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rjhpandapaws · 6 months

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Heroes that Live are Seldom Remembered

His first memory of Revali comes when the phantom of a king hands him a well worn paraglider. As he holds it and looks it over the scene around him changed. It's in a colder place and the hands holding out the paraglider go from fingered to feathered. Revali's expression is one of fold smugness. "You told me you wanted to know what it really feels like to fly. While no such feat is possible for a mere Hylian, gliding is a close second, and something I'm sure even you can handle." His words are harsh, as they always tend to be, but the kindness beneath them isn't lost on Link, it rarely is. He finds himself smiling as the scene fades around him. He is careful as he tucks the glider away. Faint though it may be a century later, Link can still feel the care Revali put into crafting this for him, and he has no intentions of letting it fall into disrepair.

He remembers more of Revali as he travels through Hyrule, and each memory he finds is more painful than the last. Early on in his journey it was a simple thing to do small feats of mental gymnastics and continue to believe they had been nothing more than close friends. But with each careful brush of ghostly feathers his denial crumbled away and was replaced with anger. Toward himself, toward the goddess, toward Ganon, and toward the blights that he had recently learned of. To everything that took away his future. They had plans, they had a future. They were going to live just outside of Rito Village so that Link could raise his horses and Revali could have the space that he so desperately craved. They would travel when the mood struck them, stay away for as long as they felt inclined. Link would retire from the nights once his service to the princess was up and they would live peacefully as former Champions going wherever the call of adventure lead them. They were going to grow old together. Until Revali grew too stiff to fly and Link had no hair left for feathers to be braided into. Instead Revali had died cold and alone thousands of miles away from Link, and Link had died in a lonely field in the arms of a princess who finally had the power to change destiny. Then he had woken up with nothing to his name except the slate and the feathers woven into his hair with the careful hand of someone who had known what they meant to him. He wore those same feathers around his neck now, tucked safely between his tunic and his chest to keep them from being destroyed.

Finally reaching Rito Village comes with another kind of pain that he wasn't ready for. The kind of pain that comes from the small intimate memories that come with spending so much of his time in one place. No matter where he looked there was always something to be remembered, there was no place safe from Revali's ghost. He was relatively sure the villagers thought him crazy when he stood on Revali's landing and let out a blood curdling scream of his own to rival that of Medoh's. Not to mention when he collapsed in tears immediately after, because not even screaming his loss and pain could make it go away. Taking back Medoh was bittersweet. Getting to hear Revali's voice outside of a memory for the first time since waking up, almost brought him to his knees again. He stayed standing because it was the only way to get his Revali back. What fuels his strength in the fight against Windblight is nothing more than anger. Every moment of pain he'd felt for his loss so far on his journey was poured into each blow against it. When it ended he felt blissfully numb up until he saw Ravali's ghost, then it was grief and pain all over again. The gift of his gale, something they had ridden so many times together was the piece that broke him in the end. What drove him to finally say something in response to Revali instead of just basking in his presence.

"This isn't fair..... I - I ..... Your gale should be yours, it shouldn't be a parting gift to me. Nor Mipha's healing, Daruk's protection, and whatever it is Urbosa will gift me in return for her freedom. None of this should have happened." His voice is ragged both from the weight of his emotions, and lack of use, "We had plans Revali. We had so many things we were going to do, sights to see.... When this ended there was so much we were going to do. And now it's just gone." The look he gets from Revali is a familiar one of exasperated fondness, and Link knows he is going to hate what Revali says next. "We both knew those plans were little more than fantasy Link. Something to make us feel like this fight was worth it. A reason to fight that might be bigger than our destiny to die." He sighs softly, "But we knew deep down it wouldn't happen. The heroes that live are seldom remembered. We are Champions, Legends in a sense, there was no life after for us, and I am sorry that after waking up you were lead to believe there was." Revali reaches for Link and neither one of them flinches when he doesn't make contact, "Just know that when this is over, I will be waiting for you like i always said I would."

The fight with Ganon is long and exhausting, and even before he lands the final blow, Link knows he won't be surviving it. He's too injured and has lost too much blood, but more than that, he doesn't want to. There is nothing left in this Hyrule for him. As Ganon dissolves into nothing, the weapon that had pierced through Link's chest does the same. He falls to the grass wet with blood, malice, and goddesses knows what else. Zelda's cries for him to "just hold on" fade into emptiness. He is content to bleed out in a field for the second time in his life.

When he becomes aware again Revali is looking down at him with a gentle smile, "You know she isn't going to forgive you for giving up for quite a while." It's said with almost a laugh, "But I'm sure she will come to understand how much you were missed." "I just wanted to be with you again." He presses his forehead to Revali's beak like old times and relishes in the contact, "I didn't want to keep you waiting another one hundred years."

Medoh is perched above Rito Village still glowing a serene blue. At night, it is said that if someone looked closely there are two spirits standing atop it's head looking out over Hyrule, one is a Rito and one is a Hylian. They're names have long been lost to time, but it is said that at one time they woke from the dead to save the world.

#revalink #revali #link #breath of the wild #breath of the wild fic #legend of zelda #loz #tloz #legend of zelda: breath of the wild #botw #angst #Character death tw

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michpat6 · 2 years

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One night, in Gerudo Town, three Noble Pursuits deep, Zelda laments that she's starting to forget the faces of the Champions.

"It's silly," she slurs with a smile. "There's a picture of them on your wall, but it's only one moment. I'm starting to forget the rest of the expressions that shot fails to capture. I can't even remember what Daruk calling you 'little guy' sounds like, or Urbosa's laugh. Does that make me a bad friend?"

Link...isn't sure how to answer that. After all, he too struggles with remembering the intricacies of their dead friends.

