Chapter 36: The Hero's Dream & the King's War
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Additional Tags: Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Alternate Universe, Character Study, War, world building, Trauma, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Political Intrigue, Found Family, Angst and Humor, Warriors is a very complicated person, Warriors also does not know Time is Mask, Warriors (Linked Universe)-centric, Canon-Typical Violence, Heavy Angst, Manipulation, Morally Ambiguous Character, Please read content warnings before each chapter, Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Physical Abuse, Implied Sexual Content, Power Imbalance, Implied/Referenced Torture, Blood and Injury, Disabled Character, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Summary: “You are going to hear a lot of terrible things about me. Most of it is going to be true.”
Being the hero who saved Hyrule from a bloody war was a thankless job that left Warriors with more regrets than he cared to remember. He only started to heal after meeting his fellow heroes from across time and joining them on their quest to defeat the black-blooded monsters.
But when his time-hopping journey takes him back home, he finds his kingdom on the brink of war once more. This war threatens to ensnare not only Warriors, but his newfound family as well.
Warriors will do whatever it takes to keep them safe, even if that means becoming a traitor to the kingdom he gave up everything to save. But the harder Warriors works to protect his family, the more the secrets of his dark past come to life. Who is Captain Link Walton, the Hero of Warriors? What happened to the two other heroes he had once fought alongside all those years ago?
When this is over, will Warriors even have a family left to save or is he doomed to repeat his past mistakes?
(Once, there were three brothers: the captain, the engineer, and the child. Their story did not have a happy ending.)
Wow, it only took me just under three months to update. Compared to my history of updates, that is very, very swift. I think I am finally getting my shit together.
I hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, it is a doozy at just under 38k words. Please tuck yourselves into bed and have fun :)
In this chapter of the final arc of my never-ending fanfiction:
Link's attempts to help Proxi reunites him with an old friend
Now the head of the army, the burden of war falls squarely on Warriors's shoulders
Hyrule Field is soaked in blood and covered in flames
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art and commentary below the cut - warnings for several eyes, raw-ish meat, and teeth. mandatory warning for vague-ish spoilers for 'Call Them Brothers' the LU fanfic, if you don't wanna get spoiled even vaguely
Byleth drawing hours - a CTB-inspired comic(ish) based on the initial problem Warriors is presented with at the start of @wutheringmights CTB, but with a card-game analogy (because I really like card games). I really enjoy how Warriors' problems start coming early in this fanfic and seeing them mutate the more he gathers information about what he's returned to, seeing his priorities shift slightly, watching him speak to people like Zelda and Impa while knowing in the back of my mind that he doesn't want the other members of his group to get caught up in all this. I came up with most of the words, but I believe the 3rd to last panel contains a few phrases from the early parts of the story - specifically 'he wanted to be a good man', which did strike me in the heart with emotions.
This is centred around a game of liar's deck, something I thought to be very fitting for trying to explore the complex emotions that Warriors is experiencing towards the start of it all. I was originally planning to do traditional liar's dice as the game used for the comic, but I thought the cards would be a better visualiser. I changed the 3 ranks (Kings, Queens, Aces) into the three parts of the Triforce (Power, Courage, Wisdom).
The things I've tried to work on for this piece of art are: repetitive imagery, food items, hands, and eyes. Trying to maintain a similar image on the cards is fairly difficult, and I rarely draw food, so I decided to be bold in trying to draw it. I chose a cheesecake + a Tomahawk cut of steak (w/ salt + pepper crust) cooked rare, which were on 2 polar ends of the scale, and I had some unique challenges for both. Attempting to marble steak is fucking difficult, and there's such a huge array of shades of pink that can be hard to capture, so I tried to use the different nibs of my felt-tips to capture the range. The compote on the cheesecake was an exercise in drawing liquid-based things... and it's certainly going! Hands are always difficult, and this time I did use a reference (my own hand), so I think it looks a bit better than my prev. attempts.
Context for what this is: @wutheringmights has a "Happier" AU of their LU fanfic, Call Them Brothers, where everything does not go as badly as canon, but things are still sad and terrible in new and interesting ways. This is me writing how it would all begin.
