#heroes spirit family reunion

[sciencelings-arts]

She’s known as the Reborn Queen of Light, the Savior Princess, the Sage of Time, Formerly, the Light Dragon. But she prefers Miss Zelda, or Doctor Zelda, or Professor Zelda, or simply a Scholar.

Alt versions and lore below the cut

Changes: dragon eyes, eyelashes, removal of wing ornamentation, tear effects.

MASTER SWORD SCAR REVEAL: yeah that left a mark lol

Fivehead reveal

#HSFR Scholar #hsfr #heroes spirit family reunion #loz #my art #totk #Zelda #totk spoilers #loz totk #zelda totk #dragon zelda #links meet au #links meeting AU #my links meeting au #totk light dragon #tears of the kindom spoilers #tears of the kingdom #artists on tumblr #fanart #legend of zelda

[science-lings]

I made some for my guys, if you even care…

#hsfr #heroes spirit family reunion #links meeting AU #my links meeting au #loz #Barbie

[gay-jesus-probably]

I like the general fandom trend to just take the plot of Hyrule Warriors as a loose guideline at best and just use the whole concept as a good excuse to get blorbos to interact across timelines, BUT I'm very disappointed that everyone is missing the comedic potential of a very specific squad of characters:

Young Link (aka Mask), who walks out of the nightmare of Majora's Mask and immediately gets portal kidnapped into a temporal war, takes one look at the whole mess and decides that you could not fucking pay him to admit to being the resident expert on Time Shenanigans. He introduces himself with the title of Hero of Termina, and definitely doesn't have any other ones, that would be crazy. Hero of Time? Never heard of him.

Tetra, who is a kickass pirate captain with zero patience for people trying to shove her into the Designated Princess role, and realizes immediately that Oh Fuck, this Hyrule has a lot of Ideas about how the Hero and the Princess are supposed to properly play their parts, the second they realize she's technically a Zelda they're gonna shove her in a goddamn dress and damsel her again, that's not happening. So she's definitely just a really cool pirate captain, nothing else going on here at all, definitely not the heir of the Hylian royal family in her time, that'd be crazy.

Ravio, who is literally just a palette swapped Link, meaning that the second his hood comes off, things are gonna get Awkward. There's no way in hell he's dealing with all that Hero baggage, that's Link work, so that giant bunny hood/mask is practically superglued to his head, and he's not taking it off for love or money.

Spirit Tracks Zelda, who is just in the Phantom Armour the whole time, and passing herself off as just a friendly ghost posessing a suit of armour to help the Hero of Spirits. Of course she isn't Princess Zelda, that's ridiculous, if she were a Zelda then people would start getting really weird about her technically being dead, and boy does that ever sound like a whole Thing she doesn't want to deal with, so she can't possibly be Zelda, she's just a nice ghost knight. Also, her teenage grandma is here, and that's kinda weird, so it's easier to just not admit to being royalty and avoid that awkward conversation.

Finally there's Sheik, who is not the Princess Zelda of the era straight up abandoning her war torn country for months at a time so she can risk her life in extreme cosplay for no clear reason, but is instead the actual Sheik from Ocarina of Time, who just beat Ganondorf like a month ago and is still trying to process what the fuck to do now. Also, he's been pretending to be a boy since he was ten, and is realizing there's a pretty good chance that he isn't pretending anymore, so that's a whole other can of worms. But for the last seven years of his life, being Princess Zelda meant certain death, so he's not really inclined to introduce himself like when in a new and stressful situation (not to mention he might actually just not be a girl named Zelda anymore), so he automatically introduces himself as just Sheik the spooky ninja man, and fuck he's in too deep to back out now, looks like he's committing to the bit. If you think you sense the Triforce of Wisdom on him, no you don't.

Cue shenanigans as the five of them attempt to hide that they're all actually kind of A Big Deal. The group motto is "Nobody says shit", which is usually delivered as a frantic hiss whenever someone slips up. Just the reunion between Sheik and Mask alone would be absolutely buckwild given how they parted, and how they're both frantically pretending to Not be involved with each other. For added hilarity and/or drama, Sheik gives his semi-bullshit cover story of having just been a friend of the Hero of Time, then runs into said Hero of Time and they both have to desperately pretend not to know each other, because if anyone picks up on the mountain of baggage between them then Mask is busted, and he won't hesitate to drag Sheik down with him out of sheer spite. Not to mention the weird balance of Sheik being used to this Link being a teenager that's actually a small child, and now has to adjust to Link who is a small child that's actually a teenager.

Also, i really feel like we're all missing out on the comedy potential of Ganondorf recognizing Young Link on sight and the two of them immediately launching into a grudge match with some extremely personal and specific insults on both sides. Meanwhile literally everybody else is just standing there watching, trying to process the fact that out of every single person that's been pulled out of time, Ganondorf only has personal beef with a literal nine year old.

I just feel like we're all really sleeping on the potential for Shenanigans here. The whole thing is an absurd mess, why not have some fun with it?

#legend of zelda #hyrule warriors #for the record im picturing the sheik-mask reunion as being the spiderman pointing meme for like five minutes #also my mental image of sheik is extremely Bad haircut (he does it himself with a knife and doesnt care about making it even) #and a ridiculous tanline across his face from wearing a mask all day #OOT magiaclly growing out zelda's hair and manifesting a Royal Gown was some top tier bullshit and i'm always angry about it #like dude. literally all of princess zelda's finery was made for a ten year old #she's like eighteen now. nobody's making royal finery for teenage zelda. where was she supposed to get that dress. #i am eternally on my agenda to let zelda wear some goddamn pants without an immediate magic makeover to *fix* it #anyways nintendo's sexism aside i like sheik being trans its very fun and sexy of him #tfw you go into hiding to escape political assassination and accidentally trans your gender in the process

[bonefall]

Better Bones AU: History Lesson

(A new, updated version of an old history lesson, with some new names and the hopes of being a better summary. Refer to this one over the old one!)

[ID: Ferncloud from Warrior Cats is lecturing Lionkit, Jaykit, and Hollykit.]

Teaching history in the Clans became an important feature after the defeat of Ripplestar near the beginning of the Chivalric Period. While elders are seen as the chroniclers of history, a dedicated Educator takes on the role of making sure each litter learns everything they need to know.

During the Settlement Era, ThunderClan's educator Ferncloud teaches the kits of ThunderClan about glyphs, the basic tenets of the Warrior Code, and an overview of history.

As of the newest arc, there have been 5 Periods so far, with each period being broken down into 3 Eras and side stories. Those are;

ANCIENT PERIOD Dawn Era, Code Era, Skyfall Era

CHIVALRIC PERIOD Ripple Era, Crusade Era, Campaign Era.

THISTLE PERIOD Broken Era, Tiger Era, Fire Era

HOMING PERIOD Journey Era, Settlement Era, Eclipse Era

MODERN PERIOD Reunion Era, Reckoning Era, Current Day

In addition, there is also a Prehistoric Period, which is only remembered by Clan cats through the tales of LionClan, LeopardClan, and TigerClan. The truth is even stranger than the mythological animals they tell stories about.

See: Hollyleaf's Century.

Ancient Period (1920s - 1970s)

Dawn Era

Moth Flight's Vow

In the Dawn Era, the five ancient founders settled the Forest. From the North came the Clans, lead down from the mountains by Gray Wing the Wise. From the south came Warriors, following a king, Arc of the Park.

Gray Wing died in a fateful accident while saving his right-hand man, Shaded Flower. Clear Sky managed to keep the group together through his sheer strength, settling them into the forest. This all changed when a horrible accident caused the leg of Clear Sky's brother, Jagged Peak, to be permanently twisted.

His own brother and the leader of the Clan at the time, Clear Sky, cast him out. His pregnant mate, Bright Storm, protested this cruelty and tried to care for Jagged Peak all winter long. Her efforts were in vain as he starved to death, and the spirit of Gray Wing responded to this by sending her a hero and a sign;

Bright Storm's litter had one survivor, a ginger tabby named Thunder Storm, missing its leg in the same place where its uncle had lost his. They brought the child back to the group.

Refusing to learn his lesson, Clear Sky rejected the child just like he'd done to Jagged Peak. This time, many families did not abide the cruelty, headed by Tall Shadow. This caused the split between Sky's Clan and Shadow's Clan. Shadow's Clan came into constant conflict with the Wind Coalition, Thunder Storm broke off Thunder's Clan many years later after a great injustice, and he eventually struck up an alliance with the River Kingdom.

Rising political tension culminated in Sky's Clan taking the prince of the River Kingdom, River's Ripple, as a hostage. The First Battle broke out between all five groups at Fivetrees, a bloodbath with so much carnage that the bodies could not be buried in one day.

StarClan broke the battle with a flash of lightning, coming down from the heavens to offer each leader a revelation, and a reward. The reward being that each leader would get 9 lives to lead their Clans, and better understand the cats within them, as long as they gave a proper burial to each cat killed in the pointless fight.

The first two Commandments of the Warrior Code were made on this day-- the Law of the Land establishing borders, and the Law of Honor, which states that a true warrior does not need to kill in order to win their battles.

And thus ended the Dawn Era, and started the Code Era.

Code Era

Because this was before the Clans taught history, most of the Code Era is remembered in parables associated with the creation of Commandments 3 thru 8. It's also MUCH longer than most other Eras, with many of these parables being several generations apart.

