Author Note: Hello, everybody!
So, long story short...I'm a writer, and I had basically lost the motivation to write for a very, very long time. For the past three years or so, my mind has been flowing with multiple story ideas, but none have actually turned into something solid. I honestly don't know what's come over me, and it's a bit upsetting. I've sought comfort from the crazy pandemic times in playing lots of my favorite video games and looking at other people's art and fanfiction from my favorite fandoms, trying to see if I could get some motivation back. A long time ago had I stumbled upon the amazing creativity that is the Linked Universe AU by tumblr/DA user Jojo56830, but I've kinda overlooked it until now, where I'm really hitting my peak of being into the Zelda fandom. I highly recommend you check out her blog and artwork; this AU is an amazing concept! (Sky is my favorite 3)
I honestly find it funny that it does turn out that an AU is enough to try to get me back into the swing of things. Since I'm planning on writing a book series, I'm trying to retrain myself on what I've lost, and I'm working hard to ignore my self-deprecation and lack of motivation so I can work towards my dreams.
So, with that being said, I'll just warn you that this is more-so a practice fanfic. I'm trying to see how my writing skills have developed within the times I haven't been practicing (so far, I'm not satisfied with them lol), but what I am hoping for is that you at least find something you like from this short story.
I signed up to get an ao3 account, so it's likely that this story will be posted there as well.
Disclaimer: THIS IS A DUMB, POINTLESS NOTHING FANFIC! The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo. The LinkedUniverse AU belongs to Jojo56830!
Vigilant, dark blue eyes scanned the same area. Pointed, furry ears softly twisted and turned toward every new sound he heard. His black, wet nose waited for the unpleasant smells of danger.
The beastly form of the Hero of Twilight trudged back and forth amidst his perch, skulking in preparation for an attack. He was fatigued and bored, but remained ever-alert, the heightened senses of his wolf exterior supplying him with a consistent boost of energy.
He sat atop a large boulder formation, a decent-enough height to get a lay of the land for about a few miles among the thick trees. Nothing but the calming sounds of chattering crickets and frogs filled his ears. It had been this way for a long while now. And yet Twilight couldn't shake the ever-growing expectancy that he would hear the presence of those mysterious portals opening, releasing infected monsters ready to ambush his vulnerable team. He waited for the awful growls and snarls of Bokoblins, the agile pitter-patter of Lizalfos feet rushing by, or something else they had yet to deal with; something possibly far worse that would take them completely off-guard. With the new, untraceable actions of these monsters, it was hard what to expect that this point.
He never did hear these things, much to his relief.
It had been quite a few hours, he was sure. He was assigned first guard watch, something he normally was accustomed to since the band of heroes dubbed him the best at it. The ones who weren't aware of his wolf transformation often found themselves wondering how he was able to stay awake and alert for such long periods of time. His favorite theory, procreated by Wind and Hyrule, insisted that the twilight hero kept himself awake for long periods by making imaginary friends to keep in lively conversation through the boredom of a shift.
The past two days had been nothing but long, hard, and battle-heavy to the nine warriors. They had been days with lack of proper rest, stemming from the new discoveries and inconsistent traveling they had done. New monsters and beasts spawned from the generations of the land of Hyrule, coexisting unevenly with each other. They were imbued with the same dark energy the previous monsters killed had, only leading to more questions than answers. Battle after battle, their strength and stamina began to wear thin, yet the heroes continued on. It wasn't long until they noticed their rations were decreasing had they decided to finally settle in for some time, in the midst of searching for a village to restock. He recalled the short events that had happened earlier: rushing off in anticipation from the settling group to get his shift started after the heroes had tasked him to. He left without question; the sooner he started, the sooner he could go to sleep so that the Captain could take his place. He knew that no one, including himself, was much in the energy or coherence to protest to any orders as their fatigue wore them down.
It seemed as if Hylia had been watching them this night. Through the 48 hours of constant fighting and traveling, their respite was unusually quiet. Not a portal or monster in sight.
Twilight huffed through his snout. Feeling that he had remained in his beastly form long enough, he shook his body, willing the twilit crystal implanted within his mind to eject itself. As the flittering, block-patterned black magic rushed to consume his body, he had already leaped off his high perch. Two leather-clad boots landed firmly in the grass as the spell faded away, and he stood up straight, flinging his hands down to smooth out the feel of his tunic.
