#mer hyrule

[breannasfluff]

It’s hard to find food in the ocean depths, even for an angler fish.

[eepernation]

HYRULE IS A MORAY EEL ITS EEL TIME EEL TIME EEL TIME

Hyrule is a moray eel! I am showing clear fish favoritism because I am about to infodump a LOT. about moray eels while explaining Hyrule's design. Everything is under the cut so that this post isn't 10000 pages long ASHDHASD

Hyrule is specifically based on Gymnothorax monochrous, the Drab moray eel (I added a picture at the very bottom of this post)! He tends to blend in very easily with the group, and not draw a lot of attention from strangers. He is very plain-looking, but being a humble traveler, he doesn't mind it at all. He actually rather prefers not being the center of attention.

Yesterday I hinted at Hyrule's fish species having some special quality to his blood. Congratulations! It's poison! Moray eels carry ichthyotoxins in their blood, which is a substance that can be rather dangerous and potentially lethal in large enough quantities. Case in point, Hyrule is still very much terrified of bleeding! The angst potential continues!/lh

He still has his healing magic, of course! This creates a nice juxtaposition. Hyrule is the resident medic, but also someone who could easily accidentally poison someone if he isn't careful.

Yes, Hyrule has two sets of jaws. Moray eels have an entire second set of jaws. These are called pharyngeal jaws! They sit in the back of the throat and can extend forwards to grab at things. You know, if you wanna be extra-bitey! Hyrule uses them to freak the rest of the chain out LMAO

The little dots on Hyrule's face, right on the bridge of his nose? Those are not piercings. Those are his nares (aka fish nostrils)! If you look at any picture of a moray eel, you will see that it has little horn-looking protrusions on its snout. Since fish have gills, they don't need noses to breathe, so they need an alternative way to pick up chemical sensory information. All fish have nares, but since moray eels have particularly bad eyesight, they have to rely more on their sense of smell to catch prey, so their nares are more pronounced. I wanted to carry that aspect over to Hyrule's design!

Hyrule has bad eyesight and depends more on his sense of smell than the rest of the chain. He might not be as good at navigating the open ocean, but put him in a cave or somewhere with low visibility and he is a WHIZ at getting around while the rest of the chain fumbles around in the darkness. Hyrule is also exceptionally perceptive of danger and is usually among the first people to notify the group when any sort of enemy is nearby.

He's one of the only members of the chain who actually wears clothing. He likes the color green because not only is it pretty, but it helps him blend in even more with the seaweed and rocks. Also, since I took Legend's hat away from him, I gave it to Hyrule instead! Hyrule and Minish bond over having cool green hats.

FINALLY!!! Here is a picture of the fish I based him on- the Drab moray eel! AKA brown moray, monochrome moray, or plain moray eel. Contrary to its name, I think this fish is actually very pretty. What beautiful shades of brown! I will be taking NO moray eel slander in this household/lh

[torpetavantas-artedition]

It's the mer squad! Seeing them together makes me happy. There are still more to come!

[shadowy-suitcase-herring-neck]

Art for au and eventual parts of my fic

Twilight and saphira would be good friends me thinks. They have sun naps together <3 (saphira looks a little less blue in this than i like but it is what it is and i'm happy with it at least :^ )

plus bonus Woof doodles and stuff for this au without context

Wolfie <3 Eragon you have been adopted. do not resist. You now have like... 8 new bros + 1 father figure (maybe two?) :D (Ngl I can see Eragon just Face planting in the floof that it Twilight's wolf form.)

These ones have some hints to where some of the rest of the chain end up.

Legend and Wind! i has plans... which involve some mer boi :D don't worry bout Wind he's fine :) I should draw Sky at some point :^

[grayfamily15]

Here are five different Hyrule’s from five different people!

In the top left we have my Fairy Hyrule design

Top right is WB!Hyrule from @breannasfluff ‘s wing bois Au! Make sure to check out her wingbois series on Ao3!

In the Center is Dreamscape Hyrule, known as Dust from @the-sleepydetective ! Make sure to check out their blog!

Bottom left is Shatterproof Hyrule! From @zarvasace , check out her story on Ao3! It’s wonderful!

And Bottom Right is Mer! Hyrule from @minty-mumbles ! Make sure to check out their amazing series as well!

[minty-mumbles]