"I don't think so," he finally answers. He's only had two of the cocktails but his mind is still a little foggy. "I heard somewhere that the first things you start to forget about the dead are voices and faces."

"Hm," Zelda takes another swig from her glass, wetting her fingertip with the condensation and dragging it over the salted rim. A quiet, persistent ring echoes throughout the bar. "Funny thing, isn't it, that those are the first things you started to remember."

"The first thing I heard was your voice. That makes sense, I think."

"Yeah," she smiles again, but it doesn't reach her eyes. She holds up another finger to order her fourth drink. "One more round and then bed?"

He nods. They're going to have the worst headaches in the morning.

Before he goes to sleep, he remembers what Zelda said and blearily thinks, I wish I had more pictures of everyone. It would help me remember them, too.

Two weeks later, back in Hateno, Link is sitting at the table clicking through the Sheikah Slate, searching for his climbing gear to wash it. Zelda is out in the garden, tending to her safflinas.

Frustrated with his inability to find the clothes he's looking for in the infinite inventory, he flips to the photo album for a break. He should see how those photos Zelda took of those baby foxes came out, should see if Purah can somehow print them out for her. He flips to the last page of the album and-

He didn't take those photos.

There are sixteen--sixteen--new photos in the album all of--all of the Champions? Urbosa, her head thrown back in a cackle and lightning sparking on her fingertips. Daruk, hoisting Boulder Breaker over his shoulder and grinning as his Protection blooms to life. Revali, preening, puffing his chest as his Gale swirls before the camera. Mipha, her palms glowing as she holds a baby Sidon's face in her hands, her trident strapped to her back and a fond smile on her face.

In all of them, at the corner of every image, is a small, white, egg-looking Guardian with a twinkling blue eye, a spidery leg pointing in the direction of each Champion like its telling whoever is holding the slate to snap the picture.

"Zelda!"

#does this make sense? no #do I care? no #let me have this #age of calamity being canon but also not my beloved #breath of the wild #botw #breath of the wild fic #age of calamity #aoc #age of calamity fic #link #zelda #can be read as zelink but it doesn't have to be #zelink #urbosa #daruk #mipha #revali #michpatfics

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queenofmoons · 1 year

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Zelda reached out—almost tentatively—and when Link didn’t flinch, placed an open palm on the side of his neck. The tips of her fingers dipped into the short hairs on the base of his neck. Her pinkie slid into the junction of his shoulder. He closed his eyes.

“Link,” She said softly.

He sucked in a deep breath and leaned into her touch. His hand rose to cradle her wrist.

How many times have they done this? How many times has he split himself apart? How many times has he held this sword? How many Links and Zeldas have there been? How many more will there be? Hundreds? Thousands?

“Link,” She said again, a little louder.

He was so tired. The weight of a hundred lost years tugged at his joints. He ached.

It felt like he was living all of his lives at once. Like all of the Links and all of the Zeldas were standing right here. Zelda’s thumb was firm over his pulse. The soft scent of armoranth filled the valley.

He can’t do it again. He barely wanted to do it now.

“Link,” Zelda said for a third time, and this time her voice was so firm he found himself looking at her. She had a scrape running down the side of her face from a tree branch. There were thistles stuck stubbornly in her hair. She watched him with hard-set desperation. “I know,” She assured him. “I know.”

This close, he could see the years in her eyes, too. As tired as he was, Zelda was exhausted. She had held Ganon back. She had waited for him. She had lived these lives just as he had— endlessly.

Then she said, “Please.”

He’d never really had a choice. He’d done it for her once, he’d do it for her a million times more.

#I am not going anywhere with this I think so I’ll post the drabble here for fun #loz fanfic #zelink #legend of zelda #botw fic #breath of the wild #breath of the wild fic #zelink fic

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greyennui · 1 year

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Gan Doesn't Die at the End has been posted!

Read Gan Doesn't Die at the End on AO3.

BUCKLE UP FOLKS WE GOT A GANLINK ON THE LIST NOW

Chapters: 1/15 Fandom: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Ganondorf/Link (Legend of Zelda), Link (Legend of Zelda)/Other Male Character, Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link & Sheikah Characters

It's ten thousand years before the events of Breath of the Wild, and Princess Zelda and the Sheikah monks are scrambling to prepare for the prophesied coming of the Calamity. When Link—a gifted battle mage from the Zonai tribe—draws the Master Sword, he's thrust into a destiny he doesn't want—one that conflicts with the plans of his new lover, the Gerudo King Ganondorf. Link knows he has to face fate head-on to save Hyrule, but at what cost?

#GanLink #Ganondorf/Link #Gan Doesn't Die at the End #legend of zelda #breath of the wild #botw #breath of the wild fic #tloz botw

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traveleroffarawayplaces · 1 year

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The Great Hero. Link, hero of the Wild.

My fic masterlist

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Yiga slashed, their blades cutting through the air like it was nothing more then paper. Guards yelled, some fought against the horde of ninjas, despertely protecting their princess.

Zelda watched in horror at the sight of the solidrrs fighting. A gentle hand came to her shoulder, shoving her back as a yiga suddenly appeared in front of her. She glanced up, seeing Link drawing his sword and slashing at the yiga.

Zelda gasped as the yiga cut across the hero, leaving blood staining through his clothes. He slashed the yiga down, and the yiga disappeared in a puff of smoke. Leaving behind a handful of rupees and bananas in their wake. Link bent down, offering his hand to her and Zelda took it.

Zelda offered to help support Link, but he refused. She stared at the castle as the yiga swarmed it, as she and Link ran.

Collasping, she stared at the ground in front of her, glancing up, she stared at Link sorrowfully. She could feel sobs forming in her throat. They were painful and raw.

“Do not worry.” Link said, his voice confident as he clasped his hands between hers. “Why?”

