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quillandink333 · 3 years

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Scarlet Carnations ~ Part IV

BotW Link X Zelda ~ Detective AU

Rating: T

Word Count: 5.1k

WARNINGS: death, murder, loss, trauma, blood and gore, terrorism, organized crime, self-harm

Summary: Inspector Zelda Hyrule, assisted by the faithful Constable Link Fyori, is infamous for cracking the most confounding of cases in a town dominated by crime. Her latest assignment is to solve the murder of her own godmother, Impa Sheikah, the late CEO of Sheikah Tech. Incorporated, while staying under the radar of the dreaded Yiga organization.

Part I • Part II • Part III • Part IV • Part V • Part VI • Part VII • Epilogue • Masterlist

It was nine o’clock in the morning, two days after I’d made my arrest, and Paya’s trial was in its opening stages. I was watching from the gallery. Normally, as the one running the investigations, I would be the first witness to take the stand, but today, for whatever reason, the lead prosecutor, Urbosa Sigatur, planned to summon me second after Auntie Purah. Urbosa was far from a stranger to me, however. She and I had collaborated on several cases in the past, and she shared with me many of my own ideals. She’d once even known my mother before her untimely demise. And so I decided not to question her judgment, however unconventional it may have seemed.

The prosecution’s opening statement had been based on the fact that the stolen Sheikah Slate, along with a bloodstained bullet, had been found in the defendant’s room, which, until recently, hadn’t been searched as it had been deemed irrelevant to the case. With these conclusive pieces of evidence, she’d stated, the defendant had been charged with both the theft of the Slate and the murder of its owner, Impa Sheikah.

The stolen object was the most central piece of evidence in the prosecution’s case. It had once been a target of my own immense interest, even before its theft. But that had all changed following its recovery. The riddle, though having been solved by means of professional reprogramming, still made little sense to me if any. “Carnation” was its answer, according to Auntie Purah herself. Much to my dismay, the secrets that the riddle had supposedly kept hidden had turned out to be nothing but my own fantasy. Every last piece of data that had once been stored in the Slate had been deleted, meaning the possibility of proving a motive for its theft was next to nonexistent. The only thing left in its memory was a diary entry, written by Auntie Impa the day before her murder. This in itself, however, held the potential to serve as a lead to her killer’s identity, at the very least.

The diary entry, as projected onto the courtroom wall by the Slate, went,

“Today was the first day of Zelda’s holiday visit. It is hard to believe that the last long term visit she paid us was already over a year ago. We have all missed her dearly. She seems as interested in my sister’s work as ever. It brought me joy to see the two of them bonding over their shared passion once again.

“However I must admit, I would still love for her to also spend some quality time with Paya some day soon. I sensed some resentment coming from her directed at my dear granddaughter. Perhaps it is something to do with that boy. Either way, it seems their relationship has hardly changed since she left the nest.

“I cannot say for certain whether anyone will ever be able to read this, but I have faith that Purah will figure it out. I am no good with machines like these, but I believe in her. At any rate, I hope she is the one who gets to read this message, but in the event that it happens to fall into the wrong hands, I will sign off here.”

With this, the prosecution’s argument, though a bit scattered across several different points, seemed sturdy enough so far. That Auntie Impa had seemingly known that her life would be taken the following night after writing her final message, combined with the fact that she’d received no threats from the outside world up until then, was one of the strongest pieces of evidence in our arsenal.

Paya’s defence lawyer, one Revali Twii, had made several attempts to dismantle her argument by claiming she had no possible way of knowing whether or not the victim had received a threat from outside the estate by phone. These attacks were easily deflected. As a foreigner to this city, Mr. Twii had been unaware that, thanks to the Sheikahs’ company, household phones here were all equipped with recording devices. Naturally, Ms. Sigatur had already listened to each recorded call since a month before the murder and had detected no discernible threat in any of them.

And yet in spite of all that, the argument shifted heavily in favour of the defence when it then carried out his cross examination. With how confidently Urbosa had stated her case, I never could’ve imagined how easy it would be for the opposing side to shatter it into countless, tiny pieces.

Mr. Twii’s primary line of questioning was a solid one, to say the least. He concurred with my deduction as presented by Ms. Sigatur that the parlour indeed was not the true scene of the crime. However, he claimed that the real crime scene could not possibly have been the defendant’s bedroom either. His basis for this was the gunshot. Paya’s room was in the same hallway that the sleeping quarters of the current witness, Auntie Purah, as well as myself, were in. Mr. Twii had her testify about the sound of the gunshot that she’d heard. In addition to the fact that it hadn’t seemed loud enough to have come from the very next room over, she’d only heard it once: from the parlour.

No doubt he intended to question me about the same thing when the time came for me to take the stand. I’d been itching to speak my mind and set things straight so badly that I’d had to cross my legs just to keep myself from getting up too soon by the time court was finally adjourned for a half-hour recess.

Now the prosecutor and I were together in a private room reserved for witness prepping. Normally I did just fine testifying on my own, but in this trial, everything was at stake, and I couldn’t seem to stop my heart from racing no matter what I tried. Thankfully I had Urbosa here, and simply talking with her had done much to calm my nerves already.

“You’re originally from out of town too, aren’t you?” I noted, thinking back on her performance.

“That I may be, but unlike that lawyer, I’ve spent enough time here to know of the perils this city is facing, and who’s been holding it together in spite of all that.”

“Right.” My lips rested against the curve of my index as my leg bounced restlessly underneath the table. “That schmuck really doesn’t have a clue, does he?”

“No, not likely. Though he’s quite the formidable opponent, I must say.” She leaned back in her chair, looking pensive, but not the least bit agitated. “My case took quite the beating out there.”

My heart rate was starting to pick up again. “You don’t think you’ll...lose...do you?”

“Who, me? Lose?” She let out a hearty bout of chuckles. “Young lady, are you quite sure you know who you’re speaking to?” I returned her laughter halfheartedly, unable to shake the foreboding feeling lying at the pit of my stomach. Urbosa cleared her throat, preserving her calm smile. “All jokes aside, I wouldn’t worry even if we do end up losing this one. The true criminal is still out there somewhere, and there is no such thing as a perfect crime.”

“I suppose...” Perfect crimes may not have existed, but neither did perfect investigations. If they ruled Paya out as a suspect, then only one other, “safe” option would remain.

“Alright, out with it. What’s on your mind?” Her hand had landed on my shoulder as she’d reached across the desk, over my half empty glass of water. “And why are you so set on getting Paya convicted, if I might ask? Sibling rivalry is one thing, but this is...”

I avoided her perceptive gaze, staring intently at the latch on my bag. What could I possibly tell her? “It’s just,” I stalled, eventually settling for a vague, “I’m running out of time.”

After a long pause, she leaned back, letting go of my arm. “I see. Well, whatever it is, know that I’ll be on your side no matter what, little bird.”

Oh, if only she’d known.

“So to sum up, you were outstandingly negligent in your investigation of the defendant’s bedroom.”

My jaw unhinged at what I’d just heard come out of the attorney’s mouth. I’d just finished giving him an explanation of my findings in as much detail as I could, during which time he’d been surprisingly polite, until now.

“You likely saw the Slate along with the bullet and made your arrest right then and there. You didn’t even stop to consider the possibility that you hadn’t found all there’d been to find in that room, did you?” I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off again. “In fact, I’m willing to bet you didn’t even attempt to look for the murder weapon.”

“Excuse me, Sir,” I retaliated with chest puffed up, “but my team and I searched the property from top to bottom, repeatedly, for two whole weeks, and—”

“Yes, I am well aware. However, you failed to complete a thorough search of this so-called ‘true crime scene’ before you arrested Ms. Sheikah. Do you deny it?”

I was floundering for words. Why bother questioning me if he merely intended to cut me off and answer his own questions? “I-I...”

“Objection.”

All eyes fell upon the prosecution. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

“The defence is harassing the witness, Your Honour.”

The judge gave a slow, considerate nod of his head. “Objection sustained.”

Twii gave Urbosa a subtle but unmistakable side-eye. I thanked her silently. “Speaking of the murder weapon,” he continued in his signature, holier-than-thou tone, “I have here Exhibit F: a list of traits possessed by the elusive firearm responsible for the victim’s life.”

This wasn’t good. The list in question had been compiled by the prosecution based on traits of the fatal wound revealed by the autopsy, as well as other traits shared by the two bullets that were found at the estate. It contained information like its .38 caliber and that it had likely been fired twice at point blank, to name a few examples.

“My question for you, witness, is the following. What did you find during your ‘investigation’ regarding the weapon?”

This was fine, I kept telling myself. He still had yet to present the most fatal piece of evidence in the record. “As I’ve said before, none of our searches turned up any sign of it, other than what’s listed on that piece of paper you’re holding.”

“Is that so?” The sarcasm rooted in his voice had me sweating bullets. “In that case, Ms. Hyrule, I’d like to turn your attention to this passage here at the bottom.”

That was “Inspector Hyrule” to him, but of course, he couldn’t care less for such trifling things as common decency.

But when I read over the passage at which he was pointing, my throat closed up.

“Allow me to read it aloud for the court.” He snobbishly cleared his throat. “And I quote, ‘The murder weapon and the circumstances surrounding it strongly suggest an Octoric M&P revolver,’ end quote. I’d also like to add that this particular model is favoured by the district bureau of police, who issue them out to many of their detectives for self-defence.”

I gritted my teeth, annunciating each word as I spat, “Get to the point.”

The smarmy bastard was hardly even phased by my unmasked hostility. “Now, now, Ms. Hyrule, you’ve no reason to worry,” he waved off. “After all, I have no intention of accusing you.”

When he spoke that last word, my heart stopped, and deep down, I knew it was over.

“Firstly I wish for you to clarify a few things for me, as you were one of the first to discover the scene of the murder when it happened.”

I gave a slow, strenuous nod, losing strength in my knees by the second, but standing my ground all the same. “Go on.”

“The defendant showed no sign of having a gun on or anywhere near her person when you arrived, correct?”

“Correct,” I lied.

“Good. Now that we’ve established that the defendant was unarmed, I’d like to present another piece of evidence.” He laid out flat a second sheet of paper on the stand in front of me. “Exhibit H. This is part of a record kept by the precinct where the witness is currently employed, alongside the rest of her team. It details a list of the firearms given out to detectives each day, as well as the time when each one was issued and when it was returned to custody at the end of its designated officer’s shift.”

And there it was. I’d known all along that it had only been a matter of time until he’d bring out this piece of evidence, but, evidently, I’d failed to prepare myself mentally for this. Perhaps a part of me had hoped not to be on the stand when it happened. All I could do now was hold my peace and pray that it wouldn’t get worse from here.

“This page corresponds with the day before the murder. Now, Ms. Hyrule,” he addressed, summoning a swarm of butterflies in my stomach, “I’m sure you’ll recognize this badge number here. Would you please read it aloud for me?”

I swallowed my nerves and did as he’d requested. “FB7732Z438LL.”

“Thank you.” He flashed me that shit-eating grin of his. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the number belonging to one Constable Link Fyori, the witness’ very own investigative partner.” A few whispers drifted through the gallery following that announcement. “One who reads this will also notice that, after his revolver was issued out to him the morning before the murder, it was never returned to the precinct’s custody thereafter. In fact, it is still missing to this day.”

With this, the whispers grew in number, creating a din of distrust that had the attorney smirking from ear to ear.

“Objection.”

The whispering dissipated. Twii’s shoulders sagged as he hypocritically shot Urbosa a look that said, “What now?”

“Mr. Twii, how is this relevant? Unless you have definitive proof linking Constable Fyori to the crime, I see no point in bringing it up.”

The judge gave a pound of his gavel with a bone-chilling shake of his head. “Overruled. The court will allow the defence to continue, provided that it has good reason.”

My mouth fell open, and so had Urbosa’s.

“Thank you, Your Honour. I was just getting to that, my good prosecutor.” Now even she seemed on edge. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut through with a knife. “I may not have proof as things stand currently. However, that is about to change. You see, I have reason to believe that our witness here is covering for someone.”

The courtroom broke out into an even louder din of murmurs, as if I couldn’t clearly hear each backhanded remark the members of the gallery were making at my expense.

The pounding of the judge’s gavel echoed throughout the room, and the whispering ceased once again.

“You must be mistaken.” I stood as tall as I could with how close my legs were to giving up on me. “I happen to be one of the most trusted detectives in the force. Why do you think I was put in charge of this case despite being one of the first on the scene?”

“Ah, but that, dear witness, was your superiors’ fatal mistake.”

Damn that solicitor. “What do you mean?”

“Although my client has elected not to testify to the court, she has let me in on a certain piece of information—one that I believe will make the jaws of everyone here drop to the floor.”

Surely not. Surely even she wouldn’t dare stoop so low.

“Inspector...” The attorney looked me dead in the eyes. The air was suffocating. “What do you have in your briefcase?”

Everyone was staring at me and murmuring amongst themselves, more raucously than ever before, like I was the one on trial.

“N-No, it’s—it’s not what it seems,” I wavered. Then mustering my shattered courage, “You!” I pointed my finger at Twii. “Prove to me that the defendant wasn’t lying. I demand to see proof!”

But my demands were met with silence. Even Urbosa was looking at me with cold contempt and disappointment.

“Bailiff.”

An officer appeared from the sidelines. He seized my bag.

“Wait, stop!”

