#at the end of it zelda tells link to shoot an arrow at her

[ganondoodle]

rough concept for the cutscene between phase 3 (beast ganondorf, design not final) and the final fight

(totk rewritten project)

(.. i really need to find an approach to painting these that i like, i dont think its very convincing .. and it wasnt very fun to paint either :( )

[phoenixesse]

Future's Present

I wrote this drabble because I love the champions and their descendants so much, especially Revali and Tulin. I HAD to write something for them, and here it is :) Please enjoy!

Please note that there are totk spoilers for all four of the Regional Phenomena main quest parts.

Despite the insistence of those at Lookout Landing, Link does not decide to travel up north to the freezing Hebra region first. He instead travels east to Kakariko Village, intent on visiting an old friend, reminiscing on a journey long past. 

Zora's Domain was naturally the closest from there. The muck had plagued them and their swimming abilities, so when Link arrived to help, he was tasked with seeking out the Zora Prince. 

He hadn't been to Zora's Domain in some time. There was really no way to tell how long it had been between when he and Zelda explored the castle, to when he woke up, after all. 

When he arrived and washed off the statue in the main area, Mipha did not greet him. Instead, a beautiful new carving of him riding Sidon to Vah Ruta was in its place. 

There's a sting of melancholy. 

It really shouldn't be there. Link's had his time to grieve, moreso than so many others were given the privilege. 

He doesn't think he could ever love Mipha in the way she did him, but at least he could hold onto her kindness like she'd held onto him with her grace.

It's hard to admit he misses her. All of them.  

-

He was told Sidon was located on Ploymus Mountain, stopping the tainted water at the source. When Link arrived, he paused, hand falling from where he'd been holding his weapon. 

The Zora had created a beautiful place named 'Mipha Court' in his time away, to honour their fallen princess. Somehow, Link knew she would've adored it. 

At the highest point, following the blue stairs with the water that flowed down them, was Mipha's statue. He looks over to the East Reservoir Lake, close to where Ruta used to be. 

There's an apology on his lips he can't say. He looks over to Sidon, hyper-focused on his task. 

He's glad she's been honoured to the highest degree and loved just as much as when she was alive.

-

He treks through the Eldin mountains next, embracing the not-so-scalding temperatures this time around. While visiting the back of Death Mountain, he notices the Lizard Lakes, reminding him of memories everyone wants to forget. He looks up higher on Death Mountain, only noticing a shrine waiting for him. He takes in a long breath. It was going to be no easy feat to reclimb all the way up. 

-

It's off-putting to see so many Gorons unravelled by their new food discovery, and even worse when Yunobo is completely unlike himself by seemingly his princess's cause. 

Luckily, the mask he's wearing breaks after a brief scuffle, and Yunobo is more than happy to fight. 

As they walk through the city on their way to cure whatever had plagued Death Mountain, the Goron Stone Memorial sits repolished, lights glowing in the eyes of each warrior carved. Daruk sits in the middle of them all, continually overlooking Goron City. 

"Do you think it looks alright?" Yunobo asks. "I had some help from my guys at YunoboCo, and I think it turned out pretty good!" 

Link nods. Protector, indeed. 

Daruk was a man of strength and heart. To see him stand as tall as he did on Rudania eases the ache in Link's heart ever-so-slightly. 

-

In the wake of another round of re-exploring Hyrule, Link wonders how easy it will be to travel to someone grounding. Having made up his mind, that's how he ends up all the way across the continent at the Gerudo Hideout's doorstep. His Ascend ability comes into great use, and after explaining his harsh methods, he's redirected to Riju's location. 

Her training seems to be having mixed results. She wields lightning as easily as Urbosa once did, but her aim is only truly guided once Link shoots an arrow to the correct destination. 

Her pride in her abilities is clear, heralding them with the passion Urbosa once did to protect the people important to her. 

The desert is once again shrouded in sand, making many areas unchartable. A certain camel stirs in Link's mind. The tower to see the map (when he could) sat right beside where it used to be. Before his long trek through the Gerudo Desert, he had sat on the steps, looking over it. The dragon that started to reside there made the spot look so small in comparison. 

After catching up on the reason for Gerudo Town's vacant state, Link learned of new enemies that came to swarm the Gerudo, and they seemed to have very few vulnerabilities. Riju's power of lightning is useful indeed, being one of the only things able to strike foes down. 

When the town is saved, she insists on following an old legend to dispel the sandstorm and kill off the Gibdo, hopefully for good. While preparations are being made, Link departs by her bedroom, happy to see her beloved sand seals upkept. 

He passes her diary on the way to the courtyard, eager to hear about the spoils he'd won. However, a few lines catch his attention in passing, and he stops. 

Riju speaks of her worries about The Upheaval, which comes from a place of little surprise. Her uneasiness continues into thoughts of Zelda and himself and their disappearance. She talks of the fortifications in place for Gerudo Town and how much she believes she can do against their new enemies. It ends with her speaking and leaving for training, advice Zelda once gave her at the forefront of her mind. 

"Oh, Lady Urbosa, if only you were here with us. Watch over us all in these dark times, and keep Zelda and Link safe..."

Link turns away, wandering outside to the courtyard. She's just as quick-witted as he remembers, which comes as no surprise but is a relief nonetheless. She also seems to be the only one to mention Urbosa, her importance still weighing on her mind. 

Her fury, her passion; he sees it so clearly in Riju. Urbosa's legacy was well placed in her hands.  

If there was only one person to keep the memory of such a woman alive, he's glad it turned out to be her.

-

The Hebra region is cold, much more than usual. The locals he's come across all tell of a never-ending blizzard, one that has broken the Rito's bridge and put their community into a heavy drought from food and shelter. 

From the Lucky Clover Gazzette, Link looks forward to the shrouded village. The Gazette isn't far, luckily. It's crowded and homey, with very few travellers and a story-hungry manager, but he's taken a few jobs from there, and it seems to be an alright place. 

He huddles by the fire, waiting for morning. He breathes in the cool air and the smell of smoke. He's finally arrived at where he was supposed to go in the very beginning.

After gliding over the bridge to arrive at Rito Village, Link explores what seems to be the vacant spiralled suburb. Snow piles mound from every surface, and all the rooms are empty.

The shops are still open, run by the children of the village. 

"The adults are gone," They say. "They went to find food and shelter. We're okay running everything while they're gone, though!"

Link thought being the sacred knight was a weighted burden at sixteen, but even then, he was chosen for it. There was always no hesitance when the thought occurred that he'd do alright. But these children? Running a whole village on their own? It makes him feel a tinge of guilt for not saving Zelda already, and putting this in their hands. Wasn't this something he was born to do?

He finds Tulin, Teba, and Saki talking on a certain landing covered in snow. It's indistinguishable from every other place in the village at this point. 

Tulin must be around twelve years old now, claiming his independence with his promising, above-average skill set. Another kid with the weight of their world on his shoulders. 

When he notices Link from afar, his eyes light up with glee and excitement. It makes him wonder why it took so long for him to get here. 

Tulin has grown, that much is easy to see. Teba sighs and shakes his head once his son eagerly takes off on his next adventure. He tells Link that he can't leave, his new mantle as chief connected to overseeing the village in its darkest hour. 

So Link follows, trekking up another mountain and into the mouth of a large cave. 

Tulin's gone far, far ahead, exiting out of the other side and glaring up at some monsters. His tenacity is admirable, but it could be seen as foolhardy. Many of the Rito through the cave praised Tulin for his skill but sighed regardless, his lack of cooperation becoming a further frustrating trait. It's an echo of a person Link once knew, this child training to become a champion but seemingly held back by an inner flaw. 

Tulin's excitement is still palpable, even once he tells Link his bow was stolen. With his power to control the winds and Link's skill as a halfway decent archer, Tulin retrieves his bow, happier than ever. 

As he inspects said item, his smile fades, and his expression downturns. 

"Link? I don't think I should've rushed off like that." He clutches his bow closer. "They all warned me, and I didn't listen. I just thought that because I had some better skills, I wouldn't need anyone else's help. I just didn't want to see them hurt, especially when they're all working so hard for the village."

Link's eyes widen, and he wonders if a certain loner would've said the same thing if he'd been this age. 

He places a hand softly on his shoulder, rubbing it in what he hopes is a comforting gesture. Tulin peeks up with broad eyes. He dashes into Link's stomach, wings wrapping around his back. 

Link hesitantly places both of his arms around the boy in return. 

"You know, I really think I get it now. Teaming up with you was so fun! And it makes things a lot easier too." Tulin pulls back. "I think I'm ready. Let's go to the Sky Islands and save Princess Zelda!"

As they fly over, the catharsis settles, and the blizzard seems a little less harsh. 

-

The Sky Islands in Hebra are a gigantic collection of ships based on an old myth that was very questionably true until now. Sheets of cloth line nearly every one, creating a space to bounce from ship to ship. As they near the eye of the storm, the wind grows harsher, and even the paraglider has trouble flowing through the gusts of wind. Tulin is just as strong here as he is on the ground, the only tell of struggle through his squinted eyes. 

Finally, as the storm reached its apex, one last ship stood in the way. As Tulin bursts Link forward, he latches on to the side of the ship, eventually able to pull himself up. With one more bounce, the clouds clear, and finally, finally, the far edges of the horizon sing in prominence. 

The two fall, eyes marvelling at the sky between one held breath- one held moment of stasis and the next. 

Vah Medoh had been one thing but was so secluded in comparison. Even though Link had travelled through the sky so much already, he understood Rito's love for it only then. 

The center of the storm housed the ship of legend in all of its splendour. With five turbines to activate throughout the three floors of the ship, they were going to be there for some time. 

But it was eventually done. 

Another of Ganondorf's creations, Colgera, waited for them from beneath.

Link and Tulin were blown into the sky as the giant monster attacked. 

By utilizing a combination of well-placed arrows, Tulin's gusts, and dodging the spikes and tornados thrown their way, the monster fell in defeat. 

Tulin, upon touching the sacred stone, becomes acquainted with the Imprisoning War from his ancestor and told the same as the other sages. 

'The Sage of Wind', they'll now call him. A title heavy for a kid, but accepted wholeheartedly of his own volition. Another guardian has been born into Rito Village.

He looks at Link with pride he's only seen very a few times before. He won't let him, or any of the others, down. 

-

Link stumbles by a woman as he makes his way to the top of the village upon their return. She makes passing, polite small talk with him, mentioning Vah Medoh's perch. She says it casually as if it's not a bad thing to remember. 

It makes him breathe a sigh of relief as she wanders away.

-

Teba is overjoyed to see the two of them when they return. As their conversation about the Stormwind Ark dies down, Teba turns to his son, unclasping the bow on his back. Tulin looks around in surprise. 

"I did tell you that this bow would be yours someday when you came into being a warrior." 

Tulin nods, his wings gently wrapping themselves around the bow. Link sees his eyes travel down the blue ribbon attached, and feels his own breath catch. 

"Dad... thank you," Tulin says. "I'll prove that I'm a worthy enough warrior to use it." 

A small gust ruffles the trees nearby.

Teba nods, Saki behind him smiling. Tulin finally turns to Link.

"I think I'm going to look into the Stormwind Ark to figure out what

happened to Princess Zelda, so I might be gone for a while. But that doesn't mean I'll be gone forever, so come back soon, okay? I might have new information for you!" Link nods. "And don't feel like you're ever alone. I'm the Sage of Wind now, and my avatar will be supporting you for as long as I can!" 

Link blinks, a small smile peeking through. He was going to be undoubtedly an unforgettable ally.

-

The adrenaline from his final adventure before the last battle finally wears off as everyone departs for the highest point of Rito Village. 

There's no one else around, and the snow has finally melted the village's cold exterior and could finally be inhabited again. 

Link turns his head to a sign a little ways away, noting that the Rito had polished it from his last visit with a red and white feather-like trim. 

It reads: 'Revali's Landing'.

The pattern on the wood from it has not seemed to age. The Rito symbol sits proudly, even still, a shining beacon of hope for those who come across it. 

How fitting that a bow passed from a great warrior, to a fighter and chief, and finally to his proven son was received in that very place. 

The Rito did not speak of Revali, it seemed. They, like the rest of the world, had moved on in small ways over one-hundred years. 

While his name may not have been spoken, it was softly known. From how well-kept the landing was to the passing of a torch. Tulin had the same force of a gale, and the power few Rito could harness would not go to waste in his care. 

Even with such sentiment, Link couldn't help but feel a tad sympathetic for Revali. He would've hated not being mentioned more. He would've hated his sympathy. Link could laugh.

He doesn't.

He kneels down and runs a hand over the largest part of the Rito symbol. A sudden thought comes to him, and he sorts through his bag. 

The sun starts to set, and pinks and blues flood the horizon most over the Hebra and Tabantha regions. Link leans up against the post of the landing, limbs too tired to find a proper campfire. 

He drifts off to sleep, finally a pseudo-peace lightly blanketing his mind. 

-

In the middle of the landing site, three Blue Nightshades lightly ruffle through the wind, steady. 

I had forgotten you a lifetime ago, but in this one, I won't allow that memory to be lost.

EXTRA:

Link blinks awake, the full moon high in the sky and darkness shrouding the atmosphere. He stretches, briefly regretting his decision to sleep on the wood. 

The flowers he'd placed sit peacefully, untouched. Maybe he'd backtrack a little with the idea now in mind. Maybe put some Swift Violets in the middle of Mipha Court? Or Sundelions in front of the giant Goron Statue? Or even Electric Safflina on Riju's desk? 

A pitter-patter of footsteps worms its way around until the source is at his side. 

"Sorry, I didn't wake you up, did I?" Tulin asks.

Link shakes his head.

"Phew, that's good. Couldn't sleep?"

Link parses with the thought for a moment. He tilts his head from side to side with a sheepish half-smile. 

Tulin smiles, taking a seat next to Link. "Me neither. I mean, I'm so glad to be the Sage of Wind! But... I guess I've never really thought about what that meant. More exciting new adventures for sure!" He looks to the moon. "I know we can protect Hyrule. It's just a matter of time!"

Link nods quickly, smile stretching. 

"It's nice to see the sky so clear again. You can actually see the moon!"

Link agrees. He hopes Tulin notices. 

They sit in silence for a few more minutes, Tulin's eyes still on the sky. 

"I like the flowers, by the way," Tulin says softly. "I'll make sure they won't get hurt while I'm around."

Link nods appreciatively. 

"You know, I actually met Master Revali once before. It was a long time ago, and I don't fully remember what happened because I was so young, but I ask Dad about it as often as I can, because he was there too!" Link stares, wide-eyed. "Dad told me I accidentally followed him into a portal back in time, where the calamity was stopped, and no one died!"

Tulin's eyes glow. 

"Master Revali saved me that day! He's really just as great as everyone said! And a lot nicer once you get to know him." Tulin chuckles. "I have his bow now. I told him one day I'd be worthy of it! I wish he could've seen me master it!"

Tulin falls back onto a post with a yawn. 

"Link, do you think- since you knew- ugh, actually, never mind." He shakes his head. 

Link tilts his head to the side in a questioning look. He hopes it's comforting enough for Tulin to keep going and be unashamed of doing so. 

"It's kind of a stupid question." He laughs awkwardly. "Like I know dad already is, and I don't have to prove anything to anyone but- do you think that... Master Revali would've been proud of me?" 

Link's eyes widen twofold, and for one of the very few times in his life, he acts on an impulsive emotion alone. He reaches behind Tulin, clutching him in his arms. He shakes his head up and down vigorously, unsure if the kid can even feel it. 

"You really think so?" Oh no, he sounds a little sad. "Thank you, Link!" Tulin laughs openly instead. "Thank you so much!" He reciprocates the hug, a wide smile pressed into Link's upper shoulder. 

