[Image Description: A 8 paneled colored page for Linked Spirit Legend of Zelda AU. Panel 1: Four Swords Link "Smith" stands in a castle courtyard, holding his sword over his shoulder. He's a chubby kid, with blonde hair in a ponytail. They grin, "I told you I could win without Four of me!" On the ground, a Knight with a green cape and blonde hair lays prone "Ha! Now help your father up!" He says. Panel 2: Smith grips his hand with both his hands with a toony grimace as the green knight stands. Panel 3: His father pats his shoulder, "Good work Link." Smith grins broadly. Panel 4: his father puts a hand to his chest, "I do hope you don't return to thinking you can do everything Solo from this, however." Panel 5: "Oh HA! I learned my lesson" Smith replies, smiling. Panel 6: "Alas, Hyrule can't always have multiple Links" his father says. Panel 7: his father holds a hand out, expression panicked, illuminated with teal light, "Wait, don't move!" Panel 8: "Link!" He shouts. Smith falls backwards, eyes wide and turning multicolored. They fall into a black hole-like portal with teal blue lightning and swirls. Smith is curled up, hands covering his face. "I died, I died" says a unseen speaker from within the portal. "Breathe- Link?" Says another. Smith's thoughts are in dark rectangle bubbles "...Shadow?" In blue lettering, "No. That's not his voice..." in violet "Who is that?" in green. End ID]
masterpost - pages masterpost
First-
Timeline 2- Era of̵͓̑ ̶̘͠ț̶̌h̷̊ͅe̵̺͠ ̵͎̓f̴͙̈o̸͕̐ṳ̸̋r̶̞̈́ ̴̭̆s̴̠̿p̶̬̈́ĩ̶̻ȑ̷̘ḭ̶̀t̸̟́: Previous (32) - 33.2 ^ - Next (34.2)
Return to Timeline 1- Era of the Wild: Previous (44) - 45
Ok. So, Hero kidnapped more than just Hope, whoops! (I decided it might be clearer "when" these things happened if I did it this "split timeline" way. Plus, you get to see more Links :D)
[Image Description: A series of line art drawings of Linked Spirit Links interacting with Hope. The first image is two panels. Panel 1: Hope says "Kiss me, Sir Knight~" dramatically falling toward Sky. Sky steps back, eyes wide. Panel 2: Hope falls over with an "Ack!" Only his hand visible as he reaches up to Sky, who looks down at him, arms crossed, unamused. In the 2nd image Hope says "Kiss me master chef-" Wild holding Hope dramatically sprawled in their arms. Wild holds up Hope to Ordon's waiting arms. Wild and Ordon seem tired, while Hope's eyes are wide. Hope continues "Wait not you old man-" Ordon responds, "I'm not going to". 3rd image is two panels. Panel 1: Hope leans forward and Hero's Spirit's hand smacks him in the face as he says "Kiss-" Panel 2: Hope leans forward, covering her face, "My nose" "Snrk- Sorry" Hero says, floating next to him, covering their a small smile. "Liar" Hope responds. The 4th image is 5 panels. Panel 1: Smith stands next to Hope who grins, an arm around their shoulder. Smith says "flattered but.... No." Panel 2: Berry, indicated in Red, kisses Hope's cheek. Hope smiles, an exclamation mark over their head. Panel 3: Clover (in green) stares at Hope disturbed. Hope says "Don't look so distraught- It's a Joke." Panel 4: Hope hangs over a tree branch while Indigo (blue) dusts his hands. Hope says "You're strong." Panel 5: Hope looks over Viola's (violet) shoulder, who's face is buried in a book. "You're... ignoring me?" Hope says. Image 5 is Hope leaning forward towards Rinku, "Kiss me-" "Shriek!" Rinku screams, stumbling backward with a red blush. Image 6 is two panels. Panel 1: Wind dips Hope, kissing them on the lips. Hope looks wide-eyed with a "Mphf?" In the background, Engineer stands, surprised, a set of ellipsis in his dialogue bubble. Panel 2: Hope stands next to Wind, still wide-eyed, and slightly confused looking, holding a hand to his mouth. Wind has an amused grin, arms behind his head, "Don't get that response often do you?" End ID]
If you've watched the LoZ Cartoon, you'll know after "Well EXCUSE ME, Princess" Link's second favorite phrase is a very faux-sappy "Kiss me" which is, never, ever, followed through with. SO, here's everyone's (generalized) response to that phrase, should it get directed at them.