I tried to wrest it from his grasp, but he was too strong. I watched helplessly as he opened it up, reaching in and revealing the murder weapon for all to see.

“No...!”

“Bailiff, what is the number engraved on that weapon?”

He seemed to recite the number in slow motion, twisting the knife with every digit. “FB7732Z438LL.”

“No, please!” I screamed. “It wasn’t him, he’s been framed! Please, Your Honour, you have to believe me!”

Amidst the roar of the crowd, I saw the conclusive shake of the judge’s head. With a pound of his gavel, he said, “I hereby order the immediate detainment of Link Fyori under the charge of first degree murder.”

I met eyes with my partner but half a second before I saw him be dragged out of his seat with brute force.

“No!”

“As for this witness, she shall receive her sentence after being questioned by the police for the concealing of evidence, contempt of court, and perjury.”

I cried out when an overwhelming pain shot through my arm. My family watched from the gallery in either horror or disgust, or a mixture of both perhaps. I tried with all my might just to get the bailiff to stop hurting me, but it was futile.

“Your Honour, just a moment please.”

With the judge’s approval, the man’s grip on my arm lightened up. The one who’d spoken had been none other than that wretched defence attorney.

“Inspector, if you don’t mind, I have one more question to ask you.”

I held my breath, bracing myself. Though there wasn’t much he could say at this point that could possibly make the situation worse.

“Why?” he finally asked. “Why did you feel the need to conceal such a critical piece of evidence?”

My entire face boiled over with heat. I looked around, taking in the courtroom’s atmosphere, and my whole being was filled to the brim with indescribable anger and shame. Barely able to swallow the charged whimper lodged at the cusp of my throat, I choked out the words, “No comment.”

The trial had ended while I’d still been in the middle of interrogation by my own peers. I was lucky enough to get off with a fine, but it was because of that hour-and-a-half-long lecture that I only found out about Paya’s “not guilty” verdict after the entire courtroom had been cleared out. This was no surprise to me, of course, but still a disappointment, to put it lightly. What was a surprise was that no one, not Paya, nor Auntie Purah, nor even Urbosa, had bothered to wait for me.

That was fine. They could think whatever they wanted of me. I’d simply have to redeem myself by proving Link’s innocence in his trial.

It was to this end that I made my way to the district’s Centre of Detention.

When Link appeared behind the iron bars of the visitors’ room, he was already sporting a worn and faded prisoner’s uniform, surely having just undergone an interrogation of his own. Though, from the looks of him, his had been considerably more thorough than mine.

I cleared my throat. “Hello, Link.”

“Hello,” he replied.

Deathly silence filled the air. The harsh ticking of the clock on the wall behind me was slowly starting to crawl under my skin.

“They, uhm...didn’t go easy on you, eh?”

He shook his head, eyes wandering without aim.

Why did it have to be so hard to talk to him sometimes? He’d never been so unapproachable back in our days as teenagers. Though now, I supposed, recent events were only making things even more difficult for me than usual.

“Look...” I took a deep breath, shifting in my seat. “I’m sorry. Alright? I couldn’t cover for you forever. They were bound to find out eventually. Please, don’t be upset.”

“What? Zelda...” His demeanour morphed from listless to urgent, almost apologetic, as he struggled to find his voice. “Why would I be upset with you? I never asked you to cover for me in the first place.”

“I know.” Now it was I who couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eyes. “I just knew that you couldn’t have possibly... I mean, you would never—”

“I didn’t.”

He’d caught me with my mouth hanging open, when he’d cut me off.

“I didn’t kill her. I promise you.”

Of course he hadn’t. It was obvious, even though the revolver had borne no fingerprints and, with the gloves that he always wore, he wouldn’t have left any. What motive could he have had? He was an amnesiac, and even if he hadn’t been, he still wouldn’t have had a reason to kill my godmother.

I took out my pen and notebook, the only things left in my case that hadn’t been confiscated. “Tell me what you know, Link. Everything.”

A beat. Then he straightened his posture and began to explain his side of the story. As it turned out, my intuition had been spot on. This whole mess was the design of the Yiga organization. Link told me about his encounter with them before the murder. They had blackmailed him into surrendering his revolver to them, after which he would never see it again.

Though, even without a hint of deceit in his tone or manner, I had questions about the means by which the Yiga had blackmailed him. He had virtually nothing to lose. Didn’t he?

In any case, I honestly had considered showing him the gun that I’d found on the scene that night, but somehow I’d had the distinct impression that he’d known nothing about it, despite the very object in question belonging to him. I’d thought perhaps someone from the organization had switched out his weapon for another without his noticing. It was no secret that even the police bureau was infested with their ilk. In the end, I hadn’t been far off the mark.

The whole time he spoke, he had his head lowered, hair falling in front of his eyes, as if something were holding them back from meeting mine. Then he muttered, “When I had my encounter with the organization, I...remembered.”

His limited annunciation meant I had to take a moment to decipher the syllables of the last word he’d uttered. Then they sank in. “Wait. What? You mean you...” It felt beyond strange to even speak the words after so long. “You got your memory back?”

He lowered his head further. Was that a nod?

My mind went back to what he’d said to me on that one occasion in the office, not long after this whole mess had first begun. “Link, you...” My hands curled into themselves around the strap of my satchel. “All this time...why didn’t you tell me?”

“I couldn’t,” he pleaded. “It would’ve been a hindrance to the investigation.” I hated to admit it, but he was right. Dropping that bomb on me would only have thrown my conscience deeper into its already tangled web of turmoil.

Amidst all the questions swirling in my mind, one suddenly appeared, eclipsing all the rest. “Why did you disappear back then?”

At this, he finally looked up and met my gaze. But when he did, his eyes were wide, almost trembling. His look seemed to cast the whole room into a great, looming darkness.

“Oh, it’s...it’s okay if you’d prefer not to talk about—”

“No,” he exclaimed. “I must.” But the way his shoulders came up to meet his ears and how rapidly his chest rose and fell told me it wasn’t going to be an easy story to tell. “It was the Yi—” He choked on his words. “The...organization.”

There it was again. The name of the group I’d been chasing without rest ever since their appearance eighteen years prior. “I knew it...” I mumbled without thinking.

He steeled himself, then continued. “That day, my father was picking me and my sister up after school. Normally we would’ve ridden home with him in his automobile, but that morning, he and I had planned to surprise Aryll by getting...I think it was ice cream, on our way back. Anyway, we decided to walk home that day. But...” His face darkened yet again. “But then...”

Pressing him for more details would have been beyond cruel. I could only imagine the horrors that those blackguards had put him and his family through. “How many of them were there?”

“I’m not sure. All I know is that they had us outnumbered.” I nodded along, without thinking, as he continued his tale. “They were all armed with what looked like military grade shotguns, and they wore those masks with the inverted Sheikah family crest... I’ve always known that I’d seen that image somewhere before.”

No one knew why the organization had chosen this symbol for themselves, though I personally suspected it to be a show of opposition.

“Anyway, after they sh...shot father,” he struggled, a hand coming up to his now quavering lips, “they must’ve felt threatened by Aryll and me, because the next thing they did was...shoot her, too.” The way his tone had started to oscillate and how his face had drained itself of colour made my stomach churn. His anguish was so clear, it was devastating. “One of them had said something to the ends of, ‘We can’t have you scamps telling on us.’ But before they could...’shut me up’ as well, I fled.” Another pause. He kept on breathing. “I was too terrified to notice which way I was going. The whole time I ran, they kept firing at me. They were too reckless to aim properly, though, mind.”

“Well...that’s lucky, at least,” I tried. This was met with a sigh of reluctant agreement. “Still, how did you make it out of that with your life?”

“They stopped chasing me when I made it out of the back alleys and into the open,” he explained. “I suppose they couldn’t risk revealing themselves.”

Now it all made sense. Seven years ago, when he’d vanished without a trace, it was as though he’d never even existed in the first place. No one could get in contact with him or his family, and yet, no one batted an eye about it. It had seemed I’d been the only one who’d thought of it as anything less than perfectly normal. Just like when my mother had lost her life.

“We never had the chance to get ice cream that day.” He looked all but ready to burst into tears with that sentence. That was the moment I realized, no matter how drastically the last seven years of hell had changed him, there was still a fragment of that playful, hollow-legged sixteen-year-old left deep in his dark, forgotten core. If there was a way to bring that bright-eyed child back out into the light, I would find it, even if it spelled my demise.

Even so, there was one thing left that had yet to be explained. “What about your amnesia?”

“Ah...” His brow furrowed in thought. “I don’t know what caused that, to be honest with you.” He seemed to be racking his mind, but to no avail. “By the time those thugs finally gave up, I didn’t recognize my surroundings. I remember trying to find my way home, but I suppose I just ended up getting myself even more lost from there.” It was no wonder. The street names in this town were of little help in navigation, and it wasn’t hard to understand why he might have been apprehensive to ask for directions in such a bustling and hostile environment, especially after what he’d just been subjected to. “So I fell asleep in the streets that night,” he concluded with a shivering exhale. “The next morning, I woke up without the slightest notion of who I was.”

My heart took a plunge at the thought of his young self curled up in some alleyway, like a baby bird who’d fallen from the nest. “It must have been some sort of mental defence mechanism,” I conjectured. “That’s the only explanation I can come up with.” He slowly nodded his agreement. “After that, then, I suppose the rest is history.”

“Indeed...”

The visitors’ room fell into a deep, reflective silence, one nothing like that which had had me gasping for air moments ago. I watched the weary feelings of dread swim in his once bright blue eyes, tearing him apart.

He’d spent five whole years in that cold, cramped ward without even a name by which to call himself. And now we were back where we’d started. He may have regained his memories in the end, but at what cost?

I no longer felt the need to hunt down those who had wronged me. Now, my only desire was to slip between the bars that stood between the two of us and whisk him away to a far off land, where no one would ever hurt us again. But I pushed the impossible daydream aside. Even if escape were an option, we’d only be running straight out into range of Yiga fire.

“After your trial tomorrow...well, at the very least, I’ll lose my badge,” I smiled waywardly. Then, letting it fade and rolling my shoulders back, “Until then, I swear, I’ll do everything within my power to prove your innocence. Then we can go out for ice cream together.”

His eyes shimmered with unshed tears when he looked up at me then. Now that I thought about it, this seemed like the first time I’d ever seen him come close to crying, even in the time before the incident. Of course, he’d seen me in tears countless times back then. I wondered if he remembered them.

“Zelda...?” My name had started to leave his lips with conviction, but weakened on its way out. “There’s...something else I should tell you.”

“Anything.”

Just then, I caught him straightening out the cuff of his black-barred sleeve, concealing the fair skin of his wrist, out of the corner of my eye. “Never mind.” He again cast his gaze downwards, muttering an inaudible, “It’s nothing,” under his breath.

#is it obvious yet how much I love Ace Attorney?#my writing #fanfic #botw #zelink #botw zelink #zelink botw #link x zelda #zelda x link #botw link x zelda #botw zelda x link #zelink fanfic #zelink fic #zelink ff #zelda pov #detective au

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mars-janka · 3 years

Text

Bluebirds

Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Ship: Revalink (Revali x Link)

Word count: 4684

A/N: This piece is a work for the Revalink Valentine’s Exchange 2021 @revalinkexchange! Happy Valentine’s Day to my dear giftee @spacesephora! Thank you for providing the prompt and inspiring me; I do wish you enjoy reading my take on it!

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Vah Medoh was lonely.

Before the Calamity, Revali never really understood how the mechanical beast thrown under his wing worked. He was told countless times that it held a soul, but then again, he questioned himself when he was alone almost as many times as he’s heard of it, how could a stone machine be ever capable of having one? And yet despite those doubts it was one of the few things he kept to himself and never dared to speak up about it; it wasn’t like he possessed any more knowledge about ancient Sheikah technology than Purah, Robbie or even princess Zelda.

With those thoughts repressed deep inside him, Revali continued to listen to more of the scientist’s advice and theories and utilizing them later when within the divine beast. He had never once felt a presence surrounding him, making him doubt all the efforts he made to “connect” with Medoh, but nevertheless never stopped trying. It was surprising when he heard of Daruk having problems with taming Rudania. It made Revali almost paranoid, now looking over his shoulder at the slightest sound and faint feeling of something sneaking up his spine. Yet despite that, a part of him still seemed to be wary of the idea of Medoh being alive.

It changed when his own life came to a tragic end.

He no longer had any doubts. He no longer had any body, he turned into merely a presence, one that he once didn’t believe to be real. As the consciousness left his mortal, limp body, Revali felt his soul intertwine with another one, one that could only be Medoh. They became one and the same, a wicked, infested part of her threatening to infuse his mind.

He despised it; he spent his first months silent, lost in thought not bothering to speak to Medoh despite her malicious cries. Their roles switched, now he was a beast that needed taming. He isolated himself, wallowing over his lost life, cursing Hylia and pitying Hyrule’s fate all in the one of many corners of the divine beast. After a few years, his mindset changed, however. Revali realized that his soul was bound to Medoh’s forever, whether pure or cruel, and there was nothing he could do about it; he could not escape, he could not defeat her nor could he take his own life as he was already dead.

With a heavy heart he submitted to his fate and day by day, night by night the pain started to lessen.