LU Mer AU - Harsh Reality

Summary: The story of how Wild's fins got scarred

TW: Violence and blood

AN: @breannasfluff some fish for you 🐠 🐟

(Read this and the rest of the AU on AO3)

~~~

Ever since Wild and Wind had joined up with another loner- an octopus Mer named Hyrule- things had been smooth sailing. It still wasn’t exactly easy, but with two hunters in the group instead of just one, it was significantly simpler to fill everyone’s bellies. 

With Hyrule there, Wild didn’t have to leave Wind alone when he went to hunt. Hyrule also had magic, a fact he’d hesitantly revealed to the pair three weeks after joining them in their travels. Wild was hesitant to ask Hyrule to use his magic, as he didn’t want to frighten the octopus away, but when one of them did get hurt, there was less for Wild to worry about than before. 

Not having to worry so much about getting food or any injuries they might acquire had lulled Wild into a false sense of security, something he wouldn’t realize until it was too late. 

For the past day and a half, the three of them had been traveling along a sharp drop-off that led to the deep waters Wild himself had been raised in. The cold waters that rose from the depths were rich in nutrients, which allowed a flourishing ecosystem to thrive along the cliff’s edge. It was more than enough to sustain at least a small pod, but the cold waters chased away many nearby tropical Mer pods that might have been looking to expand their territory. 

Wind was amusing himself by seeing how far he would dare to dart out over the open waters before getting too nervous and fleeing back to the safety of the cliff. Both Wild and Hyrule were keeping a lazy eye on him while chatting about their next move. Wild might be comfortable staying here for a while, but the cold water wouldn’t be good for Hyrule or Wind long term. They would have to move on eventually. 

But for now, it seemed safe enough.

Being able to reassure himself that there wasn’t any danger of attracting unwanted attention from other Mer put Wild’s mind at ease. Probably for the first time since he had found Wind. he was truly relaxed. 

Dropping his guard was a mistake, one he didn’t recognize until their peace was broken by Hyrule letting out a warning screech that had Wind darting toward the relative safety of the cliff. 

Wild was caught off guard by the warning call, twisting in the water to try and pinpoint what Hyrule was alerting to. It didn't take much time to locate the threat- rather, it didn’t take long for the threat to locate Wild. 

A sharp blow to his side sent him flying into the side of the cliff. Stunned for a moment, Wild opened his mouth- to shriek, or call for Hyrule, or something- but all the water had been knocked out of his lungs. A sharp edge of the rocks dug into the gills on his chest, making it harder to breathe. Slowly, he rebounded back away from the wall, unable to control the direction he was drifting. 

Gills fluttering, he desperately tried to reorient himself. Slowly, the world came back into focus, and now that he could breathe again, other things started to filter back into his awareness. Hyrule yelling, Wind wailing, and a deep, unfamiliar snarl. 

“We’re sorry! We didn't know this was someone’s territory! I swear we’ll leave right away, we’re sorry!” Hyrule’s attempt at placating the strange Mer was lost to Wild as he managed to twist around to take in the threat, wincing as his ribs screamed in protest.

Before him, Hyrule had placed himself in between Wild and the new Mer, and was staring them down. His arms were spread out to the sides as if to block the larger Mer from swimming around him to get to Wild and a faint green shimmer in the water told Wild that Hyrule was casting a shielding spell as well. Thankfully, Wind was nowhere to be seen, and had stopped wailing after seeing that Wild was still well enough to move on his own.

For a moment, Wild could only feel gratitude that Hyrule would throw himself in the path of danger for Wild, someone who he’d only known for a few months at best. That feeling was quickly shoved aside. He would have time to be thankful after they got away. For now, he had to focus. 

He swam up behind Hyrule, presenting a more united front. The other Mer seemed hesitant to attack right away when they saw Hyrule’s magic, which gave Wild enough time to observe them. 

They were clearly a deep sea Mer like Wild, with a black tail with jagged stripes of dark purple covering their fins. The most important thing about them though, was how large they were. They were a fully grown adult, likely over seventy based on their size alone. 

And they did not look friendly.

Oh, that’s not good, Wild thought. He might have even said it out loud, but it was lost as the Mer seemed to grow tired of hesitating. In a swift movement, they twisted their body, coiling up tightly and then striking out with their tail against the barrier Hyrule had erected. Hyrule’s magic was no match for the harsh strike, and the green glimmer in the water shattered upon impact. 

That must have been what they did to me, Wild realized absently as he grabbed Hyrule and dove straight down, out of the way of the strike. He propelled them down- five feet, then ten, then twenty. 

When he finally let go of Hyrule, they were a good twenty-five feet below the other Mer, who had twisted to watch them move further away, but didn’t pursue them. Their eyes glinted harshly in the low light, and Wild shivered as he realized that the only reason the Mer wasn't following was because they were heading deeper into the Mer’s territory. There was no reason to follow because they were running away. They were just heading into more familiar waters to the other Mer.

Wild gave Hyrule a shove to get the octopus to stop clinging to him. Hyrule withdrew quickly but with clear reluctance. Quietly, Wild hissed, “Stay here. If things go bad, take Wind and get as far away as you can.” Hyrule looked like he wanted to protest, but he gave Wild a firm nod and a sharp click of agreement.

With Hyrule’s confirmation that even if things went south, Wind would still have a chance, Wild darted back up through the water toward the larger Mer. 

Attacking from below was hardly ever effective unless the one you were attacking didn’t know you were coming, and the other Mer definitely knew Wild was coming, but there wasn’t much to do about that. He had to distract them for long enough for Hyrule to slip around the side and find where Wind had hidden himself. Wild was under no impression that this would go well for him. The other Mer was half again as long as he was, and clearly much older. Wild would need a miracle to fight them off. 

