#*side eyes botw zelda*

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Free Day Thursday

As mentioned before, I spun a wheel with many options and what we landed on was:

Zelda: BOTW

Link liked Daruk.

He appreciated all the Champions -- yes, even Revali.

Sometimes.

Occasionally.

And Mipha had been his friend since, well, since about as far back as he could remember.

Aren't kids supposed to have memories outside of a career? Did Father have to present me to the king so young?

But there was something about Daruk that was different. He didn't look at Link with the childhood nostalgia of Mipha. He wasn't the King of Hyrule, always watching, always measuring, sifting him to see whether he was truly worth anything. And Daruk was not one of the Hylian soldiers. He didn't have the first clue about what rank Link's father held, and he had absolutely no opinions regarding how well Link was measuring up to Arn's legacy.

Daruk expected nothing of him save for courage in battle and a hearty appetite afterward.

Rock Roast isn't that bad, Impa is just being mean-

Why did Daruk care so much about whether or not Link was eating well, or had adequate protection from the deadly heat? Did he fuss over his subordinate Gorons like that?

In Hyrule, everyone had always left him to figure everything out on his own. First aid, starting a fire, shaving, communicating, even. It was like...like they thought he had come into this world already bearing the knowledge and experience of every Chosen Hero who had lived before him.

He was supposed to know these things! He was supposed to excel at everything!

...and Father wonders why we never talk...

But Daruk never demanded excellence. He didn't frown in disapproval if Link didn't balance just right, and he wouldn't make Link drill for hours if he performed a classic attack incorrectly, like the Knight Captains used to.

like they still would if I weren't so much stronger than them, now-

It was strange. Sometimes Link caught a glimpse of Daruk out of the corner of his eye; he saw the barrel chest and sideburns and sometimes almost mistook him for Arn.

But it's been a long, long, time since Father had the chance or inclination to ask me what I thought...

"You okay, little guy?" Daruk jostled him amiably. "You look like you got some pebbles not sittin' right in your gut."

"Just...thinking." Link responded, then blinked. Usually he answered with facial expressions or sounds. Did Daruk know Hyrule Sign?

Daruk's eyes crinkled at the corners. "Hoo! That Hylian accent is thick, boy! Those hands are dripping with fancy manners. You know any miners' jargon? It'll make talkin' to the brothers around here a lot easier."

The smile was out and about before Link had time to even process the question. Daruk understood! It had taken weeks for Mipha to learn how to talk to Link. He'd expected Eldin to be much like Lanayru.

"I only know Hyrule Sign, and some words in Zora," Link answered, "Will you teach me?"

"Is Death Mountain hot?" Daruk retorted, "Of course I will! Come on, little guy, let's see if we can find you a teacher!"

...maybe...maybe it's okay to not know everything. At least, it's okay with the Gorons.

[bloomingbluebell]

something about how female characters who are fighters are often characterized by the fandom as unhinged, chaotic, mean, aggressive, etc. even when, canonically, they're none of those things. and if they aren't any of those thing, then they're considered boring, uninteresting, etc.

[ginnsinabin]

general link hcs

+gen neutral

+botw/totk link

-Link always keeps an eye on you no matter what’s happening. In a fight he always knows where you are, walking through a village he keeps you in his line of sight and when riding together around Hyrule he not only watches you but also the tree lines if danger were to present itself

-While he is often with the princess, he still tries to make as much time as possible to be with you or have you with him wherever he goes

-Poor guy can’t bear the thought of not only loosing someone he loves more than anything but to fail at his job as a hero in protecting you would eat away at his soul

-Links most favorite kind of date with you is a simple trail ride on your horses with a picnic and nap under a cozy tree

-In his life of never ending chaos, having soft calming moments with you brings his mind at ease, having even just a moment of a peaceful life makes him happy

-Zelda will sometimes ask link of his whereabouts when not at her side and will happily giggle and tease him when he grows a light flush and is reluctant to tell

-She knows exactly where he was and it brings her joy knowing that link can finally have a piece of a normal hylian life with someone he loves, he of all people deserves it 

-Zelda will bring you around the castle and any excursions to not only spend time with you but to also let you and link spend more time together. It’s not a lie that the hero’s time is taken with his duties more often than not so she takes it upon herself to bring you two together

-It warms her heart to see two people she loves together

-While link knows that you can most certainly take care of yourself in battle, he always tries to take care of most if not all the danger before it even has a chance to reach you

-He wouldn’t ever admit to this for fear of belittling you, but he can’t let anything even bring the possibility of harm to you. From all that he’s lost and had taken away from him, he will die before he lets the world take you away from him

-Link is a man that thrives on quality time and physical touch

-He never gave it much thought before but after meeting you he doesn’t think he could ever live without it

-When you two are together you can guarantee that he will always be touching you in some way whether it’s holding your hand, cuddling or even just your arms or legs brushing against each other

-It grounds him to know that you’re really there with him and that you’re not going anywhere anytime soon

-No matter how long or tough his fights are, he will always come home with a rare smile on his face, no matter how battered and bruised he is he will always rush to get home to you

-In link’s saddle bag he always makes sure to have enough stuff for the both of you but will put in any extra things that he knows you like

-As much as he protects the whole world, it brings him to his knees if you dote on him. He might be reluctant at first but he will never say no, never to you.

- It makes his heart nearly explode having you take care of his sore and weary muscles and bones, always wanting to repay you but is always shot down with a “you do enough, let someone do something for you for once”

-Will melt if you have him put his head on your lap or chest while having down time at the house and will drift to sleep, feeling nothing but love and peace 

(A/N: totk has had me in a goddamn choke hold for days the same way botw did so now I gotta make my brain happy being apart of the world. More wrench stuff to come tho, that psycho always has my heart)

[bluevaractyl]

AAAAA so many thoughts on the update. Here's a few:

All Wild has to do is gesture and Epona will follow, even through a spooky purple portal. Looks like they've bonded. He is a horse girl like Twilight. I wonder if she and Twilight chat when he's in wolf form.

@linkeduniverse "New time new place" page 2

Those columns look familiar! Were the ruins they left behind once part of this dungeon? Does this mean they traveled through time but not place? Is that how it works every time? That could lead to some very interesting world comparisons... *side-eyes the Ranch Ruins in BotW and the Great Sea in WW*

@linkeduniverse "Dawn pt. 7" page 7, "Enter..." page 5 and 6

I am so very curious about that palace/dungeon/big fancy building. The columns remind me of the columns at the entrance of every AoL palace, and the statues remind me of the statues in the original LoZ dungeons, but the face of the entrance is unfamiliar to me. I would guess inspiration was also drawn from several other games (which I'm less familiar with). I don't think it is necessarily any one specific dungeon.

screenshots from Zelda II and The Legend of Zelda

[flowering-thought]

Ganon brainrot won in my heart so here we are-

Please know that this version of Ganaon is influenced by BOTW and TOTK as I never got the chance to play the older games and I'm hopefully going to purchase TOTK soon (I'm a broke bitch so I look at spoilers in envy and awe). Also note that due to the complicated timeline of the games I'm going to say that Zelda has traveled back maybe 10,000 years because as of right now there's no telling how to fit it into the timeline for sure-

Not gonna lie I wanna do more of this, maybe a part two?? Should I do a part two?? I want to do more but I didn't want to make it too long-

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

WARNING - MINORS DNI

AFAB reader and reader is described as feminine and chubby/plus sized.

Yandere themes, obsessive behavior, hints at stalking

Yandere Ganondorf x Archeologist Reader

Zelda and Link. Two people you had come to know well as you had helped Link grow used to life in Hyrule after waking from his 100 year nap.

You were an assistant who occasionally helped Purah but also looked for things to research on your own when you could.

And when Link had saved the kingdom from Calamity Ganons grasp? You had grown close to Princess Zelda, who shared many interests with you. You two got along quite well, having fun and sharing research with each other and having long conversations about the past and the link between technological advancements and a declining birthrate.

