#is Mask really lu?

[shadedheart138]

The Blood We Shed, It Never Dries

His hand cradled the back of his brother's head, gentle and firm and there. He whispered a curse, a prayer, a promise of love. His voice wavered, broke. He began to cry, soft at first and then louder, louder, until he was crying and sobbing and holding his brother like the most precious of treasures, the most holy of all holy things. Cradling him as of he were a child, something sacred, something to be cherished. Should be be cherished? Did he deserve it, after all this time?

His brother certainly seemed to think so, whispering how he was so sorry, he was so, so scared, and how much relief he had felt to see him alive. Alive, alive, alive.

He didn't feel alive. He felt hollow, he felt small. He was small, in his brother's arms. Something fell out of his limp hands as his brother sank to the dusty, bloody ground with him in his grasp. He didn't look at it, it didn't seem to matter. Was he alive? Did he deserve to be?

He blinked slowly, hearing his brother's sobbing through water. His head hurt. He was thirsty. He wanted to cry, but he was too tired. He wanted to wrap his arms around his brother, this man, this simple, loving, amazing man who was larger than life, who was his rock, his shelter, his home. But his arms were too small, made of lead. He couldn't even lift his head.

Was his breath getting shorter? Or was he just tired? Was it evening into sleep, or was he dying? He couldn't tell, and that made him panic. His breath sped. Good, not dying.

But once it sped, it didn't slow. His brother gave him a worried look, then a soft call of his name. A firmer hug. His breath continued to speed, gasping like a fish out of water. Maybe he was dying. Maybe this was it. Why when he realized it, was there such a profound fear? Did his friends feel this fear when they died? His eyesight was blurry- ah, there were the tears he'd been too tired to cry.

" ... 'M dyin'." He slurred quietly, chest shuddering- was it with final breaths, or sobs?

"Oh, honey. You're not dying." His brother said, with a teary laugh. "Not dying at all. You had me convinced you were going to, but you didn't. You're safe and sound right here."

He looked to the side, and could catch a glimpse of blood and a limb and someone's face, a bandanna, a boomerang, an eye - before his face was gently directed away and back to his brother's chest, holding him there, caging protecting him.

"Who-?" He croaked, bringing hands up to grasp at his brother, his rock, his lifeline. His parent.

"No one you know. Not one of us. Not Tune, not me. Not Tune, not anyone you need to worry yourself with." Names. Oh, those existed. Kokiri didn't bother with names, they only had them when Link was there.

He wasn't Kokiri anymore. And he wasn't Link.

"... T'ne's 's safe?" Mask slurred, blinking slowly, grasping a little less tight at the Captain's shirt. One hand lost its grip and fell, before Mask sluggishly tried to get it back up and latched onto the Captain again.

"He's safe." His brother easy lied, keeping this child, his child, his brother, his son, in the sweet and blissful dark. Mask didn't need to see the Sailor yet. No one did. No one would see this field but Mask and Captain Link, Mask made sure of that.

"Good." Mask whispered, eyes fluttering. He was so, so sleepy. For once, he didn't snap at the Captain for holding him so dearly. He was tired. It felt nice. Tune was safe. Where was he?

"T'ne?? Tune?" Mask whispered, mouth full of cotton, as he tried calling for his brother. Wars gave him a sad look, with both joy and grief in his eyes. Who was the joy for, and more importantly, who was the grief for? "Shhhh, dear. He won't answer right now."

Mask shuddered. There was something the Captain wasn't telling him, wasn't there. He knew that look, that crinkle in his brow. He could see early gray hairs at his right temple, and he reached to touch. His hand was covered in blood. Was it his own???

Mask startled and pulled his hand back, leaving a very small, bloody handprint on the Captain's face. He was about to whisper an apology, but Captain Link cut him off. "Shhh, shh. Shh. It's not yours, it's not mine. I've got you. How about you take a nap, hmm? I'll get you all washed up and you can sleep?"

Sleep sounded phenomenal. But there was a part of the Captain missing, it was clear. Maybe multiple parts. At least a single visible one.

"... Sc'rf?" Mask fingered the edge of Captain Link's collar, leaving blood there. "You wouldn't want to see it now. All dirty. I'll get it cleaned."

"Mom?" Mask whispered, sniffling. "Wh'r's T'ne?" He wanted his brother. Tune's hands were warm and his hair smelled like salt and his eyes were sea green. Captain's were cold, too big, gripping tight, as if afraid Mask would disappear. Tune would know what to say.