The cats in them are so old and so storied that they are seen as deities in StarClan, prayed to and invoked by the living. Examples being Daisytail, Patron of Protection and Parenthood, and Redscar, Patron of Arbitration and Decision-Making.

Eventually, the third commandment, the Law of Loyalty, was made in response to the open love of Ryewhisker and Cloudberry. It banned interclan mateships and closed off the groups in a way unseen since the Dawn Era, and ignited the ancient tradition of Kitten Stealing.

Unknown to the living, in protest of such an evil law, Ryewhisker and Cloudberry willingly joined the Dark Forest. They are two of the oldest spirits there.

An accurate chronicle truly begins with the Skyfall Era.

Skyfall Era

Cars, brand new highways, and suburban expansion started to cut into the Forest as the humans entered a new era... not that the Clans knew why it was happening. Kittypets, associated with these humans, started to be seen more negatively than ever before.

This Era is named for, and defined by, the loss of SkyClan.

Commandment 9, the Law of the Wild, was made in response to SkyClan cats defecting to live as housecats; "A true warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet."

As their territory evaporated below their paws, SkyClan was blamed for everything out of their control. To this day, this era is framed as a cautionary tale to kittens, "What happens to a Clan when they stop living by the Code." In a famous final plea, SkyClan was turned away and exiled.

Their ancestors, 1/5th of StarClan, went with them... except for Skystar who remained in Silverpelt, revered as a Patron of Battle.

The Clerics of the four remaining clans protested the exile ferociously, banding together to go on strike until SkyClan was returned. To break it and bring their medics back under control, the Medicine Cat's Vow was codified into law.

Previously, it had been a personal vow between Clerics, one with no enforcement behind it. Not taking a mate or having kittens was to always keep medicine above Clan loyalty; but the code was enshrined to make a Cleric put Clan loyalty above all else. A corrupted vow. Dalestar of WindClan smeared his Cleric, Larkstripe, as a hypocrite and sent her kitten away.

See: Larkstripe

And thus ended the strike, and the Ancient Period, as the following Chivalric Period began.

Chivalric Period (1970s - Late 1990s)

Ripple Era

Ripplestar's Rot

Larkstripe's kitten was raised at Birdsong's belly in ShadowClan, the adopted brother of Gorseclaw and Spottedpelt. Ripplemoon understood it was a great injustice that SkyClan had been exiled, and vowed to make room for his siblings' father and Clan to return home.

Meanwhile, the 5th Oak at Fivetrees was beginning to rot. The Ripple Era was named for this time of tumult, ending with a crash as Ripplestar's war came to a bloody halt.

After the death of the 5th Oak, Fivetrees becomes Fourtrees, widely considered a sign that a Clan that cannot keep its borders does not deserve to have them. THREE new laws were added to the Warrior Code, all of them related to making cats more loyal.

The Full Moon Truce, ruling that cats were not to fight or argue at gatherings

The First Tasks, a set of pre-existing traditions now codified, that all apprentices had to complete upon becoming warriors

The Leader's Rights... to not be disobeyed.

The Clan Pride Tide that followed ignited war and chaos, considered to be the 'chivalric ideal' of Clan society. The battles were glorious, and never before were cats so honorable and ferocious. Punishments were harsh and severe... such as the one for a certain mother who took a halfclan mate, and was given 3 ill-fated kittens by StarClan.

And this punishment truly ended the Ripple Era, and lead to the Crusade Era.

Crusade Era

Darkstar's Commandment

Pinestar's Crusade

When a false sign from StarClan was misinterpreted by the Cleric of ThunderClan (unknown to all: Birchface was a rogue StarClan warrior who sent it), Oakstar ferociously exiled Mapleshade and her three kittens in the midst of a storm. With nowhere to go, she tried to bring her children across the river to their father's Clan. They did not survive.

Darkstar refused to even allow her to bury the kittens in RiverClan. Mapleshade exacted her revenge, taking out 3 cats before being taken out herself. Furious at the injustice and murder, StarClan damned every cat involved, and gave Darkstar and Oakstar a command; to NEVER let this happen ever again.

Darkstar created Darkstar's Commandment, that all kittens were to be protected regardless of origin, and no one would be compelled to reveal the other parent of their kittens. This is known as the Queen's Rights.

See: Queen's Rights

Oakstar opposed this change at first, until he was beaten by Darkstar and forced to accept this new law. Fearing that StarClan would be furious with him, he attempted to please them by starting crusades against the cats of Chelford.

These Crusades lead to the creation of BloodClan, to defend Chelford cats against Clan invasion. From this point it evolved into a system of governance unique to itself.

See: Brief BloodClan Guide

WindClan and ShadowClan joined in on these raids for several years, with only RiverClan abstaining. Between the cats of the forest there was an era of odd 'peace' as they had new targets to battle for honor... until Heatherstar took power.

The Campaign Era reignited inter-Clan hostility.

Campaign Era

Tallstar's Collapse

Brokenstar's Cataclysm

Stormpaw's Demon

Bluestar's Flowers

Heatherstar of WindClan flexed her ambition by launching a campaign to take the Mothermouth Moorland from ShadowClan, setting off a cascade of renewed inter-Clan hostility. It caused ShadowClan to hold territory from ThunderClan, ThunderClan to re-take Sunningrocks, and RiverClan to assert control over the Gorge, causing periodic four-way fights between them in ways unseen since the Ripple Era.

WindClan lost the tradition of tunneling in this Era; as it isn't useful for the total war that Heatherstar needed to take such a huge chunk of territory.

In the later half of this Era, a group of young cross-Clan friends started to meet in secret. Bluemoon of ThunderClan, Hoprunner and Ashfoot of WindClan, Lizardstripe of ShadowClan, Oakheart of RiverClan, and Barley Senior of BloodClan.

They called themselves the Forget-Me-Nots, and it was the beginning of the ideology known as Fire Alone. Bluemoon's love of her friends, and the loss of her family in pointless battles, made her realize that something needed to change.

And yet, this era gave birth to something much more rotten. As the Clans hardened and started to see the more brutal parts of the code as fundamentally opposed to its softer laws, the tenets that would found Thistle Law began to form.

See: Thistle Law

Named for a painful lesson that Thistleclaw taught his apprentice, Bluestar's rise to power stalled its implementation for a few more safe years. It was the ironic negotiation of a Peace Deal to end the Mothermouth Moorland war which ended the Chivalric Period, and birthed the Thistle Period.

Thistle Period (Late 1990's - 2008)

Broken Era

Spottedleaf's Plague

After generations of fighting, Raggedstar of ShadowClan was old, tired, and wanted only to see peace for his last years of life. He went to end the war and stop fighting for the Mothermouth Moorland which had been contested for so long.

His son and deputy, Brokentail, killed him before he had the chance.

The rise of Brokenstar was the first true implementation of Thistle Law. His followers believed that the only way to truly win a war was to destroy the opposition-- completely. As Heatherstar had done before by sacrificing tunneling, Brokenstar, too, was prepared to make sacrifices.

In just a few short years using brutal tactics like poison claws, traps, and apprentice-targeting, ShadowClan had shredded WindClan's numbers. The final bloody event in this eradication was the WindClan Massacre, a full assault on their camp, and ShadowClan had even broken the code by bringing inexperienced warriors to battle. Casting out a full Clan was considered evil and barbaric.

Rebels formed in this time, but without help, they would have stood no chance against the popular Brokenstar.

It was Bluestar of ThunderClan and her young champion, an ex-kittypet called Firepaw, who agreed to lend their aid. Guided by the words of a prophecy, "Fire Alone Will Save The Clans," Bluestar instilled in her apprentice a new way of seeing the world.

With Brokenstar deposed, Bluestar sent her champion again to fetch WindClan. They gave ShadowClan space to recover, defended the weakened WindClan against River and Shadow, and even accepted a blinded Brokenstar out of mercy. At all turns, Bluestar embodied justice and chivalry...

Or so the ThunderClan history lessons say. Others like to put more emphasis on the growing darkness behind Tigerclaw.

Tiger Era

Tigerstar's Paws

It officially began when Tigerstar took power in ShadowClan. TigerClan lasted for only six horrible moons and defines the shortest era in the history lessons, but its story is told with horror and hushed tones.

Dozens of cats died, in raids and in executions. Prey was stolen from other territories and slaughtered en-mass to build a ridiculous, reeking monument of bones. There wasn't even enough to build a solid hill, so Tigerstar demanded they create a pointless facade over mud just for his ego.

But all of this was still not enough for him, and he contacted BloodClan to negotiate the Impossible Deal. They would have half of the Forest, if they helped him kill his enemies. Scourge did not trust Clan cats, but against his better judgement, as if the heavens were whispering in his ear... he agreed.

The Era came to a crashing halt when Tigerstar attacked his ally and Scourge famously opened him up in two hits. A very special song was made about this moment; Tiger's In A Heap.

Fire Era

Cinderpelt's Solution

Firestar's Quietus

The Tiger in RiverClan

Tigerstar had made a deal, and Scourge intended for it to be upheld. Half of the forest was rightfully his, and he would evict any Clan cats who he found living on it, tired of their dishonorable ways. He gave them three days to clear out.

Firestar was able to convince the four Clans to unite as one to defend against this threat, but he had a revelation. Scourge wasn't wrong. Clan cats had acted dishonorably with him, making promises they didn't intend to keep, attacking him when he didn't obey like a minion. In spite of being Bluestar's champion and successor, Firestar himself had been treated as if he was lesser, just for his birth.

