#links to go with my triangle of zeldas

[billiebooarts]

Have a triangle of Links! Thats a bunch of courage crammed into one space

[loz-chainsofcorruption]

COMMISSION FOR @interlink-au FINALLY COMPLETE 🎉

This was supposed to take me like 3-4 hours and it took me 7 total because I got way too invested in detailed coloring. I guess I just can't resist going all in on such a beautiful man.

[cryingtulips]

@zelinkcommunity's Zelink Week 2025 Day 1: At First Sight

@flufftober Fluff Bingo prompt: "Hey, wait, that's mine."

First attempt at writing minish cap zelink! Wasn't sure how I envisioned their personalities pre-canon (esp as I don't know much about the game) but here we go!

The green stone shimmers in his hand, and Link’s eyes are wide in amazement as he puts it under the beam of light falling between the tree branches. A kaleidoscope of colors shifts beneath the mineral’s surface, reflecting his face into a rainbow.

It’s beautiful.

He wants to find more. He shifts the stone, eyeing how it looks like it’s missing another half.

“Hey, wait!” A high pitched voice calls out. “That’s mine!”

A girl tumbles out of the bushes beside him, pink dress dirty, blonde hair spilling out from its updo, and a bit of dirt stains her right cheek. She looks like another kid Link would play with after school, except for the gems adoring her head, a well recognizable indicator of higher status.

The princess, a part of Link wants to say, recognizing the dress and crown from his books. Another part wants to say otherwise, for what royal will want dirt on their clothes and skin? What royal will willingly go through the woods to collect rocks when they can just order someone to do it for them?

The girl continues as she pulls her dress over the reaching branches, brows furrowing as it gets further stuck. “I have the other pair,” she huffs. “They’re kinstones.”

“From the Picori,” he watches as the girl takes his hand, putting the other stone—blue with its missing half matching his own—into his palm. “Grandpa says finding pairs is rare.”

The girl nods ecstatically, hand steady as she tries to merge them together. “They hide them! My mom says only good people can see the Picori, and the stones are a reward for keeping your heart pure and kind.”

Link follows her as she sits on the floor, dress puffing out into more dirt, but the girl hardly glances at the mess. “What are you doing?” He asks as she hunches over the stones, lips jutting out as she fumbles with the kinstones. 

“My advisors,” she says airily, as if having advisors is an everyday topic, “Have told me a few stories about the Picori. I have to drag it out of them, but I’ve been told you can fuse the stones, and it's a huge deal if you can…but.”

Link hums, tracing the blue stone’s design. If you’re able to merge the stones together, then he wonders, “Do you think they have to be matching colors?”

The girl blinks at him before widening. They sparkle in the sunlight, bright and enchanting. It’s confusing for Link, how the sight of them makes him feel giddy and warm, but it’s also a welcome feeling.

“You have to help me!” The girl shakes his shoulders, vibrating where she sits as excitement grows. “If you were able to find one by yourself, then we have to work together!”

“Grandpa says not to go with strangers,” Link mumbles to himself, the girl giving him a strange look before she smiles wide. If possible, she seems to relax further in his presence.

“I’m not a stranger, silly,” she gives him her hand to shake, and he stares at the mark of a triangle in her skin. The same mark that matches his left hand. 

“I’m Zelda, and I feel like we’re going to be the best of friends!”

[caramel-catss]

trilogy (chapter 1: rabbit)

on ao3

word count: 26.5k

the first chapter of my links meet au

Three strangers, connected only by the triangle on their hands, join forces to save a dying world. Through hardship and healing, they will become family.

chapter art by @clowns0up-felix :)

(below is a snippet, the full is too long for tumblr lol)

Soft hands glide through Link’s hair. They untangle knots, picking out dirt and various pieces of grime. A warm, uncalloused palm brushes against Link’s cheek.

Even with closed eyes, Link knows who it is. She comes every night.

Link reaches out and grabs the retreating wrist. “Don’t go,” she murmurs.

A gentle hum pauses—one Link hadn’t even registered.

“I can’t stay,” Marin replies. She trails her finger around Link’s freckles, drawing constellations.

“I want you to.”

“I can��t.”

Link huffs; she’s always been the stubborn one, and Marin can’t win her out now. She doesn’t let go. Marin laughs, all chimes and Sea Lily bells. The free hand returns to Link’s hair.

Marin begins her song again. Link leans against the other’s lap, resting on her side. Her fingers drum a tempo for Marin’s melody.

In the distance, a voice calls. Link ignores it.

It calls again.

Marin says, “Your uncle wants you, Link.”

“Mm,” she replies.

The hands cease. “Link.”

“Don’t wanna.”

Marin gently flicks her. “You lazy girl… Come on.”

Link blinks her eyes open—only to catch Marin’s face before she goes—and meets a wooden wall. Shuffling footsteps sound behind her. She blinks.

“Link,” her uncle is saying. “It’s time to wake up.”

With her sword on her back and apples in her pouch, Link leaves Uncle’s house. She has a small list of chores: buy a red potion for Uncle, sell yesterday’s harvest, and get the Book of Mudora back from the Sage. 

Link fishes through her bag for an old plain blue ocarina. Zelda says that she’s insanely unorganized, but Link doesn’t care enough. She eventually finds it and calls for her bird, directing it to the Magic Shop. She haggles Maple down to 100 rupees—far better than she’s usually able to get—and sets off again for Kakariko.

Most of Uncle’s apples are reserved for cooking, making preserves, or just as snacks. The rest, Link is sent out to sell. They go for 15 rupees each, which isn’t much. The price is really a formality; Link’s more than rich from all her dungeon crawling, plus they’re on a royal pension.

