#and the things she went through and what she had to do to save Hyrule

[legendofzeldasilentprincess]

after knowing the whole story of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, I still can't believe Nintendo really went for the Princess and the Knight trope

#and i love it #zelink #botw #totk #breath of the wild #tears of the kingdom #cause I mean sometimes I think about the story #and I just wonder was it a fic that I read?? #did the calamity really happen and zelda and link went through all that shit and lost ppl they loved? #and link wakes up 100 years later with no memories? #but then only hears a voice of a woman to help him find his memories and learn that he's the one who has to defeat the calamity #plus how they didn't get along at the beginning #and somehow also became a 'from enemies to lovers' trope #then with tears of the kingdom the whole story just shows about the LEGEND of ZELDA #and the things she went through and what she had to do to save Hyrule #and link's whole mission for the entire game was to find her #screw defeating ganondorf he just wants his wife back #honestly best zelda and link by far in the zelda series #like what would the next zelda game be like?? #plus the game director himself is zelink shipper so 👀 #okay ill shutup now lol

[shearlin]

Hot take about Sky angst, regarding the curse of Demise, because I haven't seen anyone talking about this possibility in all those years I've been in LU fandom.

Guys...

Sky has no idea about the curse

Because think about it. Why would he know about it?

My man has been electrocuted multiple times, with magical - basically divine - lightnings in attempt to defeat Demise. All the while fighting for his life with a literal GOD OF EVIL, after spending an entire afternoon fighting an army of monsters and a Demon Lord/creepy ass Sword Spirit. Not even mentioning how worried sick he must have been that entire time, if this time he was also too late too save Zelda.

(always too late too slow not enough and late late late)

I don't know about you, but I don't think he was in any state of body or mind to listen to some dudes last words, when he had to focus on not passing out because he has to make sure Zelda/Sun is alright.

(It got a bit long so rest of the rant under the cut)

Fi gave him clear, that Demise received a mortal blow and that now it's only a matter of time until he dies and that was all Sky needed to stop paying any attention.

Just go through the motions. His vision is blurry, but that's alright just stay awake. Fi chimes to rise his sword. He does. There is some black smoke suddenly surrounding him, but Fi get's rid of it with her light so it's fine. It's probably why she asked him to rise her skyward. The last fifteen minutes he's been following her directions nearly blindly anyway, because his mind is still foggy, he's not sure where he is or what he is doing he just have to get to Zelda.

And then she's there. And everything is fine.

Impa fades, Fi sleeps and he finally rests. Or rather crashes as the exhaustion finally catches up to him.

But he recovers, as best as he can, and live on.

And then eight other heroes, just like him, appear and take him on a quest across the time. They become friends. Then brothers. Soon he feels like they knew each other their entire lives and can't imagine how he can move on after the inevitable goodbyes.

He is so happy that no matter what, there will always be someone among his people, someone from or even outside of Hyrule, to stand up against evil, no matter how many times it will try to show it's ugly face. He's a bit bummed that there even is a need for a hero to show up, but hey! He is not so naive to think people are and always will be only good. Things happen. Some people are just terrible, and some take it out on the entire world.

But somewhere along the line, he starts to notice... something weird.

They all fought that same guy (some of them even multiple times!) called Ganon or Ganondorf. And while he is overjoyed that none of them even heard the name of Demise, he feels kind of singled out. Few of them mentioned an idea of reincarnation. Mentioning Zeldas' connection through blood of the Goddess and their connection through a spirit.

A spirit of a hero.

He always though it was a figure of speech. A way to describe someone courageous who fulfills the quota of being a hero.

But it's not about a spirit of a hero.

No.

It's the Spirit of the Hero.

His Spirit.

An idea begins to form. A distant memory he didn't even knew he had. Maybe nightmares about that fateful fight starting to get clearer by night. Maybe he spends some time talking to Fi and he does not like the feeling he gets from her chimes, even if she can't really talk in her slumber. Maybe he even prays to Hylia in some distant era in an unfamiliar place, so she can deny or confirm his suspicions.

Goddesses, please, may he be wrong.

Because he loves them all like a family. Because they are family. Because he has seen their haunted expressions and blank eyes, he has heard their stories and horrors they went through and nearly all of them were so young, too young, and the thought that he was the direct cause of it-

Sky had no idea that Demise trapped his spirit in a cycle of reincarnation. He had no time to process it or find coping mechanisms before the adventure with the chain happened. He found out during it, slowly putting it together and coming apart at the seems before their eyes.

Sky didn't know about the curse.

And I say, it could be really interesting to watch Sky fall.

(And if anyone knows a fic exploring this idea please let me know! I searched but couldn't find any)

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu headcanons #linked universe headcanons #lu sky #linked universe sky #some curse of demise rant because I have thoughts #I love sky I promise #I just also happen lo love angst #and sky angst #having a traumatizing moment burn into his memory and haunt his every waking moment is all cool and dandy #but think about the slow realization before it finally hits #my rants

[a-bit-too-much-of-a-zelda-fan]

I really like the decision to set TotK a few years after BotW, as opposed to the few months we’re used to in direct Zelda sequels. It gave the world a substantial amount of time to change. Hyrule is livelier. In the years of relative peace since Calamity Ganon was vanquished, it’s been allowed to grow and thrive. Hateno Village, the largest Hylian settlement, is becoming economically significant as a tourist destination and food supplier. It’s especially cool to see Riju, Tulin, and Kass’s kids mature into their adult/teenage years, respectively.

Building on that, I think it’s neat that Link is in his early twenties now. This is the oldest Link we’ve ever played as (Skyward Sword held the previous record at 17.5 y/o). He’s had time to adjust to life post-calamity. His traumatic mutism seems to be all but gone. You ever notice just how much he talks in this game? Dialogue options galore, he’s constantly explaining things to other characters, all that. And he’s more expressive, too. He outright laughs when he fuses weapons.

Link’s relationship with Zelda has also had time to grow. Guys. Fellas. Broskis. They live in the same house. In which there is only one bed. They are together. The implication here is that they share most of their meals together, and remember, it’s key to his characterization that he opens up emotionally when he’s cooking or eating. That means there has been a lot of quality bonding time between them.

Before and during the Calamity, Link served as Zelda’s royal bodyguard because the king demanded it of him. Given how he went mostly mute from the pressure of being entrusted with the princess’s safety and being chosen as the Hylian Champion (at age 17, mind you), I’d wager he didn’t particularly like the assignment until he started bonding with her. He looks downright sad when she snaps at him in that one memory at the shrine. Hell, he doesn’t smile once in the memories.

But you know what? I get the feeling that Link protects her now not out of duty like he used to, but out of love. That’s powerful because “love conquers all” and all that, but also, there’s no external pressure to be her bodyguard. Until the Upheaval, he was done being a special little hero. He was just a swordsman, but he still went where Zelda went to protect her. So instead of being crushed by that pressure, protecting her is an expression of his love for her. It’s a choice and he’s doing it because he wants to, not because it was forced on him.

That’s a lot of growth to go through, and it was paced over several years. He doesn’t appear to have aged much, but enough time has passed that Hudson has a daughter who can hold a mature conversation. That’s what, 5 years old? Yeah, Link is in his early twenties. Fucking finally, the task of saving the world falls on the shoulders of an adult (although speaking as someone entering his mid-twenties, that honestly isn’t much better).

I’m starting to ramble here so I’ll leave a parting observation of Link and Zelda’s house in Hateno. Zelda has redecorated a fair bit since moving in with Link, replacing his weapon racks with photos of her horse and various Hyruleans (her subjects who she cares deeply for), but the photo of her, Link, and the Champions is still up. And that’s really cute.

#tears of the kingdom spoilers #TotK spoilers #Zelda spoilers #tears of the kingdom #my own #Zelda analysis #definitely going to find some way to write this into a fanfic

[fatefulfaerie]

Tears

“Link!” Penn exclaimed, wings outstretched in excitement. “What a great sense for news you have! Here I am chasing a new lead on the Princess and my partner appears before my eyes!”

Link hadn’t seen Penn since they finished chasing all the leads they had on the Princess’ whereabouts. It was at least a month since they went from stable to stable, Link almost believing the Yiga’s tricks and getting barely a wink of sleep until all twelve were dead ends. He was left just as lost as when he started until he found Impa and sunk himself into the mysterious geoglyphs that dotted the land. Link hadn’t yet found the courage to admit to anyone the truth about Zelda, so he pretended the best he could to be the eager, young reporter Penn knew him as.

“I’ve heard that Zelda has a homestead here in Hateno,” he continued. “Villagers tell me it’s across this bridge, but I’m afraid I’m at a standstill. You see, investigating her home for clues seems to go against my morals as a journalist. This may have to be a story we leave be.”

It was public knowledge that Princess Zelda lived in Hateno. That was no news story.

“What’s the lead?” Link asked. “Was she seen here recently? S-since her disappearance I mean.”

“It may be hearsay but rumors have been circulating that the Princess is married,” Penn said. “The villagers here have no idea what I’m talking about, so I’m thinking it’s no more than gossip. Traysi wanted me to check it out nonetheless. I’m thinking we at least find the may–”

Link averted his tear-filled gaze.

“Link, are you all right?”

“I…I’m fine,” he stammered. “Just…allergies.”

“Where,” he began weakly, but forced his voice to be stronger. “Where does the lead come from?”

“An old Zora at the Domain,” Penn answered. “He’s losing his memory but tends to spout some random things about his long life in an effort to keep a grasp on it. His niece heard him talking about marrying the Princess to someone, but he didn’t specify who. She was so excited about the prospect that she sent word to Traysi.”

Link looked notably nervous as he hugged his arms close.

“Don’t…don’t run the story,” he said in a hushed voice, no longer meeting Penn’s gaze at all. 

Penn looked confused.

“Link…what do you mean? Do you know something?”

“It just…it paints her in a bad light.”

“Link, I know you care about the princess’ public reputation. Your work at the paper honors that gleamingly. Your search for the absolute truth is inspiring to the whole team. You service our kingdom and our princess well.”

Link steadied his nerves with a deep breath and a slow blink of his eyes.

“It was me,” he admitted, quietly at first.

Penn blinked, shocked. He assumed he heard wrong.

“What?”

“It was me!” Link finally burst out pointing at himself. “All of it, everything. The mysterious hero who came out of nowhere and saved Hyrule from the calamity, me. I brought Zelda here and we built a life, and it was a good life. I married her because I loved her. We didn’t tell anyone because goddesses the Yiga were trailing her everywhere and everyone was looking at her to rebuild but I guess it doesn’t matter anymore because she’s gone, okay? She’s gone! That’s it, that’s your story. She’s a magic, floating dragon in the skies because I failed her again. She sacrificed herself for this kingdom and no one will ever know because there’s no proof! Nothing! No one else sees the dragons but me, so that’s what I have for you, absolutely nothing! I have nothing!”

Link panted and Penn stared. He blinked his eyes once, twice. Link expected him to call him crazy. Instead, he pointed his white-feathered wing at the house across the bridge.

“That’s your house?”

Link’s disbelief was shown in his face.

“Yes.”

Penn looked at the house for a moment, letting the breeze sift through his feathers.

“Link I think in a time like this Hyrule would quite like to hear a story like this about their Princess,” Penn said. “I don’t think your story paints her in a bad light in the slightest. In fact, it may be the heartwarming tale people need right now.”

Link’s gaze angled down and pondered the suggestion.

“And no, they won’t believe that she’s turned into a dragon,” Penn continued. “But they will believe as I do how much you loved her, and how she must have loved you.”

Link nodded.

“If you don’t mind I’d like to interview you,” Penn admitted. “In the house you built together. You’ll get final approval of the story I send to Traysi.”

Link looked up and over at the house. It felt like he hadn't been there in ages, like it was a lifetime ago that he went in scouring for clues, hoping she'd just be around the next corner. Waiting for her was like waiting for a sunrise that would never come.

“No, I don’t mind.”

#zelink #totk #tears of the kingdom #link #penn

[skyward-floored]

Hello!!

Um…

I really loved that one fic you wrote called “caged” with fable and legend, and I also really liked the sequel. I love how you described the scenes, it was really fun to read!

I saw that you were talking with another user about how legend got into the castle, and you mentioned that he probably got in through the secret passage way that he knows from alttp

I was wondering if maybe you were thinking about writing a prequel to that fic?

Maybe about how the chain lands in Legends Hyrule and they see Hyrule castle looming in the distance, perhaps under a spell of some kind and legend immediately runs towards it to find he can’t enter normally and he tells the chain that he does know of a way in. So they enter through the secret passageway and perhaps legend gets some flashbacks to alttp as they’re fighting monsters (or maybe brainwashed guards) and looking for fable.

It’s just a suggestion tho! I’m aware you have other stuff to do, so…

Uh anyways, I really liked this years whumptober fics a Lot too, they were all amazing! You are really such a talented writer!