And with Link? You appreciated the times when you could just relax. You would both sit by the fire and relax or you would tell him stories to pass the time.

Before Link had managed to defeat Calamity Ganon you would empathize with the struggle of not remembering his past, of the emotions that came with the weight of the world on his shoulders. And you would help him find ways to find happiness in the small things, even talking with him and having conversations to make things seem less stressful than they were.

So with Link and Zelda by your side with ruins of the ancient past? What would you have to worry about? Zelda is knowledgeable about ruins and Link is strong enough to help either of you if something were to happen.

But things don't always turn out how you want them to be huh?

Walking up to what looked to be a corpse deprived of light and dehydrated to the point it was practically a standing mummy, a hand attached to its chest and a spiral of light emitting from the contact.

And as though it were fate, that hand detached, a stone falling with it. A part of you felt as though you weren't supposed to be here, you took a step back, behind Zelda and Link, your eyes fixated on the mummified corpse.

As if you had walked into some tale of horror, the cracks of bones could be heard from the body, it slowly moving in what could only be described as terrifying.

Just as it opened its eyes Link blocked the first attack, and you grabbed Zelda's wrist, ready to run with her if need be. And the shattering of the master sword echoed through the chamber.

"The sword that seals the darkness? Such a fragile sword cannot defend you from me." He stated, a raspy voice speaking out.

"Zelda.. And you who carries that sword are Link." He continued.

The conversation did not last, another attack carried and both you and Zelda are knocked into the abyss. And even if it would be your death, you did not let go of Zelda, knowing that you'd rather be together in death should you die from that fall.

But all you saw was a burst of light before you inevitably passed out, your consciousness fully collapsing as the world around you changed.

And then there you were, in a field in Hyrule, both you and Zelda lain among the grass for a certain King and Queen to find you.

Zelda was the first to awaken to their voices, explaining who she was to them before they explained their own title.

And just before Zelda could gasp, you awoke. You held yourself as you woke up before fully awakening and looking around frantically for Zelda.

You didn't mind the strangers as you crawled over quickly to check for wounds, "Are you okay? You didn't get hurt?" You asked.

And upon realizing where you were, and looked upon by strangers, both you and Zelda explained what had happened to the young King and Queen as they brought you to the peak

Of course what followed was being brought to the founding kingdom of Hyrule, Rauru and Sonia treated Zelda like their daughter, smiling and making sure she was well fed.

They had claimed that both you and Zelda were distant relatives despite you saying you were not a part of the Hylian royal family. But they stated it would be better to claim that for now.

And while they treated Zelda like their child, when it came to you they were gentle as though you were someone they loved. You did not have powers like them and so they made sure you had a guard with you at all times.

Often times you would be found by the pair with Mineru, both of you enjoying different topics and you found immense enjoyment from learning everything that the Zonai technology could offer.

Sometimes you would actually fall asleep in Minerus office, and you could have sworn one time to hear Sonia and Rauru conversing as your head was supported by a lap and your hair pet gently. It was such a warm and gentle feeling so you eventually drifted back to sleep only to wake up in your chambers the next day.

And then, the one and only Gerudo King known as Ganondorf made his appearance.

Far too many times had you seen the depictions of a monstrous beast called Ganon, and upon hearing the name in another form you could feel shivers roll down your spine.

You stood next to Zelda, deciding to take your mind off of the King and look to his group, finding the differences in the attire of the past and future was fun to you rather than thinking about the anxiety that came with meeting Ganondorf.

And while you gazed at his group, Ganondorf had been staring at the stones for a time, noticing Zelda had one so he assumed that you would as well. And as soon as he noticed you did not have one he should have brought his gaze back to Rauru but he couldn't.

The way those robes fit on your figure, your soft looking features and that gaze of intelligence and warmth in your eyes had him nearly move his head to look right at you. But of course he knew better than to make his interest clear right in the throne room.

He couldn't keep his eyes off you, even when he and his group of warriors were escorted to different chambers to rest he had your face in mind. And before he was escorted to the separate nicer chamber he would stay in for his standing in the Gerudo tribe was the highest, he pulled two warriors aside and told them to keep an eye on you in secret, to learn more about you.

"And what kind of information on her would you like us to gather?" One asked, prepared for whatever her king would ask of them.

"Everything." He stated, turning to follow the Hylian maid who stood quite a bit away.

And so for an entire week, while observing many schedules of those who had the secret stone, he would try to find the places you tended to wander in.

He learned of the foods you prefered, how you spent a lot of your time either in the garden or the library, snacks such as fruit you often snacked on. He also found out the size of the robes you wore, getting a messenger to send that information back to the tribe to prepare you clothing. And he also tried his best to search into your orgins, but even most servants of the palace did not know where you came from.

It was frustrating that oftentimes you were with a member of the royal family or in places he couldn't get to without arising suspicion when it came to trying to get close to you.

Until finally, you were in the garden, only a single guard standing a couple of feet away as you sat in the grass and with a sketchbook open drew the different kinds of plants in front of you.

He found it beautiful. How your fresh flowed around you in the grass and your hunched form taking in the details of nature.

A part of him thought it suited you. But another thought how much better you would look smiling at him and waving him over.

But alas he had to make the first move.

So that's what he did, he stepped into the garden and made a light cough, the guard startling and immediately formed a stance while you turned to face what was only a pair of legs till you craned your head up to look at him.

You stayed completely still out of shock, till Ganondorf tilted his head a bit, wondering why you merely stared.

"Am I truly that shocking to see my lady?" He asked, a small smirk adorning his face. You nearly wanted to run but at the same time a part of you didn't want to create problems for Rauru or Sonia or even possibly Zelda so you decided to be neutral and scoot over a bit.

"Not as shocked as you would think, sit down and maybe I could see your face without needing to break my neck." You said, hoping that maybe he wouldn't be too interested so you wouldn't have to be too on edge.

But much to your surprise you heard a loud chuckle and next thing you knew had the King of the Gerudo sitting next to you in a garden of flowers.

You couldn't stand the awkward silence so you decided to form a conversation with him instead. "So how is your stay? I hope you're finding things enjoyable?" You ask, fumbling with the pages of your sketchbook, the notes written between the pages among illustrations and dried flowers and plants.

Ganondorf took in everything. How lovely your face looked up close, how tiny your hands were as you held that book in hand, and how your fingernails would get under a page to flip to another as you tried to make conversation.

He wanted you. He knew for certain then and there that he wanted you. It was love at first sight yes. But it wasn't the kind that he would throw away everything for until this point.

Now he understood the tales of foolish people throwing things they had worked hard for away for love. But it's a good thing Ganondorf is a greedy man. He'll have you first even if it means abandoning his first plan. He can always create another.

So as his mind processed these thoughts he gave a hum of confirmation before gazing down at you, "Do you know anything about the desert?" He asked. You would never know this was a conversation to prepare you for the harshness of the desert when he would eventually find a way to sweet talk his way into taking you there.

But unexpectedly you nodded and smiled, "Yes! While during the day it reaches its hottest point at noon, and its coolest point at midnight. But the sunsets and sunrises in the desert are breathtaking!" You started, smiling as you opened another page to some of the flora and fauna you've observed in the future.

"See I love how things can still manage to survive, it's so interesting how they form their own ways of survival and manage to thrive. Just like people do!" You stated.

"And how clear the sky looks at night when you're in the desert, it almost looks like an endless sea of stars. It does get cold at night but I've never been one to grow cold easily." You add, a bright smile on your face only keeping the man stunned in place.

How positive you were when he had only seen the negatives of his homeland. The vast desert is dry and harsh. He hated the Hylians who had taken for granted their habitable home and yet here he was, in love with a Hylian even before you would confess of your love for the desert.

You went on about how to build the most efficient homes, how staying near an oasis is the best move, and how white paint or tiles would help reflect the sun off the roofs. How different muds and rocks and soil can affect how to build a home there. And how you enjoyed the feeling of warm sand on your feet.

