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@novantinuum
Hi! Call me Nova. He/they. Adult person who partakes in escapism via fiction. Multifandom, but especially Steven Universe, Legend of Zelda, and some other cartoons right now. Art | Fanfic | Video Edits About me | Buy me a coffee on Ko-Fi :D
I've written a kinda ridiculous amount of content for this fandom at this point, so this post is intended as a fun way to organize all that content on this blog. I'll update this post periodically as I share more works.
Most of my works are gen fic- with a heavy focus on character study and "bridging the gaps" of canon with lil bonus scenes of what I feel certain characters might've been up to in between episodes. However, I do on occasion enjoy exploring a few different relationship dynamics... and actual ratings for my stories vary.
Ratings and pairings will be listed on this masterpost, as well as any particularly vital content warnings. For more thorough content warnings, please reference the tags on the linked AO3 listings.
~~~
Multichapter AUs:
Crack The Paragon Series
Series Summary:
In the wake of an ill-fated discovery, Steven vies to pick up all the pieces. The Gems are in turmoil: Pearl canāt speak the truth, Garnet chose to separate, and Amethyst's confidence has hit rock bottom. Somehow, his mom is Pink Diamond. But what exactly does that mean for him? Why did his mom really choose to fake-shatter herself and obscure her identity?
With the very foundation of his home life shifting around him, can Steven ever hope to find answers on his own? Or will his growing obsession with seeking this truth ultimately crack his world all over again?
Canon divergent as of season 3 episode 20, Bismuth.
Stories:
Crack the Paragon- 76,200 words, 15/41 chapters. Rated T. Light Steven/Connie.
In another world, he doesn't have his mother's sword or shield to hide behind when Bismuth lands her strike. The bubble pops.
Steven falls apart.
Content warning: Major character injury.
Everything Is Different Now- 1,014 words. Rated G.
After her unfortunate exile, Bismuth returns to her forge to work, and to reflect on her mistakes.
Seeing Pink- 2,475 words. Rated G.
Following a video call with Connie, Steven reacts to the discovery that... his eyes arenāt always human anymore.
a cut above (but nothing more)- 5,613 words. Rated T.
Jaspers were only made to be soldiers. Nothing less, nothing more.
It must be noted, however, that she was incubated within the same wretched earthen soil that birthed the treacherous Rose Quartz. So perhaps it can't be helped that she too would fail to live up to her designed purpose.
That she too would dare to think.
Content warning: Suicidal ideation
Misalignment- 18,095 words, 21/? chapters. Rated T.
His familyās not present the third time he runs away... They never see the creature he becomes.
Early corruption AU.
Content warning: Minor body horror.
Hollowed Moon- 8,796 words, 14/? chapters. Rated T.
Stevonnie doesn't crash the Star Skipper onto that jungle moon. Instead, they crash on a craggy fragment of rock suspended thousands of miles away from its associated colony, long forgotten.
On that lonely hunk of rock is a domed garden.
And standing in that garden, just as lifeless seeming as the rest of it, is a pink Gem.
~~~
Other AU/Non-Canon Works:
For the purpose of organization, this section contains two fics that have since had elements of it debunked by Steven Universe: Future. However, said fics were written to be "canon compliant" at the time of posting... thus, on AO3, they still are listed within my "canon compliant" series.
Shattering Atlas- 4,274 words. Rated T.
A boy can only carry an entire galaxy upon his back for so long before the weight of it all finally becomes too much.
(Written about the Corrupted Steven Theory, long before SUF's airing.)
Content warning: Depression, body horror.
The Price of Freedom- 791 words. Rated T.
Even while sightless, even when she only exists as thin fingers of light rapidly spreading outwards from her gem, Rose can sense that something is deeply, dreadfully wrong.
Written for Whumptober 2020, Day 1: Waking up restrained.
Bi the Way...- 2,886 words. Rated T. Steven/Connie.
Connie has a question, and also something to say.
(Originally written to be canon compliant after the movie, debunked by Steven and Connie not officially getting together until the end of Steven Universe: Future.)
Errands- 3,034 words. Rated T.
Steven has an endless stream of items on his to-do list, so many that he often forgets to properly take care of himself in between.
Sneaking off into the woods on the daily to vent out his repressed emotions is merely one of them.
(Originally written to fit between Snow Day and Little Graduation, but the back half of Steven Universe: Future strongly suggested that Steven did not visit Jasper in between the events of Little Homeschool and Fragments, thus I consider it debunked.)
A Blissful Crossroads- 1,742 words. Rated T. Stevencest.
āNo, no, pleaseā Steven, itās not ānothing,ā Iām curious, now.ā Tone bursting with genuine warmth, he plants a singular hand on his shoulder, trying to coax him to open up again. āI genuinely want to know.ā
And stars, is the sheer, uncharacteristic vulnerability glistening within his dear friendās warm brown irises when next he opens his mouth almost enough to scramble the very code of his core-most being.
āYou sure about that, Flower Boy?ā
_
A holiday gift fic inspired by the story "Drift Together," in which Steven and his Gem- Floret- are split at birth and live entirely separate lives before ultimately reuniting in high school.
tether me close and promise you'll linger- 2,139 words. Rated T. Steven/Connie.
āHappy New Year, sweetheart,ā she whispers, her breath tickling against his beard.
And in response, his brow creases inwards so sharply that itās all but impossible to ignore the building tension behind his eyes, the stressful specter of a migraine yet to come.
āStarsā¦ itās that time alreadyā?ā
-
A holiday gift fic inspired by characters in the AU comic āWalk the Line.ā
~~~
Canon Compliant Works:
This part of the list contains almost everything within my "Brandishing the Star: A Crystal Gem's Guide to the Universe" fic series on AO3. Fics are listed chronologically.
Ineptitudes and Impurities- 2,462 words. Rated G.
You are a Diamondā the shimmering matriarch of all Gemkindā and yet one day, betraying your own intended purpose, you find yourself playing a game.
