"May we meet again in another life."

another links/zeldas meet au for the pit | #loz ial | #loz in another life | (check out @nocturnalfandomartist, @writingnocturne, and @loz-untold-myths)!

[meet-again-in-another-life]

"May we meet again, in another life..."

Another AU where legends cross. Read more under the break.

General Story Synopsis:

Somewhere outside of time, the golden goddesses fued. A cycle of no end plagues their souls after they have let it push on across time and space alike. One of hatred, blood, and spirit; one of light and shadow. The goddess Din plots to destroy it all, at odds with her sister, Farore, who wishes rather to destroy the evil. Nayru, who trusts in the balance of the eternal struggle, proposes a solution. She will allow Din to put the worlds created by different ripples of time to the test. Din shall choose to revive a single puppet, and they will set the determining factors of the universe's fate into motion. She makes her choice, and Nayru begins with her work.

In a world still set in the era of A Link Between Worlds, a fabric is once more torn between realities. However, this is one far greater than anything before. It tears through time itself; a power only previously carried to the mortal world by Hylia herself. At the same time, an evil sealed away in this realm returns to life. The fused beast from light and dark worlds alike attempts to take control of the head-start the goddesses have given it; but there is no telling what the crack in reality may cause for existence now.

Premise:

The general idea for the AU is to focus on the narrative themes of The Legend of Zelda games, as well as Demise's Curse. It will heavily focus on the bond between Link and Zelda across lifetimes, and how their loyalty to one another affects the fate of Hyrule and those who live there.

Link Nicknames:

The Hero of the Skies (SkSw) - Chosen Hero, stink (affectionate), sleepyhead (affectionate), Skies.

The Hero of Men (MC Prologue) - Min

The Hero of the Minish (MC) - Pico

The Old Hero of the Four Sword (FS Backstory) - Fourest (get it because forest + four haha I'll see myself out). Kidding. Just Forest.

The New Hero of the Four Sword (FS) - Four

The Hero of Time (Oot Child) - Mask, Deku, fairy boy (affectionate)

The Hero of Time (OoT Adult(Alt)) - Time, Kiri

The Hero of Time (OoT Fallen) - Shade (given by TP Link despite being the wrong one)

The Hero of Legend (AlttP/LA) - Pink, rabbit, hare

The Hero of Ages and Seasons (OoA/S) - Oracle

The Hero of Worlds (ALBW) - Bear, Little Rabbit (given by ALttP/LA Link), Leaf (teasing nickname from Gulley when he died his hair green for a while)

One Who Learned Courage (Lorule) - Ravio, merchant (not affectionate)

The Hero of Hyrule (LoZ/AoL) - Hero

The Hero of Twilight (TP) - Twilight, wolf (given to him by TotK Link), Gray, Ordon (affectionate, given to him by TP Zelda)

The Hero of Light (FSA) - Divide, Mirror

The Hero of Winds - Wind, Gale (given to him by AoC Link), sailor

The Hero of Spirits (ST) - Conductor

The Hero of Warriors (HW) - Captain, Warrior

The Hero of Calamity (BotW Backstory) - Aspect, Dracozu (as he grew up along this river)

The Hero of the Wild (AoC) - Blade, Knight, Champion (gets confusing)

The Hero of the Wild (BotW/TotK) - Wild, Champion, Spirit (also gets confusing),

Zelda Nicknames:

Hylia Reborn (SkSw) - Grace (or Your Grace), Hylia/Hyli (not preferred), Ether? (Link definitely has nicknames for her, but they're all a bit too sweet for everyone else to call her by...)

Princess of the Light Force (MC Prologue) - Radiance, Harmony

Bright Princess (MC) - Bloom

Princess of the Elements (FS Backstory) - Prism, Monarch

Princess of the Four Sword Shrine (FS) - Adora

The Princess of Destiny (OoT Child) - Tulip

The Sage of Light (OoT Adult(Alt)) - Destiny, Sage

The Master of Disguise (OoT Fallen) - Sheik

Triforce Guide (ALttP) - Guide, Marin (what?!?! Whoa?!?! more on that later)

Hope of her People (OoS/A) - Hope

Princess like a Painting (ALBW) - Chroma

One Who Learned Wisdom (Lorule) - Hilda

Princess of Legend (LoZ/AoL) - Princess, Tale

The "Twlight Princess" (TP) - Dusk

Light of the Kingdom (FSA) - Light

Leader to a New Hyrule - Tetra, Captain (given by WW Link affectionately)

Spirit Princess (ST) - Phantom

Commander and Princess (HW) - Commander

Ancient Sealer - Guardian, Sonia (her middle name (her mother's name)), Sealer

Burgeoning Scholar (AoC) - Scholar

Sage of Light and Time (BotW/TotK) - Zel (given by her Link), Petal (also given by her Link once as a joke, but it stuck), Scale (usually isn't taken well)

(The nicknames above are WIPs, may be changed if I change my mind).

