#as it's mean to be luminous stone from zelda

[51-queer-frogs]

SPIRIT ref sheet!

Ho boy, they're done. Been doodling this for a few months now! not a ton has changed, tbh, but they're less of a rip-off now. design notes in tags!

[ganonfan1995]

Okay talking about ToTK for a hot second, THEN I gotta do some work.

The woes of WFH means I'm compelled to post at all hours of the day, and sometimes I need to indulge!!!

Personally speaking, I really loved the little details and snippets you get throughout the game, detailing Rauru and Sonia's relationship. I particularly found it interesting that they founded Hyrule, in part, through the combined effort to protect its people from monsters, long before Ganondorf rose to his position as the demon king.

I was hoping the game would elaborate on this; there was so much subtext in the depths that would insinuate that the Zonai, in their pursuit of Zonaite, opened the original chasms to hell, allowing the spirits from below to manifest above. I love that, especially with the little tidbits from the Spirit Temple and the bargainer statues; I got a very dark image of who the Zonai were and what their goals were...But subtext remained subtext, and nothing was set in stone.

I have so many lingering questions, like...What is Zonaite? Why does it grow back, and why does it only form in the depths, the place where the dead seem to roam aimlessly? What was the design intention of making Zonaite visually connect to luminous stone? Was the original myth of souls being contained in luminous an originating myth from Zonaite....ARE THERE HUMAN SOULS IN THE ZONAITE?? ARE THERE MONSTER SOULS IN THE ZONAITE?? WHY DOES THE ZONAITE ENERGY VISUALLY LOOK THE EXACT SAME AS THE SPIRITS!!! NINTENDO....PLEASE I BEG YOU!!!

WHY DID THEY BLIND THE DEITY OF THE DEPTHS AND WHY IS IT ONE IN THE SAME WITH THE HYLIA STATUES......

I'm done yelling, but you get the point.

Even if their intentions for the establishment of the kingdom were good, which I have no doubt about — Rauru is a bit of an ignorant man, but he doesn't have a greedy heart, nor is his goal one of dominance over the land. The fact remains that I still feel, in part, guilt is what drives him to see himself suited to the position of king.

From the minute you meet him and he donates his arm to Link, to the last minute you see him, sacrificing himself to seal Ganondorf away until the present. There's a guilt that runs so deeply through him as a character, that is never elaborated on.

I guess you could argue that his guilt stems from his inability to protect Sonia, the land, etc...But I feel like that guilt is older.

I feel like that guilt stems from his personal guilt he gained from his people. His shame, his embarrassment. He and his sister remain as the last standing Zonai, and we never learn why...Only that he, and his wife, a former priestess, formed a union to establish a kingdom, under the insurance that a long standing protection would be in place to safe guard it's people from monsters.

Monsters that only appeared after the chasms were opened.

Chasms which were opened to mine Zonaite.

An energy source only used to power Zonai technology.

And there was no B plot. There was no explanation. There was only that, and a game mechanic...

I've gotten to the point that I've just sort of let this be just that: a game mechanic. They only needed some shallow lore to tie in the building mechanic in to the game so we could build cars, whatever...

But it felt so unsatisfying as someone who is genuinely interested in the lore.

On the surface the game probably hit really hard to people who were more invested in Zelda and Link's relationship to one another post botw, and to their friends and The Kingdom TM...But I'm left here blinking in disbelief that they literally laid down some insane ideas only to have it tossed by the wayside.

I want context, I want history! Nintendo.....please!!! I'm begging!

Also I think they should have let Josha cook.

[marimbles]

A gift for @gathos! This is my first Zelda fic so I hope it's OK 👉👈 Thanks for the inspo<3 I had fun writing this!

Word count: 2.9k

Summary: Riju and Zelda drink Noble Pursuits and talk about a certain noble someone.

A Noble Pursuit

The desert shimmers in the setting sun.

It’s a beauty she can never quite get used to, despite countless hours spent on the back of Vah Naboris with Urbosa, watching the sand shift like water far below them. The desert’s gold seems boundless, stretched out like an open palm to call to the horizon. She used to dream of answering that call—of sailing on the sand-sea to the edge of the world, to discover just what secrets lay beyond it. (Link says he’s been there, and there isn’t much to tell. But still, she wants to see it for herself.)

“Zelda!” Riju joins her at the window, taking her elbow. “Come. Sit. Our drinks have arrived.”

She steers Zelda to the cushioned seats at the end of her bed, where a giant plush sand seal takes up most of the space.

“We have a guest, Nabooru,” Riju informs the seal. “I’m afraid you’ll have to surrender your seat.” She tosses it unceremoniously onto the bed.

“Er, sorry, Nabooru,” Zelda says.

“Oh, she’s honored to make room for the princess of Hyrule.” Riju gently pushes Zelda onto the cushions and presses a cold glass into her hands. “Try it. It’s a crowd favorite. We’ve just got ice again, and the whole town is vying for a taste before we run out.”

Zelda raises the glass to her lips. The drink is fresh and fruity—sweet, but well balanced. “Mmm. What’s it called?”

“The Noble Pursuit. Palm fruit, hydromelon, voltfruit, and a touch of something apparently even the chief of the Gerudo isn’t allowed to know, unless she takes a part-time job at the canteen.” Riju grins. “Refreshing, right?”

“Absolutely.” Zelda takes another sip.

“Oh, don’t be so princess-y about it. There’s plenty. Go on, drink up.” Riju drains her own glass and reaches for the pitcher on the table.

“Do you think we could deliver one outside the gate to Link?” Zelda asks. “I hate to think of him pacing around the city walls in this heat.”

Riju waves a dismissive hand as she tops off both their glasses. “I convinced him to rest at Kara Kara. I’m sure he can find his own refreshment there.” She sets the pitcher down again. “Don’t worry. He’ll be back to collect you in the morning. But until then, it’s just us.”

Riju raises her glass, eyes bright, and Zelda taps her own against it with a giggle and a clink.

“Ah.” Riju sighs, settling back on her cushion. “Speaking of noble pursuits, I think it’s time for you to spill about yours.”

“Oh, you mean the schoolhouse?” Zelda sits up, eager. “It’s coming along splendidly! Bolson says it should be ready by the end of the month. All the children are so excited. And I think I might be able to persuade Link to help me teach there sometimes. He knows every corner of Hyrule, after all. And while he’s rather modest about it, he is a key point of our history.”

“Undoubtedly,” Riju says. “And that sounds wonderful. But it’s also not what I meant.”

“Oh, then are you talking about the Sheikah technology project? We have almost all of it dismantled and repurposed. Link has been working at it tirelessly. He has just a few more shrines to deactivate, over in Faron.”

“Oh?” Riju fishes a piece of fruit from her glass and pops it into her mouth.

“Yes. We’re going there next week so he can take care of it while I do some research on some local fauna that may have an interesting connection to luminous stones. Anyway, I know it might seem like a waste—the Sheikah tech, I mean, not the luminous stones—although, they do, potentially … well, they produce the waste, supposedly—quite a remarkable kind of waste, in fact. But—but as for the Sheikah parts, we’re trying to be as resourceful as possible. Reuse what we can and safely dispose of what we can’t. We just can’t risk another Calamity, you see. There’s no telling when Ganon might return, and the abundance of ancient machinery leaves us vulnerable. It just seemed like it was tempting fate again. Don’t you think?”

“I think that sounds both wise and noble.” Riju tips her head back to finish off her second glass. “Although I don’t know if I can say the same of luminous droppings.”

“It’s—the droppings aren’t luminous,” Zelda replies with a blush. “Just the stones that produce them. The droppings are gem deposits. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.”

“Interesting. Are you planning on making any jewelry with them, then? We have a fine jeweler here in Gerudo Town.”

Zelda blinks. “Well, no. I wasn’t planning on taking the research materials. And to be honest, I’m not very interested in jewelry.”

“But isn’t it Hylian custom to offer your betrothed a piece of jewelry?” Riju asks, filling her glass yet again. “A ring, I thought.”

“Well … yes, that is the custom,” Zelda says hesitantly. “But I don’t see quite see how that relates to what you’re asking.”

“No?” Riju peers at Zelda over the top of her glass, a smile half hidden behind it. “You don’t see any connection?”

The room suddenly feels rather stuffy, despite Zelda’s heat-resistant outfit and the fact that it is nearly nightfall. The breeze drifting through the windows is pleasantly cool, but not enough to soothe her burning cheeks. She buries her face in her glass and doesn’t resurface until the drink is gone.

“Another?” Riju offers politely.

She really shouldn’t have more. She rarely drinks, on principle—partly because she prefers to be in full possession of her faculties, and partly because she is an embarrassing lightweight.

But Riju has already filled her glass again, and the Noble Pursuit is delicious. So she gulps the whole thing down, trying not to worry about how it will affect her half an hour from now.

“Ha! Now we’re getting somewhere.” Riju seems far too delighted—suspiciously delighted, honestly—and she is quick to pour yet another drink.

“I’m glad you are properly enjoying the tastes of our fine town,” Riju declares. “Although, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were avoiding my question.”

That sly smile is driving Zelda mad. She sucks in a breath, fighting back another blush. “I can’t avoid the question if I don’t know what it is, can I?”

“Oh, come on,” Riju teases. “The princess of Hyrule is famously wise. Legendary in her wisdom, one could say. Surely she can figure out this simple riddle.”

“I’m not in the mood for riddles,” she replies, a bit sourly.

But Riju just laughs. “You, objecting to a riddle? There’s one I’ve never heard before. I’ve never known another person to be so fond of puzzles. Except maybe … Link.”

She’s got Zelda now, and she knows it. Riju’s smile grows practically devilish while Zelda takes another humiliating drink, her cheeks no doubt rivaling than the sinking sun outside the window.

“Let’s seeeee …” Riju props her elbow on the sofa, threading her fingers through the fresh crop of her scarlet hair. “A noble pursuit, hmm? What could that refer to? Is there anything in Hyrule that we might consider noble? Or perhaps … anyone?”

Zelda pointedly looks away from Riju’s grin. “There—there are many noble citizens of Hyrule. Of every race, in every region.”

“To be sure,” Riju agreed. “But wouldn’t you say there is someone who is the most noble? Someone with a very noble heart, and a noble mind, and noble sword upon his noble, and strong, and sculpted back?”

Zelda chokes on a bit of hydromelon, falling into a coughing fit. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh yes, you do. You were ogling him in that voe outfit all afternoon when we went sand surfing.”

“I was not ogling!” Zelda insists. “I was just admiring his form! He’s a very skilled surfer.”

“You were admiring his physical form,” Riju says. “Personally, I don’t see what’s so impressive. For how strong he is, you’d think he’d have more muscle. And height. Goddesses, he’s short.”

“He’s—he’s not that short. You’re just used to all these great, big Gerudo women. We can’t all be nine feet tall.”

“Please. Even for a Hylian, he’s tiny.”

Zelda sits back with a huff. “Did you really invite me here just to make fun of my knight?”

“Oh, calm down. You know I think very highly of Link. I meant it when I said that he was noble.” Riju pauses. “I admit I haven’t had the chance to meet many voe, but I’m positive that he’s the most noble one there is.”

The spirits are already making Zelda feel slightly fuzzy at the edges. “You … you think he’s that noble? The most … worthy voe?”

“I do.”

“So then …” Her head is swimming, and something twists deep in her stomach. “Does that mean you want him as your husband? To rule by your side?”

Riju breaks into a laugh. “Truly, all your royal wisdom is no match for Gerudo liquor, is it?”

“Huh?”

“Zelda, I’m not the one in love with Link. You are.”

Something jolts through her, and Zelda thinks, suddenly, of Urbosa, summoning lightning with just a snap of her fingers. She’s frozen in place, heart pounding in her chest, and the breath feels trapped in her lungs.

“Aren’t you?” Riju asks, softly this time.

Zelda’s eyes fall closed, and in the black he’s there, like always. On the backs of her eyelids, in the cage of her ribs, in the very map of her flowing veins. In every heartbeat, every breath, every silent thought—it’s him, him, him.

For a moment, there’s silence. The last rays of the dying sun slip out the open window. Then Riju sets her glass down with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t pry. You don’t have to talk about this.”

“No, I want to,” Zelda whispers. “Because you’re right. I do love him. I …” She swallows. “I have loved him for a hundred years.”

She looks up, and every trace of mirth is gone from Riju’s face. She’s solemn. Gentle. Waiting. Zelda lets her eyes fall to the floor.

“While he slept,” she says quietly, “it was the memory of his face that gave me the strength to keep on fighting. Time passed so strangely in that place … sometimes, it felt like only minutes ago that I had held him in my arms and watched him die. But at the same time, I felt the ache of every hour we were apart. I was determined to be by his side again. And I believed, more than anything, that he would come for me. He always did. He always would.”

There’s a smile in Riju’s voice. “You have so much faith in him.”

“It’s easy to have faith in Link. He has never let me down.” She bows her head, staring into the contents of her half-empty cup. “Though I have failed him every moment since.”

“What do you mean?”

Zelda releases a breath, deep and slow. “I made a promise, before I sealed myself away. I promised that when I saw Link again, I would tell him.”

“Tell him what?”

She traces a finger around the rim of the glass. “That I love him.”

“Why don’t you?”

Zelda smiles weakly. “Courage is Link’s virtue, not mine.”

“But what exactly are you afraid of?” Riju leans forward, gaze earnest. “Do you really think he doesn’t love you back?”

Zelda’s cheeks warm. “Link is … reserved. Of course, he speaks more freely now than he did before he lost his memories, but even still, he doesn’t easily express the way he feels.”

“He does to you,” Riju points out.

“Some feelings, yes.” Her blush deepens. “But not … other feelings.”

Riju rolls her eyes. “He doesn’t have to say it. Anyone with eyes can tell.”

“He’s just—he’s noble, like you said. His heart is good, and his loyalty runs deep. But to an outside eye, the line between duty and affection may seem blurred.”

