in a Legend of Zelda movie.

What I do not want is some typical medieval fantasy epic that is like the Lord of the Rings. Yes, Zelda games are epic, medieval fantasy, but I want is for the movie to stand out as something that is recognizably Zelda.

So first thing, the vibes, mood, however you want to call it. It should be a bit surreal/goofy/weird with an undertone of melancholy. The Zelda weirdness was made prominent by Link's Awakening, and ever since then, it's been a core part of the series's identity. I can't imagine anything Zelda without it. But all of that is balanced by a sense of underlying melancholy and wrongness, something present at least from A Link to the Past, but which Link's Awakening made great use of. There is always a quiet tragedy underlying almost every Zelda story, especially those that are memorable. Majora's Mask exemplifies that aspect the most clearly, an extremely whimsical game with bright colors and crazy characters, but also the world is ending and everyone is dealing with their imminent mortality. Spirit Tracks is sort of the exception to this when it comes to the melancholy part, but also it's a weirdly off beat, self aware entry to the series where the main character is actually Zelda even if you control Link.

Secondly, the theme, it should not be just a battle between good and evil, or some metaphor for war or whatever. Zelda games typically focuses on the following:

-The cyclical nature of things. Heck, it's what Zelda is all about, with the whole timeline and reincarnation shenanigans. The most recent Zelda, Tears of the Kingdom was all about that, what with the whole ourobouros thing as part of the cover symbol. And of course, we literally have the three days cycle in Majora's Mask.

-Fate, Zelda characters often time struggle with their duty that was preordained, or their eventual ending. Breath of the Wild's Zelda is the clearest example of that, where she is tasked with obtaining the divine power as fated by her bloodline, but that is not who she is. She is a scientist, and has zero guidance on what to do. In Link's Awakening, the inhabitants of Koholint struggle with the fact that they are ultimately doomed because they are dreams. In Link Between World, Lorule is doomed, but Princess Hilda is tasked with guiding the inhabitants of this doomed land.

-Growing up and lost innocence. It's a given since they start out like typical adventure stories, most of the Links start as just living their lives like normal, and then something is snatched away and they have to quickly grow up to meet the challenge. It's the part of Zelda that most resembles LotR. Ocarina of Time's Link most exemplifies this, who grew up among the Kokiri children, but is ostracized in his community because he is not like the rest of them. He had to quickly grow up to meet the challenge, with the sword transforming him into an adult, and of course, turns out he is not a Kokiri at all, but an orphaned kid. In Twilight Princess, Link is a farm boy who helps around the community, and hangs out with his friends. But then they are attacked and his friends are snatched away. And there is a focus on these side characters having to find their own inner bravery and stuff.

-Nostalgia, learning from the past, and looking towards the future. I mean Ganondorf is a villain who just can't freaking stop coming back. Wind Waker is the game where this theme is most prominent, as Ganondorf wishes to turn back the clock and restore the flooded Hyrule kingdom to the way it once was, while the ghost of the former king of Hyrule wishes for the next generation to create something new. Majora's Mask is also a game that tackles nostalgia really well.

These are some of what I could think of that one could draw as inspirations for the script of a Zelda movie, but done so in a digestible 2-3 hours format. I would personally go for a wholly original story with a new Link incarnation, but it could also be a new adventure for an already existing Link.

#legend of zelda #tloz

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science-lings · 2 years ago

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So because I like to be really complicated, I've decided to throw my favourite part of pretty much every Link's design (ofc the ones that actually change the design - looking at you Toon Links) at you. Idk, I'm an overachiever and I love gushing about one of the best character designs in video game history.

Obviously with the 8-bit designs, all there really is are artworks and the manuals to go off of because Link is a collection of tiny squares with 4 max colours. TLoZ and AoL are the same character so to be honest, I just love his earthy tones and facial features. Big nose rep. Goes for ALTTP, LA, and OOT as well tbh.

Speaking of ALTTP, that pink hair he has in-game is literally one of the best thing Nintendo has ever done.

A lot of child Links have this, but the baggy boots introduced in OOT are literally everything. I want to wear them every day of the rest of my life. The Oracle games also give him the flared lining and I would die to have them. Peak footwear. And the bracers Adult Link gets add so much to such a simple design, it's literally unreal.

The Four Swords games were cute with the bright colour swaps. I'm so mad they drew the artwork for the game in the Toon Link artstyle. Seeing artwork for it in ALTTP's art would have been so cool like what came on the European box art. The Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass came and introduced the most adorable Zelda artstyle. Like he's just a cylinder and I love him so much. It's a bit like FS(A) where he just got so much more colourful too. Spirit Tracks gave Link this cute engineer uniform that I cannot get over. Ever.

Twilight Princess. I'm sorry but he's just a whole hunk of man right there. The darker graphics went so far for him, his outfit was so detailed at the time and he's got such a masculine presence if you know what I mean. Oddly enough, there's so much I like about the design, it's so hard to put what I like into words other than 'a lot'. Sorry, I know it's not very helpful ^^;

Skyward Sword Link had such an amazing emotional range. He said absolutely nothing, but you could tell exactly how he felt, but unlike WW/PH/ST etc Link, his facial expression were really toned down and gentle. The most intense emotion he's ever had was fighting a god. Love that about him.