Summary: The start of Smith's Four Swords- It's been years since Link fought Vaati and rescued their childhood friend, Zelda, from her stone prison. Zelda asks them to check the seal with her and discovers something new with the Four Sword due to Vaati's magic.
Warnings: tickle fight, peril, fights, passing out/concussion (poor Smith has... so much head trauma across their games)
-
The scratch of pen against paper echoed in the room. Link, sprawled over blankets, snored lightly. Zelda turned her head at the sound, giggling.
"Link! You're supposed to help me."
Link mumbled and covered his face with his arm.
Zelda stood, abandoning the paper, and inched towards Link. "I need to finish this speech! You’re the one visiting the Minish all the time, not me."
Link humphed, "Shh, naptime."
"Minister Potho is going to be so mad if I don't finish," Zelda continued. She quietly leaned over him.
"Mn' I'll punch'm for ya." Link grumbled, "Sleeepy. Is' late."
Zelda jumped and flopped herself across Link's middle and he yelped. "ZELDA!"
She laughed, rolling over so she could look at his outraged and startled expression.
Link tucked his arms under her and flung her up, rolling off the bed with a thunk to escape. Zelda laughed, bouncing as she landed on the cushion of mattress and blankets. She watched him scramble up to a stand. Link growled. His ears flicked, and he smirked. He pounced like a cat, tackling her. He tickled her, making her yell and laugh. She jabbed her fingers in his sides making him squeak and laugh in turn.
They had fallen to the floor, tumbling and laughing long before a knight came to check on them. They paused, staring back at the soldier. The princess's knee propped into the young blacksmith's stomach, pinning him to the floor, her fingers daring to dig into his sides.
Link's face flushed red as the knight's eyebrow raised higher and higher.
"So! As you can see, we have no need for your service here. Regardless, thank you sir!" Zelda said with as much of a curtsy she could while keeping Link pinned to the floor.
Link squirmed against her hold, "Yeah! Uh. Thanks! Bye!"
The knight sighed heavily and closed the door, muttering something about children.
Link rolled away out of her hold. He stared at the floorboards for a moment. They shuffled and fiddled with their hair and clothes like they were suddenly uncomfortable in their skin.
"...Are you alright?" Zelda asked, shifting to sit properly on the floor.
Link nodded, turning to look at her. Nothing had changed, really. They didn’t even look upset like she might’ve assumed. Regardless, perhaps that had been too much touch. "Uh. Yeah." They cleared their throat, "Um. Did we need to do something?"
Zelda groaned, "Speech."
"Right! Right, right-" Link stood, leaning over the desk to read what she had so far.
She sighed, getting up and sitting on the edge of her bed. "I'm bored of it, can't we go back to playing?"
"But you need to finish it?" Link said, "The festival is in a few days."
Zelda sighed heavily, shifting to look at something else. Her eyes found a painting at her bedside. Her and Link, some time not long before Vaati arrived. Their faces soft with childhood, seated in a way that hardly suited their need to run and play the days away. Just barely old enough to run wherever they pleased, not old enough to know how everything would change. So small in a world too big.
Now they were 12 years old and everything was still too big. Link had changed. Zelda knew. He was more prone to lashing out almost randomly. Crashing against everything in his path like a tsunami. Va was more prone to sudden bursts of energy that led him to extinguishing like a spark of flame without enough fuel. They were more prone to staying up late, studying anything and everything. Gaze as hard as rock when interrupted. They were more prone to taking up every little responsibility. Like they were the lone hero under the vast sky, going wherever the wind told them.
Link had changed, she had to have changed as well.
Zelda felt the bed dip as his comfortable, familiar weight settled next to her. She leaned against them. “Is it wrong of me to still not want to go?”