“Are you kidding me?” Riju shakes her head. “He would follow you to the ends of the earth. He is always at your side. In fact, it’s so impossible to separate you that I had to lure you out here to the desert, to the single place in Hyrule where he can’t follow, just to have a private conversation.”

Zelda sighs impatiently. “He follows me because he is my knight. A duty which I have attempted, more than once, to relieve him of—but he refuses every time.”

“Because he loves you!”

Zelda hesitates. “If he loves me, why hasn’t he said it?”

“Why haven’t you?”

She buries her face in her hands. The effects of the alcohol are beginning to come back again, pressure mounting at her temples. (The familiar ache in her chest, she’s sure, has an entirely separate origin.)

“Zelda,” Riju says gently. “You said yourself that Link has never let you down. Why would you lose your faith in him now?”

“This—this is different.” She roughly wipes away a tear. “This isn’t something I can—can ask of him. I can’t expect him to love me. Because—because it’s not a duty to fulfill. Or a service to be rendered. It’s not a feat of heroism. Or an act of courage.”

Riju is quiet for a moment, considering. “Isn’t it, though?”

“What?”

“It is an act of courage, isn’t it? To love someone? And tell them so?” Riju tilts her head. “Maybe this time, you need to be the brave one.”

Zelda’s voice breaks around a sob. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. Listen.” Riju straightens in her seat. “Link follows you. Always. But he can only follow where you lead. I think the reason he hasn’t said it is that he’s waiting for you.”

Zelda lets out a sad, desperate sort of laugh. “He can lead the way this once, can’t he?”

“Well, he’s never been a voe of many words.” Riju shrugs. “I think he’s already said it in every way he can. Apart from, well, saying it.”

Zelda bites her lip. “Are you sure?”

Riju snorts. “I’m sure. Honestly, we should bring you both into a ‘Voe and You’ class. So all the vai can see how a voe’s face looks when he’s in love.”

Zelda looks down at her lap, tugging at the end of her long hair. A bubble of warmth swells inside her chest, and she can’t fight back a smile.

“Trust me,” Riju says firmly. “When he comes tomorrow, watch his face. It’ll be there, as soon as he sees you.”

Zelda lifts her head. “And then?”

“And then you’ll know. And you can tell him.”

“What if …” Zelda takes a shaking breath. “What if I’m still not ready?”

A smile tugs at Riju’s lips. “Then I guess a noble pursuit that has waited for a hundred years can wait a little longer.”

————

The desert shimmers in the morning sun.

Link waits by the entrance to Gerudo Town in his blue tunic, quiet and gentle and patient—a golden boy more gilded by the dawn.

(It’s a beauty she can never quite get used to, no matter how many times she sees him.)

His face is smooth and calm, like usual. But when he spots them, it breaks into a smile—something rare and radiant, like a desert bloom, or a diamond geode, or a shining, pearl-sheen shell.

“Sav’otta!” Riju greets him. “How was the trip from the bazaar?”

“Fine,” he says. “It’s still early. Not too hot.”

His gaze shifts to Zelda, and his eyes are bright and soft—smooth-edged sea glass catching sunlight in its hands.

“Right,” Riju says. “Well, thanks for letting me steal Zelda for the night. It was nice to catch up. Good luck with the school and the shrines and the poop.”

Link’s eyebrows rise. “The poop?”

“Never mind about that!” Zelda says quickly, neck burning under her collar. “Um, thank you, Riju. You’re always a lovely host.”

“Any time.” Riju slips a bottle into Zelda’s hand with a wink. “For the road. Safe travels to you both!”

They wave goodbye, and then together, Zelda and Link turn to face the golden stretch of desert sea.

(If he would follow her to the ends of the earth, where else would he follow?)

She swallows, squinting against the glint of the shining sand. Her heart feels caught in her throat.

“Did you sleep well?” she ventures.

Link shrugs.

“No?”

He wets his lips, gaze darting downward for a moment before meeting hers again. “I just rest better when I know you’re near.”

She searches his face. It’s earnest and open—strong beneath its softness, soft beneath its strength. He looks sun-gold and moon-silver and every beautiful thing in between. (And with the way his features soften when they’re turned toward her, she must look much the same.)

How a voe’s face looks when he’s in love.

“Me too,” she says.

He nods toward the bottle in her hand. “What’s that?”

“Oh.” She lifts it to read the label. “It’s the drink Riju and I had last night. I think you’d like it.”

“What’s in it?”

“Fruit. And other things we’re probably better off not knowing.”

A laugh slips free from his lips, and her heart soars. She has loved him for a hundred years, and she would love him for a hundred more. As long as she has heartbeats left, he will live between each one.

“Um …” Zelda keeps her eyes on the bottle, tracing the label with a finger. “I know it’s too early now, but maybe later …” She takes a steadying breath and looks up with a smile. “Link, would you share a Noble Pursuit with me?”

He smiles back, sun-golden. “I’d love to.”

[creativesplat]

Mipha!

Mipha… where do I start!? 

First impression: 

I thought she was a very pretty fish-lady, and was instantly blown away by how romantic her memory with Link was (some poeople already know, but before I played the game I looked at fan art and stuff and really liked the concept of ZeLink people were drawing - it must be a canon ship if people are so intense about it right? and I almost always fall for the canon ship in a piece of media. So I got into the game wanting to rescue the princess Link was in love with. Turns out that princess wasn’t Zelda, and from my first impression I was like ‘oh ok, so we’re not avenging zelda then… we’re avenging fish’

Impression now: 

She was so wonderful why did she have to die!! Link loved you, your design is so cool, why did you die!! A strong powerful (dagnam play AoC and you’ll see what I mean) warrior princess who loved her people and her family and Link. what a woman she was (and is in aoc).

Favorite moment: 

Okay, so I know its a bit basic and there are some awesome moments in AoC (like the date her and link so on) but the first memory, the first time you’re introduced to her, it still gives me chills. Mipha's touch is and always will be my fave. I love it. 

Idea for a story: 

The tensions between Hyrule and Zora’s domain bubble over, leading to a siege or something, and link betrays Hyrule to join Mipha and bring the war to an end. 

Ooh another one: Link tries to run away from the duty assigned to him and is forcibly kept at the castle by Rhoam but the champions help zelda and link and they leave central hyrule to try and figure out the various powers without the added trapped in the castle stuff. Mipha rescues link from a tower like rapunzal effectively. 

Unpopular opinion: 

Link should have rescued her instead being with Zelda during the calamity. She was strong and could battle effectively, but if Link had gone with her, they would have dominated water blight as a badass couple. If link and mipha had defeated water blight, they could have joined the rest of the champions (due to the sheikhah slate being available for teleportation), weaken Gannon through attacking the blights and then go and kick is butt in the castle. What a good happy ending that is! (I think I just described AoC a little bit…) anyway. 

Favorite relationship: 

LINK AND MIPHA THEYRE SO CUTE TOGETHER AND SO BADASS AND I LOVE THEM. 

They are the perfect couple, and the proposal armour is just so sweet and I adore them both :) 

Favourite headcanon: 

Oooh. There’s a lot to pick from… 

The symbols on the Zora armour represent Link and Mipha’s marriage, and tying the families together:

the Rhombus with the luminous stone is what I head canon Link’s family sigil/ crest to be:

And obviously the three cresents are Mipha’s family crest 

And here we see them combined, with a white stone in the middle 

White gems are often related to hope (link), healing (mipha), unity, and wholeness. So a unity between the rhombus and the crescents and the ideas of healing and hope? Am I reaching. Yes. Do I also love this head canon? Yes. 

2) Link understands Zoran (the Zora language) but can’t speak it very well on account of the fin movement and whistling required. Mipha regularly says ‘I love you’ or other comforting things via subtle tail or fin movements when in company. He has little hand gestures he uses, sign shorthand I guess, to tell her the same.

3) the champions all knew about Mipha and Link's relationship. because their little found family deserves to have a fun time trying to set them up on dates or make them do things together, so that even though things are tense between hyrule and the domain, the two can spend time together.

[powdermelonkeg]

Tears of the Kingdom: The Final Analysis

Part 11

Part 10 here

A monster chases Link in Skyrule, with a glowing purple mouth and eyes. It splashes through the otherwise-rock-solid ground as if it's mud.

Blue sparks are still flying around the area, and there's a block of luminous stone up at the top of this isle over here.

And the lower part of this island doesn't have the blocky, dirty look the golden forest isles have. A sky dungeon? The City in the Sky from the very beginning of the trailer seems a likely candidate.

This thing looks about as big compared to Link as a guardian, and it burrows back into the ground just as easily as it emerged.

I backed up a few frames to get a better look at it—it has fins along its sides, and doesn't appear to have any feet to walk around with. Defeating it means you'll need to draw it out of the ground and stun it, just like a molduga.

The next shot has Link and Tulin diving alongside each other. Tulin carries a Swallow Bow.

This is important for when we see him later.

At last, we get to Mystery Girl. Lovely, sweet Mystery Girl. At first glance, I thought she was Zelda, however, let's do a quick comparison:

Here we have Zelda in the same position, so we can minimize any POV differences.

Mystery Girl's ears are much longer, and lack any kiknd of curve to their edge.

They're much more like Skyward Sword Zelda, in that regard.

Mystery Girl's eyes, while the same color, are more narrow and slightly more angular along their lower and inner edges. Her eyebrows are thinner, and her lashes are longer.

Her nose is much more aquiline than Zelda's turned-up button nose.

This is more clearly seen from the back of the Japanese TotK download card, if you'll forgive the low quality.

And, in regards to TotK Zel's design:

Zel has one tear while Mystery Girl has four.

She lacks any sort of markings on her neck.

As well as on her right shoulder.

And while they both appear to be carrying the same tear in its upright position, they have different necklaces holding them in place. In short; I think everything lines up for these two to be different, albeit related characters.

Moving on, the tear glows as Mystery Girl powers up her beam. It's powering up, if not outright causing, the light magic that follows. However, that same glow looks very similar to the one we saw earlier.

It's the same shade of yellow, with the same particle effects surrounding it.

And then this bit here-

Looks both like Hylia's crest, and like the crest on the front of the Spirit Tracks train.

In favor of Hylia, it has a similar angle to its feathers, as well as a detached central diamond-like piece. However, the Spirit Tracks emblem has two feathers on either side, plus an inverted triangle at its top.

When she casts her beam, we can see the white stone of the structure she's standing on, with some pine trees in the back.

Partnering that with the moldugas she blasts into oblivion, we can pretty safely say that she stands just in the cold zone of the Gerudo Highlands.

And her beam blasts FAR. Look how high it goes into the distance there!

You can only barely see it among the dark pixels, but that's the cliff edge. That's how high up and far away she is. This isn't just fighting off monsters, this is a show of sheer power.

Also, take a look at this rock here. That's not Gerudo sandstone. Are the moldugas trying to leave the desert?

We next see Riju pulling off Urbosa's Fury. She spins around, carrying Urbosa's own blades, then-

BAM. Lightning.

Out of images again, Part 12 coming up!

Edit: Part 12!

[science-lings]

feel free to talk about your totk role reversal if you want to 👍 I wanna hear it!! :)

okay so, first change that spirals everything out of control is when Link and Zelda get attacked by ganoncorpse. At that point, Zelda had casually handed off Rauru's secret stone to Link to hold, so it is now in his possession. He still tries to protect her and gets his sword broken and his arm fucked up. but when the castle rises from the ground, he's the one that falls. Zelda tries to jump in after him and uses her time power to send him back without realizing it. she gets caught by Rauru's arm and gets sent to the great sky island to start her quest.

Link wakes up in the past, his arm had to be amputated there's no magical replacement. Rauru and Sonia had found him passed out and dying from the gloom attack and knew it to be Ganondorf's doing so they took him in no questions asked. But they also noticed the secret stone (an item that only they possessed at the time) in his possession (I'm thinking it attached itself to one of his hair tails through some kind of cuff or other type of decoration, it also turned that champion/ luminous stone blue when he touched it)

So he's clearly very confused and just wants to go back to Zelda to make sure that she's okay (she's also doing the whole song and dance of trying to find Link, this time ganoncorpse is using him as the puppet to string her along).

before i get to the stuff im not sure about I'm going to explain what Link's secret stone amplifies, I mean he doesn't have any magic power like the sages or Zelda, right? WRONG! THIS IS WHERE I GET TO FUCK AROUND! NECROMANCER LINK IS BACK BABY! I'M GIVING HIM A GHOST ARM AND THE CHAMPIONS CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO HIS SPIRIT THROUGH TIME! either that or he gets some facet of time power from his flurry rush ability and he could still be the sage of time but idk how that would work amplified, would he just be able to slow time whenever he wanted? idk the ghosts sound cooler and I want to give him a ghost arm that he has to learn how to manifest and use while he's in the past because I think it would be cool and not just some magic fix to losing his arm.

Now because Link doesn't have the light power in order to restore the master sword, I realized that the sword would still exist in the past, since no matter when you think the founding of Hyrule happened, the master sword existed before that. So he goes on a quest to find it, but he has to build his strength first (idk if the shrines exist at this point or if he just has to endure light magic treatment from Rauru lol), I do think Zelda would have fun with them though so he'll probably get to hang out with his in-laws for a while.

(this could also be fixed by Rauru becoming the light dragon to heal the old master sword, but he would have to do that before the final battle and idk how that would work, Sonia is the one with the goddess blood so maybe she would be able to do it, so maybe when Ganondorf tries to assassinate her, Link is able to save her with some funky death shit and she could become the light dragon after Rauru seals himself and ganondorf away. I also want Link to be a dragon to get back to the present and it would look real cool but again, idk how it would all work or if the reasoning makes any sense at all)

that last part was me just brainstorming lol but if any of those ideas interests anyone I can turn it into the canon of this au that I won't be able to do much with lol

[majorproblems77]

Fanfic Master post!

Hey! Thanks for your interest in my Fanfics. It means the world to me.

I've written a variety of fanfics, One-shots, short multi-chapter stories and a few larger series.

I post all of my Fanfics on AO3, under the username major_de_speed which can be found

Here

This post is gonna be a long one so fair warning. Feel free to browse to your heart's content! Please do let me know how you feel about everything you look into, it does mean the world to me.