So I know ALBW technically shares ALTTP/OOA(/S) design, so I want to highlight the one thing that's different which is the giant, chunky bracelet he wears. Something about that makes me so happy for some reason.

Triforce Heroes' biggest accomplishment was the alternate outfits. Those boys literally strutting around in a forest in full gowns and costumes like it's nothing is literally peak fashion. Style over practicality any day.

BotW was literally a game-changer for Link's design in almost every way. I have no idea how Nintendo managed to completely change the design down to the fundamental GREEN of the Links before him to this cerulean blue and still keep the essence of what made Link a Link. And although Nintendo loves to go back on it in other material, I absolutely ADORE that they made his features so round and softly shaped, especially his eyes, compared to other Links. Nintendo will never take away how absolutely gorgeous that man is now they've achieved it. So we don't know much about TotK yet for obvious reasons, but he now sports literally the most revealing outfit in the franchise (other than him literally being half naked in BotW) and the fact it's paired with long hair is literally what I've been waiting my entire life for.

So yeah, I've probably made this so much more complicated, but there is literally so much I love about each Link, it's hard to choose my favourite overall features (except the boots, I love the baggy boots).

This is actually incredibly helpful thank you! I think one of the things I'm struggling most with the design is his hair, like he goes from a medium dark brown to pink to platinum blonde to bright yellow to almost orange and like... it's hard to make a decision lol. I do want to include bits of every game, whether that be with little accessories (like kinstones or belt buckles or jewelry) or more major features.

I am absolutely convinced on his schnoz though, he deserves a big pointy nose. It's going to be fun to try to balance some of his more harsh features with a lot of the softness we see in many other games, like he always has intense eyebrows (even in toon mode), but he also tends to have a baby face.

#im happy that this gives me more opportunity to look through the concept art books again #although i love the oot boots i think a major consensus is that I redesign the pegesus boots so I'll probably do that #maybe i can mix the designs somehow?#this guy is gonna be dripped out #ask andromeda #ultimate link redesign #loz

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hylianhistorian · 2 years ago

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who is link?

for the first real post on this blog, i thought it would be best to cover the main character himself, link. link is, of course, the character the player controls in every installment of the legend of zelda. but there's a lot about every incarnation of link that is far more nuanced than that. the first thing to note about the hero of hyrule is that the protagonist is in fact a different person in almost every game. this means that when a new game comes out (unless it is a direct sequel of a pre-existing game in the timeline) is a completely new person with his own life. the only thing "link"ing (ha) these people is the fact that they all have the same spirit, the spirit of the hero. think of avatar: the last airbender. every avatar shares the same spirit, but they are all independent people. this spirit differs from the avatar's spirit though in that it is not immediately reincarnated once the previous body dies. therefore, the spirit can go years without being reincarnated into a new hero.

why is this and why is this spirit reincarnated again and again anyway? this brings me to the first and original incarnation of the hero's spirit: skyward sword. (im not including the hero from the pre-skyward sword manga from hyrule historia as it is not canon) also major spoilers for skyward sword ahead. in this game, link is chosen by the goddess to carry out her mission to defeat demise, the demon king. at the end of this game, after demise is defeated but before he is sealed away into the master sword, demise places a curse on link and zelda. this curse is arguably the most important piece of hyrulean history and is the key to understanding tloz lore. demise states, "Those like you... Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero... They are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!" now i'll get more into the details of that curse in a later post, but the thing we need to highlight right now is the part where demise curses the 'spirit of the hero'. This curse sets into motion a continuous reincarnation of link's spirit, dooming it to an eternity of struggle against demise' hatred. this is the reason every hero is a reincarnation of the same spirit.

this curse is also why link and only link is able to wield the master sword. as we also find out in skyward sword, the master sword is sentient; a being named fi resides in it. fi is able to recognize the spirit of the hero and allows itself to be wielded by the same spirit shared by its original master.

the one and only exception to this reincarnation cycle is windwaker. windwaker link is the only hero who does not actually hold the spirit of the hero. why is he able to wield the master sword then? note that this is the only hero who has to go through trials specifically made to prove himself worthy of wielding the master sword. instead of automatically being capable of wielding it, he proves himself to the goddess and the sword, and only then is able to pull it from hyrule castle. i'll also go more in depth on windwaker link and what sets him apart from the rest later.

of course, we know that none of the heroes have any kind of memory carried over from their previous lives. in fact, the only time we see anything even resembling that is in twilight princess, when the current hero of hyrule is able to meet with the spirit of the hero of time, who passes down useful moves and wisdom. therefore, every hero is effectively an entirely new consciousness, with his own unique experiences.

there's so much more to learn about link but for now i'll leave it at this. if you have any questions pertaining to this, my asks are open and i'd love to answer them :D thanks for reading!

#legend of zelda #tloz #zelda #the legend of zelda #zelda botw

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toffee-hammer · 1 year ago

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Ganondorf isn't in a lot of the zelda games. Like count on one hand amount of games. Most games hes not even human, just a giant pig called ganon

And it's almost always its the same guy every time. He gets revived instead of dies and be reincarnated, with maybe one or two exceptions.

