#ttau | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gliphyartfan · 5 months

Text

@yanderelinkeduniverse @stars-for-thought @imprisioned-in-the-hole @screaming-until-god-hears-me @crestfallenmermaidan @ice-cream-writes-stuff @linked-heroes @eternadreeblissa

heeheeee....(I haven't slept yet) (Buut i will now!)

Legend made me write too much!

---

----

Link was no stranger to nightmares.

At this point, they happened like clockwork as his subconscious weaved and re-weaved each moment for his mind to relive.

And at the end of every nightmare, whether he woke in a cold sweat or with his old wounds aching, Link always felt bitter about how real those dreams felt to him. At the time, the places and faces that haunted him felt perfectly captured and the fatigue and pain within them were so genuine to his memories.

Ha! If only he could see just how much of a shoddy job those nightmares had done.

Because, even if that traumatic moment would always be a core memory to him, the truth is that years had past and Link had grown up; that wound had scabbed over and scarred, he didn’t need to carry the bleeding pain everywhere anymore.

And as such, those night terrors turned out to be quite the vague recollection in the long run.

There was always crucial details that would eventually be left out.

Because in those dreams, Link couldn’t feel the weight of his Uncle’s sword in his too small hands, couldn’t feel the way they wouldn’t stop shaking. He couldn’t feel the stinging pain of his bare knees digging into the stone ground and scraping them. And he couldn’t feel the traces of wet blood that lingered on the hilt.

But this, this was all too real.

The gods could only be this cruel, to make him relive this pain.

----

Occasionally he wonders what his uncle, a former knight, would think of him?

Would he look at him with anger? Shame? Or with horror, covered in the blood of Hyrule's 'noble' knights.

Some knights his uncle no doubt once served alongside.

He recalled the stories his uncle once told him, the acts of bravery and courage that the knights preformed. How could he forget when his uncle would happily tell it to him whenever he asked?

Yet when he was staring down at the bodies of those knights, his tunic splattered with their blood. Men who's only crime was being brainwashed to serve Agahnim. He felt nothing.

How would his uncle react to him? To witness him staring down at the cooling bodies without a single trace of grief or guilt.

Would he recognize him as his nephew? Or think him an impostor?

It was irrelevant in the end, he could speculate on that for years and still never come to a conclusion.

He was numb to it.

(...Even though a part of him feared the answer all the same..)

---

"While I can't tell you what to do Mr. Hero, I can assure you that having something to eat would help put some life in that body of yours all the same."

"...I'm not hungry."

"Please...All you've had was a bowl of broth two days ago..."

"..." Ravio wrung his hands anxiously, staring at the young hero seated in the corner of the room next to a window where the sun could shine it's days over him.

Eyes stared blankly at nothing in particular, staying utterly silent unless Ravio urged an answer out of him.

It was rare for to see him stay in one place for long, normally Ravio would only catch sight of him when he came to restock his supplies, only to swiftly leave as silently as he came.

If it wasn't for the fact that it would mean never seeing him period, Ravio would have preemptively prepared his usual stock of items and set them aside for him to grab at his leisure.

He always left after restocking, gone for days at a time before returning for an hour or two at most. Looking more haggard each visit.

But this time, it's been a week since his most recent return, and he has stayed put since.

The only benefit to his recent return was now Ravio could actually check on his injuries, with him bruised and wounded whenever he came by.

It always scared Ravio, that every return could very well be his last.

Yet, no matter the injuries, he never showed signs he was in pain.

Never much of a said a word. Just eyes staring blankly from a pale bruised face.

Ravio knew on the rare occasion he caught him, his eyes were red and puffy, as if he had finished crying. But no tear stains were ever seen.

He didn't dare ask for the cause of his state.

(In a way, it looked like he was mourning. He couldn't imagine the level of loss needed to send someone like Link into such a state.)

Ravio felt so utterly helpless, yes he provided Link with items and weapons. But now he feared doing so would lead to his death.

Because that's how it looked to him, like he was purposefully walking to his death.

But to think that wouldn't imply that Link wanted death.

and the young hero who silently accepted to help him did not seem to have even the slightest sense of purpose to even have an urge for death.

A enjoy shell that simply did what was needed and if it died...

...Well he may as well be half way dead with the way he rarely took care of himself.

That was why he always tried to get Link talking, tried to ground him in the present, even if it was a failing effort.

He wanted to offer help, yet he feared any wrong word could be the final thing that tipped the hero over the edge.

What could he tell him that didn't sound strange? That didn't make him look like a fool?

He didn't know, and he refused to risk it, so he played it safe.

"Alright...could you at least drink some broth?" He asked, reaching to the tray of food he placed on the nearby table and grabbed the small bowl of broth.

An exhale escaped from the Hero's lips. "No...Maybe later.."

"Please, just a little bit, it'll settle your stomach." Ravio insisted, holding the bowl out, "I know it must be unhappy with the lack of food you've had lately."

For a while there was silence between them.

But before Ravio could pull the bowl back, Link finally gave in, and slowly took it from his hands and brought it to his lips.

The room was silent, save for quiet gulps as he drank the warm liquid. After a few gulps, he set it on his lap, staring down at it.

"Thank you."

Ravio blinked in surprise, "For what?"

Another sigh. "...Being kind." Link finally spoke up again, his voice soft and quiet as if he was speaking to himself.

"...Well...you're welcome." A shaky smile twitched on Ravio's face.

Legend nodded but didn't look back up.

Ravio frowned slightly, then decided to change the topic.

"Do you think you'll be able to get some sleep tonight?" He ventured, looking away from the hero to look at the sky outside the open window.

He didn't expect an answer, nor was he disappointed at all when he got none.

Instead of asking questions further, he turned and moved towards the door, softly saying, "Please at least finish the broth." before closing it behind him.

Eyes followed him until he vanished behind the door.

—

If Legend had the energy, he would have felt bad for stressing the Lorulian, yet the pressure the weighed down his body left him much too tired.

He didn't want to deal with the things that surrounded his life right now, he really didn't.

So instead he simply sat there and allowed his mind to wander, hoping he could just cease to be, for just a moment.

It was difficult, considering the amount of thoughts bombarding his brain.

If Ravio had asked him about any of his previous journeys, he would have answered with full honesty.

He barely recalled any of it.

Just pain.

So much pain it made him utterly sick.

Enemies that should have easily been slain with a simple swing of his sword left his utterly breathless with exertion.

His endurance, his strength, every pain filled experience that earned him the skills he had accumulated over the years.

All of it, reduced to nothing.

He had scars in areas that shouldn't be scarred.

He had unscarred skin in areas that should have been scarred.

He had memories he wished he hadn't, things which he did not wish to dwell in the slightest.

(To realize it may have all been one beautiful dream-No...no he couldn't dwell on it. Not for one second. It would break him.)

And despite this, despite everything that he'd gone through, he remained the hero he always was forced to be.

Had there truly been a point in time where he felt any pride for his title? (Had it truly existed at some point?)

Had there been a time where fighting for the sake of the kingdom, even when he thought he was about to collapse from the constant battles, was worth it?

If he had a chance to recall any such moment visually, he certainly couldn't recall it emotionally.

Couldn't even pull up a scrap of the pride he may have once felt. There was none left. (Because it may as well not have-stop right there.)

He was just...so tired.

...What was the point of going on.

—

Link left the next morning.

The empty bowl of broth next to the tray of cold food the only indication he had been there. (At least he finished the bowl.)

Ravio sighed at the sight of the empty chair, turning his gaze down to the letter in his hands.

It was a strange request he received a while back. (Very strange, He was a merchant, not a postman.)

Deliver this to the Hero, Link. That was what he had to do.

He could have refused, but his curiosity (and self-preservation) got the better of him.

It seemed rather personal, and although Ravio found it suspicious he felt compelled to follow through, because it could very well be something important.

He didn't need to know what exactly was written inside this mysterious envelope, just deliver it and be done with it.

But with the state Link was in. He was uncertain when was a good time to hand it over.

He had decided to swallow his anxiety and simply give it to him. But it seems he waited too long to make his decision.

Now he doesn't know when he'll will return.

Perhaps Mr. Hero won't return for several more weeks.

Ravio sighed, shoving the letter into his pouch, heading back towards his room.

----

His limbs hurt.

The Gibdo continued to approach.

He had been too focused on eliminating them, so much so he had forgotten the white Bari.

Electricity had coursed through him, leaving him stunned long enough for the Gibdo to strike him.

It was all he could do to block each attack aimed at him, blocking and dodging even as he grew weaker by the second.

Each hit that landed (hits that shouldn't have landed, he should have been better than this.) it landed hard, making his head ring and his vision become blurry.

With his strength spent, with his body weakening by the second due to exhaustion. it took all he could give to finally defeat them.

He allowed himself to collapse on the floor. Even as his body protested the sudden movement.

He gasped, closing his eyes for a moment.

The pain he felt in every inch of his body pulsed strongly. He felt dizzy...sick...heavy...

How utterly laughable. He genuinely would have chuckled if he had the energy to do so in this state.

He couldn't even handle such weak enemies, even when he knew their weakness and strengths.