Stories below!

Kept under the line for your feed's sake

You clicked it? Thanks! :)

Have a cookie!

One last thing...

Here for my Whumptober 2023 fics? I've got a master post for that, here you are!

Whumptober 2023 master post

One shot fanfics

Thunderous consequences

This was my first work and was inspired by @/kikker_oma's artwork Thunder - Found here. It was super fun to write for it.

Summary

When Sky and Hyrule get ambushed on patrol, a bad decision has Thunderous consequences.

Homesick

A shorter piece based in Wind's Hyrule about Sky feeling homesick.

Summary

Sky's been a little out of sorts lately. He's distracted, unfocused. Arriving at Wind's humble home he finds he needs some space. It's no one's fault of course he just misses home.

He misses her.

No sword, no magic rod, no problem

This one was written for the LU WTIYS put together by @/breannasfluff, It's a Legend-centric story where he is tasked with collecting some materials for Purah.

Summary

Part of the LU WTIYS!

Legend was tasked with getting some flint and Luminous stone. Not a difficult task for a seasoned adventurer like him. So let's make it fun, a challenge if you will. No swords, no magic rods, no bow. Only the power of punch.

Don't tell Hyrule?

Five days, Five months, Five minutes, Five years

A four part story on my take on the Wild leaves the chain for TOTK. This obviously comes with TOTK spoilers.

Summary

Five days since Wild heard the call Five months since he left them Five minutes since entering the portal to Wilds Hyrule Five years without them

Exploring the different lengths of time between Wild leaving the chain for Tears of the kingdom, and him returning much later. For him at least.

Midnight ride

A short fic I wrote cause I was desperate for Sky fluff. Very fluffy Sky and Crimson fluff.

Summary

It was midnight, on the anniversary of his defeat of demise. The chain were in his Hyrule, much to Zelda's delight.

Taking notice

This is an ongoing story I am writing with @/uniquevoidflowers it's a Legend and Sky-Centric story that we are writing as a pair.

Summary

Legend's trauma comes to haunt him one night, resulting in Legend's behaviour to change drastically. Sky notices this, and tries to get the veteran to open up, so he can comfort Legend. Will Sky succeed?

Eyeliner

This one is a short story I wrote for @/Ikashire, it was a surprise for them as I have and continue to have brain rot about they're modern au. It's inspired by some art they did, which you can find here.

Summary

Legend helps Sky get ready for a photoshoot.

Channeling starlight

This one I wrote as my contribution to the @/Ikashire DTIYS, there's been some amazing stuff come out of it and I was super happy to join in!

Summary

 “Hey, Legend, now we’ve got wild alone.” Hyrule looked to Wild, who had stopped his movements looking at him with a quizzical look on his face. “Do you think we can start looking at that spell?”

“Yeah, we should.”

“What would we need?”

Tumblr suggestion box!

Here is the place I put all those suggestions I've written from the lovely people from here! either short drabbles, requests and the like!

One of the many reasons Sky hates dungeons

This one was suggested by @/unexpectedstormy and is a short story based around Sky meeting Redeads for the first time.

Unravelling series

A series of stories written about Sky's struggles with his mind. The guilt of not only the curse but the sword and other's opinions of it.

TW for depression, attempted suicide, suicide and dissociation in a big way. Please do take care if you're going to read this one.

Gift of Silence

After a bad confrontation with Time and Twilight, Sky goes off alone Unarmed and stuck in his own head he makes a decision, and someone needs to stop him.

TW for attempted suicide and depression

Inspired by @/Kikker_oma's art piece Sunshine - Found here.

Summary

Words said hurt, But sometimes... They hit in just the wrong way. Sometimes all they want is the Gift of Silence.

Struggles in the aftermath

The next piece to this series, written from Wind's perspective, This covers Wind's reaction to what he's seen. And the support that he gets from his older brothers.

TW for attempted suicide and depression - spoken about

Summary

Sky had made it back to camp alive. But Wind. Wind had seen it. Sometimes there are struggles in the aftermath, for those who witness it.

Unravelling

Currently my main ongoing project, after the events of struggles in the aftermath the chain gets separated into an unknown Hyrule. With Sky's mind unravelling he needs help.

TW for suicide, depression and dissociation.

Summary

A slight tug is all it takes to unwind a ball of wool, The same can be said for people. A slight tug, a bad word, an action. With Sky's life on the line, they have to stop that ball from unwinding any further.

Hopefully, it's not too late.

[transskywardsword]

A Moth Drawn to a Flame - Chapter Two Preview: Three Chairs and a Breakfast Table

Much is discussed over breakfast.

"“Did you sleep at all?” Kodah said as she watched Link make his bed. She’d long since stopped trying to convince him to let her do the housekeeping.

‘Yes.’ It wasn’t technically a lie; Link had managed to get in an hour, maybe two, but most of the night was spent staring at the ceiling rolling his conversation with Sidon around in his head. A celebration for the Champions’ sacrifice. It certainly didn’t feel like a sacrifice. It felt like his friends being butchered, bodies abandoned to rot. He never found Revali’s body, likely flung off Vah Medoh after his… passing, but he’d found Urbosa. Headless, gutted Urbosa, mummified by the heat and sands, and had promptly emptied his gut. Thinking about it still made his stomach hurt.

His friends had been butchered like wild animals, like vermin. There was nothing noble about that.

But then, could he even call them friends? Could you claim to love people who you had less memories of than you could count on one hand? Though, the memories had been coming to him more lately, quicker and with greater ferocity. They frightened him. He both hated learning about the man before him and was desperate to know all he could. Did he have to be that man? Was that what was expected of him? He wasn’t sure, but Zelda seemed ecstatic every time he mentioned a new memory, so surely that must mean that was who he was supposed to be. It felt wrong, being him. But what else was he supposed to do?

There was a knock on the door, and Kodah turned to open it, and squeaked when she did.

“Your Majesty!” She said, voice three octaves higher than normal, and dipped into a curtsy. Sidon gave her an easy smile.

“Please, Kodah, it is too early for pleasantries.”

Kodah let out a high pitched giggle, smoothing her crest, and nodded. “Of course, your Majesty. How can I help you?”

Sidon turned his smile towards Link. “I was hoping to speak with you, actually.”

Link’s jaw tightened. He tilted his head in obvious question, and after a bit of nervous tutting, Kodah slipped out of the room.

“I was wondering if you’d like to join me for breakfast.”

Link was tempted to say no, to make Sidon sweat after hearing about his little 'champion celebration', but looking at him—looking up at him—made the anger shrivel. Just a little-- he wouldn’t let it go all the way, was too stubborn for that-- but he could see the reflection of the light from the luminous stones that made up the Domain, all still glowing in the dawn, on Sidon's scales. It gave the edges of his scales a pale lilac glow, like swift violets back lit by the rising sun. The Zora fidgeted under Link’s gaze, small and only barely noticeable, but Link had spent the last year beside Sidon, and he knew what to look for: his head fin twitched just the slightest in a semi circle, making elegant loops hidden by the natural flex of the massive muscle. His gills furled and unfurled softly, barely perceptible, and he pulled his shoulders back almost enough to be odd looking. Almost. Link suddenly felt guilty for making Sidon fret—yes, he was tying Link down to the Domain, ripping him away from his ward and Princess, and planning some fucking party to honor the brutalization of people Link loved (had loved?) but at the end of the day, he was still barely of age."

For the full chapter, read A Moth Drawn to a Flame on Ao3 here:

[linksthoughtbrambles]

Hands

Part 10 of Adventure Log+ (Sequel to Link’s Thought Brambles. I highly recommend reading in order! Edited 9/30/23 to tighten language.) WARNING: This chapter is rated mature for disturbing imagery and violence.

“Link—house!”

“I see it!”

“Light!”

“Yes!”  Normal light, not purple.  Please, please, please, please-

“OY!”

WOAH, Rionee!

“WHO GOES THERE?  WATCH WHERE YOU’RE RIDING!  IF YOU TRAMPLE MY CABBAGES, I’LL TRAMPLE YOU!”

“Oh!”

YEEEEESSSS!!!  OH, THANK YOU!  “Hello, there!  We’ll slow down!”

“YOU’D BETTER!”

“Shh, Rionee, you’re good… slow down… good girl.”

“Easy, Tass.  Hello!  May we speak with you?”

“You already are!”

“She has a point.”

“Uph- hehe, Link-“

“Sorry.”  Just relieved, SO relieved, thank Hylia!  Zelda is, too.  Her voice bright.

There’s the woman—was tough to see her in the dark!  She’s out of breath.  Probably ran toward us to stop us running over her stuff.  Without the Moon, I can’t even see where those cabbages might be.  Maybe if the house light hit them at the right angle, but-

“What brings you riding at speed at this hour?!  You scared me half to death with all that pounding!”

Ohh, s@#$.  How much do we-

“Forgive us, madam- ah, is that what we ought to call you?”

“I’m Laysha, but you owe me an answer.  I have to check those fields behind you in the morning to see what you might’ve wrecked.  There’s paths for a reason, you know!”

Oops. Wheat farm. Um…

“O- oh.  I apologize, Laysha.  We—my knight and I’d worried you might have come to harm.”

To be fair, they could’ve put a fence up…

“Your- I beg your pardon- knight?  And how could you be worried about me?  We just met!”

“We came from the farm west of here.  It had been attacked.”

.

Uh oh.  That’s a pause, right there.

“Attacked, you say?”

“Yes.”

“By who?  Bandits?”

“I’m afraid not.”

OH no, she’s reaching for something- “Wait!”  Her hand, dagger hilt! “We don’t mean you harm, we really don’t.  It was monsters.  I swear, it-“  She can’t see you clearly, Link.  Too dark.  Can’t see the tunic, can’t see-

Better help her see, Link.

Be slow, do NOT be threatening while you dismount, Link.  Hands way up in the air.  “Um.  I- I bet you can’t see too well, but-“

“You bet right.  Keep those hands up.”

Yes, ma’am…

Her satchel- ?

Luminous stone!  Smart if you’re working outside at night.

“Well, you don’t look like a bandit.  Then again, who does?”

Fair point.

…She’s looking at my tunic.

…And my face.

…And my tunic again.

…Aaaand I guess she’ll be doing that for a bit…

“What’s your name?”

“Link.”

“Pff.  Ha!  Is it?”

“Yeaaah.”

“Your knight, huh?  That make you the Princess?”

“It does indeed.”

“Ph. Princess Zelda and the Chid, riding through my field all alone in the dead of night?”

…The what?

Zelda doesn’t seem to know what to make of it, either, but she’s also dismounting with her hands up.

“I- I’m afraid I quite understand how unbelievable it must be.”

She’s stepping into the light.

Laysha’s eyeing the crown of braids.  Zelda’s famous for that.  But… it’s not like someone else couldn’t braid her hair that way.  It’s not enough.  Her new tunic does have that altered royal crest on it… and it sure looks fancy.  The material’s extremely high-quality, which hopefully she can tell?

Zelda’s turning.  Showing her the royal bow.  That… sure made Laysha bat her eyelids-

The sword, dumbass.  Turn around, Link!  Keep an eye out over your shoulder just in case, though.

Her jaw dropped.

“Y- you… draw that sword, but DON’T YOU DARE hold it by its hilt.  Nice and slow.  Hold it choked… under the hilt.”

That’s fair.

Never tried to hold you like this, Fi… hope I don’t cut myself…

You won’t, master.  I am incapable of harming you.

Really?  Cool...

Please, be convinced?  Please?  Nothing, nothing, looks like this sword.  Even in the pale luminous stone-light it gleams bright white in a way it shouldn’t.  You’d think the reflection would be green…

“Huh.  I’ll be a pig in s@#$.”

“Does that mean you believe us?”

“It means I’m closer to believing you than I was a minute ago.  If you’re not here to mess with my farm, what are you doing?  And why would you be doing it and not a bunch of knights?”

“I’m a knight.”

“Shush.”

Wow.

…She doesn’t believe us.  She wouldn’t talk to the Princess that way if she did.

Would she?!

“The real Princess and her knight ought to be holed up in the castle ‘til the Calamity comes after what they’re saying happened at that festival.”

“We’re not.”

“YOU’RE not.”

Zelda please think of a way to prove this, please-

“Oh!”

“What?”

“The device on my hip.  It’s called a Sheikah Slate.”

Oh no.

“So what?”

“It- it contains pictures.  Memories of places we’ve been.”

Ohhhh!

“Would you allow me to show you?”

Please say yes.  Please say yes.

“…Move slow.  Hands away from that bow.”

As if she’d have time to draw it and nock an arrow before you could swipe her with that dagger.

…Well, Zelda might, actually, because she’s weird like me, but anyone else?  No.

“I’m taking it off my hip.  You see, here’s the screen—the part which shows the pictures.”

…I think I’m allowed to turn around slowly, now…

Zelda’s swiping past the screens.  It must look like magic to Laysha.   A magic book.  A magic writing slate.  A magic picture-frame?  Something.

There are the pictures… And wow, she’s actually letting this woman hold it?

“You simply touch it and move your finger left or right.  Yes!”

“Wh- what-?  This is the castle, isn’t it?”

“Yes.  Sir Link and I are in many of the pictures.  Our friend Purah held the slate for much of the day of the festival, taking these.”

That day I’d been miffed thinking the pictures didn’t prove useful.  Now, Link?  Good thing she took those!  It’s obvious.  Isn’t it?  There we are in all those shots, surrounded by guards.  There’s Mipha with us.  No one could mistake it.  Could they?

Too- too bad.  The slate was on my hip the whole time we were dancing.  It… would have been nice to have a picture of that.

Aww.  Myrri… sleeping on Chee.

Right before

Before

Before

No- no- no, don’t do that, Link.  You can’t be touching your arrow-spot right now.  Laysha’ll think you’re going for a weapon.

Resist.

Damn.

It’s almost like an itch.

Ohhhh she’s looking at my face, now.  Squinting real hard.

“You’re actually Sir Link?”

“Yeah.”