As he swam upwards, he stretched out his fins as much as he could. The drag of the extra width slowed him down a little, but he knew it was worth it for the effect.

Wild knew from experience that his larger-than-average fins gave even the largest Mer pause when they saw his threat display. This time was no different, the other Mer’s eyes widening for a second. They righted themselves quickly, preparing for the initial clash, but that split-second delay was just what Wild needed. It threw them off balance, making it easier to predict their next move. 

They curled up again, clearly trying to use the same smacking move they had used to break Hyrule’s shield, but Wild was prepared, ducking around their tail. He reached out a hand toward the other Mer’s chest, claws bared, aiming for their gills. Injuries to the gills were a quick way to incapacitate someone. It was usually considered a dirty move to go for the gills, but Wild couldn’t afford to fight fair.

Border skirmishes were quick and violent affairs, and usually left one party grievously injured, if not dead. Wild knew he couldn’t hold back. He had to use every trick in the book to get the upper hand. 

His slash was knocked off course by the Mer swinging an arm out, catching Wild in the shoulder and swatting him away easily. The strength of the blow made pain bloom in his shoulder, and he hissed loudly, drawing his arm close, cradling it to his body.

The pain distracted him, and his hiss quickly turned into a shriek of agony as new pain bloomed along his fins. 

Blood flooded the water as he quickly retracted his fins toward his body, twisting around to face his opponent again, who had moved off a few feet. The Mer grinned at him with a mouth full of sharp teeth, looking not at all sorry. The claws on both hands glistened with blood- Wild’s blood. 

Wild’s dorsal fin and one of his pelvic fins burned. Every movement through the water caused the pain to flare up further. 

This time the other Mer moved first, no doubt thinking they had just guaranteed their victory. Wild wasn’t ready. He felt like he could barely move with the burn in his fins, but he didn’t have a choice. 

He waited until the last second, then flung himself out of the way of the blow, using his momentum to drive his claws into the Mer’s hip- then rake them halfway down their tail before his momentum pulled his claws right out of their flesh. The Mer howled as blood flooded the water. 

It was coming faster than Wild expected, even with the long ragged cuts his claws had left. Had he hit an artery? 

The other Mer seemed to have the same thought, hands coming to cover the wounds, their face shifting from a victorious smile to a horrified wide-eyed look. Their hands did nothing to stop the outpouring of blood. 

Abruptly, they turned and dove, sinking faster and faster through the water. For a moment, Wild was worried they were going to go after Hyrule where he was clinging to the cliff, but they fell straight past him. 

In moments, the murk of the depths obscured them. There was startling silence, unsettling after the shrieks of battle. The only proof there had been a battle at all was the blood lingering in the water and the wounds littering Wild’s body. 

He hesitated for a moment, staring down into the darkness. He half expected the other Mer to come barreling back up out of the depths, but they didn’t. 

It felt like an eternity later when a soft touch on their arm shocked them out of their staring contest with the abyss. Slowly, Wild turned to stare at Hyrule. Hyrule looked worried. His arms were full of a nervously clicking Wind, who WIld noted looked blessedly unhurt. One of Hyrule’s tentacles was stretched out to caress Wild’s shoulder.

Still, Wild felt frozen. He couldn’t move, couldn't speak. He could feel himself slowly drifting downward as he continued to not move, but he couldn't convince his body to move. 

Slowly, he could feel more of Hyrule's tentacles wrap around him, as the abyss rose up to consume his vision and the sweet blackness of oblivion washed the pain of his injuries away.

[across-violet-skies]

ESTE!!!! @estelian-01!!!! E S T E!!!!!!

guess what day it is :D

guess. guess. guess. guess!!!!

today is the day. for you. it is este day. have this fic. it is for you. for your day. I love you! have a good day. no. a GREAT day. no. a WONDERFUL day. today. on this day.

preview under the cut!! <3

Hyrule grinned as Wild picked an apple off a tree, waving the fruit at the rest of them. Legend, Sky, Warriors, and Time were all resting on a tree branch, watching with idle amusement. Twilight had gone off into the woods some time ago to scout. Four was reading a book while leaning against a tree trunk, and Hyrule, Wild, and Wind were all playing a weird game of catch. With apples.

They were camped on a scenic cliff that overhung a vast ocean, with waves that sparkled tantalizingly in the distance. Nobody had claimed this world as their own, but Wild had mentioned a similarity to a location in his era. But wherever– whenever, really– they were, it was beautiful, and the weather reflected that.

“‘Rule, catch!” Wild tossed an apple. Bright red and shiny, this hefty fruit had been growing for some time. It was practically begging to be eaten, and here it was, flying through the air to be caught in Hyrule’s waiting hands.

Wild’s expression turned suddenly. “Wait, Hyrule, be careful!” The Champion reached out a hand, but he was far too distant to be of any help. Hyrule, focused on catching the apple, stepped backward off the edge of the cliff, tumbling down toward the dark sea below.

It didn’t seem so friendly and inviting now as he hurtled toward the water. He couldn’t swim. If he wasn’t tall enough to stand– and let’s be honest, he didn’t have enough height for that to be a feasible option– then he would surely drown. There was no way for him to stop his fall, to slow his descent, to avoid certain death-

Oh. Wait. Yeah, there was.

Taking a deep breath, Hyrule exploded into a tiny ball of magic, delicate fairy wings catching on the gentle breeze. Okay. Okay! He was fine! Now all he had to do was fly back up to join his brothers, and-