He should be able to handle this better. What did it matter if he was bleeding from several cuts. He should be able to fight longer, fight more fiercely.

Why couldn't he fight like he once did?

What was the utter point of these memories, (they were real, they had to-stop, just stop. It'll break you.)

"Why..." he rasped out, hand weakly clenching the handle of his sword as a large shadow covered him.

"Why can't I just let myself give up..?"

The Wallmaster descended on him, he didn't bother to struggle, and the Wallmaster did not hesitate to pull him into it's grasps.

"I want to give up." he continued to speak, his raspy voice echoing into the dungeon room as he was pulled from the ground.

"I want to give up..."

He repeated over and over again, tears falling from his eyes as his eyelids fell heavy with weariness and exhaustion.

All he wanted to do was give up, because this wasn't just a nightmare. A nightmare he could wake from. This was crueler than any nightmare.

This was actually happening. This was real.

Everything that was supposed to be true had become false. (No one was where they should be. Nothing was as it should be. It was all so very wrong.)

And yet, he couldn't give up.

He wanted to give up, yet he kept going.

There was no point in giving up. Just as there was no point in going forward. He wouldn't get to return to where he wanted to be even if he did.

Return to everyone.

Was he still going forward because a part of him believed there was still a chance?

That if he continued on, he'd see everyone again?

He never learned from his foolishness did he?

The world around him faded to black as the Wallmaster carried him away in it's grasp

and he let it. It’s not like it was going to hurt him.

He simply didn't want to think right now.

-----

He's dying.

If not physically, than certainly mentally.

Ravio didn't know how to feel, staring at the unconscious form lying in the bed.

He wasn't going to even try to understand how Link managed to return in such an injured state. No healing items in his pouch, his weapons and shield in terrible conditions.

If Sheerow hadn't brought his attention to the weak rise and fall of his chest. Ravio would have considered the collapsed body a corpse.

The thin trail of blood indicated he brought himself here. (hopefully the dark clouds in the sky meant rain, blood trails were bad for business.)

Yet here he was, alive.

He looked so broken, so exhausted. He was paler than ever and looked as though he hadn't eaten for days even if the lack of food in his pouch indicated he had eaten something.

He had bags under his eyes that spoke volumes of his lack of sleep and he was shaking, breathing uneven and irregular breaths causing Ravio's stomach to turn in response. (a fever?)

What kind of land was Hyrule if it allowed it's hero to become like this?

A land that didn't seem to care about it's hero who had suffered for its sake.

(Even after everything he seemed to have done for this place..)

"You really are a useless one..." He said to himself. His smile was fragile, his tone harsh.

All he could do was offer Link items and minor assistance. He doubted his companionship was worth much right now.

But it was all he could give.

"...I'm sorry..."

---

He didn't know how long he sat there. His head down in his knees, arms wrapped around his legs.

The sound of waves almost soothing in a cruel way. The sand beneath him, a gentle cool feeling that briefly distracted him from the ache he was experiencing.

He knew without looking that the moon was large and full, that the stars were plentiful in the island's sky.

It was peaceful. Peaceful and familiar and he hated it.

He didn't have to open his eyes to know it wasn't real. That this was a dream and eventually he would awaken, find himself in bed being watched over by Ravio most likely.

(He never slept well anymore. When was the last time he felt rested? He never knew if it was a blessing or curse that he could when he was dreaming. Everything he remembered always ended with cruel realizations.)

So he simply sat there with his head buried in his knees, forced to listen to the waves and waiting to awaken once more.

He ignored the scent of sea salt floating along the breeze, the touch of mist from the ocean spray tickling his skin.

And he did everything to ignore the (false Not real) presence next to him.

Because if he acknowledged that presence, then he would be forced to endure the pain that came with it, and he did not need to relive those memories again. He had lived with that trauma far too often.

But the presence next to him remained. And still he tried to ignore it.

But it didn't work. It never worked.

"Are you going to keep pretending I'm not here?"

His heart jumped at the voice.

"I'm afraid so." (He didn't mean to answer, didn't mean to react, but he could never deny her when she spike so kindly to him.)

Soft laughter was his answer, and he could feel his traitorous heart quicken with joy.

He didn't want to acknowledge that someone was there beside him. (That she was there.)

That it was the person that could bring him peace when he needed it most.

Just as he didn't want to acknowledge the feeling he felt whenever she spoke to him, that warmth in his heart. The joy he felt whenever she laughed joyfully at him.

The happiness he felt every time he was around her.

"I guess we're stuck together, aren't we?"

She moved closer. He could hear her. He tried to tell himself she wasn't there. He tried to tell himself he was hallucinating. He tried to remind himself he was dreaming. Yet his breath quickened. He swallowed heavily against the lump forming in his throat.

But he could never refuse to acknowledge it.

He knew it wasn't possible. And he knew it was a dangerous thing to admit to himself but still he couldn't help it.

"Don't tell me you are truly mad at me for being here?"

She teased him lightly. (She had a wonderful laugh, he wanted to hear it more.)

"I could never be mad at you." He answered honestly, never daring to make her think he felt anything less than affection for her.

Because he couldn't dare imagine spending a life without seeing her smile. Hearing the genuine laugh that escaped her lips. Seeing her eyes sparkle with happiness when he told her funny stories.

It was unfair. All the things he remembered. All the happy moments they had shared together. He wanted to forget.

Because they were nothing but a dream he had been forced to wake from.

They could never be real just because he wanted them to be true.

They weren't real. She wasn't real. (How that thought hurt)

Everything here was fake. Everything he was experiencing right now, was all a lie, a dream.

(Nothing here is real.)

Everything was an illusion. There was no hope for it to be real.

A dream of which tore itself from him when he finally gave in to it's sweet allure.

"Then why does your face look so upset?"

"Do I appear upset? Do I have something to be concerned about?" He replied. (because he couldn't let her ever believe he was upset with her. He couldn't bare to handle the hurt that would cross her face.)

"Yes. You don't sound pleased to see me."

"...I will always be happy to see you." (Never a lie)

"...Then why don't you lift your head up?"

He was tired, but he didn't care about any fatigue. He just wanted her to go away. (No, he wanted her to stay. To never leave. she should never leave. He needed her here. Hecouldn'tloseheragain-)

"Please..leave me alone." (Why did he say that? He didn't want her to leave? Please, she mustn't leave-)

"Why?"

"I can't stand the sight of you right now..." (Shut up. Why won't he shut up? Why was he saying those things to her when he didn't want to let her go?)

"Is that what is making you upset?"

"Yes." (No)

"Then why won't you look at me?"

"..Because.." (He was terrified.)

"You should look at me."

But he couldn't.

He wasn't strong enough.

(Why was he always unable to resist temptation?)

"So you don't want to see?"

"See what? I'm sorry."

"I'm asking if you don't want to see my face?"

She was close now, he could hear her breathing. Could almost feel her next to him.

A part of him prayed she would close the distance, reach out and pull him towards her so he could be wrapped her warmth.

(To have her lift his head up to gaze at her, caressed his face, run her fingers through his hair...)

When he thought about her it made his whole body shiver. And there was nothing that could calm him down, save the simple fact that it was her presence that filled his entire world.

"Link-"

"Just go!" He could feel the tears gathering in his eyes as he raised his voice at her. (Don't say his name. Don't say it. It's too much. It'll weaken him further. He'll give in. He'll give in if she says his name and give her what she wants.) He refused to allow those tears free rein.

(It was stupid and selfish of him, but he didn't think he'd resist it if they fell.)

"Just leave..." He rasped out, hugging his knees tighter. "Just leave me."

(Please...please, I beg you…don't leave. I'll have nothing else left. Don't leave me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.)

"I'm not leaving you Link, not while I'm right here." He flinched as her hand touched the top of his head.

(Warmwarmwarmwarmsowarmsoutterlywarm) Her fingertips running across the top of his skull.

"Please look at me?" She whispered.

"Leave me.. please…"

Her fingers continued to brush his scalp.

(He didn't want her to stop. He didn't want her to leave. Pleasedon'tleaveme.)

Slowly, she moved her hand down, he shivered as her touch left a trail of wondrous fire in its wake. Slowly and gently, she pulled her hand away from his head, and he nearly whimpered.

He could hardly breathe as she placed the palm of her hand on the side of his face, sliding it under his chin and gently pulling his head up.

"There you are," Her voice soft and gentle.

He felt a tear slip down his cheek, yet he was unable to look aware from her.

Not when she looked at him with such a loving gaze.

Her thumb wiped the tear away and it burned where her skin met his skin. A small sigh escaping his lips as her gaze traveled over his face. His eyes closed and he leaned into her hand as it cupped his cheek and allowed himself to get lost in the love he felt.

It was like the world disappeared around him. Nothing mattered anymore. He only cared about the warmth of her hand against his cold skin.

"Why do you keep crying over me?" She chuckled. Her thumb rubbing his cheek softly. She didn't know how much he loved when she did that.

(He couldn't answer her. He couldn't bear to hear her response.)

His eyes opened, and he found her smiling. It lit up her beautiful features perfectly. Her eyes twinkled with kindness.

