It'd be incredibly funny if the Chain got their consciousness swapped before they even met in person and suddenly found themselves living the life of a complete stranger Link, and struggling real bad. Like, holy goddesses, how is this guy living like this? And why is his Hyrule so weird?
Wind: He wakes up in Sky's body and finds himself flying above the clouds on a huge fucking bird the size of the Helmaroc King. Then, promptly flings himself off and plummets toward the earth (which traumatizes Sky's Loftwing). Wind can't believe this! This Link lives on a sky island, which is cool! He has a flying whale and Beedle too! Cool. Cool! But what kind of shitty civilization doesn't invent a flying boat!? Wind is absolutely going to engineer bird-free travel.
Legend: He wakes up in Warriors' body and immediately decides he's in hell. This guy's stupid career choice is the antithesis of Legend's ethos of living a good fucking life, and this Hyrule must have been designed specifically to torture his free spirit. Understandably, Legend attempts desertion and gets hunted down and dragged back into service by the scariest Impa. He wishes they'd just throw him in jail for the crime (at least that'd be entertaining). Instead, he gets chained to a desk, forced to do paperwork while wearing pants.
Sky: He has an existential crisis when he wakes up in Time's body and is informed that he's a married adult with a full-time job. There's a wife, he's not in love with Zelda?? And this guy is adulty-adult, and Sky's expected to fill this guy's shoes without accidentally sabotaging his marriage? And what is a cow? And what is a horse? And what is a tax?? He has to do adult responsibilities? Miss Malon, may I wreck that rude man Ingo's house? Your husband would do the same, please.
Twilight: He's miserable because he wakes up in a world with no goats, and in the body of a Link who needs a power bracelet just to lift a pot (he wakes up in Legend's body). He doesn't have a great time investigating the Dark World (he goes there because he thinks it might be connected to the Twilight Realm. Don't blame a guy for having hope, will ya?), and ends up running for his life as a pink rabbit. This guy's body is weird, Twilight decides. He can't go anywhere without magic happening to him. Gets into the water? Fish tail activated. Ugh.
Hyrule: He's in Wind's world, in Wind's body, and realizes he really should've learned to swim ages ago. But in his defense, it never came up because he had his raft, and he could walk on water with his magic boots! None of which this boy has. Sad sigh. The goddesses gave this world far too much water, and Hyrule is dying to walk on his own two feet! He's drowned too many times after falling overboard and having to be fished out by the pirate girl, who charges him a ridiculous amount of rupees every time for being a landlubber.
Four: He gets Wild's body. At first, it's actually a pretty chill experience despite waking up in a stranger's body. He gets tall (not that he cares), but the moment he swings a sword and it breaks, his mind spirals, and he ends up bedridden with guilt because he's violating the smithing oath about doing no harm to a weapon. How could he ever face his grandpa? He's going to be excommunicated from his guild, his lineage forever tarnished, because no matter what he does-no matter how carefully he does it-this guy's body, or this guy's world, somehow finds a way for every weapon to break in his hands. It's driving him insane.
Warriors: He ends up in Hyrule's world, with lots and lots of dungeons that apparently expect him to clear them. Alone. He doesn't understand how this world expects a barely-adult man to wander into caves and dungeons by himself. Warriors demands a troop and a salary. He gets denied a troop and a salary because the kingdom's budget is tight. Warriors unlocks an impressive number of achievements for all the trauma he's accumulated in dungeons. "Why dungeons?" he sometimes sobs. "Why do so many weirdos live in dungeons too?"
Wild: He's already short by his Hyrule's standards, but holy Hylia, the guy (Four) he's possessing(?) is short-short. And whenever Wild pokes things carelessly, he somehow gets even shorter. Getting chased by a "cat" and every woodland critter is no fun. Also, Wild wants to wander and dilly-dally; he wasn't born and bred to work a 9-to-5 in a smithing shop (which he has absolutely no idea how to run), not to mention all the chores this guy's grandpa still expects him to do! Why is a kid this age already a professional smith, anyway? Child labor is wrong, Wild's Zelda used to say. Free him.
Time: He’s in Twilight’s body. He fares pretty well compared to the rest. Because Epona! Then he comes across his own grave and other reminders of the merciless tide of time, which always send him into a deep depressive episode that only an old man could have. Also, he fights tooth and nail to import cows to Ordon, but his request gets denied because goats are sacred here, boy, they're part of the village's living heritage. He gets into endless arguments with everyone over the merits of cow's milk versus goat's milk.
Your old professor who hates morning classes more than you ever do. He answers one email a day, and now he’s absolutely exhausted and wants to go home to smell his horse and complain to his wife about the college potatoes in his class. (If they had listened to what he said, he wouldn’t have to answer their emails; “Malon, I swear I’m going to resign-”) These kids are the boulder, and he is Sisyphus. No Albert Camus can gaslight him into thinking he’s happy. He is NOT. He remains in academia purely because he knows his existence pisses off the university executive board.
Warriors
Your young, eccentric professor. He’s young, so nobody is going to take him seriously. So, he decided to become batshit crazy. The one everyone is scared to choose as a supervisor, and the one people want to jump off the roof rather than defend their thesis against. Deep, like really deep down, he’s actually a good guy, but he’ll still give you grief about your kindergarten slide presentation, your atrocious email writing, and your writing in general. He’s publishing papers and speedrunning his career like he’s married to his work. He’s on his way to seizing power and finally running this circus the way it should be run.