Extra Notes:

I intend to focus on the Links and Zeldas equally, as a big part of the story refers to their relationship in the grand scheme of like... the entire universe. This falls under the idea that every incarnation is a reincarnated form of a singular spirit and goddess.

Certain unnamed heroes from the games are given proper backstory and titles.

The two Zeldas in LoZ and AoL are combined into one Zelda; more on how the Hero of Hyrule's story goes later.

Some events in the games may be slightly dramatacized or combined with elements from their respective manga. More on this later.

While I will be using headcanons for post-game, I am making it my goal not to do so excessively. I like my canon compliancy, sometimes. I will mostly only use headcanons to fill in plot/character gaps or make sense of timeline.

A lot of posts will just be designs and ideas dumping early on. Comics are hard, I'm afraid. :')

@loz-untold-myths will be prioritized over work on this! Please keep this in mind!! (So if you like my stuff, maybe check that out).

I'm designing way too many outfits, I'm hoping to be able to share some of them soon!

Info Posts

Din, Nayru, and Farore

Tags

#loz ial

#loz in another life

#ial main story

#ial vignettes

#ial info post

#ial update

#ial doodles

#ial character peek

#nocturne's headcanons

I made the name too long, I am aware of this, but A Link Between Links was apparently taken. Curse the fandom hivemind!!!!

One more note: This AU now has its own section of the Untold Myths (@loz-untold-myths) Discord server! If you want an invite, please DM me.

[meet-again-in-another-life]

Rather than reblogging things, I'm gonna probably start reposting drawings for this on this blog as well as the main one! I think it'll make organization easier. ^^

[nocturnalfandomdoodles]

Doodled how I draw FSA Zelda to differentiate her from original Four Swords Zelda! She's a combination of FS Manga Zelda (who is actually a counterpart to her, not original FS Zelda for some reason) and her in-game sprite. ^^

[meet-again-in-another-life]

Going to be a bit more lax and share more of the designs on the main blog! Here's FSA Zelda! Her standing nickname is Light, but it's workshopping rn.

[meet-again-in-another-life]

Character Peek

Bright Princess of Hyrule

Since there has been a lot of time going into the main character art posts, I've decided to do these to at least get some consistent posting in the meantime! :) Closeups and more details under "read more." Click them for better quality!

Her Highness, Princess Zelda. This is the princess from The Minish Cap, and Link's childhood best friend! Thanks to the dormant Light Force sealed within her soul as well as the awakened blood of Hylia, she has been naturally gifted with magic since birth. However, Zelda never particularly thought about it too hard - one could argue she even treats it too casually, especially after her power overwhelmed the Minish Cap itself. This incarnation of Zelda is a bit distractable (very distractable she has a short attentions span) and over-excited at times, but she is generous, bright, and cheery with a strong sense of her own moral code. She's more than willing to stand up to a bully! Many times, though, she disobeys the Minister's guidance to spend time with Link - she isn't above sneaking out! Her birthday is January 27th, and she is around 14 years old (she was even younger during the game's events). Her nickname at the moment is Bloom!

When cursed into stone by Vaati, Zelda witnessed Link's adventure through a hazy dream. Waking up, she found she had a strangely different respect for him than before - especially knowing he went through so much trouble just to bring her back. For a while, she almost seemed nervous around him! Although Link was worried about their friendship going forward, it wasn't long before things returned to normal - Zelda was as bouncy in demeanor as always, the extrovert dragging him along at any given opportunity. Lately, she has decided to really try and practice her powers in case of another disaster... but she's also picked up on a fascination with plants and gardens in general. Thanks to her, the castle courtyard has recently become a cute garden for the Town Minish to visit.

She will be one of the Zeldas that appear rather often. Meeting her counterparts, who have much more severe responses to the traumas they've endured, will certainly throw her for a loop... Let's see if her optimism holds up, hmm?