When they pull away, the moon has already lowered significantly from the start of their conversation. Tulin yawns again. 

"I'm guessing you're going to have to leave tomorrow morning? Lots of stuff to get ready for the final fight, right?"

Link finds himself reluctantly nodding. 

"That's okay! I know you and everyone else are going to do awesome, Link!" Tulin yawns a third time. "I'd invite you to where we live for the night, but there's not that much room. Do you mind if I stay out here tonight?"

Link shakes his head.

"Awesome." Tulin leans his own head against Link's shoulder. "Good night, Link. And thanks for everything."

Sleep comes to the pair far easier this time. 

-

At the same time, for the briefest of seconds, the water calms in every lake. The rocks and lava silence their thunder. A faraway bolt of lightning strikes an enemy. A light breeze ruffles through a trio of flowers, the chosen knight, and the Rito's upcoming greatest warrior. 

Riju writes another entry into her diary, the next day looking even more promising. 

Yunobo says goodnight to every Goron still awake after a hard day at work. 

Sidon watches a shooting star fall from afar from the King's throne, attaching every single hope he has onto it.

A blissful peace settles over Hyrule. Even though there are many challenges yet to overcome, for one night, everything seems like it might turn out okay. 

[casiavium]

because I can't be normal about anything, ever, skyward sword hunger games au. lol

Obviously Link wins and this isn't a Katniss & Peeta situation, he's the only winner.

I'm not sure where to put Skyloft. 11, because of the pumpkin farming? I need it to be mostly peaceful and prosperous, though. Enough that it's comfortable but Link would still need to take out tesserae. It can't be 2 (Peacekeepers) because the knights on Skyloft aren't like that, and it's too close to the capitol. It's not necessarily accurate, but I'm putting Skyloft as 12. 1, because I'm from the real-world equivalent region and biased lol, and 2, because it makes Link an underdog and would have people tell him he's not going to win. He's from the town, like Katniss's mother, not the outskirts like Katniss was.

Zelda is the mayor's daughter. Bff's with Link. Her name is pulled, Link volunteers in her place. In this AU I'm changing it so gender doesn't matter, just 2 tributes per district.

The other tribute idk. Peatrice maybe? And she suggests a star crossed romance that Link & their mentor shoot down, since Link already looks like he's in love with Zelda, and this makes her upset and vengeful. She dies, obviously, Link doesn't kill her (maybe Ghirahim does) but she does try to kill Link

Speaking of their mentor, I'm thinking it's Impa. But she's not from 12. 12 didn't have any living winners, so she's hired to train them and takes on a Cinna type of role. She's from 2 like Ghirahim. She doesn't like Link at first and is very hard on him, but helps him once he's in the arena. Link is always late to interviews and meetings and stuff, he appears lazy to the game makers when they do the judging, Impa is annoyed with him. But he does something like Katniss shooting her arrow at the judges and gets a high score and he has his "am I late" moment, and Impa respects him from then on.

Link doesn't speak on camera. Other than "I volunteer as tribute" he never says anything, though he will talk when cameras aren't on him. He's encouraged by Impa to keep silent as a tactic.

Ghirahim is District 2 (weapons, the "pets" of the Capitol). He's not a Capitol citizen because I need him to fight in the game, and also because of the way Demise disposes of him in-game. He thinks he's indispensable, impossible to kill, but in the end he's tossed aside. He's a career and volunteers at 18 when he's had the most time to train for it. Makes it to the very end when Link kills him, maybeeee with the Capitol intervening because he's too dangerous to win. (Like the tribute Katniss described that starts eating people's hearts when he kills them)

He and Link hate each other from the start. Ghirahim promises to be the one to kill Link the first time he meets him. Capitol catches this on camera and exploits the hell out it, doctoring an enemies to lovers narrative, forcing them into situations where they fight and neither wins, making footage seem like they teamed up at times. Ghirahim gets a note from his sponsor to lead into it and you get the "red thread of fate" monologue, Link has no idea. At some point the power goes out in the arena and they have a moment off-camera of maybe in a different life we could have been something

Unfortunately, Link already has a faked romance that the Capitol is pushing, since he volunteered for Zelda. There's a whole "who's he going to choose, will he kill Ghirahim and choose Zelda or die so Ghirahim can live" bet going on. Impa, who already shot down one fake romance, tries to keep this from happening as hard as she can (why she never tells Link to play into it even if it would help him have sponsors). This also annoys Peatrice.

Fi is a young girl from 5. Link is allied with her. she's like Rue sorry </3 however she is utterly uncharismatic. they try to make her seem like a tiny, oh no so sad a 12 year old in the arena, but unfortunately she is not doing that and the Capitol don't like her as much :/ her death doesn't start a revolution and Ghirahim & Link's "fake" romance doesn't end up like the book

Howeverrrr. Ghiralink my beloathed source of brain rot. I want them to win soooo yeah no one dies au (funny for the hunger games) there's a twist in these games (maybe it's a quarter quell and they have double tributes idk) that 2 tributes can win if they're not from the same district, they can only both win if they're from a pre-approved list of randomly partnered districts that is hidden somewhere in the arena. Link finds it and is like FUCK. 12 and 2 are paired. BUT. but. It will only work if Link cashes it in, if he and Ghirahim are the last two it doesn't automatically end the games. So they have a fun final battle before Link reveals actually 👉👈 if you would stop trying to kill me for one minute. we won

[golvio]

Another thing about the trek towards Zora’s Domain is that almost every monster capable of using a bow is using Shock Arrows. They take advantage of how wet the rainfall’s made the ground by spamming the one enchanted weapon that’s the known weakness of the Zora, which several Zora tell you multiply times they are so sensitive to that they can’t safely handle these arrows with their bare hands.

If Calamity Ganon really wanted to dispatch Mipha as quickly as possible, he should’ve just sent Thunderblight there. The fact that he didn’t suggests two things.

First, that there might be some kind of elemental affinity required to pilot the Divine Beasts, let alone override their pilot’s permissions and hack into the controls. He functionally had no choice but to play an elementally themed matching game with which piece of himself he sent where.

Second, and this is way less likely and more speculative, he didn’t just want to defeat the pilots. He wanted to prove that even a splinter of himself was vastly better than the originals at their jobs (from a twisted perspective of “better”). Like, it wasn’t enough for him to just stunlock Mipha in place with his homebrew Cryonis rune. He had to make Waterblight Mipha, But Moreso, with a piercing spear type weapon with a superior reach to hers (A fishing spear, no less, which seems extra cruel to his aquatic opponent). Thunderblight mimics Urbosa’s classic sword-n-shield fighting style, but is also way faster and more efficient at activating his stunlocking electricity magic than her, and shows that off at every possible opportunity. Fireblight doesn’t just mimic Daruk’s shield, but can also create explosive vortexes by manipulating the oxygen he’s burning into creating blowback and enchant his own weapon, even turning his own hair into a weapon to make up for his lack of mobility and speed compared to the other Blights. And Windblight is a frickin’ anti-air laser cannon in addition to being just another aerial combatant in a realm where everyone else can fly and shoot.

He just rolls up into Vah Ruta all “I have mastered all four elements, and I’m going to prove I’m better at Water than you, the princess of the Water people! I am going to be the very best Water Boy!” If this is actually what he’s doing, then he’s not just figuratively teabagging upon the Champions’ remains, he’s also actively griefing Link, Zelda, and the communities each Champion came from.

I mean, as a vengeful ghost, this fits his MO, assuming he’s got enough marbles left that there’s more than a simple search-and-destroy algorithm happening in that ghostly, gaseous head of his. There are loads of stories of yurei, onryo, and even tatarigami not just lashing out at anyone available to receive their unresolved anger, but actively going out of their way to psychologically torment their targets as well, driving them to desperation and even death. Clambo Gambo’s not just out to destroy everything, but is also repeatedly twisting the knife to try to get his opponents to pay attention to him and keep paying attention to him for as long as he allows them to live. He’s like some kind of horrible outside-context internet troll. Only, in a world that’s completely forgotten the internet ever existed, a troll loses the luxury of self-justification through “irony” and trying to prove how much smarter and more in control they are than their marks, because all everyone else sees is a huge asshole being a real jerk for seemingly no reason.

But, also, if come TotK this specific iteration of Ganondorf doesn’t end up being the funniest motherfucker in the whole game, I’ll be a little disappointed.

[ladyjenise]

The final volume of the Twilight Princess manga is out. I have thoughts. They’re good. I will put them behind a cut because they are spoilery!

What a treat to get this comic a month before Tears of the Kingdom drops! Especially if Ganondorf is in that game as he appears to be (sentient). In the final volume of this manga, he has quite a bit to say about his powers, and how he views the world. But its also in contrast to the entire manga essay that Akira Himekawa have been building with Link and how he sees his own powers.

I’ve mentioned before that this series has been about contrasts and comparisons. We actually have 6 characters with contrasting and complementary roles revolving around the story: Zelda, Link, Ganondorf, Zant, Midna, and the Hero’s Shade. The last is actually Link from Ocarina of Time, and that’s important. Midna and Zelda serve as opposites and friends separated by time and circumstance. They both also deal with very unwanted suitors. Any Zant/Midna undertones from the game are turned up to 11 by the time of volume 9, where its revealed that not only did Zant want to marry her, he turned her into an imp in order to control her physically. Very creepy and makes him a meatier villain than we saw in the game.

Zelda, by contrast, ends up a prisoner of Ganondorf. Ganondorf’s game is much better than Zant’s (maybe cause he grew up surrounded by women). But he still “proposes” that he and Zelda team up. She refuses him, but he uses this conversation against Link in volume 10, literally claiming he “proposed” ruling the world together to Zelda, and lies that she happily agreed (she did not lol).

Zelda herself has the memories of Ocarina of Time Zelda, because we know Zelda reincarnates because of her goddess blood. She actually is still in love with Ocarina of Time Link, which Ganondorf is probably jealous of but, in his words from volume 11, he doesnt let himself get distracted by “frivolous emotions”. One of the great many fun quotes he has in this final volume:

This quote is actually a great example of how the manga has juxtaposed character’s values. He’s actually telling this to Link after Ganondorf appears to kill Midna. Ganondorf can’t understand why Link would care about Midna dying. Ganondorf personally doesn’t have the time. But Link has said and proven time and again that his emotions are the thing that helps him. Link fights because he gives a damn about something. By contrast, Ganondorf doesn’t seem to give a damn about anything. Except that’s not true. Ganondorf hates Link. And he says so. But he doesn’t understand that this is an emotion: a negative one that ends up rendering him unable to live out his goals.

Going back to Zelda and Ganondorf for a moment, there’s a great exchange in volume 11 thats also a callback to their tea party in volume 7:

She did warn him lol. The arrows she shoots don’t kill him, but they do take out his magic, which means Ganondorf and Link have to swordfight. It’s a clever use of in game mechanics to further storyline, and it works because Ganondorf really does default to magic whenever he can even though he’s good with a sword.

I won’t touch on Zant and Link here because that’s mostly volume 9. Again, Link talks there a lot about his motivations and how they changed over the story. A great volume.

Link and the Hero’s Shade get some great moments in this battle, where they join forces and make Ganondorf even angrier. One thing the manga clears up is that the Hero’s Shade makes clear that this Link is not a blood relative to him. That’s important to me for Ocarina of Time Link’s personality, as it appears that guy had a really sad, tough life and likely never married nor fathered children. The way the story goes would imply he abandoned any children born, and that absolutely does not jive as something he would do. He is a loyal dude, and if we are talking continuity from the oot manga, Navi says he’s just too nice. Even some accidental one night stand deal seems unrealistic. So that they are not blood but rather OOT Link sees this new hero as his successor and as a son makes more sense. Either way, its kinda interesting to see a take on how OOT Link would be as a father: strict, but loving and extremely protective and loyal. Honest, too.

One last thing for now: I love this line to describe Zelda:

“Zelda is Hyrule and Hyrule is Zelda”

This is a great, succinct description of Zelda in all her incarnations. If she is Hylia reborn, then this is it. Might also neatly explain Ganondorf’s borderline obsession with her, triforce aside.

Ok thats all I have for now. There’s also the way Ganondorf dies in this manga that I have to think cause it was… whoa!

[mysoulbloodlylove]

Currently, my brain made a convoluted story of Link and Zelda being trapped in a castle of some sort and they haven't aged since they finished killing Calamity. Team Natsu has a mission there and they find them, but they think Link and Zelda are 'bad guys' because Zelda can now use her divine powers whenever she pleases and she looks scary and Natsu attacks her and Link ain't too happy about that so he shoots him with a lightning arrow and then boom. Them fighting agents Zelda and Link and before they know it, they're getting their buts kicked so they have to do something else.

They see four glowing pillars which Link and Zelda are going out of their way to avoid damage to them. Lucy or Erza thinks this means that that's their weak spot. Which, they're not wrong but they're not right in the way that they think they are. The first one they destroy pisses Link and Zelda off even more and attack even more (Link has an armor set that boots his attack power so yikes) but Team Natsu thinks that means they were right (because they think Link and Zelda are attacking them with more power is to stop them from destroying the other pillars. Again, not wrong. Just not in the way they think they are.)

Team Natsu destroys the last pillar and Zelda screams in pain/anger/mourning and one of the Fairy Tail mages shoots an attack at her. Before Zelda is hit, Link jumps in front of her and gets hit intend.

Zelda goes out of goddess form to hold Link in her arms and cry at him to not die and leave her again. Team Natsu is struck by this and only watches at Zelda screams at the goddess for taking her knight away from her again.

But the Champion's spirits are still there, if only weakly. Zelda sees Mipha's ghost and begs from her to save him, to heal him. Mipha gently holds Link's face in her hands and whispers 'It was my pleasure' before her ghost seemingly merging into Link's body. Link is healed but still unmoving.

Urbosa and Revali flicker into form behind her.

Revali humfs and says 'I'm not surprised that you both ended up needing my help' then suddenly wing starts blowing upward around Link and Zelda. Urbosa lays her hand in Zelda's shoulder and says 'Be strong Little Bird' then steps forward to Team Natsu. As she walks, Daruk's voice booms out 'Be safe, Little Princess' then a shield is around Zelda and Link. The wind lifts the shield, which Zelda and Link are inside of, I'm to the very top of the cursed castle when suddenly the wind stops and Link and Zelda fall to the earth. The shield protects them (mostly) and Zelda drags Link to a place for them to rest.

As all the was happening, Urbosa wasn't happy with Team Natsu and summons lightning to attack them/keep them busy so they won't go after the knight and the princess. They get zapped and they blackout. The spirts go and 'merge' with Link.

Team Natsu wakes up and kinda talks about what happened. Lucy and Gray feel bad for what happened. Ezra feels bad for fighting them without talking to them beforehand. Natsu has no idea what the hell just happened, he just knows that they done messed up.

Time skip a few months later then Natsu smells either Link/Zelda and follows them OR smells really good food and follows that. The end result is Natsu is in Link's and Zelda's house. Link and Zelda are worried they're gonna fight again so they run.

Natsu tells his team what happened. After Lucy yells at him for breaking into other people's houses, they all agree they feel that they need to apologize for what they did.

It takes a while but they manage to find them in the woods and Link and Zelda are immediately on the defensive/offensive and attacks them first.

Team Natsu gets their ass handheld to them. Zelda demands to know what they want and whether or not they're working for Ganon. Team Natsu has no idea who that is so they go 'whaaaa?'

Link and Zelda look at each other before Link drops a bomb, grabs Zelda's hand and books it. The bomb goes boom and Team Natsu gets hurt again.