_
Written for The Great Diamond Authority fanzine.
Tipping Point- 1,104 words. Rated G.
Garnet helps remind Rose of what she's fighting for.
New Star- 1,321 words. Rated G.
Organic life is a fragile, fickle thing. This much is true. What's also true is how the death and resurrection of a humble lion was enough to make Rose Quartz re-conceptualize everything.
On the Origin of Hybrids- 1,684 words. Rated G.
The questionā incomplete, and yet bursting with long-held curiosityā emerges from thin air while heās about to tuck Steven into bed in the back of the van one night.
In retrospect, no parenting book couldāve ever prepared him for this one.
His Shield- 334 words. Rated G.
Greg attempts to comfort his son during a thunderstorm.
Donut Debrief- 1,578 words. Rated G.
And like a burst of sunshine emerging from between the murky grey clouds, the young boy swings the door open wide, face alight with a level of enthusiasm that before, she didnāt even think was humanly possible on an overcast Monday morning.
Two days after their disastrous island adventure, Sadie and Steven talk about regrets, making amends, and discover something they have in common with each other.
Autumn Bliss- 546 words. Rated G. Light Steven/Connie.
Is there any better way to spend a crisp autumn day than playing around in piles of leaves?
Written for Connvember, day 1.
Alienation- 1,151 words. Rated G.
āBut... Iām human,ā he whispers to himself, the words tasting more like a desperate plea for belief on his tongue. āOr at least, part human. Right?ā
-
An awkward interaction with his dad and Connie leads Steven to realize that he's now too Gem to all the humans in his life.
Ramen Soup For the Soul- 263 words. Rated G.
Steven and Connie noisily slurp some soup at the dinner table.
Creative Outlet- 837 words. Rated G.
āLog date, 7 14 9.
āToday, the hybrid creature Steven attempted to further secure my loyalty by introducing me to a concept he calls...Ā āmusic.ā
Taste of Ordinary- 12,756 words. 2/3 chapters. Rated G. Light Steven/Connie.
"Connie, can we talk?"
When a much needed moonlight conversation with his best friend turns into an attempted (and failed) "spring break" from all his responsibilities as a half-Gem, Steven must finally come to terms with the full truth of his heritage and all six thousand years of its consequences.
Takes place between The Question and Made of Honor.
Outer Strife- 4,282 words. Rated T.
Connie clenches her fists at her sides, envisioning a world where she still feels the safe, comforting weight of Roseās sword strapped upon her back. But instead, itās the Crystal Gemsā darkest, most forlorn hour... and sheās absolutely useless to them.
Is there anything she can do to aid them in this struggle, anything at all?
(Or: the beach fight in Reunited, but from Connie's POV.)
Content warning: Panic attacks
Ballroom Etiquette- 2,809 words. Rated G.
As much as it pains him to admit it amidst all the boring protocol, Pearl is absolutely right. Thereās no room for imperfection at a Homeworld Ball.
In which Steven is publicly introduced to the Gems of Homeworld as Pink Diamond, and he experiences the first true stage fright of his life.
Finally Free- 1,653 words. Rated G.
Lapis genuinely doesnāt know how many hours (Days? Months? Years?) have passed when light finally graces her eyes once again.
Vulnerable- 730 words. Rated G.
Three words.
Three little words, and the intergalactic conflict heād been training his whole childhood to defend against was over.
But the hurt... he's not sure the hurt will ever go away.
Fifteen- 1,607 words. Rated G.
Every year, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, Pearl runs away.
Cycles- 1,216 words. Rated G.
Amidst their danger-fraught mission to retrieve Pyrope and Demantoid's prisms, Pearl and Steven take a much needed break.
Freedom to Dance- 382 words. Rated G.
Stevonnie celebrates the first anniversary of Era 3 with their friends and reflects on how Homeworld has already changed.
Stardust- 618 words. Rated G.
White Diamond is testing out new terms of endearment. But no matter Whiteās intention with this little nickname, Steven doesnāt want it.
Contact- 16,002 words. 4/4 chapters. Rated T.
The first (and with any luck, only) time it happens, heās almost 16.
Content warning: Major character injury.
Disconnected- 993 words. Rated T.
āWhatās going onā?ā he croaks to absolutely no one (weakened, vulnerable, alone, patheticā), a jolt of fresh panic surging through his entire system.
Heās never seen a gem flicker before. He has no idea what this means.
The Shatter Wish- 1,045 words. Rated T.
Youāre 16 years and 2 months old (give or take a few days) when you finally realize you want to die.
-
(Steven's POV, second person)
Content warning: Depression, suicidal ideation.
Second Skin- 9,272 words. 12/12 chapters. Rated T.
Steven canāt help but dread the undefined cocktail of emotions that trigger this newest power...
12 shorts, each delving into Stevenās developing opinions and feelings about his āpink modeā in SUF.
Content warning: Light self harm, panic attacks
The Brother on the Other Side- 2,978 words. Rated T.
Lars has no idea what he was expecting the moment Steven texted him in the middle of the night to ask if he could come over, but being immediately tackled in an intense vice-grip of a hug the second he opened the door probably wasnāt it.
White Noise- 1,766 words. Rated T.
In which Steven opens up to Peridot a little about his anxieties surrounding his recent āpink episodes.ā
Peridot thinks she can help him determine the root cause of this problem, but Stevenā marooned amidst age-old insecurities and his fears of hurting those he lovesā still isnāt convinced he wants anyoneās help.
Content warning: Panic attacks
Like Clockwork- 509 words. Rated T.
Connie's got mountains of studying to do.
(It's not just an excuse to avoid reminders of old traumas, of course it's not! Everything's fine.)
Fight the Future- 3,604 words. Rated T.
Sheās poofed, he repeats to himself like a dying manās mantra. Sheās poofed. Sheās stuck in the rubble, but sheās only poofed. Sheās fine, and Iām fine, a-andā
Above the scars of Steven's wreckage, thunder claps like mighty titans colliding in the heavens.