Closeups:

AU Info:

In Another Life follows a fued of the Goddesses. Tired of the cycle caused by Demise's Curse, the three come to an agreement: they will break the boundaries of space and time and allow the fued to be settled by their Champions. If one seeking destruction, chosen by Din, holds victory, then the world will be erased and built again without the demon's influence. If the heroes blessed by Farore and the princess blessed by Nayru succeed in returning their foe to their seal, then the world will live on. Farore hopes too to end the cycle, but Nayru believes it not to be her place.

The eternal bond between Hylia and her chosen hero will be tested as Hyrule's branches in history reach out to them through broken mirrors. They have found each other in every lifetime - but will their unbreakable connection be enough to save existence itself?

Pinned Post:

Info

[nocturnalfandomdoodles]

dug up some sksw zelink from when I was messing with brushes... get ready

[meet-again-in-another-life]

Them!! I really do need to share more of the sketches I have lying around. If anyone's curious on their dynamic for the AU, I'd love to not shut up about it! :)

[meet-again-in-another-life]

Character Peek

Vessel of the Light Force

Since there has been a lot of time going into the main character art posts, I've decided to do these to at least get some consistent posting in the meantime! :) Closeups and more details under "read more." Click them for better quality!

Her Radiance, Princess Zelda. This is the princess seen in the stained glass windows of Minish Cap, paired with the Hero of Men seen in the prologue. Along with being a princess, she takes on a priestess sort of role in her Hyrule (which is young, and although prosperous is very set back in terms of development thanks to the Era of Chaos). She is the daughter of King Gustaf. Her mother was from the Wind Tribe; Zelda originally had her red hair, but it was turned golden by absorbing the Light Force. Her birthday is April 28th.

Amidst the Era of Chaos, when Demise's armies resurfaced in vengeance for their fallen monster, she was overheard pleading for guidance by the Picori on the other side of a hidden, mystical door. They revealed themselves to her (it was believed that they were creations of Hylia in her era, so they believed a descendant could see them - and she could)! They pledged to help the people of Hyrule in their darkest hour, and Zelda has been an ambassador to them ever since. She is close friends with some of the Minish who have decided to stay.

With her help, the descended Minish crafted the Picori Blade with the inspiration of the ancient Goddess Sword, intended to vanquish the evil in the same way. They sought a hero to wield both it and the Light Force, a pure embodiment of their realm's energy. Zelda was chosen to protect it after the war's end, as her divine blood made her capable of doing so. Her absorbing the Light Force is actually what made Hylia's bloodline (her reincarnations) from then on capable of wielding her ethereal power even without the use of a relic.

She will not appear as often as her counterparts, but she plays a vital role in understanding the history of early Hyrule and the legacy of the Picori Blade. (For example, fashions! The wing accessories in her hair are meant to resemble lesser versions of Hylia's wings, and her casual clothes ended up inspiring the dresses of other toon counterparts).

Closeups + Alts:

AU Info:

In Another Life follows a fued of the Goddesses. Tired of the cycle caused by Demise's Curse, the three come to an agreement: they will break the boundaries of space and time and allow the fued to be settled by their Champions. If one seeking destruction, chosen by Din, holds victory, then the world will be erased and built again without the demon's influence. If the heroes blessed by Farore and the princess blessed by Nayru succeed in returning their foe to their seal, then the world will live on. Farore hopes too to end the cycle, but Nayru believes it not to be her place.

The eternal bond between Hylia and her chosen hero will be tested as Hyrule's branches in history reach out to them through broken mirrors. They have found each other in every lifetime - but will their unbreakable connection be enough to save existence itself?

Pinned Post:

Info

[meet-again-in-another-life]

Happy birthday, Four Swords Adventures! To celebrate, here's a snippet of a vignette request I finally had some time to work on today! :)

"The reflection’s current alignment is… vague. It is best we take no chances. He was made to challenge the hero by taking his shape— but that does not inherently give him his heart. A heart is woven from experiences. Shadows are created with uncertainty; hidden answers are simply in their nature. Caution is necessary when dealing with them… or you may learn something regrettable much too late.” They sigh, their red eyes narrowing in genuine concern. “I know you would like to trust him, especially after he spared your life— but even that can be a part of an underlying strategy.”