The next time they mean, Erza sees Link showing a kid his weapons and goes to talk to him alone. Link pretends to not see her until the kid is gone before looking at Erza with an expressionless face. Ezra is slightly uncomfortable but still does her best to apologize.

Link is surprised and confused. Ezra bows and says she doesn't deserve his forgiveness but she'll do her best to earn it. Link grabs her shoulders so he can look her in the eyes (I'm like 95% sure Erza is talker than him but moving on). He either says 'I forgive, there is no need to earn it' OR 'Why did you attack us?' Thinking on it now, it's probably the second one. So, Link asks why she and her team attacked him and Zelda. Ezra confesses that they thought he and Zelda were demons or bad wizards. Link only says 'I see' before Zelda shows up.

Zelda sees Erza there and damn near goes into goddess mode. Link calms her down and Erza does the same she did to Link but with Zelda. (Basically what happened to Link happened to Zelda.)

Zelda and Link go to the inn and talk. Zelda confesses that even with Link's company, she still feels lonely. As a princess, she was used to people being around her. As guards and teachers sure but there nonetheless. Link asked if she wants to join a school or some sort. Zelda says she wouldn't be opposed but she doesn't want to leave Link's side. Link says he doesn't think that he can stay in one place for too long without feeling trapped. Zelda suggests a guild, Link thinks about it, he likes the idea, they talk about which guild. Link jokingly says Fairy Tail but the more they thought about it the more it made sense so they decided to go the guild to tomorrow and request to join.

They join and it's all fun and games until Ganon starts to plot.

[longroadstonowhere]

okay on the one hand i definitely played too long today, like i was telling myself to stop for several hours at the end there

but on the other hand i wanted to finish one particular quest and, well, it took a while to do

so, uh, i’ve finished nearly all the main quests i think? so spoilers below

yeah, today i finished up the gerudo quest, as well as saving and rebuilding lurelin, lots of exploration trying to get into the kokiri forest before realizing you have to go down to go up (or at least that’s what i ended up doing and it seemed intentional), saving the deku tree (in what felt like an absolutely dogshit fight), finally went to hateno village and tarrey town (didn’t actually do much there but i visited them), finished all the geoglyphs, got the final memory, tried like five times to pull the master sword cuz i had to go get stamina vessels in between each try, which meant i had to do random shrines for a while, and finally did manage to pull it out

....

so like

zelda’s actually a dragon

like they really fucking did that

no last minute switcheroo of ‘oh mineru is the dragon and zelda’s actually totally fine’, which is what i was expecting - on screen she eats the stone and becomes a dragon

so uh botw/totk zelda wins the ‘most tragic zelda’ competition i think - oot zelda and... i think aol zelda were top competitors, but you just can’t compete with ‘struggle for years with the very concept of using the light force, then finally figure it out only to spend a hundred years doing nothing but holding back the calamity, and then on a fun archaeology trip you accidentally wake up the demon king and get sent ten thousand years into the past where you eventually choose to give up your entire sense of self and wait ten thousand years to give link a fighting chance’

geez, i’m really comparing this in my head to ruby’s half-suicide in rwby this past volume... like, i can’t even articulate much right now except that i’m sad for her

so i guess evil zelda is probably mineru? because like she hasn’t factored into most of the story at all, except for the bit where she mentions her power is to separate her soul from her body - only i guess she might also be in the purah pad? or in that construct that was holding the purah pad? zelda said something to her when she gave the purah pad up so like, who even knows anymore

well, anyway, that’s a whole thing i get to wrestle with, and we’ll see how the story plays out with the final battle

everything else i did today was unequivocally a good time - loved that they brought the gibdos back, but like they’re some kind of weird insect? great choice, totally bizarre in the best way possible, and i had a funny moment in the lightning temple where i was trying to figure out how to get to one of the batteries with rizu, and i kept popping up to the seventh floor cuz i knew i had to get her there somehow but i thought i had to get her there to open the door for the boss room, and then literally just before i got the last battery i realized ‘oh the entire point of the temple is to get rizu into that room’

i was also pretty proud of figuring out that you had to get to the deku tree by going into the depths, that was pretty cool (mildly terrifying cuz of enemies on the way but cool nonetheless)

however, the fight to save the deku tree? that was the first time i looked anything up, because i was getting mauled by the floormasters (or gloommasters or gloomhands or whatever their name is, like hell i’m stopping in the middle of a fight to take a picture of them), and i figured i was missing some essential point to the fight, like there was some easy way to counteract gloom that i just didn’t know about, but no, turns out the way to fight them is to know they’re coming, set yourself up in a bit of the room without gloom, and just shoot like eight bomb arrows into the center of their formation

the phantom ganon fight was also difficult, but that at least felt more reasonable to be as hard as it was, and i eventually made it through by upgrading some of my armor and eating a really good defense up food item - the items he dropped are sweet, too, although i’ll probably never use the sword unless i absolutely have to cuz uh slowly dying does not sound fun

so right now i have a full extra ring of stamina (thanks zelda) and i believe fifteen hearts, though it’s honestly hard to count, which feels like a decent amount to try fighting the final boss with, although i might wanna make another good armor up thing if possible, and also who knows what’s in store once i finally go into hyrule castle

but that’s for tomorrow, because i do need to sleep now and we’ll see when i wake up what i’m feeling like doing

[multbasa]

I want to discuss what I think the next big 3D Zelda game should and shouldn't incorporate from BotW and TotK. I think the next game is really going to be what demonstrates the series direction going forward since TotK was a direct sequel which is significantly more connected to it's predecessor than any other Zelda sequel hence why it is hard to judge what a completely new title would borrow from the ideas of BotW/TotK.

So I will give my opinion on different topics like the story, the gameplay loop, collectables, weapons and combat among others below the cut.

Spoilers ahead

The story

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of BotW and I actually liked the memories because there was a lot of freedom and I could rewatch those cutscenes whenever I wanted—and boy did I rewatch them a lot—however TotK really demonstrated the weakness of this story telling method.

TotK also used memories, but unlike BotW which was snippets in time to get an understanding of different characters in Link's life 100 years ago, Zelda's memories are a very linear story about her journey which we do not get to play. This journey is given to us in any order we find which is baffling to me because it is significantly more enjoyable in order and it actually ruins the surprise of puppet Zelda. I actually followed the order of the memories when I first played because I knew I would prefer it that way yet there're memories that you can't get unless you continue the main quest anyway. The result makes the story feel quite disjointed.

I think that the next title should do away with memories entirely or only offer them in a set order. I think I would have greatly enjoyed it if each dragon tear fell to the earth at set points in the story rather than just have all of them available at once. Zelda's final dragon tear is absolutely moving with the way it falls and perhaps the other tears should have dropped out of nowhere and the fact that they were tears should have been a secret until the final tear where we actually see the Light Dragon.

Anyway, the next story should be linear clearly. The linear story in TotK functions a lot better than the Dragon's Tears, so going forward, the non linear story progression should not be relied on. It worked in BotW but it didn't in TotK.

However the way the sages summarize the exact same event at the end of each temple is genuinely horrible. Like, who thought this was a good idea? We should have seen how Zelda and Rauru recruited the first sages instead so it was at least unique to each but we just got the same battle over and over. Even though each temple could be done in any order, there's no reason to repeat this event so many times, it's a waste.

Items and Weapons

Now, I have to say that the collectables in BotW were mostly completely useless and I ended up with a tonne of junk that I didn't use. The cooking mechanics did add complexity to the game and gave purpose to a lot of items in the game but otherwise it was just a bunch of junk to hold onto for upgrades.

The weapons degradation in BotW did not really bother me but I HATED how fighting enemies was absolutely pointless when they had crappy weapons to replace the ones I would break in fighting them. It actually led me to avoid fights and hoard weapons because I wanted to save those weapons for more rewarding fights. And while I didn't mind most weapons breaking, I hate how the bows break—this makes no sense honestly and losing a good bow was so frustrating.

TotK SIGNIFICANTLY improved the existence of these items and weapons with the Fuse ability. I actually use the stuff in my inventory and I can make almost any weapon worthwhile with the right fuse item. I actually have trouble collecting items for upgrades because I use them (I'll get to upgrades later). I still hate how bows break but adding fuse items to arrows gives more use to crappy bows because I can use them to shoot puff shrooms or dazzle fruit among other things that don't require good damage or range.

The Master Sword unfortunately is one of the weakest aspects of both games. It's base damage is just pretty lame, the way it needs to be recharged just leads me to avoid using it and it feels very insignificant compared to other weapons which is a HUGE problem for what is supposed to be a magical legendary sword!

TotK improved the story importance of the Master Sword where it was actually mandatory in finishing off Ganondorf which was a step in the right direction but it is still too little to prove the Master Sword's importance. Other than the final boss where the Master Sword has infinite durability, I literally never use it. I haven't broken it once because it literally just sits in my inventory.

For the future, I believe the Master Sword should get special treatment. This is difficult to balance with the other weapons available however the next games do not need to focus on the other weapons like BotW and TotK do.

If you didn't know, picking up enemy weapons actually originated from previous Zelda titles: Ocarina of Time had the Deku stick (which is a Deku baba stem rather than a weapon but it's functionally the same) and Wind Waker allowed Link to pick up numerous enemy weapons which could be used temporarily. As a kid, I loved picking up weapons in Wind Waker and I actually wished I could keep them especially the Moblin spears with their flowy red tassels. These weapons never impeded the Master Sword's importance because you can't pocket the Wind Waker weapons and the Deku sticks are more like consumable torches that you can collect in Ocarina.

Future titles could tone down the collectable weapons to allow the Master Sword its true purpose again as the most important blade in the game. Even if we can pocket other weapons, they should be understated and have a more niche use like having specific elemental properties that could be situationally more useful than the Master Sword but are not strong enough to overstate it. Weapons that are stronger than the Master Sword could be like the Gloom weapons in TotK which have a negative side effect with using them.

As for items outside of the fuse ability, there should be less in future titles. We don't need so many items to pick up. I enjoy the cooking mechanics to give buffs and heal but with all the loot from monsters and collectable items around the world, there's little to get excited over in treasure chests. BotW was the worst for this because there were usually some lame weapons in a chest that I didn't even have space to pick up. Chests just aren't exciting in BotW and TotK. I would prefer there to be less collectables and for there to be more exclusive items for chests—these rare items should be for upgrades rather than all the junk I need to collect.

Upgrades

Upgrading armour in TotK is a chore. I didn't mind it in BotW because I didn't have any use for all the junk in my inventory anyway, but upgrading much of the same armour that I already upgraded in BotW is outright painful and now each upgrade costs money on top of using items I would prefer to fuse to my weapons.

There are so many things I need for upgrades that it is so difficult to keep track of what I need. It's just too much especially in TotK where there are different horns for each enemy type. I had so much trouble collecting a certain construct horn because there were like 5 of them hanging around the world after I beat the final boss. Trying to get a particular item for an upgrade is so tedious because there are so many items in the game.

I would actually much prefer the upgrades from Skyward Sword return where I have important weapons and shields that I can upgrade. I would love to upgrade my bow rather than find bows laying around while I am not a fan of having to upgrade each little piece of armour.

Combat

I have to say that I love combat in TotK. I love the fuse mechanic and how it makes combat more complex and rewarding compared to BotW, and I really do believe that TotK has the best combat in the entire series. It feels good to play and I can approach fights in any way I see fit compared to the more rigid combat of past titles.

I will say that I miss the sword skills from Wind Waker and Twilight Princess especially the final strike where I can attack an enemy when it's down which was also a skill in Skyward Sword. BotW and TotK traded these skills for more weapon types and styles which isn't an issue but with the Master Sword needing more importance, I believe that these sword skills could really keep the Master Sword more relevant compared to other weapons. A spear may give more reach but the sword should have more versatility and skill.

Sword skills could be incorporated in the flury attacks which are just button mashing in TotK and BotW. Give more options in attacking an enemy when dodging like the skills available in Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. Perfect parry is also the perfect opportunity to incorporate sword techniques for critical hits.

Gameplay loop

BotW and TotK revolve around the items that can be collected in the world—especially TotK—and while this does give a good reason to explore the world and engage in battle, it is a bit tedious at times. This does give a lot of mileage to seeking out enemies or locations but it also feels like a really really long check list: find consumables to use, engage in combat, pick up more consumables, spend consumables for upgrades, use consumables in cooking or combat, seek out more consumables.

Yes this does give me reason to play BotW and TotK for significantly longer than other Zelda games which are much easier to complete all objectives in the game, but I wonder if this can be achieved without the need for so many consumable items?

If I could spitball an idea here for a moment: in older titles, there were temporary upgrades that dropped from enemies like the Piece of Power or Guardian Acorn Link's Awakening. There was also the addition of Dark Link in the Link's Awakening dungeon maker where he stalks you through the dungeon. So my idea for a future gameplay loop could be that you could be pursued by someone and during this time, enemies drop power ups that would greatly help you in fighting the assailant off. Maybe whenever something like a blood moon happens (as an example since Blood Moons don't need to return unless it suits the game), you need to find enemies to fight to gain these temporary buffs before the pursuer catches you and you engage in battle. Perhaps these events could be pushed back or avoided by using certain consumable items. Maybe the reward for fighting this recurring enemy gives you what you need for upgrades. Maybe this enemy is Dark/Shadow Link. Personally recurring events like this would be fun. I really wish that the Blood Moon wasn't just a respawn and world reset—it would be very exciting if these were actually threatening.

In TotK, I legitimately was scared during my first blood moon because I thought I might actually get attacked this time, but it was nothing important yet again. Once I encountered the Gloom Hands, I thought it would have been cool if these appeared during the night of blood moons rather than just at certain locations. This would have made Blood Moons scarier and more important in the gameplay loop than just a world reset.

Key Items

Poes

Poes are just sad. Compared to past titles, they are just spirit things that sit there to be collected. It's not fun, make them fight back.

Korok seeds

Korok seeds are not so important in TotK because my small inventory really isn't as much of a bother to me compared to BotW due to the fuse mechanic. I haven't even upgraded my inventory in a while and I've never bothered to collect every Korok seed. The reward for all Korok Seeds is definitely underwhelming but I would never want to feel like I needed to collect every single Korok seed for a good item anyway. I actually really enjoy the new koroks with their little big backpacks and it is a lot more fun to figure out how to get the Korok where it wants to be over just shooting at a balloon or something. I would still help these Koroks out even without the Korok seed, so if they return in a future game, I would prefer it to be treated as a quest rather than a collectable. Little Koroks in need of your help and who give different rewards like maybe a special Deku item like Deku seeds from past games or consumable food items for health or buffs.

Spirit Orbs

These are fine really but honestly I do miss just finding heart containers in the world and I wish I could fully upgrade Link's health and stamina. Just give me the heart containers and stamina vessels as rewards without the option to choose between them. I do understand the advantages of choosing between upgrades but I don't find it very necessary. Not knowing whether I could get a heart container or stamina vessel would allow rewards to feel more exciting. I was always super excited in past titles to receive a heart container but in BotW and TotK it's just not exciting.

Sage's Vows

Having to turn these on and off in the menu is annoying. They are fun to fight with in open areas but they take up screen space in caves. Chasing them to activate their ability is annoying especially for Yunobo who makes you chase him down but you can't position him properly because he won't go up and down certain slopes. Yunobo having a dedicated button while riding a vehicle and Tulin having a dedicated button while flying works so I would prefer if these abilities were more situational like that. BotW's abilities were definitely better.

Earthwake Manual

I really like this thing. Having an attack when Link doesn't have a weapon equipped is great especially for smaller weaker enemies like chuchus. This may not be useful in the future if the Master Sword is actually given more importance, but I appreciated it on TotK.