(Or: what happens in the moments after Steven and Jasper's rematch.)
Distortions- 755 words. Rated T.
A mere heartbeat before Steven corrupts, Garnet finally catches a glimpse of his future.
Oceans- 5,358 words. 6/6 chapters. Rated T.
Her fingers clutch onto the folds of his blanket with a protective fervor, but theyāre still trembling. Stars, theyāre trembling.
Wordlessly, he understands. His are too.
-
A series of shorts detailing what might've happened in the moments after I Am My Monster, told from six different points of view.
Memoir of the Marks Unseen- 6,786 words. Rated T. Light Steven/Connie.
Stevenās messy self-corruption has scarred him in a manner that transcends the mere physical.
Battling through suffocating waves of self-loathing and relapse, the path towards healing and acceptance is set to be his most challenging venture yetā¦ but in a unexpected twist of fate, he eventually comes to find a cathartic solace in the tangible marks left behind.
Content warning: Depression, light body horror.
Intake- 6,427 words. 2/2 chapters. Rated T.
Steven fills out an important form.
Content warning: Depression, suicidal ideation.
Fear of Falling Apart- 1,961 words. Rated T.
Maybe itās a bit selfish to wish for conflict in a time of relative peace, but right now Connie would give anything to face an opponent she could physically fight. A battle she could win.
Because the fact of the matter is, no matter how stubbornly she might try, thereās no way she can fight off Stevenās inner demons for him.
-
In which Connie receives a panicked midnight phone call, and rushes to Beach City with Lion to try and help.
Content warning: Light body horror.
Ticklish- 2,675 words. Rated T. Steven/Connie.
In which Connieās subconscious, innocent touch helps Steven realize just how nice the sensation of gentle fingertips gliding across the surface of oneās gem can be.
No Escape From the Weather- 5,756 words. Rated T.
Amidst an unusually stormy late summerās day, Steven finally amasses the courage to confide in his dad about one of his greatest traumas.
Content warning: Panic attacks
Just a Little Something- 1,486 words. Rated T. Steven/Connie.
Steven surprises Connie with a handmade gift.
Written for Glow Week 2024, for the prompt "Casual or Surprise."
(Our) Shadows Before the Dawn- 957 words. Rated T. Steven/Connie.
It's their nights that are the most difficult.
Content warning: Panic attacks
Advocate- 5,472 words. Rated T.
Thereās more to this story, Lars can feel it brimming in his very bones. He can feel it squirming around in the tangled coils of his guts, a primal, virulent rot that threatens to consume him from the inside out. Something is off with Steven, something is distinctly wrong.
And oh, does he hate being right.
-
When an unexpected visitor tumbles through the magic portal in his hair long after hours, breathless and bright pink, Lars must amass the courage to weather one of the most difficult conversations of his life.
Now twenty years old and living on the other side of the country, Steven spends his morning relaxing on the beach, musing about his past, and having a chat with his dad.
Nightlight- 1,364 words. Rated T. Steven/Connie.
āSo, waitā what youāre saying is that you want meā¦ to glow for youā?ā
-
In which a drowsy, throwaway comment inspires Steven toā fueled by Connieās implicit trust and encouragementā test the very limits of his self-restraint.
~~~
OC Works:
This subsection is the home for any fics I post in my post-canon OC-centric series, "Echoes of Chalcedony." It follows the story of a young half-Gem named Jean Maverick and their journey towards learning about the Gem side of their heritage.
First Impressions- 11,026 words. 3/4 chapters. Rated T.
A young human-Gem hybrid- a soul yet unknown to the rest of the Crystal Gems- takes their first brave steps towards greeting their heritage firsthand.
~~~
NSFW Works:
Fics in this section will be posted on my NSFW AO3 alt, Astraliies. I personally consider some of them "canon" to my own extended fic universe, but they will not be sorted as official entries in my "Brandishing the Star" series due to rating. I have more NSFW fics on this alt than the ones that are posted here, but they are far more niche and separated from canon in terms of their content, so won't be put on this masterlist.
It Takes Two- 2,865 words. Rated M. Steven/Connie.
Itās possible. The timing lines up.
What Connie fears is one hundred percent possible.
The problem is, a potential pregnancy this early into their relationship was absolutely not in their plans.
Content warning: Contains frank discussion of underage sex. Connie is 17.
A uniquely charged encounter in Roseās Room forces Steven to contend with matters of attraction and desire he never could have predicted for himself.
To what extreme is he willing to journey in fulfilling these burgeoning fantasies? And in what ways will such an experience forever transform him?
(One thingās for sure, thoughā¦ once Connieās brought into the loop, the most intimate dynamics of their marriage will never be the same.)
Content warning: Selfcest, explicit sexual content
Love Handles- 7,178 words. Rated E. Steven/Connie.
In which a stray, innocuous comment from Connie pushes Steven to dedicate the bulk of his free time to āgetting into shape.ā
But when new stressors rise to challenge him, he begins to struggle to maintain this leaner, more muscular form for her. Not only that, but is this even the kind of body he desires for himself in the first place?
Content warning: Explicit sexual content, feeding kink
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
In collaboration with @aiu-ita (who did some amazing ass art holy shit) for Zelink week, here is a piece that combines the prompts of the entire week into one!
I collaborated with @spoiledspine for Zelink week!!! And did some illustrations for their fic āpuppet, machine, life inorganicā that you can find on this post and that you NEED TO READ!!!!