To Scourge, and to Rusty, the Clans HAD been dishonorable. The Code ended at the border and treated outsiders as less-than-cats.

When the battle with BloodClan began, Firestar and Scourge faced off. The battle was legendary. In a fateful move, Firestar slammed the leader of BloodClan to the ground, and ripped his collar clean off. "A true warrior does not need to kill to win their battles."

Calling for a retreat with his life, Scourge left his collar behind on the battlefield. Firestar returned it, and opened up new negotiations with the humbled leader. "We have won our right to the forest, but speak to me; how much of Tigerstar's impossible deal can we honor for you?"

The answer was so simple as to be ridiculous. They wanted materials like wood, nice-smelling flowers, and new kinds of food. Things that they couldn't find in the dumpsters and gray pavement of twolegplace, and BloodClan could offer materials of their own to trade.

The Fire Era allowed the Thistle Period to have a brief, but sweet time of peace. This time of cooperation ended in a horrible ball of chaos, as the forest was destroyed by man and the cats had to go on a long journey.

Homing Period (2007 - 2018)

Journey Era

As the forest was destroyed, the Clans sought guidance from StarClan. The Clerics went to the Mothermouth, as was expected in those days. Cinderpelt, Littlecloud and Cinderpelt's apprentice Leafstripe were slightly late, as usual, taking their time getting there to have their bi-weekly chat.

When they arrived, they found Mothwing frantically digging at a collapsed rockfall. If they hadn't been late, they too would have died. Mudfur and Barkface were dead. The remaining Clerics dug until their claws were bloody, then fell asleep where they stood.

Leafstripe of ThunderClan received a prophecy. Four chosen cats must follow the Brightest Star, and find them a new home. These four cats were sent by each Clan; Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt, Feathertail, and Crowfoot. Squirrelpaw and Stormfur joined them, without permission.

As they went on a quest that would come to be known as the Sundrown Patrol, the four Clans suffered through many hardships. ThunderClan was forced out of its camp, WindClan was poisoned and ensnared, RiverClan pushed for Sunningrocks as the river dried up, and ShadowClan's marshland was filled in.

After the patrol returned to free several cats who had been trapped by humans, the Clans left hastily to begin the Great Journey.

Something changed on that trip together. For the first time ever, the four Clans had to rely on each other, and see things the way they could be. The apprentices and kits in particular walked away with a unique mindset about cooperation, summed up with a special dish they created together known as Paw Soup.

But of course, it did not last. On reaching the lake and discovering the Moonpool, Leafstripe received three new prophecies.

"Blood will spill blood and the lake will run red."

"Fire and tiger will clash and burn together into ash"

"The first of the lake will guide WindClan."

Her name was changed to Leafpool, an honor title to reflect her powerful seeing abilities.

After the death of Tallstar and the hasty rise of Onewhisker to power, Mudclaw decided that this prophecy must mean that the first cat to see the lake after the Great Journey would lead WindClan. Since he lead the first patrol here, he was especially convinced that it meant him.

(Unknown to him, it was referring to his child, Kestrelflight, who would be the first kitten born at the lake. Shortly followed by his brothers Harestar and Owlclaw, Hare and Kestrel were given to Mudclaw's brother Torear shortly after their birth while Whitewater kept Owl.)

Mudclaw's Rebellion spiraled into a conflict involving cats of all Clans, lead in by Hawkfrost. After a failed assassination attempt on Onewhisker's life, StarClan was so furious at Mudclaw's insolence that they smote him with a falling tree.

When this failed, Hawkfrost became desperate, getting three Tribe cats temporarily cast out of RiverClan, and attempting to kill Firestar to put Brambleclaw into leadership. When Brambleclaw hesitated, Mothwing sprang out of a bush to rescue the leader, and Brambleclaw fought his brother. But, he was unable to land the fatal blow, and Hawkfrost lunged for his sister... only to impale himself on the stake she was holding.

As the lake ran red with tiger blood, Brambleclaw stepped down from his deputyship, and Brackenfur took power. Mothwing returned with the body of her brother, but her troubles were not yet over. The cats of RiverClan who had participated in WindClan's rebellion didn't believe it was an accident, and Leopardstar did nothing about these accusations.

Mistyfoot realized that something had to be done. Hawkfrost was a victim as much as he was a perpetrator, and these ideas had to be pulled up at the root.

Every Clan has a different moment for where the Journey Era ended. ShadowClan believes it's when they arrived in their new home. WindClan thinks the death of Mudclaw feels right. ThunderClan sees it as the appointment of Brackenfur as deputy. RiverClan marks it at the sudden death of Leopardstar to a rogue, bludgeoned to death on a rock.

Homing Era

An unprecedented time of peace, never seen before, nor since. These days have come to be seen as halcyon, divided up into 'episodes' of conflict and interesting tales.

Some of these episodes are,

The Shinewater Plague

When a twoleg truck veered off a thunderpath and spilled gallons of shining poison into RiverClan territory, Mistystar had to decide what kind of leader she wanted to be. In this instance, she accepted help in spite of what some of the harsher cats of her Clan demanded.

ShadowClan's Lichen Rebog Project

Arriving at the lake was hard for ShadowClan, as the rivers in their territory were deep and their land was largely useless pines. Blackstar commanded an ambitious terraforming project, blocking up the rivers and controlling the flooding to turn their land into a marsh. ThunderClan offered their help, as usual.

Ripwater's Devastation

A giant, monstrous fish lurked in the depths of the lake, sucking down a RiverClan apprentice into the abyss and making fishing dangerous for any cat going for a swim. Ripwater needed to be dealt with, but RiverClan had never killed something as large as a boar, let alone larger.

Salt Patrol

This was the first time that the Clans had regular access to gathering their own salt, an important medicine for treating infection and parasites. There were times that apprentices of all Clans would converge, by coincidence, for a beach episode.

The Tribe's Rogues

Taken aback by the fact the Tribe cats ask for help even when they have a choice, Clan cats grapple with what this says about their own upbringings.

See: The expanded notes on how the Tribe visit has been completely reduxed to fix its problematic elements.

The Three, who would come to be known in story and legend, grew up in this period, exploring themselves, their friends, and the culture around them.

This time of kindness came to a tragic end in the Battle of the False Eclipse, and the Cruel Season that followed it.

Angered by ThunderClan's meddling in their affairs, WindClan and RiverClan attacked them and pulled all the Clans into a lake-wide brawl that was only ended by a flash of darkness. Sol showed them a taste of what was to come just a few years later, when the planes of reality would collide.

The Dark Forest had been making its moves and sewing seeds of discord within disgruntled cats of the Clans, involving them in a plan to snatch godhood from the stars. Their first major move was the 'accidental' killing of Brackenfur in the Battle of the False Eclipse, and the fire in ThunderClan that came later, as cover for killing Firestar.

And so, Bramblestar ascended to power with Squilf as his first deputy, Thornclaw as the second after Hollyleaf spilled a secret, and the young prodigy vanished into the tunnels for many years. A third cat of great prophecy was born to her brother.

See: Hollyleaf, just, this whole post

Eclipse Era

Uniting a group of cats with almost nothing in common, Tigerstar planned to usurp StarClan and become the new deities of the four Clans. He relied heavily on his son, Hawkfrost, to be his diplomat and keep the unstable alliance together just long enough to accomplish his goals.

Lionblaze and Jayfeather learned there was a plot, but didn't know how to infiltrate it. Lionblaze sent his daughter, Ivypool, in to spy on the demons and their schemes. Hawkfrost became her Dark Forest mentor.

The Dark Forest plan: replace every cat in power with a trainee before the night of the True Eclipse, to make their takeover easier. Simple enough. Harder was coordinating a bunch of trainees with completely different motivations.

See: Motivations of Dark Forest trainees

Firestar and Brackenfur were first. Sedgecreek and Mistystar, Ashfoot and Onestar, Russetfur and Blackstar were next.

The Dark Forest succeeded in pitting ThunderClan and ShadowClan against each other, thanks to deputy Thornclaw's influence. After the death of Russetfur, Blackstar was absolutely devastated and prone to Sol's influence. This was ShadowClan's first collapse, but unfortunately, not its last.

Redwillow, Ratscar, and Applefur took power of the Clan in his absence, and leas to bloody infighting as they tried to hold onto it. It was Rowanclaw rallying Blackstar's family to remind him of how loved he was that brought him back around, calling forth enough manpower to overthrow the trainees and take ShadowClan back.

Just before the Eclipse was about to commence, Hollyleaf returned just in time to fight for her family.

Thanks to the information of cats like Ivypool, the Clans were able to prepare for the Night of the True Eclipse. Unfortunately, the days of the Homing Era were gone, and they had a hard time uniting as a front. While ShadowClan and ThunderClan were able to rally and limit their losses, WindClan and RiverClan remained individual targets.

Dovewing lead a coalition of cats to counter the Dark Forest wherever they attacked, her father Lionblaze trailing just behind. Jayfeather used his powers to summon cats from StarClan itself, using a stick stolen from Rock to resurrect a tree and pull down as many angels as could fit on its branches.

Though outnumbered and losing, Tigerstar had vowed to go out in a blaze of glory. Scourge under his left claws and Blackstar bleeding out a life to the right, Firestar himself came in to settle the score with his old foe.