Paraglider

I love the paraglider and I hope it returns in future titles because it's so convenient. This isn't anything new obviously since we had the Deku Leaf in Wind Waker which has a similar function. It's obviously a big step up from the sailcloth in Skyward Sword, but I don't mind future titles not relying on a paraglider so much like BotW and TotK do.

The fact that you can skip the paraglider in TotK is absolutely hilarious and I love it—I totally forgot that I didn't receive it after the Great Sky Island but I intended to go to Lookout Landing first anyway. I actually think it's great to be able to skip key items without glitches is super interesting and can be challenging, so I think this should return in the future.

Compendium

I hate this. It was tedious in BotW and I'm glad I never finished it because I have to start again from scratch in TotK. The ability to search for items and enemies can be useful but now with caves I could get the beeping noise but the thing is somewhere below me. Do away with it, I do not want it.

Abilities

While the function of the Champions' abilities is much better and more convenient in BotW, I do love the abilities in TotK and I think they compliment the gameplay and world. I loved the ascend ability and how it eliminates backtracking and climbing in a lot of situations. I think the Rewind ability is a step up from Stasis because of its use as a moving platform creator or to fetch items that fall (the reach on Rewind is INSANE). I've already mentioned Fuse and how it fixes the weapons, and Ultrahand is much more useful than Magnesis.

I thought the vehicle making was super unique and fun to use in TotK, and there's plenty of preset vehicles in the form of schematics that can be found around the world rather than creating something from scratch. Autobuild is a massive aid for streamlining this process.

Obviously some people don't enjoy the vehicle making aspect of the game and that is fine. Personally I loved making boats—I hate crossing water in BotW, it was horribly tedious with Cryonis or finding a rare raft that I would get pushed off of by an enemy and then stranded in the water, but TotK eliminated this issue with my ability to make a boat whenever I want with various things like logs or ice that I can just create with freezing items.

While I like the abilities in TotK, obviously the next game should have its own unique skill set to compliment its themes and story. I don't know what that would look like because it depends but there are a few things I might want:

The one thing I was missing in BotW and TotK was underwater exploration. It's not necessarily a need but I scuba dive irl, so I really like being able to explore underwater. Exploring under water caves or finding underwater secrets is very exciting to me, so I would like the ability to swim underwater to return in the next title. Also the Water temple in TotK was underwhelming, so I think underwater exploration would improve the next water dungeon.

Flying is a lot of fun and if the next game is very open air like BotW and TotK, I would love to be able to fly around. The vehicles allow me to fly in TotK but a permanent ability in the form of a unique item or a companion like a Loftwing would be fun. Even if this is a late game addition, I greatly enjoy flying.

Dungeons

I really liked the puzzle box Divine Beasts and I thought the Shrines worked for a more on-the-job experience, but I do like dungeons of old.

TotK improved the dungeons in some ways but they didn't feel as iconic as past dungeons. I loved sky diving into the fire temple or ascending to the Wind Temple but at their core they're just the same as the divine beasts with activating a handful of switches.

Also the names of the temples are very uninspired. Fire temple, wind Temple, lightning temple, water temple—this doesn't hold a candle to other dungeon names like Arbiters Grounds or Forsaken Fortress. Yes "___ Temple" is common in many Zelda titles, but I prefer more original names.

Personally I loved Twilight Princess' dungeons the most because they were so grand and really felt like places in the world like Snowpeak or Arbiters Grounds.

When BotW was first shown off at the Game Awards I genuinely thought we were going to get dungeons with multiple entrances that were nestled organically in the world. I would love to explore a dungeon that has secrets that can be accessed by finding new entrances to the dungeon by exploring the world.

I suppose the Fire Temple in TotK could be accessed from different angles since it is just sitting in the Depths although that doesn't really matter because you have to start the dungeon by jumping down from above.

I did love Hyrule Castle in BotW because it felt very organic. I would like future dungeons like that but have more structure like part dungeons. I like the freedom to explore the dungeon rather than go room by room but more restriction than just "get to the boss however you get there" would be nice. I really liked Hyrule Castle in Twilight Princess as well even though some of the design decisions make it hard to believe that it was ever a functioning castle—it's not necessary that a dungeon be believable as a real location like BotW Hyrule Castle but I like dungeons that feel somewhat realistic in the world. The Fire Temple in TotK really doesn't feel like an ancient Goron city to me in the slightest for instance—I really can't see the inspiration at all, it's just a dungeon. City in the Sky isn't very believable in Twilight Princess either but that dungeon has a very great atmosphere that makes up for it with easily one of the best Zelda items: the double clawshot.

For future titles I would like more traditional dungeons that also have some organic aspects like BotW's Hyrule Castle. I want them to feel like a real place that I would like to revisit like I did in BotW to find lore secrets relevant to that location like Zelda and Rhoam's diaries.

Companion

I do actually miss the companions. I am very glad that Link's arm in TotK does not communicate with him—it kind of seemed to speak at the beginning but not really? I'm glad it didn't because having an arm that speaks is just weird, okay—but I want a companion again.

The sages don't count exactly. I like how they join me in the final battle, but otherwise they are just mute ghosts that run around.

Clothing

My favourite companion is Zelda from Spirit Tracks, and what I would love to see is an optional co-op aspect to the companions in the future. This shouldn't be a mandatory aspect or something that would feel absent if there is no second player, but incorporating an optional couch co-op companion would be great in my opinion. This would be tricky to balance but it could be a novel way to incorporate the companions more into the gameplay. Even if there is no co-op aspect, I like the extra story importance the companions include.

I do enjoy dressing up for different occasions because I feel more immersed like wearing clothes that appear appropriate for cold weather rather than just wearing a magical necklace or earring, but the clothing in BotW and TotK is quite excessive. I would not mind if future titles greatly reduced the number of wearables. There's so many in TotK and it is fun to find new clothes but the upgrades are so daunting. Just give me less options in the future, I'm all fashioned out.

Physics/Chemistry System

BotW and TotK obviously have the best physics and chemistry system out of the entire series and I want this complexity to return.

Conclusion

I also love how elemental effects can warm up or cool down Link without needing to change his clothes (to a point) or how holding items above him offers shade to avoid the hot sun in the desert. I like how water also cools Link down in TotK with the splash fruit or Sidon's sage ability.

There's so much interactivity in the world which must return in future titles. I want to be able to use unconventional methods to solve my problems rather than find a particular lock and key solution. The shrines really demonstrate what is possible with the physics engine in BotW and TotK

Music

It might be controversial, but I adore the soundtrack for BotW and TotK. It is simply spectacular and the use of silence is very effective in accentuating the more important and emergenic moments. I don't care for a constant theme to play while I am simply collecting apples or something. Wind Waker had this issue where traveling by sea got quite repetitive—I liked the tune but hearing it so often for so long really gets old. I much rather have sparse music which allows other themes to make more of an entrance like how the guardians in BotW break the peace and quiet with a terrifying piano tune. It also allows for the temperature changes to be heard easily and without the need for sudden music changes. When a theme is constantly interrupted, it gets irritating, so I prefer sparse overworld music that can be easily interrupted without it feeling suddenly cut off constantly whenever an enemy appears.

I love how the combat music is adaptive as well where percussive notes sound after you land a hit and the transition between day and night town music is absolutely spectacular and smooth.

The sound design in BotW and TotK is absolutely top notch and I'm excited for the music and soundscapes of future titles.

Musical Instruments

I want this back, okay. I want to play music in the game. The Skyward Sword Harp was honestly not fun and didn't seem to work as intended (that duet minigame at the lumpy pumpkin is baffling and I have a bachelor of music so I'm no stranger to performing. Even one of my professors thought that the minigame didn't work right, and it's the only minigame I know of in the series that gives the heart container as a pity prize and I don't think the minigame can be accessed afterwards ever again? Anyway, that minigame is genuine awful) but I love Zelda instruments.

I was excited to see instruments in the leaked artbook but they were just for other characters and Purah doesn't even play her recorder that she hold onto for the entire game.

Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask has great versatile instruments that even allowed pitch bending. The Wind Waker was very useful although not super interesting to mess around with. The howling in Twilight Princess wasn't very fun and unfortunately could not be done on command. The Spirit Flute in Spirit Tracks is actually really great besides the finicky mic because it involves a performance aspect with rhythm that is more complex than any other title and I genuinely enjoyed the final performance. And Skyward Sword's harp is at least fun to whip out and fool around with while running around.

Connecting to my idea of optional co-op, maybe companions could play the instrument for buff—I've been playing Monster Hunter World and I do enjoy the Hunting Horn when I am playing with someone else. Maybe it wouldn't be as fun as I imagine, but adding a rhythmic aspect to combat would be interesting if it is incorporated well.

I also really like Crypt of the Necrodancer: Cadence of Hyrule so incorporating rhythm would appeal to me greatly. Incorporating the boss and battle music into the gameplay in some way would appeal to me.

I'm no game designer, so take my ideas with a grain of salt. I don't think this is anything Nintendo has to or should do, I am just throwing out ideas that I would personally find interesting in a future title. Hypothetically it might sound fun to me but in practice it could be absolute crap obviously.

I think there's a lot of good things that BotW and TotK brought to the table when it comes to exploration and how the abilities aren't as situational as past items (like the spinner from Twilight Princess), but some thing can be done away with like the memory based story telling or the lack of importance with the Master Sword and the over abundance of collectables.

Personally I am very excited to see what the next game will be like, who the characters are and where it will take place. The next title will truly show us what the future of the series will be and that's very exciting.

[dustward]

This part’s gonna basically be a misc. section for anything that doesn’t fit in the other parts. We’re almost done, trust me. (I’m as surprised as you that I could make so many posts about this game)

Didn’t care for Rauru. Not sure if it’s fully the fault of the VA, but the character felt very dry to me, and so it was unfortunate they were a major focus of the memory cutscenes this time around. Found myself wishing there was more time to tell the story in general. Sonia needed more scenes for me to care about her demise. Definitely felt like scenes were missing for Mineru. Given the similarities to the masked ancestor sages (Rito, Gerudo, and Goron), I was starting to think they weren’t given any focus because they’d turned out to be Riju and co. of the present, sent back in time. ..Was still kinda banking on that even after seeing the Zora ancestor. Nope, they’re just nothing characters, making me wish they reused the champions whose personalities were already established (and in all but Sidon’s case, stood out more than their present day counterparts in BotW1) (Riju’s story arc really elevated her this time around on that note)

Cannot believe they copypasted Zelda’s role from BotW1 with the whole “you get to see her doing stuff, but it’s in the distant(er) past.”  It’s so damn apparent fans want more for her, from her, but Nintendo will never allow it for some inconceivable reason. She had a noteworthy showing in the finale, and her major sacrifice was one of the better moments of this game, but the fact they undid her choice at the end without any visible consequences (horns, tatoos, anything) undermines her arc somewhat for me.

One of the best parts of the game came in the form of figuring out what happened to her after only viewing 2 specific cutscenes, ones that did not outright spell it. I tracked down my quarry and was ready to find the Master Sword, and sure enough...very happy it was a stamina requirement this time as well. Shame this insight and knowledge seems to only be held by the player and not Link, even after finding all the memory cutscenes in the wild that point out exactly what happened to her. Being led around the various main quests by Purah and not being able to interject with a “this can’t be Zelda” was pretty damn frustrating.

Also what IS Purah’s deal? I found the book explaining she Aged Herself Up, but I still find that choice very weird. She also had a newfound focus of a role as the leader ordering Link around, and being the only non-sage present in the ending. Was expecting Mineru to pass off her role to her, which would’ve explained everything, but instead she merely comes off as a beneficiary of dev bias.

Hate weapon durability, especially when Elden Ring did away with it. You know, the Souls series was kinda one of the go to examples of that system in recent years, and the fact they got rid of it while BotW2 tries so hard to justify using it confuses me more than anything else. Remapping the world via new Ubisoft towers did not feel right, but they needed a way to shoot Link into the air I guess.

Most sidequests, like shrines, felt like tutorials. The game’s content felt like nothing but ‘em half the time. I was so dumbfounded when the Sensor+ tutorial resulted in finding a Nothing Shrine I had to pause the game. Pretty damn sure that didn’t happen in BotW1.

Needing to rebuy/acquire all the old gear and materials is one of those harder to handwave facets of a direct sequel. No way Link got rid of all of that stuff. I feel like revisiting Zelda/Link’s house in Hateno should’ve netted at least some kind of material-based nest egg.

Found multiple areas/puzzles I could not finish because I did not find the corresponding sidequest for it first (Eventide pirates, a skeleton in a Gerudo desert cave as a couple examples)

Was enjoying 2nd phase Ganondorf till I accidentally tried arrows and nearly oneshot him..

While I didn’t look into what the various armor sets might do, it seemed like the nostalgia rewards, all variations of old Link outfits offered little beyond being cosmetic. In a game that’s already overburdened with armor set clutter. Menu clutter, in every menu..

Lastly: where the fuck is Kass??? Best BotW1 character and one of the few to not make it to the sequel (even if I liked his replacement, Penn, along with going around solving the stable mysteries)

[luimagines]

Might I request some slight angst? Like the reader has a crush on the boys but they see them with their Zelda (or closest female friend) and think they're a couple (when actually the Link in question is asking for advice on their feelings for the reader)?

Masterlist

Angst, angst, angst!

It may end up a bit closer to hurt/no comfort.... But I can do that. It's not my forte but I can do that.

Part 1 will include Time, Sky and Legend.

Content under the cut!

Time

“Thanks for taking the time to talk with me Malon.” Time sighs and cradles the steaming mug of coffee in his hands. It’s warm against his calluses and he hopes that he can get this over with before one of the boys (or worse, you) comes in to look for him.

“Any time Link.” She grins and sits across from him at the table. “What is it that you need?”

“I need advice.”

“Oh?”

“I... think I might have a... I’ve been thinking more about one of my traveling companions than I believe is appropriate and I don’t know what to do next or if I should do anything at all.” Time bites his lip and drinks a quick swig of hot drink.

It does little to actually calm his nerves and instead he burns his throat something fierce. But a distraction is a distraction and he takes it for what it is.

“Link, I think the word you’re trying to use is crush. You have a crush on one of them.”  Malon smiles a little tensely. “We’ve already had this discussion on what a crush is a few years ago, remember?”

Time chokes on his own spit. 

Yes, yes he remembers.

He avoided Malon for a while before he manned up and had that conversation with her and told her that he wasn’t interested no matter how flattered he was. He considers himself lucky that she was wiling to still be his friend- he wouldn’t know what he’d do without her.

“Can I ask who it is?” Malon tilts her head. “A few of your traveling companions might be a bit young for you, you know.”

“No- it’s not...” Time is quick to shoot them down. “Not them... It’s...”

Time takes another swig, trying to pay more attention in the dimming burn as he speaks. He murmurs your name at first, not wanting to meet Malon in the eye as he says it. But she doesn’t understand- he can tell. So despite the ever growing blush on his face, he says your name louder and Malon beams.

“Oh them!” She gasps with a small clap of her hands. “Oh Link that’s wonderful!”

She reaches over to place a hand on his. “Tell me all about them. What can I do to help?”

***

You were busy (along with the boys) tending to the ranch that Time has made you all stop at for the day. He said that it was his Hyrule and that the place belonged to a close friend of his. That you were safe and no doubt welcome on their land.

You took the work in stride. 

It was hard  and sun was hot, but if a little work was all it took to pay for a warm meal and roof over your head to sleep for the night then you’ll do with no complaints.

The others not so much but hey- that’s on them.

They can sleep in the barn for all you cared, you were going to do your part.