Oh damn, really? I've only played Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild and he's in all of those. I guess when I said "Ganondorf" I also meant to include "Ganon" as well. Thanks though, that's kind of interesting. I'd assumed he was in most/all of them.

#anonymous

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nonokoko13 · 3 years ago

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Child!reader being adopted by spy x family characters Pt. 2

As I said in the previous part, these adoption headcanons are really specific, including your hypothetical pronouns and name; these two are extra so you can imagine yourself with your name and desired gender. You can ask for less specific headcanons if you want too. Part 1 here

Enjoy!

Sylvia Sherwood

How you met

She carries the responsibility of WISE, she needs to be committed to it. More than ever now that the peace was threatened every day by those who wanted war to arise again

She missed her family, but she overcame it. Just like the HQ she had to be impenetrable

At least, that's what she thought

Because right in front of her there was the question which answers she wanted to hear. A kid.

It would be normal to see one if she wasn't at the HQ

It didn't help no one knew there was a kid there until you spoke up

The camera system didn't record you and there wasn't any entrance to the agency that had been forced. You weren't any employee's kid either

After scolding them and order to search your parents she met you again

"Hello little one. May I ask you how did you get in here?"

You smiled, seeming to have been waiting her to ask

"Because I like to play and explore! And I'm really good at hide and seek"

Sylvia raised an eyebrow. No matter how well someone was good at hiding there was no way you could break into the HQ; it sounded surrealistic

"But how did you find this place?"

"Because it was easy to find"

"Don't you think you could end bad breaking into unknown places?"

"If I don't know what isthis place how I'd know that?"

Fair enough

That conversation wasn't going anywhere, yet she was angrier with the security staff than you. You didn't look worried though

You gave her an idea

"Do you want to play with me?"

Both entered in the nearest police station, she talked with the officers before telling you to count until 1000 while she was going to hide. You started the count facing a wall

She felt bad, but there were some traffickers she had to catch before they made the exchange

She was following their car; everything fine until she believed to see a small hand greeting her from the car's trunk

She returned to the police station to find out that moments later of her departure you disappeared without anyone realizing. She went to the point where the delivery would be made

Outside the abandoned warehouse there was no signal that you were there until she saw you getting out from under the car on the other side

Something caused a shooting that would make the police come and caught her at any moment. The bands kept shooting at each other while you were behind a transport container

"What were you thinking?! I told you to stay with the police!"

"I'm sorry, I counted until I know, then I saw you following the car, so I followed too. But before they caught me I hid in there...I'm sorry..." You pulled out a walkie-talkie

"I got two from the police station. I left one in there so the others thought the guys of that car were betraying them, it should have worked to scape with no bad guys seeing us"

She was impressed. However, there was no time to ask where you learn that from

Analyzing the situation the principal scape was blocked, fortunately they hadn't noticed you yet so–

You pulled her shirt, pointing somewhere else

"Let's get out"

General headcanons

Sylvia was still surprised that your plan of exiting through a rear window she hadn't seen and walk away without hurry could work

She stopped walking to watch you smash the walkie-talkie and take out some matches to burn it

"Now they can't find footprints!"

The police may not get answers about it but she had many questions for you

She lied to you about the HQ, after the shooting her lie was on the floor. Thenceforth Sylvia's not able to tell if you were playing along and keeping her secret or you have no idea what's all about

You thought her name was Handler. When you knew she was called Sylvia Sherwood you pointed your hoody logo and say "S of Super, you're superman–Superwoman!"

That's how she begun to be mistaken with an endearing mother and her son. She was superwoman and you "kid", because you said that's how you were called, along with child, shrimp, demon...

"That's unacceptable". She handed you lists of names to choose, unfortunately no one convinced you

It wasn't until you two went to a jewelry store that you found the name

The casual way you break in HQ when you want still frustrates her, how do you do it?? You don't see big deal though

Fullmetal lady didn't remember how tough was motherhood

Anyone would freak out if they found out about spies. Yet there you are, admiring flying guys in underpants

Sylvia asked you about your family, but you always tell the same: you lived with dad until he left you with a woman that he said was your mom

The Handler found out your father is a repeat offender, currently on a maximum security prison in another country. Both him and the woman without offspring legally

"Please, don't tell me one of his criminal records is jailbreaking"

The informant doubted "Actually, that's the main one"

"..."

The Forgers

Scenario where it's up to both of them to adopt you. To keep Loid's mental sanity safe it will be independent of the timeline where Yor has a kid on her own, feel free to imagine both kids being Anya's siblings at the same time. You can ask me to include that idea if I write more about this

How you met

As I said before Twilight wouldn't adopt anyone due his job, only one kid for Operation Strix and that was Anya. For now Yor didn't want more kids, she loves Anya and that's enough for them

Not for Anya. She wanted a little sibling

All started talking with Becky when Damian mentioned his brother. Back at home she brought the topic and neither Pa or Ma were giving her an answer of where babies come from

That's when she begun to feel like being a sister. Any plan helped her to convince her parents though

Anya remembered something Mr Henderson told them. "If you want something, take it into your own hands"

And she took it too seriously

Next day Anya and Bond disappeared, she was in the dogs park with Yor

While Mrs Forger panicked Anya had returned to the place she met Twilight

As the time passed the Forgers worried more. When they found Anya and Bond at their building's door they felt relieved

Your presence didn't make things better

They asked Anya where she had been and where did you come from. She said she adopted you

Of course Anya wasn't going to say she broke into an orphanage and took you

Loid's scolding made you cry

"Anya, we aren't adopting–"

"If she's not my sister I won't go to school ever again!!"