That’s all, hugs!!🫂🫂🫂

I hope you have a nice day

So I wasn’t really thinking about writing a prequel at all, and I don’t do requests really but... well. The idea intrigued me, and I sat down and started writing, and this came out 😅

It’s minimally edited and certainly not my best work, but hey, it’s something. I hope you enjoy the little prequel anon, and thank you for the kind words :)

Caged

The sequel (Aftermath)

———————————————————

Again.

Again.

It was all Legend could think of as he stared at the castle in the distance, dread and anger and too many emotions for him to name making his hands shake.

They’d just exited a portal, landing in his Kakariko, and the relief of being back in his own time was immediately overshadowed by the oppressive dark magic in the air. Impa had found them soon after, and explained with a worried look in her eyes about a wizard who had tricked them, and overtaken the castle.

With Zelda inside.

The blood had begun to roar in Legend’s ears as Impa explained further, but he was barely listening anymore, his head spinning and chest tight with anger.

She’s in danger again, the kingdom’s in trouble again, and I wasn’t here to protect—

“Legend, what should we—?”

He took off.

He ignored the shouts of the others, the calls for him to wait up, and booked it towards the castle, his pegasus boots making it impossible for the other heroes to keep up with him. Rain had begun to fall at some point, but Legend didn’t let it stop him, not even when he nearly wiped out in a puddle.

He reached the castle gates in mere minutes, and banged a fist on the doors. They were shut tight though, sealed with magic that Legend knew he wouldn’t be able to break. But he pounded against them anyway, took out one of his rods and blasted at it, tried his rings and items and all sorts of things before finally kicking at them with an angry yell.

The others had caught up to him by then, and they joined his side, split evenly between looking at him and looking up at the gates.

“How are we going to get in?” Wind asked a little hesitantly, and Legend sighed, swiping some drops of rain off his face.

“I know a way.”

He’d hoped he wouldn’t have to use it, but it looked like it was the only way they could get inside.

Legend led them all around to the east side of the castle, the group’s weapons drawn and eyes squinted through the rain for any enemies. It was only a passing shower, not a torrential thunderstorm like the last time he’d used this passage, but the similarities still made Legend tense.

History sure does love repeating itself.

More then one concerned look was shot his way as they went, but Legend ignored them, as well as the memories that were trying to claw their way to the forefront of his mind. He had a job to do and a princess to save, and he wasn’t going to get lost in his head.

Even though this was at least the fourth time he’d done this and he was so tired of evil striking at his kingdom and the people he loved and having to stop them again and again. He wasn’t going to think about it.

Not now.

They didn’t run into any monsters on the way to the other side of the castle, which made Legend suspicious, but he wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. He quickly revealed the secret passage that would lead them inside, and gestured the others in.

“That’s convenient,” Wild commented, and Warriors studied the passage in interest.

“Are you the only one who uses this tunnel? Seems like a security risk.”

“Only a few people know it exists,” Legend replied, then dropped in so he wouldn’t have to continue the conversation.

Legend took the lead as they began to walk down the tunnel, and kept himself several paces in front of the others, his shoulders slowly hitching upward.

Water dripped as they walked along the passage, running on the edges and making the floor damp. There weren’t any monsters in this spot either, which made it easy for Legend to stride as quickly as possible past the spot where his uncle had breathed his last.

He hated being down here. He hated the reason he was down here and the slimy feel of the floor under his boots, and the smell in the air and the squeak of rats he hated it.

And was it his imagination, or was he smelling blood?

“Legend?”

Legend breathed in sharply as a hand landed on his shoulder, and he looked over at Twilight, the older hero giving him a searching look. They were nearly to where the dungeons connected, he didn’t want to stop now.

“You alright?” Twilight asked, and Legend let out a bitter laugh.

“Sure, I love coming home to find out the kingdom got taken over in my absence. And nobody knows what happened to my Zelda, and getting to tromp around in the sewers, I’m having the time of my life, thanks,” he snapped. “What’s one more crisis for the kingdom of Hyrule?”

Twilight’s hand didn’t leave his shoulder. “Legend.”

Legend stopped in his tracks and glared back at Twilight, gripping his sword so tightly he was sure it was leaving lines in his palms. “What.”

“We’ll save her, Legend,” Twilight said firmly, and gave his shoulder a bracing squeeze. “You’re not alone. You’ve got us this time— whatever this wizard is capable of is no match for all nine of us. We’ll save Zelda, and the kingdom. We’ll stop this together.”

Legend stared, then looked behind Twilight to where the rest of the Links were standing, and they all gave him equally determined looks. Their eyes were bright and fierce, and full of just as much resolve to save Zelda as his own were.

Legend felt his eyes sting, but he forced himself to blink the tears back, and nodded at Twilight, breathing out as some of the emotions storming in his chest eased a bit.

Twilight released his shoulder, and Legend turned back around, waving them all onward.

“Only a bit further to the dungeons. We’ll check for Zelda there first, but if she’s not there, we’ll... we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Legend said firmly. “Finding her is our biggest objective. The wizard comes second.”

The others nodded as they crossed through a doorway, and Legend squared his shoulders, shoving away the rest of his anxiety and terror and digging up the courage in his chest that had gotten him through six adventures already.

We’re coming Zelda, hold on, he thought desperately, shouting a warning back to the others as they reached the dungeons, and an enemy’s sword nearly took his head off.

Please be okay.

#linkeduniverse #linked universe #linked universe fanfic #lu legend #lu chain #can be read as fable/legend :) #answers from the floor #anon #writing from the floor #I didn’t totally follow your idea but I hope you like it anon!

[ocarinas-princess]

Why Ocarina of Time's Princess Zelda is is underrated, and why she is one of the most tragic incarnations of Princess Zelda: an analysis post

Ocarina of Time's Princess Zelda is my favorite Zelda character, and on of my favorite characters ever. Sadly, she is not talked about that much. I've seen some people call her boring and I've actually seen quite a few people hate her due to her actions at the end of the game. I wanted to make a post analyzing her character and talking about some of the things about her that people overlook. I will be using the manga some here, which is not canon, but I encourage you to keep an open mind. I'm cross-posting this from twitter with a few changes and things I forgot to mention. The original thread can be found here.

We first see Zelda in the courtyard. We learn that she has prophetic dreams, and that her most recent ones have been about Ganondorf and the fall of Hyrule. So at the age of around 10 she’s already worrying about saving her kingdom from disaster. It’s far too much for a 10 year old to be worrying about. And you can see that she’s very concerned and that it’s all she’s been thinking about.

I’m going to assume that everyone knows the general story of Ocarina of Time, so I don’t need to explain every little detail. Long story short, Ganon attacks Hyrule castle and Impa takes Zelda and flees with her. It’s unclear exactly what he did but I think it’s likely she saw people die that day. Some guards maybe, or possibly even her dad. It’s heavily implied that her father is dead in the game. And in the manga Ganondorf straight up says that he killed him.

I’m going to take a second to talk about the people in Zelda’s life. It’s very clear how she trusts Link with all her heart and I don’t think I need to explain that one. But I do want to talk about Impa. Impa has known Zelda since she was a baby, and is Zelda’s attendant.

These two care about each other very much. Impa believes Zelda when she tells her about her dream. Zelda trusted Impa enough to confide in her. Also, Sheik later begs Link to save Impa, and Impa’s parting words are asking him to protect Zelda.

Apart from her Impa, I doubt Zelda had many other real connections in her life. Possibly a few guards? I doubt she was every able to go outside of the castle. In the manga we see that a part of her longs to be a normal girl.

A bit about Zelda’s personality. She’s adventurous and playful! When Link takes her letter to the Death Mountain guard, he makes a comment that Zelda has come up with games before!

We also see this side of her in the OOT manga. It’s clear she doesn’t like staying inside and being regal.

She’s also very brave. In the OOT manga she stands up for Link when he gets into trouble, and she even stands up to Ganondorf, right to his face!

Now, while the OOT manga technically is not canon, here’s something that is canon. With the Mask of Truth, Link can read gossip stones across Hyrule. One of these gossip stones says that Zelda is a tomboy!

A few things I forgot to mention. It seems like Zelda’s father was not very involved with her life. I mean, he didn’t take her seriously enough to even hear her out about the dreams she was having. And I presume her mother is dead. So she really had very few people in her life.

Another quick thing about her is that she cares deeply about the people of Hyrule and her kingdom. Despite the fact that she wishes she was a normal girl, she still takes her duty as princess and eventually queen very seriously.

Let’s talk about the 7 years that went by while Link was asleep. All 7 of those years, Zelda had to live through. She was only 10 when those years began. She watched her kingdom fall and she watched Ganon come into power. She likely saw people die. What little childhood she already had was taken from her. But she didn’t just give up and wait for Link to save her. She is NOT a damsel in distress. She started to train. She wanted to become stronger. She wanted to be able to fend for herself. She wanted to be able to assist Link when the time came.

Enter Sheik. Often called Zelda’s “persona” or “disguise” but I’d argue that this is actually her embracing her true self. This is the first time in her life where she’s not under anyone’s control. She does all of this while hiding from Ganondorf, who seeks her. When the time comes for her to meet Link again, she assists him in his journey by guiding him and teaching him songs. I think it’s unfortunate that we didn’t get to see her fight but here’s an official art that shows them battling together so I think it happened offscreen!

Another thing that she did is she saved Princess Ruto from under the ice of Zora’s Domain!

Link battles Ganondorf and Zelda does assist! She uses her power to hold him down while Link delivers the final blow and she then initiated the Sage’s Seal!

And now I have to talk about her regret. She blames everything that happened on herself and herself alone. She blames herself for dragging Link into it. She even feels that she needs to make it up to him. It’s a horrible burden to bear. She’s only 17.

She sends Link back to his original time. And she often gets backlash for doing this. But she does it for two reasons. The first is that she believes this is her atoning for bringing Link into the fight. She wants him to regain his childhood. She won’t ever get hers back.

And the second reason is that Link must seal the door of time, so that his timeline will have a future (for a while). Ganon was able to be kept at bay.

With Link no longer a part of her world, and Impa no longer a part of her world, she truly has no one. She will go on to become Queen and Hyrule will be rebuilt. But I don’t think just because Hyrule is rebuilt that that’s a happy ending for her. Like I said, she has no one. No one that she can confide in about her trauma. No one that would understand the burden that she bears. She will eventually have to marry someone and have a child to continue the royal bloodline. And while some things could possibly bring her joy, like a child, I don’t think she’d be truly happy for the rest of her life. She’ll never see Link or Impa again.

Thanks for reading!

#ocarina of time #the legend of zelda #the legend of zelda ocarina of time #tloz #tloz oot #oot #oot zelda #princess zelda #zelda #zelda oot #ragan's posts

[uniquevoidflowers]

Linked Arena-Part 1

(From the perspective of Masks or the Hero of Time)

Thud. Thud. Thud.

“Coming!” 

Link rushed to the door of the ranch and swung it open to see a cloaked figure there. Rain poured outside, pattering on their hood and soaking everything. “What do you need?” Link asked, leaning slightly against the door.

“I have something for you.” The cloaked figure told him quietly.

Link’s eyes narrowed. “For me? From who?”

“It’s a message. You’ll know who it’s from when you read it.” The cloaked figure insisted and pulled out an envelope.

Link took the envelope, curiosity getting the better of him. The symbol of the Triforce was stamped onto the envelope. 

Interesting. 

“So this is from the royal family? Who are-“ When Link looked up the cloaked figure was gone.

“Fairy boy?” Malon called and hurried over. “Who was that?”

“I don’t know.” Link replied and shoved the envelope down into his pocket before Malon could see it.

“Was it another solicitor? There have been so many of them coming to the ranch.” Malon huffed, scowling.

“…Yeah.” Link answered uneasily.

His wife sighed and grabbed a sign. “I’m going to put this up now. Hopefully they get the message.” 

Link watched as Malon left, sign in her hands.  He pulled out the envelope and teared the top off. He had never really been patient with these small things. 

Hero of Time

You bested the evil man Ganondorf, and the ugly creature Majora. 

You defied time and fate with the intent to save others. 

You have proven how strong you are…Yet…

Many heroes have risen up to defeat evil, whether it be before your time, or after your time. 

They are also incredibly strong…All of their hearts are pure. Just like yours.

Where am I going with this? You’re probably asking…

All of you heroes must fight each other in an arena I have prepared. 

The winner will be gifted the Triforce. 

More details will be explained at the right time, but train as hard as you can Hero of Time.

Your opponents are no pushovers. 

The letter wasn’t signed. The piece of paper slipped out of his shaky hands and fell slowly to the ground. “A f***ing arena?!”

Malon peeked back inside, looking concerned. “Link? What are you talking about?” 

Link grabbed the letter and ripped it into pieces and then stormed off. “Wait! Link!” Malon called rushing to him and grabbing his arm. “Tell me what’s happening.”