And if Time was a little more appreciative in the meantime...? Well... you suppose that it would just be a bonus.

You have to make a good impression on the people he cares about after all.

You hold the pitch fork over your head and rest the rod against your shoulder, draping your arms over it as you walk by the house. You were on your way to the stables to catch up with Twilight and figure out what needs to be done next when you spot something through the window to the house.

In your periphery- and you have no idea how you managed to see him- was Time, sitting at the table with the lady of the house in front of him.

You gulp a little come to a stop, trying to stay to the side and avoid being seen while you watch them through the glass.

It looks like they’re talking.

Nothing to be concerned about.

But then you see Time blush and curl ever so slightly in on himself.

He says something.

And Malon looks like she could jump over the moon.

She’s quick to place her hands over his and lean closer to him.

Time doesn’t push her away and instead gets the softest- dare you say, dreamiest look on his face when he finally looks up to meet her eyes.

He smiles.

It’s bright and it covers his entire face as one hands comes up from the cup to cover half of it.

He looks so happy.

Has he ever that happy when you’re with him?

It’s an arrow to your heart and you look away from the delicate moment to continue doing... 

What were you doing again?

You feel the tears begin to pool in your eyes against your will because of course he would like her. 

He’s known her longer.

She’s so pretty. She was drop dead gorgeous with bright flame like hair, and bright eyes and her figure would have been any man’s dream.

She has a house- has land- has a place for him and possible future children and then some.

Time’s the hero here- he could have anyone he wanted by title alone.

What do you have to offer him?

Nothing here- that’s for sure. You don’t even have a lot to offer if you were in your own home let alone his.

You gulp and try to steer clear from the boys less you want them to see your heart breaking and actually ask you what’s wrong.

You don’t try to wipe your tears away when you go to put the pitch fork away in the barn.

Maybe you’ll sleep here tonight instead of in the house with the boys...

You don’t want to intrude on the alone time he’s probably been looking forward to once you’ve arrived.

You don’t wipe away your tears.

Sky.

“Zelda, I’m telling you I don’t know what to do here!” Sky whispers in a panic as he nearly tears his hair out. “I can barely form a coherent sentence around them- how I supposed to go through with this?”

“And here I thought saving the world would have been your biggest problem.” She giggles slightly with a gentle hand on her mouth. “Just talk to them.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“They are... so good and nice and friendly... and in no way shape or form see me that way. And I just stutter and stumble my way other them and - oh god- they have to think I’m incompetent-”

“Link.” She smirks and walks up her childhood fiend, wrapping her hands around him. “Deep breaths, ok? You are a strong, capable and an intelligent young man. You saved our people- you saved me. And there’s a whole lot more good you’re going to do. I want to see you do it. And if that means you go through with this then so be it. But you actually have to do it.”

Sky hugs her back and takes a deep breath like he’s instructed. “Ok. Ok. You’re right. I’m going to look like an idiot in the process but you’re right.”

“I care about you and your happiness, you know that right?”

“Of course I do.”

“And you know I love you. right?”

“I love you too.”

“Good. Now, tell me all about them.” Zelda grin brightly as she pulls away. “We have to do this right and we only have one shot.”

***

You walked along the edge of Skyloft in an attempt to see beyond the clouds.

You can’t.

But that doesn’t stop from walking the perimeter regardless and trying to find a weak point in the cloud barrier. You also take the time to look around Skyloft and makes yourself acquainted with the place.

It’s smaller than you actually imagined it to be but it’s homey and you can see how it was able to produce someone as wonderful as Sky.

It’s nice.

You pass some of the others in the process and wave to them as you go- they look like they’re planning something with bombs, the edge of the island and a whole lot of rope.

If you walk a little faster away from them than your typical walking speed, that’s for you to know.

As you walk you come across a little alcove and climb through it out of curiosity.

It lifts you higher than you thought it would go and you mange to see Sky with a girl on the other side.

You try to remember who she is, or at least who she might be to Sky, what she might mean to him...

It hits you like a brick.

That’s Zelda.

The first Zelda.

The Hylia herself Zelda.

Your heart plummets at the sight of them alone together and you nearly fall over the rock at the thought of why they might be alone.

Zelda places her hands on Sky’s shoulder, talking to him sternly without hesitation and Sky smiles a little despite himself.

You can’t hear them and you know it would be rude of you to do this, but your morbid curiosity pushes you further and you crawl down.

Glutton for punishment you suppose.

“Ok. Ok. You’re right. I’m going to look like an idiot in the process but you’re right.” You hear Sky say. It’s a bit muffled and you have to strain yourself to hear it clearly but you don’t want to go further and out of your hiding spot in case they see you.

You look around the corner and see them hugging, tightly and with familiarity of comfort.

Right... childhood friends... and she’s so pretty too.... Man how can you compete with that?

“I care about you and your happiness, you know that right?” You hear her say. You gulp and try to fight your rising heart rate. You’re starting to breath a little heavier and have to cup your hand over your mouth in a vain attempt to muffle the sound.

“Of course I do.” Sky says.

“And you know I love you. right?” She says with no shame.

“I love you too.” Sky responds.

It’s the final nail on the coffin.

With tears now pouring down your face, you run away from them, from the alcove, from the boys by the edge of the island.

There’s not a lot of spaces to hide but you do find a spot behind the wall just on the other side of the island and hide yourself behind it.

You let yourself cry and try to take comfort from the little animals that come to see you out of their own curiosity.

Of course he’s with her.

Of course he’s taken.

Of course he doesn’t see you that way.

Why did you think he ever would?

Legend

“Zel, I’m not going to do this. You’re wrong. There’s nothing going on between us.” Legend sighs and runs his hands harshly through his hair.

“I beg to differ.” She rolls her eyes and flicks his forehead.

“Ow.”

“You’re blushing just thinking about them.” She crosses her arms. “Just admit to yourself you like them, I’m not asking you to confess to them...”

“Ok well-”

“Yet.”

“Zelda!” Legend jumps and rips his hat off. “I’m not- I just- I give up. I’m a lost cause. It’s never going to happen. I’m going to die alone and no one is going to remember me when I die.”

Zelda sighs and shakes her head, an amused smile on her face. “You’re not a lost cause. There’s a lot of ways this can go wrong but I promise you, not in the ways I’m sure you’re imagining.” 

“I love the vote of confidence.” He sulks and drops into a squat and holds his head in his hands.

“Link. I love you as my brother but you’re one of the most dramatic people I know.” She laughs.

“Zelda... I really like them.... What do I do?” Legend looks up with what can only be described as despair on his face.

“Well, you can try and do something for them or maybe get them something small that lets them know you’re thinking about them..” She offers. “What do they like?”

***

It’s not everyday that you find yourself inside the Hyrule Castle, let alone in a different Hyrule entirely.

It’s nice.

Different.

But nice.

You might be lost though.

Your group was allowed to explore for the time being as Legend tried to figure out what was needed to be done and where you would need to be situated. 

You were lost though.

There were so many hallways and doors and turns that took little to no time at all to disorient and confuse you.

At some point you end up on a balcony and you go to lean on the railing. It over looks a beautiful garden with a rose hedge maze. 

From the height that you stand, you can see Legend and Zelda talking in one of the corners of the maze, seemingly walking together, shoulder to shoulder, close and friendly.

You feel yourself tense a little and your grip on the railing tightens until your knuckles turn white.

It’s fine. 

They’re friends, right? Legend did say that he needed to talk to the princess.

So they’re talking. No biggie.

Zelda then smiles brightly and wraps her arm around Legend’s shoulder before leaning over and ducking closer to his face.

Did she just kiss him?

He doesn’t push her away. 

Your heart plummets and you turn away from the view, placing your hand over your mouth in shock. You gulp and turn back after a moment of digesting what you just saw.

Legend looks a little more miffed, running his hands through his hair and shaking it roughly. Zelda shakes her head and flicks him on the forehead. They interact with familiarity and you can see that they’re closer than Legend wanted the group to know.

Were they together?

Was it taboo? 

You look away again and leave the balcony, wanting to get away from the place as quick as you could.

Away from the garden.

Away from the princess.

Away from Legend.

He probably wanted to be alone with her for a reason- to keep it all a secret and not let it get out.

How could you stand a chance against the princess of all people? Someone that would share his position in history- a part of his trauma and adventure and shares those moments with him. Not to mention to social status and the fact that she’s already in his own Hyrule.

He deserves more than what you could give him.

He deserves to be happy.

You hope that she can give that to him.

Part 2 

[eventid1ngs]

[ D a y d r e a m . ]

.

.

.

I stand at attention, my left hand resting upon my right that is perched atop the pommel of the Master Sword, with the semblance that I’m ready for anything and everything that might come this way. Nothing will disturb the princess as she prays at the Goddess Spring. That is my mission.

Not far behind me, I hear a bit of rustling as Zelda slips off her sandals. She takes her time entering the water, each step into the clear spring slow and deliberate.

I know that she is anxious. I know that she feels like a failure.

I know that she is afraid.

The sounds of gently moving water and Zelda’s hushed voice make my head swim, making me remember, for whatever reasons, each time that the princess’ hand touched my hand or arm and every moment that her gaze met mine. Within castle walls, on lonely roads out in the field, late at night… under the stars... in the dark…..

Letting out a sigh, I close my eyes and focus on any other sounds around me. The rustling of the leaves and tree branches above me. Songbirds happily chirping what will be their final performances of the season. The late summer breeze wafts about, flaunting its broken promises; its own song of lingering memory and uncertain futures.

I let out another sigh as I wipe my mind blank.

After a few minutes, I hear the water stir behind me as Zelda steps out of the water. I sheathe my sword before turning to reach for the towel that I had slung over a low tree branch. Approaching the princess, I make a small gesture for her to sit down on a nearby rock. She does. Her eyes are downcast and her expression vulnerable, revealing her utter disappointment. Part of me, deep within the recesses of my soul, wants to curse the goddess for refusing to answer, but I do not.

Part of me, deep within the recesses of my soul, wants to tell Zelda that I love her and that everything will be alright and that it all will somehow work out in the end, but I do not.

She doesn’t say anything, so I don’t, either. I crouch down and dry her feet.

Reaching for her shoes, I hold her clean, dry right foot in my hand for a moment before slipping the sandal on. I do the same for her left foot.

“Thank you, Link.” she says, finally breaking the silence between us. There is so much emotion in her voice. Behind the honest gratitude of her words I hear things that others do not, or maybe just pretend that they do not. I hear the relentless fear that throbs like a festering wound within her. I hear the tenderness of a girl who possesses the sweet compassion of a mother but veils it with bold character so as to not appear "weak." I hear her heart, crying out; reaching out, desperately, for someone–anyone–to provide even an ounce of comfort amongst the chaos.

My hands linger on her legs for far longer than necessary and my heart is beating so hard in my chest that it threatens to cause my stomach to promptly expel whatever I had eaten for lunch not an hour ago.

I want to comfort her.

I want to–

“Link.” she says, and I look up to meet her eyes. The ocean green of her irises shimmer in the sunlight as the inevitable tears come to surface. She opens her lips to say something else, but the words refuse to follow. I reach up without thinking and wipe her cheek with my thumb. My finger barely touches her skin. A quiet sort of half-sob escapes her lips that are still parted.

I take her hands in mine and we both stand. I search her face for answers to questions that I do not even know how to ask. She needs something… I can see it in the concerned arc of her brows, the flutter of her lashes, and the way her breaths keep catching ever so slightly as they come and go.

What is it? What can I give that will stop her from hurting, even if just for a brief moment?

Shoving aside the doubts that are clouding my judgment, I put my arms around the princess and press her to my chest. She sobs quietly as I crush her to me in vain attempt to convince her with my embrace that I will not let go until she feels that she is ready to face the world again.

My lips brush against her temple, not entirely by accident, and the sudden contact makes her pull back a little. Something new makes an appearance in her expression, mingling with the sorrow. It is something like surprise, something like curiosity. Something like excitement. Though I can’t be sure, I lean towards her. My heart skips a beat when I realize that she makes no effort to hesitate. My mouth pauses a mere centimeter from hers as we share the same breath. With an inhale she moves forward so our upper lips touch; so quick and feather-light that it’s almost like it didn’t happen. She does this two more times as if confirming it. I angle my head slightly so that the next time she leaned in, our lips touched properly. It was almost a real kiss, but she pulled back just before the point of no return.

“Link…” Zelda whispers. If she says my name like that again, I feel like I would have to be relieved of my duties as a royal guard because there is no way I would ever be able to concentrate again with that permanently imprinted upon my mind. I dare not look at her face to see the blush that has risen in her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose. So I keep my eyes shut.

I want to run away. I want to run far, far away, with her hand in mine. With her by my side. Two kids, too young and too dumb to fight this war.

Just sad kids, going somewhere.

Getting lost.

My hands move up her back and over her shoulders and down her arms, hovering just a breadth away from her skin. The ghost caresses were enough, however, to raise goosebumps across every inch of her flesh that is either exposed by or hidden from my view under her white dress. Skin so rosy, so smooth, without blemish… The skin of the princess who carries the goddess’ blood within her veins, and it trembles and responds to me.

Her eyes flutter closed and mine do, too. Maybe if we keep our eyes closed, we can pretend that it didn’t happen. Maybe if we never open our eyes again, we won’t have to wake up.

Our lips crash into each other.

There is no sound but our breaths that come quickly before being stolen away again. There is no feeling but a steadily growing warmth as inhibitions are stripped away and skin touches skin. The setting sun melts into eventide. There is nothing but us; she, the Princess of Hyrule and I, her appointed knight. Even the moon and stars that hang in splendor from the heavens above dare not disturb us.

A sob catches in my throat as the edges of my darkened vision go blurry with the tears that are rapidly rising. My heart constricts painfully at the sudden, terrible idea that I have become caught up in a silly dream. The possibility that this isn’t real. It couldn’t be. It never would be.

The realization hits me, knocking the air from my lungs, like a behemoth.

Just a silly dream.

All the things you didn’t say.

All of the things that you didn’t do.

Every chance that slipped from your grasp.

Do you wonder what we could have had?

Do you realize that you and I… could have…..

I feel myself start to panic, and I’m too exhausted to fight it. Don’t leave me.

Please.

A wave of pale blue flower petals rushes past my line of sight like an angel answering a prayer, but it never materializes; only disappears with what remains of my fleeting daydream.

I realize, gradually, while the scene that I had just experienced wasn’t real, the pain in my chest very much was. I look down, choking on my own sobs, at the arrows that are lodged into the center of my breastbone. Every inhale causes me to wince at the sharp pain that shoots up and down my body due to the movement.

What do I do?

I don’t know what I’m doing.

Please come back to me.

"I'll find you."  I say, out loud, with a voice that sounds out of place. "...Wait for me."

...Zelda.

I get up.

.

.

.

.

.

Playlist:

“Daydream” by Super Junior

“2 Kids” & “Sad Kids” by Taemin

“Find You” by Monsta X

(Zelink shippers, don’t look up these songs with the English translations unless you, like myself, have an inordinate desire for pain.)