"Just for a trial period" that's what Loid hoped

General headcanons

Loid thought babies were easy because it's unnecessary (more impossible) communication with a living being that can't talk; after all babies only have basic needs. He was wrong

It would be easier if you could talk. Why are you crying? You have eaten! Are you sad? Cold? You dislike him?

Yor is not better either. Because her parents died when Yuri was a kid Yor didn't have experience with changing diapers, or anything related with babies

She was more scared than Loid to the point she didn't want to hold you. She broke Yuri's ribs with a hug when he was a toddler, what if she kills you with few contact?

In less than 24 hours you already had a crib and all kinds of things a baby would need. However, having three bedrooms and parents sleeping in separate rooms meant all your things ended in Anya's room

You cried at night until they discovered you calmed down when Anya let you a plushie to hug

She can't wait for the day pa and ma share bed to take back her bedroom

The second night Anya had an idea

Ma is scared of being your mom, solution? Leave you in her bed while Yor is asleep imagining that would work

Thanks God Yor doesn't move much when sleeping. On the other hand Yor is a light sleeper due not being used to sleep with someone so she woke up minutes later

She almost jump out of the bed, realizing that would make you cry made her contain. You groaned, did she wake you up? Yor wasn't sure of holding you, instead she laid down again and approached you to her chest

Seeing you so peaceful by her side melted her, thinking about it you looked a bit like her and Loid.. She blushed at the embarrassing thought

Bold of them to not imagine that's why Anya chose you

In the morning Loid discovered what happened and had a little words with Anya during breakfast before she went to school

Yor went to work and he decided to take a day off from his work to spend the morning with you. The Handler said the first days you should see them to recognize faces

Walks with Bond, buying toys, trying to teach you sign language...Normal stuff

Loid is glad you don't do anything but sleep and eat, except your obsession with munching. When you first kissed Yor he found it normal until you munched her cheek and now you do that to everyone; probably you're teething

Yor found it really cute, but you shouldn't go kissing and chewing cheeks. Anya thinks is funny just don't try to chew her hair again please

Another problem came with names. Loid was going through a list of 850 names in alphabetical order, meanings included; Yor didn't take it to the extreme

"Hum, what about Rose? I think it's a cute name, I mean it's both decision and I'm not good with names Loid–"

Welcome to the family Rose

A spy, an assassin, a telepath and... Well, a baby. Seems like a good mix

Yor Briar

As we know Twilight only would adopt for Operation Strix's sake. Yor became mother by marrying Loid, but what if she had already a kid before being Mrs Forger?

Inspired by this post of @say-seira

How you met

Long ago before Twilight adopted the identity of Loid Forger, the Briars moved to a flat in Berlint

While the eldest sibling had recently become an adult Yuri was only a kid, Yor decided to move to the city so he had nearer his school. It was possible due her proper salary as Thorn Princess

This change would make her job easier too. She had a new client which death could pay Yuri's entrance to a good university

There was a politician who negotiated with terrorists, helping them to get into Ostania and providing them with weapons in exchange to gain good propaganda abroad and getting rid of competition

Knowing this was enough to make Yor's blood boil. He deserved to die, she was sure of it

Struggling with the security around him, Yor finally killed the target without leaving trace

The only inconvenience was a bad injury made by a bullet that she received. After removing the bullet the wound got worse

She went to the hospital to avoid an infection. In the waiting room she met a kind lady, Yor swore that she had seen her before

The woman was scared, but Yor reassured her she will wait her

While Yor was attended the girl was taken to another room. As she promised, Yor waited in the hall after her wound was treated; with a buttoned medical gown on because she didn't want to attract more attention due the bandaged wound in sight

Time passed and many people enter and exit from the room, but she didn't. A nurse carrying something mistook her for one of the staff and scolded her for standing there

"Here, take the baby to the nursery"

"Me? But— wait! What about the woman? Is she okay?"

From afar she heard the answer, but before Yor could explain the error the woman had left. She was shocked, how? She seemed fine

Against her will the dark-haired looked at the lump she was holding: rosy cheeks babbling in dreams, you were in peace

Her shock grew when she saw you shared the username that the man she killed had. That's why the woman was familiar: she was the politician's daughter

Yor searched someone who hand the baby when she recognized the doctor that guided the woman to the room, he was talking with a masked nurse

The fact they went to a private place and maintained their voices low made her suspect

"Did you take care of the mother?" the nurse asked

"Yes, they got ahead of us with her father but I think they will pay us anyway. When they found it was a medical negligence we'll be far from here"

Yor understood they were assassins as well, probably paid by a rival. Luckily they hadn't seen her yet

"Heh, do you they will pay more if we got rid of the baby?"

Yor left the hospital with you, unsure of what to do. Did you have more relatives? The widowed politician didn't have more kids, and your mother came alone. What if they wanted to kill the rest of the family?