“Not at all,” they said, voice soft, “You can always call it sick. We could go out to the woods together? Visit with the Minish?”
“But I want to go.” She said, hoping the distinction and contradiction made sense. That there were two wants warring in her. “I want to have fun and enjoy it. I just- I can’t help but worry something will happen. I- I’ve just had this horrible feeling…”
Link sighed, leaning back, looking up at the ceiling. “...Do you want to check on it? Make sure everything’s okay?”
Zelda turned and looked at them, “You’d go with me?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Zelda hummed, “Right now?”
Link blinked, stuttering slightly with their words, “Right now, now?”
“Please?”
They nodded, offering her a hand. She took it with both hands, and they raced off through the Castle.
Zelda and Link paused in front of the entry of the Sanctuary. The moss and vines had quickly taken over in the 6 years of neglect. Not many came to visit the sword anymore. Link glanced at the 4 elemental pillars, monuments to their previous efforts. They had been there long before them. The resting place of the Picori Blade before it had been changed. Yet, they still felt as if the elements were humming, resonance calling to them.
Zelda had fallen a few steps behind them. Just as they glanced back, she came running up, spinning in a playful nature. Dramatically, she began, "We have arrived."
Link giggled, walking after her slowly.
Her small smile faded as she looked at it. "The sacred blade… the Four Sword." In almost a whisper, as if she was trying to confirm it to herself, "Sealed away in its forged steel is Vaati, the wind mage."
Link looked at the sword for a long moment. They looked up at Zelda, "And it's fine. Nothing is broken or bent." They squinted a little at it, noting a slight rust in its edges, a slight tilt in its position, off-center just slightly. But… that's normal. For a sword left in the elements like this…
Zelda frowned slightly and stepped closer to Link, "Lately," she breathed, "I have been sensing… weakness, in the seal. It worries me."
"Sensing as in Magic, not idle concern?" Link clarified, shifting to step beside Zelda, gently placing a comforting hand against her shoulder, taking a more critical approach to analyzing the sword.
"I- yes, that is why we had to come here. I- I have to make sure it's not my imagination."
Link reached out to the blade to inspect it further and Zelda abruptly grabbed their hand. They startled, blinking and looking up at her.
"Be careful-" she asked, she worried her lip between her teeth. Letting out a breath, she put on a small smile. "Do you want to hear the story people started telling of it?"
Link tilted their head, nodding lightly.
"It is said that the body of one who touches this blade will be shattered to pieces-"
"That's ridiculous. Just because it broke when Vaati touched it?"
"Because people heard of and saw your echos, more like." Zelda hummed, looking at the blade, "It has mysterious powers… who knows how much was truly tapped."
Link frowned. Contemplative.
Zelda gave them a considering glance and turned dramatic, "Legends say-" Link cracked a small smile, eyebrow raising, "that when mighty Vaati attacked, a hero arose and saved the people from destruction." She looked intently at Link.
"I know what people have been saying about this," Link sighed heavily, "I don't care-"
"They go on to say-" Zelda interrupted pointedly, "that by using this sword, the one was as four, and the four combined their strength!" Zelda giggled herself then, smiling lightly at Link.
"Okay okay, I don't think I heard that one." They giggled, shaking their head. "It seems a little silly, how much has turned to rumor already."
Zelda shrugged, turning and leaning against Link's shoulder. "People need explanations. When we didn't give them one they liked, they made their own."
Link looked softly at her, "Thank you, for believing in me, by the way."
"How could I not? You're my Hero," Zelda ruffled their hair and the pair laughed, dissolving into shoving each other lightly.
Zelda shook her head, clearing her throat. "Okay. Okay." She took in a deep breath, "Let's check the seal. Step back."
Link raised an eyebrow as they took a step back. Zelda walked forward, a new confidence in her step. The sword shifted in the stone, tilted.
Link blinked. "Uh."
Zelda spun in a circle, frantic.
A shadowy claw descended down from above. Link gasped and pointed, "Zelda!"
She screamed as the claw wrapped around her, hoisting her to the air. She kicked and hit. Link ran, nearly climbing onto the Four Sword pedestal as he looked up at Vaati.