It took you at least an hour of talking to realize he had listened intently for a whole hour.

It left your face feeling hot and putting your book to cover your mouth and nose, hoping to cover up whatever blush had formed on your cheeks. "Sorry, here I am drawling on and talking your ear off." You muttered, avoiding eye contact but also realizing that looking at his well-toned body was a bigger mistake as you felt your heartbeat rise and then looked to the scenery to try and calm yourself down.

Ganondorf only chuckled, smiling as he set a hand on your head and gave your hair a little ruffle. "It's okay little Vai, I quite enjoy listening to you talk." He claims, getting up before looking down once more, "We should talk again." He adds.

And with that he walked off, leaving you slightly bewildered.

Unknown to you, that guard had reported back to Rauru and Sonia at the end of the day after making sure you were safe in your chambers.

The next day Rauru and Sonia would pull aside Zelda and Mineru while you were in one of the libraries researching.

"What do we do? Why on earth would he take an interest in Y/n?" Zelda asked, her hands held together in anxiety.

"He should have been targeting one of us. Someone who holds a secret stone. Y/n doesn't even have a stone!" She adds.

Mineru and Rauru sat silently in thought while Sonia put her hand over Zeldas, "Do not worry. I don't think he has the intention to hurt her." She claims, her calm voice carrying Zelda out of all the thoughts of you becoming hurt.

"But that doesn't mean he doesn't hold other intentions with her." Rauru says, looking slightly agitated as his gaze stays focused on the table.

"She wouldn't betray us. That much is certain. So if he doesn't seek to harm her or get information out of her, what could it be?" Mineru asks out loud, her question plaguing the thoughts of all four of them.

And they all knew only time could tell.

And unfortunately for them, Ganondorf would come to find you often, growing closer to you and making you feel comfortable around him. And due to that, coming up with a new plan to propose to his tribe and the warriors who followed him was easy.

He would take you as his wife. A surefire way to ensure a "peace treaty" between the Gerudo and Hylians. And your knowledge of the landscape and ways to improve their housing would prove useful for keeping his people safe, many warriors agreed with this plan as the longevity of their tribe mattered to them more than stealing a stone.

If they managed to strengthen their tribe with knowledge you could lend then they could form a better plan to take over Hyrule.

So with the support of his warriors, he asked to meet with the Hylian court, including you.

And it was tense. When you stepped into the hall, you could have sworn Sonia was on the edge of yelling and Rauru was bewildered. Zelda took notice of you and immediately brought you close to her and went closest to the thrones to keep you within reach.

You had made it late so you didn't know that Ganondorf had just announced his wish to marry you.

"Are you insane? You propose such a thing to keep the peace between our people?" Rauru asked, his voice commanding an answer from the brazen Gerudo King.

"But it is not unreasonable. I understand that Y/n is a distant relative yes? Not only is she of noble lineage she is also intelligent and capable of helping my tribe prosper. Would it not benefit both you and me? You would have my word of peace and know that your relative would be in capable hands and protected by my people as she would become one of us by wedding me, trying our people together." He concluded, looking straight at Rauru.

You were shocked at the information, never expecting to be proposed to by such a man. Yes, he seemed to be kind to you but how would you know he would keep his promise of peace? The history you read was different from this!

You felt overwhelmed as Rauru and Sonia went on about rejecting and Ganondorf would try to talk about the benefits. It took you a minute to collect yourself so you could speak.

"That's enough!" You yelled. You hated all the attention turning to you but this was your life. You were not going to allow anyone else to choose anything for you.

"Give me a couple of days. And I will reply to your proposal Ganondorf. Please allow me that." You stated. Rauru and Sonia wanted to object, and Zelda held onto your hand desperately.

Ganondorf smiled, giving a nod before speaking, "I hope you will give me good news soon my lady.".

After the meeting Rauru, Sonia, Zelda and Mineru profusely asked you to reconsider saying anything but no. That this was insane and that you don't know any of his intentions. It took at least an hour of their constant pestering for you to hole up in a library with snacks and comfort items.

You quite literally locked them out and spent your time reading to try and find any wisdom to help you.

Eventually you came across an old scroll, your body wrapped in a blanket and a few grapes in a bowl nearby while you read what this scroll had to say.

"Time is a complex device. One that has too many layers to have one conclusion. Some say time is final, that the past cannot be changed, and nor can the future. But some say that one single element can change that. The outcome is split into multiples and time divided. Should you find yourself at a crossroads and the future you envision challenged, take the chance for there is no telling if the future is sure. And if changed with a sure future, know that while things around you may change, you will not."

And with that you had decided.

You had bathed and gotten dressed and called a meeting to answer Ganondorfs request. And Rauru, Sonia, Zelda, and Mineru looked as anxious as can be.

And with a couple of words, fate was changed.

"I accept your proposal."

[fourstarsoutofnine]

ello beeeeeeee

just popping in to ask if it'd be possible to get a little totk link romantic drabbleeee

Hi pookie absolutely I will!!! :3

A/n:At the request of my dearest Moss, this is my linksona x reader but it can be read as just regular botw/totk link. I will still tag it as Leo. Also, I’m so sorry this is so bad, I’ve kind of got a headache but I really wanted to write something. So here. Hope you like it.

Spar

“Tighten those movements up, y/n, it looks sloppy.”

“I am, Link. You forget I’m new to this.”

“I didn’t forget, I’m just saying. You told me not to go easy on you. I can ease up if you—“

“Do not.”

You and Link were outside of Zelda’s house in hateno. You’d been training for hours, at your request. You watched the man that kept you at sword point, a snarky grin on his face. He was enjoying this entirely too much.

“Alright. I won’t. But you gotta promise to quit complaining.” He smirked, and you rolled your eyes.

“We’ve been at this for hours, of course I’m complaining.”

“Womp womp.”

“…did you just womp womp me, Link?” The grip on your sword got tighter.

He grinned wide. “I did. Whatcha gonna do about it?”

You lunged at him and he held his sword up to block you. Metal clanged as they made contact. He pushed you forward and your feet dug into the dirt and grass, trying to overpower, or at least match, his strength.

“You can be a real prick, you know that?” You ask through gritted teeth, struggling to keep up on your end.

“You tell me everyday, sweetheart.” He winked, no sign of struggle anywhere on his face. Not even sweat. He suddenly let go of his hold against you and dodged out of the way, causing you to stumble forward.

You caught yourself and turned around to face him but he was faster. He mounted an attack and you fell to the ground. He pinned you to the ground, sword against you. He threw the sword to the side and knelt down to kiss your forehead before standing and pulling you up.

Your face was beet red as you dusted yourself off, the last thirty seconds replaying in your mind. You looked up at him and you knew he could tell what you were thinking.

“You alright?” He grinned and walked closer to you.

“Yeah… yeah I’m good…” you said breathlessly, lifting your gaze from your shoes to him.

“Good. Ready to go again?” He joked.

“Sweet Hylia, let me take a break!” You laughed.

He pulled you closer and kissed your forehead again. “We’ll go for a swim instead, how about that?”

“Now that’s something I can’t refuse.” You grinned and followed him off to Nirvata Lake.

[spicyicetea]

My Forest Spirit

A legend of Zelda BOTW/TOTK Yandere x Reader. This is obviously cannon divergent. Fem!Y/N is short and Curvy in this, and is often described with long hair. This story will contain NSFW! scenes, violence and profanity. MDNI

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Chapter 3: Will you be my betrothed?

I woke as I was shaken awake. Groggily, I opened my eyes to look up at the man beside me. Link grinned at me and ran a hand through my hair. My ear twitched as one of his fingers grazed the back of my ear, his hand retreating to his side quickly.

"Morning Y/N, did you sleep well?" Link asked, running his hand through my hair.