A small hand grabbed hers, and every fear disappeared. Looking at each other, she knew you were safer with her. Perhaps it was only guilt or sympathy, but she would try

General headcanons

The moment Yuri saw Yor holding you was in disbelief. Yor said she found you in the streets and he believed it

At first he tried to convince her sister to leave you in a orphanage but once scolding was enough to cease

Still disliking you for the first months. It took some time until he saw you like one of his family

Yuri helped, although they had a rough time because you refused to eat Yor's purees. Your endurance might grew up to make you the only person who can eat her food without bleeding but it doesn't mean you like its flavor

She viewed you as a sibling until you were two, being called mom made Yor too happy to correct you. Yuri was just Yuri, you never feel like using formalities with him or addressing "Uncle" everytime you talked

Yor decided to let your belongings, it was better that way. When you were older, and only if you wanted, she would tell you the truth

She's bad with names, Rose was the only name she could think of but you're a boy. Yor's parents loved that Yuri and her had matching names, therefore you would be the sweet addition to it

The only name I could think of is Yuu because it's gender neutral and means "you" sorry

During the first year of your life she didn't try to hide the blood of her clothes from you. Yuri never suspected either and you wouldn't remember it when you grow up

Your lack of childhood amnesia was something she didn't have in count. Not that she knows you know anyway

Yor has been training you since you were able to walk, if she wasn't there when you needed at least you would be ready to defend yourself. Proud to say you're her strong boy

That said, if the assassins that tried to killed you found were you lived it's something you ignore. Being the protective mother Yor is they could be dead by now

Six years later, it was still Yor and you against the world, with Yuri being the only paternal figure you had. Before one day she met a man and everything changed

She said he will help her by accompanying her to a party so Yuri stopped worrying about her. She said it would be one night, and the next morning you woke up with Yor waiting to talk with you

In part she accepted because of you; you passed the Eden exam before knowing you needed a dad for it. That requisite seemed stupid for you, as you reassured her you could go to any other school; now you would be accepted into the best school!

You agreed and started packing. What else you could do? The decision was made before you were asked anyway, and you didn't want to argue with your mom because she was doing it for your future too

Of course it affected you. No matter how nice they were it was a huge change; in one day you had to move to a new place which didn't feel like home and live with strangers who you'll have to share mom with isn't easy

Anya was nervous too, but for different reasons. She was so excited to meet her soon-to-be sibling! For her, who was an orphan last week, having a pa, a ma and a friend to play with was great

Her expectations went down when she read your mind. You didn't think bad of them, but excited wasn't the word to describe your emotional state either

Loid may not be good at understanding children, but it was clear for him you wasn't comfortable. For him would be weirder if you didn't seem affected at all

On the contrary, Yor seemed cool with all of this to you. Even without any idea of how to be a wife or mother for Anya she enjoyed her time as Forger, which confused you a bit

Yor is happier, not only because she didn't have to worry about the SSS or Yuri anymore. They make her happier, it's just matter of time she could fall for Loid and have a baby that was her own, real kid

Being sure Yor loves you and your new family want you to feel welcomed doesn't make disappear the feelings you carry with. Still, if mom is happy you prefer to keep it to yourself and try to maker her smile too

If it wasn't because Yuri hates the idea of her sister hiding her marriage for a year and sympathized your situation he would have laughed at the irony when you told him during your uncle-nephew walk the next day of his meeting with "Loiloi"

He doesn't know they got married before you attended school so he assumed you had been holding it for a long time. He passed his fingers through your hair

"I understand it's difficult, but I'll be for you whenever you need me"

+ Honorable mention to compensate you for the mild ansgt without warning

Daybreak

We don't know much about him but I included this dork for fun

Thinking about "Daybreak" and "parenthood" makes anyone's mind stopped working

Mainly because it's difficult to say which one would be the child

Not "How you met headcanons" because he wouldn't be able to adopt to begin with

From what we saw in chapter 27 he seems to live alone, depending on his amazing spy career to afford pork steak for dinner. So he must not live too good given that after his first mission he was fired

If he had a child, it would be likely because of a previous relationship he had and didn't end well

He didn't adopt you. You're his biological kid, the only not adopted of this gang

Sorry we can't choose our family good luck ig

Not necessarily ended bad, even remaining as friends, your mother took a different path and is happily married with another man

If she knew he wanted to be a spy either thought "it's a joke" or *sigh*

She was who brought money in the relationship, now you live with her and your step-dad but at the beginning you didn't want to

Daybreak talked with you and promised you could visit each other and even live with him when he could afford it

They don't get it

Who would take care of him? The idea of living on his own was frightening to you

Imagine being father and is your kid who worries about whether pops know how to pay taxes without mom

You took after him in terms of appearance. Any signal of intelligence was from your mother

Average smart but surely smarter than him

Probably he thanked God that you were a boy. He will love whatever you are but he was relieved of saving himself of buying female products when you were on that time of the month and guide you through puberty

As much as he says to be a charming man he's not good with women either so

Your name is Sunny. Guess who chose it

Probably you see him more on weekends than during the week

Until you showed him Spy Wars he didn't have no idea that existed such good series

Of course not cooler than the legend he is but Daybreak jokes about how reading that and seeing your cool pops in action would make you half as good spy as he is someday