He wanted to stare at her forever.

He reached out and took her hand in his, interlocking their fingers as he intertwined his fingers between hers, squeezing tightly.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that." He breathed.

She nodded. "Why?"

"Because then you'll realize what kind of a selfish fool I am."

"What makes you think that?"

He sighed heavily, trying to find the words to describe everything, but he was exhausted and it didn't take long until the tears started falling again.

"I hurt you..." He whispered to her.

She stayed silent.

"I hurt you and cared for only my own wants...and you suffered because of it."

"..You must really feel guilt over that, don't you?" She commented softly. He didn't answer her question out loud. She didn't need a response.

(Yes...Yes I do...I never stopped regretting)

He tightened his grip on her hand. He was trying so hard not to cry. To push back the emotions that threatened to engulf him and show her how much he truly regretted the pain he put her through.

He squeezed her hand and he leaned forward. Her forehead was resting against his, both of their breaths mingling together. Her hand holding his tightly as well. It was a comforting gesture, one that he craved.

"I hate myself for what I did to you."

"We all hate ourselves sometimes." she smiled, brushing the tears from his cheeks with her thumb. "We're human after all."

"What matters is what you do afterwards." She looked at him kindly.

"So what do you plan to do, Link?"

He couldn't speak for a moment, but her gaze never wavered from his face. Her eyes were filled with nothing but understanding.

"Whatever it takes to make it up to you, I will." He answered honestly. He wouldn't hesitate in doing anything to make her happy. Anything to prove to her that he still had a heart inside. "Anything I must."

"Then don't worry about it right now." She said. She slowly brushed his tears away and she rested her forehead against his once more.

"Just relax and take a deep breath. The outside world can wait for a moment." She spoke reassuringly.

He shook his head, still trembling.

"If you keep shaking like this I might just think that you're mad at me." She laughed.

The laughter of a woman who was willing to give him another chance.

(How can she be so kind to him?)

"And then I'd start getting worried again." She laughed softly. He couldn't help but laugh as well. She pulled away from him, moving to sit pressed next to his side.

Her arm snaking around his waist to pull him closer.

He was able to relax and lean against her.

His heart was beating faster than it should be. He knew that he shouldn't, but he still couldn't bring himself to move away from her touch.

Her fingers began stroking through his hair. It felt nice.

They remained sitting in silence, watching the waves, simply enjoying each other's company.

"...I don't want to wake up..." He murmured quietly, "I want to stay here, with you." finally admitting his true feelings out loud.

(He didn't want to return to a world where she wasn't there. It hurt. It hurt every second he was awake and away from this peace.)

"We all have to wake up from our dreams eventually." She answered, smiling as he relaxed into her embrace. "Even the ones we enjoy."

"But I'm not ready for that." (I don't think I'll ever be...)

"You're wrong." He twitched, realizing he had spoken that aloud, "You deserve everything good in life. You don't deserve to trap yourself in a dream. You deserve to be happy."

She gave his hair an affectionate stroke.

"And I'd be very happy if you gave yourself a chance."

(I can't...not after what I did...)

The tears were streaming down his cheeks. He felt a lump in his throat, as the tears threatened to choke him.

"...Close your eyes Link." She whispered softly.

"I..." He hesitated but soon relented. (He could never deny her when she asked him so gently.)

He did as she asked, and she held him close.

He leaned his head onto her shoulder, her scent calming him as he tried to control his sobs.

"Just drift away now, you shouldn't stay here forever you know." She said, pressing her lips to his forehead.

(She was warm and smelled good. Comforting. Like finally returning home.)

But how could this be? She was never meant for someone like him. She deserves someone

better. Anyone better. But he was selfish, he could never let her go.)

"I wish I could." He sobbed.

"But you can't." She replied, "You'll see...you'll see...everything will work out."

He didn't reply; he just held her closer. He buried his nose into her neck, shoulders shaking, inhaling her fragrance deeply.

"Link?"

"...Yes?"

"...Good Night..."

He sniffled and tried to burn every part of this moment into his memory. Even as a heaviness slowly pulled at him away from it all.

"Good night...(y/n)..."

And then, he was gone.

----

"I...um...I have this letter for you." The spoonful of stew paused it's trip into his mouth as he looked at Ravio.

He blinked, "...Is that so?" and set his spoon down when Ravio nodded.

It had been two months since he had woken from that dream. A month since he stopped Yuga. It had taken him time to recover from both it and the injuries he had sustained.

He had been letting himself recover slowly, mostly at Ravio’s insistence; going about life as best as he could after the last battle.

Yuga was slain, Ganon defeated once more, Lorule was restored, and Hyrule was at peace for the time being.

Ravio had eventually returned a few weeks after everything was settled. Using the excuse that business was better in Hyrule than back home.

(He threw a spare key at his head and told him to clean up after himself.)

He never had that same dream again. A part of him felt angered that the only source of happiness he had received in so long was ripped from him once more.

Yet another part of him felt both numb, yet somewhat accepting about it.

(She did say he couldn't stay there forever. Even as a dream, (y/n) was always watching out for him.)

He watched as his friend fiddled with the surface of the small envelope in his hand before handing it over to him.

He stared down at it, wondering what kind of letter it contained. He flipped it around, but the outside of the letter was blank.

"Who gave you this?" He asked, placing the letter on his lap for the moment.

Ravio fidgeted.

"Nobody! I-I mean, no one in particular...Not to say it's not not anyone in particular...i" He laughed nervously, "P-Perhaps the contents of the letter can answer your question? It's a really weird story."

Link nodded, he doubted Ravio would hand him a dangerous letter.

"I-I um...haven't looked through it yet."

...Or maybe he would. At this point he wasn't sure anymore.

"Trying to get rid of me after I did your job for you?" He bluntly commented.

Ravio sputtered and tried to defend himself but Link simply handed him his nearly empty bowl.

"I'd like some more please."

Ravio blinked and tried to decided between reacting to the now clear teasing or to immediately get him another bowl of stew.

But his desire to see him eat more trumped his desire to complain.

"...I'll make sure to heat it up." He said as he grabbed the bowl and left with a small huff.

He relaxed against his pillow for a moment before he picked up the letter again when Ravio left, and stared at it. Something about this letter didn't feel quite right. But it didn't feel wrong enough.

He eventually decided to open it.

Peeking within, he saw several folded pictures. He could see images of the sky in many of them. Pulling them out, a small slip of paper slipped away and fell on his lap.

Looking down, he noticed writing on it. It took him a moment to register what dialect it was written in, and only then did his heart begin to race at top speed.

It shouldn't exist here. This dialect shouldn't exist in this era.

How-

Legend looked at the door. As if Ravio would come in at that very second. But the merchant didn't.

Looking back down at the slip of paper, he swallowed.

'To the Hero of Legend.'

He wasn't called that yet. In this moment in time, he was just the Hero of Hyrule.

His title came later.

A shaky exhale left him as his hand trembled a bit harder holding onto the note tightly.

Looking at the folded pictures on his trembling hand, he slowly unfolded it, the contents within revealing-

...Captain..? There was no doubt who was in the picture. No other person could possibly come to mind.

He re-folded the photograph, as if to take a moment to gather his wits.

(Was it real?) His mind whispered, (was it truly?)

His breathing quickened. His stomach felt like a knot. Every nerve in his body was on edge as his heart was ready to burst.

Slowly...he unfolded the picture again, gazing at the calm face of the Hero of Warriors staring back at him.

It...It was him.

There was no mistaking who it was. No mistaking the sword only a Hero could wield.

(Could it actually be true?)

He looked through the next picture and a lump formed in his throat.

The sailor, a bit younger than he last remembered (a bit thinner as well), but still so easily recognizable. (The captain must have used his Picto box)

Even young and without his markings, Legend could easily recognize the old man. (He looked as tired as Legend felt. Yet there was a sense of peace in his gaze that could only have come from being near his most trusted.)

A genuine smile appeared on his face, the first one in...so long that he couldn't truly remember.

Legend's breath caught in his throat. (It was him. It was actually him.)

His vision became blurry, and before he even realized it, tears were running down his face, his body shaking.

He quickly brought a hand up, swiping his eyes to try and regain composure.

He kept shifting through the pictures. Eyes devouring each and every new image that he saw next.

Warriors. Time. Wind. He even saw Ravio. (And he suspected he could figure out how this letter came into the merchant's hands.)

Each image sent his heart soaring. (It was new. new new new new and real)

There was Zora Princess Ruto and the Goron Chief Darunia from the Old man's era. The Sage of Earth and the king of red lions from the sailor's.

People he shouldn't recognize but did. it set his mind spinning.

But it was the last picture that made him pause.

The last one that left him breathless.

Her smile, her blue dress, the Hibiscus in her red hair.

"M...Marin.." He choked out.

It was impossible...she shouldn't exist...she had been a dream.

But to deny her image in this picture would mean to deny the images of all the others.

And he simply couldn't handle that possibility.

It was her. It was truly her.

"(y/n)..." He whispered, he stopped trying to fight the tears that continued to fall. "You were right."

She had once told him of a possibility.