Iām so so happy i was able to draw something for this week even with the little time that i had ššš and even more happy to collaborate with this amazing writer and person. I had such a good time and i really hope yāall enjoy this work :D
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
ā Live Streamingā Interactive Chatā Private Showsā HD Qualityā Free Actions
Free to watch ā¢ No registration required ā¢ HD streaming
acrylic on canvas painting of zelda breath of the wild! feels so good to make something physically with my hands in an online landscape of increasingly gen-ai bullshit
ADHD advice from non-ADHD people: start blocking out your day and put things in your google calendar
ADHD advice from ADHD people: any time you're waiting for your food to microwave YOU HAVE TO WASH DISHES WASH AS MANY AS YOU CAN THIS IS A RACE AGAINST TIME THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THIS COULD HAPPEN
it's literally the evilest thing in the world to finally have time to write but then be tired. like wow you're telling me these two hours before going to bed are completely free but my brain is just Not Feeling It? fuck off
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
ā Live Streamingā Interactive Chatā Private Showsā HD Qualityā Free Actions
Free to watch ā¢ No registration required ā¢ HD streaming
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Fandom:Ā Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Rating: Explicit
Pairing: Zelda/Knight Construct, Zelda/Link
Words:Ā 8.1K~
Summary: Frustrated by her inability to sate her sexual needs alone, Zelda seeks a helping handā¦ and makes a vital discovery about the rebellionās construct ally along the way.
This fic exists because I'm insane about my precious little construct boy, and I wanted Zelda to also be insane about him ;w;;;;
Fun fact: this is the first explicit written material to be posted about the Knight Construct on AO3. I blacked out amid the month of April and I wrote and edited this almost nonstop until I finished, ahah.
Due to this storyās explicit nature, I will not be crossposting the entire thing as I do with my other fics- please follow the link to AO3 if youāre interested in checking it out. I have also listed all of the additional tags under the cut for convenience so you can make an informed decision before you click through or not.
A SFW preview of the fic will be under the cut, though! I'll share up to about when it becomes NSFW.
In general though, this story is about loneliness, horniness, and philosophical musings about where artificial intelligence ends and sentience begins. The sex is... how to say... quite Abstract, on one end of it. I had a lot of fun with this story, and if this sorta thing sounds interesting to you I hope you enjoy!
AO3 Tags: Set During Game, Character Study, Porn with Feelings, Masturbation, Chuchu Jelly As Lube, Vaginal Fingering, Unconventional Sex, Soul Play, Mild Blood Play, Zelda is a scientist first and a princess second, brief flashbacks to Zelink smut before the start of TotK, philisophical musings about the potential personhood of a robot, may or may not count as infidelity, depending on how you view having sex with a semi-sentient construct powered by your boyfriend's sword, the Knight Construct as a fancy Zonai sex toy but also not really
_
AO3 Notes:
So, re: the tag about infidelityā¦
Personally speaking, I see the Knight Construct as a weird mixture of a little of Fi, a little of Link (the sword outright templated this constructās body and mannerisms after his), and a little of his own personā so I donāt see the following events as āinfidelityā per se, but rather as a strange little encounter between Zelda and a funky quasi-echo of her partner in a robot body.
In any case, heās still not a complete person in the way that Zelda and Link are, and I think thatās important to note. Your mileage may vary, however. This story still carries vibes of that age-old ācharacter A feels drawn to fill the void left by character Bās absenceā trope that oft guides infidelity plotlines, so I thought it important to tag liberally as a courtesy to yāall.
_
Fic Preview:
Every clear night, for as long as she can remember, Zeldaās set aside a few minutes before bed to step outside and admire the stars. First it was with Mother, who would always put up her telescope, set her on her lap, and show her far-flung nebulas she could never dream to know otherwise.Ā
Then she was alone, stargazing from the peaceful solitude of her balconyā¦ away from her fatherās judgement, away from all burden of duty.
For the past seven years sheās spent these evenings with Link. In early days, theyād snuggle up by the fire pit outside their home and use this hallowed time to share stories, to deepen their bond beyond what they shared a century prior. As their relationship blossomed further, laughter and lively conversation turned to comfortable silence. Sheād lean in against his chest and listen to the reassuring cadence of his heartbeat, reminding herself that heās alive, theyāre alive, and they wonāt have to contend with the grief of a world-ending calamity for the rest of their days.
Yet now, she finds herself grieving and alone once more. She grieves for her lost lover, for the friends she left behind, for the myriad of souls who have already sacrificed their lives for their beloved kingdom amid this senseless war. Her view of the skyā tinged with redā is limited from the bottom of Tanagar Canyon, but she naively scours the stars for answers nonethelessā¦ gathering up every last sorrow she carries and praying that the Goddesses above may soon grant them mercy.Ā
But these arenāt her stars, and this isnāt her kingdom.
Zelda struggles to suppress a shudder in the nightās biting chill as she shoots one last lingering look at what few constellations are visible to her. With a weary sigh, she re-enters the temple. Sheās beginning to wish she hadn't lost those ruby earrings Vence so kindly gifted her during their last scouting trip in the Hebra mountains. No matter, though. Sheāll warm up well enough once she retires to her tent and bundles up for the night.
A familiar face nods at her from the nearby archway, the one separating the armory and training area from the soldiersā living space. āRest well, my lady,ā Quino says, his customary claymore swapped in favor of a spear for once. āYou fought magnificently today.ā
Her lips quirk upward. āThank you. I always feel I learn something new in our sparring sessions.ā Then, with a hint of amusement rippling through her words: āLike minding my blind spot, for instance.ā
Her friend flashes a grimace, embarrassment burning at the tips of his ears. āSorry again for that.ā
The once half-hearted smile echoing across her face blooms into a full fledged grin as she recalls their little incident today during group trainingā¦ wherein Quinoās quick footed dodge saw him colliding straight into her and knocking them both to the ground. Bless him. He wasnāt looking where his feet were carrying him, and neither was she.