Modern Period (2018 - Today)

Reunion Era

ThunderClan's Tempest

Heartstar's Rise

Following the terrible carnage of the Great Battle, a grand storm blew through the lake and brought flooding unlike anything ever seen before. In the aftermath, many of ShadowClan's carefully managed projects took a beating.

The other Clans were reluctant to lend their aid, in contrast to the peace and cooperation of the Homing Era. Frustrated by ShadowClan's first collapse and the lack of help they were receiving now, the youngest generation was desperate for radical change. Many of the dejected cats around the lake agreed, Dark Forest trainees, halfclan cats and lovers, codebreakers, and so on.

They were co-opted by a terrible actor. Darktail had infiltrated SkyClan, many miles away, and exploited their internal divisions. Sharpclaw, Rockshade, and cats like them joined his cause, and SkyClan had fled in the chaos. He offered his help to the struggling ShadowClan, and any Clan cats seeking a safe haven. Breezepelt and his fellow ex-trainees were some of them.

"Nevermind your borders and your battles and your bloodlines," Darktail announced, "We will all be the Kin." Slowly, each of these things he spoke against became central to his movement.

WindClan, lead by Onestar, reacted severely. He put a complete embargo on any Clan lending aid, even denying them medicine during a terrible outbreak of Yellowcough. When ShadowClan fell apart, the Kin absorbed it completely and became an unstoppable force.

Heathertail couldn't handle the horrible cruelty of her father, and joined them hoping to get her half-brother's side of the story.

This was when The Kin started expanding, targeting their neighbors for territory. It was only through the return of SkyClan that the cult was able to be defeated, and because of their role in the final confrontation, it was agreed they had a claim to the Lake.

In memory of the conflict, and with respect to the destroyed ShadowClan, a new commandment was added to the code. The Law of the Lake demands that in times of stress, no Clan may allow another to falter and disband.

Rowanstar intended to live the last of his days in shame, having watched Dawnpelt die, his Clan disband, and Tigerheart vanish. Tigerheart returned only to die in a horrible accident, and Rowan refused to watch his last child be taken from him.

Drowning away his lives in the Moonpool so Heartstar could rise, the Era ends with the resurrection of ShadowClan.

Reckoning Era

Squirrelflight's Horror

Tawnypelt's Mountain

Ferncloud's Parting

SkyClan joining the lake and ShadowClan reforming caused struggles for territory. It was already a tight squeeze for ShadowClan before they joined, and accommodating an extra Clan would require careful diplomacy.

Unfortunately, Bramblestar had other plans. It got into his head that his deputy, Squirrelflight, was undermining him and he played a pointless game with his power. Joining Heartstar in an ill-fated invasion on a nomadic group, ThunderClan lost the respected senior Cleric and discoverer of the Moonpool, Leafpool.

But in those days, there was nothing that could be done about a bad leader besides violent revolution. Any telling of this era of history starts with these events, to establish why ThunderClan did not quickly realize their leader had been replaced by an Impostor only a few moons later, and why they didn't immediately do anything about it.

This impostor's first action was to announce his plans at a peaceful gathering. While losing a life, StarClan had told him they were disappointed and furious at the lack of a reckoning for the cats who had been disloyal in the previous two eras. HalfClan cats, insurgents, and other Codebreakers must be punished and brought in line, to return the Clans to a better time.

Most leaders agreed with this sentiment, and loosely implemented tests of loyalty. It wasn't enough for the Imposter, who was particularly insulted by Bristlefrost codebreaking within his own Clan to see Rootspring of SkyClan.

So at the next gathering, he called together the five Clans, implored them one more time to truly punish their Codebreakers or else StarClan would never come back, and finished his speech by ripping open Bristlefrost's neck.

Over the screams of the crowd, the full, uncovered moon shined bright. He pointed up with his bloodied paw, citing its light as StarClan's approval.

It wasn't the first time an unblemished moon meant cruelty, and SkyClan refused to be part of this evil game. Conflict escalated into a full-blown civil war, leading to scores of dead cats, and the eventual cornering of the Impostor.

When he escaped into the Dark Forest with the ghosts of the fallen kept hostage, Squirrelflight organized a final push to free those who were trapped. These cats came to be known as Lights in the Mist:

Harelight (then called Harefur) and Mistystar of RiverClan

Ivypool and Ferncloud of ThunderClan

Rootspring and MacGyver of SkyClan

Shadowsight and Flowerscar of ShadowClan

Breezepelt and Leaftail of WindClan... after Breezepelt conked Crowfeather over the noggin to forcefully take his spot.

(Exact cats liable to change, particularly MacGyver, Flowerscar, and Leaftail)

In the final confrontation, Ashfur revealed his special powers, having killed and absorbed the ancient spirit Clear Sky as well as several other demons and angels. He was too powerful to defeat, in spite of the combined efforts of the Dark Forest, StarClan, and the Lights in the Mist. In a final, grand effort, Shadowsight used a lightning bolt coursing through his veins to hold the monster down, and Bristlefrost sacrificed her life and eternity knocking Ashfur out of the sky like a falling star.

They crashed to Earth as a pair of asteroids, leaving a crater that became a small pool on SkyClan's border.

This fight destroyed a region of StarClan, an in-between area known as the Meadow of Young Stars. Now a shattered plain unable to separate the Place of No Stars from Silverpelt, A guard defends the single unstable bridge between the lands.

See: StarClan 101

~Current Day~

Ferncloud died tragically after confronting her brother on that fateful mission, and ThunderClan mourns its educator. In respect and heartbreak, its elders have hesitated in choosing a new cat for this role.

With two Eras behind them, the Clans have been loosely speculating what the new name for this Period will become, what its theme will be. There's no way to know until it happens... and it's not as if all the Clans agree on where exactly the times begin and end.

In the meanwhile, a new commandment has been added to the code. It's called Bristlefrost's Law, and for the first time, there is now an official system for changing Clans to be with a mate or a partner. Not all like this change-- some call these cats 'Turnclaws,' and didn't think there was a problem with the way things were.

Bramblestar has been tired since his ordeal, and ThunderClan is hoping he will step down soon. Mistystar has also been slow and aching, but her son Reedwhisker is a fine deputy, and he will make a fine leader as well.

The Clans have gone through a hard time, but there seems to finally be a light at the end of the- oh hey what's Splashtail up to

#Better Bones au #BB!History Lesson #BBAU #warrior cats au #ITS DONE #NEW HISTORY LESSON #BIGGER AND MEATIER THAN THE LAST #BEE HOLD #IM LOSING MY MIND

[sixminutestoriesblog]

Chinese New Year

What's better than one new year's celebration?

TWO new year's celebrations!

While most of the Western world marked the beginning of the new year on January 1st, most of Asia celebrates the the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, that can fall anywhere from January 21st to February 20th. The reason the new year falls on different days is because it uses the lunar calendar that marks holidays not by set days but by stages of the moon. This year the new year will fall on the 10th of February. An estimated quarter of the world's population celebrates this new year. Are you ready to celebrate too?

The first thing to know is that, if you're celebrating the new year traditionally, most businesses will be shut down, usually for at least a week, sometimes more. Not only does this give everyone plenty of time to prepare and celebrate the days of the new year, it also gives people time to go home to visit their relatives. The Lunar New Year is the cause of the largest annual migration of humanity each year. Family is a large part of the celebration and that includes the dead as well as the living. Graves are visited, offerings are made, memories are shared. On New Year's Eve a family reunion dinner is held, with family coming from far and wide to gather together to welcome in the new year. There's plenty to do for people who can't visit family as well because visiting friends is an important part of the holiday. And lets not forget the festivals themselves with delicious treats, fireworks, dragon and lion dances and floating lanterns. This is the biggest celebration of the year and there's no doing things by halves.

Let's talk about some of the traditions and folklore of the celebration.

First off, the legend is that the new year is celebrated the way it is because, long ago, there was a monster called the Nian that would come out every new year's eve to hunt and devour helpless villagers, creating destruction wherever it went. The Nian had a special fondness for the taste of children too. Finally, one year, everyone decided to hide from the beast. As they were gathering to leave, an old man approached them and said that he would stay behind while they hid and he would get their revenge on the monster when it came. While they were away, the old man hung up red papers in the windows of the village and set off firecrackers during the night. When the villagers returned, their village was unharmed but the old man had disappeared. Realizing that he was a deity that had come to help them and show them the way to defeat the Nian, the grateful villagers followed his example and hence the tradition of firecrackers and the brilliant color red became a tradition.

In some stories, its a brave boy that sets off firecrackers to drive away the Nian instead of an old man. In others, its an old beggar that a poor woman gives shelter to for the night.

No matter the story, firecrackers are still set off during the new year's festival, their loud sounds thought to drive off evil and to welcome in good luck. They're set off again during the Lantern Festival that ends the New Year festivities.

Red is still used everywhere too. It's the color of prosperity and energy, driving off the negative. Evenly paired couplets like:

Yīfānfēngshùn niánnián hǎo, wànshìrúyì bùbù gāo

"Smooth sailing with each year; success with each step."

are hung or painted on double doors or to either side of them in red as even numbers (the characters of the couplet that match length on both sides of the divide) are considered lucky as well as warding off evil spirits. Sometimes pictures of gods or heroes are hung in pairs on doors for the same reason. Red lanterns get hung up and much like some people cut snowflakes out of paper, symbols for luck, prosperity and health in the new year are cut out of red paper and hung on windows. There are even red diamond paper decorations with the Chinese character 福 (fú /foo) hung so the symbol is upside down. This is because 福 means luck and when it is upside down over a door the luck pours out over the entire household.