As nothing from the hourly shift had piqued much of his interest, the thought to check up on his resting allies directed him away from his position. He wandered back in the direction he came, taking his time to savor the quietness and tranquility, only a short distance away from the camp to where he was placed. He weaved through some the trees, naturally blending into the spotty shadows that they cast in the moonlight.
As he got close to the camp, to his amazement, he could see small traces of a fire still burning. It had been so long ago since it was started. He wondered if any one of them still happened to be awake, as astounding as the notion would be.
He stopped dead in his tracks once he was close enough to look, his eyebrows raised in question.
It was quite the sight to see.
Eight heroes sleeping among a dying campfire, their entire setup a mess. Swords, shields, armor, and various other belongings splayed about in hapless attempts to make some form of camp. The strange sleeping positions some of the warriors were in only proved the theory that they didn't even try to make the neat arrangement they normally do when they settle in for a night; their exhaustion had completely overtaken them.
Twilight couldn't suppress a smile. He shook his head at the sight, marveling in the obscenity. His eyes bounced to every hero as he slowly walked closer to the fire, finally stopping at a few of them who lay near the flames.
The one closest to him was Wind. The youngest hero was pretty much grounds for winning the most amusing way he looked while he slumbered. Mouth agape, tiny snores occasionally laced in his exhalation. His legs were spread in awkward angles, one barely covered by the thin blanket he had over his small form. His right arm was stretched high above his head, while his left...held his little sister's telescope close to his chest.
Twilight's expression softened a bit more upon noticing this. The feeling was undeniable: being forcibly whisked away from the people you care about to go on another journey, not knowing when you can see them again. Some of the heroes, namely Time, were able to come across their familiars being on their long travels. Yet the young islander still had yet to introduce his sister Aryll, his grandmother, and his closest friend Tetra, people he had constantly spoken of in adoration.
The older hero bent down to his knees, a gentle look on his face as he slowly tried to take the telescope and set it beside Wind...
...only to be met with an eerily strong grasp.
Twilight gazed at him with pure confusion, trying a second time, then a third time, with a bit more strength in his pull. His confusion turned into disbelief at the sailor, who didn't look the least bit disturbed in his sleep as he unconsciously fought Twilight in the tug-of-war for the telescope.
The stronger hero let go and straightened up with a sigh. The child's grip was as tough as iron. There was absolutely no getting that telescope off him.
He decided to leave Wind in peace, but not without fixing him in some way. He pulled his right arm back down to his chest and straightened out his legs, finishing up his work by covering the child from the neck up in the blanket. Wind sniffed, fidgeting from the sensations, but mellowed back into his rhythmic snorting. Twilight's smile returned as he gave the little one a couple of pats on his soft, yellow-blond hair.
He stood back up and averted his attention back to the rest of the slumbering heroes. It wasn't long before he noticed that one of them wasn't there, lying among the messy excuse for a camp. He scanned the area more thoroughly once again, counting to eight but only came up seven, trying to see if he accidentally overlooked Legend.
He should've expected that the most stubborn hero would have been the most reclusive of them all. There, Twilight found as he raised his eye level to the surrounding trees, finding a few feet away from the camp, was Legend. He was sitting up against the base of a particularly tall tree, yet completely slumped into the rough bark, as if it were a decent replacement for a makeshift cushion. It only further alarmed Twilight that the very one who happened to not be wearing pants was the same one without a warm covering in this particularly nippy night.
The Ordonian looked around for an unoccupied bedroll among the group, trying to identify if it belonged to Legend, yet to his surprise had found none. He deduced to the assumption that the stubbornness of his personality led him to sit alone while the others were grouped together nearby. Could it have been a fight with another Link? A general willingness to sit in silence? Whatever the reason may be no longer mattered. He needed to be closer and attended to immediately.
Without a second thought, Twilight quietly tiptoed over to his own set of belongings and grabbed his bedroll and pillow, finding a spot within the group to set it up in. Once he placed the pillow down and unfolded a welcoming blanket, he made his way over to the sleeping Legend, taking care to not step on any leaves or sticks along the way. His heart dropped slightly upon noticing that the adventurer's knees, fingertips and cheeks were fringed in blush-red, only signaling how badly the cold was getting to him but he somehow didn't seem to feel in his sleep.