Something oddly Hylian-shaped fell to his side, diving neatly into the ocean below. The force of it made Hyrule tumble in the air, his wings shuddering from the intensity. Once he managed to right himself again, the tiny fairy peered down, searching for any indication of what– or who, more likely– had just dove into the water.

He fluttered down closer to the water. A mountain of bubbles foamed at the surface, obscuring his view. As the bubbles cleared, Hyrule could make out a shiny pink shape, vaguely Hylian in nature.

Was that… Legend?

-> read the rest on ao3!!!

[baileyboo2016]

MERMAID HYRULE for mermay :0

[nancyheart11]

Twilight and Hyrule!

This is them upon first meeting, and ax you can see it's going great 👍

[adrift-in-thyme]

Whumptober Day 11: "All the light's going dark and my hope's destroyed" + Animal Trap

Read on Ao3

- Legend & Hyrule

- Summary: When the sudden appearance of a portal sends Legend and Hyrule hurtling to an unknown destination, Legend attempts to save them both. But it all goes terribly wrong

CW for a character nearly drowning (it's not too descriptive, but just be careful), dehumanization, and drugging

---------------------------------------------------

He’s falling.

Legend only half-registers it. His stomach is in a knot, his body weightless, yet strangely heavy. His heart is in his throat. Wind rushes past his ears. But it’s not the plummet he fears. It’s the darkness he is headed towards.

He’s falling, Rulie is falling, and he hasn’t a clue where they'll land.

Dark magic warps around him, funneling him down, down, down. He reaches toward it with his own magic, trying to guide it, to nudge it in a safe direction.

Water. They need to land in water. Otherwise this will end very badly.

He solidifies an image in his head. A lake — big and beautiful and clear, waterfalls rushing down into it. There. That’s where he wants them to land. 

A hand grapples in the darkness. Fingers wrap around his own, familiar magic pouring through them to enhance his own. A slight smile lifts Legend’s lips.

Hyrule.

The image grows more clear and distinct. The smell of fresh water and dewy grass fills his nostrils. Legend steels himself and takes a deep breath. Any moment now…

Heart pounding in his throat, he tightens his hold on Hyrule’s hand. 

“Don’t let go,” he orders through the waves of their entwined magic. And Hyrule’s grip strengthens in reply.

Another moment slides by, a moment filled with utter darkness and the nauseating push and pull of gravity. Legend holds his breath, awaiting impact. 

It comes in a rush of magic and liquid, cold and heat, light and darkness. Legend catches a glimpse of blue sky and white clouds. Then his body breaks the surface with such force it knocks the air from his lungs.

Water floods the space it leaves and he chokes on it. Black dots dance before his eyes. Desperately, he fights to hang on — to consciousness, to the hand that now lies limp in his.

Come on. He grits his teeth, kicking his feet to try and surface. Change already!

As if in response, a sharp pain streaks through him. His two legs become a single, powerful tail; his fingernails grow into talons; iridescent scales climb up and down his body. And in the next moment he can breathe.

Legend wastes no time. Ensuring Hyrule’s hand is firmly in his own, he begins to climb toward the surface. The sun shines through it, beckoning him forth. 

Hope blossoms within him as he grows closer. He’s almost there. 

The net comes out of nowhere. He sees it briefly out of the corner of his eye – a dark, looming thing. But his mind doesn’t have time to process, nor his body to evade. And in the next moment, it surrounds him. 

Coarse ropes tangle in his fins, wrap around his tail. Panic coursing through him, Legend thrashes. With his free hand he claws at the net, attempting to shred it. He has to break free, he has to get Hyrule to the surface. 

But his efforts are fruitless. The ropes are too strong, too thick.

“I caught something!” A voice comes from up above. Any other time it would be muffled by the water that surrounds him. But now, in this form, Legend can hear it clearly, as if the man is standing right beside him. “It’s big! And it’s a fighter.”

“Hurry! It could be what we have been looking for!”

The net begins to move, dragging the heroes upward. And after a moment more of struggling, Legend lets it. It goes against every instinct he has, to allow their captors to haul them up onto the boat. But fighting back takes time, time Hyrule doesn’t have.

He pulls the traveler to his chest, wrapping his arms protectively around him. And in the next seconds they break through the surface and are pulled onto the floor of a small boat. 

Legend can make out blurred faces, leering and unfamiliar; a blue sky painted behind a layer of trees; water drifting as far as he can see. But he doesn’t allow himself to survey his surroundings beyond that. Almost immediately, his attention is back on the hero who lies limp in his arms.

“Rulie,” he gasps, through burning lungs. This form never fares well on the surface. But it will only be a short while before he reverts to his Hylian body. He can hold on until then.

Dragging in another wheezing attempt at a breath, he presses a hand to the traveler’s face. His skin is cool and pale, eyes still closed, chest still. Dread settles unpleasantly in Legend’s gut.

Maybe landing them in the water was not such a wonderful idea, after all. Maybe he should have let whatever was going to happen, happen. Maybe he should have focused his attention on crafting a shield around them instead.

He shakes his head, shoving the thoughts away. Gritting his teeth, he closes his eyes.

He doesn’t know how to weave the powerful healing spells that Hyrule does, but he is familiar with a few simpler ones. Spells that can take care of cuts and bruises, gashes that don’t travel too deep, even wounds that render you unconscious. And perhaps, they will be enough to drag the water from Hyrule’s lungs.

“Well, well, what have we here?” A voice croons from above him. 

Distantly, he registers the net lifting off and away, dragging at his tail as it does so. He does his best to ignore it. 

“A sea creature?”

“It’s called a mermaid.”

“Well, I’ve seen one of those before.”

“Isn’t this what you were looking for?”

“Indeed.”

Someone is leaning over him now. Legend can feel their hot breaths on his neck. 

“Look at him. What a magical being.”

A hand brushes over the length of his tail and Legend inhales sharply. The breath soon turns into a hacking cough as his body reminds him how little air he is gaining at the moment. 