Twilight
That Ph.D. student who is also a TA. He’s invested in all sorts of activities to avoid writing his thesis. He opens his laptop and suddenly the toilet needs to shine. He opens his Google doc and before he realizes it he has acquired all sorts of accolades, from local sumo champion to Animal Volunteer of the Year. He fears your old professor’s disappointed stare. Twice a day he’s tempted to walk into the woods and join a wolf pack because they expects nothing from him but love. He wanna cry.
Sky
That one baffling postgrad who hasn’t participated in any writing groups but goes to the office for free snacks and to take naps, then disappears from the face of the earth. There has never been a deadline for which he didn’t file an extension form. He’s been passed from one supervisor to the next to teach them some humility. Then one day everyone gets an email saying he’s graduated. How? When asked, everyone is surprised to discover that dude actually lives an enriched life, that he was working on his thesis while simultaneously saving the world, getting married, and finding a kingdom.
Legend
That one notorious kid who simultaneously does multiple degrees and is also enrolled in online courses. He collects certificates like they’re Pokémon cards. If you cut him open you’ll find he’s made of Red Bull and triple-shot coffee. His natural habitat is rotating between the library and jail. He’s a thorn in the university executive board’s side, with so many protests he helped organize on campus. That’s why your professors keep intervening whenever the university tries to expel him. They share the same enemy.
Four
That one undergrad kid on scholarship who actually reads your professor’s syllabus and then reads everything on the recommended reading list. Your professors are now driven to update the list in response to a worthy challenger and makes everyone in the class suffer in the process. Your professors are considering poaching him for their postgraduate programs. He looks like he runs a multi-million-dollar enterprise, but he’s actually a Reddit mod. He takes “compete with yourself” seriously.
Wild
That one undergrad who is always absent from class and always getting into trouble (unintentionally) but hasn’t been expelled yet. He’s the reason your TA wants to flee into the woods. But he also looks like he has a tragic backstory (he does). So, your goodhearted TA is worried and have to check on him regularly. When he graduates, your professors are relieved, but when he shows up again for a postgraduate program, they seriously consider monkhood. Also, he’s an Olympian athlete.
Wind
That one funny undergrad kid who isn’t especially academically smart, or driven, but always asks the RIGHT question, the one that makes your professors remember their past lives when they were young, hopeful, happy students. People sigh with relief when he appears in class because your professors instantly become merciful in his presence. Turns out this kid runs a startup and is also a billionaire.
Hyrule
That one undergrad who is so outrageously un-anxious he seems fictional. He has never shown up in class but somehow manages to appear in the exam room on exam day and pass with flying colors. Your professors have no idea whether to feel offended or impressed. Your TA, however, has high blood pressure because he’s the one who has to hunt this kid down in the woods. His essays are usually just okay, but once in a red moon he produces something that sounds like he’s possessed by the philosophers of old. He still writes his essay by hand (he has no computer).
Dink
That one evil, infamous reviewer who makes both of your professors learn the art of assassination. He shoots down all their manuscripts like he has a personal grudge… HE HAS. Because, unbeknownst to them, your professors once made Dink do a major revision when he was a baby researcher, and Dink has never forgotten and never will he forgive. This is intergenerational bad blood. None of your professors’ academic lineage will be safe. Dink will find them all and reject their manuscripts.
First and Sky remind me of Kikyo and Kagome from Inuyasha.
There is something quite tragic about how different a life your reincarnation lives. First is all angles and sharp lines, strong cheekbones. A lionhearted warrior, fully armored and full of fangs. He has lived through wars and betrayals and has lost everything.
Sky is everything First is not: chubby, baby-fat cheeks. He has lived a life above the clouds and has a community on his side. He is sleepy, feather-headed, and soft. He is allowed affection. To believe in it and express it freely.
He is the gods’ attempt to atone for the tragedies they placed on one man. He is First’s second chance at happiness, not a savior. Not a martyr. And Sky did it. By living and still wholly himself. I do believe First will be very proud of him when they finally meet.
Normally, I’m conflicted about the First Hero because it feels more thematically poetic for Sky to be the first to begin it all. But this might be interesting too. I’m also looking forward to the beauty pageant showdown: blue scarf vs. red cape.
Based on intellectual metrics like leadership and… vibes. Especially vibes.
9. Legend: He went to the wrong competition and is unwittingly fighting to dethrone Warriors from the eldest daughter position instead. His reluctance to assume leadership betrays his true identity as the angry daughter of the house. He is fated to never be the Man of the House, even if that house has only him. It will become a nun monastery.
8. Wild: His pre-calamity life was about following orders, not leading. Post-calamity, he’s still shown no interest in wanting to be one. But oh, watch your back when he decides he’s ready to step up someday. Currently, he’s awarded the Telemachus of the House because he’s Wolfie’s “little wolf.”
7. Four: He CARRIES the team. He’s trying the hardest to keep this stupid house alive, but he’s two apples tall, and that nullifies every manly virtue he embodies. On the silver lining, his grandpa is very much the Man of the House despite also not being very tall. Hope isn’t lost on him yet. He just has to wait six decades or so and grow a cool beard to get his delayed recognition.