“… And… and Princess Zelda?”

“Yes.”

I can’t tell in the green light but I bet she’s going allllll pale.

OH and there she goes down on a knee!

“Please, forgive me, Princess!  I thought-“

“No need!  Truly, Laysha, please be at ease.  I entirely understand your reaction.”

“I- I- Sir Link, please forgive me for what I said- I- I- I-“

“Is… this about that chid thing?”

“Y- yes!”

“Yeah, so… uh… what does that even mean?”

“Before you answer, please, Laysha, stand.  You’ve nothing to fear from us.”

She’s… shaking.  “Here.  Take my hand. It’s really fine.”

Aw.  Like a leaf.

“It- um.  It means… chosen kid.”

“Huh.  That’s not as bad as I was expecting.”  It’s not even all that far off.  I’m only 18… Doesn’t seem like something you’d call someone you had confidence in, though…

“Laysha… I am sorry to say your neighbors directly to the west were attacked.”

“B- by monsters?”

“Yes.  We… know for certain there were at least seven bokoblins, each apparently riding a stolen horse-“

“That can’t be right, Princess.”

“Oh?”

“Marc and Challa only had three horses.”

S@#$.

It’s what we already thought, though.

That eyebrow-crease on Zelda.  A slightly pushed-up lower lip.  She feels bad.

“I… am sorry to tell you, your neighbors… four people were dead.  Three adults, perhaps.  One… child.”

Tears.

And shock.

“A- all of them?”

And that confirms it.  The number’s right.

Those things… those were them.  The people who lived there.

…They were once, master.  They were dead when we arrived.

It still feels like murder.

I am… sorry, master.  You merely laid soulless bodies to rest.

Zelda must've nodded.  I- wasn't seeing properly.  Tears on Laysha’s face reflecting green.

“Do you know which way the bokoblins went?  P- princess?”

“Sirs Link and Daile dispatched them.”

“O-oh!  But- then why-“

“We think there was someone or something else with them.”  Wish I could tell her what.  “Something… that made these… odd, glowing patches of something that looks like mud.  It lays on top of the ground.  It’s called malice.”

“I haven’t seen anything like that.”

Oh good.

“I- I have to…“

The house.  There must be others.  “Of course.  Can we go with you?  We’ll check around, make sure things are okay.”

“Yes- please do, Sir Link.  Princess.  Ah- i-if you don’t mind, please… doesn’t seem so important now, but...”

“Watch for the cabbages?”

“Eh- yes, S-sir Link.”

“Certainly, Laysha.”

Would be helpful to have moonlight.  Zelda's looking, too.  We’d see malice if it was around... it makes its own light.  I just wish it was easier to see anything else prowling around out here in the dark.  No black outlines against the stars except normal-looking things.  Some trees.  A pretty large copse at the rear of the house.  Baby trees.  Some not too far—maybe still in the wheat field?  They should probably cut those soon.  Lots of baby trees we passed, which is fine, you just don’t want them right in the middle of your crop.  I see the well-pump to the south of the house, too.  And another copse southeast of that.

The horses seem okay.  They… need a rest and some water.

Damn, I need water, too.  Canteen.  “Gmpg-gmpg-gmpg-gmpg-gmpg-ghhh.  Water, Z- Princess?”

“I still have some of my own.  Thank you, though.”

Guess she’s not that thirsty.

…Speaking of thirsty, “Have you been having any trouble with your drinking water lately?”

“No, not at all.  Why do you ask, Sir?”

“Good.  Just… making sure.  That malice muck was practically on top of the other farm’s water.”

“Indeed.  It may be wise for you to pump some and store it in traveling containers just in case.”

“O-oh.  Oh.  You think… you think something’s coming this way?”

“We don’t know.  We chose a direction to investigate.”

“I see, Princess.  Reeb? REEB!”

“YEAH?”

“WE HAVE… IMPORTANT VISITORS!”

“YEAH I HEARD YOU YELLING ABOUT YOUR CABBAGES!  WHO IS IT?  IT’S NOT FRIPP, IS IT?”

“OF COURSE NOT, DIDN’T I JUST SAY THEY WERE IMPORTANT?”

“WELL, HOW DO I KNOW?!”

“YOU SHOULD KNOW I DON’T MEAN FRIPP!”

“I DON’T KNOW, YOU’VE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THOSE DAMN LOOPER MOTHS, MAYBE THAT’S WHY YOU WERE YELLING ABOUT CABBAGES!”

“WOULD FRIPP REALLY BE DRIVING HIS HORSE RIGHT THROUGH MY CABBAGES IF HE CAME TO NIX THE RUDDY CATTERPILLARS?!”

“HE’S DULL ENOUGH FOR IT!”

“I’m sorry, Princess, he does like to argue with me.”

Yeah, well…

“It’s no matter, Laysha.”

…you weren’t exactly discouraging him.

“THEY HAVE BAD BEWS!”

“MORE BAD NEWS?”

“Ruddy… he’ll be thinking I’m on about the harvests again.”

“We’d heard some of that at the castle.  Has it affected your farm?”

Oooh, Zelda, this is NOT the best time for-

“It was…um… unseasonably cold in spring, Princess—more than I ever remember, at least.”

Never mind.  Seems like a welcome distraction…

“So, we, Reeb and I… we waited to plant like many others did, though it wasn’t so bad here.”

Makes sense.  Southernmost edge of wheat country.

“Those who didn’t plant late had a good deal of their crops ruined.”

“Frost?”

“Frost.  I hear they’re biting their nails up near Tabantha village.  Their wheat may not harden in time.”

.

That’s not a comfortable silence.

.

I hear her breath shaking a little.

Small cabin.  Probably just Laysha and Reeb.  He’s crossing his arms at us.  He’s… short like me.

What- oh.  A dog.  Walking funny- heh.  Old dog.  Stretching doggie-arthritis legs.  Boris used to do that.  He only lasted about a year and a half after that started.  Dogs don’t live long enough.

“Who’re you?”

“Reeb, for Hylia’s sake, don’t be rude!  These’re Princess Zelda and Sir Link!”

“…You’re having me on.”

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I’m NOT, Reeb, just look at them!  Look at- Princess, would you mind showing him?”

“Not at all.”

Slate again.

I’ll do a 360 while he looks.

“H-hot damn, how does this work!?”

“Heh.  We’re not entirely sure.  I understand light passes through this lens and falls onto a flat plane.  I do not yet understand how the light is kept.”

“Damn.  DAMN.”

Still nothing unusual-looking.

The horses are a little shuffly.

They’re thirsty.  I’ll ask about drinking water for them before we go.

“Wow…”

Crickets are real loud.  It’s almost too cold for them.  Last hurrah of the fall, I guess.  It feels like it’ll frost any night now.

“Alright- Princess- what can we do for you?”

“You need do nothing for us, sir.  We’re here to check on your well-being.  Have you seen anything unusual tonight, or earlier today perhaps?”

“No, Princess.  It’s been a day like any other.”

“I see.  Well, then- Sir Link and I would like to circle your farm once to ensure nothing seems amiss, then head northwest to check your neighbors in that direction.  Perhaps—now I think on it, perhaps you could tell us about them?”

“Eh- sure, Princess.  Northwest you’ll find Erl and Mizral.  They farm wheat like most of us do around here, some vegetables… and then east of them and a little east of here there’s a big family, Cawlin, Gorsdadd—they’re brothers—and Rana and Hallen, and all their kids.”

“How many?”

“Eh- nine, Princess.”

Nine kids…

“And there’s Geenra, too, she’s getting mighty old at this point—still kicking, though.”

“Princess, Reeb!”

“Oh!  Yes, Princess, so sorry about that-“

“It’s alright, truly.”

Oh- heh!  Hi there, boy.

“Princess?”

Hand licks.

“Yes, Laysha?”

Always nice.  You like behind-ear-scratches?

“After what you told me… why don’t I make you a quick map?”

 Yesss, of course you do.

“I can… write the names down, too.”

Classic dog.

“What they… told?”

You don’t seem bothered by anything, do you?

“Thank you, Laysha.”

Nothing but wind in the grass out here.

“Eh- wait, what happened to your neck Sir- Sir Link?”

“Hm?”  Oh!  How… do I explain this?  “…Monster-bite.”

“MONSTER-bite?”

“Yeah.”

“Deep?”

“Kind of.”

“Well… if Laysha’s writing something out for you, I can take a look at that.”

Zelda’s nodding.  She cleaned it but…

She’s so smart, but I guess she doesn’t really have much experience with wound care.  It just seems like she does because she’s been there whenever I was hurt this month.  Might be a good idea.  “Sure—thanks.  I’d appreciate that.”

“Come on in – sit in that seat—hehe—that’s Laysh’s got-hurt seat.”

Guess Laysha hurts herself a lot. 

“That’s not true.”

Maybe she tries to fight off all those cabbage moths.

“Sure is, hehehe.”

Hehehe with that dagger. “Phh.”

“Reeb, come on, this isn’t the time!”

…Wow, she’s right.  What’s wrong with you, Link?

“Alright, I’ll unbind it.  If it looks fine I can at least get you a clean bandage.”

“Thanks.”

“I shall stand watch.”

“Z- but-“

“No buts, Link.  I’ll be right here in the doorway.  I shan’t be out of sight.”

“…Alright, here we…”

…It must look real bad.

…Real… bad?

He went so quiet.  Wh- why is he looking at me like that?

“…Laysha?”

“Mm hm.”

“Stop.”

“What do you-“

“That’s no monster bite, Sir Link.”

Oh.  Oh-F@#$-

I just heard her dagger come out.

“Reeb?!”

“NO, Laysha, just run!”

“REEB?!”

“Wh- there’s no need- we won’t hurt you!”  Link you IDIOT-

“Then explain your damn self!”

Yes, I should’ve done that FIRST-

“A person did that, not some bokoblin!  You think we’re idiots?!”

“NO, of course-“

“Please!”

Z- Zelda-

“Please—Link told you the truth!”

“Like hell he did, LOOK at that!  It’s obvious what did it-“

“I understand, but- please.  Please, look at this last picture.”

Last- last-?  Right… she’d been taking pictures of the malice.  She must have gotten the… ReDead.  In the last one.

I hear her moving.  Circling slowly behind me.  Be careful- careful- if Laysha’s really scared-

Reeb doesn’t want to take his eyes off me.

He thinks I killed them.

…Well.  I did.

Two of them, anyway.

“Please, look.”

He is.  Over me.

And he’s losing absolutely all the blood in his face.

“What… what in Hylia’s green hills is that?”

…Laysha’s moving, too.  To see, right?  Not to… stab me… or her.  Right?

Stop shaking, Link.  You- you won’t have to fight them.  You won’t.  You won’t.  Won’t have to- to put a sword a sword through anyone’s

Neck

Windpipe

F@#$.

F#@$, Link get a hold of yourself.

Even if they did attack, you wouldn’t have to-

“Reeb?  Reeb, that’s Marc.”

…I wish she hadn’t said that.

“Skies, Laysha, I can see that.  I can… what… what happened?”

I know his name, now.

“…You can, perhaps, see why we made such haste.”

…Laysha… won’t stab me…

“I- you- you think this’ll happen here?”

Can move- scrub my face.

“We don’t know.  We feared so.”

Scrub it clean, I guess.  Something.

“This is the first farm we saw.”

“Reeb, sew him up.”

“Huh?”

“Sew Sir Link up while I finish the damn map!  It’s obvious why they need it, isn’t it?!”

“Y- yeah.  Right.  Right.  Damn.  Uh.  Yeah, so… that’s… awful torn.  Stitches.  Hang on.”

Stitches.

Never needed those.

Always was good at not getting hurt.

Your weakness, Link?

Hesitation.

You can’t hesitate.

Why the hell didn’t I listen to Fi?

Do not blame yourself, master.

Who should I blame, then?

I have never known… any of my wielders not to hesitate where people’s lives were concerned.

I guess, at least, I’m no weaker than them, then.

No more hesitating, Link.

Threat?

Take it out.

And… oh!  “They can shock you still.”

“What?”

“These things.  They- if they look at you, they can shock you still.”

“I can see why they would.”

“No, I mean with magic.  They paralyze you.  That’s how this one got close enough to bite me.”

Guess I shocked him still, too.

Oh?  The dog.  Licking my hand again.  Thanks, boy.  You’re so old, aren’t you?  Your snout’s gone all grey.  Even around your cute little doggie eyeballs.

Needle and thread.  Soaking in alcohol.

“I, uh—here.  You ever been stitched?”

“No.”

“It hurts and feels funny at the same time.  Try not to move.”

“Okay.”

Oh-oh-ohhhh that is strange.  Like some unrealistically-skinny fish is swimming through me.  Not exactly unbearable considering what it felt like to have my heart muscle burst by an arrowhead.

”Just a few more.  It ripped you but…  well… people don’t have teeth meant for, uh…”

“Hunting.”  Right?

“Uh-huh.”

“I… I shall return to watch.  But also… Sir Link and I must leave soon.  We don’t know where… whatever caused this went or what it even is.”

HIS breath is trembling too, now.

“It’s just you two living here?”

“Just us, Sir Link.”

“I’d… recommend only one of you sleep at any given time for the moment.”

“Hohhh.  Hully here used to be a good watchdog.  Afraid she’s not as spry as she used to be.”

Oh.  She!  Oops.  Sorry, girl.  Not that I said ‘boy’ out loud, anyway…

One awake isn’t enough if something can shock you totally still and silent.  They need…  “You have other animals?”

“Yeah, there’s a little barn.  Round the trees that way.”

“I’d recommend sleeping in there.  Animals, they-“

“Damn fine idea.  Yeah, they notice things.”

Good.  Good.  Can’t protect everyone, but… maybe it’ll help if something heads this way.  And… “Um.  Arrows don’t… don’t work that well.  You have to—well, you don’t have to, but it seems like… severing the head… is… best.”  Dear Goddess.  I can’t believe I said that.

Seems like no one else can, either.

Dead silence.

Dead.

…

The dog’s ears.  Up.  Oh no- quiet, quiet, Link-  “Do you hear-“

“The crickets!”