Ignore it, he tells himself, even as every part of him screams to leap back into the water, where he can breathe, where the clammy hands of strangers won’t touch him. Focus on Rulie. 

“I wish to study him. Take him…and throw his friend back into the water.”

The words have barely registered in Legend’s mind before rough hands wrap around his waist and pull. His fingers slip from Hyrule and the spell dies upon them. 

“No!”

He thrashes, striking out with his claws, kicking as his tail splits and becomes legs. Someone cries out and another voice joins them. But they are a mere cacophony of unintelligible noise to Legend’s ears. All he can see is Hyrule being dragged toward the edge, all he can hear is the deafening silence left by the absence of his brother’s breaths.

This is all your fault. 

A fist connects with his jaw and he reels back, tasting the sharpness of iron. But seconds later he is struggling again, desperation allowing him to push through the pain, the fear, the way the world feels like it's closing in on him all over again, like the day his uncle died, the day the entire kingdom had turned its back on him without reason…

An arm comes into reach and he bites down, hard. That earns him a slap across the face.

“Stop fighting, damn it!”

He kicks outward, feet connecting with someone’s body. They hurl him down onto the unforgiving wood of the boat, so hard that he sees stars. For a moment it is all he can do to breathe.

“Little brat!”

“Is he even worth the trouble? Look at him! He changed back!”

“Calm yourselves. You are damaging the specimen.”

Legend drags his head upward just as a man squats down in front of him. With his graying hair and wizened face carved with smile lines, one could think him kind, even grandfatherly. But when he grips Legend’s chin and holds his gaze, there is no sympathy in those eyes. There is only cold, terrible, hunger.

Legend shoves himself up on his hands and knees, wrenching himself out of the man’s grip. He steels himself, hand already going toward the hilt of his sword. He will fight to the death if need be. They will not touch Hyrule.

But the man’s voice halts his movements.

“Remain still or your friend will go over the side.”

Legend glares at him. He can see no lie in that face. His hand falls back down to lie limply at his side.

“What do you want?” he grits out.

The man regards him calmly. “I have been interested in strange creatures for many years now. I have studied them quite extensively. One might even call me an expert. However, I have yet to examine a mer. So, you, my boy, are quite a fortunate find.”

He rises, still looking at Legend as though he wants to pin him to a board and stare at him for a while. Legend fights not to squirm beneath his gaze.

“You are fascinating. Not quite a mer and yet…not quite Hylian either. Oh, the discoveries that could be made from you.”

The man moves closer. Before he can stop himself, Legend backs up a step, bumping against the two men he hadn’t realized were standing behind him. He can’t breathe now. It’s as though he is dragging in surface air through his gills again, fighting to remain conscious. 

Focus. You don’t have time to panic.

“I would take you by force,” the man continues, calmly, as though carrying a conversation with a neighbor, “as my men have so clumsily attempted to do. But that would damage you beyond repair. And in order for my experiments to work, you must be in optimal condition. I must control for most variables. I’m sure you understand.”

“Yeah, I understand alright. You creep.”

Legend’s eyes flit around, taking in his surroundings, looking for a viable way out. His fingers flex and clench, itching for a weapon. But Hyrule is so close to the edge now. Too close. One wrong move and he will fall back into a watery grave. 

And the water…the water is the only chance of escape he has. But the cost would be great, too great for him to entertain.

He inhales a trembling breath and makes his decision.

“If you want me so badly, I’ll come with you. On one condition.” He looks back at Hyrule, ignoring the way his heart clenches at the sight of him.

You idiot. Letting yourself become attached again. Don’t you ever learn?

“Let me save him. Then, take him back to shore and leave him there.”

The man doesn’t answer at first. He looks between the two heroes, fist at his chin. Then, he nods.

“Very well.” He turns to his men. “Take us back to shore as quickly as possible. And bind and blindfold the boy.”

Legend watches, anger boiling within him, as they tie thick ropes around Hyrule’s wrists and a cloth around his head. No sooner have they stepped back than he rushes forward, skidding on his knees before him. The spell is already at his fingertips and in his mind, woven threads of his magic. And he reaches out, pressing a hand to Rulie’s arm as it pours forth.

“Watch him,” he hears someone say from far away. “He might try to pull something.”

“He won’t,” the man with hungry eyes answers. “He cares too much for his friend.”

Legend shakes his head, brushing off the oppressive truth of the statement.

“Come on, Rule,” he murmurs, “come on. Wake up.”

A moment passes and another and another, slipping by in slow succession. All the while the boat speeds toward the shore. If he looked up, Legend doesn’t doubt that he would see the bank fast approaching. But he doesn’t dare. He hardly allows himself to breathe.

Tears stream down his face and blur his vision. He doesn’t brush them away.

“Come on, traveler. You’re tougher than this. Don’t you dare die on me!”

Another series of seconds pass in which Hyrule doesn’t move. And then, abruptly, he draws in a gasping breath. He pitches sideways coughing up mouthfuls of water. Relief streaks dizzyingly through Legend as he reaches out, gripping his shoulder to support him.

“You’re okay, Rulie,” he says, both to himself and the hero trembling in his grasp. “You’re okay.”

Thank the goddesses.

The coughs subside and turn to haggard breaths. Hyrule raises his head, dazedly attempting to look around. 

“Ledge?” He croaks. He tries to move his hands up to his face, but the ropes prevent the motion. “Legend…what happened? Why can’t I…where are we?”

Legend is about to answer when the boat comes to a stop, bumping against a grassy shoreline. His heart climbs into his throat. 

“It’s okay,” he manages. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

Hyrule turns toward the sound of his voice and Legend is glad that he cannot see the look in his eyes.