If you want to keep that luck in your house, make sure you do a full spring cleaning just before the new year. This will sweep all the bad fortune out and have your house ready for new blessings to come in. Once the new year arrives though, don't wash yourself the first day. You don't want to wash all that good luck down the drain. For the same reason, there's no cleaning, and especially no sweeping or throwing out trash, until after the fifth day of the celebration. You want to start the new year the way you want it to go on. As such, don't get into fights, say negative words, swear or try to rush people around. Don't use sharp objects like scissors because it will cut off your good luck; for the same reason, don't cut your hair either. Treat yourself to new clothes for the festival, red is best, avoid black and white which have unlucky connotations. Don't buy shoes as the word for shoes sounds a lot like 'evil' or 'bad luck'.

Don't forget the red pockets either! These are red envelopes with money in them. Elderly family give them to the younger generation as a way to symbolically pass on their wealth and blessing and the younger generation gives them to their elders to show appreciation and wish them prosperity and longevity. These are so standard that there are even phone apps these days so you can give them electronically. Remember, an even amount of money is lucky so don't give out an odd one.

And let's not forget the Chinese zodiac. The upcoming new year will be the Year of the Green Wood Dragon. The dragon represents power, success, honor and luck and will bring a creative and auspicious year of progress. People who were born in the year of the dragon however should be careful to wear red underwear every day of the year to keep bad luck from settling on them. And, if you can, be sure to watch the dragon (and lion!) dances as these too chase away the bad and bring in the good with them!

#chinese new year #lunar new year #spring festival #year of the dragon #folklore #superstition #nian #lion dance #dragon #there was really too much to fit into one post #I may do another post for food and the lantern festival #and we didn't even get into the kitchen god

[laidee-flegman]

Delving deep into the ghosts of the self Journal Prompts

The Phantom Friendships: Reflect on a friendship from your past that ended. What lessons did you learn, and how did it shape your approach to friendships now?

Haunted Hobbies: Is there a childhood hobby or passion you abandoned? What made you drift away, and is there a way to resurrect that spark?

The Ghosts in the Playlist: Create a playlist of songs that transport you back to a specific moment in your past. What emotions or memories do they stir up?

The Specter of Self-Doubt: Recall a time when self-doubt crept in during your formative years. How did it manifest, and what can you do now to banish it?

The Echoes of Embarrassment: Share a cringe-worthy moment from your adolescence. How has it influenced your attitude towards vulnerability and authenticity?

Cobwebbed Creativity: Did you have a creative outlet as a child that you've since abandoned? Explore why and brainstorm ways to reintegrate creativity into your life.

The Playground Chronicles: What was your favorite childhood game? How did the dynamics of play reflect aspects of your personality then, and now?

The Poltergeist of Perfectionism: Delve into a memory where the pressure to be perfect was overwhelming. How does perfectionism still linger in your life, and how can you exorcise it?

The Childhood Hero Saga: Who was your childhood hero, and why? Reflect on the qualities in them that inspired you. How can you embody those qualities today?

The Phantom Parental Expectations: Were there specific expectations your parents had for you that haunted your younger self? How have those expectations shaped your choices?

The Ghostly Guidance Counselor: If your younger self sought advice from your present self, what guidance would you offer? What struggles would you assure them will pass?

The Closet Skeletons: Explore a secret or aspect of your identity that you hid during your early years. How has acknowledging or embracing it changed your perspective?

The Spirit of Sibling Rivalry: Reflect on any sibling rivalry experiences. How have these dynamics influenced your relationships or sense of competition?

The Ghost Ship of Regrets: Identify a decision from your past that still haunts you. Can you reframe it as a lesson rather than a regret, and what wisdom can you glean from it?

The Phantom Pet Saga: Did you have a childhood pet? What lessons did the bond with that furry friend teach you about love, loss, and companionship?

The Ghostly Gadgets: Remember a favorite childhood toy or gadget. How did it spark your imagination, and in what ways do you still carry that childlike wonder?

The Forgotten Friends Reunion: Reconnect with a friend from your past. What memories flood back, and how has your friendship evolved over time?

The Spirit of Rebellion: Share a rebellious act from your youth. How did it feel to go against the grain, and what lessons did it teach you about individuality?

The Ghosts of Guilt: Confront a lingering guilt from your past. How can you release this burden and forgive yourself for any perceived wrongs?

The Phantom Phobia: Recall a childhood fear that may still linger. Explore its origins and consider how facing this fear now can be empowering.

The Ghostly Journals: Did you keep a diary or journal as a child? Flip through the pages and reflect on the dreams, fears, and aspirations of your younger self.

The Haunting Hometown: Revisit your childhood hometown, either physically or through memories. What emotions and reflections arise from this journey back in time?

The Ghosts in the Family Tree: Explore family stories or secrets that have been passed down. How do these narratives shape your sense of identity and belonging?

The Phantom Phases: Reflect on a phase or trend you went through in your youth. How did it contribute to your self-discovery, and what elements do you still carry with you?

The Ghosts of Academic Anxiety: Recall a stressful academic experience. How has the pressure to excel shaped your relationship with success and failure?

The Spirit of Sarcasm: Did you develop a defense mechanism like humor or sarcasm during challenging times? How does this coping mechanism still show up in your life?

The Ghostly Bucket List: Revisit your childhood bucket list. What dreams have you achieved, and which ones still linger as unfulfilled desires?

The Phantom Playground Wisdom: What life lessons did you learn on the playground? How do those lessons apply to your adult life?

The Ghosts of Crushes Past: Reflect on a childhood crush. What did you admire about them, and how did that influence your early ideas about love and relationships?

The Spectral Self-Discovery: Dive into a memory where you discovered something new about yourself. How did that revelation impact your sense of identity and self-acceptance?

#shadow work prompts #shadow work journal #shadow work #journal prompts #journaling #journals #writing prompt #inner child healing

[bayofwolves]

hey spirit animals fans. a few nights ago i got an idea that i wanna know your opinions on.

my original plan for my spirit animals project was to write path of the heroes, a fourth arc that picks up shortly after the events of the dragon's eye, and to rewrite certain moments in the previous arcs to give context for major changes. but recently, i thought about adding a new installment to this project.

it would be a collection of short stories, like the special editions, taking place in the 6-month timeskip between the burning tide and heart of the land. the entirety of this book would follow abeke's quest -- her search for uraza and their eventual reunion, then their adventures afterwards as they rebond, work through their trauma and encounter things that may or may not foreshadow the direction of the coming books. (content including but not limited to: abeke reuniting with shane, uraza and shane's complex feelings towards one another, abeke forming closer relationships with some of the redcloaks, more of the sadreans establishing trade and communication with the topside of erdas, abeke and shane visiting niri in oceanus and hearing her ominous predictions that disaster is approaching, tasha making the difficult decision to either rule as stetriol's queen or remain their first greencloak, and the puzzle of where gerathon has slipped off to now that her human partner, raisha, is dead.) it would fill some plot holes, such as the new state of erdas after the defeat of the wyrm and the relative normalcy of abeke and uraza's bond in heart of the land.

i wish uraza's feelings and trauma from being infected were explored, but the authors didn't seem too keen on it. maybe i can do her justice if i give her and abeke their own special edition?

i would include conor, meilin and rollan's perspectives during this time -- with troubled conor visiting his ordinary family and reilin traveling in zhong -- but i really want to have a focus on abeke. she was truly the main character of the burning tide -- dare i say the main character of the whole arc? -- and with everything she's gone through in the last two books, she deserves some more analysis. that, and she's my favourite character. just like, idk, let her have a vacation!

#text #spirit animals #spirit animals books #spirit animals series #path of the heroes #abeke #uraza

[cabbagedkappa]

To my fellow Ace Attorney fans out there, I have a really, really important question. This is kind of lengthy, so buckle up- I tried to keep it as brief as possible. This is about Bridge to a Turnabout (Trials and Tribulations chapter 5), so please don't look if you haven't finished the entire case and don't want spoilers. If you know someone who has, do me a favor and share this with them.

Have you guys ever sat and thought about how Godot is entirely responsible for the events of that case, going back a year in advance? And I mean ENTIRELY. Quick recap, just in case- I need you to think back to Reunion and Turnabout from Justice For All (chapter 2). Morgan Fey was arrested for being an accomplice to murder.

We find out in T&T-5 that, during a visitation period shortly after JFA-2, Pearl told her about the special reservations she had placed a year in advance. Morgan took this information, knowing Dahlia would have been executed by then and that Maya would be in a compromising position at Hazakura Temple, and wrote Pearl the letter detailing her murder plot. Of course, Pearl can't understand the letter at all, so the plan goes off the rails very quickly.

But I feel like not a lot of people remember that the letter was given to Pearl sealed. It's probably a little easy to miss- Pearl mentions that she had stashed it away when she got home, but when she came back to read it later, she was surprised to see that the seal was broken.

Godot had overheard the plans and gone to Kurain Village to inspect the letter himself. Sometime between reading the letter and the events of T&T-5, he enlisted Iris and Misty's help to put a stop to it.

......He put the letter back. Before Pearl even had a chance to read it at all.

You could argue that this was accidental, but he had a FULL YEAR to correct his mistake. Even if Pearl had already read it by the time he got back, it's not like a nine year old is going to remember what it said word-for-word, especially not in a year's time.