āPlease, donāt worry about it,ā she says with a ripple of humor coating her tone. āItās only a bruise, nothing more. And in any case, Iād rather learn these lessons off the battlefield as opposed to on it.āĀ
āA fair point. Though I still feel rather guilty for hurting you in the first placeā¦ā
āOh, hush. Youāve got to stop apologizing so much. I promise you, Iām fine.ā
āHmm,ā he balls a fist at his chin, pondering her carefully. āI guess Iāll just have to make it up to you, thenā¦ by besting you fair and square in our next spar!ā
āHey!ā Zelda exclaims as he reaches over to muss her hair like some annoying older brother. She smacks his hand away, and he flashes her the good-natured yet ornery smirk of someone whoās garnered the exact reaction he wanted. āThose are bold words for someone Iāve disarmed numerous times.ā
Quino barks a laugh. āYou canāt blame a soul for dreaming. Anyways, I wonāt keep you. Itās cold out here, go bundle up and get some sleep.ā
āYouāre not coming too?ā
āNah.ā He shakes his head. āIām on guard duty until dawn. Gotta keep these two troublemakers in line, after all. Isnāt that right, Kira?ā
His gaze slides towards his cohorts standing clear on the other side of the wide archway: the Knight Construct, and one of their allied Gerudo soldiers. (Kira, she notes for later. They havenāt crossed paths off the battlefield until now, so itās nice to finally put a name to a face.) Kiraā leaning back against the weathered stone with her own spear in handā sticks her tongue out at him, a streak of mischief flashing in her expression. In stark contrast to her relaxed posture, the construct stands as perfectly poised as ever, staring out into the quiet clearing of the camp as if a stray band of moblins may lay siege to the temple at any moment. Zelda hums as she examines him. Itās quite rare to see him apart from his little Korok friend. Usually theyāre a package deal.
āSo theyāre letting him guard, now?ā she asks, nodding towards him.
āHis Majestyās orders,ā Quino says. āOf course, many amongst our ranks still harbor a good deal of distrust for him, which is why thereās three of us on shift tonight. Though personally, I donāt see why any of that is necessary. If our king trusts this construct implicitly, then so do I.ā
āNot to mention, the thingās prolly better suited as a lookout than any of us!ā Kira adds. āNever rests, never sleeps, never slacks offā¦ never wants for anything. Itās kind of the perfect soldier, huh? I donāt think it even blinks.ā
A slight frown graces Zeldaās features as she shifts her attention away from Quino and Kiraās chatter to consider the very construct in question. She analyzes what little of his side profile is visible under the shadow of his hood, admires the shimmering glow of his otherworldly cyan hair, traces her eyes across the sharp contours of his zonaite body. While itās by no means a matter sheās ever voiced out loud, itās interesting to observe how certain individuals in their entourage refer to the Knight Construct. Calamo, the constructās loyal companion, has always regarded him as one would a person. Herself, Quino, and most others in King Rauruās inner circle have largely followed the Korokās example. Beyond them, thoughā¦ most soldiers regard him as a thing. A semi-autonomous machine, a tool to be wielded.
In all her testing, she hasnāt determined which stance is more accurate. With a shard of the Master Sword serving as his core, thereās every possibility that he, too, houses some loose form of āspirit.ā It may be mere superstition, but Zelda swears she can feel a distinct aura radiating off him whenever sheās standing close, an aura all his own. Itās ancient yet familiar, almost unnervingly so. However, Kiraās statement still holds a great deal of truth. He wants for nothing. Even off the battlefield, the Knight Construct seems to adhere to a clear cut directive: vanquish evil no matter the cost, like itās encoded into the very threads of his existence. He is more than capable of operating without external commands, yesā¦ but so far, Zelda has never observed him expressing any form of strong personal desire extending beyond his utility as a war machine. She treats him like his own individual, but is this brand of personification a mere novelty, or a thesis that holds actual merit?
Is Kira right to call him a āthing,ā or is it possible that the Knight Constructā a machine crafted by mortal hands but powered by a minuscule spark of the divineā is genuinely alive?
This question lingers at the back of her mind long after she leaves her friendsā company. An investigation for a later day, perhaps? Sheāll have to consult Mineru tomorrow morning, if sheās back from her reconnaissance mission in the Depths by then.
Zelda ducks through the flaps of layered canvas forming the entryway of her tent and eyes the nightclothes atop her bedroll. The warmth of the portable heating device perched on the adjacent stool is a blessed kindness, after spending so much of today training in the shadowy chill of the ravine outside. She lets out a heavy sigh. Long-held tension in her shoulders eases as she steps out of her sandals and removes her accessories, sans the secret stone hanging around her neck. Sheās grateful that King Rauru saw fit to bequeath her and the sages each with a space all their own, but let there be no mistakeā her lodgings here in the Tanagar Canyon Temple are far from luxurious. Beyond the privacy she enjoys, she sleeps under the same starchy blankets as any other soldier.Ā
Sheās just beginning to slip off her dress when she catches a glimpse of Linkās hairband waiting for her atop her sketchbook. Her breath catches. Her airways fill with a thick and caustic despair, a gloom of a far worse origin than a tyrantās rage. She'd worn this on her wrist when she first ventured beneath the castle with him many moons agoā¦ an innocent token stolen from his stash. Then, months later, the blue hairband and her Purah Pad had been the only possessions she had on her person when she fled from the Great Plateau. Everything elseā her old traveling clothes includedā was lost in the chaos of Ganondorfās attack. Gloom contamination aside, she doubts thereās any chance of recovering them.
Which meansā¦ this hairband is the only piece of Link she has left.
Bending down, she picks up this precious memento and cups it in her hands. She barely stifles the dry, empty sob forcing its way up her throat as she brings the worn fabric to her lips, inhaling the bygone memory of his scent before she sets it down again.
A lot of things remind her of him these days, and it hurts.
Quinoās laugh, whenever heās caught by surprise during a spar.
Raphicaās wickedly dry wit.
Qiaās almost admirable stubbornness, never mind how grim their odds may be.
That time Agraston tried to convince Ardi and Ronza to try a cooled hunk of his magma spiced rock roast, and they actually took him up on the offer.
Rauruās bad habit of biting back his feelings to spare others the āburdenā of knowing them.