“But what about you?”

Strong hands grasp his arms and wrench him away from the traveler. He stumbles to his feet.

Men close in around Hyrule too, hauling him up and starting toward the shore. He struggles, though weakly, face still much too pale.

“Legend!”

Legend manages a shaky smile, more for his own sake than his brother’s.

“I’ll be fine too. Don’t waste your time worrying about me. Get free and get out of here, you hear! Don’t you dare try and come back for me!”

Hyrule gives another shout as he hits the damp ground, immediately trying to stumble up on bound feet. But Legend can hardly hear him now past the thundering of his heart and the distant sounds of water lapping at the boat as it drifts back into the depths.

Then, something cool and metallic pierces his neck and he knows no more.

[breannasfluff]

@arecaceae175 Hyrule says thank you for the cookie!

[eepernation]

Forget game order, we need Hyrule next!!

….I of course have no personal bias here /hj

oh dont worry, game order has been COMPLETELY abolished/LH And Hyrule is actually in progress as we speak >:] here's a tiny sneak peek!! (he's one of the only guys who actually wears some kind of shirt lol)

Can you guess what kind of mer he is going to be? I'll give you a hint: it's inspired partially by the fact that his blood was lore-important in the source material he comes from. Maybe the fish he's based on has some special attribute to it's blood as well? ;)

[candy8448]

What's your top 3 favorite LU/LoZ fics?

Ooh this is a hard one, there are too many good fics so im just gonna... post the link to my collection of favorites

But to answer my top 3?

Special mentions to While you still can in 5th place, about Time and travelling back in time to save the others (has a prequel fic you should probably read first) had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, stayed up late at night to binge it, and Every other star in 4th, a medieval au, was really fun to read along with every day and the relationship between Legend, Hyrule and Warriors as a trio was so good, especially near the end. This is tied with these two authors' other fic the wondrous sword of legend which is just. So. Good. (Legend is hyrule's sword spirit, a lot happens)

3. Their Melody

Still ongoing, it is really cool! Legend and Marin had a baby called Melody who stayed with him once he woke the windfish. Going through everybodies nightmares is so cool, and i cant wait for Warrior's one next!

2. Scales, Wings, and Mythical things

Read this one recently, and it's fun! Most of the boys are transformed into their tranformations and try to rescue the others from a wagon of people who collect mystical creatures (featuring Merleg!! Best part) It's really fun and still ongoing.

1. What Hyrule hadn't seen

This one is good, it's one of the first fics i've read since joining this fandom and it's really intresting. Written so well that i felt like i was also experiencing being blind for the first time with Legend. Didn't know what i was going into at first but it was a really great read about acceptance

Don't mind me, just saw the opportunity to ramble about fics i like and...

[arecaceae175]

Sinking Deep: Ch. 1

Summary: When Legend and Wind go missing in a dangerous town, Hyrule takes it upon himself to find them.

This is the secret Legend and Hyrule story for @star-ocean-peahen's fic raffle gift! I know I said this would be a one shot but it kept growing XD. It was making me a little anxious how long it's been since I started this so I decided to break it up and post in short chapters :D. I hope you enjoy!!!

Warnings: trafficking, canon-typical violence, Hyrule is ignored a bit in the beginning (it’s because everyone’s stressed but that doesn’t make it okay (don’t worry they apologize)), kidnapping, violence against children, implied child trafficking, human trafficking, animal trafficking (only the Hyrule bit happens in this chapter- these are the warnings for the whole fic)

Hyrule’s knee bounced anxiously. He twisted his hands together over and over, and his eyes were locked on the door. 

“Maybe if we just-” Hyrule said as he quickly rose to his feet.

Twilight’s hand clamped onto his shoulder and pushed him back down into the chair. It was, to Hyrule’s vague surprise, just as gentle as the last four times it’s happened this hour. 

“Rulie,” Twilight said with a sigh. “They’ll be back soon.”

Hyrule huffed and leaned back in his seat. He let his head hang over the back of the chair and stared at the ceiling. 

“I just want to help,” Hyrule muttered. Twilight sighed again. Hyrule was sure his lungs were getting a good workout with how many times he sighed today.

“I know. Me too,” Twilight said. “But they’d clock us as outsiders as soon as we step out that door.”

Hyrule crossed his arms and lifted his head up, locking his gaze on the door again. “Like Wild isn’t just as weird.”

Twilight laughed, this time. It was breathy and quiet, but Hyrule still felt a small smile tug at his lips. “Wild can get through town without being seen,” Twilight argued. 

Knock knock. 

Hyrule jumped out of his seat. Twilight held out a hand; Hyrule held his breath. 

Knock knock. 

Pause.

Knock.

Hyrule jumped to the door and unlocked it as quickly as he could. He threw the door open and Warriors and Four rushed into the room. Hyrule quickly locked the door behind them then whipped around.

“Did you find them?” Hyrule asked. 

Warriors shook his head as he leaned over the table with the town map. 

“No luck,” Four said. 

Hyrule wrung his hands together anxiously. 

“Sky and Time should be back any second. Maybe they found something,” Twilight said. 

Hyrule turned his anxious gaze to Twilight. Twilight didn’t look sure of his own words; Hyrule felt his anxiety increase.

“Where haven’t we checked?” Four asked. He pulled a chair over to the table with the map and knelt in it with his elbows on the table. 

Warriors sighed and moved pointed one hand at the map. “Here, but that’s close enough to Sky and Time’s search area that they might get it.”

Knock knock. 

Everyone whipped around to face the door, Again, Hyrule held his breath. 

Knock knock. 

Pause.

Knock.

Hyrule leapt to the door and flung it open. Sky and Time rushed in and Hyrule locked it behind them. Time pushed Sky onto the bed and immediately bent to dig through his bag. Sky huffed and slumped as he sat. Through the curtain of Sky’s bangs, Hyrule could see a split cheek and a black eye forming.