"Don't worry, honey. Just sleep, okay? Just take a nap. We can worry about it later." Treating it as if it were another bloody spot on his tunic. Mask wanted to ask more, wanted to cry, to call out for Tune again... but his eyes closed. "L've you Mom." He whispered quietly, not noticing the way The Captain looked over the destruction before him. "I love you too, Mask. Get some sleep."

The Captain laid his son, his brother, his kid down on the dusty ground and moved to his other one. The one that wasn't moving, and wouldn't. Only sixteen. A giant scarf draped over him, like a burial shroud. Warriors held a limp hand, the only part of his other kid he could bear to look at.

"I'm so, so sorry, Tune. So sorry. I love you. Mask loves you, and he's sorry. He won't know how you died. Only I will. And I'm sorry for that. But he doesn't need to kill himself to attempt to make it right. I can't lose both of you. Losing you is hell enough. I love you." And he kissed the place where Tune's forehead was supposed to be, covered by bloody cloth.

Link went back to his currently sleeping child, hands curled up, only nine, unaware of the grief and destruction around him. Link stepped on the cursed, bloody, wooden mask as he went by, cracking it clean in two and then picking up his child. It wasn't Mask's fault. It was his namesake's.

He didn't hear the god scream in pain from it's vessel being broken. Mask curled up tighter in Link's arms and started to whine, covering his ears. He could hear. Link helped cover them.

Then he carried him home.

fin.

[nell0-0]

Based on a fic called A Wild Time at Calamity Ganon

This was a gift fic from @musical-chan about Mask ending up at the end of another hero's journey (Wild). Yeah, I'm still thinking about this fic aksgfshdn

[maesonc-artistic-adventures]

Downtime.

Mask is still getting used to having to share his big brother with someone else.

[knight-of-aether]

"He sits there for another two hours, with Legend cradled tightly in his arms, the lantern glowing in his grasp, a small island of warmth and light in the cold darkness. With nothing but his memories, and the slow, quiet draw of Legend’s breath, to keep him company."

First time sharing my Linked Universe fanart here, after lurking in the fandom for years - I was emboldened to do so by @kikker-oma 's lovely Fan Joy July event. This illustration is for Clearing the Air, a story by Sinnatious which has embedded itself deep into my psyche and refuses to leave. It's genuinely great writing - go read it if you haven't and enjoy heavy angst, wilderness survival, and old men being absolutely, perfectly, 100% fine, thank you very much.

[dragondawdles]

did an art sprint challenge thing tonight have a sub-2 hour deku link

[harmonysixx]

This is a scene from chapter 6 of my fic (it's all fun and games until someone catches the plague)

I don't know if much context is needed. It's basically just Warriors worrying over Wind's future. I tried to fit as many characters as possible into his picto, but HW sure has a lot of them silly guys

doing comics is HARD. did I really do one of my own fic……. uggghhh

Close up of the picto:

[weepingtalecowboy]

Shadow still exists

Fanfic prompt: what if after shadow died he was still sentient but trapped in four’s shadow

Not capable of moving just following

Not capable of seeing or hearing anything

Not capable of touch or smell

Trapped and quietly suffering with no mouth to scream his pain

No escape from his existence as nothing but a shadow

In pain when someone steps on the shadow four casts and just having to endure

But four never finds out about him still existing and begging for release

Assuming that his shadow is now dead and accepting it with a painful smile knowing that shadow helped with a honorable death

For years only following as a shadow and nothing more

deaf and blind with no ability to hear or understand yet feeling pain everytime someone walks over him

Not knowing why or how he is in pain when all he sees is just darkness and nothing else

Until one day time accidentally pointed the mask of truth on four's shadow and then heard an all encompassing scream

As nobody else heard it

He would think he is going insane asking the others if they heard any noise

Only to confirm whatever or not it must have been a very unsettling yet not real experience

The chain was concerned for the welfare of his while four was having a very bad feeling about time’s reaction

[gintrinsic-writing]

One Week In

For @meanlesbean! CW: body horror

--

It was an honest mistake. That was the best thing that could be said about the situation. 

“What’s happening to him?” Warriors demanded, staring at the crystal laying mere inches from Time’s shadow-cloaked body. “What is that thing?”