I smile up at him and nod. His grin only grew once our eyes met and he hunkered next to me, practically encasing me with his large frame. The blue tunic bunched in my hands as I toyed with his sleeves. A shadow loomed over us and Link grunted, glaring up at whoever was there.

"We need to leave knight. The princess wants to get to the castle as soon as possible." Revali sighed, putting his bow on his back and packing up his tent.

I look around, realising we had been asleep on the ground. Dirt fell from my skirt as I stood and pried myself away from Link's grasp. All the others were busy packing their things to get back on the road and I looked down at the pouting Hylian I had just been sitting with. He was clearly upset by something yet I had no idea what it could have been. His eyes met mine and softened immediately before standing up.

"Y/N, you can walk ahead with me. I'll keep you safe from all the monsters!" He confidently declared, wrapping an arm around my waist.

I thanked him but was yanked away by Zelda. Her soft hand wrapped around my wrist as she pulled me to her side, smiling at me. Blonde hair hung, framing her face as she intertwined our fingers. The birds seemed to sing as our eyes met and the world stopped spinning. She rubbed a hand over my back, her hand sliding down to rest on my behind. A faint flush rested over my face as her hands' grip just became firmer and ushered me along with her.

"Ignore my knight, you can walk with me! My father will love you Y/N, he might even allow you to stay as a close servant or maid! Or, maybe a concubine… until I can be crowned and married," She muttered.

I raised a brow at her, unsure of what half of those words meant. Compared to the Koroks, these people know much fancier words than they ever taught me. Their clothes looked nicer, accents strange and varied. It was truly extravagant in my eyes!

"Concubine? What does that mean?" I ask, cocking my head to the side.

Urbosa raised a brow and walked beside us, Zelda's posture stiffening as she approached.

"Why do you want to know about something like that little cactus?" "Oh, well Zelda said something about asking her father for me to be her… concubine I think it was." "Ah well, I'm sure the princess was just joking! Don't worry about all that," Urbosa sighed, shooting Zelda a strange look.

The rest of the long walk was quiet and awkward. I was more than used to silence, but this one was heavy and dense. Suffocating silently, we approached the Castle as guards began escorting us all in. Zelda held me close to her as we entered through the loud entryway. A white-haired man turned to meet Zelda's gaze and he smiled softly at us.

"Zelda, you've returned. Has the Master Sword been retrieved?" He asks, striding confidently towards us.

Zelda smiled back and held her hand over her chest, nodding. "Yes, Father! Link managed to pull the legendary sword from the ground. But, we have far more important matters to speak about. Privately," She stated.

The man nodded and walked away with Zelda by his side. The moment the princess had left, Link went leapt forwards but was intercepted by Urbosa. The tall, honeyed skin woman grinned down at me and offered her hand. Gently I grabbed her fingers, my hand too small to fully hold hers. My sleeve slid down my forearm to my elbow as she leaned down and pressed her lips to the back of my hand. The emerald eyes met my own as a singly crimson strand slid over her forehead and danced over my wrist before she stood up. Blue lipstick had smudged onto my hand and I used my thumb to try and rub it away.

"Hello dear, come with me to my private chambers. Your beautiful little body deserves a nice bath and some nice clothes. You there," She waves over a knight and looks down at him while pulling me to her chest. "Please bring some Hylian clothes to my chambers as soon as possible."

The knight nodded before running off. Urbosa smiled and took my hand, striding with purpose through the halls. Her warm hands held me close to her, my forehead bumping against her chest with each step. With a smile, she pushed open a large double door that led into a grand room, something I had never believed could ever exist. The cold marble beneath my feet shot shivers up my spine. Chuckling at my reaction, she led me to a large cushioned circle. I raised a brow as I looked around the room, never having seen anything like it anymore. A warm laugh rang out as Urbosa looked down at me.

"You have never left that forest have you?" "Huh? Oh no, I haven't. The Koroks and the spirits that visit the forest raised me. I did sometimes venture out of the forest to visit the nearby fairy fountain!" I smile at her and ran a hand through my hair.

She smiled at me and rubbed my back before parting a curtain to an adjacent room. I raised a brow but she ushered me to follow her. A deep tub was front and centre in the room, a large window looking out onto the surrounding fields of the Castle. She used a strange object at her hip to activate a device near the tub. Water began rising and she grabbed my shoulders.

"Why don't you get out of those clothes and into the bath? You can tell me about all the spirits you've met while I wash your hair." "Okay, that sounds nice!"

[justpoliteconversations]

Harvest Season [Reader + BOTW!Link]

You have a rather odd encounter that leads to an empty pantry. You don't regret it.

One of the fic requests from this Post.  Another to feed the ever expanding trash heap.

Masterlist

TW: None.

Disclaimer: Don't own The Legend of Zelda franchise.

---

You were not expecting today to be different from any other day. The sun was shining, the wind held a cool edge that spoke of an early fall, the air saturated with moisture and the scent of wet soil. And your workers were busy tending to the harvest, covered in dirt and the greasy shine of sweat despite the breeze (and Johnny was complaining, as usual).

You, of course, had already started sorting and crating the product. Shifting through the seemingly neverending mountains of foodstuff as Jessy brought it over in great bag fulls.

A day like any other for this time of the season. Until it wasn't. And the oddity took the shape of a small hyrulian man with long blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a rather horrendous knot of scars on the side of his face. And a sword. Glowing and more fierce looking as any sword had a right to be, no matter it's intended purpose.

He'd paused at the border of your gated property, keen eyes scanning over the half harvested fields and your workers attending to them. One of your workers even returned the stare (Jessy, the fearless cutthroat), while some (namely Billy, but Johnny too) was visibly discomforted by the sight of such a scarred warrior casting his gaze upon them with unknown purpose. You too, felt unease.

Bandits were not unknown in these parts, particularly during the harvesting seasons when the fruits of your (and others like you and your workers) labor were freshly picked and awaiting the merchant's festival in town. And now just happened to be that time, and that man (innocent as his eyes looked) was armed to the teeth.

Only a fool wouldn't be cautious. Even if just a little bit.

But you couldn't ignore him either, as it would be both impolite and potentially dangerous. If you were lucky, he was merely a traveling mercenary or particularly armed traveler that'd just happened upon your little farm. It wouldn't have been the first time such an occurrence had happened.

Though it wouldn't have been the first time a bandit tried to threaten you into handing over your hard earned harvest either. The unmarked plot at the very edge of your property told a very somber story as to how that ended (for him).

You approached the small man with caution, but a friendly smile nonetheless. "Hello, friend. What brings you to these parts?" You began, a nice, simple way to scoop out the measure of this man. And a distraction, so your workers could ready themselves to pounce if the man proved dangerous (you could already imagine Johnny and Billy shifting their grips on their hoes, Jessy leaning down to pull the dagger from her boot holster).

His eyes never left yours as he brought his hands up, and said in a distinctively grating rasp. "I'm a traveler. But I'm looking for a place to rest for the night." He shifted, casting a glance over the half-harvested field with those wide, blue eyes of his. "I thought I could help in exchange. It'd be nice to not sleep in the rain." His voice had rapidly gotten worse as he spoke, nearly cracking at the end.

You glanced up at the sky, doubtful. "Rain? I don't see a cloud in the sky, sir." You pointed out, skeptical of his words, but not untrusting of them. You knew some folk who could read the weather like a map. Your dear belated mentor being one such person. Could call a snowfall to the hour weeks in advance. Unnatural, that one, but sweet as apple pie.

He opened his mouth to speak, but you held up your hand and stopped him before he could strain himself any further. "No need to push yourself, sir. Just point and I'll have my girl check." He blinked in confusion at your words (had no one truly had the courtesy to accommodate this man's difficulties?) but pointed north nonetheless. And you simply turned your head and called out. "Jessy! North! Check for storm clouds."

"Got it, boss!" She yelled back, and you saw the glint of her dagger sliding back into its holster before off she went, straight to the tallest tree of the lot not far off and up it with squirrel-like grace.