Mineruās propensity to observe a crowded scene in silence, rarely interjecting unless directly addressed.
The Knight Constructās very physicality, the way he stands at erect attention at all times, the way he throws himself into the fray of battle without so much as sparing a thought for his own well-being.
At every turn, Linkās spirit follows her like a haunting mirage: always lurking, yet forever out of reach. To find a path home to him has always been the goal, yes, butā¦ more and more often, she finds herself wondering if this future will reveal its path to her at all.
What if, instead, sheās stuck here forever? Marooned untold millennia before her home era for the rest of her days?Ā
What if the wordless gasp of terror that split from his lungs as he dove after her is the last memory of his gentle voice sheāll ever have?Ā
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Fandom:Ā The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom
Rating:Ā G
Words:Ā 3.0K~
Summary: Faced with the very real threat of death and a job only he can see through, Yunobo finally finds his courage.
This was a fic I wrote and posted for the Beacord Zelda 40th Anniversary collection back in February. It's set between BotW and TotK, and is all about Yunobo, my favorite sage! I like the sheer amount of character development he experiences between games, in having the boldness to finally jump off the edge of Death Mountain's caldera rather than cower back. But how did his power evolve to what it is in Tears of the Kingdom-?
This story is an attempt to envision a bridge to that gap. Enjoy!
___
The more bomb flowers Yunobo detonates within this blasted, dead end mine, the more he frets that maybeā just maybeā Boss was right.
Maybe there arenāt more diamonds tucked away down this shaft. Maybe he is a foolhardy, ignorant soulā¦ so stuck on his hopes for a quick and easy solution to their mineral shortage that heās willfully ignoring the pervading threat of a cave-in just to chase a hunch.
So why, then, after all his years of cowering away behind his ancestorās protection, is he still so insistent on seeing this mission through?
Yunobo clenches his molars together, lighting the fuse on the next bomb flower with a swift, grinding snap of his fingers and hurling it clear across the passage. It explodes on contact, blowing chalky chunks of rock to mere dust and smoke. He yelps, curling himself inwards. On automatic, that warm, humming rush of Goron might heās grown so used to wielding these past few years surges outwards like magma from the mountainās core, coalescing into a solid, fiery orange shield. Fragments of stone cleave off from the caveās roof and bounce off this barrier, clattering harmlessly to the ground. As brave as heās been so far, he doesnāt dare drop his guard until his surroundings settle and heās absolutely positive the whole ceiling wonāt collapse on top of him.
He takes a deep, gasping breath, andā steeling his nerves once moreā pulls another bomb flower from his pack. Blast mining like this is terrifying work, but one canāt argue with the results. Slowly but surely, heās pressing forward. Step by step, heās lengthening this shaft far beyond where any other Goron dares tread.
H-heā¦ he can do this. Heās the only one who can do this.
Seeking a momentary distraction from all the risks and rigors of this reckless plan, his thoughts drift back to the rather heated argument he had with the Boss this morningā¦ and to the overarching predicament that pushed him to take up this job in the first place.
Goron Cityās plight is simple: their coffers have been running dry for a good few years now. The reason? Death Mountainās constant eruptions this past century flooded their territory and collapsed the entrances to many of their old mines. And then, poor resource management led to all the shafts within what few mines remained getting picked clean. These days, a patient and resourceful Goron may be able to source a good load of flint or rock salt from those routes, but gemstones are in critical short supply.
Now that the mountain has finally fallen dormant, though, they have a prime opportunity to reinvigorate their economy. Trade and tourism is returning to their region. Numerous Gerudo and Zora merchants have already inquired about bulk gemstone deals, but they barely have anything worthwhile to sell.
One thingās for sure: his brothers need a breakthrough, and they need one fast. If they can simply strike it rich with a brand new vein of diamonds, their economic future would be set for the next few decades. Those old shafts may be depleted, but they can still use explosives to expand them, right?
The problem is, Bludoā bless his stony heartā is far more soft for his fellow Gorons than he lets on. Even if there is more ore to discover, he doesnāt want to risk sending his best workers back into any of those over-mined, unstable shafts. He thinks theyāre too dangerous to touch. He doesnāt want to risk an incident like the freak collapse in Ardani Cave about a decade back, a tragedy that took the lives of seventeen hardworking souls, including Yunoboās former mentor. Thus, ever since that day, blast mining has been off limits. The old shafts are off limits, too. Bossās orders. From now on he wants to prioritize the creation of brand new mines, through manual excavation only.
This, Yunobo believes, is a terrible idea.
āBut we canāt afford to wait for a new passage to be dug out!ā he told him naught but seven hours ago, his voice raising to a far higher volume than he usually lets it. āI know thereās still diamonds down there, Boss, I can smell themā and with my power of protection Iām the only one who stands half a chance of surviving a collapse!ā Inhaling deep and heavy, he puffs out his chest with all the pluck and gung-ho bravado false confidence can provide. āS-soā¦ so Iām going to the Northern Mines, goro, and Iām not coming back until I prove to you Iām right!ā
And oh boy, oh boy, is he beginning to regret his impulsivity. Heās gonna be in such deep silt if he doesnāt come back with a full minecart of ore after running his mouth like that! So far, his prospects donāt look good. Hours and hours of careful, precise detonation with these bomb flowers hasnāt unveiled anything. Not a single new vein, much less any roast worth a Goronās time.
Once again, Yunobo cowers under his shield after the next explosive goes off. Crumbling, craggy walls rumble as he ducks his head. The sheer size of the loose stones that are knocked from the shaftās roof over the next few seconds isā¦ foreboding. As bold as he initially was, pushing back against Bossās orders and charging down here anyways, this is still one of the most terrifying things heās ever done.
Sucking in a sharp breath, he drops his ancestorās protection.