Twilight snatched the crystal up before anyone else could touch it. The urge to transform pulled at him, dark magic prickling beneath his skin. He was able to resist only due to experience. “It’s a magical item. I didn’t mean for—”

“It’s cursed!” Legend snapped. Several of the rings on his fingers flashed threateningly as he took a step back. 

Suddenly, the shadows around Time condensed and sharpened into little black prisms that dimmed the light around them. When they fell away, they dissipated like spun sugar on the tongue. 

Time’s skin melted much the same way. 

“Sweet Hylia,” Sky breathed. Then the screaming began. 

Time doubled over and howled, the sound too guttural to be Hylian. The flesh of his hands peeled and curled, large splinters of wood sprouting from the joints of his fingers. The vertebrae along his back fractured, each loud pop accompanied by a protrusion of heavily keratinized skin. He clawed at the sides of his face as if reaching for something, the pits of his eyes—first blue, then orange, then a depthless black—leaking jelly and blood. He grew and shrank and grew again, his clothes splitting at the seams. The muscles between his ribs parted as though from a sharp instrument, the overlying skin fluttering with every pained, shrieking exhale. 

“The Master Sword!” Twilight ordered frantically, his pulse racing from fear. “Sky, touch him with the sword! Hurry!”

After that, it was over almost as quickly as it began. Sky pressed the flat of the blade against one of Time’s spasming legs, and they all watched in horror as the transformations ceased; scales fell away like confetti, claws sloughed from weeping nail beds, fibrous roots slithered out of abused veins. Time wailed where he lie. 

Before Twilight could summon his wits enough to move, there was a metal rasp, then a blade was held to his throat. “You better have a good fucking explanation, dark,” Legend hissed, ignoring the startled sounds from the other heroes. “I’m not inclined to give a second chance.”

[adrift-in-thyme]

I know in my heart Time could walk off into the woods for a bit, maybe because he got overwhelmed and just needed to take a few minutes to himself, and he’d come back with some little deer trailing after him, and that’s just his new buddy. Everyone else (except Wars because he’s used to it at this point) is like “HELLO?? WHERE’D THE DEER COME FROM???” And Time just shrugs and goes about his business and the deer follows him wagging its little tail

- crazylittlejester

YES YESSS YOU GET IT

Time is like a Disney princess in that animals just follow him around without reason. They sense his deep connection to the forest and nature itself (plus I headcanon him being a fairy so there’s that). And they also see how gentle and kind he is.

It’s happened to him his entire life so he doesn’t even realize it’s…not exactly a normal occurrence XD It’s not uncommon for him to have an entire entourage of woodland creatures skipping after him. The Chain has no idea what to make of it

[shade-pup-cub]

Febuwhump 2024, Day 22 - Wars, Mask/Time & Chain - ALT Last Words

Fandom: LOZ/Linked Universes

Summary: Through a portal, Time is reduced to his younger self. Things are never simple with the heroes and they all learn how young Time really was when fate forced him into his role of being a hero.

CW: Slight blood and language

“We aren’t gonna last much longer here!” Legend grunted out as he blocked a sword that was aimed at Hyrule.

Four hissed as he got nicked by an arrow. “Any tricks up your sleeve Vet?”

“I’m fresh out of tricks and we are overrun!”

Wild was in a tall tree picking off monsters when he shouted, “Portal! It’s towards the end of the hill.” It was a snow covered hill and a straight shot into the portal. They all kept fighting as WIld thought of a plan. “Shield surf to it, the monsters can’t keep up!”

One by one they all hopped onto shields, pulling off the crazy stunt they all gave Wild a hard time about multiple times. Legend and Sky sat on their shields. Wind and Hyrule dove onto theirs, laying on their stomachs as the others were more experienced with balancing on their feet. It didn’t take long for them to crash through the dark portal and roll across the green grass on the other side. Of course Wild’s shield broke and he went flying into Twilight, bringing them both to the ground.

Shaking off the dizziness from switching worlds, there was someone missing. “Where’s the Old Man?” Wind asked when the eldest couldn’t be seen.

“Uh, you guys, I think I found him.” Sky was crouched down next to what looked to be a child. “I didn’t see him get hit by anything. Did the portal do this?”

Hyrule was the next one to kneel by the child. “He’s so tiny.”

Time groaned and rechead for his head. Two bright blue eyes opened and he took a moment to register that what was in front of him were people. He rolled away and pulled his sword. “Who are you people? Where am I?”