Downfall Timeline Sheik cautions FSA Zelda and Link (Light & Mirror) about a certain Shadow... 👁

[meet-again-in-another-life]

Character Peek

The Spirit Maiden

Since there has been a lot of time going into the main character art posts, I've decided to do these to at least get some consistent posting in the meantime! :) Closeups and more details under "read more." Click them for better quality!

Her Grace, Lady Zelda! This is the Zelda seen in Skyward Sword, a knight in training who found herself fighting a war she had no idea was her own. She recently turned 17 during the events of Skyward Sword, but now is 19. Her birthday is July 16! Zelda likes to spend a lot of time sewing (mostly making dolls) and studying this era's wildlife on the Surface. She is often plagued by nightmares of Hylia's war and glimpses of Link's battle with Demise, as her soul was within the Demon King at the time.

After Skyward Sword, Zelda decided to live on the surface. When Link agreed to join her, he confessed there was something else he meant to talk to her about (the same thing she tried to tell him before Ghirahim sent his tornado). They shared their first kiss beneath the light of the Triforce and above their new home - between earth and sky. They have been together ever since and have formed a small settlement with the friends they made on the Surface World, which Link has nicknamed Hyrule as a running joke. Zelda is hoping such a pun doesn't stick... but it's what everyone in Skyloft calls their small home now.

Now that her father has let her origins as the goddess spill, her old friends have begun to treat her somewhat differently. It didn't sit right with Hylia long ago, and it certainly doesn't sit right now... She has to accept that part of her, doesn't she? There have even been suggestions of her taking a role as the high priestess and ruler of the settlement below. After all, they say, a goddess is most fit to guide humanity. But must they forget that now - and for as long as they've known her - she is one of them?

Thank you to my friend @cherrysalsa for the idea of goddess plume earrings! They are SO cute. Thank you for letting me implement them!!!! <3

Closeups + Alts:

AU Info:

In Another Life follows a fued of the Goddesses. Tired of the cycle caused by Demise's Curse, the three come to an agreement: they will break the boundaries of space and time and allow the fued to be settled by their Champions. If one seeking destruction, chosen by Din, holds victory, then the world will be erased and built again without the demon's influence. If the heroes blessed by Farore and the princess blessed by Nayru succeed in returning their foe to their seal, then the world will live on. Farore hopes too to end the cycle, but Nayru believes it not to be her place.

The eternal bond between Hylia and her chosen hero will be tested as Hyrule's branches in history reach out to them through broken mirrors. They have found each other in every lifetime - but will their unbreakable connection be enough to save existence itself?

Pinned Post:

Info

[meet-again-in-another-life]

STORY UPDATE!!

I was debating for a while on how I wanted to present the storyline, but I think I have it figured out! The current plan, as of now, is to have an ao3 collection where I'll be posting both the practice vignettes and the main storyline as a series. The main storyline will be divided into "episodes" (individual ao3 works all put in chronological order as a series). I've already got the first one mostly outlined, and it'll follow a certain familiar bunny boy! :) However, I still love drawing my headcanon designs - so none of this is to say there won't be little comics as time allows. Thanks for your patience! <3

[nocturnalfandomdoodles]

i just think they're neat (classic zelink requested by @linktheacehero)

[meet-again-in-another-life]

I am giving each character a wardrobe, so there's no way I'm leaving out the Hyrule Fantasy inspired designs!!

[nocturnalfandomdoodles]

minish cap prequel idea doodles!! (also based on old art of mine, unfortunately in old art style)

[meet-again-in-another-life]

These are a little stiff, admittedly, as I was just figuring out how to draw them - but it should get a bit easier the more I do it!

[nocturnalfandomdoodles]

four swords prequel idea things... (based on these old concepts of mine, please excuse the horrible style)

[meet-again-in-another-life]

They'll be here, too :)

[nocturnalfandomdoodles]

the surface world's most lovey-dovey couple!! featuring some designs I have in progress for @meet-again-in-another-life. Zelda's ref sheet is almost done, so you'll get to see this girl in color! :)

[meet-again-in-another-life]

She may be the first one I post, turns out! That's rather fitting, isn't it?

[meet-again-in-another-life]

I'm going to start posting small fics of character interactions and such to get used to how I want to portray everyone! (As the character art is still in progress). I'll be taking little requests if there are particular dynamics people would like to see. :) Keep an eye out!