Unfortunately, it's hard for me to believe he didn't leave it there on purpose. Quoted from the wiki, "seeing as his chance to save [Maya], as he projected his feeling that he failed to save his girlfriend Mia..."

He willingly endangered the safety of a small child and allowed a threat to be made on the life of Mia's beloved sister just so he could look like a hero and "redeem" himself. And he killed Maya's mother in the process- right in front of her.

Godot subjected the Fey girls to so much unnecessary hurt and trauma just for the sake of stroking his own ego. If his goal was really to do whatever it took to protect his girlfriend's remaining family, he did a piss-poor job of it.

All the art I see of this man- Mia's spirit lovingly by his side. Babysitting the girls and getting into weird uncle hijinks. Would they really have forgiven him so easily? All it would've taken to prevent it all was just to get rid of the letter. He had an entire year to do it. He had multiple chances to fess up and apologize.

Sorry for the rant. It was driving me crazy that nobody seems to acknowledge anything about the letter. I was starting to think that surely, the ENTIRE fandom can't have missed this detail, and that maybe some sort of elaborate prank was being played on me.

Please, share your ideas with me. I want to know how many people have thoughts on this. It'd be an understatement to say that it's been driving me crazy.

#ace attorney #gyakuten saiban #trials and tribulations #justice for all #aa spoilers #iris don't look

[sciencelings-arts]

Something grew out of an arm lost to the depths, and now a false hero roams the darkness

Alternative color schemes below the cut

#hsfr dark link #hsfr #heroes spirit family reunion #totk #totk dark link #dark link #tears of the kingdom #original character #zelda totk #zelda oc #loz oc #loz #tloz #my art

[science-lings]

okay so if i make myself a Dink (dark Link) i would want to make him a version of one of the links that doesn't have a Dink (so not Hero or Gish, or even Huntress or General/ Linkle, or Guardian (maiiced Guaridan counts as a dark link in my eyes))

My first instinct is to give the dink to Sage, not just because they are my blorbo but bc it's easy for my to come up with an idea as to how the dink was made. So maybe Rauru actually removed Links arm (implied to be the case as he mentioned that he had to 'replace' it in his dialogue) and that arm fell into the depths. So all that gloom with the DNA of the hero grew into something that woke up thinking it was the hero (maybe it had made it's way to the secret underground springs under the shrine of resurrection where it was reborn), so in the depths, there's this being that thinks it's the hero just trying to find Zelda and a way out. I could see Sage coming across them while doing the stuff for the spirit temple or even in the depths below the lost woods. (bc it's made of Gloom it may not even be able to leave the depths... who knows I'm just brainstorming lol)

But if I really wanted to lean into the whole 'made to protect the triforce' thing, I could have it be something that King or Queen (sksw Zelink) made after their adventures as a way to protect both the triforce and the Master Sword. That would give my Dink a reason to even have a 'dark' Master Sword that isn't really dark. (It's not evil, just in a different color palette to match Dink's vibe) It likely would know that it's not the same person as Link, and is a creature made by Hylia, likely out of the remnants of dark magic that either Girahim left behind or pieces of the imprisoned that were shed. I love the whole vibe of making something good out of something pure evil. (It's aesthetic would likely include some gold/light/prismatic elements rather than just black gray and red, due to being a creation of Hylia)

I could also have the Dink from the child timeline who has been waiting in the water temple for a hero that would never come, so eventually, he just leaves, and as he's still connected to Hero, he has the same yearning for a normal life but he's also too spooky to be seen around so he's just sadly walking around the woods being all soggy. (I'm gonna be honest here idk if it has lore in tp and I'm thinking about putting some distance between those two stories anyway aka the Heroes Shade is not the Hero of Time, she's just a badass who is in between the family line at some point who had a bad time)

Or I could always just make a guy that I can drop anywhere in the timeline and fuck around and do whatever I want with.

#hsfr #heroes spirit family reunion #andromedas poll hell #links meeting au #dark link

[arcstral]

—  Fire Emblem: Engage, The Emblem Marth Retrospective.  —

Marth in FE: Engage plays a fascinating supporting role.

He has a dynamic presence on the boxart though he’s not a character native to this installment; enlarged and immediately able to be seen on the left where the eyes tend to be first attracted. His title 'Emblem of Beginnings' implicates his role as the first emblem to be summoned on Elyos. He serves as the spokesman for the emblem family in a lot of cases, and provides worldly exposition for the ancient artifacts and plot detail uprisings.

If you acknowledge his role as a witness to every phase of Alear's life from beginning to end- the parts we see in game to the invisible sections we don't see a thousand years before- he suddenly becomes larger than life. The figure that has been with Alear longer than even Lumera. Someone who has seen everything there is to see about our protagonist, to an extent where if an omniscient narrator was ever needed to narrate the events of the game, the only qualified individual by necessity would have to be the ‘Emblem Marth’.

With that that said, I was initially willing to go into Engage thinking of its Marth as an offhand spinoff version. No different from the inconsequential single-beat portrayals of Smash or even Warriors. But this idea is wrong. Engage surprised me by putting a very human, very special Marth into my hands. An echo of the original Hero-King, Emblem Marth recognizes that he is only an emblem from the very first beat of his first appearance, and yet he's unaware of how faithful of a homage he is to the individual he's extracted from.

How much he takes the foundation and honors it elsewhere.

The Emblem Marth as set apart from simply Marth is a purely loyal existence from humble beginnings to bitter end. A millennial being who answers Alear’s call for aid at every cost and asks for nothing in return but to be remembered. His duty to protect this world is equal to his desire to be at Alear’s side. It's that enduring spirit of nobility, loyalty, and devotion to his friends, even forgiveness, that places him on par with his original.

It’s the adversities that best place these traits on show.

Chapter 10 happens and brings the sky crashing down. Suffering on that course, as the last and latest emblem ring to be reclaimed from enemy hands- utterly miserable to be torn apart from Alear and company as Veyle aptly put it- still he serves to provide nothing but love and forgiveness for Alear on their long awaited reunion. The fact that chapter 10's devastation happened at all despite the counsel he’s spared. His even greater forgiveness of Veyle is extended in the aftermath, a compassionate empathy toward her circumstances that reflects the kind he shows for others in his time- his enemies. Hardin and Katarina. Camus and Michalis.

When Veyle returns the ring of the Hero-King to Alear in Chapter 22, she observes that “it was lying by your side, as if it wanted to be with you”, and to me this statement was the most touching. Marth no matter the circumstance will never, ever leave Alear behind if he can help it. But that situation, and that tragic day, arrives. And his reception to the cold fact is graceful.

Accepting his death without complaint, he quells Alear's fears with the reiterated admission of duty, no longer to Altea or to Archanea, but to Elyos. The Emblems exist to protect this world and in that call to existence is a reason worth dying for. His cessation means nothing, Marth nobly says. 'I am of no consequence' he remarks to Velyle tangentially in his paralogue when she laments at the idea of fighting him, with words that resemble humility but in actuality prioritizes the things that he sees as truly important--others.

Duty is the overpowering virtue of Marth’s character. Whereas the original Hero-King cites himself a prince before a son or a brother, this one would call himself an Emblem above all else. That sense of duty to a world not his own even manifests in many different ways. From that unique perspective of both an emblem and a king comes his wisdom, the utmost belief that a world placed in Alear’s hands will know peace and prosperity, that it would be a beautiful place.

This interaction speaks of the telling final thoughts that the Emblem Marth possesses in the last chapter of his life; a dutiful onus to realize a successor to the emblems’ legacy, someone to watch over the lands they have protected for eons. To pick up the torch in their stead. This desire is coupled with his love and peace of mind. He is proud of Alear’s growth, has seen it himself over the course of a thousand years and then some. Of all Marth’s fond observations for the Divine One, such words might be the highest level of his praise.

Such words reflect the caliber of a noble and positive existence who is aware of his bitter end and smells only the flowers. An everbright future with or without the emblems.

When the Pact Ring paralogue finally rolls around, we begin with Marth’s explication about the origins of the ring which even Vander does not know. Detailing Lumera’s mysterious history as its previous owner, and the familiarity of the local surroundings to him, it ends with his sound advice that Alear think carefully on which ally to give it. He is more than aware of the special meaning of this ring and how it will strengthen the bonds between two people.

That knowledge conjoined with his long history as Alear’s partner and a Lythos emblem posits an important side to the conversation:

He is consistently a voice of wisdom yet this example is special; it is in the late Queen Lumera’s place that Marth acts, informing her child about the ring most conducive to their happiness, second only in importance to the emblems and the birthday ring staving off Alear’s corruption. Marth, as always, is watching over the Divine One, nudging them toward their own betterment. Once a long-standing guardian to Alear’s slumber, he watches over them in the innocent and unassuming manner of this guidance as well.

Ultimately, by the game’s ending I thought very deeply about what endeared me so much to this Marth. Why I mourned so much at his loss as a 'phony' version of the original and I think I can finally put it into words. It’s about how much he exemplifies the loyal Hachiko paradigm but ten times magnified. Waiting and watching at the side of his sleeping 'owner' for a thousand years, never failing to sally to Alear's side, and even when corrupted by the fell dragon incantation- even when unable to verbalize or express any component of free will- he's able to muster the scantest smile for Alear in their darkest hour.