Quite sad is that your common sense along with the things you see on TV are enough to be better spy material

You try to watch it with him to see if he learns something

Unsure of what you'll be in the future but in the mean time you had fun watching cartoons and liking kids stuff like dinosaurs and skateboard

Current status: Busy with your first year at school and getting him out of trouble

#spy x family #sxf headcanons #sylvia sherwood #the handler #loid forger #yor forger #anya forger #yor briar #thorn princess #daybreak #child!reader

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louwhose · 2 years ago

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A Matter of No Small Importance

AO3 Link saw the Princess, looking down at him from where she was standing, every inch of her posture perfect, not a line of her expression untoward. Every inch the perfect Princess fulfilling her duties. Except for her eyes that betrayed her, looking at him, or rather the sword strapped to his back, in the look that any child would have as they complain that it isn’t fair. And Link couldn’t blame her. - Written for @zelinkcommunity's weekly prompt Significance

Zelda hated the Hero before she ever even saw him.

She worked for years upon years upon years upon years with nothing to show for it while he was lauded with attention for pulling a sword out of the ground and it stung.

And it was worse when she did see him, from afar, talking to her father. His back was turned from her. She wanted to be grateful that he didn’t see her, but it was so much worse instead.

Because her eyes latched onto that sword strapped onto his back, seeming to tell her, over and over and over again, I’m here, I’m ready, Why aren’t You?

“Princess?” Impa, her bodyguard, asked. Right. She had better things to do. Only now was she able to appreciate that he had never turned and seen her seething.

Zelda turned and followed Impa to her next appointment. There was no need to care about that Hero that made her feel so inferior.

They may be the Hero and the Princess destined to fight off evil together in their time, but there was no significance to their relationship beyond that. And that was how it would remain.

"Hero of Hyrule…” There was a hesitation in her voice. Her voice, icy, colder than any he had ever heard before. She said Link’s title with more spite than he would have imagined possible. The Princess took a shaky breath before continuing the next line of her speech. “Chosen by The Sword That Seals the Darkness.”

Now that, she said with pure venom in her voice.

Link cautiously looked up, dispersing with his decidedly-maintained blank expression and dutifulness to his position for a moment in order to look up at that expression, so full of hatred, no, frustration.

And he saw the Princess, looking down at him from where she was standing, every inch of her posture perfect, not a line of her expression untoward. Every inch the perfect Princess fulfilling her duties. Except for her eyes that betrayed her, looking at him, or rather the sword strapped to his back, in the look that any child would have as they complain that it isn’t fair.

And Link couldn’t blame her.

“You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and adversity. And have proven yourself worthy of the Blessings of The Goddess Hylia.” Her words were sharp and uneven, as though she was barely able to stop herself from scoffing at them. She felt she couldn’t mean them, so she did the best she could in her position; she made a mockery of them. “Whether…” The princess faltered, tone softening. “Skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight… The sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the hero. We pray for your protection, and we hope that… we hope that the two of you will grow stronger together as one.”

But it wasn’t until she finished that part and gave that brief, almost insignificant sigh that he understood. She quieted, because as much as she might think she hated him, she really just envied him, and only wished to fulfill her role, if she must be held to it.

Which made it all the more significant.

The Princess lowered her hand, and lowered her head for a moment in her own personal mourning of her loss. If something never gained can be considered a loss. Now, as her personal guard, she would have to be constantly constantly reminded of what would continually feel like her failure, and she was preemptively despising him for it. And he could hardly say he looked forward to it.

She raised her hand again, and lifted her head once more until her eyes met his, ready to continue with this sham of a ceremony.

Link quickly bowed his head back down into the proper position, finally realizing that look had not taken a mere moment.

Perfect.

Zelda couldn’t stand how perfect the Hero was. Nothing a step out of line. He hardly ever talked, so she was able to forget his presence blissfully for hours on end. But he did respond when circumstance required, which was rare. Perfect.

Oh, how she hated it.

No. Hate was too strong a term. Hate was what they were trying to fight against.

But still, his footsteps following her grated on her ears each time she tried dismissing him, despite knowing full well that he was only fulfilling his duty. At least hate would feel like a better excuse for not liking someone for simply existing.

(Sometimes, she wished that the Calamity would just hurry up and come, so that they could all be doomed already. Perhaps the previous Heroes and Princesses had developed a unique bond with each other strong enough to ward off the evils of their times, but it seemed obvious to Zelda that such a thing would not happen between them.)

Link felt lost, floundering in his duty and all the expectations everyone seemed to have for him, when truthfully, he only ever felt like a boy that got in way over his head.

So it was all he could do to try and fulfill his duties as Princess Zelda’s personal knight, and hope that he couldn’t mess that up.

It was lonely. Incredibly so. Others couldn’t understand the pressure that came with being expected to save the world.

And the one person who could refused to talk to him.

Sometimes Link considered trying to initiate the conversation with Princess Zelda, sometime when they were alone, to let her know that she wasn’t the only one who felt like she was drowning. But then she would turn to look in his direction and her eyes would narrow as she saw the hilt of The Sword peeking over his shoulder and didn’t continue to his face.

And Link knew. He knew.

She would never understand. To her, he was the Hero.