He hears it too, STAND, LINK! Quietly quietly quietly shhh- shhh- good, yes, no sound, stay down, you two, stay down-

What shut the crickets up what did it?  Doesn’t have to be one of those things, could be a fricking deer, but have to look, have to, and Zelda’s on point automatically because she was already in the door but I’ll take it from her as soon as I get out there even with this stupid thread hanging out of my neck because I’ll be damned if I let her get bitten!

.

So quiet.

I’m not sure it’s wise for them to stay in the house.  If I were something nasty, I’d figure they were in there.

Beckon them out?

…Not quite yet.

Look around first…

Sword… it’s so reflective… It’ll be okay away from the firelight, though.  Keep it drawn.

…It’s quieter to the north-northwest.

No, Zelda, stay… stay there… watch me…

That way…

Quietest…

Stay crouched…

Wish the tall wheat was here.  I could hide in it.  As it is, I’m just low.

Inch forward, Link.

Maybe you’ll just look like one of the cabbages.

No.  Don’t laugh, idiot.

Whatever’s wrong with you, get it out later.  Maybe you just need a real long half-crazed maniacal laugh, but you can’t have it right now.  Wait.

Zelda’s circling quietly behind me.  Sounds like she’s trying to stay low, too.

We… haven’t even actually trained her, yet.

She’ strong.  Fast.  Great shot.  Her instincts seem really good.  She stopped Vayden taking my head off.

But… that’s the only close-combat she’s ever been in.

Was this the plan?  Were they trying to draw us north?  Take her out before she gets too good at what she’s supposed to do?

Or is it something else?

.

I don’t see anything that doesn’t just look like the wind in the grass.  In the leaves.  Not even many leaves on trees at this point… except the evergreens.  Swaying branches.

Like those drawings of creepy forests in mom’s old storybooks.  Long, tendrilled branch-ends like way too many spindly fingers.

At least the pine branches don’t look like that.

Eyes adjusting out of the firelight.  Good.

Still a very dark night.

Into the copse, or around it?

.

In.  I’ll be hidden better.  And if I was a nasty critter trying to hide, that’s where I’d go.

.

.

Zelda.

I hear her following.

She’s smart.  Do I direct her, or…?

Let’s at least share a plan.

Come here?

.

Yep.

.

She’s good at sneaking.

.

.

.

Hi.

Your back to the cabin wall?

.

Yeah.

Watch me.

.

No, no no, don’t come in after me if I disappear.

.

Oh, come on.

.

She’s not going to listen to me.

I think. We're... talking with our hands. Hard to tell and OH we’re both dumb, slate?

.

Huh?  Why not?

.

If we use the slate you’ll know what I-

Oh.  No, I’M just dumb.

The light.

Pointless sneaking around with that screen blaring out into the darkness, right Link?

Yeah.

Your Princess is smarter than you.

Don’t you dare forget it.

Which means…

She’s probably right about following me if she loses sight of me.

Which… she will.  Quickly in so little light.

I really wish there were still three of us.

It’s likely Daile hasn’t even met anyone else, yet.  He’s probably still riding south.

And even if he does, they’re supposed to start at the farm two west.

We’re on our own.  Just have to do our best.

Trust her.

In I go.

.

.

Thick brush.  Some evergreens.  Hides me.

A few feet.  Still.

Again.  Be still.

Still.

Nothing.

.

Keep going.

.

.

More.

.

.

Nothing.

.

.

Hear Zelda.  Her feet.  Soft.

.

.

Further in.

.

.

.

Even darker.

.

.

Shapes and shadows.

.

.

FF-

RRrrg.  Rabbit.

You scared it, Link.

Stay the hell still for a bit.

.

.

.

Wonder if it scared Zelda.

.

.

.

.

A few more steps.

.

.

.

It got even quieter after the rabbit stopped.

Now I’M what everything’s afraid of.

I screwed it up.

To be fair, I couldn’t see the rabbit.

No avoiding it.

.

.

Have to wait.

See what comes back.

.

.

.

.

Breathe.

.

.

.

.

.

Breeze.  Getting so cold.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

She’s still as a statue behind me, too.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

I used to do this hunting bokoblins…

I bet she never has.

She’s patient, though.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Some sounds returning.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Lots, actually.

Louder than before.

…Did it go?

.

It could’ve just been a deer.

Won’t assume… but could be.

.

.

Move, Link.

.

.

.

.

Just the crickets right near me going quiet.

.

.

Whatever it was definitely moved.

I can’t tell which way.

Can’t tell if there’s another quiet patch somewhere.

.

.

.

Just have to keep inching along in the dark.

-----

Nothing.

Zelda?

Yeah.  She’s coming up to crouch beside me.

“What do you think it was?”

Supreme quiet, those whispers in my ear.

Causing urges.

Can’t really do urges right now.

Calm down, self.  “Deer?”

“Did you hear hoofsteps?”

“No.”

“It was so quiet.  You’d think…”

“Yeah.”

The crickets have been back full-force for a while, though.  I still can barely see in front of my face, just silhouettes.  More so in the direction of the house, but still…

It could be that… “What if we missed it?”

“How?”

“If it stayed still?”

“I’d have thought we would have spooked any hiding animals.  It would’ve run off.”

“Yeah… that’s… kind of what I mean.”

“…Not an animal?”

“I don’t know. I-“

What-?

Didn’t mean to grab you so hard, Zelda, sorry, but holy s@#$- holy s@#$-

No!  No talking…

Dammit… quiet behind us, behind us again, whatever it is!

Back through the copse?

…No.

Up, Zelda.  Up!  Whatever it was knew we were there anyway, up, crouched but up, hurry along the copse, on the outside, back toward the house-

Look.  Look everywhere, Link, all around you.  Did anything change?  Is anything moving?

This would be easier with no breeze.  Everything’s moving a little.  Can’t tell.  Just… not enough light.

My Goddess I’d been worried maybe we were wasting time here creeping around in the dark, but not if there really is something nasty slinking around…

.

.

.

Anything?

.

.

.

Any-

Wait.

.

What?

.

North-northwest.

Something doesn’t look right.  What-

What is it?

Zelda’s tapping me, wondering why I stopped.

Look- something’s different. 

She’s probably not sure what I mean.  She was looking more south while we walked toward the cabin.

What is it?  What is it?

…Baby trees?

Weren’t there more of those?

Dammit, Link, that’s a stupid thing to be different.

I’m just… I must just not be remembering right.

Back to moving.  Still weird quiet.  Still-

!!!!!!! The horses!

“Link!”

“I know!”

RUN LINK, RUN THE HORSES ARE SCARED I know that sound, Rionee reared, she reared, she’s not so easy to scare, whatever it is it’s bad and S@#$ there she goes she just BOLTED, I’ve never seen her do that ever ever not even once THERE GOES TASS WITH AN ABSOLUTE SCREAM and the dog the dog’s barking barking growling whimpering!

“AAAAAAAAH!”

“LAYSHA?!” MOVE, Link!!!!!!!!!!

“REEB!”

“WHAT IS IT?!”

“WHO CARES, JUST RUN, RUN!”

“AAH- NO, NO NOT THAT WAY! THE HOUSE THE HOUSE-“

What the hell IS it I don’t even SEE anything, I don’t see ANYTHING and neither does Zelda, she’s running, not shooting!

I hear the dog running- WHAT?!

“LINK!”

WHAT?!!

WHAT THE HELL IS IT WHY’D THE DOG STOP?

CLOSER CLOSER CLOSER CLOSER WHAT IS IT WHAT IS IT WHAT- WHAT-

T- tree?

Did it run into one?  It’s dark, maybe-

But-

No, there were no trees here- no-

Baby-

Trees?

Straight for it Link straight for it whatever it is the dog’s stuck in just slice it right off the ground just slice it-

There!  “Wh- what?!” IT BLEEDS!  “ZELDA, THE TREES! SOMETHING’S WRONG!”

“TREES?!”

Poor girl, I’m sorry, we’ll check you out after, more of them, more?  Use the house-light, shadows- there’s one!  Cut it- “MMPHGHAAAA!”

“LINK!!!”

WHATTHEF@#$ ITHASMYSWORDHAND ITHASMYHEAD TWOTHERESTWO KICK IT KICK IT KICK IT KICK IT COME ON!

YES ZELDA ARROW THROUGH- DIDN’T- DIDN’T HELP!  PRYPRYPRY-

WHAAAAT- THE F@#$- IS THAT?! “MMM-MGH-RRRRH-AH!” MOVING PILLAR?  IT’S WRITHING!

ANOTHER ARROW IT STILL HAS ME- SO STRONG SO STRONG BREAK FREE, COME ON, LINK!

NOT MALICE NO GLOW, WHAT-

ARROWTHREE HOW HOW IT DIDN’T EVEN CHANGE IT’S SO STRONG HOW IS IT SO STRONG?! I CAN’T-

“HH!” Oh- my- “NG!” wh- Hylia’s- Light- “RRRH-“ that- thing- has- a- FACE- couldn’t- see- it was straight up-

Master!  I may know-

-toward the stars! IT’S HANDS!

This is a Dead Hand master!!  It’s imperative you break free!

THESEAREN’TTREES THEY’REHANDS IT’SHANDS HOLYS@#$ PUUUUUUUUUUSH LINK GET YOUR SWORD FREE!!!!!!

“RRRRAAAAAH!”

NO, ZELDA!

AH! HEADFREENO!!!!!!!!!

“AAAAAH- HHHAH!”

GET OFF HER! MOVE LINK DAMMIT YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T LET HER GET BITTEN MOVE PULL THIS HAND WITH YOU SCREWTHESWORD-

PUNCHPUNCHPUNCHPUNCHPUNCHPUNCHPUNCH MY GODDESS THE UNHOLY SOUND IT JUST-

WHAT’S THAT S@#$ IT JUST SPRAYED?!?!?!- NONONONONONONONONO ANOTHERHAND

“MPHHHH- NNGNNNGG!!”

“ZELDA!”

“AAAAAAAAGH DEMONSPAAAAAAAAAAAAAWN!”

SHOVEL!  YES BOOOOM YES REEB! THEARM’SOFFZELDA IT’S OFF-

“AAC-KH-“

ON REEB!

ZELDA SHOVEL YEESSSS FREE!

ITS HEAD, MASTER!

“AAAAAAAAAAH!”  FACE-STAB!

Undead are resilient, master!  They live not through biological means but magical animation.  You must tear it apart to break the spell!

“AAAAAH!”

“LAYSHA!”

“S@#$!” There must be more hands there must one must have her, can’t see!

Your spin attack master!

I’ll hurt the others!

It will not harm those aligned with you, master!  USE IT!

C- concentrate, Link!  EVERYTHING you have, everything into the blade into the blade, IN, arm straight right!  “AHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“SWEET HYLIA, WHAT WAS THAT?!”

“OH- hh!   REEB!”

S@#$, got him AGAIN-

“NO YOU DON’T!”

JOIN LAYSHA, LINK!  Slice this fricking thing to RIBBONS!  Her dagger might not matter much, but maybe with both of us it’ll be confused-

ZELDA with the shovel.  YES.  YOU’RE DEAD SOON, WHATEVER YOU ARE!

Damn, that’s a shovel right through its gut or whatever WOULD be its gut if it were alive and slicing this thing is easy as long as the hands don’t have you, the hands are so strong-

More more more hands I see them coming SLICE THIS THING, COME ON, DIE, D-

“OH!”

“BACK OFF, BACK OFF!”  I don’t want any more of that foul stuff getting on Zelda, my Goddess, she’s injured- Zelda… Zelda’s injured, what does that stuff do if it gets in a wound?!

“Link…”

“It’s alright.  It’s ALRIGHT.  Look at it.  It’s… it’s… disintegrating.  Like the… bokoblins…”

“Not precisely- hhhh-hh… hhhh-hh-“

It’s… more like it’s melting.  As it… twitches.  Disappearing into the ground… the hands-?  Them, too…

“Link-“

“It’s okay-“

“Link, there are MORE.”

“…Wh-?”  Where- she sees-?

“There.  Just there.  Do you see it?”

…Like skinny, leafless trees against the sky.  Dear… Holy… “…I see them.”

….How many hands does each one have?

And… why don’t I see any of the face-pillars?  …I didn’t before, either.  It’s like this one just appeared out of the…

Ground…

The ground.

“Zelda?”

“Hh-yes?”

“Underground?”

“Likely.”

“W- we have to- have to run-“

“No, Reeb.  Don’t run.  Laysha?”

“Y-yes, S-sir Lin-k?”

“Luminous stones.  How many do you have?”

“U-uhm… mmhm…a good few.  In a bucket.”

“Inside?”

“Yh-hes.”

“I’ll walk with you, slowly.  Let’s get them.”

“A-a- hh- al-r-right.”

She’s brave.  Shaking, but her jaw’s set.

They’re both brave.

The hands ARE moving.  They’re so slow.  Hard to tell unless you’re paying a lot of attention.  They sway, too.  Like branches in breeze…

They were already on their way here.  We passed them.

Were there more underground behind us?

…Bucket.  Good.  “Out there.  Yeah.  Zelda!”

“Yes!”

“Think you can throw as well as you shoot?”

“YES.”

Damned if I don’t love the look on her face.

Damn.

Damn this.

Plenty of tall grass around.  This is NOT the time to take advantage of it.

I’ll just have to save it for later.

“Scatter them even, please, so I can see the hands.”

“Wh- that’s all?!”

“Yes.”

“Then what?!”

“Then I’ll slice every single one of their Goddess-damned hands off.  Let’s see if that makes them come up for air.”

“But if they catch-“

“They won’t.  Not this time.”  I know what you are, now.  No baby trees, here…

Well.  There are, actually, but I know which are which.

There she goes with the stones.

They’re not that bright, but with how dark it is tonight they make a big difference.

Concentrate, Link.

You’re going to do the Thing.

Run.

Run.

RUN.

SLIDE

SLICED

Damn things bleed like a hinox headwound.  Bleed…. It’s not blood.  Green.  Unless the stone light’s playing tricks on me.