He let himself let out everything; his fears, burdens, memories, passions. Even if Medoh was swallowed by a dark force, he still felt as if an old part of her was still there, understanding him and his emotions, something he hadn’t been graced by in a very long time. At times, he wondered if that was meant to be from the beginning; two lonely souls finding each other. Revali smiled feeling her presence, he felt content with that.

That was until Link came back from the dead.

The sheer sight of him made Revali feel a strange sensation inside of him. Watching him was strange. He had not changed, not one bit, his youthful features apparent with movements mirroring those which Revali remembered from a century ago. Despite that something felt off. He brushed it off, too interested (and too excited) in observing Link’s struggles with overcoming the difficulties he was faced with to care.

What he couldn’t ignore however was the feeling that loomed over him after he and Link had parted. The loneliness that Revali hid deep inside himself was threatening to tear trough again, its power strengthened. Medoh’s company wasn’t enough, he realized with pain. He became quieter than he was in the beginning, not daring to let his thoughts slip. Hiding from Medoh wasn’t as difficult as it used to be with his newly acquired body (he was still but a mere spirit, yet it was still much more than he could’ve ever imagined). What was, though, was hurting her.

It felt terrible yet he couldn’t make himself open up to her, straying away as far as he could. He remained distant and cold ignoring her cries, longing to see the world once again, if only for a second.

Revali was absorbed in his thoughts, looking out at Rito Village through the humongous round windows when it happened. Out of the blue, he felt some divine being wrap him in their hands and suddenly he found himself in a place, beside somebody that he expected the least to see.

It was raining terribly, and Link looked almost as shocked as he did, clinging tightly to his cloth paraglider as Revali’s spirit circled around him, wings spreading in a graceful manner, summoning an updraft that lifted them both up in only a matter of seconds. It was as if the same force as before was controlling all his movements. Revali was overwhelmed by what was happening around him, by what was happening to him. He could feel everything; the wind grazing his feathers, the rain coating them, the almost suffocating air that he breathed, the lingering smell of the ocean. It all seemed too good to be true. And for the first time in a hundred years, he felt alive, no matter how ironic that was, considering he was still very much everything but that.

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Link’s, raw emotions shining through them (as though the knight could feel). He wasn’t sure if it was the force that made it impossible or if there really was something truly captivating, mesmerizing about them. He couldn’t give it another thought, however, as he felt that same bizarre, divine hands take him into their care. Panicking, he opened his beak to shout. Before any words had a change to form, his vision became blurry and in a blink of an eye he was once again reunited with the cold, indifferent interior of his divine beast.

“No!” he cried as the words found a way to escape, his wing instinctively reaching forward to grab what was left of this beautiful dream he had, only to be met with hard glass preventing him from falling down, in a moment where he wanted to fall the most, feel the wind graze his feathers once more. “No…” he said again with head pressing painfully against the window as he gradually slid down to his knees. His gaze locked at the very sight he was looking at before, his home, Rito Village. Revali felt a lump form in his throat, choking a sob. “Please,” he said, pleading to whoever who listened, voice shaking. “Please, let me out of here.”

His wish couldn’t be fulfilled, not if he was not called for by this divine force.

Which wasn’t something he expected to happen as weeks flew by. What did, however, happen was that he was left completely alone as Medoh wouldn’t be bothered by his behavior anymore. Revali couldn’t hear her cries and thoughts; she shut him off just like he wanted and yet he still found himself missing them. He would never admit that of course, whatever was left of his pride making him bottle it up inside, quietly hoping that one day the silence would break.

And finally, that day came. It was unexpected and sudden and… peculiar. The presence that Revali felt, and assumed to be Medoh, was very much unlike anything he remembered. Something about it was off, as if it couldn’t possibly be her but then again perhaps, she has changed and in doing so did the feeling of her presence as it had been a while since she has too isolated herself. Revali though was too distracted by the sheer joy that he felt in this very moment, calling Medoh’s name in his thoughts, hoping that she’d hear him and rushing through the insides of the divine beast searching for the place where he’d sense her the most.

“I’m sorry,” the thoughts echoed in his mind, as he couldn’t bear to speak, knowing that Medoh preferred them to hearing his voice. “I’m sorry I was so selfish, Medoh please forgive me.” They were running almost as fast as he was. “Give me a sign that you’re there!”

Revali was slowly but surely getting tired of participating in this cat and mouse styled game. Just as he was about to call out her name with his voice, he had felt her presence right next to him. Abruptly, he turned his head to face her and it wasn’t Medoh, oh no. For the third time in the past few months, he saw none other than Link.

He wasn’t sure whether to feel surprised, disappointed, annoyed or relieved even. He simply sighed and let his shoulders slouch back. “What are you doing here, knight?” he asked, voice harsh. “Don’t you have a world to save?” Revali was staring right into Link’s eyes intensely, nearly burning holes in them. For a short while, everything else disappeared, the world was shut out. It was only him and Link, looking, trying to solve the hidden meanings behind their mannerisms, expressions, eyes. Revali didn’t mind the sensation that it gave him, he longed for anything that helped him get his mind off his terrible afterlife.

Suddenly the wind howled, breaking the tense silence surrounding them. The sound reminded Revali of Medoh. He grunted and looked away a bit embarrassed. “A hundred years and you still hadn’t got back your tongue,” he said regaining his stance.

He was ready to dismiss the whole situation and go back to Medoh to try and search for comfort, but much to his surprise, he heard a voice, making his plan temporarily impossible. “I-,” It came out as a rasp. Revali’s eyes widened as he realized that this voice belongs to Link. “I thought that you could use some company.”

“You what?” he choked, not believing what he just heard. The feathers on his body ruffled uncontrollably, standing up from every side. He wasn’t sure whether it was because of the raspy, probably from unuse, serious tone, because of the message that the words passed, or perhaps the combination of both. The fact that he was trying his hardest to hide it, getting annoyed in the process wasn’t of any help. “What made you think so?”

For an unknown reason, some part of him expected Link to shrug and laugh in his face, saying that it was but a mere joke and yet none of that happened. He stood there, seemingly tall and proud of what he said. This time it was Revali that felt the gaze staring right into the inside of his soul. He on the other hand couldn’t bring himself to look at the knight’s face. “I know you’re lonely,” Link said, his voice now softer.

Revali let out a short awkward laugh. “I don’t know what-,” he tried to argue but was quickly (and efficiently) cut off.

“Don’t try to deny that,” his serious tone came back and Revali couldn’t help but to look at him. His gaze was as stern as his posture, both hands by his sides, curled up in fists. “I’ve seen it in your eyes, it’s written all over your face,” he started with passion, confident with his words spread only the truth. “The first time we met, when I… I don’t even know saw your… spirit?” he stumbled, probably too many thoughts flooding his little head yet still remained as passionate. “A-And now, too,” he added quickly. “You can’t hide it.”

Revali stood before him, stunned. His beak was opened slightly before it formed into a frown. “Unbelievable,” he scoffed, and more feathers ruffled on his back. “You,” he angrily pointed one finger at Link. “Have a lot of nerve coming here,” he was gesticulating wildly. “To my home, out of the blue, completely uninvited and tell me about my personal problems whilst not having resolved your own!” he huffed and took a deep breath. “Completely ridiculous.”

Link took every word that he spit at him with patience. He had closed his eyes and didn’t bother to respond. This angered Revali more, but he had no more energy to waste. “Oh, so now you won’t answer?” he waited a little while longer before realizing that it’s in vain. He turned on his foot, ready to hide in the shadows of Vah Medoh. “Classic.”

“I need your company!”

Revali stopped walking. This sentence alone sparked his interest enough to stay and listen to what Link had to say. The Hylian seemed to get the cue. “I-I am lonely too,” his voice was much quieter than only seconds ago; it was obvious that he hadn’t planned to bring this subject up and yet he still kept going. “You don’t owe me anything but,” Link sighed deeply, preparing for whatever he was about to say. “You’re the only one who understands what it’s like to truly be alone, what it’s like to be the one left behind.”

Revali could feel Link looking at him expectantly. “You’re wrong,” he heard Link take a breath. “Not that I expected anything else, but…” he turned to face him and yet didn’t look at his face, focusing on everything but him. “I am not lonely,” he stated, putting the most pressure on the third word. “And I do owe you something. My soul. And for that I-,” Revali’s eyes caught Link’s and only now he noticed the brilliant blush on his cheeks that he’s not seen before. It distracted him but he quickly shook out of it and he chose to ignore it, grunting and glancing away. “I suppose I can give the company that you crave so much.”

And ever since then, he had kept his word, as every time Link visited him, he’d embrace him with open arms. Revali had become reliant on his visits, firstly only craving any form on intimacy since Medoh was no longer an option. At times he’d even compare the divine beast to a desert since it was so desolate, empty and vacant only until Link showed up, momentarily replacing the feeling of being alone with joy upon meeting another person. Link was Revali’s escape, nothing more.

“I plan to battle with Ganon in a short time.”

Or so he had thought a while ago.

Somehow that sentence that was whispered to him made him fear more than ever. A cold shiver ran down Revali’s spine as his fingers curled up in Link’s hair stopped their movements. He felt the blonde shift on his lap, later a hand touching his face. “Is something wrong?” Link had asked, his voice concerned and soft.

Revali didn’t look at him. His heart screamed yes and yet he said “No, everything’s fine.” To assure Link, or himself really, he continued stroking his hair. He felt his heart leap, sink, do cartwheels and everything in between. He was far from being okay. He swallowed audibly. “Just… try your best to dodge his attacks.”

Link laughed and turned to face him as Revali with a smirk on his face playfully ruffled his hair. “All this time,” he said dramatically. “And you’re still doubting my abilities?”

“Never hurts to be simply remind.”

They parted soon after. They didn’t say goodbye, never did. It seemed all too serious, and all too sad. A simple wave would cut it as Link each time left Medoh in the beautiful colors of dawn. Watching him was serene, calming even despite his heart aching, begging him not to leave and the knowledge that he was about to fight the worst of nightmares, one that was a brink away from consuming the world. As Link disappeared completely from Revali’s line of sight, he took a deep breath and murmured, “I really hope you get back.” With that, he turned to hide in Medoh.

The next thing he remembered was that, for the first time in a hundred years, he woke up. His body was terribly aching, muscles sore as if all he had been doing those years were murderous exercises. He opened his eyes with a groan; though he quickly closed them when the light of the morning sun started to burn them. He couldn’t as much stand up, he couldn’t move his wings nor his legs; it was as if he was pinned to the ground, groaning from pain. It was Link who had found him, a couple days after. The knight panicked but immediately went back to the village to get help. The Rito were more than confused when they saw Revali, but they agreed to help, not knowing that the very man that they’re nursing back to health is their beloved Champion from a century prior.

The recovery was taking months and Revali slowly but surely was getting better. “I remember being alive differently than this,” he said later followed by a cough. Link smiled and leaned back in his chair looking out at the sunset. He was trying his best to visit Revali at all times, but it was not always the easiest now with princess Zelda needing his help with rebuilding the ruined kingdom.

“I’m pretty sure that the others feel the same way you do,” Link said lightheartedly to which Revali scoffed. He wasn’t the only one who was resurrected. Mipha, Urbosa and Daruk have been all reported to be very much alive as well. He had yet to see them though, but with his (and others) current, bleak state it was simply impossible. “When you’re all be looking…” Link trailed off into thought, trying to find the perfect word as Revali was glancing at him, awaiting. “…a bit better!” he finished enthusiastically. “I will invite you to visit my house in Hateno Village.”

“Now, that’s an idea,” Revali said, both intrigued and prejudiced. He thought out loud. “I wonder if the six of us will fit.”

“I’m sure we’ll manage.” And when the time came, though not without struggle, they really did. Beds, hammocks, sleeping bags and everything in between were now littering the entirety of the house’s first floor. There were also some baggage laying around, since when the guest where to put things, Link simply shrugged with a smile saying, “Throw it wherever.” From the décor Revali thought that it was clear that the knight never really got to spend much time just to sit and think, and if he did it certainly wasn’t the place.

“Sorry for the emptiness,” said shyly princess Zelda even though nobody seemed to mind (how could they when they spent the past century living in a mechanical beast?). “I’ve been trying to get more furniture but it’s hard these days.” She has been temporarily living with Link ever since the defeat of Ganon, so she must’ve felt at least partially responsible for the guests too, Revali figured.

Being in one room with so many people felt… to say the least strange. Everyone, though trying not to show, has changed in some way but that was certainly to be expected. What stayed the same however was their unique, unbreakable bond. It was clear that each and every one of them was grateful for the way the things turned out.

Silence lingered between the six, until Link decided to speak up, scratching the back of his head. “So…” he started, now getting everyone’s attention. “Does anyone fancy a quick spiced meat and mushroom skewer?” No one (with the exception of Daruk who was granted a prime rock roast) could turn down such an offer. The Champions and Zelda were very much aware of Link’s magnificent cooking skills that could turn a simple dish like this to a culinary masterpiece as when they were all recovering, he never failed to spoil them with their favorite foods.

“You’re too good to us, Link,” said Urbosa as she finished another one of the skewers. Everyone either laughed or nodded in approval. It was slowly getting darker and they sat peacefully, warmed by a fire right in front of Link’s house. The atmosphere got more relaxed with enthusiastic conversations and jokes replaced by a comfortable silence, sometimes interrupted by a yawn. The Champions started leaving the fire one by one, muttering a ‘goodnight’ in order to go to sleep.