***

“Because I am here.” Link whispered quietly. Holding Zelda tightly in his grasp.

Wisps of malice floated through the air and faded. The bow of light felt heavy in the hero’s hands. His sword and hylian sheild clung to his back. He heard his horse huff, her white coat shimmering in the rising sun.

Zelda breathed in quietly, and together they stood up. Both, together again. They rose, and held each other tightly.

After all, its been 100 years.

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plutonium-triestodraw · 2 years

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“Or…Never mind, just go”.

Link finds it hard to ignore how Revali’s voice trails off and drops its pompous tone, and Link finds that he wants more than anything to stay. If only for a few moments longer.

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So basically I wanted to write a fic around the concept of Link being able to talk to the champions after they were freed.

This is kind of angsty, but there is fluff and humour sprinkled in there I swear!

#botw #botw fic #fanfiction #breath of the wild fic #my stuff #my writing #my fic #botw link #botw revali #revali #link #botw champions #botw zelda #zelda #tloz #breath of the wild

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russeliarat · 1 year

Link

I FINALLY GOT THE DAMN CHAPTER OUT!! It took like a month coz of exams and illness but it’s whatever because it’s out now. Go wild, go free, it’s Chapter 14!

Chapter Summary: Stealth gone wrogn

#oathoftheforsaken #oath of the forsaken #breath of the wild fic #botw fic #zelda fic #legend of zelda fic

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jenseits-der-sterne · 2 years

Link

Wheeew! It’s finished, y’all! I hope you enjoy this epilogue.

It’s a small (big?) thing, but this is technically the first multi-chapter fic I’ve ever finished??? So, that’s important to me that this is wrapped up and done.

Thanks for reading along this whole time ❤️

#my fic #my writing #farore's day on windvane lane #modern au #zelink #zelink fic #botw zelink #botw au #botw modern au #botw zelink fic #botw zelink modern au #zelda #link #breath of the wild fic #botw

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spaceistheplaceart · 11 months

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when the sparring becomes homoerotic! 😳

#i have a fic for this scenario but im still working on it. lmk in tags if u wanna see the fic!#sidlink #prince sidon #king sidon #totk #botw #tears of the kingdom #breath of the wild #op art #sidon x link #can you tell i love homoerotic fight scenes like when they tilt the chin up with the sword? no? ok

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sephyathredon-writing · 2 years

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Kiss of Life (Breath of the Wild)

Sidon wants to show Link a special place that Mipha once showed him, an underwater cave. Little does he know that his time with Link will be plunged into chaos as an unexpected turn of events puts Link’s life in danger. An entry for Whumptober under the prompt “Running out of air”.

Warning! Contains descriptions of drowning!

Link’s latest visit to the Zora Domain was a quiet one at first. A few of the Zora waved at him as he passed by, including his old friend Bazz. He waved back. Out of all of the places in Hyrule, Link knew that if he ever needed to relax for a bit, he could go to the Zora Domain.

The people there did still call him Hero, but there was one very important reason he made so many visits.

“Link! Over here!” He heard a voice from above him, where Mipha’s statue stood. A large red Zora hopped down from the ledge and landed in front of Link, too excited to use the stairs. This was Sidon, Link’s biggest reason for visiting so often.

Link smiled and waved at the other.

“Link! It is good to see you! You’re not here one some Hero business, are you?” Sidon asked.

Link shook his head.

“Good! In that case, once you get settled, I wanted to show you one of my favorite spots around the Zora Domain. Ah… How good are you at holding your breath? We’re going to need to do a bit of diving.”

Link signed that he’d gotten pretty good at holding his breath through his adventures.

“Oh, that’s good! Even if you weren’t good at holding your breath, all you’d have to do is this…” Sidon tapped two fingers to his throat, “And I will spirit you back up to the surface as quick as I can! There is truly nothing to worry about so long as I am with you. You’re in good hands.”

Link smiled again and gave Sidon a nod, repeating the motion to commit it to memory.

“Yes, just like that. I’ll meet you by Toto Lake in an hour, sound good?” Sidon asked.

Link nodded and the two went their own separate way for now.

---

An hour later, Link made his way up the waterfall behind the Zora Domain using the special Zora armor that he had. Once he paraglided down to the ground, he began his search for Sidon. Luckily the Zora was easy to spot.

“Link! You made it!” He exclaimed with a smile, approaching the hero, “This is Toto Lake. It has overlooked the domain for ages. Nobody really remembers what those ruins were in the center of the lake, but some Zora historians believe it was an ancient gathering place for early Zora. You’ve been here before, correct?”

Link nodded and tapped a fist lightly against the metal plate on the helmet he was wearing. It was changed from its usual blue to a shade of red that matched Sidon’s and Mipha’s. He considered it a tribute to them, especially Mipha. He still remembered how flattered Sidon was when he first laid eyes on the outfit, and when Link had first told him the purpose behind it.

“Oh, I see. You found the Zora helmet here, huh? Well that doesn’t surprise me. When Mipha was young, I heard that she used to play in this lake. She even took me up here once or twice. She’s the one that showed me what I’m going to show you.”

‘Really?’ Link signed, a smile on his face.

Sidon nodded, “Well then, I suppose we should get to it. What I want to show you is at the bottom of the lake, but this lake isn’t really deep. Remember the sign I showed you and no harm will come to you.”

Link nodded, a determined expression on his face.

Sidon held a hand out to Link, who took it without hesitation, and together the two of them jumped into the water. Link took a big breath before he hit the surface.

Link let Sidon pull him further down into the water. He was right, it wasn’t long until they reached their destination. He could still see sunlight streaming through the water, showing that they weren’t very deep.