Being the youngest, Wind wiggled his way through everyone who was gathering around. “Back up! Give him some space will ya!” Wind huffed and turned back to the kid. “Hi, you don’t remember us do you?”

“Why should I know any of you?” His blade stayed between him and the others. He glared at them with an all too familiar look, even if he was turned into a kid, baby fat still laid over his muscles.

Twilight stepped closer, then stepped back when the young Link pointed his sword at him and growled.

Wars was the last to be coherent to everything and the voice from the past had him pushing everyone to the side quickly. “Mask?” His little brother was standing right in front of him again. How did he not know that Time was Mask?! He was kicking himself for not putting it together. “Hey little brother, it’s been a long time. You want to put the sword down so we can talk about what’s going on?” Warriors got onto one knee to be more eye level.

It was clear that Mask knew who Warriors was. His face softened, shoulders relaxed and sheathed his weapon on his back. “Cap?"

"Yeah, it's me. You haven't changed a bit. How long has it been since you were in my era?" Wars needed information. He needed to know what they were dealing with. Mask wasn't always the levelheaded one like he was as adult Time.

"Maybe a month or two." His eyebrows pulled together and the boy's features turned from calm to anger. "Did you try to find me after our last battle?"

Warriors didn't have to think back very hard. He knew the battle, the sinking feeling in his gut when he saw his little brother's green tunic grow darker due to a stab wound. He had hollered for Mask to get back up when the kid hit the ground. Wars never got the chance to see if he did.

"I looked for you for days on end. There was no sign of you anywhere."

"You ran away and left me for dead." The words came out coldly, meant to sting.

"That's not wha-" He was stopped by a fist colliding with his cheek.

Mask sat on Warriors chest and kept punching. He gave three more blows to his once big brother's face before the Captain grabbed Mask's wrist and sat up. "I didn't run away! I was kidnapped!"

"Bullshit! You left because we were losing!" Mask slammed his head forward, effectively making Warriors grab his bleeding nose as it broke against the younger's forehead.

Twilight, being the strongest, wrapped his arms around Mask. The boy thrashed against the hold. "Let me go!"

"Not until you calm down so we can talk everything through." Twi moved his face out of striking range when he saw that Mask was going to slam his back.

"Fine, let's talk! Let's talk about how Link left me dying with a gut wound, under a pile of his dead soldiers, bleeding out and I had to use the Fierce Deity Mask just to stay alive!"

Sky looked at Wars, then Mask. "How old are you?"

"Eleven." Mask felt Twi's grip slack some and took his chance to get free. He drew his sword to keep the others from grabbing him again.

Legend surprisingly was at Warriors side first, "The Cap said he was kidnapped, don't you think you should hear him out?"

"So he can tell me lies?"

Hyrule was fixing Warriors nose, saying, "He is your brother. He always talks about you, how great of a kid you are and how he misses you."

"I don't care!!" He huffed as his anger rose and clouded the little bit of a filter he had. His eyes locked with Warriors and venom dripped from words, "You are not my big brother, you are a coward that left me for dead and I hate you. I hate everything about you. I wish you were dead!"

The others gasped and Warriors felt like he had just been stabbed in the heart. 'Is this how Time felt?'

Mask covered his mouth as soon as the words came out, big ocean blue eyes watering. He had seen the Cap close to death before and it terrified him. He would never wish real harm to him. His guilt was clear as his ears drooped and the tears spilled over.

Wars looked hurt and turned his head away from the child he adored and protected.

Mask looked around at the others who were shocked by his words. His bottom lip wobbled and his chest ached. Here he was being a cruel brat to the one person who never lost faith in him and he never thought he would see again. 'What have I done?!' He took a few slow steps back. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, I promise I didn't mean it."

Dread sank into his gut like a stone thrown into a lake. Warriors wouldn't look at him. 'Why do I keep messing everything up?' "M'sorry…" Mask bolted for the forest, ignoring the calls for him to come back.

"Let him go…" the Captain said as Wild went to chase after the boy.

"But he-" Wild began to protest.

"Give him some time, then I will go after him." Wars began washing the blood off his hands and face. He had so many questions, but he needed to ask Time, not Mask.

"He's eleven, but Time said he went on three adventures. We know of the original one, then some adventure where he got the mask collection, but he was in the War?" Wind was trying to wrap his head around it all.

Legend paled. "He had three adventures within three years. No wonder he doesn't talk much about his journeys, his childhood or hardly anything personal outside of Malon."