Heās just about to retrieve the next bomb from his stash when he hears the soft rumble of rugged Goron moxie rolling towards him from behind. An exacerbated sigh slips off his tongue. He whirls around, features creasing inwardsā¦ halfway expecting to find Bludo standing at the top of the shaft with his arms crossed, his weathered gaze picking him apart like heās nothing more than a slab of brittle sandstone.
Bludo, however, is not who his widening eyes discover.
A icy surge of panic flows through the once molten channels of his core. He casts his bomb bag aside.
āOffrakā¦ Slergo!ā he exclaims upon recognition of his two pint sized visitors, still so young that their shells havenāt fully hardened yet. āWhat in Dinās name are you two doing here, goro!? This place is too dangerous for you!ā
āWell, itās jusā as dangerous for you, innit?ā Slergo shoots back, the young Goronās voice echoing all the way down to him from the shaftās entrance.
His face heating up at the untimely reminder of the foolās errand heās thrown himself into, Yunobo scratches at the nape of his neck. āI-Iā no, wait, hold on, how did you two even find me?ā
Slergo shrugs. āUh, well Jengo said he saw you rollinā this way a few hours back, soāā
āYou gotta come back with us, please!ā Offrak begs, creeping a few tentative steps towards him. āYouāre gonna hurt yourself if you stay!ā
A nervous habit he really outta coax himself out of, Yunobo wrings his hands together as he ponders their request, rock grinding on solid rock like heās halfway to whetting a blade on a grindstone. He has to admit, thereās a small, gutless chunk of his spirit thatās rather tempted to pack it up and call it quits, after spending hours and hours lengthening this shaft with not a gemstone to show for it.
But then againā¦
āNo. No,ā he repeats, the word catching in his throat a little. āIām sorry, but Iā I canāt come with you. And you two, you gotta get out of here! I know what Iām doing, okay? I know thereās ore back there, I know there is, but no one believes me! No one wants to take the risk. A-and Iā¦ I canāt just sit back and watch the rest of my brothers give up when weāre this close to a breakthrough! Iā¦ā
His gaze follows a few stray pebbles as they rain down to the stony cave floor, shoulders falling slack as heās suddenly pummeled by the blunt truth of why heās embedded himself so deep in this mess to begin with.
āI justā¦ I canāt let myself be useless againā¦ā
āBut youāve never been useless!ā Offrak insists, calling his attention back. In the time Yunoboās eyes were drawn elsewhere, the kidās shuffled forward halfway down the shaft, a sight which has his gut squirming with unease. āYouāve always helped Boss with the canons, anāā anā you helped that lilā guy take down Rudania a few years back, anāā
āYouāre a hero, goro! Youāre the bravest brother we got!ā Slergo adds from afar, offering him a toothy grin.
His breath stalls. Despite all their innocent kindness, he canāt quite find it within himself to pay back this smile with one of his own.
Him, a hero? Hah.
The very thought leaves a bitter, metallic aftertaste in his mouth, like a rock roast that had been left to mature in the fertile volcanic soils a few days too long.
He wasnāt a hero, not at all. He was merely the heroās reluctant tag-along.
He shouldāve followed him. He shouldāve hardened himself to take that terrifying leap, to plunge into the sweltering unknown of Death Mountainās maw and strike vengeance against that horrible blight by Linkās sideā¦ but he didnāt. Sages above, he didnāt do anything. He just stood there, chained to the calderaās rim by the sheer disgraceful weight of all his cowardice and doubt.
And even though this arduous quest all worked out in the endā even though the little Hylian appeased Vah Rudania and emerged with only a few minor burns and bruises to show for itā thatās yet another moment of inaction he can never take back.
Thatās yet another failure heāll always be haunted by.
Yunobo shrinks into himself. Grinds his fists inwards.
āYeah, wellā¦ I wasnāt brave enough,ā he mutters.
A spine tingling rumble interrupts his downward spiral.
His watch snaps to the passageās unstable roof, and he gasps with horror as a jagged, gaping crack snakes through that shelf of stone like a stray lightning bolt slicing through the stormy heavens.
Chronic over-thinker that he is, his mind carves out their inevitable future in milliseconds flat:
Offrak. His little friend stands right underneath the bulk of this shelf, and heās too far away for him to reach. Even if he throws himself into a roll, heāll never make it. And even if he could, thereās no guarantee that heād succeed in throwing his barrier around the both of them in time. Thereās no guarantee that Darukās Protection can withstand the force of a whole shaft collapsing atop them to begin with. After all, his mentor Darmek wielded this power too, and even that wasnāt enough to save him twelve years back.
Heā¦ heās going to die, isnāt he? Theyāre both going to die, and itās all his fault.
āOffrak!ā he yells as he pushes off his heels, a cold, stagnant dread coiling within his molten core.
And in the space of that isolated, terrifying second, a whole geological epoch may well have passed.
_
āYunoboā¦ my little rock,ā his mentor calls for him, perched upon the cliffās edge overlooking Goronbi Lake. āCome. Sit with me, goro.ā
He sighs, and tucks tight into himself to roll over his way.
His mentor Darmek is many thingsā slow to wake, irritatingly introspective, and a wee bit of a drunkard from time to timeā but a coward, he is not. If thereās monsters knocking at the gate heāll gladly answer. If he bears a controversial opinion, heāll boast it with his whole chest. If assigned the riskiest mining job in all the lands, heāll see it through no matter the cost. Darmek is truly every bit of the bold, brash Goron his predecessor Daruk was before him. Formed from a hunk of shell that the late champion planted deep in the mountainās soils before his end, he wields that ancestral power of protection with equal parts grit and gravitas.
And while Yunobo mayā on technicalityā be forged of the same stuff, a brother born of Darmekās own shell, the two of them couldnāt be more different.
Heās not brave like his mentor. Heās not confident enough to speak up when others disagree. And he certainly doesnāt have the guts to see a challenge through. Earlier today, a small pack of moblins tried raiding one of their mines for their precious rock roast. The expectation in an emergency like this is that all young miners work together to fend them off. Yunobo genuinely tried to fight, he wanted to fightā but even though heās got this potent defensive ability that the others donāt, he merely threw his shield up and ran away.