Marth is the emblematic mascot who goes through a dozen different redesigns and cameos in the most offshoot games- the most of any existing FE protagonist in both aspects, all differing in appearance from one another in various degrees. In terms of those many portrayals that define Marth, FE17 is nevertheless set apart in this regard by its depth. Showing more than anything that a Marth of a vastly different premise and belonging to an alienated universe is still, well, Marth.

Someone who is dutiful to extremes and deeply appreciative of his bonds, unfailingly kind. Someone who has 'always been kind' as Alear puts it.

Marth's words that Sombron's Emblem will never come back to him again is mirrored for himself. He, too, will never return, and what’s left in the wake of this knowledge is a unique iteration worth mourning. Engage teaches me nothing new about Marth but it does tell me one thing. The hero known as 'Marth' is as much a character as well as the allegoric ideal that puts greater duty and lordly goodness on the table.

Marth is Marth says Engage and that will always be an immutable worldly comfort.

#◜ ╰ ♕ ◦ › gathered wits ‹ INTROSPECTION. ◞ #the profound and almost unfathomable ideation of a bond with one thousand years worth of depth #engage opened my eyes to the trascendental kind of form a friendship could take #in any case the emblem marth was absolutely standout #i once read a jpn fetwt comment that complimented pikazo's artistic take on marth #but more importantly posited the idea that 'how marth looks doesn't matter. it's that noble quality that must stay the same' #really really stuck with me #marth being the 'mascot' of fire emblem is half a character and half an ideal #he defines what a lord is and i think engage covered that aspect wonderfully #engage spoilers

[bonefall]

OOOOGH okay Skypelt related questions: Since their ancestors were Rats, did Spiderstar only take the -star suffix as tradition? No nine lives? Nowadays, do Skyclan leaders only get their lives from Skypelt or can they get a mix of Starclan and Skypelt? How's Cloudstar coping with his Rat Crimes now that he's been freed and in Skypelt?

Spiderstar

She wasn't able to get the full 9, but she did receive at least 3. Their "Piece of Heaven" was crumbling, but hadn't yet completely fallen apart at the moment of Cloudstar's death.

They had no particular place where she could have gone to get those lives, so she climbed to the very top of the farm's silo where Cloudstar had just died. As the Clan mourned the hero who had kept them together for all this time, Spiderstar was pressing her entire body against the cold, silvery metal of the human structure.

Those bastards had taken their forest from them-- they least they could do for her was lend her their towering mockery of a Moonstone.

The first moment she knew something was about to go very, very wrong was the fact that Cloudstar was not one of the cats present to give her a life.

In Skypelt, she is the Patron of Adaptation. She has dominion over getting used to things, over not being too rigid that you overlook the correct solution, and of innovation especially through learning from others.

Because of her, baby spiders are sacred. SkyClan has immense reverence for the idea of "crafting wings" out of silk to fly away on the breeze.

Cloudstar

Was horrified and shameful of what he had done as that horrible monster, but Skypelt is much more forgiving than Silverpelt.

He kept his promise. Even as he lost his mind, his body, and his Clan, he clung to that vow when there was nothing else to hold. He is a hero to them, even after what he'd done, they love him as they do all of their family.

In self-inflicted penance, Cloudstar is Skypelt's primary fetcher. He's akin to the Grim Reaper for SkyClan tradition, unlike the other Clans who almost always send a fetcher who was close to the recently deceased. He is a Patron of Oneness (Paokepba en Ul-Arra), giving him dominion over reunions, collaborative efforts, and even Gatherings.

It's not quite a Patron of Unity, though it would be a close translation. It's Ul-Arra. Wholeness. Togetherness. In SkyClan, it also has an association with "reformations."

Skypelt Giving Lives

Modern SkyClan highly values self-reliance, as a result of their past. It's why they maintain Skypelt instead of fully integrating into Silverpelt, they are adamant that they are not subservient to anyone else's ancestors but their own.

This doesn't mean the two are totally separate. Think of it sort of like a small bubble connected to StarClan-Prime. Spirits can go back and forth between the two, but Skypelt could leave again if it ever wanted to.

So to answer your question, SkyClan leaders could receive lives from Silverpelt warriors. In practice, this is VERY rare and considered a huge honor.

If you wanna check out the old draft of Leafstar's Leadership Ceremony, it's over here! I'm probably going to make a new draft sometime soon, since BB!Firestar didn't actually loose any lives so far. I want him to the "the fire that lights the new torch," kicking off the ceremony by transferring one of his lives to her, because that seems super cool and very fitting of him.

#Skypelt #Spirituality overhauls #BB!Cloudstar #BB!Spiderstar #Better bones au #Firestar's Quietus #BB!SkyClan

[talzane]

I've become very invested in exploring Vampire Vlad's dichotomy as a character because, "generic, evil billionaire," is boring.

Vampires are parasitic by nature, destructive, and by most definitions, evil, but they're also so incredibly lonely. They're powerful: super strength, speed, control of creatures of the night, some control over clouds, shape-shifting, magic, etc., but because they're compelled to drink the blood of the living, they're doomed to being alone. Vlad wants Maddie, he wants to make her like him because he loves her in his twisted way and he wants to spend eternal night with her, but at the same time, he knows she'd hate to live like that so it can't be Vlad that turns her into a vampire--cue the Maternal Instincts, vampiric monsters.

Then there's Danny, the only Halfa in the universe, incredibly powerful as well, a self-sacrificing, unappreciated, half dead, teen hero, who Vlad sees as something of a kindred spirit; at the very least, somebody he could have as family, somebody his cravings don't apply to, somebody he can't *hurt*. Worst of all, somebody whose own family is hurting him, whose family is reckless, dangerous, bigoted, morally bankrupt, and possibly insane, but Vlad could take him away if only the boy would let him. Vlad could keep him safe, Vlad and Daniel could be, at the very least, content, safe, and well-fed.

But Jack Fenton must be destroyed; he was an honest friend, but he abandoned Vlad to whisk Maddie off into the sunset, leaving Vlad desperate and lonely enough to take the offer of more time...what a price he paid. Jack Fenton ruined Vlad's life and gained everything Vlad wanted; Jack Fenton claimed the credit for the Ghost Portal; Jack Fenton squashed Maddie into the background at every opportunity to claim credit for himself; Jack Fenton's bumbling condemned Vlad to a gruesome, agonizing death, and Jack Fenton half killed his own son, a child Vlad would have cherished.

Maddie wouldn't have done that to Danny, Maddie--left to her own devices--would have made an excellent mother, Vladdie and Maddie, together forever with Daniel, their son. A deathless family, no suffering, no loss, no heartbreak.

The motivations potentially being genuinely decent intentions/desires is something that I love about Vlad's potential because, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions," applies so strongly to him. The entire Bitter Reunion episode wouldn't change too much because Vlad would still be bitter, he'd still want to ruin Jack's reputation--perhaps take him down to where Vlad thinks Jack would be without Maddie--in order to later highlight Maddie's genius as a ploy to win her affections, but learning that Jack has not only the kind of son that Vlad would--quite literally--kill for but the woman Vlad could see himself spending eternity with would amp up his plots.

Then there's Maternal Instincts, it would make so much sense for Vlad to send vampiric beasts after Maddie and Danny in order to turn Maddie, but she's just too good to fall to them and the plot completely turns Danny against him.

My favorite thing about the character would be that since his intentions are good, he could still call CPS on the Fenton Household as an effort to at least spare Danny the negligence of his parents or the dangers of the ghost hunting equipment.

"Daniel, stop removing my cameras from that house."

"You put cameras in my bedroom, Fruit Loop!"

"I admit, I was concerned due to your injuries and wanted to make sure you're alright, but I will leave the cameras outside the bedrooms--"

"*And* the bathrooms!"

"Oh alright! The bathrooms too."

"How 'bout you just stop putting cameras in my house!?"

"Your parents--especially your bumbling father--are a danger to themselves and to you, Daniel, somebody has to watch them!"

"They don't need watching! They're great parents!"

"When was the last time they *cooked* you a healthy meal? When did you feel safe enough to tell them about being a ghost? When was the last time they paid the bills or went grocery shopping? Daniel, when was the last time you didn't have to rekill food kept in your kitchen?"

"That's normal for us, *Vlad*!"

"It's not healthy!"

"You're a vampire!"

"You're a child! Your sister is a child! Neither of you should be paying bills, shopping for groceries, or dodging *cannon fire* in your own home!"

"They're bazookas! You're supposed to be smart enough to know that!"

"That's child endangerment, and you shouldn't *have* to know *that*!"

But in the end, for all his cameras, Vlad can't submit the footage to a court of law because 1) illegal surveillance, 2) Danny's ID as Phantom is on those tapes and revealing him--even to gain custody--would be incredibly dangerous, so all Vlad can do is pray that the CPS people put an end to Danny living with his parents.

I just really like the idea that Vlad still kills people to drain their blood, but he's also not a completely horrible person, he's just trying to do the right thing the wrong way in regards to Danny and he's doing the wrong thing the worst way for questionable reasons with Maddie.

