Lori: What do you mean we don't need you! Of course we need you Lincoln. Mom, Dad, our sisters, me…. We're all worried sick about you, even after all these years, and you have no idea how sorry we are for what we did to you. Lily doesn't even know you aside from stories that we tell her! SURE SOMEWHERE, DEEP DOWN, YOU MUST CARE ABOUT US, OR ELSE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE!.
Luke/Lincoln: No. I came here for Pop-Pop. He was the last true family I had left. I know you're hoping for me to forgive you, to accept your apology, but it's too late for that. Nor do you have to fear an angry rant from me, because the truth is, Lori….that I don't feel anything towards you guys anymore. No hate, but no love either.
Luke/Lincoln: No. I came here for Pop-Pop. He was the last true family I had left. I know you're hoping for me to forgive you, to accept your apology, but it's too late for that. Nor do you have to fear an angry rant from me, because the truth is, Lori….that I don't feel anything towards you guys anymore. No hate, but no love either.
—Lori and Lincoln/Luke's conversation before departing ways.
33 years into the future, Lori Loud reflects back on the loss of her brother Lincoln.
Long Lost Loud
is a one shot The Loud House fanfic written by Bouken Dutch 2.0.
This one shot is set in the future where Lincoln ran away after having enough of his family's insane superstitions. The elder sister looks back on how it happened.
Long Lost Loud provides examples of:
- Alternate Universe Fic: An AU of the infamous No Such Luck episode where Lincoln ran away and the Louds couldn't find him for a LONG time.
- Adaptational Angst Upgrade: As this is a time when the NSL incident got so bad that Lincoln ran away, it winds up causing despair in the poor family.
- Adaptational Intelligence: By a margin, only Lynn, Lucy, Lola, and Leni believed Lincoln being The Jinx/a walking Good Luck Charm, the rest of the family didn't for their own reasons, and even the latter three believers thought how dumb they were acting. Still doesn't excuse them for keeping him away from the house when he slept outside during the whole bad luck rumor thing, selling all of his stuff, and forcing him to wear a stupid squirrel suit.
- Adaptational Sympathy: The original episode portrayed Lincoln as a selfish boy who brought his misery to himself. In this story, he is portrayed as a boy who was betrayed by his family and worthy of sympathy.
- Bad Future: A future where there is an emotional scar on all the Louds.
- Bittersweet Ending: Lori and Lisa finally find Lincoln near the end! All good, right? NOPE! Lincoln makes it clear he has no hate or love— just... apathy.
- Crazy-Prepared: Lincoln apparently destroyed any evidence of himself being a part of the Loud family. For example, he cut himself out from group pictures with him in them or replaced his name tag on the family's trophy cabinet with his parents' names. He even roped in his grandad and Clyde into it before becoming a ghost.
- Deconstruction Fic: The one-shot takes apart the idea of Lincoln returning to his family after running away or giving karma to them during a "No Such Luck" fic. Rather than being glad his sisters really care for him or despising them forever, Lincoln (now Luke) makes clear he only has apathy for them when talking to Lori, and both sides don't really need each other.
- First-Person Perspective: It's from the eyes of Lori as she remembers what had happened all those years ago.
- Flashback: There are flashbacks throughout the story showing just how Lincoln ran away.
- From Bad to Worse: During the trip to Dairyland, the Louds have a bad day. It gets worse for them when Lynn realizes that the other team were practicing against her and luck had nothing to do with it. The whole family breaks down at that. Gets worse when Lincoln runs away, never to be seen again.
- Future Loser: All of the Louds had hopes and dreams and were making waves. With Lincoln gone, they fell into such a depression that they have settled for lower-level jobs. Lynn especially.
- Hard Truth Aesop: You can't expect someone to forgive you and even a genuine apology won't be accepted. Lori wanted to find her brother to make amends and apologize for her actions, but after these years he now has apathy to his old family, making clear he won't forgive them and he doesn't want to do anything with his old family anymore. Lori accepting this fact allows her to move on finally.
- How the Mighty Have Fallen: Lynn is hit HARD by this trope. Before, she was an all-star athlete, winning trophies and games with her abilities. However, thanks to her unwillingness to take a loss, Lincoln runs away and she spiraled into despair, quitting her clubs, getting low grades, hanging with junkies and even taking them just to relieve herself of the pain and guilt. Poor Lynn, but you can't help but think she had it coming.
- Let the Past Burn: Before running away, Lincoln burned what little possessions he had left, the dreaded squirrel suit, and all photos and video tapes about him in the backyard. The rest of the Louds find the remains after they learn he's gone.
- Secret Diary: Lincoln turned out to have one. He tried to burn it with everything else, but some pages survived the fire and it's from these pages the other Louds learn how Lincoln thought about them and why he ran away.
- Secret-Keeper: By the end of the story, only Lori, Lisa, and Luna know that Lincoln is still alive and now living under a new identity, as well as that Pop-Pop was in on Lincoln's plan the whole time and helped him pull it off. They keep it a secret from the rest of the family since it's clear Lincoln has no intentions of ever reconciling with his old family, and the news about what their late grandfather did would only taint the Louds memories of him.
- That Man Is Dead: When they find him again, Lincoln declares that his name is Luke Carver and Lincoln Loud is dead.
- Tranquil Fury: While most NSL fics have Lincoln yell and get into a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown with Lynn or give a "Reason You Suck" Speech to them or worst of all, think his family hates him, not this time. Here Lincoln NEARLY loses his temper but instead holds it in and just allows them to go on their day out.
- Unperson: A self-inflicted example. Early in the story, Lincoln apparently destroyed any evidence of himself being a part of the Loud family. For example, he cut himself out from group pictures with him in them or replaced his name tag on the family's trophy cabinet with his parents' names.
- Wham Line: During the mentioned Tranquil Fury, Lincoln merely says this to the rest of his family before shit royally hits the fan:
Lincoln: Have fun tomorrow.
- "Face it Lori; Lincoln Loud is dead. There is only me".