“She wants me to go fight in an arena against other heroes. The prize is the Triforce.” Link growled.

Malon’s eyes went wide. She certainly wasn’t expecting that. “You don’t have to go, right?”

“I hope so.” He murmured his anger fading a little.

Malon picked up the shredded pieces of paper and threw them away. Link sat down at the table, fists clenched. “You know…maybe there is some good to this arena fight.” Malon mused.

“What?”

“Hear me out! You’d be able to make sure that Ganondorf doesn’t come back. Ever. You could make sure that Hyrule stays a kingdom of peace.” Malon explained, hope shining in her eyes. 

Link wanted to immediately reject the idea but she had a point. “Of course if you don’t want to, don’t. I just…want you to feel at peace instead of going away every month to fight something and coming back with various injuries.” Malon admitted.

“I’ll do it.” He decided, deadpanning.

“You sure you want to do this?” Malon asked, only care and love in her features.

Link nodded and hugged her. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“You better be.” She replied and let him pull away. 

Malon kissed his cheek and walked away. Link sighed and grabbed his bag and a sword, and then he walked outside. He looked up at the sky, eyes blazing with determination. “I’m ready, Hylia.” 

Right in front of him reality crumbled and stretched so there was a hole in the air. He walked through and saw a dungeon-like room. Other Hylians, kids and adults sat there, keeping to themselves. None of them even spared a glance at Link. Link sat down in a similarly manner, since he wasn’t going to be the one to break the silence. A light filled the dim dungeon and a woman walked through. She had white long hair and golden eyes, her dress was more like a robe, a white robe with golden details on it. “Heroes.” She thundered.

Everyone looked at her. “Welcome to my arena. You have chosen to come here and fight and I commend you for that.” She smiled. “After this there is no going back. Nothing you say or do will take you back to your home. I will give you one finally opportunity to leave.” Her voice irritated him. It was like she was taunting them.

No one moved. “Very well. Here is how this will work.” She turned around and revealed an arena.

It was bare but lights illuminated the ground and seats surrounded the battleground. A barrier separated the seats from the battleground. “There will be rounds. You will not die at first…only if you are not the last one standing at the end of these rounds. You will fight each other, in duos. The winning duo will gain a point. The duo that has the most points at the end will face off against each other. Whoever wins that will get the Triforce. Make sense?” She finished.

“I have to work with one of my opponents?” The one with the blonde and pink hair scowled.

“Yes. This will truly test your physical and mental abilities. Now, I will give you a few days to train and rest before the battles begin. There should be rooms with your names on them. You will share a room with your teammate.” She demanded.

After that the heroes split up and Link searched through the hallways for his name. He found his room. The sign read:

Hero of Time, Hero of Legend

Link walked inside to see the room split into two sides. One had Link’s belongings and was decorated to his own preference. The other side had tons of bags spread out across the bed. There seemed to be a theme of bunnies. Suddenly the door burst open and the blonde and pink haired hero walked in. He sat down on his bed and sighed.

Should Link say something? Introduce himself? 

“So, we’re a team, huh?” The blonde and pink haired hero spoke, surprising Link.

“It seems so. I take it you’re the Hero of Legend?” Link replied.

“Don’t like being called that but yeah.” He responded something bitter in his tone.

“So what do I call you?” Link asked.

“I’m Link.” The Hero of Legend answered.

“…Funny thing is that my name is Link as well.” Link told him dryly.

The Hero of Legend merely huffed, not surprised. “I guess we need nicknames then.”

“Hmm.” Link responded, thinking.

“I think you could be nicknamed Mask or Masks or something like that. You seem like the mysterious type.” The Hero of Legend shrugged. 

That was…fitting. “Sure. Call me Masks.” Masks decided.

Masks took a look at the Hero of Legend and his side of the room. “Reverie.” Masks said out loud.

“What?” A shadow crossed over the Hero of Legend’s face.

“I think you could be called Reverie…maybe Rev for short?” Masks suggested.

The Hero of Legend thought for a moment before nodding. “That works. Call me Rev.” 

“This is going to be long. I can already tell something’s off.” Masks sighed. “But no matter. We should discuss strategies for the upcoming battles.” 

“It’s important to get rest before you strategize or fight. We’ll rest first then discuss.” Rev retorted.

Masks purses his lips but nodded. “Fine then.”

Rev curled up into his bed and closed his eyes, Masks following in suit. Suddenly a scream filled the air and Masks eyes flew open. “What was that?” He asked no one in particular.

“I’m going to check it out. There’s no telling what happens in this place.” Rev ran off and Masks followed, both curious and concerned. 

“Why would you do that?!” Someone screeched.

#unique writes #linked arena #linked arena masks #linked arena reverie

[looniez]

Do you think Zelda had faith in Link to find a way to restore her from her light dragon form someday from the moment she decided to eat the secret stone? I feel like this makes sense considering how much she loves him and how much she praises him in front of Rauru and Sonia. Also, Rauru and Sonia always expressed interest in helping her return to her own time, so I'm positive they would never have allowed her to become (or rather stay) an immortal dragon; they knew how much she loved Link and wanted to make sure she would be with him. So many people read the final memory as Zelda definitively and permanently for real sacrificing her humanity to save Hyrule, and I feel like they don't take her love for Link into account enough.

i have a LOT of thoughts about this!

for starters, i think zelda's decision is one of utmost selflessness. when she swallows the stone, she is not thinking about the fact that she will lose herself. she is not thinking about herself at all. all she cares about is restoring the master sword so that link will be able to use it in the future to stop ganon once and for all. she knows that she will be "forever changed" if she goes through with it, but it doesn't matter to her one bit.

her faith in link is incredibly strong. personally, i think zelda wasn't even concerned with whether or not he'd be able to change her back. she had full faith in him and the fact that he'd be able to use the sword one day to save the world, and that was why she went through with it. this is why i see it as a true sacrifice on her part. she is giving up herself in order to help both link and hyrule as a whole.

when zelda swallows the stone, it is after the imprisoning war. both rauru and sonia are gone at that point. had they been alive, i think they would've understood her logic and reasoning behind the decision, but maybe disagreed with it because draconification was a forbidden act. i don't know if they'd try and stop her. zelda knows that she is the only one with the ability to restore and protect the master sword. without it, any future battle against ganon will be lost.

i think the main thing that drives her (and her ultimate decision) is love. specifically, her love for link. all she wants is to be able to return to her time, to him, but she is effectively stuck 10,000 years in the past and can't seem to find her way back. by choosing to swallow her stone, it shows just how much she loves him. she waited 100 years for him. what's 10,000 more?

she had faith that he would find her. she had faith that he would be able to use the sword to defeat ganon. she didn't know if she'd ever be freed from her dragon form, but to zelda, it was a sacrifice that she was more than willing to make. it was a decision that was so easy because of how much she loves him, and how much she trusts him.

#zelink #tears of the kingdom #zelda #link #tloz #totk #asks #my thoughts

[bloobluebloo]

I did NOT know about that oot first playthrough route and I'm here begging you to elaborate How In the—??

SO-

When I was a wee child, I was a fool that turned down my aunt’s offer to get me Ocarina of Time brand new off the presses because she had heard that “all the kids were buying it”.

(I DONT EVEN UNDERSTAND WHY I DID THAT I TURNED DOWN A FREE GAME LIKE WTF????)

Later on, I saw my friend had bought Oracle of Seasons and, wanting to copy him because kids like to be cool like their friends, I begged my parents and they got me Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, so those were my first Zelda games. At this point I was full blown obsessed with LoZ and, going online, I learned that OoT was not only the best Zelda game ever, but possibly the best game ever made. So, lo and behold I was back at my parents’ feet begging for OoT. My dad was not pleased but after being a constant nag he decided that if he found a copy at the flea market he would buy it second hand, his budget being 30 or something dollars.

AND he found one! So I popped the cartridge in and I see a save file that seems pretty far ahead in the game so I open it and I’m taken aback because this guy saved at the Shadow Temple. Coming off the Oracle games this was quite a shift in tone so, insanely curious, I started to explore. Soon enough I realized that this dungeon was not completed so, being the emo child I was, I completely forgot that it might be a better idea to start a fresh save file and went on ahead and completed the Shadow Temple. SO, the Shadow Temple was my first OoT dungeon.

(I died so many freaking times like I was learning about the tools I had on the fly 😭)

By that point, since I had already committed to finishing the Shadow Temple I was like “let me do what this previous player didn’t do and finish the game”. I explored Hyrule a bit. Castle Town fascinated me so much because there were ZOMBIES and then I saw Ganon’s Castle (at this point I knew Ganon as the blue pig monster). When I discovered the Gerudo desert it was over for this hoe because, retroactively now that I think about it, I felt like there was something in the fiction I loved that I felt I could actually relate to. I played the horseback archery game so many times. I completed the Gerudo Training Grounds and got the ice arrows. I discovered the Spirit Temple and looked around inside even though it was complete.

(I also remember finding it funny that Ganon was Ganondorf like what’s with that suffiiiiiiix)

ANYWAYS after all that I went into the Temple of Time and then discovered Sheik where I was like oh who the fuck is this but then Sheik was Princess Zelda and I’m like damn holy shit this is a lot what is HAPPENING and then Ganondorf crashes the party and I’m telling you, this is a distinct memory, because I was like 👀wow so cocky with those words 👀 that laugh 👀 sounds so cool 👀 who are you GanonDORF 👀👀👀

After that I quickly ate dinner and flew back into my room because I mean. I was already endeared to the Gerudo and Ganondorf is a Gerudo and he sounds so sick and I completed Ganon’s castle so fast and then I saw him, the man, the legend, on a fucking organ playing his own theme song and I’m like-

Wrooooooooooow 👀👀👀👀👀

Anyways I was so fucking distracted by Ganondorf I fought him like a million times and combed through Hyrule searching for every bit of lore I could find about him before I realized that it might be a good idea to, you know, START FROM THE BEGINNING it might ya know contextualize some things.

So yeah thats the HGHHJJGKKHGFJJ part. I think I had OoT for about 2 months? Before I started it from the beginning. I was a weird child what kind of 11 going on 12 year old falls like that for the King of Evil?

(This bitch that’s who look at where I am NOW-)

#bloothots

[legendofzoodles]

LOZ Character Analysis/Rant

Ravio, The Hero of Lorule

“I’m a coward at heart. There was no way that I had the courage to stand up to you and Yuga.”

A very curious fellow. He’s very much a chosen hero like his Hyrulean counterpart Link, yet he’s nothing like him, prefering to coordinate from the background rather than charge ahead with a blade. He’s a strategist, not a fighter. A merchant, not an adventurer. An advisor, not a leader. 