[ganondoodle]

rough beast ganondorf design + sketches + notes design combines the typical boar form (dark beast + cloud form from botw), the oni one (demon king gan) hint at the draconic one to come but keep part of his humanity with his clothing being mostly intact

as the battle with Demon King Ganondorf comes to an end, the sages previously knocked out start to wake up again, he is cornered and hurt and as fear of being imprisoned, tortured and exploited overwhelms him he transforms into the Beast form, breaking the arena you were fighting him in and him going for Zelda as she is the biggest threat (he remembers her destroying dark beast gan and she reminds him of sonia, who is the one you sealed his human body back in the day)

you and zelda flee through the cracks of the earth as more earthquakes happen with a beast at your heels thats now truly only out to kill as fast as possible as he burrows after you (first sketch)

the path takes you both just below the surface and as you are trapped in a dead end zelda shields herself and link with her light shield ability, which protects you both from immediate damage but cant soften the impact from gan charging at you, the impact of which breaks you all three to the surface and the battle takes place in the same spot as botws dark beast fight-

fight is very challenging as gan is smaller than the dark best version, jumping and charging at you while still able to cast spells, now truly throwing everything he can at you in the hopes of ending you both

fight ends with you shooting an arrow at zelda, her deflecting it at the right angle and it shooting off the enigma stone on gans forehead; he falls seemingly defeated and as zelda runs to take the stone away gan through sheer panic lunges for the stone triggering his dragon transformation and making way for the final fight

(summary of the end: in the final fight gan snatches up both link and zelda once he transformed into the black dragon and takes flight toward the sky, zelda falls from between his teeth and knowing that she cant get to link and help him in any way from the ground she, while falling, takes out the enigma stone she has kept in a save container in her backpack all this time and swallows it for her own transformation, in her white dragon form she takes active action and charges at gans head so link is freed, then supports him in the fight itself; at the end link plunges into dragon-gans mouth to reach the stone on the inside where he makes use of the 'medicine' previously made using the moonbloom taked from kogas secret lab, link and the stone are spit out and as gan reverses into a human and falls link is caught by zelda and he uses the second charge of it on her to bring her back as well; as all three fall from the skies as the sages have made their way through the tunnel that beast gan made earlier, they help link and zelda getting to the ground safely while the yiga do the same for gan - final end end isnt determined yet but this is waht i got so far and even if i have written this once before i felt it was fitting to do it again and no you cant tell me this is too much of a wishfulfillment thing bc it literally is just that as i cant actualyl change whats in the game, so even if im trying to make it all fit well together i can still do what i want nhakjdbgshdbhsjka)

(totk rewritten project)

[corpsentry]

WHEN THE WAR IS OVER AND I AM LYING AMONGST ANGELS, WAITING FOR YOU TO FIND ME: a spoiler-filled addendum

because i buttfucked the timeline harder than nintendo and That’s Mildly Concerning ao3 link

q: what the fuck is this a: this fic is the answer to the question, ‘how can i reconcile the events of breath of the wild and age of calamity into a coherent narrative?’.

q: what the fuck happened a: age of calamity was a dream zelda had while partying in ganon’s apartment for a hundred years.

q: [you point a nerf gun at my head and smash my knees in with a hammer concurrently] what the Fuck happened a: link has a line near the end of chapter one which goes something like ‘my mother used to say dreams are the memories of people from another world’. this is the core concept of the story. while age of calamity is a dream to botw zelda, who saw it unfold over the course of a hundred year nap, it’s also real. in my incredibly fucked up version of things, it happened- just not in the same universe as botw. when botw zelda settled in to drink cheap beer with ganon for a hundred years, her consciousness drifted across time and space to the age of calamity timeline, where she proceeded to live out someone else’s life for a few months. are the other characters in aoc aware of this? link is. at the end of chapter two, when he pleads with zelda to ‘rebuild the old world with [him]’, he falls out of character. he betrays the real purpose of this timeline and his place in it, which is to salvage what botw could not.

q: what the fuck is up with the space-time continuum thing a: inspired by the multiverse theory (note that i know nothing about multiverse theory apart from the fact that there are multiple verses), i decided it would be fun if i added a third dimension to the botw/aoc pair. the inhabitants of this third universe are aware of the existence of multiple worlds. they are also aware of the prophecy of calamity ganon’s return, but for the purpose of this essay it does not matter if calamity ganon will rise in their world. the primary concern of zelda in this third dimension is whether she can engineer a universe where link does not die. as she says in chapter two, there are a thousand possible outcomes, but only two fulfill her requirement: the outcomes that constitute botw and aoc. we can assume she went to enormous lengths to uncover these universes, as described by impa, who says with some disbelief ‘you destroyed the space-time continuum for a boy?’. zelda destroys the space-time continuum. she moves through timeline after timeline, tweaking dialogue and moving the hour-hand ever backwards, and at the end of it all, for all her suffering, what does she actually achieve?

q: okay so what the fuck is up with the scene where link kisses zelda and is like i had a dream where i died and then nothing happens a: first of all, you’ll find this scene near the end of chapter two if you’d like to take a second look at it. as for who exactly this zelda and this link are, it’s unclear. maybe after botw zelda woke up, the original aoc zelda and aoc link lived happily after the war. maybe the zelda in the third dimension missed a positive outcome in her thousand-bullet-pointed list. maybe this, too, is a dream someone had, while lying in a field of flowers somewhere. your call.

q: rabbit???????? a: the story about the rabbit is a framing device. first introduced at the end of chapter one when link tells zelda a story on the bridge at night, it eventually comes to parallel botw zelda’s experiences, but in reverse. the rabbit is happy in her reality. she has a dream where everyone she loves is gone, becomes immersed in it, and is eventually saved by the voice of some-god-or-another. zelda is not particularly happy in her reality (botw). she has a dream where everyone she loves survives, becomes immersed in it, and is pulled out of the dream by some-god-or-another. the important thing to note here is the second rule the rabbit lays out in the story, which is that you, as the dreamer, can’t tell anyone that you’re dreaming. self-awareness is a sin in these lands, but the greater and far worse sin is to attempt to share that self-awareness with someone else. this is why link is so adamant that zelda not finish speaking at the end of chapter two, when ganon is defeated and they are standing on the balcony. he wants her to stay. he’s in love with her. he doesn’t want her dream to end because in a way her dream is his dream too; they want the same things (peace, living champions and family, each other). unfortunately for him, zelda has to leave the aoc world behind, because even a hundred year nap has to end, and so she says what she has to say, she says it feels like she’s dreaming, and she wakes up.

q: please explain, in plain english, whatever the hell goes down in chapter 2. a: chapter one is a relatively straightforward retelling of the first four story chapters in hwaoc. chapter three returns the reader directly to the botw timeline, where link shoots a glowing arrow at ganon’s ass, killing him instantly. chapter two is the glorious fuck that lies in between. in short, it splices the events of aoc and botw together with overlays and meta commentary from the third universe mentioned above, where zelda is trying to engineer a happy ending, and the ambiguous fourth one where link is the one who sees the dream. i made use of several batshit devices here, but the most prominent one is, i hope, the encore. the [ENCORE] is initially used to signal that a scene will be set in the botw timeline. it makes its first appearance before botw zelda and botw link’s journey down from mount lanayru, which, as we know, does not take place in aoc. this is played straight up until the halfway mark or so, at which point i swap out ENCORE for encore and finally ****** (still says encore though). this distinction is lost altogether once impa begins dragging link’s body up to the great plateau. up until now, ENCORE and [these brackets] have been used to distinguish the botw timeline from the aoc one, which is not an encore and is not in [these brackets]. the next segment, concerning the battle on the great plateau, flips them. now impa and co’s funeral procession is ‘real’ and the charge zelda leads to the temple of time is ‘fake’. i wonder why.

q: ‘the lights are BLUE or YELLOW or PINK’. explain. a: what’s a play? a pretense. what does it take to pretend? actors. what is zelda doing? dreaming.

q: fourth wall breaks. explain. a: the interview segments are an homage to the seven thousand articles about age of calamity i read before playing age of calamity because this game was effectively my reason to live for the months of october and november. sooga talks about google maps because he’s dead (possibly dlc?) and dead people have the right to say fuck-all. every device in this story was implemented for a vaguely coherent reason. and then i fucked it up for fun.

q: what is the state of zelda and link’s relationship? a: in the botw timeline i imagine they’re involved with each other even before calamity strikes. in the aoc timeline i imagine they’re working their way towards something, but several important trigger events in botw don’t take place in the aoc timeline and the stakes overall feel significantly lower, so i’d hesitate to say their relationship develops to the same degree it does in the botw timeline. this is all personal conjecture, so you’re free to disagree.

q: why does the last line sound like a hannibal lecter line? a: [dab] god’s plan

q: why does zelda say there are a thousand possible outcomes, and only one where link lived in chapter 3? a: the first rule of time travel: don’t.

this is everything i can think of off the top of my head that might have confused people, but i did unfortunately write this thing so if there’s something else that made you go ‘the fuck?’ please don’t hesitate to drop me an ask or a line in the replies, i’d be happy to help. also, if it isn’t clear as day, i have a lot of fucking feelings about both of these games, so if you want to talk lore, theories, or just miscellaneous zelink fuckery, hit me up. i’ll go sleep now. take care everyone.

[oceansmelodysblog]

Until my last breath

A botw Zelink reversed roles AU story

Chapter One - part One

[Notes at the end of the chapter]

As always, Link wakes up with the first rays of the sun, when the night still hangs mighty over the sky. When he jumped out of his bed in his sapphire blue night suit, he looked out of the wide-open window and searched for the sun. The white light broke a line at the end of the horizon and let the peak of the mountains look dangerous and scary. As Link walks to the closet and pulls out his black tunic and his Hylian trousers, the first servant knocks at the door and pleads for entrance.

“You may come inside.” Without showing any emotions, the servant called Celessia, brought him his morning hot tea made of the mighty thistle. It increases his willpower and lets him train harder and better every morning. “Please leave it on the table mistress Celessia.”

“Yes, your royal highness.” She says in a soft voice and leaves the room quietly.

Satisfied, Link nips at the soothing warmth of the tea and plans what training session he will have to train today.

He marched along the training ground and chose a suitable target, pulled his bow from his shoulder, leaned an arrow against the string and pulled the string with his thumb. The huge ring on his thumb, bearing the royal crest, protected his thumb from flesh wounds, inflicted by the string and too long training. He took a deep breath and concentrated on the point to which he wanted to shoot.

Then, he let go of the string. The arrow whizzed through the air and struck the black centre with full force.

Still, he wasn't satisfied, it didn't challenge him much, didn't give him a thrill to shoot after a target when he wasn't under stress.

Link trained non-stop, relentless, and driven by his delusion to outdo his brothers in the Heir to the Throne selection. He jumped over obstacles and shot from the air at several targets at once but failed to land and crashed to the ground.

He refused to give up and stood back on his feet with a shaking body. He took a deep breath to concentrate, but pain from his ribs stabbed through his whole body. His breath shook with pain and he sweated nervously. 'Focus, Link!' he slapped himself inwardly and started his iron-hard parkour again.

After the hard work out, he looked for the healer down the market. He walked past hard-working people from the kitchen and was greeted warmly. He smiled back each time but had to control himself to grimace so as not to show the pain. He always admired the drive of the people who worked in Hyrule Castle and tried to be friendly to them, even when his father tried to tell him otherwise.

‘A king must always maintain his dignity and never regard anyone as his equal,' his father's words rang in his head. Link, however, disagreed.

He continued to walk the corridors and observed the goings-on, picking up conversations here and there. One of them had been able to catch a special fish yesterday, and another told of a wrestling match in which he earned three times more than in the castle. Link always found the conversations interesting because he could learn a lot from the lives of others, and it didn't make him look like a spoilt prince locked up in the huge castle.

When he finally found the exit to the marketplace, he sighed with relief. The sun had been in the sky for some time by now, dipping the lively square in a golden, welcoming light. Men and women shouted and chanted from their stalls to attract more buyers, but Link also saw castle-affiliated servants, presumably running errands for the kitchen and the royal family.

Link, glad to be reasonably undetected, continued his search for the healer. But he was no longer at his stall, as usual. He therefore asked a passer-by who was nearby if she knew where the healer was.

"Yes, the old man has retired and is training a new disciple, he is in an old hut at the end of the road, around the corner to the left."

"Have thanks, honoured lady. Have a good day." Link politely said goodbye and hurried to the healer, because he didn't know how long he could stand the pain on his ribs.

As he reached the end of the street, he noticed how quieter it was and how shabby the houses here looked. He knew he would take another look on the surroundings to speak with his youngest brother, on how to improve this area when he had more time, but now he limped straight to the open door of the hut, expecting to find the healer, or his student, but instead he found a young woman with golden long hair.

The sun shone only minimally through the dirty windows, but the few rays made her hair look like liquid gold. The girl was squatting on the floor under the table filled with all sorts of herbs and substances, making notes in a small book as she looked back and forth between her book and the herbs.

 Link leaned against the wooden door frame with his arms folded, analysing her from head to toe. Her back was turned to him; from the looks of it, she hadn't noticed him yet. Link cleared his throat, startling the young woman, and banged her head against the edge of the table. She held her head with her face contorted in pain and turned to him curiously.

"I am sorry I didn't want to scare you-" His eyes widened and his mouth was wide open as he looked into her pretty face. Neither could get out of their stare until Link cleared his throat to avoid being rude. "I'm looking for the healer, or at least his apprentice. I-"

"You have chest pains, am I right?" she interrupted him.

For a moment he stared at her, perplexed, and immediately understood. "So, you are the healer's pupil. I see. Say, would you look at my ribs, the pain takes my breath away."

"Very well, please sit on the table."

Link did as he was told and sat on the table while the young woman laid herbs and bandages ready beside him. Curious, he watched her work.

"If you will allow me, I would prefer to remove your tunic".

"It would be a great help if you could do that for me." He whispered through his pain. Sweating through his sorrow.

She looked at him with her big green eyes and smiled shyly. Quietly and carefully, she pulled up his top and got him to release his pain-free side first, then helped him out of his injured half. Gentle, soft fingertips tentatively touched his skin. He wasn't sure why his body was paying so much attention, though, because she wasn't the first woman to touch him, after all.

"What is your name, healer?" he asked, giving her a sly smile.

"My name is Zelda, my lord. Or should I say Your Royal Highness, rather?" she said, curtsying playfully. Through her lashes, she looked up at him and smiled.

Link was surprised once more at her astuteness. He smirked. "You recognised it from my ring." It was more a statement than a question, yet she nodded.

"Outside of the royal family and the archer battalion, few are permitted to wear a ring on their thumb. And only the Royal Family is permitted to wear this ring with the sacred Triforce Seal of the Deities. Judging by your sea-blue irises, you must be Prince Link, as your brothers often have ice-blue or green ones."

Link wondered why he had never met such a gifted woman, even though he knew every face in and around Hyrule Castle. While he pondered this, she crushed plants in a wooden mortar and spread the paste on the bandages.

Zelda secretly kept looking at Link's immaculately shaped face, but quickly lowered her gaze when their eyes met.

"These herbs will soften the lesions on your ribs and the bandages will support your muscles. Please be more careful with your body next time. When the body and mind are not in harmony, such injuries occur."

Link nodded and then felt the cooling paste on his body and how she carefully, with skilful hands, tied the bandage around his broad chest. He relaxed; exhaled in relief.

"I thank you for your help. But I am surprised that I have never met such a beautiful and skilled woman as you are. Is this your first time in the marketplace?"

"No, your royal highness. I have been here for some time and enjoyed training as a healer. You just hadn't noticed me until now."

"What a blind idiot I've been." Meaningfully, he stared into her green eyes.  He knew women were at his feet when he looked at them like that.

"No you're not, your royal highness. Our paths just haven't crossed yet."

"Then I would like our paths to cross more often, from now on. What would you think of getting a better education at the castle? I'd get you all the books and materials you'd need and you'd be given the title of Royal Healer."

Zelda frowned imperceptibly, generous offers usually had a catch with them; even more so when it came from a prince.

"Forgive my rudeness, but I must decline your offer. I am still not a trained master healer and I have yet to pay off my debt to the master, so I will stay here where I belong. You should now return to your palace and rest your bruises."

Zelda turned her back on him and returned her attention to her notes.