In terms of actual writing, I don't have much, but there are at least several thousand words of speculation, discussion, and very detailed scene building in my DMs w Rabid abt this AU. It's just so fun đź’”
I'm getting used to sharing fic I make for another author's AU... One day I'll have enough motivation to make this AU the proper fic it deserves, for now this is all I've got... This is a rewrite of the pivotal moment, where the captain does not set up the lie that dooms them all, A.K.A where we diverge from CTB canon. Lana's dialogue about light/dark spirits is paraphrased from CTB! Enjoy 🥳
Summary:
The captain is a hero. The engineer is a liability, and that is Link's idea of a kindness.
——
“Lana!” Link calls for her as quietly as he can, bearing her gushing worries as she clings to him. In the middle of everything going on- well, he could let himself indulge, just for now. He should probably bring her back to the engineer, the sooner he return with blankets and answers the better.
“Lana,” he repeats, once she finally runs out of steam, gripping her shoulder, “I’m fine- it’s the engineer, actually. No, he’s not hurt, I think he just needs some clarification from you, as the Guardian of Time.”
“Oh!” Lana straightens, noticing the blankets he held tucked under his coat, concern shining in purple eyes. “Where is he?”
Link leads her through the camp, quickly approaching the tent, ushering her in. The engineer comes to life once Link steps in after her, scrambling to help him with the blankets. “Captain, Lana-”
“Calm down,” Link sighs, peeling off his cloak and boots as Lana does the same, finding a spot to sit down. “I brought her back to shed some light on your situation, just like I promised, didn't I?”
The engineer flushes a little, shoulders hunching as he glances apologetically at Lana, who smiles reassuringly. “Sorry, I know, I was tracking your spirit. Thank you.”
Link unfolds one blanket for Lana to wrap around herself, making to do the same for the engineer only to find that the boy had shuffled to his side, barely inches apart. Trying to hold onto the warmth of Link’s soul? “Come here.”
The engineer presses close eagerly as Link wraps the blanket around them, reaching to hug him but catching himself, clearly remembering Lana’s presence. The kid settles for helping hold down one end of the blanket, leaving Link’s left arm free to rest between them. The engineer clings to the limb, hand finding his, tangling together and pressing his thumb over the Triforce.
“Engineer,” he says, nudging the boy and inclining his head to Lana, who has been patiently waiting and drying her hair. “Ask Lana about the dark spirits."
The engineer’s gray eyes are overwhelming, nervous as he squeezes Link’s hand for support, managing to choke out the question. Lana’s eyebrows furrow, something pitying in her gaze. “I’m sorry, but your senses were right. The monsters our army fought today are light spirits, different from the ones you fought on your adventure. Those spirits hailed from a place called the Dark World.”
The engineer sags with relief, all the remaining tension melting from him; he wasn't wrong. Link’s head spins in comparison, working to make sense of this. “But the legends about Ganondorf and the dark world- he brought the monsters from there, didn't he?”
Lana shakes her head. “Legends, not history. Light and dark are not moral alignments, only what world the spirit belongs to. Many of the monsters are as native to Hyrule as you are, and as for the Dark Worlders… there were Hylians who once entered the fallen Sacred Realm in search of the Triforce, only to be corrupted into unspeakable forms. It’s possible that…”
The engineer shivers, looking a little nauseated by the implication of Lana’s words. Link stares at the ground, the blanket itching at his skin. The engineer wasn't imagining things; these weren't the monsters he had once fought, and the fact had crippled him in battle. He had nearly died because of the misinformation.
A part of him wants to be angry. No, he is. This was supposed to be his lucky break; a hero, another soldier, someone who could fight by his side, pushing through the front lines. Instead, the engineer goes shell shocked in his first battle before he can make his first kill, prove to the generals that Link wasn't wrong for taking in a boy without the mark of the gods.
The engineer saw himself a protector of light spirits, instead of being against all evil. The monsters that ravaged Link’s Hyrule were lives that the engineer mourned, cowering at every death. Link thinks about how the boy had introduced himself, doubtful of the hero title; it was obvious. No wonder he didn't have the Triforce of Courage. What use does he have for the engineer now? Link needed a soldier, not a boy who couldn't even be trusted to stay alive on the battlefield.