She would never see him as someone more than the Hero whose presence she was fated to stand long enough to fulfill her destiny with.

For all the time she had spent with the Hero, Zelda couldn’t tell you about a single feature on the Hero’s face, because she could never look past the sword on his back.

Until now.

Because now, The Sword wasn’t on his back, and she was mesmerized by his blue eyes looking back at her with dozens of lines of worry framing it as he looked at her.

Zelda just sat there, staring.

After a split second, he seemed satisfied that she was alright, and a quick glance further upward must have confirmed that there were no enemies behind her, because then those eyes were gone.

The Hero was moving quicker than her mind could keep up with, as fast as lightning as he dealt out death to the Yiga that were after her.

Zelda had been foolish to venture off on her own. But for once, she was grateful that her knight had done what he had always done, and found her.

He turned back to her, relief evident in his eyes.

Oh.

She couldn’t say he was just fulfilling his duty. She had no idea how he had managed it with how horribly she had treated him, but somehow, he cared.

Maybe they weren’t doomed to be nothing but a legend of only duty fulfilled. Maybe they could be something more, something important. Starting now.

He reached a hand down to help her up, and she took it.

“Thank you, Hero.” Zelda paused. That wasn’t quite right. “Or rather, thank you, Link.”

Link has had friends before. But it is very different to have friends to play with in the village as a boy than to have a friend as the Hero.

Not to mention that the friend in question was his charge, Princess Zelda.

“Zelda.”

Link looked at Pri— er, Zelda, in confusion. They had become close enough that she was beginning to understand that he preferred silence and interpret his expressions, but not enough that he felt comfortable breaking protocol those few times he did speak.

“I have enough people who follow protocol around me,” she argued. “Certainly, due to our respective positions, we cannot have a typical friendship, but I’d like to hear my friend speak to me informally, at least.”

Link smiled. “Alright, Zelda.”

Certainly, they couldn’t have a typical relationship, but it was nice to hear someone tell him he didn’t have to push himself after a battle, even though it wasn’t true. It was nice to hear her ramble on and on and on about plants or the technology that he couldn’t even begin to understand, but to be glad if only because it made her happy.

It was nice to have someone else who understood how hard a fate it was to be expected to give up your life so that no one else had to, even if it were only for a few years. It felt nice to have someone who was willing to simply just console you, without needing to ask why, just willing to wrap you in their arms and ward those sorrows that plague you both away.

Even if it never became anything more (Link might want it to become something more), that was good enough for him.

A silent princess.

Zelda lowered her slate, wanting to appreciate this sight with her own two eyes. She got down on her knees, wanting a closer look at it. The rustling of the grass behind her told her that Link had done the same.

“This one here is called the silent princess,” she said for his sake. It was nice, knowing that he would always listen to her about everything. “It’s a rare, endangered species.”

She leaned forward and let her hand brush against the petals, if only for a moment. She didn’t want to unintentionally bring any harm to it.

With a wistful sigh, Zelda sat back on her haunches, only allowing herself to stare at it more. “Despite our best efforts, we can’t get them to grow domestically yet.” She turned to look at Link, purposefully leaving “silent” out of the next line. “The princess can only thrive out here in the wild.”

Her gaze was returned with his silent, all-telling blue eyes. But only for a moment, because this was one of those few instances where he did respond. “I know.”

Zelda froze for only a second before rapidly turning around to escape that too-sweet gaze and hide the light blush forming on her cheeks. Yes, Link was handsome, and Link was sweet, but it was foolish to harbor this crush on him that could never be more than that.

They were friends and partners in this extreme fate they shared, no matter how it turned out. That was more than important enough.

But why couldn’t she get his soft smile out of her head?

Link breathed hard, not able to do any more than put one foot in front of the other, clutching at the hand in his as he looked around for threats. His heart was beating rapidly, from the adrenaline, and that was from more than just the exertion of running.

Fear.

That's what it was. It had been a while since Link had ever really felt fear for his own life, having been skilled enough with the sword for as long as he had. But even more than that, he was afraid for—

His hand was jerked backwards by Zelda's as she stumbled, falling to the ground. He turned around to face her, and sheathed his sword.

They were safe enough here. At least he hoped so. And they needed a break, regardless.

“How…” Zelda choked on the words. “How did it come to this?”

Link slowly lowered himself onto one knee. Clearly she needed someone to help comfort her. And even if all he could do now was lend a listening ear, then at least he could offer that much to her.

She buried her tear-filled eyes into muddy hands, the next words slightly muffled for the action. “Our only hope for defeating Calamity Ganon is lost all because I couldn’t harness this cursed power! Everything— everything I’ve done up until now… It was all for nothing…”

Zelda lowered her hands, tears still filling her eyes. “So I really am just a failure!”

Link was about to protest, say that was never true, even now. But she kept on speaking, taking on a softer, more tragic tone. “All my friends… the entire kingdom… my father most of all…” She breathed in shakily. “I tried, and I failed them all…”

Zelda looked up at him, tears streaming down her dirty cheeks in earnest now. “I’ve left them… all to die.”

Her face contorted, and all out of words to say, she finally started sobbing in earnest. She fell forward, and he moved just in time to catch her in his arms.