It took Sidon a few moments, but eventually, he found an opening in the wall at one side of the lake. As he led Link in, he noticed that the cave got darker the further in they went. That was when he saw Sidon pull something out from under his sash. It was a luminous stone. He handed it to Link and gestured around them, then blocked the light coming from the stone with one hand.

The whole area lit up with Luminous stones. A big underwater cavern where the only boundaries were marked with thousands upon thousands of Luminous stones. It made the whole cave look like it was covered in stars.

Link tried his hardest not to gasp and let all the air escape, but his expression said everything.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Sidon asked.

Link nodded slowly, carefully.

“I mean just look at that. Who knew so many luminous stones existed down here, and that they could produce such a beautiful sight, but that’s not all that’s down here.”

Sidon took his hand off of the luminous stone that Link had and led him to the middle of the cavern.

“Go ahead, hold it up here.”

Link nodded, slowly once again, and held the stone up in front of what looked to be a statue. Swimming up a bit with Sidon, he could make out a face, a distinctly Zora face. Thought it clearly had been eroded so much that details were impossible to make out.

“Ever since it was discovered, this statue has been an enigma to my people. Nobody recognizes this Zora. It’s hard to find any distinctive features now that the water has done so much damage. They could have been one of our leaders, or a hero once revered by his people. Nobody knows.”

Link looked awestruck, reaching out with his free hand and placing it on the statue. He’d seen so many like this that were worn away with age. Each one was fascinating to him.

“So, what do you think? Pretty good little spot, right?”

Link nodded carefully again, handing the luminous stone back to Sidon so he could sign, momentarily letting go of Sidon’s hand

‘Yeah, I’m glad you showed me this.’

Sidon just smiled at Link.

Suddenly, Link realized how low he was on oxygen. Still plenty left to get him to the surface, though. He wouldn’t have to worry.

In the light of the Luminous stone, Sidon saw Link place two fingers to his throat. He nodded. As quick as he could, he grabbed Link’s hand and headed toward the entrance, tucking the Luminous stone away in his sash once more.

He stopped when the cave shook around him.

“No…” Sidon muttered, realizing what was about to happen, “No, I won’t let this happen!”

He squeezed Link’s hand and sped up, going as fast as his fins could carry him, watching as the light that they were heading toward was extinguished. He was going so fast that he hit the pile of rocks that had fallen in the way of the entrance.

They were submerged in complete darkness, save the Luminous stones scattered throught the cave.

“No!” Sidon let go of Link’s hand and hit it again and again, “No! Please!”

Desperately, Sidon started going up, searching for an air pocket at the top of the cave. He let out a noise of frustration when he found none and returned back to the entrance, digging at the rocks frantically.

“No, No! My friend is going to die! Please!” Then he switched to addressing Link directly as he was digging, “Link! Hold on, Link! I’ll get you to the surface. You just have to hold on!”

Link watched this happen, swimming in place, and focusing on preserving the breath he had left. There wasn’t much.

He was going to die here, he realized, unless Sidon could break that blockade within the next few minutes.

Sidon stopped what he was doing suddenly, having not gotten very far with it, and moved over to Link. He held the luminous stone up to him, the light showing the concerned expression on his face as he took in the sight of Link struggling to hold his breath.

“L-Link, I’m sorry.” His voice sounded like he was crying, but his tears dissolved into the water, “I shouldn’t have taken you here. I should have known this was a bad idea. I… I…” Sidon choked on his own words, watching as Link weakly signed at him.

‘It’s okay. It’s not your fault.’ Link’s hands faltered as his body suddenly relaxed.

“Link…” Sidon held the Hero close, “Link, no, please… you can’t leave…” The Zora sobbed, pressing his head into Link’s shoulder.

Even a Hero like Link had Hylian limitations.

Sidon could feel Link lift his hand up and drag it across his back, and then down to his side. It grazed lightly across his gills. Sidon let out a shuddering breath in response.

That’s when it clicked.

The reason he can breathe just fine under water is because his gills take oxygen out of the water and carry it through his system to his lungs. They were full of breathable oxygen right now, while Link had none.

“I think I have an idea. Don’t panic, okay?”

Link was unresponsive.

Without even waiting for an answer, Sidon pressed his mouth against Link’s and started blowing against his lips. They were unyielding, which was a good thing in this case. The plan might not work if he’d accidentally swallowed any amount of water.

Link refused to open his mouth at first, but as he fought through the fog overtaking his mind, he realized what Sidon was trying to do and opened it just a little, enough for Sidon to let air through.

Sidon planted one hand firmly on the back of Link’s head so that the seal between them wouldn’t be broken and breathed air into him.

He didn’t think this counted as a kiss. Sure he had a lot of admiration, respect, and love for the Hylian in front of him, but this situation was vastly different than one that required a kiss.

Inhale through the gills, exhale through the mouth, he kept this pattern up for several minutes. It seemed to work. When he went to break contact, he closed his mouth a little and Link caught on, closing his all the way.

Finally, Sidon let go and let his gaze linger on Link, making sure he’s okay. He resumed his swimming motions, so that was a good sign.

Link gave him a thumbs up and that was all Sidon needed before returning back to digging at the tunnel entrance.

It took a while, and a couple more stops to fill Link’s lungs up with air again, until Sidon finally broke through.

“Link! I did it! I broke through!” Sidon grabbed Link’s hand and sped out of the cave and then straight upward. As soon as they surfaced, Link was gasping for air, the large breaths shaking his entire frame.

The two of them made their way to the shore, Link flopping onto the sand as soon as he got there.

“How are you feeling?” Sidon asked the Hylian, “That must have been pretty rough on you.”

Link signed rapidly at Sidon, laying on his back on the sand.

‘My lungs burn, my limbs hurt, but other than that, I’m still here, still alive because of you Sidon.’

“Ah well, I’m the one that got you in that predicament in the first place.”