'If there are parallel worlds that even you've been to. Wouldn't that mean Koholint was just a world that fell into the Windfish's dream like you did?'

He had considered that possibility many times. But it never went far. because how would he prove it? By the time he met (y/n) and the others, Koholint was years behind.

He had considered, but never truly believed.

Because how would he go about finding evidence?

...With a picture it seemed. A picture that showed her happy and healthy and alive.

The realization shook him to his core.

All this time, he thought he mourned a life he had believed was forever lost.

All those times he wondered why he had been burdened with that weight, even if it was a weight he carried by his own choice.

The nightmares that haunted him for years.

But this one image...It left him dizzy with joy. She hadn't disappeared.

She was alive.

He took in each picture over and over, trying to absorb every little detail he could.

If Marin was alive... His brothers remembered...than that meant...that meant (y/n)....

Legend covered his mouth, unable to control the sobs escaping. He could hardly breath as he struggled to hold back the cries.

(Y/n) was alive.

All that he went through hadn't been for nothing.

Marin was alive. Most likely back home now that the war was certainly finished. (Not gone. Not a mere memory.)

His sword brothers, they were all out there, waiting just like he was.

Waiting to be reunited once more.

It made him so utterly happy.

"Mr. Hero?" Legend looked up at Ravio who nervously stood by the door with the tray of food.

"Are...you okay?" He asked, slowly approaching, scanning Legend to see if he wasn't injured again.

His eyes settled on the pictures that had fallen from his grasp and onto the bed, surprise crossing his face as he registered what the pictures contained.

"I.." Legend breathed, a smile stretched across his face. "am more than okay."

That's what mattered, after everything he had to go through. It was all real.

Everything that mattered to him was real.

All he could do was cry from the joy of that simple fact.

#linked universe #yandere linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu #loz #linked universe x reader #lu legend #ttau #ttau rewrite #rewrite #gliphy writes #(y/n)

151 notes · View notes

gliphyartfan · 23 days

Text

Hiiii, I’m back.

FINALLY! You guys have no idea how frustrating this guy was!

But I did it! May the next post happen much soon! Sohelpmegod

@yanderelinkeduniverse @ice-cream-writes-stuff @linked-heroes @screaming-until-god-hears-me @imprisioned-in-the-hole @crestfallenmermaidan @eternadreeblissa @lovanmari

Well no more talk! Only story! Enjoy!

———

——

—

"Was dad upset with you today?"

"..."

Colin…didn't really expect an answer, he already knew.

Had seen the frustrated look on his father's face.

And Link, he had simply stood there silently.

When he wasn't found in the village, Colin always found him by the Ordon spring.

Sometimes with Epona, mostly alone. Link just stared into the crystal clear waters, never once looking away.

Colin observes Link's quiet and solemn routine by the entrance of the spring. As he watches, Colin notices something unusual - Link has a jug that belongs to his father, one that Colin had been warned against sipping from. Colin continues to watch Link from a distance, observing the way he silently drinks from the jug and stares into the clear waters.

Just another oddity in the growing list connected to the rancher.

For many days, Link had been behaving utterly odd.

Looking at everyone strangely, almost panicked, as if he no longer understood how to interact with any of them.

Everyone had been whispering about it, yet no one could figure out what caused him to suddenly change so much out of the blue.

Yet despite his strangeness, he still helped Colin's mother Uli, still patrolled alongside Colin's father Rusl. Still dealt with the goats and cared for Epona.

But it was almost…like he was simply going through the actions.

His body was moving but his eyes were empty. Even when he gave everyone a smile, it was crooked, like he didn't even have the energy to smile properly.

Colin watches as Link takes another swig from the jug, his eyes never leaving the reflective surface of the water. The typically cheerful rancher seems distant, lost in thought. Colin has never seen Link like this before, and it honestly makes him uneasy.

Despite his anxiety, Colin decides to approach Link, wondering what could be going on in the older boy's mind.

The sound of the water splashing against the shore and the distant bleating of the goats fills the air. Link doesn't seem to notice Colin's presence, instead continuing to gaze absently into the water. Colin approaches him from the side and looks at the jug of mead in Link's hands.

"He and mom were talking about you." He said quietly, sitting next to him, "I think he knows you've been taking his jug. They are worried."

Link turns to look at Colin, his eyes still clouded and distant. "I see," he says, his voice quiet and soft. He takes a long drink from the jug. He sets it down beside him, his gaze returning to the water.

Colin watches as Link takes a deep breath, as if trying to gather his thoughts.

Colin, curious and worried about Link's distant behavior, gently asks, "Is there…something wrong, Link? You’ve been… different."

Link stays silent for what feels like an eternity to Colin, his gaze fixed on the water. Just as Colin is about to give up on getting an answer, "I'm just...tired, Colin." Link finally speaks up, his voice barely above a whisper, "Tired of...so much, tired of…losing…so much."

Link's words hang heavily in the air, the weight of his emotions palpable. Colin, still young and inexperienced, didn’t and couldn’t fully understand the depth of what Link is feeling. He looks up at Link, trying to process the words. "But you always win in the end, don't you?"

"This...isn't something I can win.."

Link's reply cuts through the air like a knife, his voice laced with a sadness that only those who have experienced great loss can truly understand. Colin looks up at Link, searching for some hint of the Link he has always known, the one who is brave, strong, and seeming to never falter when trouble was about.

Colin watched the person he saw as an older brother stare into the waters of the spring.

He looked so…lost…but it wasn't like he was searching for anything…

It was almost as if he had long given up when just some time ago he had been fine.

"Link…did you…lose something important?” Colin didn't really know why he said that. But it made sense, in a way.

He lost something, Colin didn't know what but it must have been so important that it made him like this.

Made him behave so strangely.

Link continues to stare into the water, his mind lost in thought. He seems far away, consumed by his own emotions. Colin's question hangs in the air, unanswered. Link's shoulders sag, as if the weight of the world is resting on them.

Finally, he speaks, his voice quiet and defeated.

"I don't know..."

Link's response only deepens the mystery surrounding his current state of mind. The warmth of the setting sun does little to dispel the chill that Colin now feels in the air.

"I don't…know if I lost anything…anyone…" Link continues unprompted, "I…think I did…I think I lost some…one..so..so precious…"

Colin's heart tightens as he hears the pain in Link's voice. He gazes at his older brother, trying to find the right words to say. He opens his mouth, then closes it again, at a loss.

"But I don't know if I lost anyone…and that scares me…" Link took another drink from the jug, "I think..I'd be happier if I had lost someone.."

"Why?" Colin couldn't help but ask.

"…Because it means they had to have existed for me to lose…"

Link's words hang heavy in the air, as Colin looks at him with a mixture of confusion and concern. The kind Hyrulean boy that Colin had always known seemed to have been replaced by a hollow, lost shell of his former self.

Colin takes a deep breath, searching for the right words to say. He wants to offer Link some encouragement, some glimmer of hope to hold onto. But as he opens his mouth, the gnawing silence seems to swallow his words before they can even leave his lips.

Because no matter how much he wanted to help, Colin was just a kid. A kid that didn't really understand what Link was talking about.

It all confused Colin just as much as it worried him.

Colin sits next to Link in silence, his heart heavy with concern. He tries to offer an apology, hoping it might bring some comfort to his brother. "I'm sorry I can't help you, Link," Colin says softly, his voice laced with sadness.

Link doesn’t look away from the waters. "It's alright, Colin," he says, his voice quiet and devoid of emotion. "I don't think anyone can help me with this." He takes another drink from the jug.

That just made Colin feel worse.

Eventually Colin glances up at the sky and notices that it has started to darken. Reluctantly, he accepts that it's time for him to return home.

He takes one last look at Link, who still sits at the edge of the spring, lost in his thoughts, like the weight of the world was seemingly on his shoulders.

Colin sighed heavily, feeling a knot tighten in his stomach as he turned and began to make his way back to the village.

And Link...

...simply took another swing from the jug, the ache in his chest gnawing within him that he knew wouldn't be filled.

He had lost everything that had become so dear to him...

He didn’t know if he ever had it to begin with…

And all he wanted to do was simply forget, if it meant an end to the horrible pain.

——

It was familiar enough.

The Bublins charging into the spring.

The force that sent him collapsing into the spring waters beneath him.

Uli’s tears and Rusl’s grave face.

The forceful tug into the Twilight.

The agony of his wolf form wrapping around him…

The cell and cuff that bound him in place…

That laughter…that mischievous grin…

At one time, he had longed to hear and see this all again. Longed for the mischievous smile and arrogant words spoken at him. so much so that it was as if he needed it like air.

But…

…

…Funny how what he once wanted so badly was now the very last thing he ever wanted to see.

He didn’t know how to feel about it…

—-

Link gasps, collapsing to his knees, his sword stabbing into the ground in order to keep him upright.

“Why do you continue to fail?”

Link shakes his head, grimacing.

“I…I don’t…mean to…I-“

“You must confront that which you seek to deny, else it damns you to further loss…now..” The point of a blade was aimed at the hero.

“Again.”

“…Yes sir…”

—-

“You have a renewed burden."

He chose not to reply to the fortune teller.