6. Sky: He has Potential. Have you seen his face when he gets angry? He’d be ranked higher if he tapped into that potential instead of hiding under the poor college boy skin whose girlfriend still gets into fights with the cook over his wrong food order for him. Dude can step up but chooses not to. For now, his Zelda is the Man of the House.
5. Warriors: Despite looking and acting like a responsible leader, he’s stuck in the eldest daughter position whose authority gets ignored by the ungrateful gremlins he keeps fed and clothed. He doesn’t seem able to win the Man honor anytime soon, but he’s very qualified to compete for the Penelope of the House.
4. Twilight: Man is Responsible. But his vibe is more second-in-command. He’s the eldest son rather than the Man himself, like in Rusl’s household or the Chain’s. He also holds the position of the family’s dog. Double duties distract him from leveling up.
3. Time: He’s climbed this far on the pure merit of his age. He was an absolute Brat™ in his youth, and marriage has done the heavy lifting, turning him from the whiniest, babiest brother of the (Kokiri) family into a wet-cat, Odysseus-fied man who sadly sings, “would you fall in love with me again?” to his wife.
2. Hyrule: Man has Charisma™. Have you seen his thunderous face? Have you seen how breezily he assumes command and even gives orders? Nothing about him is UwU, except maybe his fluffy hair… but that’s also a deceit. Hyrule’s hair is as soft-looking as a wild beast’s fur, which, upon touching, you’d soon realize is too coarse and cuts your fingers. You will be charmed nonetheless.
Self-insertion and self-projection have done some harm in the way they plant seeds of dissatisfaction in the mind, that you cannot simply be content with perceiving cultures as they are, especially when they resemble none of your own. As though, in some way, you must force yourself and yours into them to truly enjoy them.
In life, we must learn to live as good witnesses rather than participants, because participation is needed not. There will be cultures you simply do not belong to, and you should not try to. You cannot force yourself into them, nor force them to bend to your palate.
Can we not simply be glad to live in a moment of time in which these cultures, these people, exist alongside us? Can we not be grateful that we get to perceive their stories, their human experiences, and accept that as enough? In another life, if you were born too early or too late, you might not be granted this in-the-moment chance.
What’s more frightening lies in the sands of time that reduce men to myth. Once it has done its coarse, thorough work, there will be no memory of those who once lived among its millions of grains. They are all—all—gone. You don’t even get the privilege of regret, because there is nothing left from which regret can be built. No remnants of their existence remain to remind you that you were ever meant to mourn them.
What is this overwhelming grief? Not all parts of me treat time with the same kindness.
The old piece of me is dying while the young piece is just beginning to age—each at a different pace—as my life moves forward into a future they can’t agree to desire. My spirit is plagued by this heartbreaking confusion that it has no way to grasp.
Or I simply miss the home I can no longer return to.
I really like the omegaverse as a concept. I think it’s a really fun exploration of gender norms and then gender in culture. I also love seeing how people portray it on a biological level and the type of canon individual writers create.
But anyways, obviously I’m getting to who I think is what type, alpha beta omega and well
I think they would ALL be omegas.
This is largely due to the fact that Link was originally created with the idea that he could be perceived as masculine or feminine before Nintendo decided he would be male. Every Link has distinctly gender neutral traits. In general, I think this kinda aligns well with male omegas.
I also like this idea because I think the way each Link would handle their second gender would be really different from one another. Each era might treat omegas differently as well and might have different societal norms.
For instance:
I think Sky and Four would generally be pretty at peace with being an Omega. Sky was maybe picked on a bit and pushed around by his classmates and it sucked but in general anyone can become a knight in his era and he more than proved himself and gained respect in different ways. I feel like for him his second gender might not be a huge deal.
And as for Four I feel like he might’ve grown up idolizing Alphas and when he presented as an Omega after Minish Cap he was pretty disappointed but after Four Swords he has a lot more self confidence and a much better understanding of himself.
As for Wind he’s probably still going through his puberty era and regardless of how he feels about presenting as an omega, he has a lot of good role models being the rest of the chain, maybe his grandmother, and maybe Tetra. Pirates don’t care what you are. They care who you are. Something like that.
Then I think would be Legend, who grew up really hating being an Omega but at some point as part in his journey comes to really accept it. I think he would really get a kick out of using the “helpless omega” bit to his advantage. Eventually he grows past just seeing his second gender as something that’s either or tool or handicap and as something that is just him. It would take him some time to get there though. I think his time on Koholint or in Lorule would help a lot.
I think it would be a similar thing for Twilight but while he does come to accept himself he looks stereotypically alpha and kind of leans into people assuming that. It makes life easier for him.
Wars also looks stereotypically Alpha but that’s on purpose. I think it would be interesting if he put on a front, pretending to be an alpha because he’s the leader of a large army and soldiers follow an alpha leader much more easily than an omega one. This leads to some shame and resentment towards his gender.
Hyrule also hides his second gender but he mostly just tries to disguise himself as a beta. This is a safety thing more than anything else. He lives in an era where it’s dangerous to let people have any perceived weakness about you.
As for Time and Wild, I don’t think they have strong perceptions of second genders at all. The kokiris don’t have second genders and Wild doesn’t remember what it was like to have a second gender or any of the societal norms expected of him.
Time also looks stereotypically alpha but he just doesn’t really care. When he suddenly woke up in a 16 year old body it was really traumatic to have gone through puberty all within moments to him. Now as an adult he kind of prefers just to neglect the idea that he’s any sort of thing and just tries to do himself.