…He had already been out. He had been just… waiting for them? Link heaved panicked breaths. What could he want? Would he try to take the Light Force from Zelda again? Did he want revenge?
Vaati laughed at Link, "Have you some business with me?"
What?
Link was ignored as they looked at Zelda, "So, you noticed the seal was weakening?"
Zelda screamed, thrashing, "Release me!"
"Eh? I sensed a great power approaching, so I hid myself. But my, what a lovely catch! Surely you must be some noble maiden. My name is Vaati," He confirmed, proud, "I am the great wind mage!"
Vaati…. Didn't recognize either of them? Link shook their head, looking around. They needed something, anything, to get Zelda free. They glanced at the Four Sword…. But what if taking it released even more monsters?
"The seal is broken… so I shall rage yet again!" Vaati chuckled, "And what a gift awaits my return! You, my dear, are a curious power in one so young. I wonder what exactly makes you tick… Onwards we go, to my Palace of Winds!"
Link felt lightheaded. "No! You let her go!" He reached for the sword, but Vaati's movements whipped up a gale strong enough to push Link around. Finally, Vaati seemed to rush to one direction, and Link scrambled to follow, only for Vaati to turn abruptly and force Link back, the back of his head connecting with a stone pillar. Everything a fading grayed haze. A smattering of dots on his vision.
The last thing Link heard was Zelda's scream, "Help me!"
They shifted, raising a hand towards the sound. But it was difficult. Their body felt heavy, tingly. He collapsed, giving into the darkness.
"Open your eyes" a light voice called distantly.
"Young hero…" another bell like tone said.
He felt a feather light touch on his back. Another skirted on the back of ver head. One more tickled ver hand, and Link all but jumped up, breathing sharply as his body felt alight, jolting with electricity.
Three fairies looked back at him.
They looked around, panicked, "What happened? What happened- Why- why am I here?" His head and heart pounded. A terrible drum beat of fear and pain. He raised a hand to the back of his head, wincing.
The fairies glanced at each other. One spoke up, "The Princess Zelda has been carried off to Vaati's Palace."
Link's eyes went wide, "Wh-" ver gaze flickered to the Four Sword, settled in the stone crooked and wrong wrong wrong-
"Hurry!" Another fairy insisted, holding his finger with both her tiny hands, "You must go to her!"
"But you can not go alone…" the third fairy reasoned, "You have need of the Four Sword."
"Draw out the blade!"
Link nodded, standing and rushing to the sword. He didn't really need any more explanation. Vaati was free, Zelda was captured. They had to find her. The fairies following him. Va drew the blade, raising it up to see in the light… everything suddenly went white, bright with far too much light. It happened too fast to even close their eyes. A resonance deep in their chest, vibrating from the blade. A sense of floating and falling suddenly. A distinct warmth of someone next to them.
Somebody screamed as the light faded and they registered the face of the new person, dressed head to toe in red. The other person looked at them and screamed too.
Just next to the person in red, another covered his ears, face souring, "What the fuck!"
One more stared at them all, before turning ver head to the sword in their hands, tilting it against the light. They frowned.
The fairies hovered, struggling to interrupt over the yelling.
"Who are you?!" The green clad boy screeched, gesturing at the three strangers- "Wh- why do you have my face?"
"I'm fucking Link, who are you?" The one in blue yelled back.
" I'm Link!" The one in green insisted.
The one in red laughed sharply and suddenly. The other two looked at ver. "I'm Link three." He giggled awkwardly.
"We are fractured." The one in violet stated, strangely calm.
"Ohhh that's a great way to explain absolutely nothing!" Blue Link hissed.
"This is chaos. I've been thrown into the realm of chaos." Green Link muttered.
"I'm confused- this never happened the first time I used the Four Sword?" Red Link said softly, looking at the blade, "I just got like, little echo buddies."
"You? I used the Four Sword." Blue Link turned towards the Red, leaning into his face with a scrunched expression, "What the hell are you talking about?"
Green Link frowned, glaring lightly at Blue, "What are you talking about?"