The point is, they sell out quickly. Link’s there for less than twenty minutes before she’s brought down to her last three apples. She doesn’t mind all that much—anything that lets her leave Kakariko sooner. There’s been a lot of apologies over the past few years, but nothing can stop her nerves when she enters this place.

A figure comes into Link’s view. She straightens from where she was leaning against the weathercock (her makeshift stand). When she realizes who it is, though, she relaxes.

“Hey, Zel,” Link says.

Zelda huffs, not unkindly. She’s wearing a plain, tan dress. “Don’t announce me to the whole village.”

Link shrugs. “Want some apples?”

Her half-sister’s eyes flick to the three apples sitting on the weathercock. “Are those your last ones?”

“Yup.” Link nods. “Then I’m heading to the Sanctuary.”

“I’ll buy out your stock.” Zelda takes out three rupees, two red and one blue.

“Hey, thanks.”

Link starts to trade the items. Zelda says, too casually, “Can I walk with you? Over to the Sanctuary?”

“Mm.” Eyebrow raise. Zelda shakes her head, nothing urgent. “Sure.”

They take the eastern exit. Zelda sets a slow pace. Link fiddles with her medallions, curling the chain around her finger.

Zelda’s always been upfront—she speaks up soon as they’re out of earshot. “I had a dream last night.”

“Shocker.” Link is flicked on the ear.

“You know that’s not what I mean, idiot.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. What happened?”

Zelda’s eyebrows furrow. “That’s the thing… I can’t make it out. The world around me wasn’t Hyrule, but… it felt so familiar.”

“Could be a different time,” Link suggests. “Or a neighboring country. Heard anything from Labrynna or Holodrum?”

“No, and I don’t think it’s either of them.” Zelda pauses for a second. “It’s… There was blood all around, but I couldn’t see it… like it had seeped into the ground itself.”

“An old battlefield.”

“Something like that.” They’re nearing the Sanctuary. “There was new growth on top of it… and the plants were reaching for me. That’s when I woke up.”

Link hums. “Weird, but doesn’t seem like a prophecy.”

“Except all my dreams are prophecies,” Zelda argues. She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I just… I don’t know. I worry.”

“It’ll be okay, Zel. I can and will fight, so if anything does happen—”

“That’s exactly it, though.” Zelda’s tone makes Link pause. “You’ve… It hasn’t been that long since you… you know. You’re my little sister. I don’t want you to be thrown back into that so soon.”

Link bites at her cheek. Oh, that’s what this is about. Ever she returned to Hyrule last year, Zelda’s fretted over her more and more.

“I’ll be fine,” Link mumbles. “I’m doing better now, anyway.”

“If you…” Zelda trails off. They stop at the Sanctuary door. “…Keep taking care of yourself, okay?”

Link nods. “Okay.”

Zelda bids her goodbye and peels off back towards the castle. Sneaking in, no doubt. Link showed her the way last year.

Before she enters, Link sighs. She knows Zelda only means well. And, sure, the past months have been… rough. But Link can still hold her own—if nothing else, during combat. She’s only a year younger than Zelda, too! She just… Whatever.

Link grumbles as she elbows the Sanctuary door open. She greets the Sage, who tells her to wait a moment while he gets the book. Fine by her. Link retreats to one of the pews, opting to lean against it instead of sitting in it.

She whistles a short tune while she waits. Or, tries to—Mamu’s song comes to her mind first, but it’s way too fast for her to whistle. Link gives up after a few moments and instead opts to pull some hair out of her face. She pauses.

The Triforce on her left hand is glowing. Glowing more than usual, that is. Streams of magic trail down her skin. It’s warm, dripping holy and golden.

“Shit,” Link mutters. Her mark flashes, and the world goes white.

(read the rest on ao3!)

[mirensiart]

i heard you wish for knowledge on roolie. and for today i shall forbid my role as a ghost and become a genie. :D

SO. Hyrule's games don't really have too much of a story on their own, my guy is hcs galore here. But what is canon is that after he killed ganon, his blood became cursed, meaning if he dies ganon will be brought back from the dead to reign terror over hyrule, with no hero to stop him.

Now in Zelda 2 (the adventure of link) he successfully defeats all Ganons servants who know the ritual to bring back ganon, saving hyrule and ensuring its safety. but people saw that and went "nah" so in most hcs he can still be used to bring back the ugly blue pig.

this means that monsters and a cult called "The Eyes of Ganon" most often are constantly hunting him down to kill him and use his blood to bring back their master, meaning poor dude is always on the run and has no real area to call home. some people hc that he also stays away from towns for this reason, to not draw monsters there like the selfless hero he is

he also is often in fanfic deathly afraid of bleeding, because it draws monsters to him. in the pain-share au this might also add emotional pain onto physical pain because first he gets a wound bad enough to bleed, and then he's freaking out and panicking on top of that

onto his spells. hyrule in-game has a fire spell, a thunder spell, a life spell, a jump spell and a fairy spell. the jump spell isnt really mentioned because in most stories this guy is already capable of jumping without magic. his fire spell casts fire around him, thunder spell strikes lighting all around (which could be pretty risky for fighting in groups), life spell heals himself or others as we see with twi in the lu comic, and fairy spell turns him into a fairy. (a lot of people hc him to be a fae because of this)

he has a magic bar though, and a limited amount of magic he can use. many people hc that if he gets too low on magic it could be dangerous, but thats not canon in the game.

zelda 1's plot is pretty much just "get triangle, kill pig" and thats it. zelda 2 is that princess zelda has been cursed to fall asleep and cannot be woken up, so to save her sleeping beauty ass hyrule goes and gets the triforce. along the way he finds ganons servants in dungeons, and defeats them so ganon cannot be ressurected. he eventually finds an old man in a dungeon, and has to fight his shadow (which btw is the hardest bossfight ever like wtf) and upon defeating it, proves himself worthy of the triforce and gets it. he then cures zelda of the curse, wakes her up, and they make out. yes the last part was actually in the game.

hyrules placement in the timeline is right after legends in the downfall timeline, so they get to be the downfall duo together. also hyrule is often hc with a huge hero-worship thing going on with legend, and he's afraid to dishonor or disappoint his ancestor.

and thats about all i know at least, i may be wrong and im sure someone will correct me if i am, but i wanted to provide info anyways! im sorry for the huge ask btw ;-;

Wow, ok! First of all, thank u very much for all this, like this has been super helpful!