Wild is similar but in a way that his body is the only thing that he knows and he’s not letting what other people expect of him to get in his way. Being an omega means very little to him.
When the chain all gets together I don’t think they realize that they’re all omegas at first. I think it would take a little while and when they do all realize it causes a little bit of strife and drama but ultimately they all learn together and they learn to all love what they are more.
I’ve considered this before, and I agree with the post. Every Link has this baby-girl energy. Well, maybe except Wind. In my mind, he’s always the Man of the House. It would be hilarious if he presents as the alpha while adventuring with the Chain, only to get babied by his overbearing omega brothers. Poor dude has to double-prove himself to be taken seriously.
But I also do think the others would proudly introduce him as their alpha, and any bystanders would get glared to death if they dared question their baby brother alpha.
Tell me about the courage of the Heroes, and I’ll tell you mine.
I see courage in the hero of Sky. Courage to be a fledgling who tempers oneself out of love. To endeavor through the trials of gods for the smallest, fleeting mortal moments that make life worthwhile. And to be the one who begins an endless divine burden, yet let go of their spirit with full faith that it will prevail. And it will be unbreakable.
I see courage in the hero of Legend. Courage to keep the never-ending wheel turning with eager feet despite the weariness of this man’s road. Because this road, and the horizon ahead, too, are always yours to take. To say hellos and farewells with all of your bleeding heart, and to hold the memories of your beloved like the greatest treasure.
I see courage in the hero of Four Swords. Courage to search the depths of your innermost self and know that no shadow ever tarnishes your light. To be willing to march into the realm of the heavens on a path set aflame, trusting that like your sword, you can be reforged with the help of strangers whom you made kin by reaching out to them.
I see courage in the hero of Winds. Courage to stand before the temples of almighty gods and demand that they believe in your people’s future. Courage to endure bitter storms and remain sweet and earnest, like the winds that keep forests green and ships arriving home. To keep the fearlessness of a child because childlike wonder should never again be mistaken for weakness.
I see courage in the hero of Time. Courage to be patient with your pain, because time does heal, even if it takes more than just a while. To carry the memories and dreams of others, many taken from your life through distance, dispute, and death, as you keep journeying in search of home. And to finally build one when you bravely let others in.
I see courage in the hero of Warriors. Courage to not harden your heart, but let hardship soften you with humility. To accept that victories are shared, and that you need company to watch your back. To forgive even the unforgivable, because you dare to recognize a friend in every foe, and to remain unshakeable in the belief that no one deserves a fate of wandering the battlefield, and life itself, alone.
I see courage in the hero of Twilight. Courage to face the unknown, filled with darkness and strangers, and learn to share with them a cup of kindness. To live among differences that make the world more beautiful, and to know that courage is measured by the strength of one’s heart, not the shape of their ears or the strangeness of their bodies. To believe that one may stare into the abyss, and that she may smile back kindly, softly.
I see courage in the hero of Hyrule. Courage to embark on an adventure for oneself, but rise for others. To see the bloom of life in what others call ruins. To build yourself up from the wisdom of kind others, because that is what makes the dangers of your quest less treacherous. To keep an oath of never giving up, but never let it become too heavy a load. To keep your heart light so you can walk with a spring and wingtips.
I see courage in the hero of the Wild. Courage to explore what was once forgotten, to unearth weary secrets and rediscover your purpose, not out of repentance, but out of regained freedom. To see love and resilience in people, places, and all sorts of things. To know that a once-fallen star may find its place among the earthly order again. That everything can begin anew, and that one, or even many, defeats are nothing so long as you keep breathing.
Work is strangling the hell out of me, but I’m being sentimental again. So here we are. This isn’t just my own thought, but an accumulation of all the warm and wise comments I’ve received from kind folks in the fandom. I love talking about the Links. What they embody. What they mean to people who draw strength from these little guys’ stories. They represent courage in very similar ways: the courage to be kind, to forgive, and to try again, because they believe in the goodness that exists in the world and in people’s hearts. So I try to find slight differences in their thematic stories that showcase their individuality. How each one embodies courage in their own way.
My gratitude lies in the kaleidoscopic beauty that courage can manifest.
Anyway, salutations, and happy belated New Year :)
So, I'm someone who was introduced to Legend of Zelda predominantly through Linked Universe. I have not played any of the games or watched any playthroughs, and have only read one of the mangas so far, specifically Minish Cap. Most of what I know comes through the wiki, analysis videos, and friends telling me things about the series. And as a Four fan, specifically a Linked Universe Four fan, something about how large sections of that fanbase treat him really rubs me the wrong way.
(Putting the rest below a cut so you don't have to read my whinging if you don't want to.)
Namely, how Four, uniquely out of all the other Links, is... just not allowed to be his own person. Either he's four separate entities in a trench coat, or he's playing second fiddle to his own evil clone. It's like... the fandom doesn't care about him as an individual. He feels like he’s always part of a set, either because people prefer his individual pieces instead of him as a whole and complete character on his own (aka the way he's consistently been written in the comic from day 1), or because they want to see him and his evil clone make out or be a dynamic duo. Regardless of how his relationship to Shadow is written, Shadow more often than not takes center stage or has equal billing with Four in fanfic.