“What happened to you?” Warriors asked. 

Sky’s fists clenched, then he sighed and forced them open. “It’s nothing.”

Time produced a red potion from his bag and wordlessly held it out to Sky. Sky shook his head and tried to push it away. Time leveled a harsh glare in his direction, so Sky relented and took a small sip. Time looked displeased.

“We should save it. I’m fine, really,” Sky said as he handed the potion back. 

“You didn’t find them?” Hyrule asked. 

Sky shook his head. Time had his back turned, but Hyrule could read the tension in his shoulders easily. 

Sky opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the window flying open. Wild vaulted through the window and landed in a crouch on the floor. He pushed the window shut and it bounced slightly on the latch to remain ajar.

“Anything?” Warriors asked as Wild stood. 

Wild pulled off his hood and shook his head. With a couple taps of his slate, his weird, skin-tight clothes disappeared and were replaced with his normal tunic and trousers. 

“No sign of Wind or Legend. I listened in some bars, too, but no one said anything helpful,” Wild reported. 

Hyrule’s heart felt like it plummeted into his feet. 

“No one else?” Wild asked, looking around the room with wide eyes. 

Warriors shook his head as his gaze fell back to the town map.

“What do we do now?” Wild asked, approaching the map. Sky, Twilight, and Time followed. 

“You said you last saw them here?” Warriors asked, glancing at Sky and pointing to a spot on the map Hyrule couldn’t see. 

“Yeah, heading this way,” Sky said. He leaned over the map, effectively blocking Hyrule’s view. 

Hyrule huffed and leaned back. He glanced around the room then moved to the window, desperate to catch sight of any clues. At the edge of his view, Hyrule saw a river flowing around the town. Hyrule gasped. 

“I have an idea!” Hyrule said. He whipped around, but no one heard him. Hyrule shoved his way into the huddle. 

“Guys, we should look by the river! We’re looking for the Sailor, he would have wanted to see the water,” Hyrule said. 

Warriors frowned at the map, then shook his head. 

“They weren’t heading in that direction,” Warriors said. 

“That was in the morning, though. Legend probably made him wait until they picked up everything they needed,” Hyrule argued. 

Hyrule glanced around the group. Everyone was frowning. Hyrule felt his frustration with the situation increase. 

Warriors shook his head again. “None of the things on their list are on that side of town.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to check,” Hyrule said. 

“I was over there a bit and I didn’t see anything,” Wild said. He shrugged apologetically at Hyrule. 

“That’s the most dangerous sector, from what I heard,” Sky said. 

“Then we should definitely check there!” Hyrule said. 

Time crossed his arms and glanced out the window. “It’s best to stay away from that sector unless we have evidence they were there.”

Everyone turned back to the map, accepting Time’s word as law. 

Hyrule felt like he could rip his hair out. He flopped down onto his chair with a frustrated huff. The others were deep into their conversation already, plotting out their next moves.

Hyrule glanced between the group and the window. No one was paying him any attention; no one would notice if he slipped out. 

Almost immediately, his mind was made up. Legend and Wind needed help, and if no one else was willing to take a risk, Hyrule would have to do it himself. 

As quietly as he could, Hyrule tiptoed over to his bag. His sword was propped against the wall next to it. Hyrule glanced at the group again to confirm no one was watching, then slipped his sword into his bag. He pulled the bag over his shoulders, silently thankful for the sound dampening enchantments, then crept to the window. It was still cracked from Wild’s entrance. 

Hyrule glanced back one last time, then slipped out the window. 

[arecaceae175]

!!!!!!!!!!!! SERA THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOWOWOOWOWOWOWOW AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

Mer Legend looks exactly how I imagined him!!! The intricate detail on the tail is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!

AAAAAAHHHHHH poor boys!!! They both look so upset!!!!!! I love the way Hyrule is holding Legend in the last one.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE I LOVE THIS SO MUCH THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you know what will happen if i read your fic, @arecaceae175 ?

A fanart!😀

Fanart inspired from fanfic Sinking Deep by talented @arecaceae175

Please read this awesome fic!

Your fic makes me unable to focus on my work. I had to steal some time so I could make this picture during these 3 days. If I don't draw it immediately, then my mood can change later and my inspiration will disappear.

Hope you like it!

[minty-mumbles]

Flared Fins Mer AU Lore Dump

You can find the fic on tumblr and on AO3

Character Breakdowns:

Wind: 8 (Pup) - Tropical Mer

Adult coloring will be Orange with light blue splotches, like a koi fish’s pattern

Fun fact: He and Warriors are, in fact, very distantly related.

Hyrule: 13/14 (Juvenile) - Octopus Mer

Adult coloring: Green with golden freckles all over him

Fun fact: His healing magic is not as strong in this fic, or at least not as developed. Most of his magic

Wild: 15/16 (Juvenile) - Deepsea Mer - Adult coloring: Dark blue with teal lines. The markings on one of his arms are strangely more of a green color, for some reason

Fun facts: His fins are bioluminescent (and his markings as well, when he gets older.) He has giant fins that are good for threat displays but are very delicate. He’s a better fighter then Hyrule, but being in more fights leads to him having a lot of torn fins. Due to being a deepsea Mer, who would naturally have less opportunities to eat, he metabolizes his food well and doesn’t need to feed as often.

Four: 16 (Juvenile)  - Tropical Mer (Based off a beta fish)

Adult coloring: On one side is green fading to red on the fins, the other is blue fading to purple. As a juvenile, he only has the split green and blue

Fun fact: Four absorbed his twin in the egg, which is why his colors are split down the middle. He is the most territorial in the pod. When he and Wild get to know each other, they like to flare their fins at each other to show off and get rid of territorial aggression. Four bites