"OH!" Red gasped, eyes wide with wonder, "Are we the buddies?!"
"I am NOT a damn fucking echo! I'm The Link!" Blue huffed, shoving the two Links closest to him. The Link in Violet rolled ver eyes.
Green stepped forward, "What is that supposed to mean?-"
"Hey! Listen!" One of the fairies shouted.
The Four looked up.
"The magic of the Four Sword has been altered. Vaati is strong," she said, "You must take this seriously."
"No matter how mighty the enemy, with the power of Four, you can defeat it…" another fairy reassured.
"So you're implying I must work with these dolts?" The Violet Link complained lowly. "I sense my odds of success have been greatly limited."
"Who are you calling a dolt?! Dolt!" Blue snarked back.
"AUGH, listen to the fairies." Green hissed in a stage whisper. "Ma'am, where is this Palace? I hadn't seen it before" they asked, giving a side glance to the other three.
"The Great Fairies ahead know the path to his Palace," one fairy said.
"If the Great Fairies acknowledge your abilities, they will show you the way."
"If you are able to gather many Rupees along the path to the Great Fairies, they will likely acknowledge your courage"
"Please rescue the Princess."
"Of course! You can trust us."
"You don't even have to ask!"
"Whatever! I'm getting Zelda back no matter what some damn fairies want."
"You have my word, I'll do everything in my power to return her to us."
"Take care, brave heroes," one of the fairies said with a small smile. The fairies flew around above their heads, before flying away.
The Links glanced at each other.
Green Link nodded and started walking, "Let's get out of here."
"Agreed" Violet Link humphed. The group set off back out of the Sanctuary.
Blue Link kept his arms crossed, "Alright, since I'm Link, the rest of ya’ll are going to need nicknames. It's going to get confusing otherwise."
"Sorry?" Green huffed, "You can't just claim total dibs on my name"
"I'm the real Link, I should keep my name!"
"I'm the real Link!"
"Oh Yeah?! Prove it!"
"...This argument is absurd." Violet grumbled, shaking ver head.
Green grinned, "Well, Link was wearing green . Not blue."
"They kinda have a point…" Red said.
Blue stared. "Buh- ba- That doesn't prove anything! Shut up!" He tackled Green, who yelped.
Violet and Red stopped walking. Violet blinked a few times, sighing, and turned to walk away. "We don't have time for this idiocy."
"OW OW ow not the hair! Not the hair!"
"Uhhhh," Red said, frowning "How about a compromise!"
"Did you fucking bite me!? YOU BIT ME."
Red grimaced. "Guys" the fight continued. "Guys!" He yanked them both up. He shoved them apart, glaring. "Okay! New rule! I get to stand between you two at all times! And we Alllllllll get new names! How about that?"
Green huffed, "Fine."
Blue glared, but didn't protest.
Red sighed in relief, pulling the other two along to catch up with Violet. "Ok! Perfect! How about Red, Green, Blue, Violet!"
"Sounds simple and intuitive," Violet agreed.
"Ewww, no, if I'm gonna get a new name it's going to be cool. Not freaking 'Blue'."
"Um…" Green hummed, "Like…. Pax?"
"...What kind of dweeb are you?" Blue whispered with a glare.
As the group crossed into the garden, Red gasped, "OH! Oh uhh, Clover-" He pointed at Green who blinked and pointed at himself in surprise. Va moved to "Hmmm Indigo?" Blue Link made a gentle considering head tilt, accepting enough. Va grinned, "Viola should work since you didn't mind Violet- and I'm Strawberry!"
"...Strawberry?" Indigo giggled. "Really?"
"It's cute," Clover said, "Those sound good."
"Yeah. Indigo. Sounds kinda like a cool adventurer, someone fast, tough" He swung his sword, miming fencing, "You killed my father, prepare to die."
"Who killed who??" Strawberry gasped.
"N-nobody. I'm joking. It was in a book somewhere…. Shut up."
Berry pouted.
Clover huffed, "This is going to be a longggg walk."
Viola glanced back, tone flat, "Oh it already is."