At the urging of Midna, who's curiosity over talk of someone who could see into the future had garnered her interest, he had gone to visit Madame Fanadi.

Personally he'd have simply gone to the next location needing his attention.

He didn't want to be here, he already knew what he needed to do.

"You are lost, blindingly wandering through a world of memories long since past." She continued, "Eyes open, but unseeing as you stumble along your unpaved path."

Madame Fanadi's words hang heavy in the air, her piercing gaze never leaving the Hero of Twilight.

"Bound by chains forged from your own guilt and regret." She says, her voice taking on a somber tone.

Link's eyes are focusing on a point beyond Madame Fanadi. He can feel Midna's gaze on him from within his shadow, but he doesn't acknowledge it.

"Your burden wishes to trap you," she continues, "It would consume you whole, if you let it."

"…And why shouldn't I let it?" The words left his lips before he registered that he even said it.

Madame Fanadi's gaze does not falter, as if she had expected this reaction. "There is hope, even in your darkest memories," she says gently. "You have a chance to break free from your burden and find redemption."

He scoffs. "Redemption?"

He doesn't deserve it. None of them did.

Damned to relive these days. Damned to question whether he was truly reliving them or simply following a pattern that was laid before him. Worse still to realize that it was possibly all a figment of his mind.

(If they all truly exist... he hopes they are suffering like he was…)

If his Goddess truly existed or not...

He hoped she never forgave them.

None of them were worthy of it.

Twilight's hands curl into fists in his lap, knuckles turning white.

He wasn’t worthy of it.

"You wish to be consumed by the pain, seeing no point in continuing on," she says. "It's eating away at you, consuming you from the inside. Most curious for a young man like yourself to hold such regret."

Twilight's eyes, still fixed on a point beyond the fortune teller, narrow.

Madame Fanadi continues to watch him, calm, patient. As if for her, the passing of time meant nothing. "You are burdened by memories, young hero," she says softly. "Memories that haunt you, memories that bring you pain. Or rather, it is someone within those memories."

Twilight tensed, his fists squeezing tighter.

"You want to look away, to run from these thoughts, but you know that you can't escape them."

"That's enough..." He tells her, his voice low.

"Tell me young man, do you believe if you ignore these regrets, that somehow you'll be free of the consequences you suffer?"

"I won’t hear anymore..."

"Those who fought beside you, the trust you hold for them in your heart, it is strong and bright despite the darkness swirling within." Madame Fanadi continued, "If they stood before you, would they not be suffering such agony as well?"

She tapped her chin, an almost sorrowful smile on her face.

"After all, are you not all guilty of the same regret?"

"Stop it!" Twilight was looking directly into the woman's eyes, his own shining with anger and warning.

Madame Fanadi does not flinch under the provoked man's gaze, but rather, she holds it, her smile never wavering. "You are trying to hide away from the truth you created, young hero," she says. "But you can only hide so long before that truth finds you."

"I'm leaving." He stands, uncaring that his seat is knocked over.

Madame Fanadi's smile doesn't falter as he stood up, her eyes following him. "Remember, young hero, the truth has a way of finding us all." She says this softly, almost like a whisper. The room feels suddenly colder, it would excuse the trembling of his shoulders, and the candles flicker as if in response to her words.

He storms towards the exit, his footsteps echoing in the stillness of the room.

—

—-

He coughs, a dribble of spit escaping the corner of his mouth as he clutches his stomach.

“Had this been a true battle, you would have been cut down several strikes ago.”

“I-I’m so-“ a kick to his side sends him sprawling onto the ground once more.

“Don’t apologize. Improve.” Once more, the blade is pointed at him.

“Again.”

Link clenches his teeth, trembling with exertion as he reaches for his sword.

"What the hell was that Link?"

As he storms out of Fanadi's Palace, he hears Midna's voice calling out to him. She sounds concerned and a little frustrated, and Twilight knows that she wants him to explain what just happened.

He stays silent and continues to walk away from the building.

Midna, not used to being ignored, pesters him as he makes his way through and out the city.

Link stops in his tracks when they are a good distance away, looking down at Midna, who had appeared in front of him, with a mixture of annoyance and detachment.

"I didn't like what she was saying," he says, his gaze flickering away from Midna's.

Midna crosses her arms, her expression skeptical.

"Are you still worried over those kids?" She asks, sighing as if she figured out his problem already.

"They are safe in that village, that shaman seems to have a good head on his shoulders." She said.

Link's eyes narrow at Midna, shaking his head.

He wasn't going to bother correcting her assumptions.

What he suffers through happened long after she was gone.

...in his memories anyway.

"..I won't let things get in the way of what we're doing." He says quietly, looking away from her.

Midna frowned, eyeing him for a moment before returning to his shadow without another word.

Though he was not stupid to think that was the end of this conversation.

The wind rustles through the trees, carrying the scent of blooming flowers and the sound of chirping birds. The sky is a clear blue, with only a few wispy clouds visible. It's a peaceful scene, but Link's mind is anything but.

He closed his eyes, hoping the ambiance of the area would pull him into its peaceful embrace.

It was a fruitless effort of course, but it was better than suffering the ache in his chest.

—-

“Again.”

“I’m TRYING!” He growls, grunting as he tiredly raises his blade to block the strike aimed toward him.

“Success must come after attempting, yet you seem to linger at the ‘attempting’ stage of learning.” A twist of a wrist and the rancher’s sword is knocked form his hand and clatters to the ground several feet away from him.

“Again.”

Link can only bite back the snarl that tried to escape him, his hands in tight fists as he steps towards his fallen blade.

Link kept a smile on his face when he arrived in Kakariko Village, keeping the troubles that plagued him from seeping through as Talo greeted him excitedly.

Beth was still with Colin and Malo had his store.

Humoring Talo's rambling as he walked though the village, he soon waved him off when he approached the inn.

Entering the room, Link can see that Colin is resting peacefully. Beth is sitting in a chair next to him, her head resting on the armrest as she dozes off.

The warmth and quietness of the room wrap around the Hero. Beth doesn't stir from her sleep, and Colin looks peaceful, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. The silence almost tricks him into relaxing into it's embrace, but his thoughts keep invading, making it difficult to truly relax. He takes a seat next to Beth, watching Colin closely.

Truthfully he had no interest in being here.

But he had no interest in speaking to Midna either.

It was either here or back in town, and the rancher wanted to be as far away from that fortune teller as possible.

Link carefully lays a spar blanket over Beth, tucking it around her shoulders to keep her warm. He then turns his attention back to Colin, not really looking at him, merely giving his eyes a point to focus on.

The silence in the inn is only broken by the soft snoring of Beth and the rhythmic breathing of Colin. Link's constant attempts to find solace in the peaceful atmosphere are in vain, as his thoughts keep drifting back to Midna and the unspoken tension between them.

He can feel her eyes on him, even from within his shadow, and he knows she's waiting for him to address the elephant in the room.

This version of her may not have known him as well as previously, but she had a keen eye when she so chose.

But he refused to speak to her about it.

He didn't even want to think about any of it.

As Link sits in the quiet inn, it's as if he's viewing the world through a foggy glass, unable to truly connect with it.

He...didn't want to be here.

He takes a slow deep breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth.

He doesn't want to do any of this again. (Didn’t want to contemplate if he was doing to all over again.)

All he wants is to wake up back at camp, to hear Wild (his mentee, his cub) humming as he finishes breakfast. To hear the others (pack, trusted) slowly awaken at the smell of fresh food.

To hear Her voice, rough with sleep, greet them good morning,

To be able to reach out and cup her cheek, to feel the joy as She sleepily nuzzles against it, trusting that he would never harm her. Seeing Her almost fall back to sleep before he softly calls Her name to keep her awake.

Link's thoughts are consumed by longing for a past that seemed to never truly have happened, for the companionship he once considered so important. He closes his eyes, trying to imagine himself back at camp with his friends. He can almost hear everyone's chatter as they prepare for the day, the smell of Wild's cooking.

He can almost feel the warmth of the morning sun on his face, hear the sound of the birds chirping in the trees. He remembers the way Her sleepy laughter would fill the air as she conversed with the others. He remembers the feeling of camaraderie, of belonging to something bigger than himself.

He remembers his pack and he misses them all so very much.

His sword brothers...he longed to stand before them once again.

To be able to walk up to them...reach out his arms...

( And strangle the utter life out of each one of them for daring to damn him to this horrible curs- )

He tenses when he hears Beth mumble something in her sleep, relaxing when she didn't saying anything else.

He focused on some deep slow breath. He could hear his blood rushing in his ears.

He wants to lash out in some way, but he knows he can't let himself get carried away by his anger. He takes a few more deep breaths, trying to clear his mind.

As he opens his eyes, he notices Beth stirring in her sleep again. He watches her for a moment, listening to her soft breathing. He can't help but feel a twinge of envy towards her.

Link's gaze remains fixed on Beth, studying her peaceful expression as she sleeps. He can't help but think about how carefree and untroubled she looks, free from the burdens and responsibilities that weigh on his own shoulders. The envy he feels turns into a pang of sadness, and his heart feels heavy in his chest.