Link looked down at Zelda, knowing how difficult this must be for her. This was one thing he couldn’t quite empathize with her, an unusual feeling since they became friends.

But what he could do was hold her in his arms as long as he could, and stroke her hair and hope it comforted her. One thing he could do was try to convey to her that it was never her fault, even if he couldn’t find adequate words to do so. What he could do was let her know that she was loved.

Because yes, he loved her. Yes, perhaps it was beyond that of love friends felt for each other, but what mattered was that it was love, and he wanted what was best for her, is all.

Link had never been good with words. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t show Zelda he loved her.

“Zelda,” he finally said as softly as possible after they had been there a while. She peeked up out of where she had buried her face in his chest. “We need to go soon, otherwise the Guardians will catch up with us again.”

Zelda nodded, and they both stood up. He offered his hand to her again, and she took it.

Hand-in-hand, they walked off to neglect their fate together.

The Guardian’s tracker beam was on Link’s chest. He couldn’t avoid it. He couldn’t even deflect it off of something even as basic as a pot lid. All he could do was stand there so that he was the one who took the hit.

And Zelda had never been more terrified in her life.

So, Zelda, for once in her life, didn’t think. She just acted, moving around Link so that she could stand in front of him, and be the one to take the hit for him, even if it only prolonged his life for a few moments. Because she couldn’t stand to do nothing as he died. So she held up her hand.

And light filled her vision.

Once it faded, Zelda saw the Guardians fall, red lights flickering off and the malice evaporating out of them.

She staggered a couple of steps backwards, staring at her hand. “Was that… the power…?”

She halted in her tracks at a thud behind her. She turned around to see Link, lying limply on the ground.

Zelda dashed over there, as quickly as she could in half-ruined sandals chafing at her feet and knelt next to him, rolling him over until be on her lap.

“No, no… Link! Get up!” she pleaded. He wasn’t close enough. She put her arm under his shoulders so that she could lift up his torso.

Link coughed, and Zelda held him closer to her. She fervently whispered in his ear, “You’re going to be just fine…”

Maybe she didn’t say it for his sake. Maybe it was to try convincing herself of it.

Somewhere during all that time she refused to have a crush on him, Zelda had gone and fallen in love with Link. And it scared her more than anything that he was probably dying.

Link turned his head towards her, eyes ridden with pain. “Zelda, I…” His choked, dry words faded out of sound as his voice gave way, but his lips finished the soundless syllables. And maybe she was being too hopeful, looking for something to see, but she thought he finished it love you.

But she didn’t have so much as a chance to ask him about it, because as soon as his lips stopped moving, his head fell back.

Maybe he wasn’t quite dead yet, but Zelda already knew. Knew that he was close enough to it, knew that she would never get to talk to him again and see that little, comfortable smile as he listened to her go on and on about any subject as if it were the best experience in the world.

Zelda had already had everything else taken from her, everyone else. Now must Link be taken from her, too?

So Zelda just lowered her head on his chest and sobbed. Sobbed and sobbed and cried and cried and just mourned all those who had died that she loved. Daruk, Revali, Mipha, Urbosa, her father, Link.

So what if she really did have her sealing powers now? If losing everyone she ever cared about was the cost to gain them, then she wished they never came until the end if only so that she could die with all the rest.

Zelda clenched at Link’s tunic, missing him, mourning him. Mourning the Hero, her partner in fate, her knight, her friend, her love. She wove her fingers through his hair, remembering her initial hatred and conviction to never like him when she first saw him. If she had known what would happen anyways, she would have tried harder to keep her feelings back, to not let him become anything more than a stranger she was doomed alongside.

What was the point of having such a meaningful, significant bond if all it led to was tragedy?

Even if she did talk to the sword, and create a plan, and prolong hope, it didn’t stop the tragedy of the moment.

Link was dead, even if it wasn’t forever now. And she couldn’t help but wish that she had done something more to stop it.

But… Zelda thought, taking one last look towards the Great Plateau from the entrance to Hyrule Castle, Link might live again. And then this story would no longer be a tragedy, would it?

She turned towards the Castle. Then it would be all that much better to have such a meaningful bond in the light of a victory.

…

Void

Light

…

…Open your eyes…

Blue

Open your eyes…

Focus

Open your eyes.

Things strange things

Wake up, Link

Blinking. Open eyes. Breathing. Water. Water gone. Eyes look. Look around.

Up. Sit up. Turn. Look at room.

Room strange.

Strange? Yes, strange… a word. Strange. Words.

He had words.

He? Link. Link? Link.

He had words. He might have a name. But he had nothing else.

So Link crawled out of the strange… he didn’t have a word for it.

What to do next?

You must hurry, Link, the woman pleaded. Before it’s too late…

She stopped speaking to him. The light from the castle stopped, but so did the strange black stuff, so he hoped that was okay.

Link didn’t know a lot about himself before he lost his memories. But maybe emotions had carried over from before, because he knew that voice in a way much deeper than knowing her name.

And he knew he had to go save her, whatever it took.

And that was all that mattered.

#this idea took me by force and made me write it #I mean the prompt was so good so of course I had to write something #zelink #slowly falling for each other #legend of zelda #loz #botw #breath of the wild #fanfic #my fic #my writing #lou writes

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