Revali answered lazily every single one of the goodnight’s whilst being completely invested in watching the fire burn. He was very much sure that he was the only one left until he felt a warm body quickly sit right next to him. Not expecting that he was startled very much to which Link laughed. “You want to put a man who came back from the dead back to his place?”

“Not in a million years,” Link replied a sly smile playing on his lips. Revali sighed and moved a to the side slightly, giving him space to settle. He then fidgeted for quite a bit before finding the perfect spot. Revali couldn’t be bothered anymore however as he still stared into the calming flames. Link decided to join him. “Don’t you want to sleep?” he asked, nuzzling faintly into his feathers.

“Not really, no,” it took a second for him to respond. He wrapped his wing around the smaller frame of Link, something that made the knight very happy.

Link hummed happily, putting his head on Revali’s chest. “May I make a suggestion?” As an answer, Revali put his beak at the top of his head. Link stuttered at first, clearly nervous with what he was about to say. “I was-,” he took a deep breath and stopped for a moment as if to formulate the words. “There’s this, um, place that I-I’d like to show you.”

Revali quirked his brows. “Well, go on, I’m listening.”

“The thing is,” Link shifted away from him and started gesticulating. “It’s not that far away, really, but it’s far enough that we’d have to fly there and-,” he couldn’t go on as he got caught off.

“Wait, wait,” Revali took Link’s hands into his and the blonde looked at him curiously. “Did you say… fly?” Link, stunned, only nodded in response. Revali could see that he was trying his best to figure out what was wrong with flying, as to visit him in Hateno, the Champion flew straight from Rito Village. “You’re aware that the Rito have terribly bad eyesight in the dark, right?” Link’s eyes widened and Revali couldn’t help but smile at his cluelessness. “Oh my, who would’ve thought that the mighty knight needed some school time.”

Link blushed and turned away, but soon his laugh joined Revali’s. He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “In that case, we can just go some other-”

“No!” Revali burst out suddenly. Realizing this, he grunted and thought of a way to explain this. “I mean- um, a little bit of adrenaline is always much appreciated in life, especially after only getting it back, right?”

Link looked at him, puzzled and skeptical. “…Right,” with the newly acquired knowledge, he wasn’t quite sure that the situation he was putting himself in was exactly safe but decided not to argue against it. “It’s only fair to fulfill a dying man’s last wish,” he said playfully to which Revali smacked his head from the back.

“I wonder who the dying man could be…” Before Link could reply with a snarkier remark, Revali got up and motioned for him to get on his back. “Come on, knight, I have a million things do to.” With that Link quickly complied and in no time Revali summoned his famous gale as they set off with the hero shouting Revali the directions and being his overall guide for the next hour or so.

It must’ve been truly tiring since the first thing Link did when they landed on the soft sandy shore of Lurelin Village was lie down, burying his face in the sand. Revali, being much less unacquainted with its texture, took time to adapt and stretch his wings after the flight. One of the first things that he noticed was that “It’s hot.”

Link lifted his face up from the sand, half of it staying on his skin. “It’s great now,” he said as he tried to get rid of the sticky sand. “It’s much worse during the day, trust me on this one.”

Revali however didn’t manage to catch the last words that Link spoken, as he had noticed something much more interesting than his voice or the temperature. His breath caught in his chest as he spoke. “It’s beautiful,” he said, completely absorbed in thought. Link, not understanding what he was on about turned his head to face him. The expression on his face was unlike whatever he’s seen before, gaze stern and focused on what was before him and Link couldn’t help but follow his gaze. The calming sound of the waves crashing against each other filled his ears as he stood up and moved to stand next to Revali.

“It really is,” admitted Link, his fingers reaching to brush against Revali’s. Despite being completely mesmerized by the sheer sight of the ocean, he reciprocated the touch. “It actually reminds me of you…”

“How come?” Revali’s eyes never left the water, whilst Link’s trailed to look at his face.

He swallowed audibly. “W-Well,” he started and Revali turned his head to face him to which in response Link panicked, shying away. “It’s really n-not that far away from where I first used your gale,” he could feel his eyes watching him intently. “The color helps too,” he quickly added and Revali chuckled.

A comfortable silence fell between the two, their hands still touching as they both went back to watching the ocean unfold before their very eyes. Revali had never felt this calm before, not even Medoh could bring him such peace, though their souls were once one and the same. But Link and Medoh were not the same. What he felt for him was different, strong and… real. And he’s come to accept it. His mind was a hurricane filled with various thoughts in that moment and yet the sudden sound of Link’s voice didn’t fail to stop them. “It’s actually my favorite place to be,” he said squeezing his hand. “I stumbled here after seeing you to process it and… it has become a habit of mine.” Revali could tell he was speaking from the bottom of his heart, and suddenly his own started to ache. “It’s become a place I visit just to… think and feel less… alone.”

Revali felt as if he was frozen even though he could tell that Link was expecting some sort of response. And yet he couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. It was only when he felt his grip loosening and breathing quicken that he managed to as much hold his hand tighter. He could feel Link first tense, then relax; perhaps it was enough for him. But certainly not for Revali.

He turned to face him and cupped his face. “Link I-,” Revali started but his wide, blue eyes, looking at him as if he was the most important thing in this world, made him lower his gaze for a moment. He swallowed audibly and looked at him again, this time truly confident.

“I love you.”

The words hanged in the air and for a brink of a moment Revali’s whole life flashed before his eyes as he regretted saying those words, knowing that it would never be possible for someone like Link to love him. He panicked and wanted to run away but before he could as much as turn, Link’s voice echoed in his mind.

“I love you too,” he admitted with tears in his eyes and suddenly Revali noticed his own water. Link couldn’t take it anymore as he buried his face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Revali instinctively wrapped his wings around him, pulling him closer and letting his own tears fall.

It really was beautiful; two lonely people finding happiness in each other as the sun rose behind them.

Another A/N: Thank you so much for reading, I hope you have the best of days!

#revalink #revali #link #botw #breath of the wild #fanfiction #botw fanfiction #revalink fanfiction #writing #revalink valentine's day exchange #revalink exchange #revali x link

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kaialone · 4 years

Text

Spirit Tracks Translation Comparison: Battle With Byrne

This will be a comparison of the original Japanese version and the US English localized version.

Specifically, this will cover the cutscenes before and after the battle with Byrne.

You can also watch these cutscenes for yourself in English and Japanese. If you want, you can check out the EU English version, too.

For the comparison, the usual points apply:

Bolded is the original Japanese text, for the reference.

Bolded and italicized is my translation.

Italicized is the official NOA translation.

A (number) indicates that I have a specific comment to make on that part in the translation notes.

As you read this, please keep in mind that with translations like these, it’s important not to focus on the exact literal wordings, since there is no single “correct answer” when it comes to translations.

Rather than that, consider the actual information that is being conveyed, in which way, and why.

Characters in this part who had their names changed between versions:

Dego = Byrne, Mallador = Malladus, Sharin = Anjean

Before the Battle:

Byrne:

…ついに結界を張り直したか大したものだ

...So you've finally restored the barrier? An impressive feat.

I see you fixed the Spirit Tracks. My congratulations.

Byrne:

しかしあと一歩のところで間に合わなかったな

However, even though you were close, you were still too late.

And you almost did it in time to prevent all this.

Byrne:

マラドーはすでに復活への最終段階に入った

Mallador has already entered the final stage of his resurrection.

Unfortunately for you...

Malladus has already begun the final stage of rebirth.

His resurrection will soon be complete...

Byrne:

…お前たちにもこれ以上の邪魔はさせん

...And I won't let you get in the way any longer.

And I can't let you cause any more harm.

Zelda:

それはこちらのセリフです！ディーゴ…さんとやら！

That is our line! Dego... or, uh, Mr. Dego! (1)

Hey, that's what we were going to say!

Zelda:

わたしたちの邪魔はさせません！

We will not let you get in our way!

Well... Maybe WE won't let YOU cause any more harm!

Link:

そのとおり！ / シャリン様は

That's right! / Where's Lady Sharin?

Yeah! / Mm-hmm!

Byrne:

…言ったはずだ私は神を超える存在になると

...I told you. I will surpass God. (2)

I will become as powerful as the spirits.

Byrne:

阻む者は排除するのみ…

Anyone who stands in my way will simply be eliminated...

And anyone who gets in my way will be eliminated.

Byrne:

それが誰であってもな

No matter who it is.

Boss Title:

勇往神魔ディーゴ

Unwavering Divine Demon - Dego

Byrne

Byrne, if Link plays the flute:

この音色…

That sound...

After the Battle:

Byrne:

馬鹿な… 人生の全てを修行にかけてきたこの私が…

This cannot be... I've dedicated all of my life to training...

Impossible…

I've trained for longer than you can even imagine.

Byrne:

人間の子供などに…

How could I be defeated by some human children...?

How could a pair of human children defeat me?

Zelda:

ええわたしたちは人間です神や魔の力など持っていません

Yes, we are humans. We have neither the power of gods nor demons. (3)

Yes, we are humans.

We have neither the power of spirits nor demons.

Zelda:

でもそんなわたしたちでも二人で力を合わせれば…

But when two people like us combine our power...

But when we combine our strength...

Zelda:

よこしまな思いに囚われているあなたになど絶対負けません！！

We will never lose to someone trapped in malice, like you!! (4)

No one can defeat us!

Zelda:

ね？リンク

Right, Link?

Zelda:

あっ！卑怯者っ… 待ちなさーいっ！！

Ah! You coward...! Wait up!!

Hey! Wait! We're not done with you!

Translation Notes:

In Japanese, Zelda first refers to Byrne with only his name, but then hesitates and adds the polite suffix さん/-san, too.

Like before, note that the word I translated as “God” could also be translated as something like “a god” depending on the context. Both could arguably work in this case.

What I translated as “neither the power of gods nor demons“ could also be translated as something like “neither divine nor demonic power”, but I felt the former sounded better here.

Note that what I translated as “malice” here simply refers to actual malice, no direct relation to the concept of “Malice” as it appears in the English localization of Breath of the Wild.

Comparisons & Thoughts:

These cutscenes don’t actually have any huge differences for me to point out, but I've also included a few bits of in-battle text for some trivia.

And naturally there are still several minor differences as always.

As I brought up in the translation notes, the Japanese version has Zelda first refer to Byrne with just his name, but then decides to add the polite suffix さん/-san, too.

Referring to someone with just their name and no other titles can be considered quite rude in Japanese, unless you are good friends.

In fictional settings it’s a bit more common to see characters not using these titles with each other, but they still come up a lot.

Zelda talks in a fairly polite manner, so here we have her addressing Byrne in a manner that would be considered rude in a normal context, before she hastily decides to correct it and be properly polite.

It’s a bit of a humorous character moment, seeing her trying to be proper even when addressing a dangerous foe.

Note that during the battle itself, she actually goes through with just calling him by his name, but she later goes back to using さん/-san for him, around the time he starts aiding them.

The English version doesn’t include anything like this, which I actually think might have just been an oversight?

I can’t say for sure, but the way Zelda starts her next line with “Well… “ in English makes me think that maybe the translators got confused about the part where she briefly fumbles for words in the original.

So it’s possible they didn’t realize that said bit was supposed to her hastily adding the さん/-san suffix.

In the Japanese version, one of Link’s dialogue options has him ask about Anjean, since he and Zelda don’t know what happened to her.

The implication appears to be that, for all Link and Zelda know, Anjean could have been killed by Byrne, especially considering his comment about eliminating anyone in his way, “No matter who it is.“

This is also why Zelda wonders if Anjean is a ghost when she does show up again later.

The English version changed this dialogue option to something else, possibly wanting to avoid the implication that Anjean could have died.

They do include the ghost comment from Zelda later, but at that point Anjean is already revealed to be alive, so there isn’t that same concern anymore.

Byrne makes the comment “I will surpass God“ in Japanese.

This is consistent with his earlier statements in this version.

This was adapted as “I will become as powerful as the spirits“ in English.

This is a bit of a change, since surpassing someone isn’t the same as being as strong as someone, but it’s also inconsistent, since Byrne previously said he would become “even more powerful than the spirits themselves!“

Notably, Byrne has an actual Boss Title in the Japanese version, like any other boss in the game.

While these titles are always a bit dramatic for effect, it is interesting to see Byrne being called a “Divine Demon” here.

It makes it seem like Byrne could be at least somewhat demonic at this point, which wouldn’t be impossible, considering the circumstances.

In the English version, he lacks a Boss Title and is simply labelled as “Byrne”, which is probably meant to allude to the iconic moment from Ocarina of Time where Ganon was simply labelled as “Ganon” during the final battle, in contrast to every other boss.

I get the idea they’re probably going for, but part of what made that moment so impactful was the fact that it was the very final battle in that game.

And as neat as Byrne is, I’m not sure if being likened to Ganon in such a manner really fits him.

Besides that, the English version ends up doing the same thing later for the battle with Malladus, which further weakens this localization choice, in my opinion.

As a bit of a bonus, I included Byrne’s optional bit of text that occurs if Link plays the flute during the battle.

I actually just wanted to show that it’s the same between the Japanese and US English versions, since this is another one of the few examples where the EU English version is the less accurate one.

The EU English version adds a whole extra line from Byrne here that is not present in the original.

If you’re curious, the line they added in the EU English version is: “You gave the sacred instrument to a child, Anjean? Pathetic!”

I don’t really think this line works, for multiple reasons.