The man looked at you in question, and you kept your body language relaxed and open as you said. "If it is gonna rain, it's gonna storm. It always does in these parts, being so close to the mountains. And I'd like my crops in before then."

The noisiest of your workers (Johnny) groaned, but Billy pushed him with his shoulder and whispered about overtime paid. And it was enough to shut the other up, because of course that'd be the one thing to keep Johnny's mouth shut. Not the potential threat. Not his boss standing just a meter away from an unknown man armed like he's about to go to war. Just the notion of extra pay.

At least he did good work, even if he was a fickle little bastard.

The man nodded, shifting uncomfortably under your stare. And you felt yourself soften at his uncertainty (he just looked so young and lost right then). "Hey. Ya said you wanted to help, right? Just grab a hoe and start hacking. It's the last harvest of summer until we replant for fall, so no need to be a worn hand at it. Just join the boys over there and do what they do." He nodded again, and without another word headed over towards the fence and grabbed one the mentioned tools (putting his sword and shield against the fence in its place. and you felt yourself relax completely. grateful you'd seemed to have made the right choice).

By the time Billy had given him a brief explanation as to what they were doing and how it was done, Jessy had returned with confirmation that the very beginning of storm clouds were just cresting over the mountaintops. And that they'd be on you all by sundown. Just like the man had said.

Well, damn.

---

You'd expected to be working well into the beginnings of the rain (hopeful not into the storm itself, but you'd do it even if your workers decided they didn't want to risk it and left for the night). Maybe, if you were lucky, the storm would slow its progression and you'd have another hour or so to get everything properly picked and sorted before working became too dangerous. Hell, maybe it wouldn't rain at all and the storm had veered off course to somewhere else.

Well, the rain showed up early. Unfortunately. And it was a real doozy of a thunder storm to boot. So much so you and the boys had moved the (metal) equipment as far away from the house as possible to prevent any wayward lightning from roasting you all in your sleep.

However, none of you had been out in the rain when it originally started up a few hours before sun down. Instead, you were all huddled in your house (the triplets had decided to stay the night then risk getting caught in the storm), cooking dinner while Billy praised the man's (Link's) incredible (and it really was incredible) work ethic and Johnny nodded along with an encouraging smile (blessedly silent, thank the Goddesses). Jessy rolling her eyes and listening fondly from her seat on the bed (your bed, thank you very much).

Why? Because as mentioned before, Link was an absolute work horse out there (don't know what his mama fed him as a babe, but you wanted to know something fierce). The man had worked the fields so quickly and so thoroughly the boys had had to step back lest they get in his way anymore than they already had been. And when Jessy (with the help of her brothers) had been unable to pick fast enough to stay ahead of the man, Link had begun picking himself. By which point the triplets had begun hoeing, until the monster of a man had finished the picking and then your poor workers had had to move to sorting to stay out of his way.

He'd finished hoeing not long after, sitting down beside the boys immediately after to start sorting (despite your repeated assurance that he'd done more than enough. to which he'd just smiled impishly and kept his hands moving). Surprisingly, he was slower with the sorting. Though maybe not that surprising. But only because Jessy had whispered to him that you allowed them to eat the misshapen and colored product and he seemed to have taken that as a challenge (that boy can eat. it's kind of scary how much he put away in that one sitting).

The end result of it all was an early day (so Johnny did not get that overtime no matter how much he pouted, the jerk) and a celebratory dinner for Link for a job well done. To which the man had blushed from ear to ear when told as such, trying to deny with gestures you realized was a type of sign language (one you didn't fully recognize. it was as though he had taken standard and added unnecessary motions between words). But he was easily won over with the promise of food.

And that was how you ended up here, cooking a feast enough for ten men (it probably wouldn't be enough, from what you'd seen of the small man. may the golden three preserve you and your pantry) and watching just as fondly as Jessy as her brothers tried to pry out the secrets of Link's inhuman abilities.

You had your suspicions, but you kept that to yourself. It wouldn't be wise to let such information out into the world so irresponsibly. Especially with the likes of the Yiga still prowling these parts (one of the main sources of the bandits) in greater numbers than is normal (it was the season, after all). And especially not when the (potential) object of their attention (and murderous ire) was sitting at your table trying his level best to eat you out of house and home.

But if you cooked a few extra (attack and defense boosting) dishes for him to take with him (leftovers, of course. since he's just got such a ferocious appetite). Forced him to accept the entirety of your savings (as payment, of course, for doing such a great job the day before. not that he knew those were your savings). And extracted (with much guilt tripping) the promise to return if he ever needed a place to rest (or hide or heal).

Well. No one had to know the reason why. It was your business after all (except for Jessy, who had slipped a few bundles of arrows into the bag you'd used to pack his food despite your side-eye. which she'd returned with a meaner one).

And if your hand had lingered on his shoulder a little longer than necessary as you said your goodbyes. And your eyes held more sadness and respect than would be deemed normal for the situation. No one had to know why.

But you think he understood. Because he'd looked you in the eyes, put his hand on yours (calloused. just like yours, but burdened with scars you hoped to never bare yourself), and told you thank you. With so much feeling. With so much conviction. With such strength that your heart ached with the hope it inspired.

After he left, you didn't see him again until some time later. When the blood moons had stopped rising and the roads had cleared and word of Calamity Ganon's demise had spread far and wide to all reaches of Hyrule.

He came to you during a cool summer's evening (just turning to fall. the same time as before when you brought the last summer harvest in) with a sheepish smile on his lips and mirthful eyes. You'd smiled back, just as mirthful (and relieved. so relieved he was okay) as you said. "Come to clear my pantry again, have you?" And he laughed, crackling and rasping, before nodding and picking up a hoe from the fence without being asked.

As he walked past you, you said, grinning. "The others already left for the day. I can't promise overtime, ya hear?"

He snorted. "Won't take long." And you laughed too, before taking up a hoe yourself and following after.

Might as well work up an appetite if you're going to be eaten out of house and home. After all, it's not everyday the Hero of Hyrule comes to raid your pantry.

Might as well join him.

And if you declare a celebration for his hard work once more. Well. No one has to know you weren't talking about your fields.

But by the shine in his lashes as you put your arm around his shoulders and ruffled his hair. You were pretty sure he knew, even if it remained unspoken.

---

I retreat for a brief time to the shadows.

[linkedspirit-fanartfunart]

Warning: This page contains semi-realistic graphic injuries & discussions of character death

[Image Description: A 8 panel colored Legend of Zelda AU comic  “Linked Spirit”. Panel 1: Princess looks at a book, Hope hugging her from behind, looking over her shoulder. "Spirit, look over here," Princess says. Hero points their thumb at their self, "What? Me?" Hope looks at them flatly, "Yeah you Ghosty. Princess found a book about you." Panel 2: "This book has some details about how different spirits are created. Some are separated from their bodies by magic," Princess explains, gesturing at Hope. Hope stands next to her, eyes wide exclaiming "Don't tell them that-" Princess ignores him, "I've seen that before with Link." Panel 3: A dark purple ooze climbs into a purplish armor shoe. Princess continues "Others are lingering spirit s of the dead." Panel 4: A purplish Iorn Knuckle stands in the background, posed like a statue in the background by a window. Hope, in the foreground, is turned away from Princess, arms crossed, pouting. Princess holds the book up for Hero to see, "Unlike ghini you don't seem to be fueled by dark energy, rather... you seem more like these... strong, magically charged spirits who have a lingering role in the world..." Hero lifts a hand to their mouth, brows furrowed. Panel 5: "...I'm not dead..." Hero says, appearance changing to look like Rinku after Link's Awakening, "No. No. I'm- Im the first one. I-" Panel 6: Hope says "Look, my spirit experience was a magic accident. You’ve kinda got a knife in your back. Pretty sure you’re KERK” she gestures a slice along the neck with one hand, leaning against the table. Princess frowns, fist at her sides "LINK Don't say it like that?!" Hero looks on, one hand on their chest, eyes wide. Panel 7: Hero's appearance changes to look like pre-ressurection Breath of the Wild Link, heavily injured, hair cropped short in the back. They gesture at theirself with both hands, shouting, "This isn't what being dead feels like!" Panel 8: Hero's appearance shifts between LA Rinku, BotW and their usual look, looking down, eyes wide and startled, holding their hands loosely together against their chest "...How do I know that?" End ID]

masterpost

First- Previous (27) - 28^ - Next (29)