As gingerly as he could, Twilight wiggled himself underneath one of Legend's arms, placing it over his shoulders. He then worked his own arm over his back, securing a tight hold on his companion. As slowly as he could muster, he lifted himself up, hauling the other Link up with him. Legend's head lolled forward, his breath hitching at the sudden unexpected movement, making Twilight stiffen a little at the expectation of him to awaken. When it seemed like he wouldn't, Twilight finally attempted to walk, carefully and cautiously guiding the other hero with groggy footsteps all the way to the makeshift bedding readily made for him.
It took some time, but soon Twilight, with great care, had Legend lie down on his side back onto the ground, right into the pillow. He waited patiently as the other moved slightly and released a sigh, unconsciously trying to adjust to his different position. Twilight slowly removed his long blue hat, then pulled the blanket over his shoulders. He held Legend's arm for a bit, taking in the assurance that the younger hero was alright and comfortable before he rose up once again to move on.
Not too far from where Legend was placed lay a wild tuft of brunette hair, propped up underneath by a brown, long-sleeved arm. Twilight almost completely missed Hyrule earlier when he had counted them all. He seemed to have strangely blended in well within the contrast of the dark green grass. As far as the Ordonian man could see, the quiet, shy hero appeared to be okay. Or at least, presented to be one of the most normal-looking in his slumber. After taking a few careful steps closer, he knelt down to get a closer look. Hyrule, too, was placed on his side, in bit of a fetal position as his knees were closer up to his chest. His mouth was slightly open, marking any particular moment that he might end up drooling. Even among the fading campfire and the moonlight, Twilight could make out his faint splash of tan freckles. His right hand gripped his sword, while a small, crinkled cloth lay discarded next to the edge. A late-night cleaning job, perhaps? The red jewels that decorated the winged hilt gleamed in harmony with the soft red flames of the fire. Just another object that camouflaged its owner among the area he blended so well in.
Not allowing himself to lose another fight with a sleeping hero, Twilight held Hyrule's wrist down with one hand while the other carefully pried away the sword. He placed it away near Hyrule's legs within its sheath. Turning back to the cave-wanderer, he, for the third time that night, pulled the unused blankets over his sleeping form, taking note of the colder winds blowing through as he did. Hyrule pursed his lips together, a soft groan of ease radiating in his breath. Twilight gently ruffled the boy's already unruly hair, finishing with a pat on the shoulder before he stood up.
The elder Link pulled the fur pelt adorning his shoulders around him tighter, attempting the combat the cool breezes that tickled at his neck. Among his fidgeting, he caught glimpse of another hero off to his left. This one, the shortest one among them all, was lying flat on his back, in an almost similar position to Wind. With his head faced away from Twilight, he too had reacted to the nightly gusts, shivering a bit at the sensation while he slept, despite that he was one of the only Links having a blanket properly placed on him. There was an object covering the area from his chest up to his chin. Curious, Twilight made his way over to him.
The Hero of the Four Sword was strangely looking the most uncomfortable in spite of appearing one of the most settled. It probably didn't do good that the book he seemed to have been reading was resting against his neck, open on the page he had supposedly last been viewing before he passed out. One of the pages curled into the skin of his collarbone; a bad location directed towards a paper cut. Twilight smirked at the sight. He leaned over and carefully removed the book, watching as Four's expression slackened a bit from the relief. Looking at the book, he debated on what to do with it. Surely he would not have the book placed in the same open position on the ground, where insects and dirt could catch onto it. He was almost sure that the young blacksmith would brand him if he so much as dog-eared the page he left on as well. Knowing how valuable his items were to him, how important his knowledge-seeking endeavors were, it was best that Twilight handled the book with caution. Eventually, he decided just to simply close it and place it on top of his nearby sword sheath. He was accustomed to Four's hair-trigger temper at the smallest of things, something he found endearing due to his smaller stature. Better to have to look for his page again than to potentially have it ruined by outside factors.
He leaned down back over to Four and lowered his arms back to a more comfortable placement, then covered him with a second, unused spread conveniently placed a few feet away. He nodded in approval as he saw that Four finally seemed to relax within the unexpected warmth.
Twilight raised himself up, looking at the other set of heroes he still had yet to check on. A strange noise from one of the Links immediately caught his attention. At first, he didn't know where this chortle-mixed-with-a-sigh had come from, until he noticed a bit of movement underneath a brilliant, blue scarf on the other side of the campfire.
The war captain.