There was a heavy silence as everyone pondered over their own traumas leading up to Ganon and other evils. To think a child, well they were all children, but a nine year old kid that should still believe in make-believe went through anything remotely similar, if not worse. The Goddesses better have been desperate.

"I'm going to bring him back." Warriors whispered as he finished getting as much crimson off of him as he could. He followed the clear signs of where Mask had gone. Tall grass was split by the boys frantic run.

"Mask?" He started to call out once he was fully in the woodline. "Mask, come out so we can talk. Please?"

He stopped at a downed hollow log, seeing the trail end there. He could hear the faint sniffles from inside it. He sat with his back relaxed on the rough surface, rubbing the edges of his scarf as he gathered his thoughts.

"When I was captured and taken to Cia, I was thankful that it was only me. She would have used you against me. I saw you get hit and not get back up. I could only pray that someone found you in time. I managed to escape that night and I ran right back to where I had been standing before and began the search. There were so many bodies that needed to be sorted through, but I only wanted to find you. I didn't stop until midday that next day. Impa knocked me out so I could get medical attention and promised to continue the search. No one ever found you and I thought I lost you forever."

The sniffles slowed to a few hiccups. Warriors he could hear Mask moving around before he poked his head out just enough to look at the Captain.

Warriors sighed heavily. “I have hung onto your last words to me before we went into that battle. ‘Children are the promise of a future, the assurance of greater things to come’. You sounded too old for those words, but now I know why. You really are an adult trapped in that body, aren’t you?” When Warriors turned to his side and saw Mask looking at him, he smiled gently and reached out a hand. Mask came crashing over into his arms.

A few moments of a tight embrace, Mask gave a wet laugh. “You were trying to keep me and Tune from fighting because we were children. I was glad I changed your mind, but how did you find out about my physical and mental age thing?”

“I got to meet you as an adult, late-ish thirties. You are actually traveling with me and all the other heroes that you saw earlier.”

“And Tune?”

“Tune too, but he hasn’t been to the war yet.”

“I didn’t see myself though.”

Warriors didn’t exactly know how to say this to him easily, but they kid deserved to know. “That is because you are him, but when we all went through the last portal it changed you back to this age and clearly with no memory past this time in your life.”

“Of course it did. I hate time travel.” Mask mumbled before looking up at Warriors. “I really have missed you and I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean it.”

The now older hero pulled his little brother into his arms. “I’ve missed you too Sprite.” Releasing his hold, Wars asked him, “Ready to go back before one of them is sent after us?”

“Probably smart to get you back to safety.”

“You little shit…” Warriors, with as much love as he could, pushed Mask off his lap and got some of the best giggles out of him.

Arriving back to the others, Mask stayed slightly hidden behind Warriors, barely talking as the others were introduced to him, again. Warriors was patient, knowing that Mask was trying to trust the ones in front of him. “I go by Warriors or Captain, this here is Sky, he is the first of us. -”

Mask gave a breathy “wow”.

“- That is Four also known as Smithy. Legend is next to him, he is our veteran.”

“Or Bunny.” Sky added.

“Ha ha.” Legend gave a rude gesture with no heat behind it.

“Hyrule is next to him, he is our Traveler and part fae.” Warriors loved the starry eyed look Mask had at that. “Next is Wild, he is the only one that can cook. The taller one is Twilight and your descendant.”

“So which girl did I marry?” Mask somehow asked innocently.

Twilight choked. “W-which one?”

“Yeah.” Mask gave a chuckle. “I’m technically engaged to Princess Ruta and Malon.”

Wind burst into laughter. “Twi could have been part Zora!” Twilight promptly caught the now second youngest in a headlock, thoroughly messing his hair up.

Warriors rolled his eyes, also messing with Mask’s hair. “Malon.”

“I was hoping for that.” Mask said with pink cheeks.

Wind broke free of Twilight's playful hold, going for a kick to the knee, saying, “She’s great! You two look so happy together.”

Something in Mask’s chest stirred… Happy… He was going to finally be truly happy. He pulled on Warriors scarf, whispering in his ear. “Is that Tune?”

“Sure is.”

Mask flung himself over to the pirate. He was still shorter than him, so he wrapped his arms around the boy’s middle, squeezing tightly. The last time he saw Tune was the last time he had seen the Captain, but the sailor had been forced through a portal created out of nowhere.