We don’t know for certain if Byrne would have already been aware that Anjean gave the flute to Tetra, but if he wasn’t, he’d have no reason to assume Tetra was specifically a child back then.

If he’s supposed to be referring to Link rather than Tetra, it seems strange from a writing perspective to have Byrne assume something that isn’t actually true, with no pay-off to it.

Also, Byrne normally never refers to Anjean as “Anjean”, he always calls her “Master”.

I know I don’t usually bring up the EU English version in these comparisons, but I thought I’d better mention this one, since people might assume the added line was in the original, when it actually wasn’t.

In the Japanese version, Byrne says “I’ve dedicated all of my life to training…“, which the English version adapts as “I’ve trained for longer than you can even imagine.“

This is a localization choice I really like.

Byrne having trained all his life is impressive, but at this point the audience hasn’t been told just how old Byrne is already.

We know Anjean is very old, but so is Niko, therefore the audience can’t be certain about how long a Lokomo’s lifespan is yet at this point in the story.

By changing it to “longer than you can even imagine“ the English version makes it clearer that it was an incredibly long time from a human’s perspective, and I think this is a moment where being more clear in this manner benefits it, rather than detracting from it.

Last are two small details.

I like how in the Japanese version, Zelda says Byrne is “trapped in malice”, almost overly dramatic, and then calls him a “coward” when he flees.

It shows a bit of a somewhat childish, but innocent sense of “honor” that she has, which fits the mood of the scene.

The English version sort of hits these notes too, in slightly different ways.

The localization in these cutscenes is among the more accurate ones, though this might be due to how short they are.

With the small differences that are there, I do prefer the Japanese version a bit, since I think the English version loses out on some fun details again.

But regardless, I enjoyed these quite a bit, and the English version still got their core across well.

Not much else I can say here, so that’s the end of this part.

Feel free to check out the next one!

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#legend of zelda #the legend of zelda #tloz #spirit tracks #legend of zelda spirit tracks #legend of zelda translations #spirit tracks translations #my translations #spirit tracks comparisons

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triforceangel13 · 4 years

Text

An Accidental Mating Ch. 4 (A SidLink Omegaverse Story)

Chapter 4: What Was Expected

It had been a couple of months since Sidon had left to go home. Each day that passed the more Link yearned to be by his side. He really had no idea what was making him so desperate to see the Zora again. Sure he loved him and missed him but there was just something else that was having him crave to be there next to him.

Perhaps it was that he had told him he loved him. If it wasn't for the mark sitting on his neck as well as the “fun” that he had that time ago he would have run right to the prince's side and begged him to take him as his own.

Things didn't feel right until he was right next to him. But he couldn't. His duty was to protect Zelda despite that there was no longer any danger.

One didn't know of any possibilities so it was best to stay at his job.

Zelda had noticed the change in him, never once mentioning it however as she took down mental notes of these changes. Small mood swings would occur, him being happy one moment and then close to tears the next. He was eating a lot more now than he usually did, which was saying something considering that he was quite the glutton. There was one more thing she needed to make sure of and only then would she have her full results.

“Link, can I talk to you about something personal?” Zelda asked one day as they sat in her study. Link peered up from the bowl of rice he was eating, shrugging his shoulders.

“Sure,” he responded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. The princess rose up from her seat and pulled a chair out for Link to take a seat in.

“Here, sit.”

Link rose from his spot on the floor and took a seat in the chair, setting the bowl of food down on the desk in front of him.

“I've noticed something going on with you. Want to talk about it?” she asked softly. “You can talk to me about anything. You're my best friend.”

Link sighed softly, leaning back a bit. “I just don't feel right. My mind keeps going back to going to the Domain again and again. Like I won't feel right until I get there.”

Zelda nodded her head. “Well that was part of what I was going to ask. Have you been feeling anything else weird lately?”

“Well I keep getting sick every morning but then I feel fine and I eat so much food as usual. Maybe I'm just eating too much,” Link sighed. “Wouldn't be the first time that's happened.”

Zelda started to smile a bit, tapping her chin. “Mind showing me your shoulder?”

“My shoulder?”

“Yes, I want to see your shoulder. You didn't tell me that much about that night, though I don't blame you seeing as you can't remember that much,” she said.

Link sighed, tugging the collar of his tunic to the side to reveal the scar that sat on his shoulder. The mark hadn't faded at all, standing stark against his pale skin. Zelda delicately ran a finger over it, a knowing smile came to his face.

“Alright, first it seems like when you did the deed a couple of months ago, the person you had done it with marked you as his mate. Only alpha bites can remain vibrant on an omega's skin. It's the easiest way to show the omega had been claimed.”

Link paled at that. He had been claimed? The guy he had done it with had marked him as his own and then had left him?

“I think I know what species at least marked you. Let me get my book,” she said, going to the large bookshelf in the room and looking at the titles. She pulled out one and started to flip through its pages, searching for something.

“Each species whether Hylian, Rito, Goron, or Zora each had a distinguishing bite. Gerudo teeth are like ours so it'd be hard to decipher but I believe....”

Link looked to the book as she placed it in front of him, different anatomies of each specifies spread out before him.

“I believe a Zora had marked you,” she stated. “I don't know who it was unless I can get bite marks to compare them to as they are a little similar to one another but they are vastly different from the rest of us.”

Link idly ran his fingers over the mark on his neck. “That explains why I want to return to the Domain so bad.”

“You don't sound exactly happy about that,” she offered.

“I thought it was because of my feelings for the prince,” he told her, his voice thick. “It just turns out it wasn't Sidon and it was because this Zora I slept with is my mated Alpha.”

Zelda was silent a moment, resting her arms on his shoulder as he pulled his knees up to his face and rest his forehead against them.

“Isn't there a way I can undo this?”

“There are a few ways to undo a mating, but there is something that honestly will make it all the more difficult to separate the two of you,” Zelda sighed.

“What is it?”

Zelda sighed. She hated seeing her best friend so upset. He had one night of fun and it seemed like his world was falling apart.

“Link, you had said a couple of months ago that you were late for your heat, correct?” she asked in the most gentlest of ways. The blonde nodded his head, wiping his face of tears. “And you had said that you are late again?”

Link felt a lump form in his throat, his eyes going quickly down to the slightly plump stomach that he was starting to develop.

“I'm pregnant, aren't I?” he asked.

“I believe you might be,” she said gently, petting his hair. “You may have gone into a heat that night and with that combined with what you did resulted in this child. There is no way to separate you from your alpha until the baby is born.”

His shaking hand ran over his stomach, stroking it affectionately. This child, despite had been created with such a mistake he had made, he wasn't going to blame the child.

“Well, we can wait till the baby is born and then separate me from the alpha,” Link said hopefully but Zelad shook her head.

“I wish it was that easy but it's not. This yearning to go will only get worse until you are by the alpha's side. If anything it would make you sick beyond reason. I'm sorry Link but we need to go find him,” she said softly.

Link scowled at that. He didn't want to go. He didn't want to see the man who had abandoned him and the baby, but he also didn't want to have Sidon see him like this, stomach swelled with the child that wasn't his own.

But he didn't want to feel ill or worse end up killing himself if he wasn't by his mated Zora. He would have to power through it.

Perhaps maybe he could figure out why he had left him like that, demand to know why he hadn't said anything.

But what if the Zora had no idea that he was with child? Perhaps. It still hurt that he would just leave after a connection such as that but if he didn't know he was with child he didn't blame him for not knowing.

If it wasn't for the fact that he would become ill if he wasn't by the alpha, this would be news that he would keep to himself. He didn't know the first thing about taking care of a baby but he would learn and he knew Zelda would help him through it.

“Let's take you to the infirmary and see if it is true and I'm not just speaking out of my rear end,” Zelda said with a weak laugh.

Link nodded his head.

* “I need you to go to the bathroom in this so I can do the test,” she said, handing Link a potion bottle with a cork. “I only need a bit so don't fill it up.”

He sighed as he took the bottle, returning a few moments later from the bathroom and passing the bottle reluctantly. He didn't want to take the test but he also wanted to know if it was true that he was pregnant or not. Part of him wanted it to be untrue.

The healer took the bottle, dripping a few drops of another liquid into it and stirred it, nodding her head a little bit.

“Alright, it'll take a few moments till we get our results, so make yourself comfortable,” the healer said, stepping away with the bottle.

Link let out a sigh, taking a seat in one of the chairs. Zelda slowly sat next to him, worry written on her face. She could understand that his was a hard thing for him. To have someone else's baby as well as be mated to someone else that wasn't the one he was in love with was something that would hurt. She couldn't imagine the turmoil that her friend was feeling.

“Wait, how is it possible for me to be pregnant. If it's a Zora that shouldn't happen. I'm a Hylian. We are two different species,” Link suddenly said, looking to Zelda with hope that he was right, but deep down he knew that it wasn't possible. He was grasping at any possibility now out of his desperation to be normal again.

“Oh Link...” she sighed softly. “I know not having your memory has taken so many important things from you. You had forgotten most of the basics when it comes to alphas and omegas. It does not matter the species. If it's an alpha and the omega is in heat, there is a high chance that you will become pregnant regardless of species.”

Link paused and nodded his head. He knew he should have guessed that. He knew that with all the facts lined up for him he should've known that it was like this. Now the only question that would be posed of was would the child be a Hylian or be a Zora?

“Remind me to give you a book on this sort of thing. I have one in my library,” Zelda offered but knew this was not the news that Link wanted to hear. “Perhaps...maybe you aren't pregnant at all. Maybe you're just under a lot of stress and my hypothesis is wrong.”

Though they knew that he possibility of that was not very high.

“I wouldn't say that your highness,” the healer said as she stepped back into the room and held up the bottle that the liquid inside was now blue. “This says that you are indeed with child and seemed to have been with child for a while now. I'd say you're about three months along.”

Despite that Link knew this was the results of his test, he gently pressed a hand to his stomach, petting it softly as another hand came to his face as he felt tears brim his eyes. This wasn't the child's fault .It was his own. His own for letting a strange Zora he didn't know impregnate him. He really should not have drank that alcohol.

He would raised this child on his own, doing whatever he could to make sure that the child was happy despite he was not.

“I'll leave you two alone,” she said to them, leaving the two in an uncomfortable silence. Zelda rest her hand on Link's and he turned to her quickly, wrapping his arms around his friend as he sank to his knees.

Tears leaked down his cheeks. This was the opposite of what someone would do when they found out they were going to have a baby. But the thought of not being able to be with the prince had overwhelmed him. He was tainted goods. He was owned by someone else. There was no way Sidon would want him now.

“Oh Link...please talk to me,” Zelda urged. Link shook in her arms, one hand clutching his stomach. So many thoughts were going through his head. “Is this because of Sidon?”

Link sat back a bit and nodded his head, wiping the tears on his face. “It's bad enough he thinks that I'm just someone who sleeps around,” he hiccuped. “But now it's even worse. Now I'll never have the chance to be with him!”

Zelda gazed at him confused, but squeezed her hand that still rest on his shoulder. “Link, isn't he mated to someone else?”

Link quickly shook his head. “He said to me before he left that he wished it was him in that bedroom with me.”

Green eyes widened and she quickly got what was happening. Sidon was in love with Link just as much as the blonde champion was with the Zora. Having sex with another alpha was something that could be overlooked but now Link was mated as well as pregnant.

Sidon had no right to try to claim for his own unless his alpha abandoned him. From the mark on his neck he was pretty sure that he had no intentions to do so.

“I'm so sorry Link,” she said, kneeling down on the ground and hugging her friend to herself, letting Link cry as much as he wanted.

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#breath of the wild #sidlink #an accidental mating

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thewhitegoddesshylia · 7 years

Text

Zelink Week Day 4~ Hazardous

“I, I'm waiting for the afterlife To show me a good time, baby Somebody save me, I just wanna be loved”~ “Afterlife” by XYLØ

Please Note: The following fic contains mild adult situations. If that kind of stuff isn’t your cup of tea then never fear! I have another fic planned for tomorrow’s prompt that’s full of fluff and slightly less angsty. Thank you guys so much again and as always I hope you enjoy it.

Link's stare was so penetrating that Zelda could have swore he could see right into her very soul. His eyes continued to search hers as his hands resumed the path they were taking along the length of her arms, causing her to shudder all over.

Zelda wasn't new to this type of reaction. She often wondered to herself just how was it that Link was the only one who could possibly make her feel so delightful yet conflicted at the same time? Despite how good it all felt just being held in his strong arms, she was always left with a bitter hole in her heart, because she knew whatever this was between them couldn't last. And she knew he was aware of it as well, which was why he always took his leave once dawn approached.

It had been a year after the Twilight Invasion when it first happened. In that short amount, Link left his home in Ordon and moved into Hyrule Castle, where Zelda appointed him as Commander of the Hyrulean royal army. The two had spent so much together, that coupled with the fact they were the only two besides Midna of course, that understood the ordeals each of them had gone through together, that the two became very good friends.

They were sitting under a large peach tree in Zelda's private gardens as she was reading one of her favorite books to him. Normally Link always looked so invested in whatever story Zelda had to share with him, but that day there was a certain tension in the normally calm atmosphere. Zelda tried to ignore whatever the nagging feeling was, resuming where she left off, despite the whole time she could feel Link's unrelenting gaze burning into the side of her head.

Eventually his staring became too much for her and she turned around to look at him. She couldn't recall another time before where he looked at her like that, his light blue eyes betraying his emotions that he had been holding back for so long.