Twilight could not help but to roll his eyes at what he saw as he quietly trudged over to the elder. He was nestled normally into his bedding, sleeping without a care in the world. Whatever it was that he appeared to dreaming about had shown through a lazy, slight grin on his face. Twilight's features twisted into an irresolute, unsure look.
While it was true that the captain was to be assigned the next shift for watching over the camp, that wasn't coming to be for a very long time, at least another hour or so. Twilight didn't exactly like the fact that he was still fully covered in his armor: heavy, metal plates protecting his left shoulder, steel arm guards that wrapped tightly into his skin. The silver chainmail underneath his bright-green tunic poked a weak glow in the moonlight.
Even when Twilight couldn't stand the somewhat uppity and overconfident behavior this hero displayed, he still never denied how his concerned, caring feelings ran deep for him, the same feelings he had towards all of them. It didn't matter if his shift was next. He deserved to be a little comfortable if not at all entirely.
While he certainly wasn't going to completely undress the captain of everything, the little things he could remove would in fact be a must. He had to grin at the thought of how efficient he was in keeping up his stealth, finding how easy it was to prevent any one of his brethren from awakening. Either that, or they were just really, really tired...
Twilight worked the bands securing the shoulder plates away, working at each tie until he was finally able to strip off the armor. He did the same to the arm braces, only to pause when the captain shifted in his sleep, but it had led him turning his head turn away from the dark-haired hero.
Twilight gathered the armor together in a bundle and placed them off to the side. He bowed his head with a smirk as he rose to his feet. He turned to gaze back at the fire, which at this point had now been reduced to nothing more than weak, glowing embers, with only little flames flickering on random sticks of wood. He could see that along the side of the fire lay a Link with fluffy, light hair. Twilight looked upon him closer, coming to find that the arrangement this hero was in looked to be a bit unusual.
As he stepped over to Sky, he thought to have been right. Knowing Sky, so long as he was asleep, it didn't seem to particularly matter what strange position he was in (something many of the Links found to be very amusing on their travels). The way he was now appeared much tamer to other times, but Twilight knew this would have serious consequences in the form of a stiff neck when he would wake up later. The kindhearted one lay on his stomach, his head propped up by his chin as he faced the fire. His arms rested around his head. With all the layers of clothing he was known for wearing, Twilight could see he had reduced down to his normal city shirt. The sailcloth cape he had adored so much was placed next to him. Even from a short distance away, the calming, feminine scent of the silk white cloth had pleasantly carried through the harsh wind, bringing an unfamiliar sense of serenity to the hero of Twilight.
Getting back down to his knees, Twilight carefully took hold of the younger hero's head and softly placed it down to where it rested on its side. His hands moved down to the base of Sky's neck and gave a long, but gentle squeeze, thumbs pressing deep into his skin, hoping the small gesture was enough to alleviate any potential pain he could feel later. He moved his hands further apart and did the same to his shoulders a few times, feeling Sky's muscles beginning to relax under his calloused but warm hold, then finally ended at the curve of his shoulders, pushing down to lower his arms in the process. Grabbing the sailcloth, he draped it over the sleeping teenager's body. He gave light strokes to the Skyloftian's back, listening to the content hum that slipped through from him.
Granting himself some time to think, Twilight stayed at a knelt to his knees. His hand remained on Sky's back, watching the bundle of sticks that used to be called a fire now resting in a pile of smoke, ash and weak cinders. The only light that now lived on was the moon, casting a faint, silvery glow that did very little to disperse the thick darkness. The Ordonian's brows creased with the mild indication of worry. The events that had taken place the past two days stayed fresh in his mind, wondering how bad off his companions had truly been in the long-running hard work. While the façade of endurance kept strong in the heroes, the underlying signs had been there. The dirt and grime collecting on Wind, the potions Hyrule carried an abundance of vastly decreasing, the dark circles forming under Sky's eyes, the lack of focus Four failed to hide, the much-grittier attitude clouding Legend's judgement.
And then, there was the highly unnerving demeanor of Time. The oldest hero was nothing but silent, a stark difference to the normal, occasional speech he would provide. Through the stalwart expression he wore, Twilight struggled to make out just how exhausted the time-traveler had truly been. It had left him only more wary of crossing paths with Time, saying or doing the wrong thing that could instantaneously lead to getting a disappointed glare and lecture.