He may not be one to pass up the opportunity to make a profit but he’s a pure soul. And he believes himself unworthy of being called a hero, despite the courageous and righteous acts he took to save his kingdom.

~~~

So I’ve heard people call Ravio “the hero without courage”, and I have to say I don’t agree with that. He’s a very proactive character, helping out in small but important ways.

His problem is that he lacks strength (as in literal strength, not inner strength) and power. He had the will to act, but his poor physical ability prevented him from acting in a way a traditional hero would. Unlike Link he didn’t have access to his piece of the Triforce, he didn’t have a Master sword and he was going up against Hilda and Yuga. 

Ravio’s weakness only highlights his courage and makes him an even more selfless and righteous hero than some of the Hyrulean heroes. Every Link in the series has some amount of power to back up his actions, whether it’s the might of the Master sword, the faith and guidance of the princess, a powerful companion, items that enhance their strength and much more. Aside from having copious amounts of stuff in his possession Ravio had none of that to work with. 

By the way, all of Ravio’s items and relics must have come from somewhere. Sure he may have traded a few of them, but the majority must have come from years of raiding dungeons. If he was able to escape Lorule without getting caught, then he for sure had the skills to sneak in and out of dungeons to collect their treasures. 

Ravio had only a little bit of magic left, he had no weapons and was likely very afraid, yet despite that he did what he knew was right and went to Hyrule to find help. He knew he was going against Hilda, a person he cares deeply about, and knew there was a possibility he’d never be able to return to her, but that didn’t stop him. He basically risked everything to save his people and free Hilda of her obsession with Hyrule’s triforce and herself. 

If he didn’t do what he did, both Hyrule and Lorule would have fallen into chaos. 

In his journal, there’s a three day countdown (MM reference?) to the day he leaves Lorule where he documents his thoughts and feelings:

“3 Days to go She wants to do the right thing. I wish I could help her. But leaving is my only option.”

The “I wish” is pretty powerful here, it shows how much this weighed on his mind. He probably came up with multiple scenarios in his head about he could help her, some more idealistic than others- but in the end he was resolved to leave. “only option” is an interesting word choice. Clearly Ravio didn’t see any other possible way, and even though he didn’t want to leave he felt he had to. 

2 Days to Go She's being duped. Doesn't she realize that? He's just a leech. There's no choice but to go.

“duped” he used the word “duped”, oh my days that’s adorable. I’m going to say now for the record that Ravio has the most delightful lines of dialogue. His manner of speaking is so charming!

But back to serious analysis, he was clearly heartbroken that she didn’t see in Yuga what he saw. And left to find help because at the time he had no hope of convincing her. The use of “leech” is interesting. Ravio knew what was up and recognised that Yuga was relying on Hilda. But since he couldn’t get through to her and didn’t have the power to confront her and Yuga directly, there was nothing he could do but leave.

He said that there was “no choice”, like he had to keep repeating that to himself otherwise he’d get cold feet and wouldn’t go through with it. Really emphasises just how scared and conflicted he was.

1 Day to Go I have so little magic. Enough to go there—maybe not to come back. But tomorrow must be the day. I may never see her again, but I vow to save her from all of this."

“I have so little magic”- ok this is irrelevant, but I hate that HW made his main weapon a huge hammer. It goes against the established fact that he’s, physically speaking, a weakling and that part of his character is centred around him not using weapons. He does use magic, but it seems like he can only use it with the help of items. I guess I’d just prefer it if he was trickly a merchant who dabbled in magic and never carried weapons.

That dash in the second line is heartbreaking- like he had just thought of that while writing this and it pulled him short. Again the use of “must” show he was mentally preparing himself for what had to be done and “vow” reflects how much he wanted to help her. Hilda is the subject of the last line so clearly his thoughts and motivations were mostly about her. 

Ravio’s treatment of and subsequent friendship with Link has led to them now being one of my favourite dynamics in the series. 

Straight out of the gate Ravio calls Link “buddy”, which isn’t wholey genuine since it’s their first meeting, but it suggests an easy-going and friendly personality, which wasn’t something I expected when I first got to know his character. You could argue that his boisterous mannerisms are a front to mask his insecurities for lacking power and in his eyes courage- but I don’t think it is. 

Sure, he may not believe he’s worth much as a hero, or have faith in his own unique strengths, but he’s still comfortable with himself. He has the sort of charisma only a seasoned tradesman would have, and that confidence very much comes naturally to him when he’s in his element, i.e. negotiating trades, whether it’s making a sale or convincing Link to let him crash at his house. 

Also another sidenote, Ravio is a shrewd little cinnamon roll. I get the feeling he was planning on living in Link’s house the moment he entered it, calling it “vacant” to justify moving in. After he learns it’s Link’s he says it “Looked empty-ish”, as it to imply that there’s more than enough room for another person to move in while also hinting at the idea of redecorating. 

Which he ultimately ends up doing, basically to the point of taking over. This mad lad even moved Link’s bed. The nerve of this kid! For a self-proclaimed coward he’s really brave when it comes to pushing people’s boundaries. 

Ravio was an important ally to Link. He gave him access to many useful and powerful items, such as the bracelet that allows him to turn into a painting. If Link didn’t have that, he wouldn’t have made it past the first dungeon. It’s not that Ravio stays in Link’s house and lets Link do all the hard work because he lacks the courage to do it himself and is afraid. It’s because he recognises that Link is an experienced adventurer who would be able to use the items better than he could. Besides, Ravio is always happy to make a profit help out a pal.

Plus there’s nothing wrong with being afraid, it’s only a weakness if it dulls your decision making and makes you shy away from taking action. That doesn’t apply to Ravio who’s very proactive despite his fears. 

Speaking of pals, he seems to consider Link a friends pretty early into the story and like him a lot. Not only that but he almost idolizes Link for being a hero, saying, “A real, live, genuine hero!” during their first meeting with the word choice and punctuation showing his excitement. This admiration may come from a place of wishing he was more like Link in that sense. He also calls Link “Mr Hero” rather than his name, which from Link’s point of view would become very annoying since it is pretty objectifying. Like buddy, there’s a person attached to this sword y’know?! 

I like to think that Link likes Ravio too eventually.

Ravio’s role in the story was perfect. Hilda needed to realise the error in her plan to take Hyrule’s Triforce, not be defeated in an epic battle- not that Ravio would do that even if he could. As for Yuga...ok fair enough that jerk needed to be taken out, but Ravio wasn’t strong enough to stand a realistic chance, and he knew that. 

The situation was pretty hopeless, with the other two holders of the Triforce against him, and he needed help. Thus he had to think outside the box and come up with a plan to save Princess Hilda and Lorule that didn’t involve any direct fighting on his end. He was wise enough to recognize that he couldn’t have won the fight alone, but worked hard to make sure his side did.

Ravio finally convincing Hilda to do the right thing was his moment to shine. It was something only he could do and he’d wanted to do it since the beginning. With Yuga out of the way and all the pieces in place he was able to persuade her to give back Hyrule’s Triforce and make her see the error in her ways.  

He definitely became part of her council again after this, there’s not way she wouldn’t want and need his advice.

Ravio, Hilda and Yuga all differ from their Hyrulean counterparts. Ravio had courage and inner strength but he went about doing the right thing in an unconventional way. Hilda was smart, having helped come up with the plans to obtain a new triforce, but lacked true wisdom for she allowed her judgement to be clouded by a desperation to save the kingdom. Yuga was still a power-hungry monster, but he relied on manipulating Hilda rather than his own strengths. 

~~~

Thanks for reading!

I have not played A Link Between Worlds, so I’m not very familiar with it’s lore and story but I hope I did Ravio justice with this analysis. At the very least, I’ve now got a newfound appreciation for him.

Also I’ve always believed the colour green to symbolises the Hero’s spirit, it’s the colour that links every hero. Ravio may not have it on his clothes (save for the green gem on his belt), but his eyes are green. The eyes are the window to the soul so...

Character analysis posts:

Hero of the Sky, Hero of Time, Hero of Twilight, Hero of the Wild, Hero of Warriors

Masterlist

#legend of zelda #loz #loz albw #a link between worlds #link between worlds #loz ravio #ravio #princess hilda #loz hilda #loz character analysis #character analysis #ravio my beloved

[ordonianhero]

It’s complicated

Warning: game and manga spoilers

CW: Mention of abuse and r*pe/S.A. (avoid if you can’t read said content for your own safety)

Disclaimer: not writing this to invalid people’s ships. Just wanting to make something clear about how toxic it is to normalize abuse. (Despite how in character it maybe that they did said action/behavior)

So I am writing this because I felt something needed to be clear up. In the game of Twilight Princess, Midna shatters the mirror of twilight because for the simple reason of knowing if left open, that everything they did to save both kingdoms would be at risk of yet another attack. This was also shown in the manga. Though the manga creators were given more creative way of telling the story, it is not canon to Nintendo. Nintendo allows it but have made it very clear the mangas have never been canon. Not saying people who are midlink shippers are wrong. Thats the thing about fandoms, you can ship however you like and that is 100% valid for you. Not everyone will ship the same way. Thats okay too. So now that’s out of the way, i would like to discuss something I felt was disturbing.

So in the game midna is very sassy, it just her trying to cover up her feeling of being able to do anything in her current state once Zant turned her into the imp form. So she seemed help, but wasn’t exactly nice about it. Link (twilight) happened to be her tool to getting what she wanted. Taking back her kingdom and giving little care (at first) to what happened to his world. She had an agenda. His agenda was basically to save his home and the people who are in it. The Ordon kids, ilia and the village. He later on found out though the light spirits that his task was much more then just his little village. That he was fated to save all of hyrule. He also even through her sassy ways, could see Midna behavior was of someone who was scared for her people, her kingdom. Though she only saw Link (Twilight) was a means to and end. Her attitude changed after he (despite how she treated him) when he went out of his way to get her help as she was dying. Along with seeing how much both Link and Zelda were willing to sacrifice to help her save her kingdom as well.

The manga story was a tad different and it doesn’t entirely follow the game because the creators were given creative leeway by Nintendo to tell their own version of the game. Yes Nintendo had to approve the manga before it got published. However, Nintendo has been clear that the mangas are just a work of fan content and by no means canon. Other then the one in the Hyrule historia. I actually wasn’t too fond of the creators take on Link’s back story, but that’s just me. Still amazing piece either way. So what is troubling me is the normalization of the way Midna was towards Link (twilight) and assuming that its a healthy relationship (or friendship. However way you saw it) to be physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive towards him. She hits him, calls him names….I mean that’s not okay.

“Oh well she just teasing and being sassy.”

Yeah okay in the game that’s true, the manga really went a lot father then just sass some times. There were other characters in the manga where it sort of implied things far more beyond just abuse, beside link and midna stuff. Manga was far more darker then the game.

At the end of the final manga we come to the part where Midna is about to shatter the mirror and telling Link that no, he can’t go with her. (Manga implied they have feelings for each other) some may assume if they havent played the game she is shattering the mirror for no reason. She is. It cause light and dark can’t mix. That is clear. Thus she is shattering the mirror to once again protect both their worlds from having happened, to happen again.

So now you maybe wondering where I have issue with the manga and Midlink area. Many have gone to say the content in the manga is “Juicy” when Link (twilight) couldn’t understand why he couldn’t just leave with her. Her reasoning was because he belong in the light world. To continue to serve hyrule (completely different from what actually happened in the game). Midna called him “disobedient and rude….” As she has said and told him several time through the manga series. Ever since they met that is how she saw him. “Disobedient” and “Rude”. Then she full on smacked him. A very in character thing for her to do. Yes. Then tells him, “No link, go back”

He replies, “I don’t want to.”

Which then resulted in her kissing him, pushing him away and saying with a smirk, “there’s… your reward.” Followed by “I’m not trying to silence you. That was a GIFT…from the real me.” Followed by her breaking the mirror. Which few speculate once again that this was to stop link from chasing after her. If the mirror was intact. Sure that maybe how it was seen I guess, but knowing all that hyrule went through, midna knew they couldn’t be together and to protect his and her world, it had to be shattered.

So for many people, seeing the kiss is a way to make up for smacking him. People saw this as Romance was confirmed, which no doubt it seems so. However this giving readers the thought that some how the way she treated him during the whole series was completely normal and shows a “Healthy relationship” between two people.

Sorry to break it to folks, but that is in no way “Healthy”. Matter of fact her way of treating him, even if he was was being disobedient and rude, by no means did she need to do half the stuff she did to him. Yes he is stubborn, yes the he sort of got an ego after he got the master sword. But by no means is smacking a person okay or doing half the dang stuff she did. I can’t stand for that kind of message that its normal to hurt each other in a pretty abusive way. Even if it wasn’t abusive…nobody (friend, family, partner) should ever treat another person the way Link was treated in the manga. That is where I have issue is the view that this is normal and okay. Healthy. NO! If you are a midlink shipper and you are making the conclusion based on the Manga that smacking or hurting anyone demonstrates a “healthy relationship” I worry.

So what’s going on in LU, well the Comic creator has made it very clear we wont be seeing midna, that Link’s feelings right now are just complicated and that his heart sort of torn right now, though he is close with Ilia. (Relationship or friendship) she is basing her take on Midna and Link friendship, relationship, its complicated based off the game and not off of the Manga. Not sure of what her take is of the manga it self. But this what she said a long while back:

So in conclusion, i wasn’t midlink shippers to enjoy their ship, but avoid justifying abusive actions as “Healthy”. Though this is about a bunch of fictional characters. There are folks out there who have or do experience this and chalk it up to they deserve this kind of treatment. Which is not true. Everyone deserves to be in a relationship where one should never be physically, verbally, or emotional treated in such a manner.

Now if you saw things differently and I am open to hear you out. Comment below and explain how you saw the interaction between LInk and Midna.

But I wanted to share my upset at the thought people found the ending showing a healthy relationship by abusive behavior.

That is all. I again don’t want other to take this as me being anti midlink or discouraging people who ship midlink. I was just troubled.

Thank you for hearing me out.

#linked universe #twilight princess #lu twilight #midlink

[sunset-peril]

Guilty as Ganon

She couldn't figure it out fast enough to save her own face, or Link's for that matter.

Rhoam wanted her to confess, in front of all these people, what she had done. He wanted her to submit herself for a public condemnation provided by her own father.

And what a father he had been to her. 

Had Rhoam actually been what he needed to be, Zelda determined after her witch trial was all over, none of this wouldn't have happened. 

She was upset. Okay, upset was an understatement. 

She was downright, undeniably, worthy of all the Gerudo profanity she knew, furious. And in her mind, she had every right to be. She knew what she had done, and the Goddess whom she had gotten ill for time and time again (yet still had somehow ignored her dedication) egged her on to do such a thing as if it was the last piece to finally unlocking the power that she'd lost everything for. And if it were that last step, then condemn the Golden Goddesses above she was going to do it! 

Did Father seek to gain anything by making me look more unworthy for the throne that no one else is able to inherit? By Naryu's name, what could it ever be? By defacing her, a descendant of Hylia and Link, Hylia's hero chosen over and over again, Rhoam was only asking for his kingdom to burn. 