Like, seriously, tysm for taking ur time to explain everything to me, I really appreciate it 🥹💖

I did know some of these things so I suppose I wasn't that lost on hyrule's lore!

I do enjoy the downfall duo tbh, I did know beforehand that hyrule is the last one in the downfall timeline, since I used to own hyrule historia ages ago (it got lost during one of the many times I changed apartments 😔) I think it's cute for hyrule to have a hero worship on him and for legend to be soft to hyrule too lol

Anyway! This has been super informative, I'll make sure to keep it in mind from now on, thank you!

[pitchblackespresso]

The greatest love triangle in the Switch Zelda games

Is not between Link, Zelda and Mipha. It is these three

Hear me out.

Paya and Tauro are already a fairly popular ship in the fandom, with mild basis in canon (more on that later). What fewer people bring up is Tauro's other not-so-secret admirer: The humble (Dr!) Calip.

This man is known best for two things: being the nuisance stopping us from even just looking in the direction of the floating ring ruin until its quest, and, more relevant here, his nigh obnoxious ego. All he strives for is fame and recognition, yet in the midst of his self-aggrandazing ramblings, he expresses admiration for one man only: Tauro. Here's what he writes in his diary (found next to his bed, in his room that he happens to share with Tauro)

As self-absorbed as Calip is, he deigns Tauro to be worthy of his admiration, meaning he holds Tauro in high regard. However, an unexpected competitor vies for Tauro's attention: enter Paya.

The newly appointed Kakariko chief starts to learn about the Zonai ruins for the sake of her people, and becomes unexpectedly good at it. It is implied that Tauro spends a fair bit of time teaching her and assisting her with research, culminating in Paya learning to read Zonai script. This, well, does not sit well with Calip, as he cannot stand the idea of Tauro's precious praise going to another. Here's an exchange that happens when Link shows them a photo of the Zonai inscriptions inside the floating ring ruins, and Paya deciphers a word that left even Tauro stumbled:

Calip's response: jealousy at Tauro praising another, especially Calip's greatest rival!

So Calip proceeds to promptly put Paya back in her place by instead deducting that the place the script is referring to must be the Zonai Ruins in Faron. When Tauro praises him in turn, Calip exceedingly gloats about this, even attempting to turn the word "fantastic" into a pet phrase between him and his most admired person

Alas, Calip may have lost the race already. For you see, Tauro seems to have set eyes on someone else. This detail is already somewhat known, but when looking above Tauro's bed in Kakariko (and we know it is Tauro's bed because of the extra cushions to compensate for his size), something interesting hangs on the wall

A portrait of Paya.

And we know it is Paya because of the red Sheikah eye, the red ribbons, and even the red eye make-up all matching Paya perfectly.

Now why would Tauro have a picture of Paya, somebody he spent a great deal of time with studying ancient relics they are both passionate about, someone he (by his own words) greatly admires, hanging above his bed? So she may watch over his dreams?

My condolences Calip, but it seems Tauro and Paya would indeed make a fantastic couple.

[blueskittlesart]

Is there anything in particular that inspired you to make Link and Zelda's body types look like they do? (Asking only because I'm obsessed with the dynamic duo vibes they give off)

shape language babey! im a big fan of when character designs complement each other visually, and i think that so much of that is tied up in the shape language, and, as a result, the body shape of your characters. My art style is also very shape-heavy and i default to shapes when constructing figures so it's easy to do for me! It's probably most evident in my botw link and zelda because my changes are the most obviously different from their source material there, but I do this with most of the zel/link pairs i draw regularly! I like to have pairs that are complementary but not same-y. with botw i like to play up the difference between link's thin, angular body type (i think of him as a skinny rectangle) and zelda's softer, rounder body (I think of her as an oval) but the same goes for other pairs--I see oot zel&link as 2 triangles of varying sizes; they're both angular, but in this case i play up the difference between link's muscular build and zelda's skinnier dancer-like body. With sksw, i usually go for a chubbier, kind of boxy build for link to contrast zelda's really thin, stick-straight build. in general tho i just like to find combinations of character designs that both work well together and fit the vibe of the source material!

[its-to-the-death]

Fourth Wall Fight Round 1

Welcome! I'm very excited to get the ball rolling on this new tournament after what feels like forever. So here is the bracket:

The matchups were randomized so if you don't like them, blame the computer not me. The pictures are also a little small since this is only the first round and we have many contestants, so there will be a list of the matchups below the cut (and they'll link to the polls once they start!)

Polls will go up on Monday, April 21 and last a week. Propaganda is always welcome and I will reblog it too.

Be nice and have fun!