[looniez]

What do you think Link and Zelda did togheter during the time betqeen botw and totk

I'VE THOUGHT VERY HARD ABOUT THIS

this wound up being on the longer side so i'm putting it all under the cut!

a few years have passed between BOTW and TOTK. they don't give us an exact amount of time, but based on context clues it's safe to assume that anywhere between 5-7 years have passed. personally, i think it's likely been 5 years. that's a considerable chunk of time.

i am very firmly in the camp that link and zelda, by the time TOTK rolls around, are a couple. either that, or they've at least vocalized their feelings for each other but have yet to label anything. the baseline is that they very obviously love each other.

post BOTW (but before the epilogue), i think that link brings zelda back to hateno immediately after freeing her. it's important to him that she has a safe place to recuperate and heal and knows that his home is the perfect place to take her.

he makes sure she eats and has plenty to drink. he makes sure she's doing okay. he offers her his bed (more like insists) and keeps a careful eye on her. zelda would feel guilty and maybe feel like she's intruding or being a burden, but link wouldn't hear it and would shut it down quickly.

link sleeps on the floor in the nook beneath the stairs for the first few nights because he wants her to have space and privacy. he usually winds up upstairs to wake her from bad dreams anyway. zelda doesn't sleep well (neither does he) and eventually, link starts sleeping either next to or at the foot of the bed to be close by if she needs him (he needs her just as much). sometimes, he holds her hand and sits with her until she falls back asleep. those nights, he keeps an eye on her. they get closer as the weeks go by and fall back into old patterns from 100 years ago. link remembers more.

when they set out to investigate the divine beasts, it feels so similar to their time traveling together from before. everything is different, but it's like nothing has changed in a way. after, they return to hateno. it's home for them both now without it needing to be verbally agreed upon.

she tells him that he's no longer obligated to follow her anymore and that he's free. zelda feels guilty. link tells her that he's not staying by her side out of an obligation, or because of some century-old duty. he wants to. he chooses her. he would follow her to the ends of the earth.

zelda builds the school. link stays by her side like glue. they fall into a routine, build a sense of normalcy, and live a life with each other as if they are each other's center of gravity.

eventually, they start sharing the bed. it was bound to happen sooner or later. link wound up beside her most nights anyway (this was zelda's exact reasoning. she insisted it was ridiculous for him to continue sleeping on the floor). they sleep much better beside each other.

they keep up the work of trying to rebuild hyrule. they stick by each other's sides through it all.

i really do think that at some point in between BOTW and TOTK, they wind up together. it just feels right to me. even before confirming it, i think that they both understand that their relationship isn't that of just friends, but they might still feel hesitant to cross that line for fear of ruining what they've so carefully built together. the mutual pining is UNREAL!

eventually, it comes out one way or another. they kiss.

when the gloom starts to appear around the kingdom and they head off to investigate under the castle, they are doing so the same way they do everything else: together.

[skyloftsword]

Why Tears of the Kingdom is the Breath of the Wild I was hoping for

Alright, so before I get into my rant. I really like Breath of the Wild. It's a very fun game and the events of 100 years ago are super interesting. It just... unfortunately let me down after Skyward Sword in two aspects that I personally feel Tears of the Kingdom succeeded at for me. Story and dungeons. Also please don't tell me to watch a Youtuber on why TotK is worse than nuclear war. I make my own opinions and my take on TotK is very unlikely to change. I have done 6 playthroughs and still feel this way. Spoiler warning.

Okay, so my issue with Breath of the Wild's story is how it feels like a mess at times. The memories don't even try to tell anything coherent outside of the final few. Some of them even need journals for any payoff as well. This system also limited the Champions from getting any development or character arcs. It took until Tears for me to appreciate them because Hyrule was still grateful for them. Revali's bow being treasured by Teba, Riju prays to Lady Urbosa in her diary, Mipha got Mipha's Court and Sidon's entire character arc was about how her death still haunts him and he doesn't want that to happen ever again. Daruk... got lights added to his statue's eyes I guess. Anyways, Tears' equivalent to them is the Neo Sages. Tulin, Riju, Sidon and Yunobo. They each get their own arc and you can tell how much they have grown since Breath of the Wild. What makes them better here is that they actually are relevant for more than just the Divine Beast boarding segments. Sidon deals with fear of losing his beloved Yona just like how he lost Mipha 105ish years ago, yet Yona and Link bring him to his senses. Riju goes from being stressed out about how she's too weak to defend Gerudo Town from the Gibdos with her aim, but Link returning reassures her. Tulin goes from being arrogant and thinking he can do anything all by himself to realizing that charging ahead all on his own is a bad idea and that working as a team is the best way to do things. Yunobo goes from being a manipulated crack dealer to being cowardly again for a bit to becoming courageous and willing to fight to defend Hyrule. These arcs help me appreciate the characters a LOT more. The Old Sages intentionally aren't fully fleshed out characters and its fine because they're barely on screen (their names are Ruto, Darunia, Nabooru and possibly just Medoh for the Rito Sage). Ganondorf being an actual character really helps as well. He wants to use the godlike power of the Secret Stones to his advantage to achieve total rule of the world (in the English localization at least). Rauru and Sonia are wonderful characters that actually try to help Zelda achieve her goal of returning to her time (nice opposition of Rhoam forcing her to achieve her light powers and being harsh towards her). Unlike the events of 100 years ago, the memories/Tears in this game actually focus on telling what led to the Imprisoning War in a specific order. The events in the memories and Tears also are all relevant and side stuff was pushed to the Stone Monument side adventure. Unfortunately the game is less linear than Breath (which honestly should be the other way around and is a massive storytelling issue), however Impa at least alludes to the order of the Tears when you go to the Forgotten Temple after the first one. The Fifth Sage quest is also an incredible questline that did what BotW should have done. It showed the Imprisoning War and how Ganondorf shouldn't be taken lightly. I seriously feel let down not seeing Link and Zelda fight the Calamity and losing. Also thank god you don't have to do an absurdly tedious backtrack quest to unlock the Camera, Tears, the Champion Leathers and the Kohga fight.

Onto the dungeons. I don't get why people switched up on the Divine Beasts in a positive way. They have a great gimmick and the "fights" are cool but that's it. The puzzles are... fine I guess? The visuals are cookie cutter and so are the bosses in every aspect except gameplay (and are basically just the Calamity split into 1/4). Tears' Temples are legitimately the most enjoyable dungeons in the series for me. The atmosphere, music, puzzles having a large amount of solutions, etc. Not to mention the boss fights actually being unique and very fun this time (BotW had some bangers too like Koshia and Thunderblight) and have unique fight themes that are so, so, so good. Seized Construct might be my favorite non-final battle boss theme for me. Also the pre-dungeon segments actually feeling like dungeons for 4/5 of them really helped make me like them more. Both games also have great and bad Shrines. TotK has far less bad ones and has a much better vibe with it's Shrines.

Anyways, ramble over. Thanks for reading. The only reason I made this post was because I was pissed off due to personal reasons. I love these games and this series so please don't take this as me hating BotW.

[aegon-targaryen]

The Missing Horseshoe

Zelink Week Day 7: Reunion | BOTW Zelink | read on AO3 | @zelinkcommunity

Some people, Zelda thought when the sound of hoofbeats reached her ears, would be thrilled by this reunion.