Her name fell from his lips-if only he'd known just how much she loved to hear him utter those words in that sweet voice of his. The small fire in her chest started to burn even more brightly as he brought his hands up to cup her face. They'd stared at each other for what seemed like days to them, nothing else could be heard except for the sound of their heavy breathing and the gentle rustling of the wind through the trees.

They continued in this manner until an almost painful urge began to overtake them both, causing Zelda to lean forward involuntarily-and Link-who finally started to regain control of his senses after Zelda began to make her move-did the same. The kiss was everything Link had imagined, but never dared to hope. The combination of her soft lips and floral perfume was enough to drive him over the edge.

And just as soon as it begun it was over in an instant. Much to Zelda's dismay Link kept apologizing to her profusely. She kept explaining to him he had no reason to be sorry, not when she was clearly enjoying herself and in response he simply smirked in that boyish grin of his, which only served to excite her even more then the kiss had already done.

His hands were resting at her sides now, his teeth nipping against the base of her neck. Zelda let out a quiet groan, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her fingers twirled locks of his dirty blonde hair. As she appeared to relax more she closed her eyes and lolled back in a wordless plea for more. Just how was it that they always ended up in this position nowadays?

Two months later he'd finally given in to her once more. Since that fateful day 8 weeks ago he had been angry at himself that he allowed a temporary moment of weakness to slip past him, but he swore to the Goddesses it wouldn't happen again. He couldn't allow himself to hurt Zelda anymore then he already had.

That day, Zelda had called Link to her study so that the two could go over the castle's defenses. It was true that the kingdom was once again living in an era of peace, but considering what had happened just a year ago nobody was taking any chances.

Zelda was sitting in her chair with a piece of parchment with the castle's layout in front of her as Link was going over details with her, taking an opportunity to hunched looking over her shoulders so that he could point out where he thought the castle could use a little more security. Such close proximity to him again since their previous encounter was causing Zelda to become quite flustered. All she wanted to do was to turn around so that she could trace her lips along the strong outline of his jaw until she found her way to his lips again. She knew she had to stop thinking such thoughts about him before things got out of hand again, but how could she after having a taste of it already?

His hand folded over hers as he dragged her pencil over to a particular spot which showed the inner ward of the castle could easily be breached if one chose to climb their way in. Zelda couldn't concentrate over his words at all though, all she could think about how hot his breath tingled against her ear and the way it made her hairs stand on end.

The second he was finished speaking he was taken aback by how swiftly she turned around and hugged him around his waist tightly. He knew it should have bothered by the act, should have gently pried her off him, but he couldn't find it in himself to do so. Instead, he returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around her and gave her a light peck on the forehead.

The tender action astonished them both, and she dared to look up to glance at his face and was met with a warm smile. And before either of them were aware of their precarious situation, Zelda stood up so she could be on the same level as him and connected her lips with his. Like before, this kiss had ignited her senses, only this time it was much more passionate and their was an urgent need building up inside her, causing a wave of dizziness to run through her as she pushed him backwards onto the bed.

She returned to kissing him again once she was settled over his waist. It was then both of them reached the same conclusion, to cast aside their reservations and become one in both body and soul...

Her mind began to replay those days' events in her head. The feeling was something she struggled to describe, the only word she could come up to with was "intense." That day was the first time she had honestly considered confessing her feelings to him, but instead all she got in return was a broken heart.

She snuggled into him as Link continued to stroke patterns up and down her back while she slept. He smiled to himself as he watched how peaceful she looked, his fingers combing through her long, brunette hair. He knew it would be risky if he stayed too long as Zelda's chamber maid's would come to wake her in the morning, so he decided he would stay with her until dawn and would sneak out of her room before he could be caught. And even though he knew they would eventually have to separate from each other, they would always have memories of their time together, however short they may be.

When Zelda finally awoke, the first golden rays of the sun had begun to creep in through the windows. She immediately became aware of the lack of warmth in her bed until she heard some shuffling noises coming from behind her. She had turned around to see Link gathering his clothes and putting them on. She proceeded to watch him with a look of something Link could only describe as something close to guilt on her face. She thought for sure that Link hated her now, most likely felt she took advantage of him while he was still in a state of shock.

She was glad this wasn't the case. As soon as he was done getting dressed he walked back over to her and knelt down beside her as he brought his left hand up and began to caress her cheek. He was speaking to her in hushed tones as he knew the castle staff were beginning to get ready to start their daily chores, but his words were enough to leave her an emotional mess. He told her their relationship was improper, knew if her council were to ever find out what had transpired between them they would likely punish them both. He would be forced to resign from his position as commander, would never be allowed to be by her side again, or even worse. He would never want to tarnish her good name, knowing no noble would ever want to take her if they discovered she had already given herself to some farm boy with no status or wealth, leaving Hyrule without a King or heirs.

He told her it was for the best if both of them tried to forget about this whole incident and bury whatever feelings they might have for each other. But it was already to late for promises, for not three nights later as he came to inform her that preparations for them to travel to Kakariko Village to assess how repairs were coming along were now finished that the two were locked in an intimate dance again.

His lips came crashing down hers and she was utterly lost to the sensation. She missed having him this close to her, she only wished they didn't have to pretend in front of everyone so that the two of them could express their emotions freely and openly without fear of judgement. She wished that she could marry him so that his face would be the first thing she sees every morning, instead of being greeted to an empty bed. But she knew royal mandate would never allow her to be with the man she loved wholly and completely.

She knew their time together would soon be coming to an end, as her twenty first birthday had already passed and reconstruction of Castle Town had concluded her council would be pressing for her to find a suitable husband. Yet in knowledge of this sobering fact Zelda found herself smiling in spite of herself, knowing that no matter what happens she had already given herself up to the one man she knew she would love for the rest of her life, and knowing he feels the same about her. And there wasn't a thing her damn council could change about it.

She entwined her legs around his lower half, heedless of the tears that were streaking down her face. Her fingers slowly traveled down his toned chest, causing him to elicit a low growl as he pulled her hands away and had decided to pin them above her head as he trailed kisses along her collarbone.

The day Zelda and Link left for Kakariko seemed like any normal day around that castle, that was until Zelda's council had requested her presence at an emergency meeting.

Much to Zelda's outrage, those conniving old men had gone behind here back and found her a handful of suitors she would have to pick from, and was informed that if after one years time she still hasn't chosen one of them to marry, then they would be the ones to make the decision for her. What tiny fragment of hope that Zelda might have been desperately trying to hold onto that she might one day be allowed to court Link was shattered into a million pieces that day.

And now, here they were again. Not only five days into their stay in Kakariko that they were lying in bed together, simply holding one another in a loving embrace. She knew this would be the last time they could be together like this. She knew she should have told him the truth, but deep down she couldn't bear the thought of having to reject him. She wondered to herself, just when had she become such a coward? He had done so much for her, overcoming many arduous trials and battling hordes of ferocious enemies, even at the cost of losing his best friend. And he did not only just for her kingdom's sake, but for hers as well, which he wouldn't have had to do if it wasn't for her weakness in the first place that she couldn't stand up to Zant. She hadn't even known she had started to cry until she felt Link's hands on her cheek, a look of concern evident upon his features.

All of a sudden Zelda started apologizing to him over and over again, but as to what for Link did not know. He patiently waited for her to tell him what was wrong, wiping the tears from her eyes until she was to tired to cry anymore.

"Link, there's something I have to tell you," she mumbled once she was able to collect her thoughts. "I'm so-so sorry Link, we should have never let it get this far. The council has made up their minds, they told me that I have exactly one year left before I must marry one of the nobility and it seems I don't have a choice in the matter..." By this point Zelda couldn't stand to look into his eyes anymore, glancing down at the bed-sheets so she wouldn't have to see the look of rejection on his face once she broke the news to him.

"Zelda, I-" Link began, a hand lying on her shoulder.

"Please know that I do not want this." Zelda interrupted. "I'd give anything to stay with you like this, but I cannot abandon Hyrule for a second time. If only I could make them understand why I love you so much...”

"Then we'll just have to make them understand," Link answered in conviction. "I'm not about to let you go so easily Zelda. I know I don't have anything to offer you Zelda, but if you truly still think of me as a man worthy of your affections, then I promise you we will find a way to make this work, together. And then once all of this is over I'm going to ask you to marry me." Zelda needed no more coaxing from him as she held onto Link closely, burying her head against the crook of his neck.

A short while later, she sighed and nodded her head, pulling away a short distance and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Things will never be easy for us, will it?" She happily responded.

"Nothing worth having is ever easy. But I swear I will never stop fighting for you, my queen."

#zelink week #zelda fanfiction #twilight princess #the legend of zelda #zelinkweek #tp zelink #hylia's fic's

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blaperile · 7 years

Text

Hiveswap Episode 1 Reaction Part 13: Spicing up the house + fixing the flashlight!

Eesh, I find it kind of sad that we're only now finding the time to continue playing Hiveswap. Our evenings have just been so filled the past few days that we just didn't get around to continuing playing, but at least now we can!

God, at this rate it's going to take ages before we finish playing this first episode. I hope we're at least finished by the time the next episode is released. xD

(...I'm actually not sure what to think on when the next episode will be released, it could be pretty soon or it could also take a few more months, who knows!)

Anyway, starting at 6 PM today, and eager to make some progress!

Last time we were examining stuff in the kitchen, so that's what we're gonna continue doing! And then we'll probably retrieve the radio bateries, put them in the flashlight, and probably start kicking some shit into motion!

Let's go!

Okay, first new thing to examine here is the bag of dog food!

...

Wait what? Uh... Joey claims here that Mom is out doing groceries right now, but didn't her earlier conversation with Jude suggest that Mom was at home after a long working day or something and couldn't be reached anymore? Looks like one of these two must be false. Unless it's something a bit more complicated, like she DID have a long working day and warned them during the day she'd be doing groceries afterwards before coming over to them?

Hmm... I'm not sure what to think here. Should I assume both explanations are true but simply incomplete, or is it an oversight of the writers? I don't know, but for now I'll just go with the assumption that both things we've been told are true!

Ballet slippers && Dog food ==> Pfff, I just love how Joey always come up with adorable excuses to do a little tap or ballet dance at any possible time.

...Season-All Magic Spice Mix? Lol, probably some kind of ordinary spice, but I dig it. :P

I love how it's another reference to Mom/Roxy loving magic.

Hey look, there's also a "get" option? Is this something we can actually pick up??? If so that's pretty sneaky because it's not very noticeable in the background and we almost missed it!

Before we do that, let's first do the item combinations....

Oh man! It's basically not doing anything right now and rather suggesting WE PICK IT UP FIRST! Oh boy, that came unexpected. Let's see!

Season-All Magic Spice Mix: GET! :D

Ha, I like that it also disappeared from the holder it was in. At first I thought it was just holding some cups or something, before we examined it!

Looks like it's time to look at some spicy new item combinations. ;D

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Pogs ==> "Turn twelve already, pogs!" ...I wonder, could that be a sneaky hint that Jude is supposed to be 11 years old? That would make a 3-year difference between Joey and Jude, sounds reasonable to me!

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Tap shoes ==> Pffahahaha, I love how on one hand it sounds like they were running out of interesting item combination narrations, and on the other hand they found a fantastic way to solve that problem, hahaha. I... really don't know which ones of those are spices and which ones are tap-dancing words. xD

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Flashlight ==> Ahahaha, return of the "JOEY CLAIRE, EXTRAORDINAIRE". Gets me every time. xD Also, another amazing pun to add to the pile.

Holy shit, plainWonder has a good point. I totally hadn't noticed the clock hanging on the dark wall just at the corner of the kitchen, and the ticking sound that accompanies it!

Alright, let's now go through all other item combinations with the Season-All Magic Spice Mix and see what we get! Starting with Joey's room of course.

HERE WE GO!!!!!

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Connect Four ==> Pfff, instead of winning Connect Four horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, Joey just wins it tarragonally, like a pro. xD

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Ms. Claire picture ==> ...I have a feeling we're going to be sick to death of all these spicy puns by the thyme (eyyyyy) we're finished doing all these combinations. :mspa:

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Hot Steppin' poster ==> Somehow, I knew that was going to be her reaction. xD

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Story That Keeps Happening poster ==> Un(?)fortunately I do not remember this sneezing turtle from The Neverending Story. :P

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Magical Animal Companion Heal Rescue poster (god the combination of these two is a mouthful) ==> Oh, so THAT's what a poultice is! I didn't know there was a special word for that, I indeed assumed it was "just" a hot wet towel/bandage, but I just looked it up and it's actually more than that! Well, good to know.

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Star Avenue poster ==> I actually didn't know "ginger" was a spice too! I mean, I looked up what it was and what the Dutch translation for it is and I know that's a spice, but I didn't know it was "ginger" in English! So that's a spicy pun I didn't see (taste?) coming. xD

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Game Controllers ==> Ahahaha, so Joey blows on games. I didn't know "Linka the Planeteer" was a Captain Planet reference actually, for a second I thought it was perhaps a reference to Link, the Wind Waker, from the Legend of Zelda. :P

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Window ==> Yes Joey, that will definitely work. xD

But actually, I do wonder what we can use this item for later on.

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Wardrobe ==> Ahahaha, meta reference to how these Homestuck kids always wear the same clothes (unless their name is Jade or Kanaya :P).