'Was it so wrong to want to stand by her side?' He mouthed silently to himself.

He doesn't want what he remembers to be a dream. He didn't want to think that the love he gained for such an incredible person to have been all for nothing.

He just wants to go back to his pack, back to Her.

(Even if his pack would damn him to suffer this cruelt-)

He ran both his hands through hair, letting one drop while the other kept a grip on his head.

He didn't want to do any of this! He didn't want to do this! Again or not! He simply wanted this journey far away from his present. To become a long done memory already.

Was he cursed to relive this path over and over?

Would a chance at life beyond the hero title be a failed dream?

He just wanted someone to tell him...

'..Is there an ending to all this?' He whispered to himself, it felt like it echoed in the silence of the room.

—

"...just kill me..."

Link's voice is barely above a whisper, his shoulders slumped in defeat. The Shade's sword remains at his neck, the weight of it a reminder of his mortality. The ghostly swordsman studies Link.

"Please…I rather die believing in the illusion my mind showed me, than live long enough to find it was all a lie."

The Shade's gaze lingers on Link for a moment longer, then he slowly withdraws his sword, sheathing it with a soft hiss. "I will not grant you such a release," he says into the silence.

"The strength of your heart…has disappointed me. "

Link stays silent, not meeting the Shade's gaze yet feeling the weight of it.

He feels empty…

He feels defeated.

—

When Midna finally manages to confront him, it's as sudden and as ferocious as he always expected her to be.

Link could feel the air escape his lungs as the Twili's versatile orange hair slammed him against the dungeon floor.

"You're not avoiding this any longer you goat-wrangling mutt!" She hissed, Twili magic crackling around her. "You better tell me what's been going on with you or I'll make you."

Midna's eyes glow with a fierce determination as she pins Link against the floor. Her hair holding him in place. Link struggles to breathe, caught off guard by Midna's sudden attack. He can feel the heat of her anger and the intensity of her gaze.

"I've tried to give you space," Midna said, hands clenched.

"But you've been avoiding even talking to me, and I won't stand for it any longer. You will tell me what's been going on with you, or I will force it out of you."

The air is thick with tension as Link struggles to break free from Midna's grasp.

"One hell of a time to corner me like this." He grunts, not bothering to struggle. He knew no amount of struggling to free him from her grasp.

"I thought you wanted me to keep moving?" He asks, trying to buy some time to gather his thoughts. Midna's sudden aggression had taken him by surprise, and he's still reeling from his own inner turmoil.

Midna's grip on Link tightens, and her eyes narrow. "I did," she says, her voice low and dangerous. "But you've been doing a rather good job keeping me from asking you anything, and I can't stand it any longer."

"Well maybe just keep out of my business and you'll spare yourself the frustration." He glares at her, but Midna's gaze doesn't waver. Instead, her eyes seem to bore into him, searching for the truth. Link feels a shiver run down his spine as he realizes that she won't let go.

"What is wrong with you?" He growls at her, "I have done everything you wanted since you freed me from that cell. Is asking for some privacy in regards to my own life that difficult for you to accept?"

"Not when it ends with you lashing out!" She snaps back, her grip on him tightening even more. Link winces as she presses down on him for a moment.

"You nearly attacked that one drunk guy in castle town!"

"He wouldn't leave me alone." Was all he said.

"All he said was That he'd feel sorry for whatever girl decides to fall for a, oh what was it he said? 'Grumpy country bumpkin.'? Something about how that girl would just have her heart broken."

"Wouldn't be the first time I've been called that." He answered, though the people who called him that were trusted friends.

"Oh? So you decided to nearly yank his arm from his shoulder socket because he just wouldn't stop talking?"

He didn't care if that stupid drunk rambled on like he had.

But to say whoever gave their heart to him would suffer heartbreak...

(Was he that terrible of choice for a life partner? A husband? A mate? Is that why he hurt-)

"Nothing he said was worth focusing on."

"And those knights! You snarled at them when they made a stupid joke! SNARLED!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up when she saw his stubborn expression. "You looked like the very wolf you can change into. They ran without wasting a second!”

"The knights of Castle town are worthless and cowardly." He growled, a hand coming up to grab part of her hair. "They don’t dare approach me if I was in my beast form, it genuinely makes me wonder how they’d handle an actual war?"

Midna's eyes narrowed even further. "You can't go around attacking people. You're supposed to be a hero aren't you? Not some brute."

"Oh?" He asks, a faux look of curiosity on his face. "Would me being a brute go against your goals?"

"Now you're going after me?" She scoffs, crossing her arms and legs as she stares down at him.

"You were always strange since we met, but ever since you spoke to that fortune teller, you've been completely out of line."

"Simply because you're making assumptions about my situation-"

"Because you never talk to me!"

"Well maybe it's because I don't WANT to talk to you! Have you ever thought of THAT?" He spat at her, struggling for the first time since being pinned to the floor.

"You-"

"I've done EVERYTHING you wanted me to do! EVERYTHING. I have not made a SINGLE complaint since you saved me from the cell! Not one! I think I have been a rather good 'servant' don't you think?"

He clenched his hands into tight fists.

"But it seems no matter what I do. I'm NEVER good enough for you. For ANYONE." He shakes his head, his face twisting in pain.

"Was what I've done so bad that I have to be cursed like this? To be forced to live through it all over again? To question what’s true or fabricated in my mind?!?”

"Link-"

"I didn't mean to!" He shouts, his voice cracking.

"I-I...I just.." Wanted to be by Her side…

That's all he wanted. He wanted to be with Her. Hold Her. Kiss Her.

To be granted the honor of being called her partner, perhaps even her everything.

Wanted to never let her out of his sight again. To take her somewhere far away and start a life with just the two of them.

"What do I have to do to fix this?" He whispers, his head bowed.

'Link, focus-"

"WHO DO I HAVE TO KILL IN ORDER TO WAKE UO FROM THIS DAMNED NIGHTMARE!!" He roars at her. Midna actually rears back at the unhinged look overtaking his face.

“Hey! Watch it!”

Link's words hang heavy in the air, and Midna watches as he struggles against her grip, his eyes blazing with...something..

"Let go of me," He growls, his voice barely above a whisper. "I mean it Midna. Let. Go."

Midna stays silent, hesitation flickering in her eye.

Something was wrong. This was not how she expected this to go.

She watches as he struggles against her grip, his eyes blazing with an intensity that makes her want to keep him pinned down until whatever was happening was over.

"Link, focus," Midna tries to interject, but he talks over her.

"Let go of me..."

"Link, I-" she starts, but he cuts her off.

"I said let go," he repeats.

"Damnit, you’re not ok!" She says, refusing to let him go.

She didn't know WHAT he would do if she did.

"Let go of me Midna..."

"What'll happen if I do?"

"Let me go.." He brings his head up and lets the back of it hit the floor beneath him.

Midna watches as Link's head hits the floor, wincing at the sound of impact.

“Heheh…” He begins to laugh, it was not pleasant to hear, “Do I have to wake myself up? Is that how I'll return? Am I too stubborn to wake up?”

That look in his eyes, he's not in his right mind. She tightens her hold on him.

"Link. You're not thinking straight. You need to calm down." She says firmly, trying to reason with him.

He brings his head up, only to hit it against the floor again, harder.

“I need to wake up…they’re waiting for me…”

The sound of Link's head hitting the floor echoes through the wide space, and Midna can't help but feel a sense of alarm. She tightens her grip on him, trying to keep him still and prevent him from hurting himself any further.

"Link, stop it!" She commands, her voice firm and authoritative.

"I need to wake up..." His voice sounds fragile, trembling as he brings his head up as best as he could and to slam it back down against the floor. “She’s unprotected…we have to protect her…”

(He couldn’t lose her again. He simply couldn’t.)

Midna watches in horror as Link continues to bang his head against the floor, each impact causing the sound of his head hitting the hard surface to echo in the open space. The scent of blood making it's appearance.

"I need to wake up.." he repeats, desperate, as if he were on the verge of tears.

His mind overwhelmed by everything he'd be desperately pushing away since he awoke back in Ordon.

He couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to return to his pack. He wanted to return to (y/n).

He wanted this all to be a horrible dream.

Midna, completely out of her depth, lifts Link away from the floor, the back of his head leaving a splatter of blood on the rough surface.

She slams him back down, causing the air to escape his lungs.

"I'm sorry Link," she says, not giving him a chance to register what's happening as she releases him and turns her hair into a fist. "But you need to calm down!"

Link has just a moment to register what she said as her fist collides with the side of his face.

Midna breathes a sigh of relief as Link's body goes slack, her makeshift fist leaving a rather large red mark on his cheek.

..What the hell…

She knows that she had to do something to stop him from hurting himself, but that didn't help the twinge of guilt after hitting him. She floats down close to him, brushing his bangs out of his eyes after a few moments, checking to make sure that he's still breathing.

The dungeon is dimly lit, with faint light from outside barely illuminating the cold, stone walls. The air is thick with dust and the smell of dampness, and the noticeable sound was the distant drip of water. Link's unconscious form lies sprawled on the cold, wet. hard ground, his breathing slow and steady. Midna hovers over him, her expression a mix of concern and guilt.