Which is strange to me, because every Link has had to say goodbye to a companion or loved one at the end of their adventures, some that they were even implied to have romantic feelings for, but Shadow is constantly looming over Four’s character in fanfic in a way that none of the other Links' supporting casts do. Just think about how strange it would be if in every other Twilight-centric fanfic, the author found a way to reconstruct the Twili mirror or otherwise concocted a way to bring Midna back so she and Twilight could be together again, and Midna was elevated to an honorary member of the Chain, traveling with the group alongside the rest of them.
Even Legend doesn't get this treatment with Marin. He angsts over her plenty, sure, but people leave her gone/dead/out of reach far more often than not. Time hardly ever gets Navi back save the very few instances he goes to the Downfall Timeline and meets her there (and even then, he can't take her with him, she has to stay behind). Wind never gets the King of Red Lions back and rarely gets Linebeck. Even Four and Ezlo never reunite, and Four had a far better relationship with Ezlo than he ever did with Shadow, even if you decide to incorporate the manga canon into your own personal headcanon. And yet, manga!Shadow is considered so integral to Four's character that he must always be included somehow. All the other Links are allowed to grieve, find closure, and move on, yet Four is not.
This all gives me the feeling that a lot of people... don't really like or care about Four as his own character or his relationships to the other Links. They either like the Colors and/or they like Shadow and simply want an excuse to write them/him. Shadow's connection to Four in particular is often used as a convenient excuse to bring him back into the action and to make Four “more interesting” by association. Four is a means to an end, it's Shadow who is the true star of the show. When this specific interpretation of Shadow is not, as far as we know, even canon in the first place! The LoZ mangas are not canon to the games, they are separate entities altogether. ofc it's fine to bring in elements of the mangas to flesh out headcanons (Piyoko our beloved); Jojo even did this in part with her characterizations of Four’s pieces (Blue being hotheaded, Red being emotional, etc.), but LU is first and foremost a love letter to the LoZ games. And I have read exactly one (1) fic that portrayed Four's Shadow as unabashedly evil as he was in the Four Swords game.
To be clear, I don't hate manga!Shadow by any means, but it's getting hard to not resent the character on some level when he so constantly overshadows Four (pun not intended). When Four cannot exist as a character separately from him, when they are constantly a matched set that is joined at the hip in every other fanfic, every other AU. Even if I might enjoy some of those fanfics and AUs, occasionally you just want some variety, man.
And lest you think I am being hyperbolic in my assertion that the fandom vastly prefers Four as part of a set with Shadow instead of exploring his relationships with the other existing Links in the comic, I ran the numbers on AO3, going through all of Four’s common relationship tags, both platonic and romantic (excluding Four’s Colors in most of my tallies because there was only 1 or 2 for each of them, not enough to really matter). This is what I found:
Four & Sky = 202 fics
Four/Sky = 6 fics
Total fics where Four’s relationship with Sky is highlighted = 208
Four & Time = 111 fics
Four/Time = 19 fics
Total fics where Four’s relationship with Time is highlighted = 120
Four & Legend = 297 fics
Four/Legend = 3 fics
Total fics where Four’s relationship with Legend is highlighted = 300
Four & Hyrule = 156 fics
Four/Hyrule = 5 fics
Total fics where Four’s relationship with Hyrule is highlighted = 161
Four & Twilight = 166 fics
Four/Twilight = 6 fics
Total fics where Four’s relationship with Twilight is highlighted = 172
Four & Wind = 242 fics
Four/Wind = 27 fics
Total fics where Four’s relationship with Wind is highlighted = 269
Four & Warriors = 120 fics
Four/Warriors = 1 fic
Total fics where Four’s relationship with Warriors is highlighted = 121
Four & Wild = 230 fics
Four/Wild = 6 fics
Total fics where Four’s relationship with Wild is highlighted = 236
Dot & Four = 57
Dot/Four = 32 fics
Total fics where Four’s relationship with his Zelda is highlighted = 89
Four & Shadow / Shadow & any combination of the Colors = 251
Four/Shadow / Shadow/any combination of the Colors = 251
Total fics where Four/his Colors’ relationship with Shadow is highlighted = 502
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To contrast this, let’s look at the breakdown of fandom darling Legend’s relationship tags:
Legend & Sky = 393 fics
Legend/Sky = 7 fics
Total fics where Legend’s relationship with Sky is highlighted = 400
Legend & Time = 321 fics
Legend/ Time = 14 fics
Total fics where Legend’s relationship with Time is highlighted = 335
Hyrule & Legend = 1,026 fics
Hyrule/Legend = 58 fics
Total fics where Legend’s relationship with Hyrule is highlighted = 1,084
Legend & Twilight = 334 fics
Legend/Twilight = 4 fics
Total fics where Legend’s relationship with Twilight is highlighted = 338
Legend & Wind = 349
Legend/Wind = 6 fics
Total fics where Legend’s relationship with Wind is highlighted = 355
Legend & Warriors = 727 fics
Legend/Warriors = 26 fics
Total fics where Legend’s relationship with Warriors is highlighted = 753
Legend & Wild = 511 fics
Legend/Wild = 18 fics
Total fics where Legend’s relationship with Wind is highlighted = 529
Legend & Marin (+”Link & Marin”, + “Linked Universe”) = 20 fics
Legend/Marin (+”Link/Marin”, + “Linked Universe”) = 352 fics
Total fics where Legend’s relationship with Marin is highlighted = 372
Legend & Ravio (+”Link & Ravio”, + “Linked Universe”) = 291
Legend/Ravio (+”Link/Ravio”, + “Linked Universe”) = 555
Total fics where Legend’s relationship with Ravio is highlighted = 846
Legend & Fable = 139 fics
Legend/Fable = 25 fics
Total fics where Legend’s relationship with his Zelda is highlighted = 164
So, let’s break this down a little. Shadow is Four’s most popular relationship pairing by a landslide, having 502 fics compared to the closest other relationship pairing, which is Legend at 300 fics. That’s almost double the fics he has with any other character. By contrast, Four is Legend’s second least popular fandom relationship pairing, with only his Zelda, Fable, having fewer fics with him. In addition, the amount of fics Legend has with the other characters is much more evenly spaced out, with Ravio trailing Hyrule by 238 fics, and Warriors only trailing Ravio by 93 total fics, while 10 out of 11 relationship tags reach or surpass 300 fics. Four, conversely, has not surpassed even 200 fics with 5 out of 10 characters, making the sheer surplus of Shadow fics (who, may I reiterate, is not even LU canon like Ravio or Marin are) seem even more overwhelming by comparison.