Kuzco (The Emperor's New Groove) vs Fleabag (Fleabag)

The Man in Red (Ghost Trick) vs Steve (Blue's Clues)

She-Hulk (Marvel) vs The Emcee (Cabaret)

Zazu (The Lion King) vs Madeline Hatter (Ever After High)

Bugs Bunny (Looney Tunes) vs Tozu (Project: Eden's Garden)

Shimura Otae (Gintama) vs Dora (Dora the Explorer)

Yzma and Kronk (The Emperor's New Groove) vs Katrielle Layton (Layton Mystery Detective Agency)

Magolor (Kirby) vs Fifteenth Doctor (Doctor Who)

Wilford Warfstache (Markiplier Cinematic Universe) vs Tony (Earthbound)

Alec (Mother 3) vs Kayne (Malevolent)

Clarissa (Clarissa Explains It All) vs Tatiana (Misericorde)

Chronos (Hades 2) vs Ravio (The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds)

Hedley LaMarr (Blazing Saddles) vs Monika (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Sticks the Badger (Sonic Boom) vs 000 (Path to Nowhere)

John Johnson (Check, Please!) vs Mung Daal (Chowder)

Gwenpool (Marvel) vs First Doctor (Doctor Who)

Mr. Resetti (Animal Crossing) vs Flowey (Undertale)

WordGirl/Becky Botsford (WordGirl) vs Abed Nadir (Community)

Black Sapphire Cookie (Cookie Run Kingdom) vs Lord Hater (Wander Over Yonder)

Bestovius (Super Paper Mario) vs Niko (Oneshot)

Goombella (Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door) vs Mother (Shoot From the Hip - The Leftenmost Window)

Cartoon Lizzie (Lizzie McGuire) vs The Princess (Slay the Princess)

Beckett Mariner (Star Trek: Lower Decks - Warp Your Own Way) vs The Beyonder (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur)

The World Machine/The Entity (Oneshot) vs Malcolm Wilkerson (Malcolm in the Middle)

The Narrator (The Stanley Parable) vs Robert (Triangle and Robert)

Bernkastel (Umineko When They Cry) vs Kirby (Kirby)

Genie (Aladdin) vs Kim Dokja (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint)

Pinkie Pie (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic) vs Kometani Chushaku (Komi Can't Communicate)

Deadpool/Wade Wilson (Marvel) vs Princess H (Smashtasm)

Annabelle Cane (The Magnus Archives) vs Pixie (Pixie and Brutus)

Ferris Bueller (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) vs Guybrush Threepwood (The Secret of Monkey Island)

George Beard (Captain Underpants) vs Jack Bauer Dickrats/Father (The Trail to Oregon! - Starkid)

[skyward-floored]

Lost & shimmer

(From before)

“Do you see that there, Link? Those three stars shaped like a triangle? My mother used to tell me that’s where the goddesses went when they were finished creating the world,” Zelda said, her breath puffing out in a cloud in front of her. “Still shining their light on us, even from far away.”

She moved to let Link look through her telescope, and Link peered in, the metal cold when his cheek bumped it. He couldn’t see all three stars at the same time through the scope though, and he pulled back, looking at the sky without it.

The stars shimmered brightly above them, seemingly sharpened by the bitter cold of the night. Zelda rubbed her gloved hands together, and Link glanced at her, her cheeks reddish with the chill.

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” she said more softly, and Link kept looking at her, noticing how her eyes sparkled with the starlight, her hair catching the ambient light from the snow on the ground.

“Yeah,” he agreed in an equally soft voice.

Zelda paused, briefly catching his eye, then smiled as she turned back to her telescope.

“The comet should be visible soon,” she said, adjusting the angle and consulting the book she’d brought with her. “Assuming this book is right, but it’s been correct so far.”

“We should probably go in soon,” Link pointed out as Zelda shivered, but she waved him off.

“We will, we will. But I’ve been waiting for this comet all year, I’m not going in until I see it,” she said determinedly.

“Even if your nose freezes off and you lose all your fingers?” Link said with a smile, and Zelda lightly elbowed him.

“Even if my nose freezes off and I lose all my fingers,” Zelda said with a nod, and she tightened her coat around her. “Though I would prefer not to.”

“Good. Me too,” Link smiled, and she stuck her tongue out at him before going back to her book.

Link watched her in silence as she bustled around, looking up at the stars, then back at Zelda again, her excitement palpable, and his smile grew.

Honestly, even if Link’s fingers all froze off, he’d stay out here all night with her if she really wanted to.

[fourswords]

i think something interesting about the original legend of zelda that nobody ever really talks about is that the story told within the manual itself leads with the title "A long, long time ago, the World was in an age of Chaos." and you'd think that this chaos would refer to ganon coming in and wreaking havoc as usual, but no, actually—the manual specifically states:

"In the midst of this chaos, in a little kingdom in the land of Hyrule, a legend was being handed down from generation to generation, the legend of the “Triforce”; golden triangles possessing mystical powers. One day, an evil army attacked this peaceful little kingdom and stole the Triforce of Power."

and then it goes on to explain how the evil army was ganon's and blah blah whatever we all know how this story goes. but my main point is that even before ganon attacked, Something Was Going On for this time period to be named as an "age of chaos" (and it says the entire world was in an age of chaos! not just the kingdom of hyrule!). the adventure of link sort of adds a hyrule-specific version in its own manual:

"Hyrule was on the road to ruin. The power that the vile heart of Ganon had left behind was causing chaos and disorder in Hyrule."

but that doesn't change the fact that there was something else going on in the rest of the world because it was apparently ALL chaos. bro what the fuck happened

[alasse-earfalas]

It’s about time I talk about my Light Force theory.

First, let’s take a look at the OoT Hylian shield:

Notice the fourth golden triangle at the bottom. Notice how it’s oriented. It’s almost as if it’s meant to go in the empty space between the three other triangles, doesn’t it?