"..What made you go crazy like this?" She mutters, unsure what to do.

What a situation she landed herself in.

Stuck in a damp dungeon with an unconscious frenzied hero.

...

(Maybe she should have chosen a better spot to talk to him.)

…

“This sucks..”

—

"Again.”

"What do you WANT?" Link shouts at him, his chest heaving from the exertion.

A single red glowing eye looks at him. "Your resolve has weakened to an absurd degree," he says. "You limit yourself to the boundaries that others have placed on you."

He stares up at him, panting and covered in sweat. " I have done no such thing." He protested. "I am doing everything I can."

The Shade shakes his head. "You are holding yourself back."

"No I'm not!"

"Still such a child. Denying a truth that is always dogging your footsteps."

"You aren't even HERE!" He screams, having finally reached his limit with the shade.

The shade said nothing.

"This is all some fucked up dream! The real you doesn’t even recognize me!! You think I wouldn’t figure this out? That I wouldn’t be able to see through this whole thing?!? What's the point, what’s the fucking purpose of my mind placing the illusion of you before me?!? To mock me?? To constantly remind me of something that possibly didn’t happen?"

"I may be an illusion...but your guilt isn't."

"This is ridiculous," He sits up, his teeth bared at the spirit. "I’ve denied nothing!"

"You are troubled. It clouds your heart."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but you aren't the first to point that out."

The Hero's Shade stood a few feet from him, sword held away as he watched Link.

The Shade's gaze is intense, scrutinizing Link as he rises to a sitting position. The air around him feels heavy, almost suffocating, as if the weight of his troubles is a physical entity. Link can't help but feel a little vulnerable under the Shade's gaze, the numbness that has become all too familiar to him serving as a constant reminder of his burden.

"I won't let it get in the way of learning what you teach me." The rancher replies in a monotone manner.

“Each time you appear before me, your resolve weakens further." The Shade says, his voice deeper, rougher than the rancher remembered.

Then again, he spent a considerable amount of time with his more...'livelier’ self...so the young hero supposed things would have changed during the decades after.

(Though...the Shade should have recognized him...shouldn't he? Yet he didn’t… Did that mean that everything truly was-)

Link shook away those thoughts.

"Though that does not distract me from your current failure to focus." He steps closer to Link, slowly walking around him.

"You’re weaker than you should be, yet still so disappointing. I’m surprised you have not been struck down by a Bublin yet due to your carelessness." Link grit his teeth, that was not a question.

"I am...as strong as you need me to be.."

"As I need you to be? So…you would allow another to determine your overall strength? You would cease to grow simply because another held your leash and brought you to heel?"

Link glared up at him, but of course, the Shade was entirely unfazed.

The Hero's Shade continues to circle around Link, his intense gaze never leaving the young hero. The weight of his gaze is almost unbearable, and Link can feel himself reflexively shrinking under the pressure.

When he stands in front of Link once again, he points his sword at him.

"Raise your sword." Was all he said to him.

The Shade's sword gleams in the light of this realm. Link tightens his grip on his own weapon, meeting his gaze. He lifts his sword as he stands, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

The Shade begins to circle him once more, this time Link matching his movements.

"Now, attack." He commands. The young hero takes a deep breath and lunges forward, sword swinging through the air.

The Hero's Shade watches intently as Link attacks, it takes not even a few moves before Link is tossed to the ground.

"Again," he says, his voice stern. Link obliges, rising up and lunging and swinging his sword once more.

This time, the Shade raises his own weapon to block, the clash of metal on metal echoing in the air. "Again," he repeats as Link is once more knocked down.

Once more he rises, only to be defeated again. The Shade remains unmoved.

Link's movements become more sloppy with each loss. Frustration taking over more and more, but the Shade remains relentless, silently commanding him to raise his sword each time.

Link loathes the sound of his sword constantly clattering to the ground. An indication of his constant failure.

An indication that he was weak.

…weak…

…

No…

Nononono..

He couldn't afford to be weak.

No. Never.

Not when being weak means losing what matters.

Not when it means he could lose- he couldn't lose everything else!

He already lost his pack! Every one of them! He can't-

His reacted before he really registered the noise, rearing his head back in surprise, dodging the sword swipe.

"What are you doing?!?”

"You are rejecting the truth and it’s hindering you." The Shade says, his voice echoing ominously. "I wonder, how many will you abandon as you run away?"

"I have never abandoned anyone!" He exclaims as he dodges swipe after swipe.

"Foolish enough to release your sword in front of an opponent. Foolish enough to deny the truths that dig themselves into your very being. Foolish enough to be led on by others like some obedient beast."

"What point is there to gain strength when I've lost everything already?!?"

The Hero's Shade does not pause his attacks, but does look at Link with a contemplative expression. "Strength is not just for protecting others," he says. "It is also for protecting yourself. So that you do not continue to lose what matters to you."

"But I've already lost everything that I wanted to protect!" Link dives under a swing and rolls behind the Spirit, reaching out to grab his sword.

But before he could get close, he stills, the cold touch of the Shade's sword pressed against his neck.

"And it is your fault.”

The declaration was firm, weighted, Link could feel the chill of the blade against his skin.

The Shade's voice is low and accusatory, Link could feel the chill of the blade against his skin.

He should argued his point, said something to get his predecessor to stop.

But the young hero just couldn't take it anymore.

"It wasn't my fault!!" Link screams, his voice echoing through the training grounds. Tears well up in his eyes as he pushes the blade away with his hand, uncaring of the sharp pain it brought, his body trembling with emotion.

"I didn't mean for any of it to happen!" he repeats, his voice desperate, almost pleading. "I just wanted to keep her safe! I just wanted her to stay with us!" With me.

"You would lay the fault of your sins on your desire to protect? When you would endanger the one you sought to protect?"

"None of us would ever hurt her." He hisses at spirit, "Not even death would be enough of a punishment suffered for such a crime."

How many had he willingly killed for daring to threaten her safety?

Those disgusting creatures that took the forms of man. Daring to gaze upon her beauty and attempt to stake a claim.

A claim. As if she were an item to be bought.

Not even as he made them choke on their blood, as he wrapped his hands around their bruised necks, did the rage boiling through his veins calm.

"You believe that you have done what was necessary to protect her," he says, his voice softer now. "But have you considered the cost? "

Link's eyes flash with anger and defiance. "Yes," he growls. "A thousand times, yes."

The lives he's taken, the pain he caused upon those unworthy fools- it was all worth it to keep her safe.

The Shade's gaze pierces through Link, as if trying to read his very soul. "You believe that the ends justify the means," he says, his voice filled with a strange tone of somber wisdom. "But have you considered that the means themselves may taint the end?"

Link's heart races, but he stands his ground. "I have done what I had to do," he insists. "I would do it again if it meant keeping her safe."

Keep her away from those who would harm.

Keep her nice and safe. With them. With him.

"Even if it meant being the cause of Her tears?"

"...I.."

Link's mind reels as the Hero's Shade challenges him. The thought of (y/n)'s tears, caused by his own hand, is almost too much to bear.

"I-I never would never want to hurt her," he stammers, his voice filled with trembling in growing panic and despair.

The Hero's Shade studies Link intently, seeing the pain and fear in the young hero's eyes. "You say you would never wish to harm her," he says . "But sometimes, actions have consequences that cannot be foreseen.”

Link's heart races.

"You, and those who stood beside you. You all are the reason she was lost."

Link's shaking his head, The Hero's Shade's words cut deep, and Link struggles to maintain his composure. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. "I don't believe that," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "I won't believe that."

"Still you deny the truth.." The Hero's Shade continues, shaking his head, "You grew arrogant, drunk on the delusion that you knew what was best for her. Convinced your strength was enough to fight back the world. But in doing so, you overlooked the consequences of your actions. You caused her pain, and ultimately, you lost her."

Link's heart feels heavy, each word the Shade speaks weighing down on him.

The Hero's Shade's words hang heavy in the air, and Link can't help but feel the weight of their truth. He thinks back to the moments leading up to (y/n)'s disappearance, trying to pinpoint the exact moment where he may have gone wrong.

His mind races as he replayed the memories, his heart aching with every image of (y/n)'s strained smiles. The exhaustion that settled around her.

Had he truly been so blind..?

"No..." he whispers, "No..I didn't...I didn't mean to.."

"It is not my place to judge you, that duty goes to the one you harmed," he says, "I only aim to teach. To help you understand the weight of your actions. Perhaps that is the reason that your mind created my image before you.”

Link looks up, meeting the Shade's gaze. He wants to argue, to defend himself, but he can't bring himself to speak.

Link feels a lump form in his throat. He looks away, unable to meet the Shade's penetrating gaze any longer. The Shade's tone had been calm and measured, devoid of any emotion, yet his words are like a dagger to Link's heart.

"The arrogance and narrow-mindedness of you and yours had blinded you all to the true needs and desires of (y/n). It was not your place to dictate her choices, but to support her regardless of what path she follows."

Link says nothing, tears falling down his cheeks.

“No matter how far you run, you could never escape the truth. Because you refuse to forget.”