Next.

Come on.

Come on.

I’m right here.  Just try it-

DODGE STRIKE- good, only takes one good swipe with you, Fi.

I am not your sword, master.  I am within your sword.

Details.

You next, hand.

I’m right here.

That’s right…

.

DODGE STRIKE

YOU NEXT

Just slide for this one, Link, they strike like snakes but they seem to hesitate to start-

SLICE

NEXT

RUN

SLIDE

SLICE- OOOH YOU ALMOST GOT ME YOU SNEAKY OTHER HAND BUT….

DODGE SLICE

Bye bye.

No more right here, eh?  Maybe-

YES, THERE YOU ARE, YOU WON’T LAST LONG NOW, SLICE-

Ohhh you’re going to try and bite me?

Bad idea.

DODGE STRIKESTRIKESTRIKESTRIKESTRIKESTRIKE

“Hylia’s mercy!”

…You dead?

“Yes.  Link is… he’s special.”

You dead.

"Bloody magic at that speed..."

Next.

RUN.

.

.

SLIDE “HAAAAH!”

Sliced.

NEXT

Sliced.

NEXT.

Sliced

You-

SLICED

Jerks aren’t-

SLICED

So tough if-

SLICED

We know you’re there.

And I knew you were there, you.  My sword?  Your face.

Just keep hacking, Link… and moving to the side.  This thing’s so slow it can’t even catch you without those hands to help it out.

…Done.

No more.  Right?

…I don’t think so.

“YOU SEE MORE?!”

“NOT AT PRESENT, LINK!”

“WE’D BETTER CHECK!”

“YES!”

“Not before we… we see to that wound on you, Princess.”

“Oh.  Hh.  Yes, it’s… surprising.  I’d have thought it would... bother me more… H-here comes Link.”

“Alcohol-“

“No, NO you don’t, Sir Link.  We have supplies and we’re not… hunting these things. You’ll accept our hospitality right now or may Hylia strike me dead.  We’d BE dead if you hadn’t come.”

W-wow.  “…Thanks, Laysha.”

“Thank YOU.”

“I, ah- h- hang on.  Hully.”

O- oh, no.  Did she-

?

She didn’t get bitten, right?  Just grabbed.  Their grip is extremely strong, though.

.

That was a tiny dog-whine.

Better than dead.

He has her.

“Poor old girl.  Had the fright of your life, you did.  Did you… see where it got her?”

“Neck.”

“…Must hurt.  We’ll get her in.”

“Let’s get you in, too.”

“…We still ought to have a watch-“

“Let us clean your wounds first, Princess.  That part won’t take long.”

“I’ll finish up your stitching, Sir, and pardon me for saying this, Princess, but you can’t leave that tunic on after this.  It’s befouled.”

“Yes… I do have changes.”

“Damn- the horses-“

“They’ll come back.  They will.” Rionee will, and Tass’ll follow her.  “We’ll finish here as fast as possible, and we’ll do a circuit around your farm before we go.  Can I… trouble you for a few of those luminous stones?”

“Of course.  Anything you need.”

We… got here just in time?

Or maybe not.  The Sun hadn’t quite gone all the way down by the time we left the first farm.  Maybe… maybe darkness is part of the equation, here?

I’ve never known Dead Hands to exist in anywhere but deep in the earth, master.  It’s why I didn’t relay them along with my knowledge of the stal-creatures. Darkness may be of importance as it is with stals.

Okay.

Okay.

If that’s the case…

We really do have to move.

Fast.

Because it’ll be night for another… what, eleven hours or so?  Twelve?

A lot can happen in twelve hours.

These things move so slowly.  Could they have made it here from that other farm in a day?

“Link?”

“Coming—sorry.”

Hurry, Link.

Then hunt hands in the dark.

-----

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[byrnelokomo]

yknow something i haven't seen people point out yet (at least on tumblr) is how the trailers for totk have already confirmed/continued SEVERAL details and theories from botw that make the plot setup for totk seem..... VERY interesting

first of all, smth i noticed a while back was the floating island confirmation. in botw, on the octoballoon quest for that kid, he gives you this dialogue:

[image IDs:

image 1 is a screenshot of dialogue from Shamae that says, "I sometimes see it in my dreams. Do you think that a long time ago people used to live in the sky? I hope so..."

image 2 is another screenshot from Shamae that says, "Good kids can see it! They can see the kingdom floating in the sky!"

end image ID]

and ofc the importance of that is obvious now BUT AT THE TIME i just took it for a reference to skyward sword for fun, like all the place name references. but now it's apparent it Wasn't.

which is very interesting because this means they were planning the plot of totk at least from the development of breath of the wild. and remembering how soon totk was announced, that makes me very excited because it means the opportunity for totk to not just be taking place in the same world but to be a coherent sequel in every meaning of the word--for it to build off the story of botw--for it to purposely be foreshadowed in botw--is POSSIBLE.

and we all are talking about the zonai ruins rn and the architecture style in the new totk trailer, which, if it IS connected to the zonai, WAS intended in the original game to later connect to totk.

which brings me to point 3 that is very 👀👀 to me: those fucking luminous stones. glowing cyan magic or rocks or whatever are not exactly uncommon in loz, but i can't help but notice the similarity of the luminous rocks to the crystals in the first totk trailer, the ones everyone already went wild about regarding a possible time stones return from ss (and i am still very curious about).

the ones shown several times in the trailer, almost pointedly, seeming to drawn attention to themselves in the framing...

[image IDs: three screenshots from the original trailer of tears of the kingdom. the first is link and zelda in a dim cave of some sort walking a path while the camera views them from behind at ground level, over the edges of glowing aqua crystals. the second is an overhead shot of link and zelda doing the same, now with those same crystals shown to be on the side of the path and numerous. the third is them further along travelling across a seemingly underground bridge, with crystals littering the walls around them and framing the image from above and below and to both the right and left of the central bridge. end image ID]

i don't have a clearcut theory for these but something i DO think is very interesting is THIS description we get of the luminous stones in the botw ingame item menu:

Luminous Stone is one of the minerals found throughout Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This mysterious mineral gives off a pale blue glow in the dark, which some believe to be souls of the dead. Apparently, this stone can be used as a base to make special clothing.

at the time i read this, i was very perplexed and intrigued by the bolded part of the text, because it seemed out of the ordinary for the typical game item descriptions. NOW though... i wonder if it was some kind of foreshadowing. and considering the sky references, i think there's an actual possible chance it might be. and considering how creepy the original trailer was and potential tone and magic we've seen of the new game, this could be some really fascinating lore or a plot hint.

i am just. really excited about the possibility of breath of the wild itself containing a lot of purposeful clues and foreshadowing for tears of the kingdom, and if totk will actually continue the story properly from botw, and answers questions from botw, yall.

especially whatever the FUCK was and is happening with the tapestry loredump in botw and ganondorf's origins in this story

[liugeaux]

The Best Games of 2005 | Is This Art?

Here is my second best-of list. For further explanation check out the 2004 list I posted a few weeks ago. 2005 was the first year I can remember where the question "Are Video Games Art?" really started to mean something. It was also the first year of the Seventh Generation of consoles as the Xbox 360 hit stores in November. Remember, this is written as if it were published at the end of 2005. There will be no cutesy future predicting and all comments should be taken at face value. Let's get started.

#10 - Ultimate Spider-man

Saying this is just Spider-Man 2 with a better art style is a bit reductive, but ultimately (pun intended) is kind of accurate. The swinging mechanic is still the core appeal of it, and that appeal is still super strong. It's flashy, consistent, and an easy lock for No. 10.

#9 - Mario Kart DS

It's technically not the first portable Mario Kart game, but it's definitely the first portable Mario Kart game that demands you take it seriously. Nintendo has successfully translated the look and feel of console games over to the DS. The icing on the cake here is the online play, At least until you discover players "snaking," but that's a conversation for a different day.

#8 - The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Technically released in the US in January, The Minish Cap barely made the cut-off for my list. Unlike Capcom's 2 previous portable Zelda efforts, The Minish Cap has seemingly endless charm. Link's talking hat, a compelling story, and a solid dungeon structure have The Minish Cap feeling a lot like A Link to the Past, one of the greatest games ever made.

#7 - Guitar Hero

We're all losers. We stand in our living rooms, clickity clackity-ing on fake plastic guitars trying to get 5 stars, while the world passes us by. I think I'm fine with that. Guitar Hero is as inventive as it is addictive. From the cheeky aesthetic to the 5-star soundtrack, this game sits in a category all by itself. It's easy to pick up and naturally walks you through learning and ramping up your skills. I don't know if I had more fun with a game this year.

#6 - Call of Duty 2

At this point WWII games are passé. We've already met our quota for WWII games this decade, but as the only Xbox 360 game on this list, Call of Duty 2 proves there is still plenty of blood left in that stone. Forgoing reality and leaning on survival elements that make for exciting gameplay, the game makes you feel like you're on the frontlines fighting for your life. It's beautiful and really shows what this new console generation is capable of.

#5 - Psychonauts

One of the main "Games are Art" titles of this year is Psychonauts. A genuinely funny take on mental health and psychiatry, it finds a way to poke fun, but while subtly raising awareness of important Psychiatric concepts. Psychonauts plays with your emotions as it has your heart laughing. Memorable characters, unique platforming and some of the best writing any game has ever had, makes this one easy to recommend. Like movie directors, Tim Schafer has proven he's one of the field's first auteurs.

#4 - Resident Evil 4

Who knew that all the Resident Evil series needed to get my attention was a perspective change? REs 1-3 all suffered from being too frustrating to control for me to have any fun with. The novel over-the-shoulder 3rd person controls puts the player in a position similar to first-person, but with the mobility and awareness of a 3rd person game. Resident Evil 4 is a frightening romp through inspired new ground all while improving the survival horror genre in meaningful ways.

#3 - Lumines

Yeah, I've got a puzzle game at number 3, fight me! Not since Tetris has a puzzle game grabbed me as firmly as Lumines did this year. Could it be the sleek and futuristic presentation? Maybe. Could it be that Lumines is the perfect game for Sony's new curious little handheld? Probably. Have I spent countless hours deep in high-score chasing? Absolutely! Lumines might be lighting in a bottle, but that lightning burned super hot this year.

#2 - God of War

Nothing is more aggro than being forced to wear the ashes of your dead family on your skin. Kratos is justifiably angry and being able to take his anger and tear through a pantheon of Gods is quite cathartic. It helps that God of War's gameplay is fluid, frantic and addictive. It takes tropes from previous generations of beat-em-ups and layers brand-new ways to combo up and destroy. It's also another entry in the "Is this art" sweepstakes. The cinematic nature of the entire experience rivals much of the drivel coming out of Hollywood, and being a game makes it even more engaging.

#1 - Shadow of the Colossus

Truly an unparalleled experience, Shadow of the Colossus is a masterpiece that shines by engineering vivid emotions through the art of digital animation. Each Colossus is a world unto itself and even though you, as the protagonist, are tasked with slaying each beast, the pain and helplessness of imminent death expressed from them as they fall will etch itself in your bones. Shadow successfully takes the technical limitations of the PS2 and bends a low frame rate and limited draw distance, into a part of the expression of the art. It's not a perfect game, but it's a step in an unprecedented direction for the art form as a whole.

Notable Omissions:

Sid Meier's Civilization IV - Civ 4 is a fine game and is definitely a major improvement over Civ 3, but my patience for strategy games in this style is thin.

Battlefield 2 - I didn't play it. I'm not even sure if there's a competent way to play it with a controller and I'm definitely not gonna try it with a mouse and keyboard.

Forza Motorsport - With very few exceptions, I'm not a racing game guy, and racing sims are completely off my radar.

Next time we move to 2006, the launch year of both the Wii and PS3. See you there!

Cheers.

[fanfiction-fantasies]

Hiya! Real big fan of your x reader works!! I was wondering if you do BOTW x Readers. If so, perhaps Sidon, Link, Zelda, and Buliara?

Sidon

Anyone who knows Sidon knows that he is an incredibly supportive and strong person. If you have a problem you need help solving, he’s the one to talk to. This sweet fish prince loves helping those around him.

And that goes double for anyone he is romantically interested in!

If you need help with something, he will do everything in his power to help. If you need help coming up with an idea, he will listen to you and pitch in with his thoughts on how to proceed. If you need to vent, he will listen and offer comfort.

His love language is words of affirmation and physical touch. He always has a compliment on the tip of his tongue, and he is always ready to hold your hand or scoop you into a hug at a moment’s notice.

What can he say, he thinks you’re simply amazing! He figures that if no one else is going to tell you how great you are, he should be the one to do it! It is a job he will take on with pride and honor.

Despite how confident he seems, he can be rather bashful. Compliment him, initiate physical contact, or give him a gift? He will turn away to try and hide his smile.

This sweet fishy boi loafs you

Link

This boy is chaos incarnate, and his affection reflects this.

He’ll bring you a beautiful bouquet of flowers, smiling at you despite having just fought a mob of monsters.

Either that, or he will give you some mundane trinket after having ran across Hyrule because “It reminded me of you!”

Since Link is mostly nonverbal, he uses sign to talk to you. Don’t know sign? He’ll teach you! It doesn’t matter to him if you're a fast learner or if you struggle, he is infinitely patient when it comes to you.

As you might have already guessed, his love language is giving gifts! Because of how often he travels, Link will have no shortage of things to give to you. Jewelry and sand seal plushies from Gerudo desert, cool lava rocks from Death Mountain, luminous stones and unique plants from Zora’s Domain, maybe even a bow from the Tabantha region!

Link is not only chaotic, he’s also a dork. He will make an absolute fool of himself to make you smile and/or blush.

He definitely does the eyebrow thing.

Zelda

Oh honey, you managed to catch the eye of the sweetest cinnamon roll this side of Hyrule.

In public, she’s curt and impersonal with you. In private, or when she’s out exploring? A total 180. She is sweet, excitable, and loving. She could talk your ear off with all the cool tech knowledge she’s got in her head!