We know that the Triforce was created when the Golden Goddesses finished their work of creation and left Hyrule. Each of the three goddesses has a golden triangle associated with them.

So… Where’s Hylia’s triangle?

Hylia was created by the other three goddesses specifically to guard and protect the Triforce. However, she was not able to defeat Demise on her own, thus leading to the events of Skyward Sword.

But wait a minute, Skyward Sword is the game where you fly around on a giant red bird, right? Well what’s that there on the shield, between the one golden triangle and the Triforce?

A red bird. Huh.

Could it be that the lone golden triangle represents Hylia’s condescension into mortality, her separation from the three goddesses who created her? Could it be that this event left a piece of Hylia behind, some golden power similar to the Triforce, just as the Triforce was left behind by the Golden Goddesses? Perhaps this was the very divinity that Hylia shed to become mortal.

Now, let’s take a look at what Hyrule Historia and the Zelda Encyclopedia have to say about a lesser-known golden triangle in LoZ lore known as the Light Force:

[page 78 of Hyrule Historia & 82 of the Zelda Encyclopedia]

What if Hylia was created out of this “Force, which originally dwelled in all things”? What if she was created from the very world that the Golden Goddesses made, in order to protect it? In her very being dwelled an infinite power to protect against evil, but Demise’s dark power was equally vast; the best Hylia could do was seal him away.

But then, what if she devised a plan: she would split the Light Force. Part of it would remain in her when she was reborn as a mortal and purified in the sacred springs, and part of it would be protected in the realm of the Minish. Later, the Minish would return the Light Force to Hylia’s descendants, and the sacred power would carry on in the female royal bloodline.

As Hylia in Skyward Sword says that she speaks to Link “from the edge of time”, and as she (presumably) prepared the time gates, I like to think that Hylia is also the Goddess of Time mentioned in Majora's Mask. It’s possible that she was known by this title during the events of OoT, and that the Hylian Shield had a golden triangle added to it in order to honor her.

That’s my theory. :)

TL;DR — The Light Force is to Hylia what the Triforce is to the Golden Goddesses, and the Light Force is the random golden triangle that’s depicted on the OoT Hylian Shield.

[airplanned]

I started playing Oracle of Ages, and there is so much more going on than in Oracle of Seasons!

I showed up, and Impa was there, and she was like, “Hey Link! I need you to move this rock for me, because it has a triangle on it and you’re triforce guy!” It then turned out that Impa’s was possessed by the bad guy, and my very first act in this game was to mess stuff up. Possessed Impa is a great idea that should happen more often.

Nayru, who we know as the goddess of Wisdom in OoT, in this game has the power to control time. So that’s more Wisdom-Time connection that pops up with Zelda being the sage of time in OoT and TotK.

Also, with Nayru traveling back through time, it occurs to me that my question of where the three dragons in totk came from and who they used to be could have a fun head canon answer that revolves around Oracle of Ages and Seasons. I will think more on this.

I remember nothing about this game except that Ralph is great. So far that holds up.

[phoenixcatch7]

Just finished oracle of ages!!! Good game, good game. I have Thoughts.

I actually really enjoyed the story and characters! I figured going into the oracle games that it'd be a simple, cliché story, not much nuance or depth, and with Seasons that's basically what I got: din gets fridged in a crystal at the start of the game -> go get her -> you need a set of maguffins to do so -> fight big monster.

Admittedly it was the first game, which meant less story, but even if I hadn't linked (heh) the games for extra end game content Ages just did so much more.

Unlike din, naryu has someone else willing to help her. Ralph (the twinkiest twink to ever twink) was a young man who was her devoted friend (there was a weird crush triangle thing going on with him, Link and naryu, I always felt like I was missing subtext) and, spoilers for a 20yo game?? I guess?

He was the dethroned descendant of the ancient queen Ami. His family definitely still have big money though. He was pretty clearly supposed to be a comic relief character with a twist, but I ended up really liking him! He was over enthusiastic and over confident, but not unintelligent, a decent swordsman (I think) who was incredibly loyal to his friends and held some deep rooted responsibility for the people his family used to rule. Kind, determined, good with kids and people in general, he was terrified but willing to sacrifice his very existence to save the people.

The world building was also great! I don't think I've ever played a zelda game without gorons, but hylians were in short supply. To be expected outside of hyrule, I guess? Anyway, there were also lizard people on an island (tokay!) whose entire deal was.. A bit outdated? Rude, brazen and aggressive to outsiders, they lived in crude huts, worshipped things they didn't quite understand and were generally the old Hollywood stereotype of an isolated jungle tribe.

There was also, like, zora racism? There's a zora village underwater, and one of them was like 'us sea zora are nothing like those river zora 😒' which handily solved both my question of if the river/ocean zora divide was canon or fanon and the relationships between the two. Are they even the same species?? It just makes the rito even weirder but hey lmao. In all honesty I was pretty sick of the river zora at that point too, I swear there were two of them popping up in every screen that had even a sliver of water deeper than the knees and they CONSTANTLY shot fireballs istg they were such a pain. They were literally everywhere and so hard to kill.

On the plus side mermaid suit ^u^!! A dungeon item (the mermaids cave), the item had a desc like 'the skin of the mythical beast' which raised SO many more questions than it answered. The zora were delighted to see a young mermaid! The use of 'maid' implied either a) the zora all thought link was a girl and he didn't correct them (eyo genderqueer androgeny) b) the zora don't subscribe to gender the way humans do (eyo genderqueer androgeny) or c) all fish people look like mermaids regardless of their specific gender (eyo genderqueer androgeny). It literally could have been all three who knows. Maybe one day we'll actually meet a mermaid in zelda.