Wind was always happy to help someone, but even as he wrapped his arms around their age reduced leader, he asked, “Did I miss something?”

Mask nodded. “Yes, but I can’t tell you what it is or it could ruin what has already happened.”

Those two were tied at the hip the rest of the day. It was terrifying and refreshing. The two played in the trees (easily dragging Wild along in their fun), played more pranks than imaginable and told stories with such animated movements that only children had.

The terrifying part, Legend had asked Mask what his favorite magic was. Instead of just telling the Vet, ‘Din’s Fire’, Mask felt the need to show him. Everyone took cover as the little monster in green rolled on the ground, laughing hysterically as the fire was pushed out around him.

Warriors got up from where he took cover. “Sprite! Really?!”

The other sat up with black soot smeared on his face and into his hair, “What?”

Warriors pointed to the whole woodline behind Mask that was now up in flames and looked to be only growing larger, spreading from tree to tree at an alarming rate. “You are going to burn the whole forest down!”

“I can fix it!” Mask pulled out his blue ocarina and began to play an upbeat song that Mask swayed to. Thunder clapped as lightning streaked across the suddenly darkened sky, then the rain came pouring in. Somehow Mask was laughing even harder at the others expense, falling back over.

Warriors really couldn’t be mad. At least the fire was out.

They set up camp right there, not wanting to travel after the day's events, especially as the night krept closer. There was a buzz of happiness around them all as Wild cooked, Mask curiously looking into the pot.

Warriors had a fond smile as he settled into his spot to eat, just watching Mask. He had missed him and now never wanted him to leave his sight.

Wars looked over when Twilight sat next to him, a fond smile also on his face. “How’s it feel to see him like this again and know that he turned out okay?”

A low laugh slipped out from the Captain, “I imagine it’s the same feeling you had when we found Wild. Seeing the young man he had become during the time apart. Someone to be proud of.”

Warriors paused as he pumped his shoulder into the other man’s. “The same feeling Time has every time he looks at you. Proud.”

Twilight lowered his head, ears dusted pink. The young man always looked up to the eldest hero from day one and Warriors had always been curious over why, but that was a secret Twi kept close and he would never push for him to spill it.

Across camp, Mask stood before placing both hands on his head. He stumbled a bit to his left, knocking into Legend who caught him before he fell.

“Kid, you good?”

“I don’t… I don’t know. Som’tin isn’t right.” Mask slurred.

Warriors was on his feet instantly, headed for the youngest when they all saw Mask fade in and out like a blur or the static that would come up on Wild’s Slate. Not a soul moved when Mask screamed, voice going from his young pre teen voice to a post puberty voice. When he came back into focus, he was no longer the young child, but a tall teen in a green tunic, cap, white collared undershirt and white leggings.

Looking at the closest people to Mask- Time- Link(?), Wars took a mental not for later of how Wind paled, but clearly had excitement in his eyes while Legend paled with a whole different emotion. Anger.

“Y-you-!” Legend started, but Warriors put a hand up for him to stop and took slow steps as if the teen in front of him was a spooked animal. “Mask?”

Sorrow filled eyes looked up at him. “Link… Cap? What is happening? Where am I?”

“What is the last thing you remember?”

Mask seemed to be searching his memory. “I- Zelda… s-she was sending me back.”

“Back to where?” Warriors didn’t want to pry on a memory Time hadn’t ever told him, but he needed to know.

“We defeated Ganon after I woke from the seven year sleep, but she-” he was starting to struggle to breath with his panic. “She wouldn’t let me stay there, in that time, making me go back to when it all started.”

Mask crumbled to his knees with another scream, body blurring again until he was an even smaller child than he was at the beginning of this chaos. He looked so heartbroken as he cried out in anguish, but it wasn't physical pain as much as it was emotional.

Twilight was the one to step in as Warriors was trying to work through his shock. “Hey, Link right?”

The child- gods… he was a child!- showed no fear as he looked up at the Rancher, removing the tears from his eyes. “Mhm.”

“What’s the matter?”

“She left me.”

“Zelda did?” Twilight did a head tilt, similar to Wolfie.

“Navi, she left me. She was supposed to stay with me forever, but she left!”

Off to the side, Hyrule gasped and placed both hands over his mouth. The name must have meant something to him.

Before the child could collapse into Twilight’s arms, he blurred out again, coming to as a young adult. His hair was long, coming to his mid back while braided. He was in his green tunic, but took up the black fitted undershirt and black leggings.