"Do you not charge a fee for treatment?" he asked, as if left out in the cold. While he knew that not everything worked his way, it felt like a punch in the gut with her.

"No, because I have to write everything down and if the Master reads that a prince has been here, he'll grumble at me for not taking all your rupees." Zelda half turned to Link and squinted over at him while the corners of her mouth twitched trying not to laugh at her master.

"Then accept this as an anonymous donation" Link reached into his leather pouch on his belt and detached it. Setting the entire pouch down on the treatment table, he picked up his tunic and left the hut before Zelda could refuse his generous donation.

Link stopped shortly and heard from a distance how Zelda snapped for air sharply and then began to cheer. He couldn't help but smiling broadly across his face. Proudly, he walked back to the marketplace.

In the open square, the wind blew icy cold over his naked and bandaged upper body. As if he were stepping out of a hammam into the open air, the icy cold awakened his senses. He was aware of how much rupees he had left behind and hoped that the oddball old man would relieve her of her debt. But knowing him, it was not the case.

As he mulled over a solution to help Zelda to move on, he smiled half-heartedly at the passer-by who greeted him with his title. He was too busy trying to find a solution.

Soon the winter solstice would fall in the kingdom, it would get freezing cold in the run-down hut and he wanted them to be warm.

 

Zelda counted the rupees the prince had left again, just to make sure she could trust her mind. Six thousand five hundred and sixty-four rupees she counted in total. It was enough to research more medicines, buy new instruments and they could still find a better, but more importantly warmer, place to stay that had a bit more space to accommodate more patients. "Almighty Goddess Hylia, I thank you for sending me this generous prince," she whispered.

"Did I just hear generous prince?"

Shocked, Zelda turned abruptly to stare at her diminutive master. She had to quickly weigh how much to reveal without Link losing face. It was too unlikely that a person of the royal family would show up.

"A man came on behalf of the royal court and delivered this purse full of rupees to me. The man did not want to reveal who the anonymous donor was at first, but I managed to find out that it was one of the princes. The servant added the message that it was time to fund Doctor Borville's talent and left without another word. That is all I know, sir."

Zelda held her breath, so tense was she. Under no circumstances could she reveal to the old man that the Prince had been here, as he would force her to ingratiate herself to the Prince to exploit him for his greedy purposes.

The old man scratched his pointed beard thoughtfully, took his chair and sat on it.

"Finally, it is about time that my knowledge is appreciated. I'm just wondering which of the princes it was. Ragnar and Link always come here when they've messed up in their training and are too proud to go to the royal healer because their father would get wind of it. It must be one of them…hmm… I wonder which one…"

Dr Borville lit the tobacco in his pipe with relish and leaned back in his chair. Zelda forced herself to smile because of the lie about his skills. She knew that her abilities had surpassed her master's and every day she felt it more and more; as if she was standing still without being able to grow. But then she smirked at the thought of Link secretly trying to escape his father's eyes.

"But don't you dare using the money to pay your debts. I'll publicly denounce you as a thief if you do," he warned her.

Zelda clawed her nails into the edge of the table she was holding onto and sighed inwardly. Of course, she wouldn’t dare to, but the old man hated young people and women and she was both, so she was incessantly subjected to his harassment.

She had to do something to be able to live independently of her father one day. A life of freedom, far away from the place where she had only bad memories. But as it goes as it is, she wondered if she was ever able to accomplish that since the old geezer barely paid her full salary.

To take her mind off things and distract her teacher, she posed curiously. "Doctor, would you kindly tell me more about the princes?"

"You silly brat, don't even know anything about the ruling family. These children these days, never learn. Anyway, let me explain to you who the royal family is:

Starting with King Selim. He is titled The Mighty and The Merciless because he mercilessly defends the sacred places of the goddesses. The present borders of Hyrule are entirely due to his iron hand. In the past, there were often wars over those sacred sites, over the Temple of Time and the Forgotten Temple. However, King Selim never gave up and risked everything to protect those places. Unfortunately, he is also merciless within his family, as he expected the same strength from his sons. That is why his sons come to me very often, as everyone in the royal house is under the king's watch. Everything is reported to the king and even injuries that the boys inflict on themselves during hard training can lead to the father's disfavour. You must know, none of them have the same mother and are therefore exposed to constant competition. To avoid brothers of the same blood killing each other to get on the throne, King Selim enforced the law that as soon as a queen gave birth to an heir to the throne, she would be sent to a province with her son. The young prince would then undergo an extensive and rigorous education until the age of 16, so that he would henceforth be allowed to live in the royal court. However, who was allowed to be crowned king was up to the king alone. In the past, the remaining brothers were executed to prevent them from plotting against the new king, which also explains why the boys have no uncles and only aunts. Selim may be a cruel man, but the loss of his brothers also demanded a lot of him, so he decided to change the old law by sending the remaining brothers back to their mothers. Princes also have the choice of establishing themselves in other fields, such as the armed forces.

If we look at the first-born Prince Ecberht; The ambitious and eccentric Ecberht, sees his brothers only as competitors for the royal throne and often gives them a hard time. However, at his young age of 20, he has a strange power to draw attention to himself and also enjoys making big speeches to fire up the crowd. He spends most of his time handling diplomatic affairs in other kingdoms and playfully twists people around his finger. You can recognise him by his different coloured eyes; one green and one blue. He has darker hair than his brothers because his mother, Queen Seaxbourgh has very dark hair and green eyes. Like all princes, he had to be taught martial arts and is consequently very muscular. He has no siblings, as he was the very first child.

Prince Link, the son of the second queen, Queen Aslaug, is a highly talented archer, horse warrior and wields any sword weapon as if it were part of himself. And yet he is only 19 years old and already surpasses any sword master."

 Zelda tried not to let on how the name caught her attention, so she turned her face away and turned her attention to the herbs. Dr Borville paused briefly in his narrative to clutch at his painfully cramped back. Meanwhile, she looked for a plant that increased concentration and one that relieved pain. She boiled both with hot water and handed the tea with the pain relief to her master. The doctor's little errand boy returned with a bag of herbs and Zelda motioned for him to sit on her lap and listen in.

"Well, now that we are complete, I can continue the tale... where was I?" asked the senile man.

"At Prince Link's."

"Oh yes exactly! Prince Link, as I said, is not only gifted in the martial arts, but also excels in all the sciences. Some rumour says he is the King's absolute favourite, having inherited his father's acumen and ruthlessness. However, he is not my favourite, as he has a too soft heart, having inherited his mother's sense of justice and mercy. These people only bring trouble and endanger the rules of the monarchy, as was seen years later."

" What happened years later?" asked the little boy, on Zelda's lap, named Nebb. He was just six years young and yet he had to work so hard to help his family.

"Don't be so impatient, you brat!" the doctor grumbled.

Nebb winced imperceptibly, but Zelda didn't miss it and hugged him closer. He looked up at her and thanked her with a smile.

"The problem was that King Selim was so fascinated with her that years later, he bent the rules and fathered a second child with her. Princess Lagertha. She must have reached the age of 12 by now. You can see how dangerous the very existence of such people is for the dynasty's continued operations," he grumbled.

Zelda sighed inwardly. 'Surely this grumpy old man is afraid of everything that is foreign to him,' she thought.

"Anyway, what about the other princes?" she asked instead of speaking her thoughts aloud.

"All right, then. Let us now come to Prince Ragnar. He is the son of the third queen, Bonduca, a queen who was also an army commander and a warrior in body and soul. Ragnar therefore takes after her; a giant, broad-shouldered and a strategic genius. You can see his lust for battle in his eyes. He is generally recognised by his provocative smirk on his face. You can recognise him by his ice-blue eyes and white-blond hair, which he has braided into a complicated knot combined with an undercut. However, he is also a womaniser and no one knows how many bastard sons he has fathered. He may be a battle-strategic genius on the battlefield, but to rule a kingdom he is far too cunning.

Then there is Prince James, the youngest brother. Three years younger than Prince Ecberht. He is the son of the third queen, Queen Elizabeth. Average height, athletic and possesses an immense repertoire of knowledge. Although he has copper hair, a stubbly beard and green eyes, like his mother, he is very calm in contrast to his striking appearance. He is only interested in the relics of the ancient peoples who once developed these titans, shrines and towers. All humbug, in my opinion. At least he has a knack for architecture, infrastructure and finance. He could handle numbers and formulas like no one else in the kingdom and is often consulted by the Sheikah. In my opinion, he should take more interest in it, but nobody asks me. Old people have nothing more to say. What are these relics for? It's not for nothing that they were never used, as no one seems to have needed them! Pah!"

But as the old doctor was getting more into his aggression, a young man in his mid-twenties suddenly came rushing in. Zelda, in a panic, hid the little Nebb behind her and stood in front of the sack of Rupees so as not to create any problems.

"Hand over the rupees the prince left you and no one will get hurt!"

"There was no prince here! Now get out of here before I ram my cane so far up your ass that you can nibble on it with your teeth," said the grim old man, waving his walking stick on his chair.

Zelda, meanwhile, secretly tucked the pouch into her sleeve. "Please don't hurt us, we will give you what we have, but a prince was not here. And we have only the bare necessities."

"I don't believe a word you say! I saw one of the princes come out of this street!" he shouted, waving his short sword around.

"Get out of here, you good-for-nothing dumbass!" the doctor shouted.

Zelda slowly walked to the herb cupboard where her savings were and gave it to the burglar.

"As I said it's not much, but it's all we have. A prince wasn't here either, because as you know they would never set foot in a dump. They are too fine for themselves." She watched expectantly as the man assessed the information and hoped he could not see through it. The man lowered his knife and counted the rupees in the container as she slowly turned to Nebb and gestured with her eyes for him to give her one of the stinking elixirs. Like a ghost, the little boy moved around the room and stealthily handed a bottle to Zelda's hand behind her back. Determined, she held the bottle in her hand and prayed to Hylia to have the courage to do right.

The young man eyed her suspiciously and took out all the money and put it in his belt pouch.

Tensely, Zelda watched what was happening and clutched the bottle like a sprout of hope.

The old man looked at the young man grimly. Zelda inwardly admonished him for saying something rash. This was a dangerous situation in which they would either have to get away with minimal loss or pay with their lives.

Every word and every move would therefore be weighed in the balance.

But suddenly he put away his short sword.

"This time I believe you. But I will watch you. If I see anything conspicuous, I will kill you all and take your money that you are hiding from me."

He left the hut and ran away.

A moment later, all three breathed a sigh of relief. Nebb ran into Zelda's open arms and hugged her tightly. Zelda had gone down on her knees and was relieved that little innocent Nebb did not have to experience any horror.

"We should send the money back to the prince, it's too dangerous to keep it here,” she said to break the tension.

"Absolutely not! We'd be bankrupt without the money and it will starve us for the winter! I'd rather die a quick death than starve to death in freezing cold!" although the old geezer was being stubborn again, Zelda had to agree with him. It was risky, but it was better than starving. She looked at Nebb and immediately regretted her words.

‘His family would starve too,’ she thought gloomily. She kissed his forehead and let him go.

There was another way. And Link was the solution.

"Master, please excuse me for today, I have to go and look after my father," she lied.

"Yes, yes. But in the morning you're going to stand here with full attention again and work the hell out of you."

She nodded and took Nebb's tiny hand. She put the elixir back and walked towards the Royal Castle with the boy by the hand.

 

Link looked out his window and saw all the lanterns flooding the marketplace with light, music reaching his ears and drawing him magically. The winter solstice had arrived once again, which could only explain one thing about the commotion: The Festival of Lights was being celebrated. For as long as Link could remember, he loved this festival, as it was the best way to mingle with all the peoples of Hyrule and to escape, at least for one evening, from the hard training of princes.

He wondered what he should wear, whether he should stay undercover or reveal himself. He sighed, realising that every single person knew his face anyway. So he decided to put on his white shirt, but the fabric on his arms and chest made them tense, he was gaining muscle from the harder training and excessive food intake. He cursed softly to himself and buttoned the buttons along his muscular torso with difficulty.  He pulled on the sapphire blue Prince's tunic, accentuated by golden ornaments at the hem and sleeves. He then pulled on the black and brown leather chest protector with the royal family crest and tied his leather bracers to his forearms. When he was finished with his dark Hylian trousers and leather boots, he tied on his leather belt, which had the seal of the Triforce stamped on it. Link finally threw his cloak around his shoulders and fastened his sword to his belt and strutted out of the palace towards the marketplace with his shoulders erect.

"Oh, beloved big brother Link! Wait for me, I'm coming with you!" a melodic voice shouted behind him as he already caught the dusty smell of earth mixed with wood and snow of the marketplace. Clacking heels ran towards him; he knew the footsteps all too well. He turned and as he spread his arms wide, a petite person jumped into his arms. Link gently set her on her feet and looked at his younger sister. She had her dark blonde long hair braided all the way through and decorated with flowers, and had had a lovely dress in muted colours tailored for the occasion. She looked like a flower child, blessed by the goddess Hylia herself.

"Lagertha my dear little sister. It is good to see you well again.  You look wonderful and adorable in your outfit." She smiled sheepishly as Link held out his arm to her and escorted her to the fairground.

"Big brother Link, do you know where our brothers Ragnar, James and Ecberht are? I haven't seen them in a long time, since I was sent to boarding school for girls.  You have always been the only one to send me letters and gifts." Although it distressed her, Lagertha had learned not to let anyone know outwardly, but her brother Link, was the only person she could be who she was with.

"Our brothers have never been good with words, especially when it comes to their feelings. Please, bear with them, they still love you with all their hearts and would have any bastard executed on the spot if they so much as touched a hair on your head."

He always knew how she felt and was grateful and relieved that he could understand her without saying much.

"Thank you very much, dear brother. But let us rather celebrate the winter solstice and think of happier things. I'm sure our brothers will be there too." She trilled happily and grinned broadly at him.

He looked down at her and laughed heartily at the underlying irony in her voice. Yes, there was some truth to it, for Ragnar, James and Ecberht were indeed never far away when there was something to celebrate.

Soon the two siblings had reached the marketplace and were watching the colourful swirl of lights, dances and different clans. Happy laughter accompanied the sound of the Goron clan's taiko drums, the Rito's accordion and sweet singing, the Sheikah's shakuhachi flute and the Gerudo's oriental-sounding instruments. Various smells from the stalls rose to their noses and stimulated their curiosity and appetite. Although it was freezing cold, this place seemed like a warming oasis and warmed the hearts of the people. Sporadically, Hylian knights danced with women from different clans, twirling them as their clothes were stirred up by the gyrations.

Link looked at his little sister, who was beaming with joy. At moments like these, he wished his sister could enjoy a simple life, away from the castle.

But then the booming sound of trumpets interrupted him and everything went quiet. The guards had just announced the arrival of the royal family.

All eyes were now on them.

Link felt a strong hand on his left shoulder and looked up.

End of part one

Notes: based on the Zelink reversed roles AU Art of @/TheNebulace on Twitter I had the inspiration to write this multiple chapter Story of Zelda being a healer and Link being a Heir to the Throne.

Many characters name's are based on real npc from botw or are legendary/historically personalities.

Selim:historical chronicles says he was a ruthless and mighty emperor of the ottoman empire who protected the sacred religious grounds until his last breath. Lived in the 15th century

Ragnar: legendary Viking king and (is here) based on his Viking Series character

Lagertha: legendary queen, wife of Ragnar and warrior (here based on the Viking Series character with no relationship to her half brother Ragnar)

Queen Bonduca: [aka Boudicca] historically British Queen and Commander of a Legion 61 AC (here the mother of Ragnar)

Queen Seaxbourgh: historical mother of the historical Ecberht

Ecberht: King of the Wessex in 8th century, fought against the invasion of the Vikings, also here based in the Viking Series character

Queen Elizabeth: historically daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Tudor-Family. Lived in the 16th century.