She’s a princess, so you know you’re gonna be a lil’ bit spoiled. Nice jewelry? New clothes? Any and all tools needed for any hobby you may have? You don’t even gotta ask, she will provide.

No, she won’t try and make you eat frogs. That ‘privilege’ is for Link only.

Her love language is quality time! Spending time with you and sharing her interests is her way of showing her affection. She has to trust someone quite a lot to be able to open up about her interests, so this is also her way of showing trust.

Your relationship with Zelda would have to be a secret at first. Her father hardly even lets her study relics, so a relationship? Just another distraction according to him.

Don’t worry, he’ll come around once he sees how genuinely happy his daughter has become since knowing you.

Buliara

Strong, loyal, protective… What more could you want?

She is honestly a great choice for a romantic partner. Sure, it takes quite a bit to impress her, but once you do, it’s really just a matter of time.

If Riju approves of you, you can bet that she is gonna be the best wingman.

Although Buliara dedicates herself to her job, that doesn’t mean she won’t have time for you. She will absolutely take time out of her day to spend with you! (Riju definitely messes with the schedule to ensure this)

Her love language is quality time and acts of service! She enjoys spending time with you, whether it’s training with you or watching you do something you enjoy. If you ever need help with something? You hardly need to ask, she’s already up and assisting you!

She will definitely want to train with you. Teaching you how to defend yourself will be something she enjoys, because not only does she get to see you improve, it also takes away some of her worry. If you can defend yourself, she won’t need to look over her shoulder to make sure you’re okay. She’s a warrior, and a worrier.

Her ideal date is a picnic out on the cliffs at the edge of the desert at night. Good food, stunning views, and you? Dream come true for her.

[claybrownie7566]

Through mortality (Part 1)

So I liked writing the Fierce deity not understanding love.

There is also a HC going around that Time's other eye is kept closed because the deity's spirit lives through him and can see out that side. So I thought it might be cool to write him learning about life through Time.

I also really love the fic (don't remember it off the top of my head) where Mask grants each of the masks a final request, and the fierce deity chooses to sleep. When the boy wakes up, the mask if off and sitting on his night stand.

I love this for a lot of reasons, but mostly I love that the god of war is learning what Hylia learned on Earth too. He just did it from within the bindings of a mask. So anyway, here is a little something :)

Hope you enjoy!

The first thing he saw was red.

His eyes snapped open, and his rage became free.

Unrestrained.

Lusting for blood.

He saw a great demon before him, the tune of dark magic and terror echoing in the kaleidoscopic room.

He growled at Majora, a monster he recognized from a life he could not remember. The creature raised it's whip-like arm to strike.

The Fierce deity cut it down with hardly the flick of his hand, and it was over. He did not need to know the reason for his awakening. He did not need any sort of validation for destroying such evil.

He laughed, the sound distorted and cruel.

"I have been freed. Now I can become what I was always meant to be."

Something tugged at him. He turned around, but there was nothing there.

Again. A gentle pull from within him. He could almost feel hands, small and strong, working beneath his skin.

Suddenly the world went dark, and he dissapeared with a frustrated roar.

He did not know how long he had been in the darkness. He did not know how long he had slumbered.

**********

The next time he saw light was in a great field. He heard shouts coming from all around him. He heard the screams of battle, and the clanging of metal. He took in the sights around him. It had been so long since he had seen the light.

"Sprite?"

He turned, peering down. His empty eyes met with sharp blue ones.

The deity said nothing.

This man, a man that he could've sworn he'd seen before, stood with authority and the mark of it aswell.

"Sprite, if you can hear me, make sure that big sword of yours doesn't hurt any of our friends okay?"

The deity tilted his head, then peered out at the battlefield.

Monsters flooded the land, soldiers in silver fought and worked and pressed forward, holding a line in front of the castle.

"Hey!"

He looked back at the man.

"We need your help. The kid told me you could help, so get to it!"

He paused, then smirked.

His helix blade was summoned to his hand, and he charged into battle.

Oh how he basked in it. He swept through hoards of monsters like they were nothing more than flies stuck in a trap. He downed monsters the size of Majora, he slayed them in numbers unbelieving to the mortal ear.

When they had all been destroyed, he yearned for more.

He turned to face the line of soldiers.

Stop.

He gasped.

Stop your rage. These are our men. If you harm them they will never let you fight again.

The small voice in his head perplexed him. Where had it come from? Who had invaded his thoughts and taken such control of his heart?

"Where am I?" He asked himself.

You are on the great battlefield of Hyrule field. You sleep in a mask unless I need your power.

So he had been used.

Why wasn't he angry?

Go back to the captain, see if there is anything else you can do to help.

"I do not help, little voice."

You just did. And you loved it. I know because I'm right here. I'm smart.

The fierce deity did not know why, but the voice in his head made him feel something he had never felt before.

"Very well" he said, making his way back toward the castle.

When he arrived, the man called "Captain" was waiting for him. But he wasn't alone.

The deity gasped.

A woman, clad in shimmering armor laid with jewels stood beside him. A circlet laced her forehead, and her face glowed with a radiance he had not seen in a mortal.

A memory. Old as the sun, and bittersweet tugged at the back of his mind. He knew this woman. Somewhere, somehow, in some life, he knew her.

But that life had faded.

The Captain looked at her, his previously stern facade melting into gentle protectiveness and fondness.

"Thank you" he said, "you saved many lives. I hope we meet again, but for now I'd like my boy back please."

"Your....boy?" The deity said, looking rather puzzled.

He means me.

"How do I accomplish this?" He asked the voice.

The captain shared a glance with the woman.

"How do you accomplish what?" The captain asked.

I'll take care of it. Just let me take over. Don't worry, you will not sleep for long. Thanks for your help.

The god did not know what to think of this, but he felt calm. Something he couldn't remember feeling before. His will diminished, and he felt small hands work at him again.

Then darkness.

**********

He woke to stars above him, and fire around him. Trees were scorching in the night sky, and there were cries for help all around him. When his mind regained focus, he could hear the voice within him tremble.

P-please. My brother. We are trapped here. He's very hurt, and I can't lift him. I'm sorry to have summoned you for something like this, but I didn't know what to do. Please help.

It wept.

Fire and something he couldn't name filled his chest. He felt his breaths quicken, and his brows knot together.

"Do not weep, little voice. Where is the one you call brother?"

He's against that tree to our right. Please hurry, he's badly wounded.

His eyes locked on the figure at the base of the tree. The blue scarf he had worn last time was still around his neck. The captain grimaced, and clutched his side.

Red.

The Fierce deity stooped, not knowing what he should do next. He was the cause of wounds like this, not a healer.

"What shall I do small one?"

Pick him up gently and get him out. Zelda will help him when we get home. Please hurry Fierce!

He did as he was told, the grass around them began to disapear, and the flames rose. He hefted the injured man into his arms and began through the flames.

The voice became muddled in all the chaos around them, and the warrior began to quicken his steps.

"F-fierce?" The captain breathed.

"You call me by that name. Why?"

Because saying Fierce deity all the time is annoying. I told everyone to call you that. Is that alright?

"Yes. That is a good name little one."

He felt the weight in his arms collapse further. The small voice gasped and cried out.

C-captain? Captain? Link! Link, please wake up!

"He cannot hear you little voice. But do not fear. We are nearly out of danger. I will deliver your companion to the castle."

A sniff.

Thank you.

Another foreign phrase.

After what felt like eons, they reached the castle. Guards and healers all rushed out to meet them. With gentle arms and tear stained cheeks, they came to him.

"Let me through" a voice, gentle and commanding at the same time rang out through the hall.

The one called Zelda rushed forward, taking the Captain's face in her hands. She brushed ash and grime from his face with the pad of her thumb.

"Oh Link" she whispered, "please hang on."

The little voice quavered and hitched.

It's going to be ok big brother.

The deity did not understand.

He watched as someone took the captain from his arms. He watched as Zelda followed after, staying as close as she could.

And he did not understand.

"Why does she grieve so? Why do you?"

The little voice took a deep breath.

Seeing him hurt, hurts us too, in a way. Because we love him.

He paused. It was a word he had heard before, but he did not know the meaning.

"I do not understand that word."

You will. One day.

**********

He awoke many times during the war of ages. He fought side by side many different heroes. He grew close to each of them, and over time he befriended the captain and his queen.

"Fierce can you tell the little ankle biter to quit stealing my scarf? It's part of my uniform and I need it." The captain jested.

Fierce grinned, "no promises captain. The little one says it looks better on us."

Hehehe

Something bubbled in his chest when the little voice laughed. He enjoyed causing it.

The captain glared playfully at the towering figure before him, crossing his arms.

"Well then at least give it back before-"

"Link!"

The two men turned their heads.

The one they called Ravio raced toward them. His purple rabbit hood bouncing behind him.

The boy stopped in front of them and panted.

"It's Zelda. She needs to see you."

Before Ravio could even point to the castle, the captain was off.

Ask Ravio what's the matter while we walk.

"Little hood?" Fierce asked, "what ails the queen?"

Ravio gazed up at him and sighed, a mischievous smirk playing across his lips.

Fierce knew that smirk.

"Oh dear."

RUN FIERCE I DONT WANT TO MISS IT!

The deity cringed at the rise in time, but agreed. Without a word he scooped up the little bunny child and placed him atop his shoulders.

"H-hey!" Ravio complained. Fierce began to sprint toward the castle, and the boy clung to his shoulders for dear life.

He slowed to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. Ravio climbed down and scurried away, happy enough his task was completed.

Fierce returned his thoughts to the little voice.

"Do you wish to part here?"

To his surprise the voice simply said No.

"Do you not wish to council with them?"

I can see from here. But you can't if I go away. I want to show you.

The Fierce deity was curious now, and allowed himself to press through the gates and down the hallways. The castle was a sight so magnificent it would've made the gods jealous. The stone columns, the statues, the marble floor. All luminous and strong, like the people within it's walls. He felt out of place here, but so strangely at home.

Carefully, he opened the door to the voices home, which he shared with the captain.

Look.

Fierce watched through the crack in the door. He saw the captain pacing the room, a hand resting on his chin in thought. His usual armor had been removed, he was in his simple tunic, trousers, and boots.

Fierce marvelled how a warrior such as the captain could look so very plain. There were footsteps coming down the staircase in the room. The captain held his breath.

Zelda flew down the stairs, her armor also absent. She was in a simple dress, and even her crown had been removed. She beamed and leapt into the Captain's waiting arms.

Fierce felt a soft smile cross his lips.

The captain spun her around, the two beaming at eachother in a way he had never seen.

"You did it" she whispered, "it's nearly over. All of it. Cia is gone Link. The monsters are retreating, and soon everything will go back to normal."

He lifted her chin, "I couldn't have done any of it without you. And goddesses above am I glad I didn't have to." He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. He kissed her ever so sweetly. Fierce watched as she pulled away, setting her forehead against his.

This, the little voice said, is just one example of what love looks like. It has infinite meanings to everyone who has ever lived. This is a special kind of love. One that doesn't need anything to thrive. This is their love, and it is just for them.

Fierce felt something in his chest bloom with warmth. But more than that was a longing, a desire to feel this way toward someone or something.

Do you remember when you rescued the captain? That fear and that protectiveness me and Zelda felt for him...that was love too. He is my brother, and I love him. Do you see how it is different?

Fierce nodded.

Good. Then may I return to them?

"Yes" he whispered, "thank you little one. I shall see you soon. Please tell the captain and the queen I say hello."

**********

[powdermelonkeg]

Zelda Theories and Wishes Masterpost

BO2W Breakdown (the first one)

BO2W Breakdown 2: What we missed (the second one)

The Return of Fi

My BO2W Wishlist (with additions from @freshbreezesworld and @applecherry108)

Titles and Plot Potential (heavy reference to The Return of Fi)

BO2W: Photographic Evidence (the third one)

Phylogenetic Trees: How the Zora and Oocca are Related ft @moss-gremby

Timeline Work (just a list)

Which Came First? The Confusing Case of Zelda I

In Defense of the Canon Timeline: The Confusing Case of Zelda I (Part 2) ft @thatonegorontemporary

Analyzing the Zonai: What do you mean, Minish Cap?

BO2W Breakdown: Analyzing Appearances (the fourth one)

Ask Bee:

Portals to the Sky Isles

The Master Sword in the First Clip (expanded on in BO2W Breakdown: Photographic Evidence)

Pigments and Luminous Stones via @acaiis

Link’s Toga (small ask) via @freshbreezesworld

Fishing Wishes

Dynamic Dialogue Wishes (small ask)

Homestead in Hateno Wishes (small ask)

Triforce Spotted? via @asexual-moth-nb

Cloak Pattern Identified! (small ask) via @acaiis

Map Issues and Moving the Deku Tree

Is the Deku Tree Okay? (small ask) via @heda-kom-clexakru

Time Pockets and Twilight Princess Zonai via @kittmoon

The Light Tower and the Isle of Songs

Zonai, Timeshift Stones, Time Travel, and Plot via @monster-hunter-girl, including tweets from @f0reverart1stic

The Forgotten Temple and Skyloftian Architecture via @heda-kom-clexakru

Minish Cap Mango (small ask) via @dieril​

Combat Mechanics Wishes

Champion Wishes

Link’s Eye

Let’s hear those headcanons about Hylian Space, baybeee

I’ll be adding to this as I make more theories and answer more questions, so check out the source post every now and then to see what’s new!

Blog | Ask | Submit | Direct Message | Zelda Content | Twitch

Lost Horizons: A Skyward Sword/Breath of the Wild Fanfiction

[mako-bones]

Year Walk (A Zelpha Story)

I have this posted on AO3, but I'd like to post it here as well! This is the second chapter, and it's under a cut since it is kinda long.