āYou donāt have to say it,ā he mumbles, planting himself down at his side and sinking his face into his arms. āI already know I screwed up bad.ā
His mentor clasps a sturdy palm against his shoulder. āNo, no. I didnāt call you here to blow up on you, goro. Look at me. I need you to understand something. Something important.ā
Blinking through the threat of tears with all the desperation of a Goron hatchling vying to earn his spines, he lifts his head.
āYou and I, weāre worth far, far more than that ancestral power we inherited. I know youāre frustrated,ā he says, eyes softening, āabout todayās incident, but I truly believe thereās a fire raging within thatās all your own. You just have to dig for it.ā
_
Tick by tick, time lurches forward.
The magmatic glow of his forebearās age-old protection surrounds him as he surges up the shaft towards his little friend. Heās curled up within his shell as he rolls, so all he can sense beyond the lifeblood pulsing in and out of his core and the thunderous clamor of collapsing rock is faint vibrations of nearby movement rising up to greet him through the cave floor. Offrakā¦ heās close. Heāll never reach him, but heās so agonizingly close he could screamā!
He thinks about his young friendsā sweet smiles, about their playful, bickering banter with one another, about the innocent way they tag along after him and turn to him for guidance, even though heās no one worth looking up to. (Not now. Not yet.) He thinks about every last harrowing failure heās committed to memory, the mountain of moments where he allowed his fears to outweigh necessityā¦ where he froze in place, or ducked to a corner, or held back his strike.
Maybe his own inner blights are right. Maybe he is no hero.
Butā¦ he could be.
Something deep, deep within him shifts. That semisolid shield that once barricaded him from all the terrors of the outside world burns so hot that it near about liquefies. His ancestorās power wreathes his body in tongues of fireā¦ and he shoots forward like a cannonball, rolling faster than ever before. Those subtle vibrations he felt earlier grow closer and close and closer, until suddenlyā
Right as he reaches Offrakās side, his explosive mass collides into the falling rubble. An earsplitting explosion overtakes his senses. He yanks his friend to his chest and throws his shield up, scarcely able to breathe as endless fragments of shattered stone slam against the barrier and clatter to the shaftās floor.
For a good half a minute, heās terrified the whole cavern is coming down on top of them.
Itās only when the youth clasped tight in his hold nudges for him to let go that he realizes thatā somehow, against every oddā theyāre still alive. Tentatively, he rises to his feet, the last of the rockfallās debris sloughing to the ground with a soft thump as he drops the barrier to survey the damage. He whistles, impressed. Rather than a narrow mineshaft, they now stand within a sizable cavern. Moreover, thereās no more gaping cracks lining the walls, and no tell-tale rumbles to suggest any further instability. Feeling satisfied that the threat of impending doom is now over, his frazzled attention drops to his young friend.
Are you okay, he mouths.
Wordlessly, Offrak nods his head yes. Heās a little shaken, butā thank the Goddessā thereās not a scratch on him.
āWHOA, that was awesome!ā Slergo hollers from a ways up the shaft.
āWhat did Iā¦ what happened?ā Yunobo asks with a furrowed brow, still rather confused as to why he and Offrak arenāt like, yāknow.
Dead.
āYou were like, a fireball! You shot forward anā blasted all the rocks away like they were nothinā!ā
He gazes at his open palms in slack-jawed awe. āDidā¦ did I really do that, goroā?ā
Before he can dedicate any meaningful level of thought to this matter, however, Offrak yanks at his arm.
āYunobo,ā he calls. āSlergo, come look!ā
His glance snaps up again. He follows the young Goronās finger towards the roof of the grand, vaulting hollow that the combined force of the rockfall and his blazing prowess opened within this shaft. The low light catches upon a grand constellation of facets.
He draws a sharp gasp.
āIs thatāā
Embedded within the walls up there is a dense, glistening cluster ofā¦
āDiamonds!ā Slergo cheers, knocking into him from behind. āYunobo, dāya know what this means??ā
āIā¦ I was right,ā he breathes.
He can hardly believe it.
By some miracle, his instincts were dead on: there is more ore to discover down here. As scary as it was, if this shaft didnāt almost collapse on top of them heād never have known. And if what Slergo said about him is true, if he can find a way to replicate whatever strange surge of power he experienced a moment agoā¦ if he can operate as both an explosive force and a shieldā¦ he may have just discovered a brand new method for safely expanding these old shafts.
Yunobo flashes a crooked smile as he watches his young brothers whoop and holler and chase each other in circles. But as much as heād love to join the celebrations, daylightās wasting, and he owes Boss an update after toiling away down here for hours on end. He cracks his knuckles, already preparing himself for the overwhelming volley of questions Bludoās bound to hurl his way when he returns with proof of a new diamond vein.Ā
Oh boy, oh boyā¦ heās got a lot of work ahead of him
there's two Legend of Zelda fics i've finished recently that i'll share on a later date. the hyperlink stuff on new posts is broken right now, so. sigh. i'll have to put genuine time and effort into formatting it then, in that case.
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anyways i've been busy lately making my own link link dress up doll :)))
ft. his Fresh Outta Shrine of Resurrection looque, and a casual tunic look without all the layers of chain mail and armor. here's all the outfits i have so far:
this is all still a wip ahah i have another character to add to these outfit refs
ft. Also- when u wake up- disoriented and confused- in your fucking boxers again but this time some fuckass ghost stole your arm:
you do NOT want to know how long it took me to figure out what tf these fantasy boxers looked like under all his belts. you ALSO don't want to know how long it took me to space out all those horrid zonai arm bands.
there's a glow alt for this but i'll save sharing that for when my refs are done
i am very slowly adding my sweet baby girl Aryll (from my "Link's sister lives" AU) to this ref! Much like her sibling, she also woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection in nothing but underclothes.