Also, there's a mini game in Seasons, which I played first, the subrosian dance. It's a pretty popular part of their culture, it's got music, it's got professional dancers. In Ages, you find the gorons doing the exact same dance! Rosa, a subrosian performer you meet in Seasons, is also there, saying her people's dance is better (tbf it is), but if you go to the past you'll find the gorons actually invented the dance first, as part of their love of games and entertainment, and you can talk to two subrosians who are talking about bringing the dance home! It's so interesting to see little details like this, where the travelling subrosians visited their fellow cave dweller lava eating people centuries ago, brought it back home where it exploded in popularity and centuries later became refined as a whole folk dance with spinning and everything, with the people forgetting where it came from, where the gorons keep their dance exactly the same (having to do a rhythm game without rhythm is hard).

Actually, there was so much political fantasy drama going on in the past?? Like, you've got the childless queen taking care of her people, a budding village and a few more settlements across the kingdom. Early in her reign she tried to build a tower to act as a beacon to her fiancé lost at sea, which is a romance story all on its own, but it was cut short (maybe because of funding?). Centuries in the future, it's just ruins. You've got people living on an ACTIVE VOLCANO starting a symmetry cult around a artifact called 'tuni nut' which, presumably, stabilises the volcano? And it's entirely cut off from the outside world. The goron elder is crushed under rocks and their economy is failing. The zora king got poisoned and he's about to die without an heir because a witch turned the fairy queen into an octorock, but the man in charge of the only cure refuses to hand it over until someone passes his tests.

Most of it is solved relatively easily by link and a copious amount of time travel, but the thing with the ruling queen only gets worse. When the evil witch invades the kingdom, she possesses the oracle of ages, naryu (who's a little implied to be the Actual Creation Goddess Naryu reincarnated) and travels back to the past to bring about an age of despair in the present. She does this by slipping into the royal court and befriending the queen as a serving girl, rising up the ranks to become her closest advisor and corrupting her (pretty sure mind control magic is used a li'l). She convinces her to restart the black tower project, pouring all of her and the towns resources into it - forcibly conscripting every able bodied worker and working them to the bone, all while monsters start to circle the tower. With all the fear and resentment, it quickly becomes a beacon of dark energy, a perfect focal point to perform black magics.

Link (and Ralph) end up in the past and get hauled in front of the queen, with possessed naryu at her side, who basically jeers at them and ensures the queen won't listen to their untrustworthy lies. The townsfolk are getting increasingly stressed as their village fills with rubble and their men are worked to the point of collapse. Armed guards start to appear to keep the workers under control. Eventually, Ralph uncovers a hole in the guard rotation, and he and link sneak into the palace through a secret entrance Ralph oh so casually knows about. Link and naryu fight, but with stupendous timing the queen walks in to see naryu collapsed on the floor, Link standing over her with a sword. She calls for the guards, but before anyone can react, the witch, banished form her first vessel, leaps into the queen herself instead. Ralph shoves past the arriving guards and into naryus arms, while link moves in from of them. The queen orders the guards to attack, but naryu, reawakened, pulls them back to the present in the nick of time. In the present, the black tower is magically growing, reaching higher and higher into the sky, terrifying the people of the city.

Then! Ralph, who at this point is suspiciously invested now his actual goal is completed and naryu is safe, vows to go back into time again, away from naryu, to live under the now evil queen and bring protection and comfort to the villagers as a direct act of resistance, because the witch is feeding on their sorrow to power an unknown ritual (link knows. Link, canonically, has told nobody). So this teen in fancy robes and cape goes back to the oppressed, poverty stricken town under the thumb if someone who wants him dead and lives there for weeks if not months dedicating himself to supporting the village and bringing people's hopes and spirits back up, presumably while living out of someone else's wooden hut. In the middle of a literal depression inducing miasma that's sapping everyone's joy and will to live.

That just. Takes insane strength of character. That's a feat of pure, distilled, compassion as anarchy.

Link's off bouncing between past and present doing dungeons and solving easier issues through either sword or magic item, but Ralph is out here doing the long hard slog for little reward.

Link finally returns to the black tower completed, affecting even the people of the present, and, preparations complete, rushes to the past. Ralph is nowhere be seen. Talking to the villagers reveals several have a crush on him, but an old man saw him running for the tower, sword drawn. There's a man pacing by the entrance, who saw the kid run in, tried to stop him. He said Ralph said that he no longer cared what happened to him. That the man realised that Ralph had quietly succumbed to the same curse of despair they all were under. Link fights his way up to the top of the tower, where Ralph confronts the evil queen, sword at her heart, but every step she takes into it, he steps back. The witch laughs. She asks him if he's really willing to write himself out of existence - being the queens descendant, and all. Ralph leaps back, into links chest. He's shaking and stuttering, but he lunges, and is knocked out in one blow. The queen now asks link the same question: is he willing to erase Ralph? If he strikes her, kills her, the queen will die, childless, and he will never live. She leaves, and link rushes to Ralph. He's awake but unresponsive, defeated. With a heavy heart, Link leaves him to chase the queen. It's naryu who finds him, brings him out of the tower.

When the witch is defeated, the curse is lifted, and Ralph is once more energetic and kind. He's a little quieter now, though, sticking close to naryu. For all he was a loud and headstrong kid, I gotta say I was very impressed.

He would have made a good king.

[the-delta-42]

Remember

Remember

“Don’t look away,” Growled Ganondorf, “you-”

“You don’t remember.” Said the Hylian, Link, frowning at Ganondorf.

“What?” Sneered Ganondorf, livid at being interrupted.