Link looked at Sidon, his expression stern all of the sudden, ‘No. I loved the cave, I’m glad that you wanted to show it to me. You could not have predicted the cave in.’ He signed.

Sidon took a few deep breaths, the adrenaline finally wearing off, “You’re right. I would have been able to get you up to the surface in time if there hadn’t been a cave in. Still, I think we should stay away from anything underwater for the time being.”

‘Agreed’ Link replied in sign language, ‘Are you okay? You hit the wall pretty hard back there.’

Sidon nodded, “My hands and back hurt a little, but it’s nothing compared to what you went through. Let's get you to an inn to rest, okay?”

Link nodded in agreement, ‘so long as you rest too.’

“I will. Don’t worry about that.”

#whumptober 2022 #no.5 #Running out of Air #The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild #fic #drowning #BOTW Fic #Breath of the Wild Fic #Breath of the Wild Fanfiction

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st-hedge · 7 months

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Calamity au Ganon and Link but I drew them as a shitty animation cel (a remake of old art)

#loz #legend of zelda #botw #breath of the wild #calamity au #link #ganondorf #ganlink #filed under straight homies who sit 5ft apart #there will finally be context for this scene soon!!!#like this Friday most likely #I’ll reblog this later on with the link to the fic chapter once it’s up

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rjhpandapaws · 1 year

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Outrun the Storm

//TW: Identity Crisis, Mild Depressive Episode, Disregard for personal safety

Deep down, he knows he should have just warped to Hateno. He's only Hylian, he can't outrun a winter storm, especially not one coming down from Lanayru, but it's too late for that now. He's too far from the shrine in the Domain, and on top of that, it will soothe the itch under his skin better if he walks. He needs to wander or he is gong to do something stupid. He may do something stupid anyway, just to get it out of his system. The wind is screaming and the rain is pelting him with the intent to bruise, and it is the best thing he has felt in ages, save for the many nights he's spent talking with Sidon far later than is advisable. In this weather it will take him close to a week to get back to Hateno. Maybe longer in the event he decides to take the scenic route, or if the monsters are particularly dense. The rain makes him think of Mipha. He doesn't remember her, not really, but he knows from Sidon's stories that she his kind, from her own spirit that she was also a Champion, and from every other Zora that she had apparently loved him dearly. He just doesn't know how he felt about her, if he felt anything at all. With the other three Champions there was at least something, but with Mipha it is frustratingly blank. When it rains its worse, and he doesn't know if that is because of Vah Ruta or something else.

He of course has the things Sidon has told him of her. They were childhood friends, or at least as close to it as a Hylian and a Zora could get, and she had marveled at his recklessness. She was a healer by nature, he knew that even before making use of her divine Grace, and he wondered how much of that marveling had actually been worry. It wasn't like he could ever remember her commenting on it; as it was he could barely remember what she looked like. The winter rain had chilled him already despite his Rito armor, but then again it was meant to keep away the cold of snow, not water. He was a quarter of the way down the path out of the Domain, if he could find an outcrop or a cave he could take a break for a moment and start a fire. The thought of being still even for that long aggravated the itch under his skin, there would be no resting here. He'd already stayed in the Domain for too long. Not in the sense that he had overstayed his welcome, he knew that, it was more that he had been in the same place for too long. There was plenty to explore, but after a while it wasn't enough to keep the urge to be lost at bay. He hadn't left when it started getting bad, because leaving meant saying goodbye to Sidon and he hadn't wanted to do that just yet. Being around Sidon was easy, and he'd grown used to it. In the Domain he wasn't a Hero or a Knight; he was just a strange little Hylian with too much energy and not enough to do. He enjoyed running errands for the other Zora, diving off questionably high ledges just because he could, and talking with Sidon until all hours of the night because time felt like it stopped when it was just the two of them. So he had stayed until the need to get out and explore had become physically painful.

By mid afternoon Link is cold enough that it's almost painful. Rather than make a camp of his own he takes over a lizalfos camp and settles by what had been their fire. It saves him some resources and time in that he no longer has to try and fight with the rain to get a fire started. The fight ended quickly but it helped to settle some of his nervous energy. He sits as close to the fire as he can get without risking igniting himself or his armor, he's done that enough times to know it won't help him get warm. As much as it had seemed like it at the time. He pulls out the Slate to try and make a plan, the first step is obviously going back to Hateno. He needs to check his mail in case Zelda sent him anything that requires his immediate attention, or rather had, he's a little late for that now. He'll stock up on weapons and supplies while here's there. Then what? If he heads toward Kakriko he'll be moving on long the edge of the storm, assuming it comes down from Lanayru at all. If it does it will bring snow and that's not something Link wants to be caught in. He could head back to Gerudo Valley, but he doesn't really feeling like getting all manner of sun burnt just to have to dress like a girl. There's not much to explore out that way anyway. Just sand that he won't be able to get out of his armor for months, and heat stroke if he isn't careful. Sidon would love the Kara Kara Bazaar though. The thought catches Link off guard and he stares into the fire for a long moment. Sidon spent a lot of time talking about how much he would love to see the world beyond the Domain eventually. He often asked Link about his travels, and Link indulged him as best he could. He left out most of the dangerous stuff of course, Sidon worried about him enough without Link having to throw that into the mix. He puts a pin on his map in the area he remembers the Bazaar being.