She couldn’t go anywhere in the castle without hearing the rumors. Soldiers, servants, Sheikah researchers—he was all they seemed to talk about. The swordsman stood against eight men in the training yard today. The swordsman saved the princess’s life with a pot lid. The swordsman can take down Lynels with a flick of his finger. They never used his name. Zelda supposed he had no use for it when he was already a living legend, an embodiment of all the hope she failed to inspire.

But as he halted his horse before the shrine, all she saw was a stubborn burr stuck to her clothing—or, much worse, an anchor dragging her back beneath her father’s watchful eye.

She took a deep breath of the chilly mountain air, reaching for some semblance of calm. It’s a beautiful day. Focus on that. A crisp breeze swept through the Ancient Columns; the sun gilded his hair as he dropped from the saddle with effortless grace. He was no one’s archetypal image of a knight, thanks to his small stature and delicate features—yet that didn’t stop Zelda’s handmaids from swooning over him when the thought she wasn’t listening.

Worst of all, there was truth underlying the gossip about his skill. No matter how many times she gave him the slip, he found her without breaking a sweat.

Zelda stalked down from the shrine she couldn’t even activate without his help, lecturing him about personal space while he just stood there, unwavering and unreadable. The swordsman’s eyes are blue as the ocean, one of her maids had tittered, and I’d love nothing more than to drown in them. Well, she was welcome to him. Zelda couldn’t stand the way his gaze concealed everything about him and exposed everything about her.

“Return to the castle, and tell that to my father, please,” she tossed over her shoulder as strode past him. Surely the command would stick this time. Surely he wouldn’t keep stealing it all away—the wild, the solitude, the only chance she had to make a tangible contribution to Hyrule.

For a few blissful seconds, there was nothing but silence behind her.

Then footsteps, trotting to catch up. The sound tossed one more log onto the fire building up in Zelda’s chest. He fell into step behind her, always behind her, always reminding her. And as the heat seared up her throat and down to her fingertips like a mockery of the power she would never claim, she whirled, flinging the words at his blank face.

“And stop following me!”

He blinked hard, several times over, as if the sun was in his eyes. His fingers—already curled into fists at his sides—tightened almost imperceptibly under his gloves. Even now, his gaze never left hers, and Zelda couldn’t look away either, because this was the first hint of emotion she’d ever seen him show.

Anger? Contempt? It didn’t matter; she already knew how to fill in the gaps his silence created. She was a spoiled brat who abused her station against someone who was only following the king’s orders. She was a broken vessel using her jagged edges like a weapon. She was supposed to be his partner against the darkness, but when the Calamity came raging down upon Hyrule, he would be facing it alone.

Zelda jackknifed away and continued towards her white stallion, shame curdling in her stomach. Rune shifted restlessly as she reached him, probably sensing her tempestuous mood—he didn’t like her much either, but that was nothing new. She yanked the stirrups down and was about to mount when the wind carried a single word to her, quiet and ordinary and completely shocking.

“Wait.”

Disbelief froze her in place. The swordsman was stone-faced again when she looked back at him, but for a moment he seemed to be…hesitating. Wavering. She’d never seen him look anything but completely, ruthlessly certain of himself, and it replaced her fury with pure bafflement.

Then he came towards her, the blue-and-gold scabbard tapping against his back with every step, and Zelda was rooted to the ground in anticipation of what he might do. Rebuke her, or forsake her, or—

He walked right past her, stopping to run a hand along Rune’s leg in a quiet request for him to lift his leg. Confused beyond belief now, Zelda stared at her knight’s downturned face while he studied the horse’s hoof. The twin crescents of his eyelashes were fanned out across his cheeks, a shade darker than his tawny hair, and there was a tiny scar at his temple that she had never noticed before.

And then he shifted, reminding her where they were, and she realized what had caught his attention: her stallion was missing a shoe.

“Blessings of Hylia,” she swore. “When did that happen?”

The swordsman straightened, looking up at her impassively; of course he couldn’t answer that question.

“We’ll have to walk him all the way across the Tabantha Bridge. But the path is so steep, that might make matters worse…perhaps we could fetch a farrier back here. Assuming there is a farrier at the stable—" With every word Zelda felt more foolish, more selfish, for there was no doubt Rune had thrown the shoe during her mad rush to slip away undetected.

As her knight turned away, she watched the set of his shoulders, always so straight and alert under the weight of the sword. Despite everything, the sight had become a familiar part of her world, and it made her heart lurch when she saw him reach his mare and brace a hand on the saddle, as though preparing to mount. Preparing to leave.

Two minutes ago, Zelda had been certain that was what she wanted. But when she considered what type of person would notice a horse’s predicament right after being snapped at by a half-mad princess, she wasn’t so sure. She had the strangest sensation that she stood on the precipice of something vast, but until she jumped, she wouldn’t know if it was a trove of precious technology or a pool of sacred springwater waiting to drown her.

The swordsman did not mount his mare. Instead he stretched up on his tiptoes to rummage around in his saddlebag, coming back towards her with a bundle of bandages and a spare bowstring. The latter he gave to Zelda, who accepted it in dumbfounded silence. Then he picked up Rune’s leg and began to wrap his hoof with bandages, filling in the space the shoe had left behind.

She took the opportunity to study him again: the steady precision of his hands, the way he pressed his lips together in concentration, the dark circles under his eyes that matched her own. The last detail surprised her, though perhaps it shouldn’t have. He had stood guard outside her room at the inn last night, as he always did when they traveled, no matter her insistence that it wasn’t necessary.

Did he snatch any sleep out there, leaned against her door through the slim hours of the night? It was difficult to picture him falling short of any goal. Zelda would give anything to feel half so certain of herself for a day, an hour, a moment.

If only she could ask where his strength came from. She had tried that day by Lake Kolomo, when she brought up the voice in the sword and he responded with a wordless nod, as if it was a given that he could hear it. She had swallowed the rest of her questions, though they had rattled around her ribcage every day since. How do you pull your fate down from heaven to earth? How do you hold it in your hands without shaking? How do you carry it on your shoulders like it weighs nothing?

Maybe that was the wrong place to start. Maybe the first thing Zelda needed to say was, I’m sorry.

Maybe she needed to call him by his name.

The swordsman—Link—held out a hand, and she stared for a moment before remembering the bowstring. She placed it in his open palm, feeling a shiver travel up her spine as her fingers brushed his callused skin, and watched him tie the bowstring around Rune’s wrapped hoof to hold everything in place. That would get him back to the stable uninjured, though when the horse put his leg down, he huffed in displeasure at the encumbrance.

“Sorry,” Link murmured sympathetically, patting Rune’s shoulder. “It’s not for long.”

Zelda’s eyes were stinging from the cool wind, from the shock of hearing him speak, from everything. Her own voice wasn’t as clear as she’d like it to be, but she took a step towards the precipice and said, “Thank you.”

He dropped his hand suddenly, taking a step back from Rune, as though he’d forgotten her presence until she spoke. And when he raised his eyes to meet hers, his expression was blank as a slate once more.

I see, she thought with cold clarity. In her mind’s eye, the precipice receded from view, leaving her in the same place as always: a barren land with path to follow, no map to reference, and no guide to keep her company.

She’d always known Link was capable of both speech and compassion. Interwoven with the gossip about his skill were stories of him rescuing kittens from trees and helping old women carry their groceries home. Mipha watched him with shining eyes; Daruk called him a Sworn Brother. Somewhere along the line, Link must have spoken to them both, just as he’d spoken to her horse with quiet kindness.

Then the answer was simple: he didn’t want to talk to Zelda.

She pressed a hand to Rune’s warm neck, surprised when he dipped his head and nuzzled at her quietly. He was sweet beneath his tough exterior. Maybe her knight was too, but that wasn’t for her to see. It was for someone who wasn’t a failure of a princess, someone who wouldn’t abandon him to the fate they were supposed to share.

He was still looking at her unfathomably. Unable to bear it for one more second, Zelda reached for her horse’s reins.