The armor grabbed tight at her waist, worse than that cursed formal dress, but she feared about as much as she fumed.

"And why is that?" Zelda's fists grew tense as the sound of his voice in her mind. "What is more important than training to awaken the power to save all of Hyrule? Do you, Zelda, want Hyrule to burn to ashes along with all its people?"

She wanted to bash that head in over and over again, screaming profanities that matched or exceeded the ones he and the court used to describe her. 

These feelings weren't hers, she tried to convince herself at the beginning. But they were, oh so real, as real as the persistent enduring ache deep in her stomach, belonging solely to her scarred and tattered soul.

It had been so long, if ever, since she had smoldered with such fury. She wanted to let it all out on the person who had deserved it most over these past ten years.

Urbosa had taught her ways to cope with such turbulent emotions, but the one that worked the best was unusable. Whenever she got debilitated by the feelings harbored in her soul, she would always head down to the Noble Canteen for a drink known as a Valiant Cause, which was the exact same thing as the famous Noble Pursuit but minus the alcohol. It didn't exist on the menu, but the bartender began to serve it when Urbosa took Zelda in following her mother's untimely death. Now, with the small but undeniable round in her stomach, she was instantly denied access from the bar without a second glance or eloquent argument. 

"Gerudo law prohibits pregnant vai from any form of access to adult beverages or establishments." That same bartender nearly snapped at her, not even rising from the main desk. "I think of all vai, you should know that, hmm? Come back after you've finished nursing."

The words didn't frustrate her as much as the fact that Zelda's coping mechanisms were vanishing into thin air. She needed something material to work through, whether that was an ancient robot or a nearly frozen fruit punch. She used these material things because she felt like it was unfair that Link was always having to fix her problems, and without them it seemed like he was having to stop more meltdowns than ever before. Most were from her raging hormones, which caused mood swings so bizarre that the emotions came and went before she could even realize their presence. 

She missed Link… 

The poor boy was in the Lockup until Hylia-knows-when. 

Rhoam had sentenced him there until proof of his legal marriage to Zelda was provided. If it became clear that Zelda was pregnant outside of a marriage bond, he'd be sent to the Castle Town Prison for the rest of his days. If the records showed that he was married to her, then no punishment could be done. A member of the Royal Family is above the law after all. 

Sweet Hylia, Zelda wanted a hug. She was balancing on a fence of unbridled violence, but she wanted a hug so badly. 

She couldn't take it any longer. She nearly flew into a standing position, checking to make sure the armor still adequately protected her growing baby from any conflict she might encounter, and headed towards the Lockup.

"Link!" She softly called into the cell, three heads turned. 

"Zelda?!" Link cried, stumbling to his knees. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"Hey, it's the Princess!" Another voice called. 

"How are you?"

Link reached through the bars to stroke her face. "I'm fine. You've gotta get out of here. You're not supposed to be down here."

"I'm not leaving. Not yet. I miss you." 

"I miss you too. But it will be okay, Urbosa will provide everything His Majesty wants." 

Zelda aggressively kissed his lips, the others in the cell jumped back in surprise. 

They had known Link was in the Lockup for an improper relationship with the Princess, but seeing her return such ways sent them reeling. Did she initiate the relationship? Was it all her idea? Why was she so upset that he was down there? 

Link tore back for air, Zelda's face seemed like her heart was about to break. "Zelda… please, it's alright. I'll be out soon… But this, this isn't healthy for you."

"Neither of us are alright! We need you!" 

"I can't stop anyone if they react to you being down here. Please… go back to where you're supposed to be… it's safer that way… just for a little while…" He held onto her hand, brushing over her knuckles. 

"I-I can't…" Zelda's voice swung in and out of her controllable range. Her body flopped down onto its side. 

Link's breath caught in his throat as his eyes failed to find the bulge in her stomach. Where was his child? 

She wasn't breathing deep, all her breaths were quick and shallow. He snuck a hand down onto the metal covering her stomach, only then did he find her trapped bump. 

"It hurts… but it's the only thing that feels safe… with this… they can't hurt me as much."

This was enough to put him over. He wanted to rip the bars of the Lockup open and pull her close. He wanted to rip that tight armor off her and replace it with a loose, comforting dress. "Urbosa said she'd be back within forty-eight hours." His voice had become stale. "This will all be over soon…" 

“But…”

“Go. Now.” He rubbed her stomach for a few seconds before pulling away. “Stay with Impa, or Urbosa once she gets back. You don’t have to be alone, you just can't be here.” 

She nearly threw herself against the bars. "Link!" Tears began to pour down her face. "Don't leave me alone… please." 

Link ripped off his white undershirt, lovingly crafted by his late mother, and slipped it to Zelda. "Here… Tide yourself over with this…"

She brought it up to her nose and verified that it smelled like him. "But, Link…"

"You're my wife… what's mine is yours. And besides, you need it more than I do right now. You can give it back when this is all over. Now please go. I trust Impa to take care of you."

"Okay… just promise me you'll come back."

"I have, several times… but I promise again. I'm coming back." 

Zelda clutched his shirt to her chest and jogged back out of the Lockup. 

His cellmates crept up to where he was. "What was all that about?" 

Link slipped the Champion's Tunic back on. "Just doing what I need to do."

"Why would you promise her that you're getting out of here? How could you?" 

"Because we're married." He waited for the gasps to die down. "Once Gerudo Chief Urbosa brings all the proof of our legal marriage before the King, he'll have no choice but to set me free." He looked down at his anklet. 

"So… we're locked up in here with… our prince?"

"Pretty much."

"B-But how did you legally marry Princess Zelda? If King Rhoam had already banned such a relationship, how could you be so confident that it will stand binding in front of him?"

Link chuckled. "Oh, that's a long, convoluted story. But we have time, so let me tell you."

~~~~

"Princess! There you are!" Impa ran up to Zelda in the hallways of the castle. Where on Hylia's blessed land have you been?" 

Zelda began to cry again, snuggling her face into Link's shirt. 

"Princess, it's okay… it's okay…" She smelled Link on the fabric. "Wait. Where did you get this?" She tried to touch it, but Zelda stubbornly protected it. Impa's voice firmed accusingly. "You went and saw him!"

Her sobs became louder, she held one hand on her stomach and the other held the fabric to her chest. "I had to! I need him!"

Impa's anger dropped away. "Princess Zelda…" She stroked her shoulder gently. "It will be okay… Here, let's get you to your room; it's nice and quiet there, and I'll stay with you until Urbosa returns." She led her back to the room, then convinced her to change out of the armor into a loose silk dress. "If anyone tries to hurt you or the little descendant of Hylia, I will defend you. Please make yourself comfortable, you probably haven't been since the last time you trained at the Spring of Courage." 

"Okay… thank you, Impa."

"Of course, Your Highness. I'm always here for you." 

Zelda chose a long blue nightgown, completely lacking of a corset or any tight shapers, and slipped in. As she did so, her hands brushed the new curves of her stomach. The feeling made her weak in the knees, she grabbed onto the nearby dresser. "Impa! My knees have given out." 

"Oh!" She rushed over, helping Zelda over to her bed and laying her down. "Rest, Princess. You've had a stressful few days." 

"...Impa? Would you… mind?" She rolled over towards Impa and carefully showed off her tender bump. 

"You want a massage?"

"Yes… please."

Impa stepped closer to the bed and put her hands on Zelda's stomach, massaging carefully. "Oh… I can definitely feel the baby… They're a lot bigger than when we first scanned you…" She felt Zelda stiffen up. "Hey, Princess Zelda, relax."

"Father won't overturn Mother's pact to keep Link and I apart, will he?"

Massages changed to long strokes down Zelda's stomach. "In all honesty, I cannot see how he could. Your mother was a descendant of Hylia, a mere Hylian like your father cannot overturn her words. Besides, even if he could, we could definitely prove that his actions are intentionally causing harm to you, the last descendant. But I believe he will accept all of this after Urbosa returns. He does not need three more wars to fight.

"Will my baby get to meet their father?" 

"I believe he will be with you for the rest of this journey."

Zelda nuzzled into the mattress next to her head, ready for her husband to be with her again. "I long for him."

"Already? You couldn't have been apart for more than ten minutes."

"I need him to be here, Impa. You don't understand…" 

She felt something twist in Zelda's stomach. "I think I do. I'm going to call a doctor, just to make sure you're doing alright. Please try and sleep." Impa stepped outside, closing the door to keep threats out, spoke quickly with a nearby guard to request medical attention for the pregnant princess, and then returned.

Zelda was blinking slowly, beginning to drift to sleep. Impa repositioned Link's shirt in front of her nose; she snuggled up, sighed, and closed her eyes almost instantly. 

"Sleep well, Princess." Impa wished softly, laying a blanket over her. She sat down on the stool near Zelda's bed until the doctor arrived. 

She was an older, sweet-looking Sheikah woman, a healer badge on her arm and a few instruments in her possession. "Lady Impa, I'm here."

"Wonderful. Would you please check the princess over? She's not looking entirely well." 

"Of course." She walked over to the bed, looking at Zelda with her nose snuggled in Link's shirt. "I must have you know, I am not allowed to refer to Champion Link as her husband until the King has been given satisfactory evidence." 

"Of course. She was asking me earlier, and I would like another perspective, do you think His Majesty will find the evidence satisfactory? I attended their wedding, so I fear a little bias on my part."

"I believe that His Majesty will have no choice but to accept it if even a simple marriage license shows up. The pact between the queens was quite clear that Her Highness could receive any Gerudo ceremony Urbosa or her wished. Although a bit of a loophole, the Gerudo marriage ceremony is permitted under that pact. Because the ceremony was part of Gerudo law and not Hyrulean law, Urbosa had the authority to marry Zelda to whatever man she wished, no matter the tribe or occupation. If a Gerudo marriage document appears before him, that is proof enough." 

"I am glad to hear that. She will be too." 

"I must move his shirt to examine her. Do you think she'll react badly?" 

"Yes. She's incredibly stressed. Her Highness wouldn't settle until she had the Champion's undershirt. I fear removing it will cause her to lash out."

"I'm going to wake her then, so she won't panic as much." She shook Zelda softly, a pair of emerald eyes fluttered open. 

"I am truly sorry to wake you, Princess. I've been summoned to examine you, and I must move this shirt to do so." 

A heartbreaking whimper sounded before Zelda picked up the fabric, smelled it once more and slipped it under her pillow for later retrieval.

"Thank you… You can have it back in a little." She pulled out a stethoscope and slipped it under Zelda's dress. "Little heartbeat…" She stopped to feel Zelda's stomach. "Oh, I feel the womb. You are one hundred percent, without a doubt, pregnant, Your Highness. Do you have any idea how far along you are?" 

Zelda took a few gasping breaths. "Three months… I am three months."

"Well then, you feel normal; carrying pretty large though." 

"In your professional opinion, how big does she look?"

"About two months ahead. She really looks about five right now." She took the stethoscope off her stomach and moved to her back. "Your heart sounds good, is that baby putting pressure on your chest? Your breathing sounds a little strained." 

"It does?" Zelda took a few more deep breaths. "I would guess so then. I noticed I was always feeling out of breath, but I thought it was just because of the baby."

"It is, your body's so tiny, your growing baby's body is pressing against the rest of your organs. If you rest on your side, you'll be able to breathe easier." 

Zelda rolled over carefully. "Oh! Yes, this is much better!" She stretched herself out. 

"You already sound better." She turned to Impa. "Make sure she's eating well, and she doesn't need to be up and working unless she has to. I will tell His Majesty what we've found here. Congratulations, Princess Zelda. I would suggest meeting with a midwife now to discuss a special care plan." 

"Thank you so much." 

The doctor waved goodbye. 

"Well, now the little one is official." Impa looked at Zelda's bump. "I'm quite impressed with your ability to hide this. For you to look five months… and just now getting discovered, that's quite a feat."

"It was tiring…" Zelda pulled Link's shirt out from under the pillow and went back to sleep. 

~~~~

"Champion Link?" The doctor walked into the Lockup.

He had pressed himself up against the door of the cell, laying down but wide awake. "Yes? Who are you?"

"I'm a healer. I just came from examining Princess Zelda."

Link perked up, so did the other prisoners. "You did? How is she? Is she alright?" He grabbed her sleeve and yanked her towards him, concern and fear sparkling in his eyes. "How's our baby? Are they okay?"

She blinked in confusion. "You already know she's pregnant?"

"Yes! I've known for about two months now. Are they both okay?"

"I've asked Her Highness to meet with a midwife for a more reliable evaluation of her pregnancy, but she is doing alright. She's very stressed, however, and her body is already feeling pressure from the child. Her womb seems to be pushing up against her lungs."

His tears started falling down. "Will she be alright?" 