Now, obviously, I'm not the fandom police. People can do what they want, write what they want, draw what they want, have whatever headcanons they feel like, we’re all here to have fun. I know that the FS manga fandom has a long history in LoZ spaces, and people are really attached to the headcanons and pairings from that manga. The FS manga Link(s) and LU Four just aren’t the same character, though, inasmuch as Jojo took a couple elements of that story to flesh out her version of the character, and as a big fan of this character as he appears in LU canon, it just... it's hard. My boy is such a cool and multifaceted character the way he's portrayed in LU canon, and he deserves to be appreciated on his own merits more, not just as half of a ship/duo or the trench coat that other more beloved characters hide inside.
I just desperately want there to be more fics exploring his relationship to his predecessor Sky, to his successor Time, to his possible descendent Wind, to Twilight, the guy he probably gets along the best with in canon. I want to see him go on tiny adventures with Hyrule, talk about the Palace of the Four Sword with Legend (or at least just be blacksmithing buddies with Legend), talk about teamwork and tactics with Warriors, get pulled into harebrained schemes against his better judgement with Wild. But no. It’s just "Exploration of how the Colors relate to each other/Let’s resurrect Shadow, gang!/I have been unable to think of anything but my bestie-slash-boyfriend Shadow since the day he left me, I’ve pined so much TT TT/This guy who just came out of nowhere to save the day is Shadow, he’s joining the Chain and will be traveling with us from now on,” again and again and again and again. And I’m just so flippin’ tired. orz
I know every stan of every LU Link is in the trenches in some way when it comes to fandom mistreatment/mischaracterization of one’s blorbo, but this is my particular trench, and it's feeling increasingly lonely here. 😔
I know I'm probably just yelling into the void, but if you have any similar pet peeves, about Four or any of our other blorbos, feel free to share. Getting stuff off your chest can be therapeutic sometimes.
(Tagging @luna-loveboop and @parvanovel since y'all are the ones who urged me to post this. Hope it was an interesting read. 👍)
This author has excellent points that resonate strongly with my spirit. I did once discuss the challenges of writing and reading Four fic. With that said, whenever I find fics that are just Four as the narrative focus and not his colors or his shadow, I do a dance of joy.
I like the headcanon that Sky’s still trying to wrap his featherhead around the idea that birds on the Surface come in various shapes and sizes, and that most are much, much smaller than his Loftwing. Then throw in some random ploy (maybe a Wizzrobe or something, something magic) for a crack plot, and voilà:
The Chain (except for Sky, who’s carrying the Master Sword) gets turned into tiny birds. And it’s the closest thing Sky has ever had to an epiphany. He’s overwhelmed by the bombardment of their cuteness and absolutely refuses to turn them back. No, he doesn’t care about the consequences. He once finished his adventure alone, he’ll find and beat the Shadow on his own, then keep his brothers (who are much more adorable than their Hylian forms) for himself.
The rest of the Links are so done with his bird shit, but unfortunately, they’re at his mercy.
Four: His bird form is a hummingbird. He’s vibrantly colorful and teeny-tiny. Sky cradles him in his palms, his entire body shaking with unfathomable emotion, and breaks into ugly tears. This is the first time he’s learned about the existence of hummingbirds, and he isn’t doing well. How could the Goddesses create something so pure and chaste, yet also so tiny and fragile? If anything happens to Four, Sky will purge the world. Meanwhile, poor Four would be sweating a waterfall if he could sweat in this form, because his childhood hero has clearly gone insane.
Legend: Legend is eternally cursed to always get tiny animal forms that are pink. His bird form is no exception: he’s a rosefinch. And he’s very salty about it. He tries to glare at Sky. But Sky is instantly charmed, mesmerized, bewitched by Legend’s blank, unimpressed, little beady eyes. All Legend ever achieves by being a pink puffball of feathers is Sky sobbing and nearly collapsing from cuteness exhaustion. Eventually, Legend gives up and perches grumpily in Sky’s bird-nest of hair.