“Well?” she said tiredly, not bothering to wait for a response that would never come. She led Rune down the slope, moving slowly for the sake of his uneven footing, waiting for the sound of Link and his mare falling into place behind them. Half-collapsed columns of white stone jutted up on either side of the path, surrounding them like the fangs of a beast.

It would take a while yet to loosen the coils around her heart, and longer still for his silent walls to come down. But one thing did change in those ruins, no matter how much Zelda wished otherwise—from that day forward, she could no longer keep Link’s name out of her thoughts.

.

.

.

[mylonelydreaming]

Room full of zelinks from across the series. Skyward Sword zelink is holding hands and being lovey-dovey. Botw/Totk is trying to seem professional (they were obviously making out moments prior to this meeting). The other Zeldas are either face-palming, giggling, staring or giving bombastic side-eye at this because this meeting was planned for months

[the-depths-au]

FAQ

*this post continues heavy totk spoilers

How did it start?

A lot of people started posting some really cool art of a TotK ending where Zelda returns as a hybrid dragon creature thing. I saw a few that called it a “bad” ending and I noticed she was often portrayed with dominantly human-features just like, with horns or a tail, or the purple eyes, etc. I love to play video games(clearly) and I enjoy the challenge of seeing various endings, not just “secret endings” (think Heavy Rain, Until Dawn, The Witcher 3, Drakengard- anyone else play this?) I got to thinking about how her coming back didn’t really like a true “bad ending”. To me, a bad ending, really, would be one in which she didn’t get to magically, miraculously come back in any form. A bad ending to me would be Mineru’s warning held true. And in doing so, it would become The Legend of Zelda because she becomes the stuff of myths. Of true Legend. Fulfilling destiny (botw-era and the series as a whole). My brain sort of took off from there regarding the implications this would have on Hyrule and specially, our boy Link.

How could you! A Bad ending? Is this story at least hurt and eventual comfort??? Does it have a happy ending??

I could tag this hurt and comfort, but usually people who read these types of stories have certain expectations of what “comfort” is (and that’s okay!). Same with a “happy” ending. I don’t need stories to be wrap up in a bow with warmth to enjoy them. Honestly, some of the stories that have touched me the most over the years have had “sad” endings/negative character arcs/tragedy. That being said, I don’t particularly enjoy pure whump, either. What I feel is most important and what I am to do with this story, is to make any suffering meaningful. With purpose. And hopefully- maybe- you’ll see the “comfort” that is possible even in these types of stories.

Wait! So Zelda remains a dragon?

Yes. They defeat the demon dragon. Rauru and Sonia appear in a silent thanks, then they disappear and Link falls from the sky alone into the water. The Light Dragon continues along in her flight above him.

Link is also the only one who can see/has ever seen the Light Dragon.

Are there any other major changes from TotK?

It follows the game pretty closely. It’s just hard to say exactly what is in this story from TotK because there is just so much. In BotW, I headcanon Link took his time. He doesn’t remember anything. He is alone, lost, and the world is a vast, broken place. Therefore, it is plausible/ realistic in my head for all the side questions to be done prior to the ending being reached. In TotK, especially with the headcanon he and Zelda were together in the time between BotW and TotK, I had a hard time imagining Link would waste much time on anything unnecessary to save Zelda. So, with this in mind, I’ve had to justify the side questions to include in the story. Link’s journey is a bit different than my own. Whereas I actually spent 80% of my playthrough exploring the depths, this Link only went down when necessary. Meaning many of the lightroots have not been unlocked and he only has part of the armor of the depths. In the Linktober and the early concept, he has the entire set but this has been changed for the main comic.

How far after the events of TotK does this take place?

Five years.

Is it completely planned out?

Yes. I have a complete rough story outline done. It’s 17 chapters. I am anticipating some editing as I go, but regardless, it’s a big project. A huge shout out to @zeldaelmo and @fioreofthemarch for helping me get the story set. They are both phenomenal writers for the LoZ fandom so be sure to check them out!

What happened to the comic?

I made the decision to tell this story (initially) in writing. I have a very specific style in mind for this story as a full comic and honestly, I just don't feel like my artistic ability and overall proficiency is where I want it to be at this time. I'm still learning! I will be continuing to post art, concept art, and some comic panels here as I go and eventually, I would love to adapt the story into a full comic, but for now, I'll be telling the main story in writing.

How long have you been drawing?

I’ve been drawing all my life. Just for fun, although I took a few classes in school. Digitally, self-taught, since fall 2022. Still very new to this with lots to learn! I have a minor in creative writing and feel much more confident and comfortable with that.

Feel free to send me a DM with questions anytime! I plan to update this periodically.

Last updated 2/26/24

[alithographica]

ok you said we could ask about weird biology and this is close i think. ok so minor totk spoilers? these r in the depths and its not story related but still beware: yknow the dark skeletons? the huge fully formed ones? what creatures R Those?

I have not yet encountered the dark skeletons and the pics on Google are not helpful so I might have to update this when I actually find them, but...

The BotW great skeletons/leviathans spawned some speculation that they were references to creatures in other Legend of Zelda games—but I can't speak to that because BotW was my first LoZ game. What I can say is that they were very reminiscent of whale skeletons, just with a fantasy flair. It wouldn't surprise me to find that the dark skeletons are similarly cetaceaned.

All 3 of the BotW leviathans were slightly different variations on this theme:

Second pic © Manyee Desandies

Those are both baleen whales—no teeth, they filter their food with a sort of hair-like structure (a baleen.) There are also toothed whales, like orcas, that have pointy predatory teeth. Now, the leviathans back in BotW...

Beyond the obvious size, note the curved upper jaw, the sweeping arc of the two sides of the lower jaw, the low and protruding orbit (eye socket), the ribs that terminate partway down the spine...That's a whale model, even once you throw on some hind limbs or wings or an armored head like BotW did.

So whatever's down in the depths: Probably also whale-adjacent fantasy fun!

[teecupangel]

As warned: Desmond shows up in botw? Not Desmond in place of Link, Desmond just pops into being next to the Old Man on the Great Plateau and is about as clueless as Link is. And the Old Man is like “What the Hylia loving fuck just happened?!”

We risk the possibility of making this too similar with the TOTK idea so, for this one, we’ll shake it up a bit.

Desmond gets transported to Hyrule three years before Link awakens.

Why?

So we get Desmond just not knowing what the hell he’s doing here and having no Link to give him a clue. XD

This also gives Desmond a chance to get a lay of the land and carve out his own place in Hyrule without any pressure.

Hyrule was peaceful… sorta.

But there were those monsters and Desmond would definitely want to do something about those.

So when Link wakes up, Desmond has already made some changes in Hyrule.

Link would learn that there is a group (“Mostly youngsters with strange ideas”) who hunts monsters nearing villages. It seems such a good thing.

But there are rumors that the leader of this group (“they call him ‘mentor”) also orders them to kill people.

Link is then given a quest to find out the truth of this rumor, leading to a long side quest filled with checking recent deaths and if they are connected with this group.

During this time, Link would get in contact with a merchant group by the name of Thousand Eyes and they sell Link rare goods.

And information.

For a price of course.

Their information leads Link deeper into this ‘conspiracy’ (aka chain quests) until he reaches the supposed headquarters of the group.

The Assassin Brotherhood.

By the time Link gets there, he understands that they only kill those who abuse their power to harm the innocents.

And the Assassins know that so they let him enter.

When Link met the mentor…

“How did you like our merchant group’s services?”

Link frowned and Desmond’s lips curved into a lazy grin.

“What? Information is a necessity in this line of ‘work’. Merchants find it easier to network with other people and…” Desmond handed Link a rolled up piece of paper.

Link unrolled it and his eyes widened as he read what it was.

It was information about him.

The mission given to him.

His movements for the past months.

And…

A name.

‘Zelda’.

“People rarely realize that buying information from an information broker means providing information as well.” Desmond said as he smiled at Link, “So… Link.”

“How about we talk about a little alliance?”