It's well after dark by the time Link is warm enough to get moving again. So instead of doing something he knows will get him lectured by both Zelda and Sidon, he adds wood to the fire and lays down with his head resting on his arm and settles in to get a few hours of sleep. Even now, going on two years after the Calamity, he still can't sleep through the night. He doesn't know how much of that is from it having been dangerous before, and how much if it is from his hundred year nap. He wakes up well before dawn, and even through there is no chance of the fire spreading due to the rain, he still puts out his campfire before moving on. His breakfast consists of a couple of baked apples from his pack. He tosses the cores into the woods for the deer and starts down the domain road again. If he keeps up this pace he should be to the Wetlands stable by this time tomorrow. He'll be able too cook there, rent a bed, and grab one of his other horses to make the trip back to Hateno a little faster. He is well aware that riding a horse isn't going to help him beat the storm, but it could shave a day or so off his trip and that could make the difference between him being caught in the worst of it, and his being able to skirt around the edges of it. If he's lucky of course. The rain has lightened to a light drizzle for now, but it's still bitterly cold. Not quite a fine mist of frost, but close enough that the Rito armor does a better job of keeping him warm despite it's damp state. It would have meant leaving sooner, but as he splashes through yet another shin deep puddle, Link begins to think Sidon had been right, it would have been wiser to leave before the rain settled in.

By the time Link makes camp for the night, he's battered, bruised, half frozen, and frustrated enough to curse the goddess. He clears yet another camp and takes over their fire. For a moment he thinks about taking off his soaked through armor and letting it dry by the fire. It's a bad idea. While he still has his warm doublet, the only decent pants he has are his leggings and they are too thin for this kind of weather. While they would be dry, he would still be freezing. On top of that he's stiff, and changing clothes would be too much effort. He moves closer to the fire and steals one of the roasted bass stabbed onto a stick beside it. The monsters that cooked it won't be able to eat it anyway and he could use something warm. With something resembling dinner had, he lays down to try and sleep for a bit. He wakes up maybe an hour later soaking wet and very fucking cold. He sits up with a start to find that the dry camp he'd taken over has become a rather large puddle. He groans and sends another curse at the goddess. The rest of the path looks to be in a similar state. He resolves himself to another day of being damp and bitterly cold, but if he plays his cards right, he'll get to the Wetland stable today and he'll have a chance to dry off and get warm before continuing to Hateno.

When he finally reaches the stable he spends extra for a softer bed because honestly at this point he deserves it. There's a break in the rain that he takes advantage off by changing out of his Rito armor and letting it dry by the first fire. He takes to the cooking pot after that and cooks himself a proper meal. It's a less fancy version of a soup Sidon made him in the Domain that Link can't remember the name of but it warms him to his bones. With food in his system and his warmest armor dry enough to at least bring inside the stable, Link settles on his bed and looks over his tablet. There is the one pin over the Kara Kara Bazaar, but that won't be enough to cure his wanderlust. He could always go into Castle Town and see how the rebuilding is going, but if he lingers for too long Zelda might try and put him to work, then he would be stuck again. Maybe if he went with Sidon she would leave him be. He shakes his head to chase away that thought and instead places a pin at Tarrey Town , he could make his way there from Gerudo Valley and be on his way back to Zora's Domain after that. It's a few weeks each way, so by the time he reaches the Domain road again the worst of the winter storms should have passed. He doesn't know if the flooding will have gone down enough for him to make it back up, but he'll figure that out when he gets back. Sidon will be excited to hear about his trip, and if he plots the route correctly, maybe next time Sidon will be able to go with him.

Link wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but it’s nice to wake up dry and somewhat warm for a change. He's the first one awake so he gets dressed quietly and slips out of the stable. He takes Rue out of her stall and leaves a note with some rupees behind. She is tall enough that Link has to stand on the fence to get her saddle and halter properly on her, and that's after coaxing her to lower her head. She's the biggest horse Link has ever seen and taming her had been a feat in and of itself. She is as dark as a shadow with eyes that are on the line between brown and red depending on how the light hits them. Link takes a moment to adjust his balance before putting one leg into the stirrup closest to him and then swinging his other leg over. Rue shakes her head in what Link has decided is a show of excitement and they head out on their way. In this kind of weather it will still take him close to four days to get to Hateno, which is better than the week and some change it would have taken him to get there on foot. Rue doesn't exactly seem too happy that they're on the road before the sun has risen and she fusses. Link soothes her and later when they stop he'll giver a couple of his apples as a thank you. He doesn't have a lantern, he rides often enough at night that he probably should, but he's never gotten around to it. Maybe on the way back, if he remembers. He trusts Rue to know where she is going.

When day breaks and Link can actually see where he is going he puts the slate away and clicks at Rue to have her pick up the pace. And goddess above, does it feel good to have the wind howling through his hair again, even if it is bitter and cold and leaves his cheeks raw and stinging. He's missed this. He laughs, it’s a raw, jagged sound that is lost to the wind as soon as it leaves him. In his moment of joy he lets go of the reigns and holds his arms out, something he quickly remembers he shouldn't do while riding a horse at full tilt. Rue's speed and momentum sends him flying off of her back. When he hits the ground, the impact chases the air form his lungs. Rue stops as soon as she realizes Link is no longer in the saddle. When she turns to look at him she almost looks amused. It takes him a few minutes to catch his breath, and a few more to actually get to his feet. He is going to be feeling this one for days. Rue nickers at him as he approaches, and Link rolls his eyes. This technically counts as a stop so he pulls an apple out of one of the saddle bags and offers it to her. She takes it from his hand and while she's enjoying it, Link hefts himself back into the saddle. From now until they reach Dueling Peaks he's going to keep at least one hand on the reigns. He waits for Rue to lose interest in the grass where she'd eaten the apple before getting her back on the road.