His tears fall to the ground, his eyes clenched shut.

"...Cub.." He tensed, hearing the nickname only his mentor called him.

Link slowly looked up, tears still falling. His breath caught in his throat as he looked into a familiar face.

Once decayed and ghostly, his mentor now stood before him in all his familiar glory. His face immediately brings a wave of memories crashing down on him. Of brotherhood.

Of trust.

"...T..ime..?" The Hero of Time stared down at him, looking as alive as in his memories.

"Rise and grow strong Cub." He said, an aura of calm surrounding him, holding out Twilight's sword. “Rebuild your shattered resolve.”

"Become a Sword worthy of serving our Goddess..."

Twilight reaches out, taking his sword from his outstretched hand.

As he wraps his trembling hand around the hilt, as he did, he felt a surge of energy pulsing through him.

The last thing he saw before his vision became white, was his mentor watching him calmly.

The side of his face hurt as his senses returned to him.

Opening his eyes, he immediately shuts them with a hiss from the brightness hitting them.

"Hmph, finally awake are we?"

As he slowly opens his eyes again, shielding them from the light, he sees Midna, her impish face looking at him with a mix of masked concern, annoyance, and weariness.

"Took you long enough," she huffs,. "Here I thought I was gonna have to finish my business all on my lonesome before you chose to wake up."

He finds himself lying on his back, the ground beneath him feeling hard and unfamiliar. His head throbs with a dull pain, and he instinctively reaches up to touch the side of his face, wincing at the tenderness.

As he touches his face, his fingers probe a tender area near his temple. It feels swollen and bruised. He sits up slowly, trying to ignore the spinning sensation that threatens to overwhelm him Midna's face comes into focus as he blinks against the, to him, harsh light.

"What happened?" He ask once his head settled a bit. His voice hoarse.

Midna's impish features twist into a bitter smirk.

"What happened?” Midna repeats his question, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, let's see. You lost conscious, curtesy of me thank you, after your little breakdown earlier." She pauses, letting her words sink in. "I had to drag your sorry butt all the way to this pretty spot."

He look around, trying to get his bearings.

The torchlight flickers off the stone walls, creating an eerie atmosphere. As Link take in his surroundings, Midna's voice breaks the silence.

"Seriously, what was that back there?" Midna asks. "You scared the crap out of me, you know?"

Link turns to face Midna, his expression conflicted. "I'm sorry," he finally says, his voice still hoarse. "I…don't know what came over me."

"I'll say, you went crazy!"

Midna crosses her arms, her smirk faltering slightly as she studies Link. "You really don't remember?" she asks, her tone softer but no less annoyed now. "You were ranting and raving about some girl and waking up... it was so sudden."

Link furrows his brow, trying to recall what happened before he lost consciousness, all he remembred was this sense of everything becoming...too much.

Link sighs, rubbing his forehead. To think he'd breakdown like that.

He really had been running from it all.

"You were mumbling something about 'her' not being real, and 'waking up'." She crossed her arms, " Do those words mean anything to you?"

He tenses, Midna could tell he was trying to come up with something to say.

“Safe to say, they mean something to you.” She huffs.

Link stays silent for a few moments, deep in thought. The dim light of the torch illuminates his face, highlighting the conflict and anxiety etched into his features. He then shakes his head, letting out a sigh.

"...I made a mistake," he admits slowly, his voice still hoarse. "It...hurt someone very precious to me."

"Oh?" Midna floated closer to him, "What'd you do so bad that it made you like THAT?"

Link opened his mouth but closed it a moment after, looking away.

The room grows quiet once more, save for the crackling of the torches. Link's eyes lower to the ground, reflecting the guilt and regret he feels. Midna, sensing his discomfort, waits patiently for him to continue. After a few moments, Link finally speaks up, still looking away.

"I hurt her," he admits, his voice barely above a whisper. "We all did..."

"..'We'?"

He shakes his head, his mouth in a firm line.

Midna's eyes narrow, trying to make sense of Link's words. She cocks her head to the side, studying him carefully. "Alright, so you hurt someone you care about. But who's 'we'?"

Link's grip tightens around his phantom sword, his jaw setting. He doesn't look at Midna, instead focusing on a distant point on the floor. "It's not important right now."

Link's response only serves to pique Midna's curiosity further. She can tell that he's holding something back, but she doesn't want to push him too hard and risk shutting him down entirely.

Or worse, go crazy again.

Instead, she decides to change tactics.

"Fine, keep your secrets," she says with a shrug.

There was a moment of silence.

“. . .So did you mean to do it?”

“…H-Huh?” Midna tsk’d.

“Did you. Mean to. Hurt your friend?” Link took a moment to register what she asked.

“No…no I would never…” he whispered, the Twili could see his already pale skin turn a few shades whiter.

“Well that response at least means you got part 1 down of mending things right.” She rolled her eyes at his look.

“Let me tell you something, Link. You're not the only one who's made mistakes."

Midna's words hang heavy in the air, breaking the tense silence that had settled over the room. Link continues to gaze at the floor, lost in thought. The torchlight flickers across his face, casting deep shadows that seem to reflect the turmoil in his heart.

"I know," he says softly, his voice filled with pain. "But this was different. For me. For us all. The results-She-we…we didn't..."

Midna sighs, she can tell that he's not ready to open up about it. After another few moments of silence, Midna breaks the tension again.

"Alright, I get it. You don't want to talk about it right now." She straightened up and put her hand on her hip as she floats closer to him. "But you clearly don't have the means or time to even try to fix whatever it is that's happening with you."

He looked at her with tired eyes, and she frowned.

"If it were me who hurt someone I cared about..." she tapped her chin, "and I had no choice BUT to hold off on making amends...I'd at least take the time and accept that I did something wrong."

Link sent her a questioning looking and she huffed at him.

"Well how many times have you heard someone apologize but never bothered to understand what they did wrong? Apologizing is great but it means squat if you didn't bother to figure out WHY you're in the dog house...pun intended."

Midna's words seem to strike a chord with Link, who looks up at her with a slightly more alert expression. She can see the gears turning in his head as he considers her words. After a few moments, he nods slowly, remaining silent as he absorbs her words.

"Great, you finally realize a fact about yourself, “ she raises her hands up and shakes them in a Ta-da motion, “Congratulations, you’re a flawed creature.”

He blinks slowly at her, making her sigh again.

“So, if you're not gonna have a meltdown any time soon, let's get this place over with." She says, clapping her hands once and floating over to his sword and shield.

He remained seated, eyes following her before shortly getting up.

The rest of the dungeon was rather quiet compared to what he remembered, words only spoken when absolutely necessary.

. . . He didn't know how to feel about it.

—-

—

The shade did not appear in his dreams anymore.

A part of him felt relieved…to no longer be stared down by a visage of his mentor…

Another part of him mourned the only other person who knew everything he hid.

Even if that person was simply a construct his mind created…

…(perhaps it was for the best…)

—

He knew he should have at least announce his departure, instead of leaving a vague note on the entrance to his home.

Link knew he would worry Colin and his family. Knew Rusl would ask around for him, only for frustration to build when no one would know where Link was.

But he simply couldn’t take it anymore

Everything was too much and too little.

There was no journey to distract him anymore, no danger for him to defeat.

No princess of Twilight to yank his attention away from his thoughts from the moment she spoke.

What did it say about who he had become? That staring down at the corpse of Ganon, the very person who caused so much damage to the land, made Link feel nothing but disappointment.

Midna was gone now. He hadn’t realized how much he had depended on her presence to keep him grounded.

The land was safe once more. The people of Ordon were reunited once again.

Returning to Ordon, returning to that small world that once had been so big to him.

All he wanted to do was escape it.

It had all become too much. All so very much.

Everyone knew it. No one said anything but the rancher could tell. Could see their gazes, hated it no matter how well-meaning they were.

Their voices, once so soothing, irked him to the point that he wanted to tear off his own ears just for total silence.

If not his ears, then their very tongues.

He probably would have been horrified by his thoughts, had he been who he once was.

Even now it caused him pain. He didn’t want to look at them and feel anger.

It pained him. (It scared him.)

It was only when he numbly contemplated harm towards the villagers that he knew he had to leave.

He had to get out as quickly as he possibly could. Least he gives in to those overwhelming thoughts.

(And a part of him feared their reaction, should he breakdown in front of them just as he had done in front of Midna.)

So he left. Quietly during the early hours, long before the sun had even begin to rise.

A quick glance through his supplies and a gentle pat to sooth Epona and he was off.

He knows he’ll make everyone worry. A dull sense of guilt pulsing in his chest. But it was pushed down by the sense of ‘far too much’ within him.

All he could do was pray that wherever the path led him next, it would bring some sort of relief.

Perhaps he would return home with a stronger resolve. Perhaps he could find peace.

Perhaps…he could return with a smile that wasn’t on the verge of tearing itself apart…

. . .

. .

(…He could only really hope.)

#yandere linked universe #linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu #loz #yan! lu #yandere lu #lu twilight #midna twilight princess #hero’s shade #TTAU #timeline two au #ttau rewrite #rewrite #gliphy writes

74 notes · View notes