#danny phantom #danny fenton #dp au #vlad masters

[linked-history]

Linked History Masterlist (Updated)

COMIC

-WIP

ART

-Hero References

First Trio, First, Loft, Mini, Colors, Beast, Prince, Gull, Ravio, Shade, Hermit, Ghost, Kiri, Beat, Captain, Nomad, Healer, Spirit, Lineup

-Royal References

Tetra

-Other Characters

Goddesses, Fi and Ghirahim, Lin's Family

-Original Art (Before change)

Ravio, First Trio, Initial Lineup

Other Art

Minish, Colors +Cuccos, Valentine's Doodle, Timeline

Scene Redraws

Loftwing Rescue, Deku Tree's Fall, Stories

WRITING

Colors - First Split, Ravio and Marin Reunion

#alternate universe #linked history #redesigns #legend of zelda #minish cap #ocarina of time #four swords #oracle of ages #oracle of seasons #skyward sword #twilight princess #majoras mask #hyrule warriors #link between worlds #link to the past #phantom hourglass #spirit tracks #cadence of hyrule #I feel like I'm still missing some loz titles #Nomadic Hyrule #links meet au

[the-jam-to-the-unicorn]

Easter greetings from the President of Ukraine

Dear great people of the great country!

At the end of last winter, Russia brought a full-scale war to our land. And with it – death, pain, and darkness. On the morning of February 24, the sun never rose. Dawn never came. On the morning of February 24, a dark night began. And at the same time, our awakening began. Our struggle.

Darkness could not overshadow our spirit, desire for freedom, love for our native land, and readiness to defend it.

We have kept the light within us. We have conquered panic, fear, feud, and quarrels. We have united. Millions of sparks in millions of Ukrainian hearts became one big bonfire. Our strength and invincibility were tempered in this fire, this fire did not let our hope and faith go out, the whole world saw this fire. It has united around it, stood next to us.

Then we defeated despair, hopelessness, fatigue, pain. Millions of lights in the eyes of millions of Ukrainians merged into one powerful beam of light. It helped us not to get lost in the dark, not to get lost on the road, illuminated the path to the right goal.

This is what different generations have fought for in different centuries. What our warriors of light – the defenders of Ukraine – gave their lives for in the last nine years and 417 days.

What we are fighting for against the dark forces today. This is our dawn. Our revival. This is the dawn of independent Ukraine.

Today, we celebrate the holiday of the Resurrection of the Lord. Its main symbol is victory: the victory of good, victory of truth, victory of life. We celebrate Easter with unshakable faith in the irreversibility of these victories.

On this day a year ago, we all prayed that Ukraine would endure. Today – for Ukraine to win. We don't just wait and ask, we win and create this victory ourselves. 417 days. We have already come a long way. Perhaps the most difficult of the peaks is ahead of us. We will overcome it. And together we will meet our dawn. When the sun will rise all over our country. This is a blue and yellow flag. It will certainly be raised in all our God-given land. In all territories temporarily occupied by devils. Our flag will fly on the shores of the Sea of Azov and the banks of Siversky Donets River, over terricones and Ai-Petri peak. The sun will shine in the south, the sun will shine in the east, and the sun will shine in Crimea. The yellow-hot sun in a peaceful blue sky, and it is the light of justice.

It is the light of the reunion of people and families. Ukrainians. All who are now at the front and all who help them in the rear. The glow of the smiles of the winners and their families. The brilliance of the battle orders of the heroes who will return. The sparkle of happy eyes of parents, children, loved ones, friends and relatives who are waiting.

This is the light of rebirth. Reconstruction of what was destroyed and mutilated by the occupier. Reconstruction of our beautiful country, which will become even more beautiful in the future.

It is the light of verity and truth. The rule of law and justice. Prosecution and punishment of all those who gave and executed criminal orders. All those who killed, tortured, robbed will answer both in the international tribunal and to the Lord.

Heaven sees our faith and steadfastness. The world sees our courage and invincibility. The enemy sees our strength and determination. And therefore, Ukraine will see the light of victory.

Belief in it unites us all. Always, but especially today. On Easter, which has always been a family holiday for Ukrainians, a day of warmth, hope and great unity. The war could not erase us, our values, our traditions, our holidays, and the most important things they symbolize.

And therefore, no matter where we celebrate Easter, no matter where each of us is now, we celebrate Easter together.

We are one big family. Ukrainians. We have one big home. Ukraine. We have one big goal. Victory. For all.

Those who are no longer with us, who gave their lives for Ukraine. We remember everyone and ask God to appease their souls. We believe in everyone who continues to defend the Motherland, and we ask God to protect and preserve them. With all our strength, we fight for our land and ask for the help of heavenly forces. In hundreds of prayers that our ancestors said before the battle, which help our soldiers and protect them today.

I will put on the shroud of Jesus Christ,

my skin is iron shell,

my blood is strong ore, my bone is a damask sword.

I am faster than an arrow, more alert than a falcon.

The armor is on me.

The Lord is in me.

For tomorrow.

For a peaceful dawn.

For the victory.

For Ukraine.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

#Youtube

[omori-aus-archive]

Omori: Marvel Knights/Midnight Suns AU

Okay. So I'm in a Marvel kick atm, thus I decided to make this AU prompt. Also, this is an AU for my OC too, so Erika will have a major role.

Setup

So, this starts off similar to how I wrote Erika in her bio. However, after the accident, Erika desperately attempts to find ways to bring Mari back and repair her family.

She has been able to communicate with her, but chooses not to tell Sunny, due to concerns regarding on how he'll react. That said, he finds out anyway in secret.

Erika, Mari, and Sunny are completely unaware that demonic forces are watching them. A demon appears before Erika, promising to teach her a ritual to give her exactly what she wants, at the cost of her becoming a Spirit of Vengeance.

Erika chooses to take the risk, having reached several dead ends in a row.

Two years after the accident, Erika finally has a ritual to bring Mari home. She performs it, willingly becoming a Spirit of Vengeance to save Mari...and Mari returns to life as if she never died....

...Only for the reunion to be short-lived as Sunny's taken from the two sisters.

One month later, Erika teaches Mari the same ritual, only for it to fail, forcing Mari to share Erika's curse.

This ultimately leads into them becoming heavily depressed, which only fuels their anger and hatred towards Hell, sparking desires for revenge against it.

GHOST RIDERS/SPIRITS OF VENGEANCE

Erika

The oldest sibling of her, Mari, and Sunny. Takes Johnny Blaze's role. Became a Ghost Rider in an attempt to resurrect Mari. She succeeded, but at the cost of Sunny, which kickstarted her path of vengeance. Mari becoming a Ghost Rider only added fuel to the fire, as Mare now shares Erika's curse.

Erika solely blames herself for everything, thinking that she should've been home on the day of the accident, believing she could have prevented it entirely.

Is a biker for BACA. Personality is similar to what I wrote for her in her bio, with some Johnny Blaze in there.

Mari

Died in an accident similar to canon. Believed in Erika's attempts to bring her home, only to be heartbroken at the loss of Sunny. After her resurrection, Mari begged Erika to teach her the ritual that made her a Ghost Rider in an attempt to save Sunny. Unlike Erika's attempt though, it failed, due to her having died once before.

Mari now shares Erika's curse. She solely blames herself for what's happened.

Biker-in-training. Personality is similar to her Ghost/Resurrected Mari and H/O AU counterparts I made.

Unlike Erika, Mari is far more noble. Erika is a pure antihero, though she is respectful sometimes.

She is kinda inspired by Danny Ketch’s role as the Ghost Rider, but not much, if at all. Admittedly, I feel hesitant about giving her his role, given how writers like to make Danny a temporary villain sometimes for no real reason.

HALF-DEMONS/VAMPIRES

Hero

The more demonic of the brothers and the most morally-grey member of the group. He is conflicted between what he SHOULD do and what he WANTS to do. He believes that Erika is to blame for Sunny's demise and Mari's curse, which Kel is understandably angry about, as is Mari.

As such, he will be in conflict with Erika if Kel and Mari are not around. Of course, he won't succeed in his efforts, due to Erika being far stronger than him.

Kel

The more vampiric of the brothers. He struggles with his vampire instincts during full moons, super moons, and blue moons, so he has to sneak into a blood bank in order to keep himself in check. The last thing he wants is to be something he's not. He supports Erika and Mari's quest, albeit indirectly.

He doesn't want to get involved in their chaos to the point where he'd only get in their way. Is frustrated by this and Hero's morally-grey path, which has sparked some bad blood between the brothers.

MUTANTS/MAGES

Aubrey

The Mutant of the group. She's a combination of Magik (yes, this is an actual X-Men character) and Wolverine. She has some knowledge and capabilities in sorcery, but prefers brute force and her claws. She is similar to canon, but has some Logan in her. She couldn't bring herself to resurrect Sunny, believing that she'd fail regardless.

She doesn't blame anyone but the unfairness of the universe in general. To her, life is unfair to everyone and if it weren't unfair, terrible things would never happen to anyone.

Basil

Basil serves as the Doctor Strange of this AU. He is more or less similar to most HIKKI/OMARI-type AU versions of him, but he is less resentful in general. He's just sad at how powerless he feels, which is why he picked up sorcery. He tried many times to bring back Sunny on his own...and failed every time.

Here, Basil blames no one but his own powerlessness.

About Sunny....

So, I honestly don't know what I wanna do for Sunny. I know I want him to have a major role, but I don't know what characters he'd fit with.

Currently, the idea is that he'll be brought back, but under the influence of someone else....

Whether that be Dracula bringing him back to become essentially Morbius, Khonshu bringing him back to become his Moon Knight, or Sunny being resurrected to become a Ghost Rider by the forces of Hell.

Still up in the air atm.

#omori #mari omori #omori mari #omori sunny #sunny omori #omori au #omori kel #omori hero #aubrey omori #basil omori #marvel #ghost rider #blade marvel #doctor strange #moon knight #morbius #erika omori