"All of Hyrule knows how much we need this child. We will take care of the Princess and ensure she delivers a healthy infant safely." She dried his tears. "You're sweet and tender-hearted… I can see why she fell in love with you." She unlatched the lock. "Now will you come here? His Majesty has demanded a health check on you." 

He approached slowly, looking around for anyone who would attack him. 

"You're both nervous wrecks aren't you?" She slid the door closed behind him before any of the other prisoners could get out. "Come up here, I won't bite." She chuckled a little at his uncharacteristic nervousness. 

They arrived at a private room where she examined him, finding him to be in perfect health aside from his nervousness and his few scratches. She took him back, then returned to King Rhoam. 

"You say both of them are in perfect health?"

"Perfect physical health, yes, Your Majesty. Her Highness needs a midwife to examine her overall health, as her pregnancy is confirmed. Champion Link is still shaken from his imprisonment." 

Rhoam sighed in displeasure. "This is a mess… and why is he so shaken? He knew of the consequences for pursuing an inappropriate relationship with my daughter!"

"He truly believed himself married to her, and he might be able to sense her unease." 

"But in even pursuing that marriage, he violated the highest laws of Hyrule!" 

"If Her Highness spoke the truth, then she believed she legally could marry any man she desired. By association, she believed she could pursue any of the steps needed to make that decision. Regardless of reason, all we can do is wait for Chief Urbosa's return." 

~~~~

Upon Urbosa’s return, she delivered all records to His Majesty, then made a beeline to the Lockup and Zelda’s bedroom. 

“I’m here, little bird…” She ran her hand up and down Zelda’s side, feeling her bump. “I’m here… It will be okay…” 

She cooed sleepily, responding more as Urbosa leaned towards her ear. 

“He wants you to know how much he loves you.” 

"Tell him I love him too… so much… and that I miss him…" 

"Of course, vehvi." She played with Zelda's long hair. "How are you feeling?"

"Stressed… kind of sick."

She pulled another blanket over. "Rest."

A maid knocked.  

"Enter!" Zelda called out, she stepped in. 

"Your Highness, His Majesty has announced that yours and Champion Link's trial will occur in two days. You have been asked to complete an evaluation with a midwife prior to then." 

Her voice shook under her breath. "Without him?" She glanced towards Urbosa.

"Thank you." Urbosa replied, watching the maid walk out. 

"I have to do that… without him?"

"Little bird… We'll do what we must in order to make your father happy… he is the one on the throne." 

She sighed, rubbing her stomach. "Okay…"

"We'll get it done tomorrow. For the rest of today, Impa and I will make sure you are not bothered. Please rest, and we are here to talk if you need us." Urbosa put a few pillows underneath Zelda to prop her up comfortably.

~~~~

Hyrule's Final Stand

#fanfiction #legend of zelda #breath of the wild #zelink #hyrule's final stand #this fic is technically unfinished #however it's been untouched since mid-2022 so we'll call it finished #link botw #zelda x link #pregnancy #pregnant zelink #oneshot #but also tied into a series #royal wolfbred family of hyrule

[airplanned]

I have a fic idea.

This isn’t going to get written for A While, so I thought I’d start talking about it. When I finished the game, the idea I had for a post-game fic felt like they wouldn’t work, so I stopped thinking about it.

Then I had an idea.

Spoilers for the whole game below the cut

So I was hoping (and then realized after a second’s reflection that it there was no way) that Zelda would come out the end of the game with amnesia 😂. And Link would have to take her around to trigger memories. And it would be his turn to help her through this.

But then she seems to come out completely unscathed, which is kinda boring, but I’m happy for her. So never mind, I guess.

But then I thought, she doesn’t remember being a dragon, and maybe those memories could get triggered over the course of the fic.

Simultaneously, I want to do something about the other three dragons. I thought that was going to be a big plot point in totk, and would help me figure out how to save Zelda (again, I was wrong). So Zelda would be very into “rescuing” the three dragons. And the Zonai survey team could be involved in research, and they can track down old legends about people who turned into dragons.

But why would someone want to turn into a dragon? I hope this becomes a whole genre of fic, with a bunch of people writing different things because there’s so much here. People could be after power. They could be after immortality. They could need to carry a message. They could need to protect something. All for bad and good motivations.

I think during one of the many horrible things that happened during Hyrule’s history, some shit went down. Not only that, but Zelda as a dragon was involved. And we learn the whole dramatic story as Zelda gets back her memories and the dragons turn back into people (who don’t recognize Person Zelda and might not be what they seem).

And I think somehow this could tie into the OoT Din, Nauru, and Farore lore.

#Zelda #TotK spoilers #my fic

[aquaticpal]

WIP Wednesday - Chrysalis

So the other day I promised to share something related to this post 🙂 This is a random OoT idea that popped up a few weeks ago, and I managed to nurse it into a full-blown comic script (thanks @aegon-targaryen for listening to my blabs). Now, I have a buuuunnnch of things to do before I have anywhere near the time to draw such a lengthy comic, so it's going to sit in this script form for a long time maybe forever. Still, I wanted to put it out here so that it at least exists in this form 😌

Chrysalis

Rating: G Word count: ~2000 Tags: canon divergence, fix-it fic, healing, let's pretend this is an AU where uhhh Navi doesn't exist

[desert sand dunes - night, around a campfire]

"Hahhh... Sheik, you saved me again..."

"A couple pieces of bread and dried meat was all it took, and you went traipsing across the desert without even that?"

"I had them! It just... didn't last as long as I thought...!

I used to stay out all night in the forest and got by fine just picking a few berries... dunno what happened..."

"You have a body twice the size to feed now. Idiot." "Oh... yeah..."

"Aren't you gonna have some, Sheik? (I feel weird eating by myself...)"

"I ate earlier. No need." "Pff, I know you're just trying to avoid taking down your mask, right? (It's fine, I get it)"

"My hands are occupied."

[Link stretches out under the wide, endlessly vast desert sky, full of stars]

"Thanks for the music. It's a real treat for the last night before the Spirit Temple tomorrow."

"After I clear the last temple... that'll be it, right? Then I'll be able to see Princess Zelda?"

"...Presumably."

"I wonder what she'll be like, after seven years... Hey Sheik, you know where she is, right? Do you talk with her? Have you met her?"

"As if I would divulge that information." "I guess I'll just have to find out tomorrow~"

"What if when you meet her,

she's not the perfect person that you imagine? What if she's actually selfish, or cowardly, or cruel?"

"What if she has blood on her hands?"

"Sheik."

[Link's hand has moved to the Master Sword.]

"You don't like Princess Zelda very much, do you."

"..."

"She is using you."

"She's my friend! She's not that kind of person. And I want to help her."

"Aren't the Sheikah supposed to be loyal to the Royal Family? Are you?"

"That is where my loyalty lies. The Princess can trust me to work for her goal, as can you. I have no obligation to like her as a person.

But perhaps you shouldn't trust me fully, either."

"You don't seem like a bad person. You've been helping me get to all the temples. And you've never tried to do anything bad to me even though you could sneak up on me anytime."

Besides, we're friends, aren't we?"

[plink] "You are far too quick to open your heart to others. You may have missed the past seven years, but in a world like this, there are many who would take the opportunity to strike at that openness."

"It's okay, I'm the Hero. I can take it." "You can't treat your own well-being so frivolously like that!"

"All of Hyrule's fate is dependent on you!"

"In a world like this... people need someone who opens their heart more than ever, don't they?

I'm lucky. I slept through all these years, and I woke up strong - strong enough to fight the evils in this world. Strong enough to help all the people who's been hurt and worn down by years of darkness.

So, I don't mind taking a few nicks or hits if it means giving a bit of hope to someone who needs it. It's what I'm made for.

I don't know where Zelda is, but... I hope she can see it, too. That all over Hyrule things are getting a little better, so wherever she is, hopefully things are a little brighter too."

[His optimism makes his face glow in the firelight. Sheik is silent.]

"She doesn't deserve you."

"You sound jealous." ("Don't be absurd!")

"I-I have to go." "Wait, hold--"

[behind a nearby rock formation, Sheik re-materializes, hands clenched]

===

[shot of clasped, gloved hands - Temple of Time] "...It was I, Zelda. Princess of Hyrule."

"I'm sorry for deceiving you all this time..." [Link steps forward, reaching out, hopeful]

!! [The room shakes, a crystal forms around Zelda]

[her vision blacks out, the last sight being Link inaudibly banging on the crystal]

"...Ganondorf... pitiful man..."

"Six Sages... now!"

"...the road between times... will be closed..."

"Link, give the ocarina to me.

As a Sage, I can return you to your original time with it."

[instead of giving the ocarina, Link reaches out and cradles her outstretched hand, like a wounded thing.]

"Are you all right?" "What... I..."

"You look so sad.

Back then, that time when you were talking as Sheik. You said you didn't like the Princess very much."

"It was my childish whims that threw Hyrule into ruin. I have to make amends for all the souls that suffered the price for my mistake. Most of all, you."

"Can I talk to Sheik?" "I..."

"That's just me, Link." "No"

"Even though Sheik was always behind a mask, It seemed like you could talk more truthfully then."

"Link, this isn't the time..." "This is the time! If you're going to send me back, if you want me to give you the ocarina... then at least I want to hear it from Sheik. I want to hear your true words."

"I..."

[Zelda turns away, huddled into herself]

[but silently and motionlessly, she Shifts]

"Can we go somewhere else?"

===

[Lake Hylia - the island with the warp pedestal]

"It's nice to be here without having to worry you'll run off again."

"You're not gonna run off, right?" "Link, please."

[they sit silently for a moment, looking out over the water]

"Is this what you really want? Will it make you happy?"

"This isn't about that. The people of Hyrule--" "That's not what I asked."

"...It doesn't matter." "I'm asking how you feel--" "It doesn't matter!"

[a silent moment.]

"Why do you hate Princess Zelda so much?"

"She was weak. All she could do was cower and hide. All she could do was wait while others fought and bled for her mistake."

"She befriended a brave, pure-hearted boy, only to take advantage of his kindness. She stole so much from him. From everyone."

"How can you even look at her? After what she's done?"

"..."

"After I woke up from the Sacred Realm, I met a lot of people who needed help. People who were beaten down and tired, and lost their hope and will. It was all they could do to hang on and get through each day, and some of them didn't make it."

"But not Zelda. She survived for seven years, and not only that, she traveled all across the land, even through all the dangers - all to make sure that her people were protected, and her hero could succeed."

"There would've been no hope in this land if she hadn't worked to keep it alive for seven years. And she kept this idiot hero alive, too."

"I think she's very strong. Even stronger than me. And she deserves to smile, too."

[Smiling - it's something she hasn't tried to do in a long time. Behind the mask, she is worn down, but tries feebly to mount one more defense]

"What about you? You deserve to be rewarded for your efforts and sacrifice, more than anyone."

"Wouldn't you rather go back to a world without turmoil? Wouldn't it ease your mind, knowing that you saved the lives of so many?"

"Yeah, but I'll know there's one person I haven't saved."

"The one person I most wanted to save." "Don't"

"I'll go back if you want me to. I'll do it if that's what you think is best, Zelda. But don't do it because you think hurting yourself is the only right thing to do, okay?"

"I swore, when I met you, that I would protect you, no matter what. Don't make me do something that would hurt you."

[Link takes her hand, and places the ocarina in it.]

"Please, promise me that whatever you choose... you'll do it with a smile."

[Cradling the ocarina, Sheik tries to gather her composure, but she cannot muster a smile. She looks down, defeated]

"...Will you forgive me, if I choose to be selfish?"

"You know what my answer would be. But I think I'm not the one you need to ask that to. Am I right?"

[A vision - Sheik stands looking down at a young Princess Zelda from seven years ago, bloodied and dirtied as if she had just escaped from the castle]

[Slowly, Sheik approaches and stoops to the young girl's level, and reaches out to pull her into an embrace.]

[In the real world, Sheik is wiping at her eyes]

"I'm sorry. Please stay"

[Perhaps, she's saying it to someone else, too. Link holds her, for a long time]

"Look, the sun's coming up."

[still leaning into each other, they look to the brightening horizon]

"This is a lot nicer than last time."

"When I threw a Deku Nut at you and ran away?" "Heh"

[Looking into the light, Sheik reaches up to her mask, and lowers it. She faces the sun for a moment, then looks up to face Link]

"Hi."

"It's good to meet you... at last."

[their faces are so close. She's moved to lean in and kiss him, just a little.]

"Sorry, I..." "Don't be sorry! That was nice. You're... nice."

"Can I kiss you too?" "Link, I..."

"This body... It's a male body." "So?"

"I thought you might not... like..."

"I like you. The real you. Without hiding. Without holding back."

[Blushing but touched, Sheik tucks her hair behind her ear, finally showing her full face.]

"All right, then."

[they do not hold back.]