[meet-again-in-another-life]

As far as drabble requests go, here's a little system I thought would be fun! Just send an ask with the emojis of what you want to see. :) Some ideas may end up as doodles or doodle-comics, if that's where my brain goes.

Click read more!

Genre

💗 = Fluff/Light-Hearted

💔 = Angst

Characters

✨️ = (Bonus) Hylia

☁️ = (Bonus) First Link (Unknown)

🪶 = SkSw Link (Sky, Chosen)

☀️ = SkSw Zelda (Grace)

🍃 = The Hero of Men (Min)

🪟 = HoM's Zelda (Force)

☘️ = MC Link (Pico)

🌼 = MC Zelda (Bloom)

🌳 = FS Prologue Link (Forest)

💐= FSP Zelda (Monarch)

🍀 = FS Link (Four, Clover)

🌸 = FS Zelda (Adora)

🎭 = OoT Child Link (Mask, Deku)

🌷 = OoT Child Zelda (Destiny, Tulip)

💀 = OoT Fallen Link (Shade)

👁 = OoT Fallen Zelda (Sheik)

⌛️= OoT Adult Link (Time)

⏳️= OoT Adult Zelda (Sage)

🐺 = TP Link (Wolf, Ordon)

🌅 = TP Zelda (Dusk)

🪞= FSA Link (Mirror)

⚫️ = Shadow Link

⭐️ = FSA Zelda (Light)

🦞 = WW Link (Wind, Sailor)

🌊 = WW Zelda (Tetra)

🚂 = ST Link (Conductor)

👻 = ST Zelda (Phantom)

🐇 = ALTTP Link (Pink)

🌺 = ALTTP Zelda (Marin)

🍂 = OoA/S Link (Oracle)

🍁 = OoA/S Zelda (Hope)

🐻 = ALBW/TFH Link (Bear)

🖼 = ALBW Zelda (Chroma)

🐰 = Ravio

💜= Hilda

🗡 = AoL Link (Hero)

👑 = AoL Zelda (Princess)

⚔️ = HW Link (Warrior)

🔰 = HW Zelda (Commander)

🌟 = Ancient Zelda (Sealer/Sonia II)

🌬 = Ancient Link (Ancient)

🛡 = AoC Link (Knight)

📘 = AoC Zelda (Scholar)

🔵 = TotK Link (Champion)

🐉 = TotK Zelda (Zel, Lumi/Lumen)

❓️= NPC (Specify in ask)

❗️= Villain (Specify in ask)

Asks will either take a few hours or a week, I apologize in advance.

[meet-again-in-another-life]

I'm going to start posting small fics of character interactions and such to get used to how I want to portray everyone! (As the character art is still in progress). I'll be taking little requests if there are particular dynamics people would like to see. :) Keep an eye out!

[nocturnalfandomartist]

The Sealer of Calamity, the Ancient Princess Zelda

I don't know if anyone remembers my Zelink Week 2023 project, but I've finally fleshed it out! Zelda has a more fleshed-out design taking inspiration from both her parents (Rauru and Sonia) and the Sage of Time (Zelda II). This design will be used in Origins of Calamity, a post-TotK fic I will be using to tie together the narratives of the Imprisoning War and the first Calamity (yes, I have constructed a long-winded timeline). I am so genuinely excited to share this story, and I'm hoping to do so soon (I want to have the first few chapters in their final draft stage before posting them). Enjoy this little bit of updated concept art in the meantime! :)

Origins Updated Concepts - Part 1

Time Elapsed: 5 hours, 33 minutes

#origins of calamity

Program Used: IbisPaint

Just a small note, but this will deviate decently from the story that will be presented in Call of the Forgotten. Unlike in the rewrite, this fic will lean heavily into the time travel aspect...

REBLOGGING IS ENCOURAGED, BUT DO NOT REPOST

[meet-again-in-another-life]

For anyone curious, this will be one of her designs for this AU as well!

[meet-again-in-another-life]

Would you rather I post Link and Zelda bios before or after their art is finished?

Should bio posts include art?

yes

no

either

Voting ended onDec 18, 2023

[meet-again-in-another-life]

Results are in! "Either" won, but considering no one outright said "no," I'll make sure the bio posts have artwork. They'll take a bit longer to be posted, but I'll post them as they're completed! (I'll try and post them in pairs, of course)! I'm either going to start with Ancient Zelink (first calamity), ALTTP Zelink, or THF/AoL Zelink. Thank you to everyone who voted! :)