He waits until they are in a more open part of the wetlands before he clicks Rue back into a run. The movement reveals that he likely bruised his ribs in the fall, but its less painful and more a persistent discomfort; he's dealt with worse and it doesn't bother him too much. It nearly midday when Link stops Rue again, if falling off of her back counted as a stop. He leads her to the river so she can drink, and for a moment he hopes to see Sidon. That hope quickly withered away though and left Link's chest aching. He was too far from the Domain, and Sidon wasn't going to leave if the storms were only going to get worse. The flooding wouldn't be an issue for him, Link knew that, but Sidon didn't like causing anyone unnecessary worry. Even then, the way the King had lectured him when they got back from Hateno had Link under the distinct impression that Sidon wouldn't be taking anymore surprise vacations any time soon. Link had felt bad at the time, for causing Sidon that much trouble, but the prince had only laughed and promised his father there wouldn't be nay more sneaking out for that long. Rue knocks her very wet nose against his forehead effectively pulling him from his thoughts. He presses his forehead into her face for a moment, just to collect himself before moving to pull himself back into the saddle. They keep going for a few more hours and then find a place to lay low for the night. He'll probably make a camp this time instead of taking one over. He doesn't want to risk Rue getting hurt.

When Link decides to stop and make camp it's closer to dark than dusk than he originally planned, but as far as he can tell they are at the midway point between the Wetland's stable and Dueling Peaks. Another day or so of riding and he can board Rue for a bit. He'd take her into Hateno, but he had Epona at the house and they don't get along. The last time he kept them at the same stable he wound up having to pay for the fence being rebuilt, and he would rather not have to do that for a house he stayed in a few times a year. That and Rue seemed to enjoy stables more than the house, where Epona didn't get on well with other horses for long periods of time. Link would have made a longer trip of this, just to spend more time with Rue if he wasn't feeling so pressed to get out into the world. Once he took care of what he needed to in Hateno he was going to continue on foot toward the desert. One reason being that he wouldn’t have to worry about taking care of anything else, and two because he wanted to explore and that was easier to on foot than on a horse. Rue settled by the fire once camp was set up and Link sat leaning against her to share warmth. It's nice and in a bittersweet way it reminds him of when he first set out to save Hyrule. Before he understood who and what he was, and how many people his refusal to step into his old role would let down. Back before he understood that he was seen as less of a person and more like another Divine Beast. Before he painstakingly tried to carve out his sense of self. Before he gave up and instead covered himself in silence and armor.

Link doesn't sleep much that night. He lets Rue rest but he doesn't sleep for anymore than an hour. Not because he feels unsafe, its quiet and calm, but because there is too much on his mind. As nice as being in Zora's Domain was, he remembers now what brought him there. It's the only place he's a person. Out here in the wilds, in the place that should have felt like home he's a weapon. A tool to be used by the goddess in the form of a princess. A princess who doesn't need him anymore. Out here he is loudly and painfully reminded that he has outlived his usefulness. The Calamity is gone, Zelda is fine on her own. He isn't needed anymore, not really. Which is fine, he never asked to be a Hero, to be denied death and then to outlive his fate. But now that he's no longer a hero, he isn't sure what he's supposed to be, what he's supposed to do. The rain turns to snow and Link wakes Rue so they can get on the road before the worst of it hits. He carefully stamps out what is left of his fire and heaves himself into the saddle. He doesn't work her into a run right away, he wants to have his wits about him more before that. The air is cold enough to sting even at this pace, so having Rue run would be painful, but he doesn't have a choice if he wants to miss the worst of this. He digs in his pack for the Sheika face mask and pulls that on to cover his mouth and nose from the worst of the cold and sets Rue into a run.

The wind still burns his cheeks and he has to squint just to see, but he imagines it would be worse without the mask covering the lower half of his face. By the time he stops so Rue can drink they've been walking for a couple hours. The now came down heavier and there's too much for her to run safely. As she drinks from the river Link scans the water for Sidon. He knows he won't be there, but it's become a habit from his many months in the Domain. In fact, he can almost convince himself he saw a flash of red. He rests his head against Rue's shoulder and sighs quietly. He's torn. The need to wander hasn't subsided, but he misses the Domain as well. Sidon will still be there when he returns, he just has to soothe the itch under his skin first. Maybe he can go after Farosh and try and get what he needs to have Cotera upgrade his tunic. He'll feel better if he does something reckless. Rue bumps her head against him when she's had her fill and he pulls himself back up. The best they can manage in all this snow is a brisk trot, not that Link minds. His bruised ribs still and the bitter cold isn't helping. He can better keep still like this. In about a day they'll be at Dueling Peaks, some one will take care of Rue and he can try and sleep before continuing on to Hateno.

Link doesn't make camp when night falls, he doesn't want to sleep in the snow any longer than absolutely necessary. He loosely tethers Rue to a tree and remains settled on her back. He leans forward as much as he is able to share in her warmth and they stay like that. He imagines Rue is used to this given their time in Necluda, but he doubts she enjoys it anymore than he does. He doesn't really sleep, its more of a break than anything, and their on the road again before first light. After a quick breakfast of course. They reach Dueling Peaks by early afternoon and Rue seems relieved that her job is done. Link rents a normal bed and sleeps until evening. If he walks through the night he'll make it to Hateno by noon. When he wakes up, its pitch black out. The wind has picked up to a tortured scream and what was a mild snow storm is a white out. If Link were smarter he would have stayed at the stable, but he isn't someone who worries over self preservation. He puts his warm doublet on under his Rito armor and pulls up his Shieka mask. If he's idle for any longer surely he'll fall apart. At the protest of both the stable hands, Link sets off into the storm.