“You don’t remember.” Repeated Link, sighing with the Sages staring at him in confusion, “We’ve been through this time and time and time again. Since the dawn of the world and across the timelines. We know each other, more than you think.”

“I don’t know what your blathering about.” Snarled Ganondorf, as Link quietly pulled a spring from a Zonai capsule.

Link sighed, “Okay, let’s see what you do remember, because I don’t want to fight someone who doesn’t know why he’s the biggest prick in the world.”

Ganondorf went to grab his sword, when the ‘sword of legend’ flashed.

“Calm down, Fi, we’re still going to kill him.” Dismissed Link, frowning at Ganondorf, “You’re still going to die, do you remember being stabbed in the head by a child in green?”

Ganondorf stared at Link, getting another sigh, “Obviously not, how about nearly being disembowelled by an angsty looking wolf?”

Ganondorf just unsheathed his sword.

“Alright, how about drawing your sword from your servant’s chest and vanishing into another plane?” Said Link, drawing the Master Sword.

Ganondorf froze, suddenly finding himself in a throne room launching an orb of energy at a young man in green, while a princess hung in a pink crystal suspended above them. He then felt a searing pain in his chest, the man in green looked different, vastly different, but he could tell it was the same person.

“You’re starting to remember,” Mused Link, readying for the impending battle, “good.”

Ganondorf felt himself getting up from the ground, the man in green different once again, glaring up at him. He glanced at his hand, freezing at the sight of a triangle on the back of it. He shook his head and snarled at Link, “Get out of my head, you welp!”

Link dodged the swing, parrying the blade away from him.

Ganondorf was at the top of a castle, water pouring down around him, fighting two children, a princess aiming a bow at him, while a boy in green launched himself into the hair and ramming his sword in his forehead.

Ganondorf yelled, throwing himself at Link and the Sages.

R

“Link?” Asked Riju, looking at him as they examined Ganondorf’s lifeless body, “Two questions, how did he turn back? I thought the dragon-ifying thing was permanent, and what were you talking about back there?”

“Just some old history Rij.” Dismissed Link, looking at the back of Ganondorf’s right hand, “Things between him and I just span more than one lifetime.”

Zelda prodded Ganondorf’s eye with a stick.

“Zel, I’m waving his hand around, I’m sure he’s dead.” Protested Link, as he accidentally nudged the hilt of a broken sword. Ganondorf’s body twitched, getting a scream from some of the assembled crowd and an arrow to the eye from Tulin.

“For the love of Din, he’s already dead!” Groaned Link, as Tulin looked at him.

“He twitched.”

“He twi- Of course he twitched,” Yelled Link, grabbing the hilt of the broken sword, “He’s got a sword embedded in his nervous system!”

Ganondorf’s body twitched with each movement of the sword.

[sischan]

Above are some unfinished doodles of Link and Zelda. One on the left is Link sitting in his Terry Town home, I would've liked if they offered a room to store Link's outfits in his house. In the sketch Link is carving one of the Light dragon's horns into a hair accessory for Zelda upon her return. Which I draw Zelda wearing in all fanart for after game events for ZeLink. One on the right is Zelda cooking some cookies in advance kitchen design for Link's house in Akkala. With Zelda hanging a planter, that I plan to add the flowers that I have sketched as a placeholder. ^-^ I plan to finish these, but I wanted to share! Below is my rambling about BotW and TotK Link, and a poll.

Another Zelda Rambling

Hello, and welcome to another one of my rambling about the legend of Zelda series. This ramble is about Breath of the wild Link and my three different endings for him. ^-^ Don't worry this ramble is short.

Heartbroken Link

BOTW is on Wii U and TOTK is on the switch. With no DLC items moving over. 

In this version of Link he chose not to be with Zelda Romantically.

Link still Mourns the loss of Mipha.

Link likely ends with Riju or Calyban.

Professor Link 

Same as Heartbroken, but this Link has healed from the loss of Mipha.

Link looks at Zelda romantically, but also as a dear friend. Which causes him to not pursue her romantically. 

Link ends up being a professor that studies the Triforce, and Hyrule's Monsters with Kilton.

Link is in a love triangle between Riju and Zelda, upon Zelda's return.

King, Prince-Consort, Link

Both BOTW and TOTK are on the switch, allowing DLC to transfer over.

Resulting in the Champions photo appearing in Zelda's house.

Link reunites with Zelda and restores Hyrule Kingdom. With him leading the knights, Monster control unit. While Zelda strengthens relationships with the Yiga.

Using Link's disguise.

Please tell me what type of ending you have for Link, from Breath of the Wild to Tears of the Kingdom.

Also here are some things I do to make the game a tad harder.

Don't visit Purah to get the Paraglider at all until defeat of ancient Ganondorf, don't talk to any of the sages or their quests until after getting Mineru, Don't talk to Hetsu, Collect all memories, Clear up the Deku tree's stomach, Get the Master Sword, Awaken/Mineru has join your party, and gather all the Lightroots in the depths. Then go to Wind Temple first, then Fire, Water, and then Lightning.

^-^ When I play Link in this custom hard mode, I always visit Snowield Stable's well. It contain Fairies and they are needed for the dives into the depths. Unless unlock Mineru, her construct can cushion the fall.

Thank you for reading my rambling. ^-^ My previous rambling, but longer.

[moonglide]

echoes of wisdom end.

I know I kind of. stopped posting my playthrough. but whatever. I finished the game!!!

-assorted spoilers for faron, lanayru, and final quest.

-bumpkin?? excuse me?? I come from hyrule!!!

-There's a jail. so we're going to jail later.