Chapter One: The Walk Begins

Chapter Two: Since We Were Kids

Word Count: 2342

~~~

Oh, Jabu-Jabu, this may be the worst day of my life.

Mipha's face was flush with bright blue as the floor slowly receded, flooding out in murmurs and gossip per the request of King Dorephan.

"It IS about lunchtime...Let the Council take a recess and we will return tonight. Mipha? A word. In private, please."

Yes, this was quickly transpiring into the worst day of her life.

The two took a left, into a spacious room decorated in the abundance of silver and aqua blues. Narrow columns served as the only vague doors, but no one was around to think of eavesdropping on the King and Princess.

Dorephan stopped and faced his daughter.

Anxiously, Mipha wrung her hands together, debating between meeting her father's concerned eyes or easily focusing on the wall elsewhere. Although it was hard to ignore his deep, rumbling voice as he hummed.

"You look tired, Mipha-"

"Father, what day is it?" Mipha blurted out again. "What time is it? I-I can't seem to remember what happened yesterday, or the day before that. And I apologize in advance , but I don't know what's going on-"

"Mipha." Dorephan knelt down, resting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. He lifted another hand to his chest. "Take a deep breath. In...And out..."

While her eyes closed, and she slowly inhaled a shaky breath, she missed the way Dorephan's gaze turned to great worry, but disappeared when she opened her eyes again.

"Could you tell me how you're feeling? You've never been one for bad mornings...And yet, I've never seen you so scared before."

Mipha ran her hands down her face, dropping them into her lap. Slowly, she recounted the events of her nightmare. Leaving out the grisly, goreish battle, and the deja vu paradox she seemed to have found herself in.

It was her and Ruta, against a fearsome enemy. Alone and afraid.

Dorephan scratched at his chin, staring intently at the floor as he listened. Eventually he sighed. "I knew this was a mistake."

"Father?"

"Mipha...You looked so happy when the Hylians and Zorans unearthed the Divine Beast. It was quite endearing, seeing how excited you were when you’re usually so serene. But...Is this truly what you want?”

“Not because it's expected of you, or thrown upon you.” He continued. “But deep down, I encourage you to consider what this truly means. Do you understand?"

Deep down, she did. And she also did not.

She had to be the pilot. Her family, her home, her entire world counted on her. No one would know what it meant to be killed by the monster inside the belly of the beast, and in a strange sense, it was hers to conquer. Again and again all alone, so be it. So long as no one else had to.

And she nodded. "Yes, I understand." She took another breath in and out. “If it’s alright, Father…”

“Go ahead.” Dorephan finished, nodding. “Be mindful of the time, however.”

Mipha’s grateful smile was wobbly and drained, but she dove forward to hug Dorephan tightly before finally taking off through the halls again.

This time, she went the back way, avoiding the flood of curiously wandering Hylians and Zora.

In the East Reservoir Lake, Vah Ruta sat in the same spot she did a year ago. Or was it yesterday? It was the same spot that Mipha had remembered.

Perched between sand and water, her trunk was lifted high into the air, her head tilted to peer at the sky. She did not move, not even as Mipha swam closer.

“Although this may seem like the first time, weren’t you there when the world ended? Was that really you, or was it your ghost and mine?”

No move.

Mipha raised herself from the water, turning and sitting on the shore. The elephant towered over her even more so, its silhouette casting a gigantic shadow over the Zora. Mipha kicked her feet in the water as she continued to ramble.

"Nightmare or not, something was real. Something happened, that much I believe. Though I'm not quite sure how...Or why...At least I have another chance. We have another chance. All the things we never got to say or-"

"Is that you, Princess? Ah, I would know that voice anywhere."

Grass and leaves crunched beneath high heeled shoes, brushed away by a long azure dress. Mipha jumped, eyes trailing up Zelda's dress until she met her dark brown eyes.

There was a look that Mipha couldn't recognize, paired with her smile that didn't quite reach.

"Are you feeling alright?" Zelda asked, finally stopping a few steps away. Her neck craned upwards and she squinted.

"And I thought you did not want to be a pilot. Yet..."

"I was just...Becoming familiar with her, that's all." Mipha said. "I don't really mean what I said at the Domain. I panicked."

"I know." Zelda flashed another smile. "I could see it in your eyes. What had you so rustled? Was it me? I know we haven't had much time to meet since we were kids, right?"

"Right." Mipha nodded, and slid back into the cool water. She gestured to Zelda to follow along the shoreline. "It was only a bad night, Princess. And a hasty morning--But now that you're here, it's becoming much brighter."

Zelda playfully rolled her eyes, kicking a small branch aside. "I can say the same about you."

She paused, and then quietly said, "You seem...Different, now."

"Different?"

"In a good way!" Zelda added quickly, raising her hands. She laughed in a short bark, tucking her hair behind her reddened ear. "I only meant that...Uh...It's just nice to see you again."

They had reached the end of the lake, where a wide pier was stocked with benches, beds under luminous stone canopies, and even snacks in chests nearby. Zelda plopped down on one of the benches while Mipha lingered in the water, leaning on her crossed forearms.

"I do hope I've changed since we were children. You...Also seem different." Mipha squinted, but she couldn't place it. Was it her hair, or maybe her blushing cheeks?

Speaking of blush...

"Have you and Link gotten along well enough?"

Zelda's eyes blew up wide. She looked horrified, confused. She sputtered and sat up straighter. "Link...?"

Mipha blinked, wondering if she should press on or backtrack while she was still ahead. "Your bodyguard, yes? The knight that--Is very skilled in his line of work."

"I-I haven't heard of anyone like that, Princess." Zelda cleared her throat. "Are you a fortune teller now, as well as a Pilot and future queen?"

Mipha sank into the water, cheeks dusting blue. "How do you know for certain that I'm a Pilot? I could easily say no, you know."

Suddenly a rumbling and grinding of stone made both women jolt up, Mipha spinning around to face the noise.

Vah Ruta began to raise her trunk, slowly backing into the water. Zelda tilted her head, ready to begin documenting as she noticed it sinking into the water. But only halfway...

It lifted its trunk, and spewed water like a broken fountain straight into the air. In only a few seconds, Mipha felt heavy raindrops beating down on her skin, rippling the water in a mini rip current.

"Ruta?!" Mipha lifted her head from the rough waters, a scowl on her face. "We talked about this, don't you remember? We are going to have another talk about this...Later. Oh, don't look at me like that, that was very rude!"

Mipha shook her fins out, huffing. To a Zora, it was hardly any different than a light shower. No clothes to ruin, no skin to prune and wrinkle. But for Hylians…

Oh, no. It was then that Mipha realized that Zelda was still standing, clothes ruined and her fingers no doubt beginning to wrinkle. Her face and expression was covered by her soaked hair, but she was staring up at Ruta. Then at Mipha as she quickly jumped out of the lake.

“Princess! Oh, I hope your dress isn’t ruined. Come with me--Surely there’s something at the Domain you can wear as your clothes are mended to. Is that alright?”

“Ah…” Zelda pulled apart her hair to reveal a dazed expression--She couldn’t believe what just happened, and neither could Mipha. “R-Right. Thank you, Mipha.”

As they quickly hurried to the nearby stairs, Zelda turned her head back to stare at Vah Ruta, still in shock. That had never happened before…

"It's not everyday I find something to be surprised about," Zelda mused as she pulled the silver comb through her hair--Short, brown locks that were beginning to bounce with lively curls.

"Is this about the water, Princess?" Mipha turned with another towel in hands, a scarce fabric in the Domain--But luckily there were a few on hand for the unexpected guests in the palace. "I apologize for-"

"Ahaha, no!" Zelda shook her head. "It’s just that...You spoke to the Divine Beast with such...Familiarity. And although it seemed rather playful, teasing us with that rainstorm...It obeyed you immediately."

Zelda rested her hands in her lap, staring at Mipha through the vanity's mirror. "...It just goes to show that there's more sentience to these machines than anyone could have assumed. It raises more questions about the relationship between a Divine Beast and its Pilot. It's fascinating, is all.

It makes me wonder how the rest of the chosen Pilots will follow..."

Mipha blinked, stopping short in her walk to deliver more towels. She had completely forgotten about the others. Revali, Daruk, Urbosa...Did they have the same nightmare, too?

"You're staring." Zelda's eyes flashed with worry, checking her own appearance again. "Did I forget a tangle? Is there a frizz where I can't see?"

"Oh, no, Princess. It's quite beautiful, if I may say." Mipha stepped forward, setting down the cloth to hover a hand near Zelda's head. "It looks...Different, than I remember. What did you do differently?"

And then it hit Mipha, right after the words escaped. At one point, she had remembered Zelda's hair being thick, and long. Always braided tightly down her back in a multitude of elegant braids, decorated in gold to match her dark brown skin. She gasped.

"You did cut your hair!"

Zelda's eyes widened, before she smiled. "Yes, I did." She laughed, a melodic sound that brought a faint blush to Mipha's cheeks.

"I...like it this way. I like it this way." Zelda repeated, nodding her head in confidence. "And there's plenty of hairstyles I can experiment with now. One for every occasion!"

Mipha hummed, and gently trailed her fingers through the ends of the curls.

"It fits you perfectly." She sent a warm smile to the mirror, and stepped back to give Zelda room, hands clasped together.

Zelda's cheeks flushed, but she quickly finished brushing her hair back and pulled it back out of her face. "There's something I'd like to ask of you, Princess."

When she asked, the entirety of the Domain was asking too. The King was waiting, subtle worry etched into his expression.

"Graceful Princess of the Proud Zora, will you accept the humble call to stand with me against the evil that may threaten my home and yours, and become the Pilot to steer Divine Beast Vah Ruta?"

The whole world was holding their breath, and Mipha's heart thrummed in her chest like it did the first time--The theatrics of it all never failed to give her stage fright.

"I accept."

And it was sealed. Mipha turned from the cheering crowd, looking up at her father who only smiled reassuringly with a small nod. He seemed like he was holding back many things, keeping it under a calm expression in the gaze of his only daughter.

"Father...You won't have to worry about losing me ever again. I swear it this time."

"I won't lie." Dorephan let out a sigh, drumming his fingers in a slow rhythm. "As a father, I'm always worried for the wellbeing of my children. But you rise to this challenge with such determination and courage that I cannot stand in your path, only walk next to you and pray that you'll return home safe and sound. In my heart, I know you will. Yet it is still hard to let you go."

Dorephan looked over Mipha's shoulder. "Princess Zelda."

Quickly, Zelda waved to another Zora guard she had been speaking to and stepped to the dais, bowing. "Your Majesty?"

"I understand that the plan is the same?"

"Ah--Yes, Your Majesty-" Zelda reached for the Sheikah device on her hip, flicking away droplets of water as it powered to life under her touch. She tapped away, focused and calculated. Mipha curiously glanced over, watching a detailed map of the land and its various landmarks flicker across the screen.

Colored lines and grids drew across the map, obviously hand-drawn in their wobbly

curves.

In the region over Zora's Domain, a tiny creature similar to Ruta animated its trunk on screen.

"Everything is still on schedule. Princess, tomorrow we'll head for Hyrule Castle to regroup our supplies and soldiers, and then begin our journey to the next region of Hyrule, in regards to the next Pilot."

"In that case...take good care of each other." Dorephan nodded to them both. "I have no doubts in my Mipha's abilities, but I surely do not mean to downplay your own strengths. I only ask that you watch each other's backs...Whatever the case may be...In and out of battle."

Zelda and Mipha both glanced at each other, a faint smile shared between them.

And Dorephan, sitting back and waving them off, his fears begrudgingly took the backseat as he nodded to himself. Of course there would be a flood of Hylian and Zora guards to accompany them; But there was always something special about placing your faith in a friend...And their faith in you.

[falling-camellias]

Day 6 of @zelinkweek2021

Prompt- Abnormality (Malice, timeline alteration)

It was quiet in the castle, save for the drag of her feet across the floor.

The lone princess limped through decaying halls of torn scarlet floors and broken, dust-glazed paintings, hand on the old stone walls to steady herself. Something warm ran freely from her nose, though when she wiped at it, all it did was smear more purple and black liquid across her hand. She quietly pondered aloud,

“Now what did that mean?” But she could not and would not give it an answer. There was too much to think about, like the screams of agony down the hall she walked, to give that question any attention.

Who cares what she had become, these lonely fifty years of constant battle, as long as it meant this pain would be over?

“Calamity Ganon,” she spoke into the blackened air, voice rough and alien even to herself, “I know you’re here.” The screams silenced themselves, but she could still hear the whimpering, the fear. She felt it in her own chest. An understanding trickled through her.

I was right, this is you, her hands touched upon the black and purple patterns crawling up her arms. If she hurt the beast cowering only footsteps before her, would their connection harm her as well?

A memory of soft skin under her touch, eyes the luminous stones that built Lanaryu, her unmarked thumb rubbing over his cheek, tracing the indentions of his smile.

The princess of Hyrule made a decision in that moment, and walked on to where the beast that had killed them all wept, crying for a shred of mercy. Pleas similar to those that had left her lips half a century ago, freezing in waters meant to purify, only for it all to be worth nothing now.

“Calamity Ganon,” her voice rang clearer this time, “I’ve come to kill you.”

———

Her knight was not one of the living yet. The fact tore through her being as she sat beside him, watching his too still face in the blue pools of healing magic. He was never a still sleeper, she knew, his brow furrowing at puzzling dreams and mouth twitching into half smiles when she ran her hands through his hair. This was how she knew Link was dead, and it brought her to her knees.

She let the silence sink in the air, felt it settle comfortably in her chest.

“I miss you,” she whispered. He didn’t respond. Zelda tore her eyes away from him.

“I don’t…I wish I could talk to you but…,” she studied the blue Sheikah swirls encapsulating him, “maybe I can…speed up the process?” The once princess placed her hand on the side of the pool, and she reached inside her for whatever was keeping the veins in her arms black, for whatever turned the edges of her vision red.

And she pulled.

The effects were almost instantaneous. The bright blue darkened to an angry red, like that of an opened wound. Zelda gasped and jerked back, but the damage was already done. The boy in blue’s expression shifted to that of pain, face scrunching up and teeth bared.

“Link?” She said to the boy reborn.

His eyes open, the most beautiful shade of sunset purple she had ever seen, and locked with her own eyes the color of a breaking dawn, and said

“Who are you?”