Rustling fabric breaks through his thoughts as Lana puts her hand on the engineer’s shoulder, sympathetic. “I recommend that you take a step back from this war; your senses would only hinder you on the battlefield. Right, Link?”
The last part is directed to Link, prompting the engineer to turn his gaze to him. Link smoothes out his expression, suddenly exhausted. His supposed trump card is now in tatters. But Lana is right, there's no point in making the engineer fight, not when he was suffering so much distress at just from being close to the fighting.
“Right.” The engineer’s expression brightens while Link feels hollow in his stomach. He has to make a report soon and then figure out how to explain this shitshow to the generals. His long-term plan is in disarray and he would appreciate getting some food in him before he has to deal with it all. He lets go of the blanket, making to stand up.
The smile drops from the engineer’s face, turning panicked as he tightens his hold on Link’s arm. “Wait- where are you going?”
“To see if there's anything to eat,” he sighs, “and then report to the princess.”
“But- you said you would stay…” The engineer trails off, sounding plaintive.
Link wants to scowl, but a raised eyebrow from Lana curbs it. But fuck, it’s hard. He has to keep the engineer off the battlefield after all the work to put him on it now. Just staying around the boy right now made his head hurt. “...Fine.”
“If that's all you needed, I should head off too. Anything I can do to help?” Lana asks, folding up the blanket and reaching for her cloak.
Link mulls it over. With her position as Guardian of Time and how doubtful people have been about the engineer being Farore's Chosen... “I think we might have to go for the angle that the engineer isn't actually a hero, that we were mistaken about his status. His poor performance today speaks for itself. Back me up on that if anyone asks?”
“No problem.” Lana kisses his cheek, slipping on her boots and waving before she goes. “Get well soon, engineer!”
Link stares after her, wishing he could have indulged in her cheerfulness a little longer. The engineer fidgets with his hand; Link can't bring himself to look at him. Lincoln’s comment about the boy’s status as a Royal Engineer comes to mind, maybe Link could make use of his smarts to build something? The engineer’s civilization is supposedly more advanced, but they apparently aren't big on fighting.
“Sorry I can't be of any help.” The engineer finally speaks up, quiet, staring at Link’s hand. Link finally deigns to glance at him; the sickly pallor has mostly faded, warmth back to his skin. He looks nervous, unwilling to meet Link’s stare; maybe he wasn't as good as hiding his disappointment as he thought. Link can't bring himself to particularly care.
“It’s fine,” Link manages to say. The calm that the engineer had brought him mere hours ago is no longer effective. His brain buzzes on half-baked plans, set on its path. “Just rest.”
The engineer doesn't look convinced, but they both know what Link wants from him is now impossible. The boy’s sensible like that, even as he refuses to let Link go.
Link lets the engineer cling to him and closes his eyes, tired. The gods could never make things easy for him.
Fanart for @wutheringmights ao3 fic Call Them Brothers! This is the one I was dreading and excited about the most. I really enjoyed doing the alt version for this one. Anyways, this is the last one of the set but I definitely will still be around >:). 3/3
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omg i have soooooo much call them brothers by @wutheringmights brainrot honestly,,, more rambling (partly spoiler-ish for the latest aka 21st chapter) under the cut, but 100% recommend reading the fic if anyone hasn't yet <3
holy macaroni the REVEAL,,,, and the LEAVING,,,,,, and the REUNION,,,,,,,,, god. i didn't know how to scream about it so instead i decided to draw some of it, kinda :'))
midway through the sketch, i had a sudden fixation on colour palettes and there were a lot of good ones but i kinda went 'wait a second, there are MINT PALETTES' so i looked for some and ended up mixing two called respectively 'old mint' (old man, old mint- *bonked*) and 'minty love' and a few colours from others mint palettes. basically a mess.
runner-ups/some that made me snort were 'call them brothers' (i was so sad cause the colors didn't fit the vibes, rip, but in the same challenge right before it there was also a palette called 'warriors' and it really gave me a whiplash ngl), 'oh, it's you', 'sincerity' (i love irony), 'witness', 'i'm still here', 'don't make me', 'don't you trust me?'