Legend: 19 (Almost an adult) - Tropical Mer (Based off a Sea bunny, which is a kind of sea slug)

Adult coloring: Light Pink with red markings

Fun facts: He is courting Ravio (A purple sea bunny.) His tail ring functions the same as his pegasus boots, which is why he could catch Hyrule

Sky: 21 (Adult) - Tropical Mer (Based off the flying fish)

Coloring: Red with silver fins and small yellow marks

Fun facts: He is courting Sun. He has a giant pet Grouper called Crimson. (Sky: Crimson is friend, not food!) Crimson is nine feet long and can pull him along faster than most mers can swim. (Groupers really can get that big. They probably aren’t really that fast though.)

Twilight: 23-25 (Adult) - Tropical/Freshwater hybrid

Coloring: Dark green with gray underbelly and thick black marks

Fun fact: His colors are so much duller because of his freshwater ancestry. He can survive in freshwater for a lot longer than others can. Sometimes goes and hunts in nearby rivers. He has an orca tooth necklace that can turn him into an orca. Yes, the Orca is called “Orcie.”

Warriors: 25-27 (Adult) - Tropical Mer

Coloring: Royal blue with orange marks on the ends of his fins. HE has a kind of iridescence to his scales that most Mer consider very pretty

Fun fact: Warriors has a twin, Linkle, who is currently very lost, wandering around in deep sea Mer territory.

Time: Very old (Adult) - Tropical Mer

Coloring: White/silver with thin red and blue line markings

Fun fact: He is mates with Malon, who is a deepsea Mer. Malon prefers to live in the deep, but they visit each other often. Yes, it is weird that a deepsea Mer would take a permanent mate but Malon does what she wants. She thinks it’s very funny that her husband adopted so many kids, and dots on them when she visits.

Worldbuilding:

Very young Mer are called fry. They are a lot more competent than human babies, being able to swim right after hatching, but during the first year of their life, they run mainly on their fish instincts. Fry are not considered super valuable to Mer, because Mer may have up to 20 fry from one clutch of eggs. Very few of survive the fry stage. Often a pod will choose the best looking/biggest fry and focus their energy on them, leaving the others to fend for themselves. (They won’t be chased away or killed, and if one does make it to puphood by themselves, all the better. But smaller pods can’t afford to feed 20 new mouths at once when all of them won’t survive.)

Those that reach a year old are called pups, at which point they shake off the more intense instincts, and become a little more reliant on their guardians. At 12-14 years old, they become juveniles. They have a huge growth spurt, and they turn from their dull pup colors to their main adult colors. Pup colors are usually either neutrals (other than white) or a very desaturated version of their adult colors. They are considered adults at around 20, around which time they gain their makings. They stop aging at around 30 years old, but keep getting bigger.

Tropical Mer stay in their birth pods unless they get a mate and decide to go to their mate’s pod, or decide to try to start their own pods. There are exceptions though, where juveniles/new adults will leave their pod because they don't fit in well.

Mer “Species” are more vague categories. There are tropical, deepsea, fresh water, octopus, etc. Most of them can still interbreed with only a little difficulty, (as long as they can get over their different social practices) so they’re not really distinct species. (Thought sometimes interbreeding can be difficult to achieve, and sometimes those children turn out sterile, like Mules are)

Tropical Mer are territorial, but they do still interact with neighboring Pods and trade at designated market areas. They aren’t isolated. Deepsea Mer are solitary, and Octopus Mer are solitary/only share territory with mates. If you are part of a social species but do not have a pod, you are considered a loner.

For one reason or another, Time ended up taking each of the boys under his fin, so to speak. Four was abandoned by his birth Pod because of his strange colors when he became a juvenile. Twilight went exploring up a river where his Tropical Mer mother could not follow, and couldn’t find her again when he came back. Sky fell asleep as a pup and got left behind when his pod moved on. Due to being twins, Warriors and Linkle were small coming out of the egg, and their pods decided to focus more on their other fry. Warriors never really integrated himself into the pod after that and left early. Things like that.

Mer can’t breathe air. A typical adult Mer can hold their breath comfortably for about 30 minutes though, so they still like to sunbathe on beaches if they can. They have gills on their neck and sides of their chest. Water flows into the neck gills and out the chest gills. The mouth is just for vocalizations and eating. As long as their necks are in the water, they can stick their heads out of the water as long as they want. They have bad eyesight above the waves.

Mer have their own language that needs to be taught to children, but they also have more internal vocalization that does not need to be taught. These vocalizations can get across more specific messages than just emotions, but the meanings aren’t as advanced as language. If you spend a lot of time around a Mer, you will be able to pick up on some of their vocalizations’ more subtle meanings, like discerning “hello” from “good morning/evening/etc.”

Mer are mostly carnivores, and they obviously do not cook their food. They do not scavenge unless they are desperate, preferring to hunt for themselves. Sometimes they eat plants like kelp for variety, but that’s not essential. Mollusk type shellfish (Clams, oysters, ect) are good snacks but aren’t really filling. 

Mer that are social sleep cuddled together and all intertwined, to keep themselves from drifting apart while they're asleep. (Less of a fear when sleeping in a cave, but in the open ocean? Many pods have been permanently split on accident because of currents moving them three miles apart in the night)

Hylians exist in this au and they know that Mer exist, but they don't interact much. There’s a language barrier, and Hylians can’t make the right sounds for Mer language and vice versa. There have been exceptions, where one species’ sign language is taught to a member of the other, but this isn’t common. Hylians are at the same level of development as in the LOZ games. They do not have modern science, etc