===

[partially restored castle - Princess Zelda steps out of a political meeting, looking tired. Out of nowhere, Link tugs her around a corner for a kiss]

"L-Link! You can't just--I'm still Zelda!"

"What? Don't worry, no one's gonna see. (Promise)"

"It's not that, I... I thought you just liked... Sheik."

"I told you, I like you. Did you think I wouldn't want to kiss a beautiful princess?

Zel. You're no less kind, or brave, or hardworking, just because you're in a different body."

[she looks down for a moment, emotional, tempted to refuse. But then she looks up, with a smile.] 

"Okay."

[She steps into his arms, and kisses him fully for the first time]

===

[Fishing Hole - golden hour. Link is struggling to reel in a fish]

[Zelda's POV - Link turns, and drops his rod in excitement] "Zel! You made it!"

[full shot - Zelda is dressed in a plain, androgynous tunic and leggings, carrying a small picnic basket. Her hair is free and loosely pulled back, without a crown, without a mask.] "And you brought food!! You're the best person in the world."

"Man, I didn't realize I was starving" "You have to take better care of your own needs, Hero." "I don't have to, I've got you~"

"Here, you should have some too--"

"Oh crud - there's no more?" "I'm sorry. Supplies are still low--" ("No I'm the one who should be sorry!!")

"Well, here - I've got something for you too."

[Link pulls out a glass bottle, filled with strawberries. They're a deep, ripe red - the first splash of color in this black & white comic] "I picked them from the Lost Woods. They've just started growing back recently."

[He holds one up to her lips. A little tentatively, Zelda bites into it - and bursts into tears]

"Zel!? You okay?" "Y-Yes, I just..."

"It's been... a long time since I've had anything so sweet."

"You deserve it."

[Wide shot - she has a little emotional fit in his arms. Color is gradually seeping into the comic.]

[But eventually, the berries get finished.]

"Link - there's one more thing. I..."

[Zelda takes out the Ocarina of Time, and places it into his hands.]

"Zel, this..."

[She gives him a genuine smile, fond and peaceful.] "Keep it. I've made my decision."

[She touches her forehead to his, as they share a moment of joy] "It suits you better, anyway."

[Zelda pulls out her harp, and begins playing a tune.]

[Link raises the ocarina, and joins her in a duet.]

[The musical notes drift into the sky, intertwined over a lush, colorful world.]

#wip #zelda #zelink #shink #ocarina of time #my writing #oot my beloved

[justanotherfanwriter]

Ok ok ok, a male gerudo is born like every hundred years, right? And in botw they beat ganon, who I’m assuming was once the male gerudo. So, ignoring the dehydrated corpse in totk, wouldn’t it be funny if the reincarnation cycle for ganon kicked in almost immediately, and Link and Zelda are like “wait he’s a fking baby now?” shh, I know, it doesn’t make sense, just go with it.

Anyway, May can’t get here fast enough, so have a baby au! I have 3-ish more ideas for this au, so here’s to hoping I can kick my ass into writing them!! Per usual, I didn’t edit this as well as I should have.

==================================================

 Zelda’s steps were light as she climbed down the stairs of the little cottage. She stuck close to the hand rail as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“Good morning, Link,” She greeted through a yawn, walking past him at the dining table where he sat spooning something unidentifiable into the mouth of a baby.

“Good morning, Prinnncesssss,” He cooed back, exaggerating slightly for the baby’s entertainment as he flew a spoonful of mash playfully in the air before diving it into the baby’s open mouth.

Zelda smiled, rolling her eyes. Despite her pleas to stop, Link was adamant about using her old title. It was entirely unnecessary; the Kingdom was no more, but he insisted nonetheless. Supposedly, it helped his still fretful memory.

She continued onto the breakfast nook, following the scent of warm, fresh brewed coffee, and went through her normal motions. She filled the cup, added her sweeteners, and at long last, took a spirit-saving sip.

“Ahh,” She sighed in relief, smacking her lips, “it’s delicious today.”

“My best pot yet?” Link teased, looking up from the infant to smile at her. His smile was, per usual, picturesque, stopping her heart momentarily, but she kept that to herself.

Instead, she smiled back, “It just might—” Her brain came to a reeling halt, words instantly forgotten. She looked at Link, then down at her coffee. Back to Link. Her coffee. Finally, to the baby with a mouthful of puree. Back to her coffee. To Link. To the baby. To Link. To the baby. To Link, and again, the baby.

“Link?” She asked.

“Yes?” He answered, his attention again away from her. His face contorted into an “O” shape as he spooned more food into the baby’s mouth, and the baby mimicked him with round eyes keenly interested in Link’s antics.

“What is that?” She said calmly, pointing towards the baby. In most Hyrulian circles, this was a highly offensive gesture. To get someone’s attention or point another person’s attention elsewhere, Hylians often used signifiers like “HEY!” or “LISTEN!”, and then used their eyes to gesture where they wanted.

They did not point.

Zelda, being a former princess of Hyrule, was well aware of this informal social rule. In this specific instance, she chose to ignore it.  

“Oh, this?” Link shook the container of mash, “Apple puree. I added a little cinnamon. It’s quite good.”

“No, not that—that!” She emphasized, jabbing her finger repeatedly at the baby.

Link’s eyebrows furrowed, “You mean the baby?”

“Bah?” The baby’s face twisted, and his little fist making grabby motions at spoon, angry his meal hovered too far from his mouth.

“Nooo, I mean the full-grown man right in front of you!” She threw up her arms, “Yes! Of course! I mean the random Gerudo baby. Who else would I be referring to!?”

“Ah,” Link’s eyes went wide with understanding, and he nodded, “yes, well, he was on the doorstep this morning. I almost stepped on his little basket when I went to feed the horses.”

She felt her eyes bulge out their sockets, “Do you know who that is?”

“Well, considering he’s a baby, no, we haven’t yet had the pleasure to meet until just this morning. Hungry little thing, though. Likes a good apple puree.” He paused, tilting his head as he examined the baby in full as if for the first time, “Well, Hylia, it seems we already have a lot in common.”

“Link!” Zelda stomped over, pointing another accusatory finger at the baby, “It’s Ganon!”

Link looked from her to the baby before slowly turning his attention back her.

“The baby,” He deadpanned.

“Yes!”

“You think the baby, this one right here,” He nodded his chin at the baby, and then gestured towards the door of the cottage, “is the castle sized monster I slayed in Hyrule Field?”

Zelda felt her face color, “Y-yes!”

“The monster that enslaved you for over one hundred years?”

“Yes!”

“This baby?”

“Who else!”

“Did you sleep well last night, Princess? You usually have more wit about you.”

“Don’t take that tone with me!” She stomped, propping her hands on her hips, “I know it’s Ganon because I was stuck with Ganon! A Gerudo prince is born every one hundred years after the last one passes—”

“It hasn’t even been fou—”

“—I know it’s only been four months! But we put his spirit to rest—”

“Well—” He interrupted again, amending her statement, “—I put his spirit to rest.”

Zelda stopped raving, slowly lowering her arms to stare at her former knight. He met her stare evenly with a Hylia-forsaken smirk.

“Sort-of just popped in at the end, didn’t you?” He mused, turning back to the baby.

She swore she felt a blood vessel pop as she glared at him. Through gritted teeth she spoke, “We.”

“That’s not what everyone else says,” he teased back, and then cooed at the baby, “huh, Ganon, what do you think? Did the Princess put your spirit to rest?”

The baby gurgled around a spoonful of food, much more interested in the glittering guardian shield hanging up behind Link then the two adults bickering.

Flushed and embarrassed, she turned away from the both of them and stomped her way back up the stairs.

“Fine!” She scowled, “If you want to play house with Demise itself, by all mean, be my guest! Can’t say I’m surprised! No one ever listens to me!” She started throwing her meager belongings into her knapsack, “Don’t know why I bother! Don’t know why I stay!”

“I thought it was because you have nowhere else to go,” Link supplied from the table; the amusement in his voice floating up to the loft.

She placed a finger kiss on Urbosa’s brow, and then, stomped back down the stairs with her things in tow, “I’m leaving!”, and when she got no suitable response, she spoke again, barely able to contain her rage, “For good this time! I’m staying with Purah, and tomorrow I’ll have Symin take me back to Impa! This is it!”

She kicked open the door, and before she slammed it shut, she hissed, “And no following me! I mean it! I can’t stand you!”

“I’ll see you at dinner then?” Link’s voice sang out after her, and to give credit where credit was due, not even Bolson batted an eye when she screamed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ah,” Link smiled when the door was, once again, kicked open (thank Hylia for sturdy oak); he didn’t bother to look at who was behind him. He knew well enough already. Spooning out her plate of dinner, he hummed, “you’re back just in time.”

“I’m not back!” Zelda argued as she threw down her knapsack, “I’ve come to say my final peace!”

Finally, Link turned to face her. The look on his face was soft with affection, “over food, at least?”

He looked stupidly cute with the baby gurgling over his shoulder, strapped to his back where his sword usually belonged. It surprised her enough that the dark look on her face momentarily relaxed, and she stared at the bowl of stemming pumpkin stew he was holding out to her before she remembered herself.

Despite her grumbling stomach, her pretty sneer was back in its proper place, and she huffed, “What? Let me guess, you put a ton of meat in it as punishment? You want to poke more fun at me?”

Link laughed. It sounded as it always did, airy and calm. Link had never been a loud laugher. The sound of it reminded her more of an old wise librarian, and not a reckless adrenaline junkie fond of swords and mud.

“I wouldn’t do that,” He placed her stew down at her normal spot. He pointed to her bowl, “no meat,” then he pointed to his, “meat,” finally, he pointed to a smaller dish next to his own, “baby food.” His eyes crinkled in amusement, “I was tempted to serve you that, but—”

“I’m leaving!” She turned back to the door, “Farewell forever! Don’t ask after me!”

“I said, but,” Link laughed again, pulling her back into the cottage, and plopping her down at the table. “Ganon and I both decided you’ve been teased enough for today.”

A worried look passed over her face, and she pressed her lips into a thin line, looking towards Link, the baby, and her bowl of stew. She chewed on her cheeks for a moment, considering what he had said, when, accidentally, she blurted out, “You were very mean!”

If at all possible, the look on Link’s face softened even more as he put the bowl down in front of her, “I was.”

“It hurt my feelings,” She whined, but the crease of her forehead signaled she was worrying over something much bigger then hurt feelings.

“I’m sorry,” He hummed, kneeling down next to her seat.  

She turned slightly to face him, doe eyes impossibly large and grief stricken, “I helped you a little bit, didn’t I?”

This pulled another smile out of Link, large enough to even show his teeth, which was an incredible rarity, “More than a little bit, every single day. You protected Hyrule for so long, Princess, I could never forget that.”

“But everyone—” She started to argue.

“—Hyruleans aren’t always…very intelligent, are they?”

Zelda pondered this for a moment before visibly relaxing. “Literacy rates have gone down in the last one hundred years,” she conceded.  

The corners of Link’s eyes crinkled with amusement, and he sat back on his hunches, mindful of the baby, to push the bowl of stew on the table closer to her.

“Eat?” He asked.

“Oh, yes,” She often had to be reminded to do so, “I’m—I’m sorry, Link, I didn’t—”

“Just eat,” He hummed, and then, opened his mouth to say something more—maybe something just a little too charming to be considered friendly banter—when his head suddenly tugged to the side. He hissed, one of his eyes shutting reflexively in pain, and reached behind him, “Ah, no, lil Ganon, no pulling.” Carefully, Link extracted a chunk of his hair from a small, chubby hand, and explained, “He’s fond of hair, anything sparkly, and apple puree. That’s all you’ve missed.”

There was a long beat, as if Zelda was purposefully trying to forget the baby existed in real time before she let out an uneasy breath and asked, “You’re calling the baby Ganon?”

“It’s funny,” Link shrugged with another one of his infamous airy laughs as he wrestled fistfuls of hair away from the baby strapped to his back.

“He almost destroyed all of Hyrule.” Zelda commented, trying her hardest to keep her voice as neutral as possible, but she was sure he could still hear the twinge of hysteria.  

“Almost.” Link echoed, “Besides, wasn’t it actually Demise? There are too many names to remember.”

“It was both of them!”

And, ah, yes, now, there was the hysteria.

“Only the most virtuous of people can hold the triforce of power. It’s plagued by Demise itself, who craves power like no other. Only the strongest-willed are successful at overcoming its temptations, and when they cannot, well—” She gestured around, “—we all suffer for it.”

“And I can sense it,” She explained, clutching at the fabric of her shirt over her chest; panic seeping into her features. “That child holds the triforce of power. Demise is already in him, with his malice and evil, trying to corrupt him. He may be a baby now, but it is only a matter of time before he dooms us all.”