James: historical successor of Queen Elizabeth Tudor, has here red hair to honour the red haired Queen Elizabeth Tudor

Nebb & Celessia: NPC from Botw

Part two:

https://freshbreezesworld.tumblr.com/post/639445306711375872/until-my-last-breath

[going-fancognito]

Shot through the heart

A/N: So, I decided to do part two of @ragefilledmunchkin‘s  Revali x Au S/O ask as a mini one shot. Hopefully this works well with the part one. You probably don’t need to read part one to understand this, but here’s the link if you want  some context. 

Ask: What would happen if Revali’s S/O fell from our universe into theirs? 

(Warning: slight mentions of blood, but nothing graphic)

No matter how many times you visit, the royal gardens still manage to take your breath away.

Different arrays of blossoms surrounded you as far as the eye could see. It was the perfect weather for flower viewing, the morning dew still clinging onto the petals, causing them to glitter beneath sunlight like gems you could only find deep underground. You bend over an area blooming with nightshades, and take a deep breath to savour the citrusy scent that invaded your senses, before slowly exhaling. For a moment, everything was peaceful.

At least it would’ve been, if not for the endless yapping coming from behind you.

Revali sniffed in annoyance. “Yet another stroll in the gardens? Surely there must be something more productive to do than view the same scenery every. Single. Day.”

You hide your smirk. You’d be lying if you said seeing him so frustrated wasn’t a bit satisfying. “Well,” you ask, ”If it’s so bad you could always, I don’t know, leave me alone and do your own thing?” Maybe you’d even get to enjoy yourself for a bit.

Your suggestion’s only met with a scoff.  “And allow you the chance to run off? I don’t think so.”

Two months have passed since landing in Hyrule, along with meeting Princess Zelda and the Champions for the first time. Revali accused you of being an enemy undercover, sent to gain their trust. You then proceeded to inform him just where he could stick those claims. Since then, it’s been his personal mission to act as your personal tormentor. He began to constantly visit the palace and look for you. After tracking you down, he’d refuse to leave your side and proceed to pester you for the rest of the day. He claimed that he was simply enforcing the “necessary security measures” over you. Yeah, right. It was more likely he was doing this out of pettiness then suspicion.

“Besides,” Revali’s voice pulls you back to the present. “You should be honored, not everyone is able to receive the company of someone of my calibre.” He fails to notice you cringing.

Dear God, how could one guy be so narcissistic?

“You know what, you’re right.” You smile sweetly. “It’s almost as impressive as being the Hylian Champion. Why, I’d almost even consider you on the same level.” Ok, that last one might’ve been a low blow. However, the guy really needed to be taken down a peg.

Suddenly Revali gets right in your face, and a twinge of unease goes through while under his glare. “Now listen here you little brat, don’t go prattling on about things you know nothing about—”

“Oh look who’s talking!” You snap, “I’m not the one that accused someone of being a Yiga on their first meeting.”

Revali’s feathers began puffing out in anger. “Why you insipid—”

“Master Revali!”

He was promptly cut off by the cry heard near the entrance. You both turn to see one of the royal knights running in your direction, a look of alarm plastered on his face. Once he catches up he bends over to regain his breath. Sweat was dripping down his brow in rush to find you.

Revali had no sympathy for the poor man’s state, more miffed at suddenly being interrupted. “I’m currently in the middle of something, knight, this had better be worth it.” He crossed his wings and waited impatiently, but the knight was still busy regaining his breath. “Well?” He snapped, “Out with it already!”

Despite his wheezing, you manage to make out what the knight was saying “There’s,” he gasped “there’s been an attack —*cough*— by the castle gates.”

Without another word, Revali sprung into action. Summoning his gale, he quickly took off towards the location given, and you were left to figure out the further details for yourself.

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

An hour goes by and, once again, you’re beside the Rito champion, the two of you watching as the royal guard begins to interrogate the captured assailants.

Apparently, a few members of the Yiga clan had snuck inside the palace in an attempt to assassinate Princess Zelda.

Unfortunately for them, they seemed to forget who her personal guard was and got caught before even getting near her. Not long after, Revali arrived on the scene and it was over.

“Well, that was quite the let down.” You try ignoring the grumbling beside you, but to no avail. “I had hoped for a bit of a challenge. Alas, I’m only to be disappointed.”

You turn to face him, but immediately screw up your eyes when the light behind him shines directly in your face. “Give it a rest will you? We should just be glad no one was seriously hurt.”

Revali snorts under his beak. “Please, with those abysmal skills? It’s astounding they even made it inside. Those fools had no chance against not only one, but two Champions. Speaking of which,” He raises a brow at you “What was it you said earlier? How I could almost be ‘considered’ on the same level as the Link fellow? Perhaps this event has enlightened you a bit.”

Oh, you did not care for the smug note in his tone. You gave him your best glare, but with the sunlight glaring down at you, it probably looked more like a squint. “From what I heard, Link took down more members than you.”

You receive a stink eye for that one. “Pardon me, but I was busy covering for him and the rest of the royal guards. I believe that requires more skill and finesse his simple stabbing of one foe at a time. Furthermore, he had a head start on me so it’s only fair—” You stop paying attention after that. You were more preoccupied by the sunlight, which still continued to obstruct your vision.

Then you realize; it was still early morning, and you were facing west.

You narrow your eyes and force yourself to follow the direction of the light. It ended at a bush nearby, and you made out something gray poking out between it’s branches as the source.

Something was off. “Hey, Revali—”

“It’s rude to interrupt.” He chastises you before going right back to his ranting. You catch  another glimpse of the gray over his shoulder. The sunlight was bouncing off of it.

“Ok, but listen—” A note of concern could be heard in your voice now, but once again you are cut off.

“Enough interruptions y/n,” Revali snapped. “Now kindly shut it.” At that moment an arm emerged from the bushes, and you finally recognized that the gray you  saw was an arrow.

Before you can say a word, a hand releases the arrow, and it shoots directly towards the Rito standing in front of you.

A few seconds pass…maybe more, you can’t tell. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, and yet it still felt too fast. You dimly recognize Zelda's voice shouting in the distance,  which were quickly accompanied by others. Heavy footsteps could be heard coming your way.  However, you were too busy processing what just happened to care.

Everything felt numb. Too much was happening at once. First, you saw Revali’s face turn from one of annoyance to shock, right before he fell to the ground. Now, a crimson red was staining the front of your shirt as you stood in disbelief. You look down, and see Revali’s body laying on the ground in front of you.

He looks right back at you, before turning his gaze to the arrow lodged in your arm.

Without warning, the numbness gave away to pain. A sharp stabbing sensation was shooting up and down your arm, and you can’t quite stop a whimper from escaping your throat. You could feel something warm slide down your injury and drip onto the ground. The world around you was spinning. Suddenly, you find yourself face first on the castle floor. Weird, you don’t remember falling. Your thoughts begin to grow fuzzy as the voices get closer. You try your best to stay awake, but dark spots are already flooding your vision.

You vaguely register the sensation of being lifted up. Something warm and fluffy gently wraps itself around your body.

Huh, it felt kind of nice…

And with that thought, everything goes black.

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

When you open your eyes, a dull ache immediately rings through your head.

You have to blink a few times before your eyes can adjust to the light. You were currently lying in a bed at least three times your size, with multiple blankets covering your body. You tried to sit up, but the movement immediately causes your arm to throb painfully in protest.

Shit, everything hurt. Privately you swear to never let yourself take another arrow in the future. Moving more slowly this time, you eventually manage to pull yourself into a sitting position in order to get a better look at your surroundings.

The walls are painted a pale blue. To your left stood a large, full length window, the drapes a deep, royal purple and drawn on either side to allow in some natural sunlight. The room was actually oddly familiar. You spot a backpack lying on the ground in a far corner of the room. It was the one you wore when you had first landed in Hyrule. Ah, this was the room that Zelda gave you. You felt kind of silly for not realizing sooner.

The sound of a click was heard to your right. Turning your head, you see a certain Rito enter the room, a tray being carried under his wing. He closed the door behind him and turned to where you were laying.

His eyes widen when he sees you staring back at him. “Ah, you’re awake. That’s um— that’s good.” ...Ok, that was weird. Since when did he have trouble with words?  

He takes a seat by the foot of the bed, and places the tray he was holding beside him. On closer inspection, you notice that it carried an array of different medical supplies. “How are you feeling?”

You shrug at his question, and immediately regret it with a wince. “Like absolute shit, and then some.”

To your surprise, Revali seems to visibly relax at your answer “I can see your vocabulary remains as coarse as ever.” He snickers, ”But yes, a shot to the arm will do that to you.” He begins to unwrap a roll of bandages while he talks.

Another minute goes by and you just quietly watch him continue unwrapping the roll. Eventually, you break the silence “”Um…” You swallow, “How long was I out for?”

Revali cuts off a decent length of the wrap.  “First, your arm please.” He holds a hand out in front of you, waiting. Slowly, you offer him the injured limb, and notice that someone had already wrapped it up for you..  

Carefully, he takes your arm and slowly begins to unwrap the old bandages. “You’ve only been unconscious for a day. Still, a bit dramatic if you ask me, considering it was only one arrow.”

You glare at him. “Well, it’s not exactly normal for people to attack with arrows and shit back home. Cut me some slack.” Instead of arguing, he nods.

“I suppose that’s fair. Which would make what you did all the more brave.” You actually slack-jaw a bit from the compliment. Was this the same asshole that bugged you every day?

He shrugs, eyes focused on his task. “Or perhaps you’re just foolish. Knowing you, it’s most likely a bit of both.” Ah, there he was.

“Nevertheless, your actions from yesterday were commendable.” He glances up at you, and the normally boastful Rito wore such a sincere expression, that you were momentarily at a loss. “Thank you for what you did, y/n. Really.”

...This was seriously different from the little birdshit you’d come to know. He was almost charming like this.

You notice a second too late after the fact that he was finished with replacing your bandages. You quickly yank arm arm back and feel the back of your neck grow hot. You try to cover up your embarrassment by coughing into your fist.  “Yeah er, sure. No problem” ShitSHIT this felt so awkward.

At least he seemed to personally find your reaction amusing. “Ah, eloquent as ever.” He spoke with his usual sarcasm, but it didn’t seem to possess the same bite to it like before.

You find yourself grinning at the familiar banter “Hey, fuck you. Don’t forget who just saved your feathery ass, how about showing a bit of gratitude?”

He places a wing over his chest in mock hurt. “You wound me, y/n.  Here you are receiving personal treatment from one of the champions themselves, and not even a word of thanks. You should appreciate my generosity towards you.”

Soon after that, you both fall back into your usual bickering, except now you actually found yourself enjoying it. It was almost like a little ribbing between friends.

From then on, your relationship only gets better from there.

[cinderspots]

LEGEND OF ZELDA AU

Jane is Zelda, Catherine is Link, Anna is Daruk, Kat is Revali, Anne is Urbosa, Cathy is Mipha, and Henry is Ganon.

1. Catherine, Anne, Anna, Kat, and Cathy have the introduction ceremony and we see Jane get antagonistic with Catherine, but she doesn’t respond.

2. Jane has multiple failed attempts to bring her power out and Catherine trains, staying silent and we see Catherine interact with the other queens. Kat and the flight deck scene, Cathy and the healing scene, Anne and the lightning scene, Anna and the rock scene.

3. Jane is leaving mount lanayru when Henry strikes and they all scatter. [note slight alteration from canon] Kat dies first at the weapons of her ganon replica and wind ganon teleports to fire ganon where anna unexpectedly gets picked up with her shield and gets spiked into the lava. Both fire and wind ganon then teleport to lightning ganon but Anne plays herself, thinking her replica has figured out her tricks and all three teleport to where cathy is. Cathy faces off against all four of the ganon’s and slowly cuts them all down, starting with lightning ganon, then fire ganon, then water ganon (assumedly), and then finishes wind ganon off. But she’s confused when they don’t dissipate because the water ganon isn’t quite dead and they rear their spear and kill her. Catherine is struggling to hold back the scouters and is almost dead but she keeps getting up, but she isn’t strong enough to fight one of them that has a target lock on her and is about to shoot it’s laser. Jane steps in front of her and her powers erupt. Catherine still collapses though and Jane sends her to the shrine of resurrection.

4. 100 years pass and Catherine wakes up and stumbles out. She goes through her first trials before King John reveals himself and gifts her the parachute. She goes around and finds the Sheikah village where Maria resides and she helps her get her first fairy fountain. She then goes to Hateno village and figures all that stuff out.

5. She travels to the volcano with bulky gear to keep her safe and she faces the trials of their divine beast before reaching the final challenge, fire ganon. The voice of Anna coaches her through it and when she finally lands the killing blow fire ganon dissipates and Anna rematerializes and laments about getting spiked into lava. She gives her an extra heart and her protection power before sending her on her way.

6. She goes to Rito village next and goes through the challenges of that divine beast before reaching the wind ganon. Kat’s rude voice interrupts her constantly but she defeats wind ganon, bringing back Kat who begrudgingly gives her a heart and her gale.

7. Then she goes to the Zora Domain and fights against a lynel, putting a reincarnation rune down before going up the mountain. She dies multiple times before she painstakingly sneaks around and gathers the electric arrows. She faces off against the divine beast and eventually makes it to water ganon. She stays behind the main rune before the cavern floods and she’s forced to do it the intended way causing her to get very close to dying before she manages to shoot them down. Cathy rematerializes and gives her a heart and her gift of healing, causing her to instantly reincarnate where she died once before being sent to her previous rune.

8. She finally goes to Gerudo town where she finds that she has to get the Thunder helm and basically sneaks around the enemy base before facing off against the master. She gets him to accidentally kill himself before going back to gerudo town and facing the electric storm before getting on. There are a bunch of complicated puzzles and when she finally makes it to the end she hesitates before bringing lightning ganon out and fighting him. He’s super fast so she’s constantly on the verge of death but barely manages to defeat while Anne helpfully coaches her through it. Anne rematerializes and gives her a heart before also giving her thunder powers, or ‘fury’.

9. Lina wanders around and gains more hearts after visiting shrine after shrine before coming across Korok forest [flashback to a jane memory of her returning the sword to a pedestal and talking to a tree, about to tell him to say i love you to catherine for her] she gets sent back to start before noticing the pattern and precariously following the wind until she reaches korok village where she sees the master sword. The great tree tells her how she must earn the right to hold the sword. At first she isn't good enough but then she goes through the korok trials and gains the last heart needed before pulling the sword out. She visits Hestu and gains more slots for her weapons before heading out and beginning her journey to Hyrule castle.

10. She goes through the journey up the path of the castle and finally makes it to the front door

11. She enters and she hears Jane tell her she can’t hold Henry back anymore and he materializes before teleporting them into a chamber that's super overdramatic. The four champions deal their damage before she’s left alone. He has the ability to multiply himself so he can have a bunch of weapons at once and he fights Catalina. Catherine wins amd at first is happy before Jane’s voice tells her that it isn’t over and she begins to teleport to the field outside hyrule castle

12. Her horse is waiting for her and she gets on him before seeing the bow of light. Jane’s voice coaches her through the fight with dark henry as he’s now a beast, and huge, [note like video game] She takes the bow and fights him with jane’s help. She finally slays him and takes a breather before realizing his essence is going up, trying to escape and she sees an orb of light fly from him before turning into Jane who obliterates her with her powers.

13. The two reconnect

14. The four champions reconnect with each other and Jane and catherine.

15. Epilogue