Such reflective thoughts had led his eyes to seek out his ancestor, who was resting immediately next to Sky only a short distance apart. He had noticed him before, amongst his attentiveness to Sky, and it seemed that the oldest Link of the group had remained silent and unmoving, probably as expected. The Hero of Twilight slowly rose from the chosen hero's body, his eyes trained onto Time with a meek look of disquiet. This time, he had refused to kneel down, a little more cautious of every movement he made, every soft breath that carried a slight unsteadiness. He studied Time's features, noting how, for the first time in a long while, the weary time-traveler looked very at peace. One hand that rested on his chest rose and fell with his stable, soundless breathing. A realization had occurred to Twilight: this had been the first time he had really seen Time sleeping. Normally, the Ordonian had been too busy with other duties, or had been fast asleep himself, to notice Time. The other heroes weren't shy with their willingness to sleep at any moment given to them, but he had only seen Time being one of the last Links to stay awake more so than getting his own moment of rest. The pent-up exhaustion implied to have really gotten to him; it looked like absolutely nothing would stir this one from his much-needed slumber. Yet even in his vulnerable state had Twilight felt the daze of intimidation.
While he struggled to never outwardly show it, Twilight fought hard for his blood relative's approval. It was a staple among the Links to not speak often, and he never expected much of any indication from the older hero, but it was truly hard to read how Time actually felt. He'd retain a form of his stone-cold expression through just about every circumstance they found themselves in, be it moments of triumph to arduous tasks. How very rare it had become that he had shown gratitude and appraisal. It was certainly there, but seldom visible. Twilight's unsure conceptions only magnified at the thought.
Until he remembered something else, something he was afraid he had forgotten in the midst of tense, stressful situations.
I'm so proud.
He recalled what felt not so long ago now, in the warm, welcoming abode of Time's wife, Malon. He remembered her look of uncertainty and concern for their safety, initially not convinced by the warriors' words that they were able to fend for themselves quite well. It wasn't until Time had grabbed Twilight's shoulders, pulling the young man close to his chest as he preached his honest thoughts:
You should see him on the battlefield! I'm so proud.
The way Time had spoken these words, unwavering in perception, left Twilight's heart in an elated flutter. They were but simple words, but he had held onto them as if they were his most prized possession. They kept his confidence strong, his leadership unquestioned, and his responsibilities in check. To recall of this moment, a genuine time shared among others, between his family member...it was a little step towards something amazing. He realized, it was enough. The validation was heavily appreciated; he needed no more, and would wait patiently until the next moment Time would offer approval.
Twilight's befuddled thoughts finally found a state of ease. His shoulders dropped slightly as he lowered his head in a bow and closed his eyes. A twinge of a satisfied smile pulled at the corners of his lips.
I promise I'll continue to make you proud.
With a turn of his head from Time, Twilight faced the rest of his sleeping teammates, regarding them with appreciation. Despite the bits and pieces that the unkempt camp still possessed, everyone finally looked to be resting peacefully, completely untroubled and calm. Even the nocturnal critters did their part to lower the octave of their chirping and croaking, helping to carry a silence into the night.
There was still one more thing he wanted to do.
As he expected it, the familiar poke of the cursed crystal hanging around his chest caught his attention. Before he went to touch it however, his fixed his eyes upon one more warrior not too far from where he stood. The little smile he still wore grew wider.
There lay his successor, the blue-clad champion, Wild, lying on his side within a heap of his belongings. Dressed in his worn-out brown shirt, his hair was untied and swept over his shoulder in loose, slightly tangled locks. Ever the hoarder he was, like Legend, he looked to have been going through his extended stock of items spread all around him before he succumbed to sleep.
No one stirred at the sounds of a magical transformation from man to beast soon taking place. Within a near instant, at the touch of his fingertips to the crystal, Twilight found himself on all fours and covered with fur once again.
Somehow, the broken cuff at his ankle made little noise as he trotted over to Wild. The wolf nuzzled his head underneath the champion's arm, letting it hang limp against his back. A drowsy moan, barely audible, sounded from Wild as he, almost by instinct, curled into the warm furriness of his close companion. Twilight pressed his wet nose against the long-haired boy's jaw before easing himself onto his stomach, his head descending to a rest on the ground between his paws. His night shift was still active, and he kept himself awake, but he allowed the traces of tiredness to close his eyes and rest, leading his sensitive hearing to guide the rest of the observant watch. He had a feeling that this night would finally be one of pure peace and quiet.