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Toy shelf ==> Well, as lon as it didn't end up in Puppy Surprise, I'm good. ;)

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Books ==> The only person who'd probably actually spice up the book and then eat it is WV. :mspa:

Alright, we're done in Joey's room, time to move on to the attic and work our way down from there!

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Attic door ==> Huh! So normally the doorknob on the attic door can't be turned when it's locked, but it can when there's spice on it? That's pretty weird, I haven't heard that before.

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Pile of junk ==> Ahhh, so that's probably a reference to Thanksgiving? What with the cornucopia and it being the month of November?

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Slinky ==> :O Somehow I doubt that spicing it up would disturb it. xD

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Caterpillar doll ==> I... don't immediately see how this is related to the spice mix? Unless it's just supposed to be that the caterpillar could use some spicing up to continue on its way upstairs. :P

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Sufferer doll ==> PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF, I can't believe she actually tried it out. xD

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Lite Brite ==> Moral of the story: never let your kids play with a lite brite without supervision. :mspa:

...Also, I accidentally wrote lite bite. xD

Heading downstairs now!

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Abraxas Statue ==> Wait... crawdad? plainWonder has a good point, that does sound a lot like Crabdad... Oh god, that's ACTUALLY a type of lobsters????

Oh goddammit, that is amazing.

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Cassette Player ==> Yeah, that would be like adding stardust to a cartridge. Unthinkable, am I right? :mspa:

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Blue Lady Lamp ==> Pffff, I love how it says "leaning on the pun" instead of something like "leaning on the lamp" like people sometimes say.

Going back to the kitchen now!

Heh, opening the kitchen door I just noticed how it seems like there's a bright light coming outside of it, making it seem like the light is turned on in the kitchen!

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Fridge ==> Welp, now we know exactly what's in the fridge. Even worse than what I imagined. D:

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Sink ==> Pffff, but she goes ahead and does it anyway. That's our Joey alright. xD

Oh wow, we're finished with the item combinations already! That actually went faster than I expected, I kind of feared we'd actually be stuck with doing that for the rest of our playtime today. xD

Alright then, to move on!

First of, let's see what happens when we examine the back door. I assume we can't actually exit it, but it was probably safest that we waited with doing this anyway.

Hehe, her comment about the backyard being more awesome before there were monsters kind of reminds me of John's comments about his backyard when he's looking at his Imp-infested backyard.

Oh man, there's actually an "Open" option. Let's see what happens...

....Ahahaha, yes Joey, raking the leaves right now would be an excellent decision. :mspa:

Also, now that I think about it, it's pretty funny that Joey does have interest in raking the leaves but NOT in putting the thrash outside or doing the dishes, hahaha.

Oh man, time to go to the right of the kitchen and see what's up with the doors/mummy here! Earlier I theorized that the door behind the mummy leads to the trophy room and will eventually be used by Joey to actually go inside, seeing as it's blocked on the other side. I wonder what's behind the other door? A toilet, maybe?

Ohhhh, yeah, plainWonder's probably right that it's the basement door, that was kind of stupid of me that I forgot about that.

Oh hey, we hadn't interacted with the thrash bag yet! Good thing that plainWonder noticed that.

Heh... Joey comments about how the waste is right next to the fridge. And while she's actually making a pretty good point about it there, it's just making me realize that we kind of do the same thing in our kitchen. xD

Pogs && Thrash bag ==> Pffff, oh Joey. That would be really rude.

Pet treats && Thrash bag ==> As Vriska would say: all the pets, all of them!

Season-All Magic Spice Mix && Back door ==> Hey, that's actually not that bad of an idea! It probably won't do anything, but still. Good idea. :P

Pet treats && Back door ==> Oh, okay. I actually thought Joey beckoning Tessract with the pet treats would be an actual thing at some point! Looks like she won't do that though. I guess retrieving her from the dog house will probably be up to Dammek and Jude!

Cherub Key && Back door ==> Eesh, no locks on their doors? I get it, they're in a pretty safe town, but still. You never know what might happen (and I don't just mean weird monsters appearing out of nowhere :mspa:)

Time to examine the mummy!

Yesssss, there's a move option! I mean, she probably won't be capable of moving it with her bare hands and will need something else for that, but I imagine it will be possible at some point!

"the rest of the house" ????????????? Oh dear god, that means it DOESN'T lead to the trophy room! Oh man, what rooms are still out there??? Then it seems like this will be something for us to discover in Hauntswitch instead of in Hiveswap!

I wonder why Grandpa blocked their access to it... is he hiding something there? Is there some Sburb stuff there already???

Yup, Joey can't move the mummy.

PHARAOH NAPOLEON OH DEAR GOD. YES. THAT IS PERFECT.

Pogs && Pharaoh Napoleon ==> Oh my god, are those pants painted on? Pffff, can this get even better?

Pet treats && Pharaoh Napoleon ==> As long as Tesseract doesn't think the mummy is yummy, we're good. :mspa:

Oh boy, looks like we're done here! Let's try opening the basement door.

I wonder, are we perhaps going to get a repeat of the trophy room, with it being WAAAAAAAAAAAY too dark, so we just go back into the kitchen, get the flashlight some batteries and THEN move down?

Also, I find it highly likely that there's a monster in there somewhere, considering the fact that we've seen no monsters in her house yet so far, other than what is presumably a monster inside the trophy room.

Ahahahah, so she briefly opens the door, then closes it again until we get the flashlight working! No creepy look into the basement like with the trophy room. :P

You know what that means right... time to examine the radio! And presumably get our iconic flashlight working!! This is going to be exciting.

I wonder if we'll be able to use our flashlight whenever we want?

I mean, not that it would be particularly useful, but I'd find it interesting to move through the rest of the house (where we could still see relatively well in the dark) with our flashlight and just see what it looks like.

Pffff, looks like we can turn the radio off just like that and get rid of the awful static! Hahahaha, if we only knew. Though to be honest, after a while my mind just began filtering it out and I didn't really hear it anymore. :mspa:

Oh god that Rumbo indeed looks awful.

Hehehe, we can't press the buttons on the front and re-activate the radio. Joey intends for it to stay that way. :P

Welp, Joey just broke the button up there and doesn't mind. Looks like they probably didn't use that radio very often? Or at least, Joey didn't. Maybe Jude did, if I recall correctly he did like music more than Joey (I believe he used the cassette player?), so maybe HE would mind.

Pffff, I love Joey's reaction to the tuner button. She is so completely blown away by this. :mspa:

I wonder what those plasters are for... oh man, are they just for keeping the battery holder shut? xD

Ahahahah, I love how Joey acts like she doesn't even know that there are batteries inside the radio, when looking at the battery holder.

Time to pop open the battery holder!

Hehe, I like that we can still see the pink plaster on top of it, after it's been popped open. And also when we zoom out again and just standing in the kitchen, we can also see it being open!

There are the batteries!

Heheh, yes it would have been pretty spooky if the radio worked without batteries. On the other hand, with that Cherub Key nearby, I wouldn't have been that surprised considering it also worked on the cassette player!

GOTCHA. GOT THE CORRECT D-CELL BATTERIES! :D

Ahahaha, Joey contemplates putting the pogs inside the radio. The exchange she's imagining slightly reminds me of a mixture of Terezi's "coin? What coin? The prosecution sees no coin" scene, Dave contemplating putting piss inside the apple juice bottle and sending the code to John, and John's "remember, you're dealing with the pranking master!"

Anyway, looks like we're sadly not capable of leaving the pogs behind here. They will live to see another day (or planet, maybe :mspa:).

Oh man, plainWonder brought up an excellent point that we can now combine both types of battery with each other and see what happens! Hahaha, I've been waiting for that for a while now.

D-Cell batteries && E-Cell batteries ==> Land sakes alive, we're cooking with petrol now!

Okay, enough of that sillyness! Looks like it's time to put the batteries inside the flashlight for real now! :O

BOOYEAH. DONE IT.

This would be an excellent moment for Joey to ascend on her echeladder. xD

Let's see if we can now "use" the flashlight whenever we want, or at least combine it with other items, which we couldn't do before (though I kinda doubt the latter)?

...Nope! Neither of those can be done. Yeah, makes sense that Joey wants to save the battery for when she actually needs it. That's the most sensible thing to do here.

Alright, this seems like a good place to quit for today! It's 8:15 PM already.

Next time we'll be heading into the basement, I'm really excited to see what we'll find there!

Sounds like there's still a lot to do before we end up going to Alternia. I mean, we still have to examine the basement, turn the power back on, go inside the trophy room and get the attic key, be Jude at some point, have a dove fly into our home along with a monster.... that's still quite some plot that will probably happen before we first enter the attic!

I wonder how much longer the game will go on after that, like how much we'll be seeing on Alternia already. Probably definitely see Dammek's hive and meet/be Xefros, but I'm not sure if there will be even more than that.

Still, we'll probably need quite some more playtime before we're finished with this episode!

#Homestuck #Hiveswap #reaction #liveblog #Hiveswap liveblog #Joey #Jude #Mom #Grandpa #Tesseract

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hubbardharbo1-blog · 7 years

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kaialone · 4 years

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Spirit Tracks Translation Comparison: Before the Final Battle

This will be a comparison of the original Japanese version and the US English localized version.

Specifically, this will cover the cutscene after the Demon Train is defeated, during which Princess Zelda and Link prepare for the final battle.

You can also watch this cutscene for yourself in English and Japanese. If you want, you can check out the EU English version, too.

For the comparison, the usual points apply:

Bolded is the original Japanese text, for the reference.

Bolded and italicized is my translation.

Italicized is the official NOA translation.

A (number) indicates that I have a specific comment to make on that part in the translation notes.

Rather than that, consider the actual information that is being conveyed, in which way, and why.

Characters in this part who had their names changed between versions:

Sharin = Anjean, Mallador = Malladus, Dego = Byrne, Kimaroki = Cole

Final Preparations:

Anjean:

いよいよ大詰めじゃな

This is it.

Anjean:

マラドー達を倒せば全てが終わる

Once you beat Mallador and the other one, it will all be over. (1)

Once we defeat Malladus, all of this can end.

Anjean:

ここはワシも共に行こうおぬしらだけでは危険すぎる

This time I'm also coming with you. It’s too dangerous for you two to go alone.

I shall accompany you from here on out.

It's too dangerous for just the two of you.

Byrne:

師匠は私と戦った傷がいえていないでしょう

Master, I know your wounds from our battle haven't healed yet.

But your wounds from our battle are still fresh.

Byrne:

それに奴らの気配を探るため多くの気も使ったはずです

And you must have used up a lot of energy just trying to find those guys.

And what's to come will be very demanding.

Byrne:

ここは私が…

This time, I will... (2)

It's my turn now, Master. It's...the least I can do.

Zelda:

シャリン様休んでいてください

Lady Sharin, please rest.

Yes, Anjean, it's time for you to rest.

Zelda:

たかだか魔王と子分一人です

リンクとわたしだけで充分ですよ

It is only a demon king and one henchman.

Link and I will suffice.

Link and I can take care of them.

After all, it's just Malladus and Cole.

It'll be a piece of cake.

Zelda:

あなたもです

The same goes for you.

You should stay behind too, Byrne.

Zelda:

怪我人はおとなしくしていてくださいな

You are injured, so you should keep resting for now, alright?

You're both too injured to help us now.

Byrne:

…

...

Anjean:

分かった…

Alright...

As you wish, my dear.

Anjean:

おぬしたちに全て任せよう…

よろしく頼むゼルダリンク

We'll leave everything to you...

I'm counting on you, Zelda. Link.

It's up to you two, then, Link and Zelda.

May the spirits be with you.

Anjean:

今のワシにはこれくらいしかしてやれん…後を頼む

This is all I can do for you now... the rest is up to you.

I can do no more. You must go forth on your own.

Zelda:

シャリン様ありがとうございます

Thank you so much, Lady Sharin.

Thank you for everything, Anjean.

Zelda:

リンク …参りましょう

Link. ...Let us depart.

It's time for us to go, Link.

Zelda:

…ねリンク…

...Say, Link...

Oh, but one last thing before we go.

Zelda:

一つ聞かせてくださいあなたは戦いが終わったら…

There is one thing I would like to ask you. Once we finish this battle...

Once we put all this ugliness behind us,

we'll both resume our normal lives.

When that happens, what are you going to do?

Zelda:

その後は…どうするのですか？

What will you do... after that?

What will you become?

Link:

機関士になる / 剣士になる / わからない

Become an engineer. / Become a swordsman. / I don't know.

Engineer. / Warrior. / Dunno.

Zelda:

そうですか…ではいきましょうリンク

I see... Well then, we should go, Link.

I see... Well, I think we can go now, Link.

Anjean:

さすがはあのばあ様の血筋…ということかの

She really does take after that old grannie... Wouldn't you say so? (3)

Her ancestors would be proud of her.

Byrne:

……

...

Translation Notes:

In Japanese, マラドー達/Maradō-tachi is used again here. Since Anjean probably doesn’t really know Cole’s name, I went for “Mallador and the other one“. Given the context, leaving Cole out entirely like the English version did would make sense as well.

Since Byrne doesn’t finish his line in Japanese, the exact details of what he meant to say are up to interpretation. So I tried to make my translation not too specific.

The line I adapted as “She really does take after that old grannie“ would more literally translate to something like “Just like I’d expect from that old gannie’s lineage”. But this is the sort of phrase that generally carries the basic sentiment of the former, so I went for that in my adaptation, because I felt it sounded more natural in English.