Warriors: Sky carries Warriors under his arm in a makeshift sling made from his scarf, because Warriors is an angry, mute swan. He’s a bird large enough to be able to pull the Master Sword from its sheath and fix this whole humiliating situation. And he almost succeeded if Sky weren’t a godslayer. Now he’s stuck in swan jail and very indignant about this undignified state. He hisses his discontent and keeps futilely trying to bite Sky’s nose off.
Twilight: He’s a cucco rooster, and surprisingly normal about the whole situation. Forced transformation isn’t exactly new to him. He’s also very good at being a cucco, because he possessed them during his own adventure multiple times for funsy. Twilight knows they’ll need to return to normal eventually, but after witnessing Warriors’ disaster attempt (wing-slapping Sky into submission before Sky neck-snatched him at the speed of sound), he decides to just… chill for now. Sky rewards his good behavior by allowing him the dignity of walking beside him instead of being carried in a sack like a hissy baby.
Wild: He’s a mallard. But he’s so scrunkly he looks like a poorly taxidermied one. It’s his first time being transformed without consent, and he’s thrilled about it. Now he’s just like all his brothers! He loves chasing people and begging for bread. In this form, Wild discovers a new appreciation for bread. It’s the greatest thing to be invented ever(he quacks profoundly to Sky). Also, a duck waddling with tail-wagging joy is apparently Sky’s version of heaven on earth, and he nearly has a heart attack from witnessing the glory. Unfortunately, the burden of keeping Wild alive from becoming someone’s dinner falls on Twilight, who has to tirelessly chaperone him, because Wild keeps waddling off.
Hyrule: He’s a winged rat, aka, a pigeon. He shares Wild’s love for bread (it’s the bestest thing ever), but he also finds trash delicious, which will only worsen his already atrocious palate when he’s back to Hylian. Legend is so sour about Hyrule’s larger bird form, his mood could curdle milk. Sky coos at Hyrule. Hyrule coos back. Sky collapses into an emotional pile on the ground.
Wind: He’s a seagull. Just like the prophecies (fanfics) foretold. He’s excellent at gulling (thank you, Hyoi Pear). He loves gliding leisurely, the winds beneath his wings… then dive-bombs people, and steals food because he CAN. He shares the unconditional love for bread and often tag-teams with Hyrule and Wild to steal as much of it as possible. Sky finds their menacing little crime spree absolutely endearing. Legend, once again, is jealous. Why do they get the cool bird forms? WHY?
Time: He’s an owl. The moment he sees his reflection in a pond, he becomes inconsolable. War flashbacks of a droning owl flood his mind (he wasn’t careful with the skip button), and now he realizes: he has become the very thing he once swore to defeat. So, he perches broodingly on Sky’s shoulder, letting Sky, and fate, manhandle him as they please. Though he sometimes swivels his head 360 degrees to jumpscare the others. Unbeknownst to them, his presence increases Sky’s “wise aura” by 70%. Because, let’s be real, having an owl perched menacingly on your shoulder is very, very cool.
Eventually, and very sadly, Sky has to turn them back to normal after they get chased out of a town. Because when a heavily armed man walks into town, carrying birds, with more birds waddling around his feet and hovering over his head, it doesn’t look wholesome. It looks like the beginning of whatever the Hyrule equivalent of a German fairytale is.
Bonus: Sky’s bird form would obviously be a Canadian goose. And he is an undefeated king of terror.
I’ve had a change of heart (after watching too many bird channels). Legend as a cardinal would also work splendidly (but keeps him pink). That pointy feathered head looks like a little hat.
Sky is OUT! There’s been mixed opinions on the reason for his departure from the fight, but he is out! He can join Wind and Four on the sidelines! Hyrule, that was a close one….
As always- ground rules! No weapons, no magic. Biting, kicking, scratching, etc. is all permitted.
Additional things for this round, and ongoing rounds. Please be kind to each other! Have fun with this, please do not mass vote characters so your favorites win- this is not like the blorbo poll!!! Again- please be polite and respectful.
The progenitor’s “curse”: No Link can outlive Sky ’s lifespan
You know, like in Attack on Titan, where no Titan Shifter can outlive Ymir after inheriting her power.
Sky’s death sets the limit on how many years all his hero successors get to live because he is the forger of the hero spirit.
And I do think Sky dies young, probably in his mid-thirties at most. Fate takes him before a single gray could grace his hair. Maybe something, something, not exactly a curse, but about the hero spirit needing to rest and be ready for the next cycle. Nevertheless, none of the Links ever live to see old age, they live just long enough to save the world and tie up a few loose ends for the friends and families to carry on without them. Because the purpose of the hero spirit is to awaken to protect the world, not to live, or grow old within it.
LU chain and how much butter I think they have on toast:
Time: a thin coating of butter, but evenly spread across the entire slice to the crust
Twilight: goat butter slathered on thick, to the point where it's not fully melted in the centre and the bread by the crusts is dry and butter free
Warriors: now you'd think he has ungodly amounts of butter. You think wrong. He eats this shit DRY
Wild: he butters the bread first and toasts it in a pan so it's evenly crispy and toasty, because he's just like that
Sky: do they have buttered toast on skyloft...?