Every piece of him that is exposed to the storm freezes numb in moments. He has to use the map on his slate just to make sure he's following the right path. The weather is bad enough he doesn't have to worry about passers by or monsters, it's almost nice. Or it would have been if he could still feel is extremities. His breath is all that's keeping his face warm and it's hardly pleasant, but it's better than being still. When he gets to the fork in the road the snow lightens into a freezing rain which he likes more than the snow. He's still numb and painfully cold. He knows when his body has a chance to catch up with what he's put it through he'll get sick, but he's not worried about that now. He's a couple hours out of Hateno and if he can just make it that far, he'll be fine. He can check his mail, deal with what little responsibilities Zelda needs him to if there's any. Get some supplies and head for the warmth of the desert. The snow in Hateno has mostly become slush by the time Link crosses the village gates. The rain has shifted from freezing cold to just unpleasantly cool. Which is an improvement he'll take because it means he'll finally get feeling back in his fingers. When he gets to the bridge leading to the house he bought on impulse he stops in his tracks. The bridge has been reinforced with stone. It could hold Rue, more importantly it could hold Sidon without creaking under the pressure. Link grins beneath his mask and rushes across the bridge.

When he gets the heavy door open he shouldn't have been as surprised as he was by the pile of mail on his table. He knew it would be bad, but expecting two seasons worth of mail was one thing, seeing it was another. Part of him was tempted just to throw it in his fire place and use it to warm the long cold house, but he knew better. He sighs quietly, not in the mood to do that much reading after two nights of minimal sleep. So instead he heads up to the loft to change out of his armor to get some rest. He'll deal with the mail when he wakes up. It waited two seasons for him to get back, it can wait one more day. It's dark when he wakes up, and for a moment he can't tell if it's because it's night or if its because of the storm. His internal clock steadies itself, and he knows it's morning, just too early for there to be light. Something must have woken him, but for now all is quiet. He walks back down to what acts as both his living room and his kitchen and uses the pole-wick Zelda bought for him to light his chandelier. Apparently shooting off fire arrows in the house isn't safe, but he's never had any issues. His house is clearly still standing. He lights the fireplace next after coming to the realization it was the cold that woke him. He still had his summer blankets on the bed, and they were much too light for this kind of weather. He put a kettle over the fire to eventually make coffee and settled in to try and read through the mail that had piled up. It would give him a chance to see how things had been without him, and how much trouble he would be in if he went through with his plan to fully avoid Castle Town, and by extension, Zelda.

Link settles in the chair closest to the fireplace to warm up, and so throwing away any of the mail he didn't feel inclined to keep would be easier. Cup of warmer than advisable to drink coffee in one hand and as comfortable as his dining chair would allow, Link reached for the envelope on the top of the pile. The last think he expects to grab is an envelope with the Domain seal on it. His name is written on it in Sidon's elegant script and, Link isn't sure how he feels. Sidon would have had to send it days before Link even left the Domain for it to get here in time. He would have had to know Link planned on coming back to the house, but he didn't remember ever mentioning it. Whatever the case, Link finds his hand feels unsteady as he opens it. What could have been so important, or so private that Sidon couldn't have told him before he left? With the envelope open, Link sets down his coffee so he can give the letter his full attention. He unfolds it carefully as he does with all of Sidon's letters, before he even reads it, he knows he is going to keep it. He always does. He doesn't want to risk forgetting Sidon the way he feels he's forgotten everyone else. If that ever happened, he feels like he would actually give up on everything. Heroism be damned.

My Dearest Link, My hope is that this letter finds you well rested and safe. I have noticed your eyes growing restless of the Domain, and I wish that you haven't lingered so long on my behalf. As much as I treasure the time I get to spend with you, I know you are not one to stay in place for long. You travel like a summer storm, never in one place more than a few days at a time, but you leave new life in your wake. As someone with a profound respect for nature, I do not have it in me to contain a storm, so go, see the world, and bring stories should your travels bring you back to me. My father says he is fine keeping the room for you while you are away, both to ease the strain on your coin purse, but in hopes that one day you may stay here. Even he has come to notice how relaxed you are in this place. We mean you no pressure of course, but I have seen you in that House. You keep yourself there because you believe it is expected of you. I would not be so forward as to ask you to leave that place if you are truly happy there, but if you aren't just think about this. May the Wilds treat you well, Your Dear Friend Prince Sidon of the Zora.

He laughs, the sound is rough and he's glad he lives alone. He's certainly not well rested, but he is safe; and he'll take one out of two, so long as Sidon never learns how dumb he was on his way back to his desolate empty house. So unlived in that the summer blankets are still on his bed. Calling him a summer storm is a particularly endearing way to address his restlessness, if it had come from anyone else Link would have rolled his eyes, but from Sidon it's fitting. He carefully sets Sidon's letter aside and moves on to the next one. This one has the Hyrule Crest on it, which means its from Zelda. He skims over it, it’s the usual fanfare, rebuilding is going well, she can still hear the goddess, Link hasn't replied to any of her previous letters so she is going to assume he is out traveling with no plans to visit Castle Town. She is correct in that regard, she closes it wishing him well as she always does, and to send her regards to Sidon since he was headed out this way. He tosses it into the fire, there's no use drafting a reply when it's sat on his table for three months and she clearly knows he hasn’t been home. The rest of his morning goes much the same way. Open, skim, add to the fire; and after a few hours he's through the pile and it's light enough for reasonable people to be outside. He can grab what he needs from the shops without anyone complaining that he woke them up at the crack of dawn, and then he can be on his way. There's no use lingering.

As it turned out there was some kind of unspoken rule about not showing up at shops the moment they open after you've been gone for half a year. They were glad to see him again, and didn’t seem too surprised when he told them he would be leaving again before the day was out. There was a less bitter feeling from it now. Link was a summer storm, and if Sidon wasn't going to try and contain it; then Link wasn't going to try to outrun it anymore. Maybe if he was lucky, the person he was meant to be would grow in the wake of the rain.

#Breath of the Wild #Breath of the Wild Fic #Link #Sidon #Sidlink #Identity crisis tw #minor depressive episode tw #disregard for personal safety tw

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