Comparisons & Thoughts:

This is a rather short cutscene, but it’s the proverbial calm before the storm, the last moment of rest before the final battle.

As such, there are a few important moments in it that I want to go over in more detail, so this section won’t be as short.

We will start with this bit of dialogue from Byrne:

And you must have used up a lot of energy just trying to find those guys.

And what’s to come will be very demanding.

In the Japanese version, Byrne is referring to earlier, where Anjean tried to find Malladus and Cole by sensing their energy. This process has apparently cost her a lot of her own energy as well, according to Byrne.

So, Anjean is not just injured and drained from her battle with Byrne, she hasn’t even really rested since then, and used up more of her power, too.

In the English version, Byrne instead points out that the coming battle will be demanding.

I’m assuming they changed the mention of Anjean’s search since they already changed so many details about that. Another possibility is that they just mistranslated the Japanese line here.

Either way, this means that in the English version it’s less clear just how bad a shape Anjean is in.

Like I mentioned in the translation notes, Byrne’s next line is technically not complete in Japanese.

He literally says ここは私が/koko wa watashi ga, which in this context can be pretty safely be adapted as something like “This time, I will” or “It’s my turn now”, but there is some room for the imagination when it comes to the exact details of what he might’ve wanted to say.

The fact that he trails off doesn’t seem arbitrary to me, though.

My personal interpretation is that it’s a combination of Byrne just being almost too injured to speak so much himself, and possibly him not wanting to fully express his feelings, trying not to seem vulnerable. It’s likely that he does feel somewhat guilty about what he did, and wants to make up for it.

But that’s just me.

In the English version, Byrne’s line is completed, and they add “It’s…the least I can do” to it.

This spells out what was one possible interpretation in the original Japanese, and in turn gives Byrne a direct admission of guilt here.

I think this was probably another change made to make Byrne seem a bit more openly sympathetic, though it also could’ve just been to make his line less vague and thus easier to understand.

In both the Japanese and English versions, Zelda expresses her confidence that Malladus and Cole will be easy to beat for her and Link.

But each version does it slightly differently.

In Japanese, she says it’s “only a demon king and one henchman.”

This one works in a slightly ironic manner. Zelda is clearly dismissing the two as a threat, saying she and Link could easily handle them, but at the same time, a literal demon king is not something you would normally dismiss so easily.

So, in one sense, Zelda is also showing her confidence here by acting like a demon king is not something to be taken as a serious threat.

Similarly, Cole is dismissed by just being called “one henchman”. Notice also how Zelda doesn’t refer to either of them by name in this line, disregarding the two even further.

In English, she says it’s “just Malladus and Cole.“

The way Zelda is simply referring to these two by their given names here also comes across as dismissive, just in a different manner.

Just using their names can work to downplay them, treating them like they’re just some guys, rather than the dangerous demons they are.

But, if that was the intent, it’s a bit weakened by the fact that characters usually just refer to these two by their given names anyway, so there isn’t much of a contrast to how they normally talk about them.

In any case, the English version also adds the line “It’ll be a piece of cake”, making Zelda’s tone more clear.

This next point might be a bit long, but I wanted to talk about it.

When asking Anjean and Byrne to rest, Zelda says this:

You are injured, so you should keep resting for now, alright?

You’re both too injured to help us now.

There isn’t actually any problem with the English version here. It’s a logical way to adapt the Japanese line.

At most, you could argue that Zelda comes across as slightly more caring in Japanese, but her intent is clear either way, I feel.

But there is something else here that I noticed.

While it could be a coincidence, I think this line from Zelda might be a parallel to a previous line Cole said, earlier in the Japanese version of the game.

Specifically, this line he said when he first revealed his true nature:

“You brat should’ve just kept playing pretend-monarch at the castle like a good girl!!”

Because of that, I tried to adapt both lines in a way that gets across their similarities, but they’re more apparent in Japanese, so let me break them down for you.

Zelda’s line in this cutscene here is “怪我人はおとなしくしていてくださいな”, which reads as “kega-nin wa otonashiku shiteite kudasai na“.

One could translate it slightly more literally as: “You injured ones should stay here quietly, alright?��

Cole’s line was “ガキはおとなしく城で王様ごっこしてりゃいいんだよ!!“, which reads as “gaki wa otonashiku shiro de ōsama-gokko shiterya iinda yo!!”.

One could translate this one slightly more literally as: “You brat should've just stayed at the castle quietly, playing pretend-monarch!!”

As you can see, the two lines have a notably similar structure in Japanese.

In particular, they both make use of the adjective おとなしく/otonashiku, which literally means “quiet”, but can also have more specific meanings depending on the context.

In Zelda’s line, she is using “quiet” in a manner that means “to rest”, “to take it easy”, etc.

In Cole’s line, he’s using “quiet” in a manner that means “well-behaved”, “like a good child”, etc.

Again, the similarities could be a coincidence, but I can’t help but feel this was an intentional parallel.

If you interpret it that way, it shows the contrast between the two, specifically the way they talk to those whom they are responsible for.

Adding to that, it also shows the contrast between Cole referring to Zelda as just a brat, and the reliable and caring way Zelda acts in reality, now that she has had to take up responsibility.

In any case, this is still a big moment for Zelda, since her actions and words in this scene seem to prove her merit and growth to both Anjean and Byrne.

With that said, even if we do assume this is an intentional parallel, it’s also very subtle. Because of that, the fact that the English version didn’t also include a possible parallel like that isn’t much of a loss for a casual audience.

I wasn’t too happy with how the English version adapted Cole’s line back then, but Zelda’s English line in this scene right here is completely fine.

When Anjean says that she will leave it to Zelda and Link, the English version adds the line “May the spirits be with you” to her dialogue.

I’m guessing this was supposed to give more weight to her words here, to make them sound more important or the like?

But I don’t think it works that well here, since the point that the game ends up making is that Zelda and Link manage to protect the land without divine protection.

“May the spirits be with you” sounds nice as a phrase, but it’s at odds with the game’s story when you actually stop and think about it.

The next bit I want to go over is the question that Zelda asks Link, and the answers he can give.

In the Japanese version, Zelda asks Link what he will do after their battle is over, to which Link can either reply “Become an engineer”, “Become a swordsman”, or “I don’t know”.

The English version once again has the problem of dealing with the limited space in Link’s replies, so they have to rephrase this section to make it fit.

As a result, they have Zelda ask what Link will become once they resume their normal lives, to which Link can either reply “Engineer”, “Warrior”, or “I dunno”.

There isn’t really much you can do about text space like that, so I understand why the English version adapted it this way.

But I also think some small details are lost because of this.

In Japanese, Link’s answers get to be slightly more elaborate, with Link himself being the one who uses the wording “become”. This makes it feel more like Link does want to make a choice here, one that he has thought about himself.

In English, Zelda is the one to bring up the idea of what to “become”, so it leans a bit more towards this being mostly Zelda’s concern, which isn’t helped by Link’s answers being so brief.

Again, the English version couldn’t really have done much else here, but the effect is still worth mentioning.

While this is just a short moment, it’s also something kind of unique to Spirit Tracks. I’ve briefly touched upon it before, but I want to take this moment to talk about it in more detail.

In general Zelda games, it’s somewhat common to have Link start out as a regular boy with a normal life, which is then interrupted by the game’s respective main plot.

And occasionally, the games will address the idea of how Link will resume a normal life afterwards, if he will at all. Though Link’s actual fate is usually not explored.

In that sense, Spirit Tracks is unique for directly asking the player this question, in a way that actually affects the game’s ending. After the credits, there is a brief epilogue scene, which will show Link having made the choice that the player has selected in this cutscene here.

But it’s also not that random for Spirit Tracks of all Zelda games being the one that allows one to choose directly.

While Link’s regular life is interrupted by this game’s plot, Link also doesn’t really have to quit being his regular self in order to be the hero Hyrule needs.

Yes, he has to learn how to be a swordfighter, but he never has to stop being an engineer. And Link doesn’t just continue being an engineer throughout this adventure, he actually needs to be one in order to succeed.

The game continues to put a lot of emphasis on Link’s profession as an engineer, especially gameplay-wise, but also in some story aspects.

This goes so far that there is even an option to unlock Link’s engineer outfit and wear it instead, with no obligation to wear the green tunic ever again. And you unlock it by collecting stamps across stations, which is a common promotional activity for railway travelling in Japan.

Basically, Link being an engineer is given a similar amount of importance as him being a swordfighter, and it’s ultimately up to each individual player to decide which they consider more fitting.

This is an aspect that makes Spirit Tracks stand out among other Zelda games. In comparison, think about how relevant Link being a goat shepherd ends up being during his adventure in Twilight Princess, or him being an apprentice smith in A Link Between Worlds, etc.

And this is not me saying those examples are bad, they’re just notably different in the way they approach this idea.

Going back to the translation comparison, I think the Japanese version does a slightly better job with this whole idea, for the reasons I’ve gone over.

But, the English version still works perfectly fine, especially in this cutscene here. The differences are just minute.

And finally, we have Anjean’s last line in this cutscene:

She really does take after that old grannie... Wouldn't you say so?

Her ancestors would be proud of her.

In the Japanese version, this is notably the second time Anjean directly refers to Tetra with the term ばあ様/baa-sama, which will still display Tetra’s name if you tap it.

You can see that little easter egg in the image at the very top of this post.

In the English version, they once again adapt a mention of Tetra with the more general “ancestors” here.

But this time, one can’t even chalk it up to a translation error, since Anjean is unquestionably referring to Tetra here.

The only thing I can think of is the fact that the original Japanese version includes the term 血筋/chisuji here, meaning “lineage” or “bloodline”, and that perhaps this made them decide to go for “ancestors” in English.

Even then, it’s still glossing over Tetra.

Once again, this really is a shame, I personally feel.

In Anjean’s very first scene, the English version retained the fact that she was talking about Tetra specifically, but pretty much every other mention of Tetra since then has been adapted as just “ancestors” instead.

And I really don’t know why they did this, especially in this particular moment.

It seems like such a strange thing to do, intentionally weakening the connection Anjean has to Tetra, as well as Anjean comparing her with Zelda?

I mentioned before that I think the English version may have wanted to imply that Tetra was Zelda’s grandmother, rather than a more distant ancestor.

But they already acknowledged that Anjean knew Tetra personally, so even that wouldn’t explain the change here.

So, I can only assume that, for some reason or another, they really did just feel that Anjean referring to Zelda’s ancestors in general worked better?

Before we move on, one last thing I want to go over is Anjean referring to Tetra as ばあ様/baa-sama for the second time here.

There will actually soon be a bit of a pay-off to Anjean referring to Tetra like that. But aside from setting that up, I think it reappearing here is also to emphasize how this is a personal moment for Anjean.

After all, this is her own personal way of referring to Tetra, in contrast to just saying “your ancestor” as she does most of the time when telling Zelda about her.

And for the audience, it serves as another direct reminder of Tetra’s indirect presence in this story.

On the the term itself, during Anjean’s first appearance I talked about how you can’t really adapt the easter egg of tapping the word to display Tetra’s name, like you can in Japanese.

So the options you’re left with is either just adapting ばあ様/baa-sama alone, or just going for “Tetra” instead.

I personally think that one compromise one could go for is to pick one specific moment where you have Anjean say “Tetra” out loud.

And for me, this cutscene here is probably the moment where I would do it.

Like I said back when Anjean used it the first time, Tetra’s literal name being hidden in an easter egg like that probably reflects Anjean, and potentially the audience, having a deeper personal connection to Tetra.

In the sense that Tetra is someone Anjean, and potentially the audience, actually knew in the past. In contrast, Zelda may be her descendant, but never met her personally.

That’s why I think this cutscene right here would be the best opportunity for a non-Japanese adaptation to have Anjean literally say “Tetra”, since it’s a similarly private moment. Just Anjean reminiscing about Tetra to Byrne, while Zelda and Link have already left, and thus don’t hear what she says.

In that way, this could reflect the vibe of the original easter egg, so to speak.

But at the same time, Anjean referring to Tetra as ばあ様/baa-sama is also important for the pay-off that’s to come, which is why I ultimately decided to stick with “grannie” in my adaptation here, too.

I just wanted to think about where I would put a single literal mention of the name “Tetra”, if I wanted to include it somehow.

Ultimately, the English version opted to omit Anjean having a special way of referring to Tetra entirely, so this is all hypothetical talk anyway.

Though I think the fact that I talked about this as much as I did should make it obvious that I don’t think omitting it was a good call on their part.

Looking at this cutscene as a whole, I do think it was localized alright in English.

There are a few details that bother me, sometimes as a result of prior localization changes, but everything besides those is just fine.

Overall, this cutscene ended up being another mixed bag this way, but I don’t think there is anything here that would stand out as odd if the English version was all you knew.

While I went on a lot about particularly small differences during this part, I think the only difference that significantly hurts the scene is the English version glossing over a direct mention of Tetra. But that’s not an issue specific to this scene alone, either.

It’s just a strange choice that this localization started going with for some reason I can’t really figure out. If it even was a conscious choice, that is.

And that’s the end of this part right here. Feel free to check out the next one!

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#legend of zelda #the legend of zelda #tloz #spirit tracks #legend of zelda spirit tracks #legend of zelda translations #spirit tracks translations #my translations #spirit tracks comparisons

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