His head was down, hands holding his face, hands that were covered in blood. The sight of blood pulled Warriors from his pause. He landed next to Twilight, grabbing the changed hero by the wrist.

The other gasped, startled by the contact and jerked his head up. There was so much blood, the wound over his eye fresh. He was trembling like a lead, but Warriors didn’t have time to console him since he seized up again into a blurry translucent mess.

Now his hair was cut short, his body more bulked with muscle like they knew Time to be, but his face was still young, mid twenties.

“C-cap… make it stop. Please, I can’t- ha-AHH!”

Another see through static blur and Time was back with them. He looked beyond exhausted, white as a ghost and older… older than he had been that morning before all this happened.

“Wars, I’m gonna be sick.” Time barely had a moment more before he began to puke. Somehow Four already had a bucket waiting. Then again, Four had a tendency to get sick and probably saw it coming.

Twilight helped keep Time up on his knees as Warriors kept his hair out of the way. The others tried not to gather too close, not wanting Time to get claustrophobic, but they were concerned for their leader.

Mouth rinsed, Time abruptly stood, staggering for a moment. Legend had his hands on the man’s back, Sky and Twi at his sides, Wars at his front. He didn’t listen to anyone telling him to take it easy and that he needed to sit down. Instead of sitting, Time’s good eye rolled back and he collapsed forward into Warriors, bringing them both down to the ground.

With the air officially knocked out of him, Warriors wheezed out, “By the Three Sprite, you are heavy!” Some of the tension bled out with that, bringing a chuckle to the boys.

Once checked for injuries, taken out of his armor and cleaned up a bit, Warriors laid his brother back onto his chest in a non crushing way, allowing him to sleep peacefully for the first time since the last time they were at the ranch.

With the moon high in the sky, the forest child stired, waking Warriors. Time was groaning a bit as he pushed himself up off the Captain and out of the embrace.

“Hey, where are you going?” Warriors asked as he saw Time sigh, ears lowered, running the blue fabric through his fingers like he had two decades before. It was a look of longing, a look of still needing or wanting to be close and maybe even protected.

“Too big. Too big and too old.” The simple words cut like a knife. Time thought he was too old to be held close. It was even more of a sign that he was forced into the role of an adult too early. He should have been held as a child, had someone care for him and codle him before he was thrown into his first adventure, but he wasn’t.

Wars sighed. “You aren’t too big or too old to lean on your big brother. Now get back over here Sprite.”

Time looked like he wanted to flop back down where he had been, but he held himself back, going slowly until his head was resting on Warriors chest again, blue scarf around him like it had been when he was twelve.

Warriors carded his fingers through his brother’s hair. “Children are our future, but that doesn’t mean they should have to step into the roles the future holds for them before they are ready. Be a child for a while longer. I have you.”

He didn’t mention how his tunic started to feel wet under Time’s cheek and how he clung to him a little more.

[hyrulescarlet]

woohoo first time posting art on this account!! 🎉 here's a young Time/Mask<3

i tried experimenting with some of the screentones features in clip studio and it came out surprisingly well!

[labyrinthdancer]

Time headcanon :D

don’t share headcanons often(cause I don’t got too many) but what’s the harm in sharing :P

I think Time spent like a heck ton of time in termina, I’m taking a minimum 6 years(which is about 730 three day cycles)

I just think he was stuck in a near never ending timeloop. that’s it, that’s the whole headcanon

[nell0-0]

Didn't have much time but I wanted to draw so badly, so have my fav silly guy just being happy for once

[maesonc-artistic-adventures]

Back to back

.

Continuation of this

[doctorcanon]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm fairly sure Majora's Mask Link and the Fierce Diety share the same stat block in Hyrule Warriors. He's also a two handed sword character. Now I'm sure that's to make him different to Captain Link so the DLC was ~*special*~ but my fanfic brain does want to ruminate of the implications of a child having a Punishment Tank build.

[likeapro42]

So Linked Universe Hyrule Warriors is basically Tiny!Time (Mask) and Wind who end up fighting with Wars during his adventure and sorta mentoring him, right?

Well, I had a hilarious idea: what if Lana was trying to summon the Hero of Legend because of all of his exploits and experience, but she kept missing and that’s why Wind, Mask, Ravio, Marin and everyone else that’s Legend-adjacent shows up instead?