Link stopped wrestling little hands away from his hair and earrings to stare at her. He mulled over what she had said with a sullen, almost disgusted look. Finally, he spoke, “Ah, so, I’m underestimated, you’re never listened to, and lil Ganon’s will simply cannot break. Very fair.”

“I never said it was fair.”

Link let a deep breath out through his nose, “Princess—” She cringed; sometimes she liked when he called her that, sometimes it felt like a knife to her heart, and it was one of those times where it felt like a knife to her heart, “—what makes you think this time Ganon will fail?”

She said simply, “History.”

Link rolled his eyes, “Well, excuse me, your highness, but the last time someone accused my charge of failing, it was only because of the people around her, not her lack of trying.”

Zelda sucked in a rapid breath, seemingly taken back by the admission despite Link saying something similar many times before. This time it was different. This time she heard it, the way she spoke to herself of herself, and how she was now placing that doubt on a child. It was like a slap to the face, and she felt she was no better then her father’s Court, who had treated her so poorly during her own childhood. She didn’t want to be like that—like them.

Tears pricked her eyes, but she had no words. Instead, she stared at Link, who continued to speak.

“I will not let another one of us do it on our own. If what your saying is true—and I’ve never known you to be a liar—and this child, no, this infant,” he corrected, “has to face what we faced within himself, I will be by his side when that time comes.”

“It’s not up to us. It’s up to him. We can’t do anything.”

“For Hyrule, we have to try.” He looked up at her seriously from his knees as if he was swearing allegiance once more to the crown, and something in her fluttered, “I will not lose this world again. I will not lose you again. We have to try. It’s what Hylia would want, you know that, and you would be the best person to teach him that, to teach him Her light.”

“Our time is done. She no longer speaks to me,” She whispered, “how could I teach him anything useful?”

“You’re the only one who knows what he’ll be going through, and how hard it will be, and how much is at stake, and what sits on his shoulders if he doesn’t succeed.”

“You do too,” She argued feebly.

“Not in same way. I was never stuck in his head.”

“It’s—I—Link, it was very hard being trapped with him.” She admitted softly, refusing to look at either him or the baby, “I saw things that I—” She swallowed and stayed silent.

“Zel,” He took one of her hands in his, and spoke quietly, “Skyward bound, adrift in time, or something-something embers of Twilight—”

“—that’s not how it starts,” Zelda snorted, she couldn’t help herself, and he winked, glad she had fallen for it, “eh, I may have forgotten a line or two, but the point is, I’ll be right here with you.”

She smiled, placing her other hand over his, and he had to fight back a flare of ear-warming affection.

“I know,” She assured him, “thank you.”

The baby squealed and gurgled over Link’s shoulder, finding for the first time, the joy of making spit bubbles, and they both jumped at the noise. It broke the odd, depressing atmosphere they had found themselves in, and the two of them shared a startled look. With a smile, Link pulled the little Gerudo prince out of his carrier. He was adorable, there was no doubt about that. Large, golden eyes, lined with the thickest red lashes Zelda had ever seen batted up at her. His cheeks were rosy, chubby, and round, and a sprout of soft red hair was curling down his forehead.  

Zelda wiggled a finger in front of the infant cautiously, and it caught his attention instantly. With a toothless giggle, the baby latched onto her hand, and Zelda frowned.

“Just because you’re cute right now, doesn’t mean I forgive you,” She sniffed, “but as a show of good faith, I will allow you to be in my acquaintance.” She leaned forward, their noses almost touching, which also interested the baby as he made grabs at her face, holding her nose and patting her cheeks, “Be warned, child, I’m watching you like a hawk. Your age is no excuse, your lessons start now.”

“And!” She leaned back up, “We’re not calling him Ganon!”  

#zelink #baby au #triforce trio #spoilers Link keeps calling him ganon #when I think of these two in domestic situations my brain goes brrrrr #the pointing thing I added b/c I feel like that’s just how the games are #if you caught the 80s easter egg just know im kissing u on the forehead

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Link's Parents Play Breath of the Wild! Pt 7

Hello! More fun with the parents! :D I wanted to say first before we get into it that the idea of naming Link’s father Abel is entirely from the wonderful @telemna-hyelle, so all props and acknowledgement to her for that. :)

Summary: The Soul of the Hero will always be there to save Hyrule. But when Calamity Ganon is nearly victorious in killing him, it's those that bear the Blood of the Hero who will prevail. Ten years after the Great Calamity, the Shrine of Resurrection is damaged and Link's parents fight to save their son and Hyrule along with him. i.e. Link's parents play BotW!

AO3 link

First chapter

<<Previous // Next>>

The Great Plateau - Hylia's Blessing

"The king's what?"

Tilieth had immediately wrapped her husband and son in an enormous hug when they'd returned, relieved they were both still alive and thanking Hylia for answering her fervent prayers, but hearing a ghost story was the last thing she was expecting.

"Is... is he still.. you know..." she asked nervously, looking around. She shouldn't be nervous, she supposed, seeing as the king wouldn't be a malevolent figure, but still.

She was terrified of ghosts.

Tilieth couldn't understand ghosts, couldn't understand anything about them. There was no logical explanation behind why a spirit, no longer bound to physical existence, would remain in the physical world. There was no reasoning to figure out how to help or stop such an occurrence, or how to defend against a spirit who wished to do harm.

But the king? As a ghost? Was this some sort of punishment from the goddesses for not protecting Hyrule?

"He's not here, if that's what you're asking," Abel answered as he laid Link on their bed. Til immediately removed his dressings to examine his wounds.

"Look," she whispered. "There's no more bone visible in any of them. But... they're still..."

"Horrible," Abel finished for her. "He could still die from these, Til."

Til bit her lip as the words sank in. Her husband had mentioned that they would have to visit more shrines, but she'd really hoped the four on the plateau would be enough. The thought of taking Link off the plateau went against everything they'd been trying to accomplish for the last decade.

Then again, that goal was already moot anyway.

She wouldn't give up hope, though. She couldn't. However minimal, they were making progress.

"I'm going to clean him and re-dress his wounds," she said finally, trying to grasp at something to help.

Abel pulled out the slate. "And I'll plan our trip."

Tilieth tried to ignore the anxiety that bubbled in her stomach at the word. "Abel... we..."

Her words trailed off into the quiet birdsong of the evening. Abel watched her a while longer, waiting for her to continue, but she couldn't. How could she articulate that after ten years on this abandoned, forsaken hunk of earth this was the only place she felt safe, both for herself and her son?

How could she say she didn't want to leave?

After a few moments, she sighed, shaking her head as Abel continued to wait, and he resumed what he was doing at the motion. Her husband was a loving man, but he was not good at reading emotions. He'd leave her be unless she spoke up.

And she couldn't speak up.

Grabbing some water, soap, and a cloth, she worked on bathing Link and tried to let the movement and the reassurance of seeing her boy breathing calm her down. Eventually she had his wounds covered and some spare clothes on him, leaving just his hair. She ran her fingers through gently, separating knots and getting blood and dirt out.

Abel sighed, standing from the table. She glanced at him. "What is it?"

"This slate only has the plateau mapped," Abel explained. "I think we'll have to visit the other towers to expand it. From what I remember of the land, and from what we can see up here, Kakariko is close to a week's hike away from here."

"Kakariko?"

Her husband nodded. "We should go there first. The Sheikah might be able to give us more information on the shrines and where to find them."

"Or they could repair the Shrine of Resurrection," Tilieth suggested, massaging Link's scalp and kissing him on the forehead.

"The Shrine of Resurrection is gone!" Abel snapped, making Til jump. As quickly as he'd spat the words out, he took a calming breath, rubbing his face with his hands and walking to her. "I'm sorry. I'm--I don't know if he's going to--it's a week to Kakariko. He--"

Tilieth slowly rose from where she'd been sitting on the bed. "You don't think he'll survive the trip."

Abel bit his lip, looking away. His eyes glistened with unshed tears, face flushed as he fought with all his might to maintain his composure. Clearing his throat, he said, "No. I don't. Not if he can't drink anything. I've seen soldiers die from thirst after a few days. He's already been out of that shrine for two now."

The couple glanced back at their son, a heaviness filling the simple home, and Tilieth had to step out as Abel paced with the slate in hand.

There has to be a chance, she told herself. But maybe leaving wasn't the right course of action, based on what Abel said?

Or leaving as soon as possible was the course of action. The only notable, verifiable things that had helped Link were those shrines. There was no denying that.

And as terrified as she was of leaving, she was even more terrified of losing her son.

Tilieth turned, ready to go back inside when she saw what looked like petals and tiny leaves floating in a strange circular motion just above the house. What in the world...?

Climbing the log walls, she pulled herself onto the roof and reached out tentatively, and the leaves and petals coalesced into a single point before another tiny woodland creature popped out of thin air. "Yahaha! You found me!"

Til stared in bewilderment. "Another Korok? What are you doing at our house?"

"Oh! Is this your house? It's very nice!" the Korok said cheerily. "Have this since you found me before Hestu!"

Whoever this Hestu was, clearly he had a lot of little woodland children to look after.

Taking the seed, Til gave a small smile in appreciation and climbed back down, even more befuddled than before. She wasn't going to question the whims of magical forest creatures, but...

Shaking her head, she went back inside. Abel was sitting on the bed with Link's head on his lap, but his eyes were on her.

"Was there a reason why you were climbing on the roof?" he asked with only mild exasperation, eyebrow raised.

"There was a Korok up there," she explained with a dismissive wave of her hand, pocketing the seed.

Abel blinked. "A what?"

"Nothing dangerous," Til summarized - that was all he wanted to know anyway. The seed felt smooth and warm in her pocket, and she clung to it with resolve as she said, "We should get going."

"What?"

"Kakariko. We should leave now," Til continued before her courage failed her. "You--you said it yourself. He won't survive much longer without food and water, and the only way he's going to get better quickly enough for that is the shrines. There are no more on the plateau. I'll pack food, you pack supplies. We need to leave."

Her husband watched her a moment longer, his hand resting on Link's forehead, and then he nodded quietly. The couple packed in haste and in silence, and they were ready to leave by midnight. They agreed to rest up and leave at dawn, but the anxiety kept Til awake for nearly the rest of the night. She held Link close to her as Abel settled into an uneasy sleep.

What if there are guardians down there? What if he can't drink? What if even if we make it to Kakariko, Impa doesn't know anything? What if monsters besiege us?

What if Link dies?

Til let out a shaky breath, burying her face in Link's hair. The thoughts wouldn't silence no matter how hard she tried to focus on something else, but eventually a rainstorm swept through and distracted her, lulling her to sleep long enough to realize she'd barely gotten any rest by the time Abel was shaking her awake.

"I want to go to the temple first," she said blearily. "Before we leave."

Abel acquiesced, and the pair quietly dragged their feet up the hill to the destroyed temple. The carpets had long since rotted away, bits of earth being dragged in by the wind and weather. The pews had mostly rotted away by now, overgrown and worn.

Hylia's statue stood as steadfastly as ever despite it all.

Tilieth knelt in front of the statue with Link on the ground at her knees. Abel stood guard just a few paces away, growing increasingly more paranoid about enemies after the king's remark.

Oh Hylia, she prayed. Please grant us the grace to endure this task. Help us to overcome all the trials that you might lay before us. Protect Link, heal him, help him recover.

A gentle breeze blew through the demolished temple, and sunlight suddenly seemed to shine even brighter. Tilieth smiled at it, reading into it as a reassurance from the goddess herself.

Link coughed.

Startled, Til immediately relaxed her posture so she was hovering over her son as Abel rushed over.

"Link?" Abel whispered softly, hand on their boy's chest. Til ran her fingers through Link's hair, prompting him as well.

Link's fingers twitched, and his brow furrowed ever so slightly. He leaned into Tilieth's touch, and then...

And then his eyes opened.

"Link!" both his parents exclaimed, and Abel pulled him into a seated position as Tilieth embraced him.

Link remained limp in his parents' hold, and when Til pulled away, his eyes were drooping.

"Wait, wait, sweetheart, you need to eat," Til said hastily as Link's head bobbed forward.

"Never mind food, we need him to drink," Abel said hurriedly, pulling out a flask. "I'll give him water, you try to find something for him to munch on. Link? Son, open your eyes again, come on."

As Til scrambled for some stew that she had packed away, she heard her husband continue to prompt Link repeatedly. By the time she was looking back at him, she saw him nearly choke on some water, though he seemed awake enough to swallow on reflex.

After a few sips, Link was unable to keep his eyes open and passed out.

Til and Abel exchanged a glance and a sigh of relief.

Their boy was coming back to them.

#link's parents play botw #I CAN FINALLY LEAVE THE PLATEAU NOW HURRAY #I've swept through the darn place so many times I'm pretty sure I've gotten all the treasure chests and korok seeds holy cow #ready to get out of here LOL #all right let's have an adventure! #breath of the wild #botw #link's family #breath of the wild link #botw link #legend of zelda #writing