-why is it raining??? I can't use the power of arson with this

-you're saying the drippitunes cause rain??? time for murder.

-black thorns???

-ohh because the rifts are spiky.

-the jail was super fun to break out of.

-the great spider? gohma?? are all three of these going to be Oot bosses?

-I did all the smoothie recipe quests! I want a better reward.

-ok ok ok ok. So I got a 'spin = knockback' amulet. and if I go to the gerudo desert, I can get an outfit to increase my spin radius. so...

-this is great. I can just spin around super fast and knock back enemies too!

-and also I can use the redead to petrify them and then I knock them off a cliff

-shout out to that deku scrub that joked about caring more for cotton candy than his friend's life.

-why does gohma have a laser eye

-hi farore!!!!

-oh damn. thanks for telling me farore.

-time to get horse.

-I got my horse!

-went in the sanctuary. so that's how you find the lynel. time to hunt.

-no wait I didn't mean it help

-found dampe.

-haha techtite

-haha tocktorok

-ok im done

-mt hebra!

-look at this sleeping yeti. cute. time to move on

-nah I actually didn't realize you could wake him. I only found out after the fact

-condé is such a cutie!!!!!

-his brother is missing???

-his dad is dead?????

-nooo

-he's trying to fix it all himself!!!

-I didn't want to use the cave to get to the peak area so I just used platabooms. if you stack a plataboom on another plataboom while it's still rising the second plataboom will rise higher. also the word plataboom will lose all meaning.

-went back down thru the cave to make sure I didn't miss anything.

-condé!! no!!! that's definitely not your brother!!

-STAMP GUY??? MY IDOL!!! hi!!!!

-he pUSHED you???!?!!? he will die

-fun dungeon. I say that about all of them, but they're all fun.

-scorchill. interesting. hot and cold. fun.

-that was fun.

-hi nayru!!!!

-oh damn. thanks for telling me nayru.

-null?? hi??? what are you doing???

-did you just make an echo of ME?!?!?!?

-AHHHHH TRI GET ME OUT OF HERE

-wright there's an impostor among us.

-gotta explore the part of the map between hebra and Zora. wait I can just go up there using platabooms? no fade to white and then you take me back down? I can just go from one place to the other??? hm. maybe next run I can do gerudo first, then Zora, and then straight to lanayru. I wonder if that'll work.

-ok six orbs. got it.

-HI LYNEL BYE LYNEL!!!

-ok I did it.

-hi deku tree!!!

-oh damn. thanks for telling me deku tree.

-oh god that's the triforce. I think that's the first time we've seen it in its triangle form in this game, other than in the hyrule emblems.

-I'm actually SHAKING.

-oh shit it's going to split because you're not balanced

-oh shit it's NOT going to split because you're an echo of someone who IS balanced

-OH SHIT it WILL split! ha. get a load of this guy.

-OH SHIT SHE'S GOING AFTER LINK!!!!

-im coming for u my boyfriend

-now I'm just imagining a meme where link's signing 'so this is my girlfriend Zelda, and this is Zelda's girlfriend dohna.

-imma make that after I finish posting this

-fightin' echo Zelda. it's fun! I have a redead to petrify everyone, a white wolfos to kill them, and I'm shooting at echo me with a bow.

-I have to give up my sword/shield/bow/bombs to link??? but everything's fully upgraded! except for bombs.

-no going back???? hollup I gotta get some smoothies

-rock salt + milk. really useful.

-ok let's go. fifteen hearts is probably enough.

-why is null all fleshy? gross.

-AHHH LYNEL

-wait that was really easy. hold up. I'm rewinding my save to kill a lynel to get its echo.

-that took like two seconds. I have lynel now! six whole triangles!

-and it's WEAKER THAN THE ECHO LYNEL??? screw this.

-oh I have to solve puzzles with link!

-I sent a monster to link's side to help him fight, and when he finished, he shot the enemies remaining on my side! teamwork!

-hi null!!

-I WAS RIGHT!!! IT IS AN EVIL TRI!!!

-ball and chain troopers are really useful for this.

-my sister wants to play animal crossing. told her I'd take ten minutes max.

-underwater? what if I drown???

-oh there's air bubbles.

-sharks!

-ok back to the arena.

-you're turning into previous bosses? this is just like nightmare in link's awakening!

-had to use my fairy bc of some ganon echoes.

-SIMONE I'M SORRY YOU CAN PLAY ANIMAL CROSSING IN A MINUTE

-triforce!!!

-tri is leaving! sad.

-Idk if I'm a fan of link being able to talk now, but I gotta admit that the music corresponding with the characters's surprise at link's talking was pretty funny.

-robby lueberry. impa. I love you guys.

-simone it's playing the post-boss cutscene. please be patient

-credits roll!

-simone. my sister. the credits are rolling. gimme a minute. I'm sorry for taking so long, but I can't skip this. and I am afraid it won't save if you close the software early.

-yes that means the game is over. yes I still want it to save. please stop trying to take the Nintendo switch out of my hands.

-look the credits are over!

-aw, cat.

-HERE YOU GO, MY SISTER. There's still an hour and ten minutes left of screen-time. yes, I know it was an hour and forty when you gave it to me. yes, that's not very fair. my bad. you can have it all tomorrow.

-what a fun game!!! 10/10.

-fave monsters: ignozol, plataboom, albatrawl, redead, white wolfos, ball and chain trooper.

-fave echoes: water block, level 3 bed.

-deaths: 10. I haven't died once since the last update, and it's been at least eight hours of gameplay.

edit: excuse me??? I was supposed to pull on null's arms with bind and have link chop them off???? i would just have my echoes attack null. god. that boss fight probably took way longer than it needed to.