Legend: quite a bit, he makes sure the butter is all melted evenly across the slice of bread and there is no bit of the bread that is too thickly buttered and no dry spots
Hyrule: the toast is swimming with butter, spread thick and right to the crust so no bread is left dry. It's a pool of melted, golden goodness
Wind: a decent amount of butter, not quite buttered to the crust or evenly buttery all over, but he likes it
Four: the colours never agree. He ends up taking one knifeful of butter and just sliding that across the toast, which is by now not hot enough to melt it right away
Sync strikes mechanics in the new Hyrule Warriors game. Is such a cool concept. No time to watch full gameplay yet, but I’ve seen short clips. Enough to have opinions. And my opinion is that I want need to see the chain do those combos together.
Twilight: Opposites attract attack. Classic city vs. country. The kind of twins who can’t decide who’s the bigger brother, so they fistfight each other nearly to death just to be the first to meat-shield the other from harm. They turn every innocent thing into a dick-measuring contest. Try to steal each other’s mentee on multiple occasions, much to the mentees’ annoyance, because no one has ever agreed to be mentored by these idiots in the first place. They take psychic damage whenever someone insinuates that they look alike. 5 out of 5 stars, no drama.
Legend: The mean girls of the gang. Alone, they’re fanonically accused of being a bully, but together they rise as Disney’s evil stepsisters, mean and proud. Your stereotypical siblinghood of the golden-boy West Point cadet and his rebellious, musical-prodigy little brother who runs away to join a hippie band. Love it when, across time and space (and fic), Wars and Legend see each other for the first time and immediately run to bitch-slap the other because, “Your existence is invalid and it annoys me.” 5 out of 5 stars, no drama.
Four: Two contributing members of their societies. Posh accents and weaponize them to humiliate rude court nobles at their own game. They’re the type of siblings who nerd out over the most niche things together. Would sing praises to Excel (if it existed in their world). They probably play crosswords competitively in their spare time too. Nobody wants to stay with them when they’re like this because they figuratively smell like two old coots in retirement. 5 out of 5 stars, no drama.
Sky: Army vs. Air Force (maybe I’ve fallen too deep into American military reels after TG:M). Despite their shared occupation, they come from such different branches of knighthood that they have no clue what garbage the other is shitting (“Why can't you run?!” “Because I fly?!”). See straight through each other’s façades (“Why is he pretending to be vain?” “Why is he acting like a sleepyhead?”), and they’re passive-aggressively playing the world’s longest game of chicken, waiting the other slip first so they can goad. (Also, Wild can join them as their crayon-eating marine.) 5 out of 5 stars, no drama.
Wind: Classic big brother–little brother dynamic, except Wind is the big brother. Like Hylia shedding her divinity to lead her people, Wind (reluctantly) seals his big-brother energy to be perfectly little-brother-shaped for Wars to latch onto. Such an unfair trade. Wind is Wars’ pride and joy, and Wars is Wind’s lame and embarrassment (and unlimited-access scarf). Such is the sacrifice Wind must bear, because he’s a good big brother. 5 out of 5 stars, no drama.
Time: Is this the fic where Time meets Wars pre-LU, or have they never seen each other’s hair nor hide before joining forces to hunt the lizard man? Nevertheless, all rivers meet the sea. Wars will be subjected to Time’s pranks regardless. Their relationship is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get, but it’s always good (because all chocolate is good, except a Turkish delight truffle. Only a witch loves that). 5 out of 5 stars, no drama.
Hyrule: The underappreciated duo, even though they’re often paired together in comics. They’re so normal together it’s weirdly funny. Not too similar to be glued to each other’s hips; different, but not opposites. They’re like a potato and an onion mingling amiably in a cooking pot that cause maximum damage when left alone. When others are around, they do nothing. Take your eyes off them, and they burn the forest down. Also, untapped potential: the trainer and his Pokémon fairy war machine (see my other post). 5 out of 5 stars, no drama.
Wild: Oh boy, narrative foil. Their dynamic gives their respective fans heartburn and 100k-word PhD-level philosophical essays. Their relationship is like that of a kid (Wild) who was raised by his grandpa (Wolfie) because his dad (Wars) went to war. And now the absentee father predecessor returns to his life, and they have to bond, and it’s AWKWARD. But instead of going on a fishing trip like all estranged fathers and sons do, they do arson. And oh boy, does fire melt the wall between hearts fast. 5 out of 5 stars, no drama.
Imagine embarking on a time-travel adventure to fight a bad lizard alongside other heroes, one of them your predecessor, and another your successor, both of whom are the very epitome of heroism. And you’re just a humble, teenage–almost–adult smith, but you’re part of this badass lineage. You’re squealing internally, trying your hardest to keep it cool, because oh my goddesses, this is the best day ever!
Then you get to know them. And they’re dumb and dumber.
Then you look at your Zelda. And find out that Dot has the coolest predecessor and successor. Sun is so radiantly awesome, and Lullaby is regal and can turn into a ninja. Way, way cooler than yours. It’s so unfair.
TL;DR: I think it’d be funny if Time and Sky’s relationship revolve around silently competing to impress Four and be his favorite Link, but failing spectacularly, all while an oblivious Four is too busy being embarrassed.
And Four dreads introducing his embarrassing family, especially Dumb 1 and Dumb 2, to Dot, because he knows Sky is going to be his head-empty self and babble something weird, and Time is going to be on his worst behavior because he can sense Four’s fear and decides to make it come true.
Wind ends up becoming Four’s favorite Link instead. Wind’s a teenager, and he understands Four’s teenage need to look cool. Wind doesn’t bloody go and embarrass him with stupid antics in front of his princess.
